28 Days of Things I Love: Emerson Fry A-Line Mod Top

I am in love with the cut of the Emerson Fry A-Line Mod Top. It's utterly classic and easy to wear with literally anything, but it's also just the right amount of flirty-- heyyy heyy, sexy shoulder. If there's one part of my body I can keep in shape that is it, my hips are a lost cause.

I'm sure you've already seen the line (did you hear that the Emerson Fry site crashed when they launched the Spring collection?! Rockstars.), but just in case you haven't, view it here. Happy Shopping!

Secret Cocktail Ingredients My Bar Cart Needs Now

Our bar cart is always efficiently stocked with a few varieties of gin, whiskey, vodka, and tequila, but when it comes to getting a little fancier than a classic, I don't always know where to start. 

This round-up, "Better Boozing: Twelve Bartender Approved Secret Cocktail Ingredients," features a few "spirited" assistants to get anyone sipping in the right direction:) They would make a great hostess gift, too.

p.s. My new favorite place to buy bitters.
p.s.s. Would you drink a macerated snake cocktail at a hip NYC spot?!

28 Days of Things I Love: The Real Society Socials

When people ask me what my favorite part about my job is, one of the first things that always comes to mind is seeing my designs styled out in real homes, or otherwise what I like to call, The Real Society Socials.

In a small way, I get to add a little merry to that wedding shower (for which we had to rush the Sedgewick out!), a little extra mischief to that cocktail party (Sam shaking it up in NYC!), and hopefully some daily flair (Chassity in Charleston!) and frolic too (Lindsey and Shannon in Wilmington below)!

Serving up Watermelon Bellinis from the Sedgewick Bar Cart. Photography by Millie Holloman

My darling contributor, Chelsea at Lovely Indeed, recently posted her Madison Mixer Bar Cart and I wanted to share with y'all!

Not only did she stock Madison out, she mastered an eclectic gallery wall, and perfectly placed seating for when you simply must sit and shake up a gin martini. What, that doesn't happen to you on the daily?:)

In the the first image from the June 2012 Manifesto Magalog II, Tiffany styled out my Duchess. She is the sweetest and was one of my very first orders as well as one of the first to drop by to see me at my first time at High Point Market. I was so excited to see her vignette featured in the March Issue of HGTV Mag!

Anyways, before I get too gushy, I really do love it. If you've joined the social, thank you so much and if you would like, do send me pics at contact@shopsocietysocial.com, it will make my day :) 

28 Days of Things I Love: Photo Books

Mom loves making photo books for everything-- past vacations, weddings, birthdays...you name it. They make such thoughtful presents, too.

In fact, my most precious gifts have been photo books from friends and family, and although they always bring a smile to my face, my own photos never seem to make it past the digital life.

After seeing another beautiful photo book this past weekend (P, you killed it), I think I'm going to try one out. Shutterfly makes it so easy with a huge variety of templates to choose from. Are you a fan? If you've made one before, what was it for? And where did you have it made? I'd love to know!

pssst, 50% off all photo books until Wednesday!

28 Days of Things I Love: Harem Pants Specifically on Mondays

After a long weekend, the kind that makes you want to trade your dignity (it was questionable over the weekend anyways) for one more day of recovery, I love a good harem pant-- the baggier the better.

Pair with a staple silk blouse...

...and/or structured blazer and you've successfully tricked everyone into thinking you're rested and ready to take on the week when really you're just hangin' in your pj's.

See, I've effectively fooled you, haven't I? Please someone bring my bed to me. 

Here are some Monday-worthy harems:

Budget

Classic

My favorite 

And perfect silk blouses:

Everlane

J.Crew

Equipment

{Images: Garance Doré | Everlane | Telegraph UK}

Weekend Picture Book: Engagement Edition!!

This past weekend Alan and I flew to North Carolina as part of an engagement surprise! Patrick perfectly planned a mountain retreat rendezvous at this gorgeous "log cabin" where we met the other half of "the surprise" who flew in from Ohio! We parked the cars down the road then hid in (intense) anticipation for the two to return.

I've never been so excited, overwhelmed, and giddy to deliver a "surrrrprisssse!!" Kristin was in such disbelief she was shaking, crying, and I thought close to fainting from shock. Patrick was verklempt:)

Our "family" was inseparable when we all lived in Charlotte-- weekends, weeknights, trips away. We're split between four states now so each reunion is just so precious! After popping a few celebratory bottles, we sat down to one of our classic family dinners which is pretty high up there on the "great joys of life" list. Well of course that, and seeing two of your dearest friends decide to get hitched (!!!)

There was a thick fog until late the next day but as soon as it lifted we took some "fam portraits" on the amazing wrap around deck. Hey, "check out that vista." Love a good vista.

The boys delivered and kindled a fire that was definitely "roaring, smoke stack status." We passed around a mason jar of moonshine, roasted marshmallows, turned up a "cabin-ish" country playlist-- the weather was just perfect for spending hours huddled around.

Just a week before everything went down, Kristin had written to tell us how much she missed "the fam" and that she would love to get another trip on the calendar. Little did she know!! #victory

I think this is such a happy, handsome picture of the boys. It might be the only one of them not doing something highly inappropriate. 

And this little cookie, who we last saw when he was only four weeks old, got in on the action too. Have you donned a baby bjorn before? I love that thing. Conducive for Harlem shaking with baby on board.:) We are all so in love with that darling face.

All in all, it was a truly special weekend that we'll never forget. Congrats to the future Mr. and Mrs.! We love you so much! 

28 Days of Things I Love: The Adirondack Chair (kinda)

Oh the classic Adirondack, I love you so. You conjure up sun-kissed days and heavenly bouts of outdoor frolicking after a long winter...but, I do have to say it was time for a little update. (Did you know the first versions of this outdoor staple were first produced in the early 1900s?) I Society Socialized here up with a little fretwork of course, and I hope you'll love her when it's time to meet. (excuse the fuzziness, she's not quite ready for the big reveal:) Is it spring yet?!

p.s. I would LOVE your opinion if you would like to share!

28 Days of Things I Love: The (Design) Cherry on Top

If you scroll through the rest of the images of this gorgeous Upper East Side Pied-à-terre, you'll notice a soft neutral palette throughout, but round a corner and bam-- you're hit in the face with this fabulous wallpaper. I love how the designer kept it clean and sophisticated but then added this spirited little cherry on top. It's a perfect balance-- delicious design! Do you consider something the "design" cherry on top at your home?

{Suzanne McGrath Design}

28 Days of Things I Love: Wine by the Case, Delivered to My Door

Let's just call this the week of giving:) Today my friend Anderson, a wine specialist at my favorite place to buy quality wine, has curated a case just for us, a case on which we all receive an awesome discount. Hello, Thirsty Thursday!

At Manhattan Wine Company we run a 17,000 case storage facility and an online retail shop. We sell everything from First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy to everyday bottles like the ones above. We take just as much pride in selecting our lower level wines as we do at the very top. We firmly believe in the fact that you don’t have to spend tons of money to drink really unique and interesting wines!

It all started with a case, he so kindly put together, that I gifted and shipped to my wine loving parents in NC. For each wine he picked specifically for us (all $25 and under!), he described in detail each bouquet, and he also told the unique story about the vineyards from which they came (love that:). 

We enjoyed the entire experience so much that I have been ordering wine by the case ever since. Why run to the store and have to schlep back multiple bottles when you can spend the same amount of money and have a uniquely curated case delivered right to your door? Right? 

Without further adieu, Anderson presents our case and the vineyards from Italy to France from which they came. Special wines for $20 and under y'all! (click on the images or text below to view the wines on Manhattan Wine Company's website)

3 Bottles of 2011 Pouilly-Fumé (pooh we fooh may)

The Wine: Jonathan Didier Pabiot – 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire Valley, France - $19/bottle. It’s everything that I look for in SB – herbal (but not super grassy), citrusy and fresh with just a little bit of funk. It’s twice as interesting as many Sancerres (same grape and made in close to the same area) at half the price.

The Story: This is made by a young guy, Jonathan, with deep roots in the area. He set out on his own a few years ago after working for his father for many years. 

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: Anything with goat cheese, simple poultry, seafood and even vinaigrette-based dishes would be perfect with this.
My Recommended Pairing: This recipe is a regular in our house and would be perfect for this particular wine!

3 Bottles of 2010 Gavi

The Wine: Vigna del Lago, Valditerra – 100% Cortese from Piedmont in Northwest Italy - $14/bottle.   Cortese is a native variety to Piedmont that’s usually turns out cheap and cheerful wines without a whole lot of complexity. This one is a step up in quality. It’s still plenty cheap but it has some extra stuffing, depth and intrigue.

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: It’s great as an aperitif on its own but would stand up to lighter seafood dishes with no problem.

My Recommended Pairing: I would serve it as an aperitif along with shrimp cocktail with three sauces!

3 Bottles of 2010 Cotes du Rhone Villages

The Wine: Seguret, Domaine Jean David – Mostly Grenache with some Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvedre and Syrah - $16.50/bottle. This bottle has everything that wines of this quality level in the Rhone valley most often lack: freshness, character, nice acidic cut and finesse.

The Story: Jean and his wife Martine, who run this biodynamic estate, are staunch traditionalists. 

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: It’s earthiness would match very well with heavier red meat based dishes, especially something with mushrooms.

My Recommended Pairing: My mom recently gifted Alan and I a dutch oven that I have been having so much fun experimenting with for Sunday suppers. For this one, I would put it use by making a rich Beef Bourguignon! 

Three Bottles of 2009 Bourgogne Rouge

The Wine: Cuvee CDN, Vins Divins - 100% Pinot Noir - $19.99/bottle.   We're often skeptical of Bourgogne level wines, or indeed any Pinot under $20, because Pinot requires such attention and care throughout its life from vine to bottle. It’s such a transparent grape that any step or misstep in the wine making process can really mark the wine. This one defies expectations, though, and shockingly over delivers for its humble price tag. It's a blend of juice from Gevrey-Chambertin, Fixin, and Brochon and is made by a very famous Domaine in Burgundy (though the name is kept off the label). It’s juicy, spicy, elegant and still maintains a real sense of place.

Anderson's Recommended Pairing: Roast chicken and pork would be great matches here.

My Recommended Pairing: A simple and classic Roast Chicken!

Doesn't this make you happy? It sure does make my mom happy:) (Our favorite chosen by Anderson to the right-- Red Table!)

As a treat to My Cup of Te readers and Society Social followers, Manhattan Wine Company is offering 10% off this uniquely curated case with the code "societysocial". Simply enter it at checkout once the 12 bottles have been added to your cart. For this this case, they are also offering free delivery to anywhere in Manhattan (and on any orders over $200), they also ship almost anywhere in the nation!

Note: This is not a sponsored post. I simply love MWC, love having wine delivered right to my door (it makes me feel special), love that I don't have to spend a ton of money for delicious wine, and obviously love drinking a lot of wine:) 

28 Days of Things I Love: Floral Fabrics

My brother took this while we were putting Project Sofa together. It's an all time favorite of mine with which you're probably already familiar if you're a regular here or on instagram! There's just nothing more I love than a floral fabric.

Alan has been a saint about my affinity for florals, maybe at our next place I can tone it down for him with a black and white:) Here are a few more floral faves:

And here is my favorite in action. Almost everything in the images is Society Social!

Pillows, rug, tufted Charlotte sofa, vintage blue and white jar, and the table coming soon!
If you're interested in any of the above fabrics, feel free to reach out at contact@shopsocietysocial.com for more info!

28 Days of Things I Love: Anastasia Brow Pencils

In high school I used to pluck my brows dangerously thin, but now that I'm older and wiser (cough), I much prefer a strong brow to define the face and my little Asian eyes:) Aside from going easy on the plucking, I love using Anastasia Brow Pencils to fill in my look. I actually get threaded now too because those ladies seem to have such a great eye for the perfect brow shape so I have a great foundation to start with!

A few links to get you started:

Inspiration photos--I love Angelina's and Camille's

Step by Step with LC

3 Quick Tips

{Image via The Sartorialist}

Happy Birthday, Mom!

To the woman who I have been mistaken for on multiple occasions because you simply do not age (despite 6 crazies/babies who constantly need you, including Dad and Maksi Doodle Sugar Butt)  Happy Birthday! I have a lot to live up to. We love you! 

p.s. I will return the items I stole from your closet and jewel box very soon. But if you haven't noticed, forget this ever happened. 

28 Days of Things I Love: A White Sofa

Alan and I have only ever owned a white sofa, quite brazen I might add, for a household who orders red wine by the case and has a penchant for parties. The first one, dating back to our earlier, more frivolous twenties, was upholstered in a Sunbrella performance fabric to protect from a variety of drinking games.

That white beaut made it through 4 years of indulgent and mischievous behavior-- not one party foul. My brothers and I below with No.1-- have you heard of the wizard game? Mom, we were pretending. I swear we only consumed a respectable amount, that's why San's eyes are closed and he is holding a wizard staff of Coors Light.

The second one, dating back to our first New York apartment which ended in disaster, was upholstered in a beautiful white metallic linen. We had to throw it away after four weeks thanks to our landlord who had lied about the entire building being infested with bedbugs. We also threw away a ton of other custom furniture I had designed just for our "first place in the city.":( We lost a total of 10,000 dollars that winter, just three months after I drained my savings to start my business. We have no pictures due to its short life so I'll leave you with this, which was taken there. Caption: "I have no idea there is an army of bedbugs that are about to bite me all over my body, over 200 times to be exact, but I sure do love my dixie cup cocktail and my quintessential New York brick wall."

The third one, our current sofa, is Quinn upholstered in a white brushed canvas and accented with a black contrast welt. I love her, I love all our past white sofas, but she is by far the most chic.

Before I ramble, I'm going to go ahead and plug my business.:) Project Sofa launched yesterday and it's quite possibly the epitome for this le sofa blanc love affair. I invited 11 amazing designers to style one.white.sofa. The images below, which Style Me Pretty Home put together for the launch (!), will do the talking as to why I love her so. Oh the possibilities!

See? Aren't you smitten with Charlotte? If would like to see more (there are 12 new sofas!), you can view the entire lookbook here and the Style Me Pretty write-up here.

Other items not to miss:

-In the market? Shop here then enter #projectsofa at checkout to receive FREE SHIPPING on the entire upholstery collection...for 4 whole days! (ends Thursday, 2/21 at 11:59pm EST)

-Love the darling custom illustration of my Manhattan apartment on the Project Sofa cover? Win your own along with chic stationery by Ashley Brooke Designs here.

-Stop by Style Me Pretty Home who, like I said, staged the fabulous launch for a chance to win $150!

28 Days of Things I Love: Illustrations (& a Giveaway!!!)

Update: Congratulations to our winner, Kelly Melissa Brant of TX! We will contact you shortly with more details. Thanks y'all for making this such a successful giveaway! xoxo! 

I am so excited to share with you today's 28 Days of Things I Love: Illustrations (!) because I also get the chance to offer one lucky duck one of their own! Ashley Brooke Designs is giving away a custom illustration of your Society Social bar cart or your fantasy bar cart if you've yet to join the club:) I simply sent a few pictures of my NYC apartment over to Miss Ashley Brooke and voilá! This came back...

Isn't it the coolest to see something go from real life to work of art? It's the most darling interpretation of our Quinn and Sedgewick! I'm so smitten with it, I've even tiled it as my desktop wallpaper. Ashley and her team were the absolute sweetest and I'm already excited for the lucky winner who will receive their custom illustration in a fancy stationery set complete with chicly lined envelopes.

Simply enter by clicking on the widget below. Giveaway ends at 11:59PM Thursday, February 21 and the winner will be announced on Friday. Bonne chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

p.s. Ashley Brooke's gorgeous illustration is also the cover of a very special project (and another giveaway, what?!) I've been working on that will be announced later today by Style Me Pretty Home! Stay tuned!! (pssst, peek here;)