My Little Piece of NYC

The NYC digs are coming along quite nicely, if you disregard the lofty (was I delusional?) ambition to have it decorated by my birthday, which needless to say, has come and gone. My excuse is that I'd like our place to come about "organically." Right? Right! Anyways, I've slowly been mulling over lamps, art, ottomans, fabrics, drapes, and I thought I'd share a few of my fun finds!

ART!

Alan doesn't know it yet, but I'm secretly making pink a sneaky accent color. He can't argue this painting, it has one of his favorite colors in it too-- a shade of it anyways ;) I really adore the layers of peonies and the romance that this print by Cozamia evokes. It also goes perfectly with my Chinoiserie meets Paris vibe!



OTTOMANS!

My tufted ottoman came through production yesterday. I almost passed out when I saw it. I chose a Robert Allen cut velvet in Citrine. It looks pretty snaz, if I do say so myself :) I think it's going to be the perfect spot to prop up our feet, while serving as additional seating when we have guests. I'll definitely need a tray to make a flat surface for trinkets and such. Coffee table chic here I come!

FABRICS!
I've been holding on to this beaut since the beginning of October and can't quite decide what to do with it! Make it a resin table top or pillows? HELP!!

SMALL SPACE SOLUTIONS!

Since we have chosen location over space, I've put in an order to myself (this cracks me for some reason) for my Society Social Dinner Party folding table. It folds down to just 7 inches when not in use! As a lover of good food, tasty bevs, and fabulous company, this is a must at the O household. I chose red as I have decided to make it my signature color; everyone should have one!

LIGHTING!

Our everyday china is a set from the MIL that we've had for years now. It's one of my fave classic blue and white patterns like so!  I've been collecting similar vases, and I'm now on the hunt for a matching ginger jar table lamp. The image below is Tory Burch's home as seen in Vogue.

Anyways, that's all for now! What do you think? Suggestions, tips, concerns? :) Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. As for me, I enjoyed spandex and lots of fam! Pic is via my brother's photography blog!

Thanksgiving Y'all!

Hi darlings! What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Alan and I woke up early for a sunrise run along the Hudson. It was chilly but my legs carried me along the way at the thought of how stuffed I'm soon about to be :) We decided to stay local since we just made the city home and are taking the train out to Jersey to spend the day with family. I'm entirely giddy to start cooking, catching up, and let's be serious-day drinking! Bring on the spandex!

Last minute meal planning? Click here if you're all about the sides (me!) and here (scroll!) for wholesome classics. Happy Thanksgivin' y'all! Don't forget to count your blessings!

{Oh Happy Day!}

House Beautiful Hunting!!

On my way to the post office yesterday, I walked by Totto Ramen in Hell's Kitchen and immediately thought of Alan. He absolutely loves ramen, and on a cold, rainy day in NYC I knew it was the perfect surprise. As soon as he walked in the door from work, I grabbed his shoulders, spun him right around and we were off for noodles, rather to wait for an hour in the rain for noodles, and a most important hunt!

My House Beautiful subscription goes to the NC HQ as well as the issue they were so kind to send. You would think in the city of Hearst itself, it would've been on every corner newsstand! But this was far from the case, and of course it would be raining, and of course it was nowhere to be found.

I know it's only been 3 months since Society Social's launch and to even be considered for the issue was beyond belief, but there I was hoping for just an inch more, and I set a thought that the issue might drop on my birthday. A girl can dream, right? :) You see, 26 was a hard year for me, all of it spent unemployed and anxiety-ridden about my life goals and a handful of personal struggles- sticking it to the man loses its glimmer after 50 some rejected resumes! I nearly decided to talk to a doctor about it, to try and sort through so much that I felt like I couldn't control. Even though 27 started the same, thankfully hard work and high hopes paid off, exceeding my expectations for what can happen in just a short time, the expectations I set for myself, and the ones I never dreamt of.  All of this makes 28 a very hopeful and special year where I find myself counting my lucky stars everyday to be in a much better place!

Alan is a saint because it has steadily poured for the past two days and with just as much determination and enthusiasm as me, we hit newsstand after newsstand, searching along 8th Avenue for the elusive House Beautiful December/January 2012, our flimsy umbrella rendered useless against the relentless downpour. Finally after looking behind every magazine, some I didn't even know existed, and too many stops to count, soaked from head to toe, we found it! The lone issue!!

I shrieked so loud that the store owner stood up wondering about the commotion. Of course it was on the top shelf just out of my reach. If I had been casually perusing, I'm sure it would be staring right at me, eye level most definitely!

After recovering from my ear-splitting excitement and realizing the circumstance, the store owner was so cute and supportive, encouraging me to take as many pictures as I wanted.  I swear I blacked out because even though I knew exactly what page I was on thanks to a dear friend and fellow blogger who shared pictures last week, I furiously flipped through the whole issue multiple times.

After what seemed like ages, in a little bodega so aptly named "The Big Apple" (where big dreams happen?)...

...there it was- my little baby Society Social as House Beautiful's "The Best Cocktail Table!" EEEK! I know that I have a long, long way to go with much to learn and there isn't a guarantee that this will all work out, but all I know is that I've finally found something that doesn't feel like work, something that makes me insanely happy, and sometimes you've just got to take it moment by moment. I'll take it :)

Lofty Aspirations & Great Expectations for the Year of 28

Take over the world, drink more champagne.

Oh you know, just a few things I'd like to accomplish for this shiny, new year :) Thanks y'all so very much for the birthday wishes!

Morning Run

Hi Darlings! How was your weekend? I brought in another year with dear friends, red lipstick, and lots of champers! I feel so blessed and incredibly grateful for the things that happened this past year and couldn't help but to smile on my morning run at the sight of The New Yorker hotel. I still can't believe I made it back :) The lovely illustration is by artist James Gulliver Hancock who is attempting to draw all the buildings in New York. See more on his blog here.

Birthday Weekend Picture Book

Dress to Mingle

I was extremely excited to debut my Society Social holiday hostess gowns yesterday! My best friends were amazing sports and let me dress them up.  Of course there was plenty of booze and baubles as the camera snapped ;) 

{Photography by Savoir Faire Studios | Special thanks to Loren Hope}

KHEPRI NYC

I'll take Hedy, please!

My friend Emma just launched her gorgeous new line of bags, and I've just been bursting to share! All her products are handmade using only vintage and recycled materials such as discarded lambskin garments, motorcycle jackets, vintage Hudson Bay Blankets, salvaged military tents, homespun cotton grain sacks, and vintage dresses to name a few.  Khepri is the Egyptian God of Resurrection, afterall.  Check out Khepri here and raise a glass to Emma for going after her dreams!

The Space Between...

Nope, not the Dave song, but the literal space between my two grand windows in the new apartment aka mission decorate NYC. I had abandoned all hope that I would find an equally grand mirror to fit perfectly in the space until I saw this in the latest issue of Lonny...

Pretty clever, right? The hunt continues, (can you blame me?) but I do have back-up ideas in mind, for example "the space between" here...

Not bad too! I love the gallery feel of the mirror and art mix 'n' match. Aye, aye, aye! I fear at this rate, I shall never be finished. Just too much goodness to choose from! What helps you focus your decorating dreams? At least I do have my bar cart ;) 

{Lonny Nov/Dec 2011 1&2)

Weekend Picture Book

The Rendezvous

I officially added a good rendezvous to my infinitely growing list of "The Great Joys of Life." You see, my travels are coming close to putting me under the category of nomad, and it seems as if I'm always meeting up with the Mr. in unfamiliar places.  

Meet me at Grand Central? It would be terribly epic.

I'm utterly enamored and consumed by the thrill of not knowing who will see the other first. It most simply sends my heart a flutter.

Then there's the giddy joy of the spotting, whether you're the spotter or the spotted, connecting eyes and slowly seeing a look of anticipation break into a knowing smile or whirling around to see a beaming face and open arms running towards you-

- it really is equally wonderful. Of course like any good romance, it ends like this...

Where's the most terribly romantic place you've rendezvous'd? Let's gush about it :)

{1, 2, 3}

1-800-Storage

"We need to treat our apartment like storage space," Alan said to my instantly horrified expression. You see, we are faced with the challenge of squeezing our lives (and my shoes), into an itsy bitsy city space.  I simply refuse to clutter up our precious space and instead am entirely hell bent on jamming in as much style and functionality as possible without having to give up too many necessities-- you know purses, furs, my china, beloved fondue set, and the life-size panther statue on my to-buy list.

 

You see! It can be done! Small space, good design. 

The image above shows much much walking space we have around our bed, after downgrading from a queen to a full. Cramped, you say? I say conducive to snuggling! I forgave him for his (ludicrous) comment, besides he was probably just frantic from the amount of space just my closet could take up. I'll show him that a little organization can go a long way.

I've been pouring over photos such as these to stock up my arsenal of small space, sick style solutions and also in hopes to hush that sneaky voice inside my head telling me I can't do it. I have my doubts, but I pray that I can pull it off. Nick Olsen (for House Beautiful) in this case is my patron saint. 295 square feet...

...magic, I tell you! My sprawling space, Southern soul needs a bit of help staying on track so I've also got a bible (a few) to help me transform standard small NYC rental to city heaven.

Do you have small space, big style tips? Do share, darlings...before the Mr. turns our place into 1-800-Storage.

{Apartment Therapy | Lonny Blog | House Beautiful}

Umberto.

I shrieked with delight when I discovered Alan, thanks to his wonderful company, gets in free to the MET! FREE! Free to one of the most amazing museums on earth. Saved us $100 and shot to the top of my list as weekend past times!

A and I on the steps of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art!

I shrieked again when I discovered all the beautiful impressionist paintings on the second floor--they even had a fave, Rousseau!

And one more time, a shriek when I discovered a new fave. I really love how Umberto Boccioni uses staccato brush strokes (I read it. Trying to get all cultured and stuff ;) to layer color into the most beautiful paintings. What do you think?

Beautiful, right?

Do you have a favorite artist? I'd love to know!

"It" came!

I first spotted it on one of my most favorite blogs then subsequently obsessed over it for quite sometime. I finally bit the bullet and rationalized that buying it was absolutely necessary...for life. Rational, right? While in transit, I swear I didn't check tracking like a maniac, I spotted it (below) as a wall covering.

And finally, to my delight, it arrived! It's even more beautiful than I could have imagined. I literally took a moment to stop and smell the roses. The print is indescribable-- so saturated that the blooms seem like you can pick them right off. It reminds me of that wallpaper in Willy Wonka, remember? Lick the candy? I smelled the roses.  I just can't wait to share with y'all what I have in store!

Want to know what "it" is? See Designer's Guild!

Tinsel Town

Yesterday was the official start of birthday month!!! I think I'm going to keep it a little more low key this year, but that doesn't mean I won't dress to the nines. I saw this fabulously full tulle skirt, "Tinsel Town," and thought it a perfect get-up for birthdays and holiday soirees alike.  I just adore how it's a bit of a throw back! How do you like to fancy it up for special celebrations?