Cutest baby shower favors EVER!!

Gilt groupe is my guilty pleasure. I rarely buy anything from there, but I do love to put things in my shopping cart. Usually, if I buy anything - it's a gift for a friend, my Mom's birthday, whatever I happen to need at the moment. Today, they had the cutest baby shower favors on by Kate Aspen. Usually party favors are cute, but kind of a waste of money. These are so incredibly cute though that they're worth the little splurge.

Back to school with cute lunch boxes

There's something about the whole back-to-school thing that makes me want to buy new pens and journals, a new calendar or in this case, a cute new lunch box. These little retro style lunch boxes remind me of the sound that I would make scuffing my shoes through fallen leaves on the way down the street to the bus stop on crisp fall mornings. Ahhh, the good old days, at least there's an easy way to recapture them.

Preppy Girl Personalized Lunchbox - $ 29.99 Preppy Girl Personalized Lunchbox This cool and stylish lunch box is fashionable and fun! Hip and fresh designs featured on an old school metal lunchbox. Each one is printed to be water resistant so they'll stand up to lunchroom wear and tear. They are lead free and food safe. Lunchboxes are also perfect for holding little toys or even hairbows! Measure Approx. 8'x7'x4'

Loving everything Japanese

Is there such a thing as a Japanesophile, a lover of everything Japanese? If there were such a thing, my friend Karin would qualify. Not only has she been to Japanese more times than I can count, but she truly delights in Japanese art. On one of her trips, she took a class in Japanese pottery making, she's always bringing back exquisite Japanese paper and other little treats. So, when I found this set of rings (each only $16!) on Carrot Box, I knew that I'd found her the perfect gift. Ichi Ban!

Whimsical fabrics that would make for great pillows

I'm a bit of a pillow fiend. See, we have a white couch... I know, who in their right mind has both a white couch and a dog. Well, let's just say that there's a dog bed on one side of the couch and a dog blanket on the other. Our little Jack Russel Terrier spends more time on that couch than we do. Anyway, with a white couch, you definitely need a few accent pillows I'm always looking at fabrics with an eye towards making my own (so far, I've made one). Trouble is, when I go to the fabric store, I end up agonizing over my decisions to the point that I go from having a basket full of hundreds of dollars of fabric to putting it all back and walking out empty handed. Today I was perusing Architectural Digest and they had a little feature on the Spring 2008 collection by Clarence House. These fabrics are so cute! The perfect combination of vibrant colors and whimsical design. Now, if Joanne Fabrics carried this, I might not be able to help myself. Enjoy!

Save My Shoes!

I can't tell you how many times I've busted one of my heels in the NYC sewer grates. It's to the point now that I only carry my shoes in my bag and wear sneakers or flops when I'm walking around. I'm serious! However, now I don't have to - enter Smart Heel heel protectors. Founder Stacie Urbach came up with a gem of a product - for $11.95, your Jimmy Choos, Manolos or in my case, my super cute peep toe velvet red suede Guess stilettos (which to date have hardly left the closet) are safe - at least from the streets!

Great gift for Father's Day

Father's Day is a week away for those of you who are as bad as I am keeping track of my calendar. I find it difficult to shop for my Father as it is. Yes, he likes to grill, but frankly if he sees another batch of mesquite chips or smoking planks, he's likely to knock me over the head with them. And, he likes to work-out, but it's not like I'm going to get Dad a pair of dumbbells or something for Father's Day. Besides, he likes to go to Spin class and Yoga, so where's the fun in that? I did however, today find the coolest new thing - it's a belt made out of a bike tire. How awesome it that? Since being featured on Etsy, these $20 belts are flying off the shelves, so if you're interested, contact Julien directly!

Soft vintage-y tees

Whenever I go to Target, I end up dropping at least $100. Today, I ended up spending only $40 which was great, especially because that purchase also included this fabulous looking tee. It's soft, slightly faded, tissue thin and with it's Miss Firecracker Contest Finalist reminds one of a 4th of July fair in the middle of Texas.

Cute Custom Monograms

If you need a monogram, this is the place for you! Sometimes I wish I were still planning our wedding. Don't get me wrong, we had the most beautiful wedding and I wouldn't have changed anything for the world. BUT, I'm always coming across great little sites that have gorgeous invitations, or in this case, today I luckily stumbled across some fabulous custom monograms by Lucky Designs starting as low as $15.00. Little Mrs. Lucky also has a fantastic blog devoted to all things wedding. It's a great resource for all kinds of do-it-yourself projects. Enjoy!

Brown Bagging has never been so stylish!

So one of the things that I've been doing to cut back is to brown bag it to work every day. Usually though I'm not carrying my lunch in a paper sack - it's usually in a leftover plastic grocery bag. Really stylish, huh?!? Today I found these super stylish lunch bags from Give Simple. Say the gals online, this bag is made of abrasion-resistant neoprene which while extra durable isn't bulky and in fact folds flat to pack away in your bag or suitcase. Plus, it insulates your lunch for up to 4 hours which for a gal like me who sometimes forgets to put her lunch in the office refrigerator is perfect! The Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote is $25.00 and available in three cute patterns.

Not Your Home Depot's Tile

We're looking to remodel our kitchen and have been going to Home Depot and Lowe's to check out what they have. And they have fine, fairly basic tiles, but they've got nothing on these gorgeous tiles from Ann Sacks.
Ann Sacks has two fantastic studios in The City - one on 18th street and the other on 58th street. The tiles ain't cheap, I'll give you that, but when you're looking for something that's going to give you kitchen or bath just that extra bit of pop, Ann Sacks is a great way to go. And because they're so special and so unique, you could buy just a few and mix them in with some cheaper (aka Home Depot) tile to totally transform your look. That's exactly what my friend Karin did in her kitchen. She picked up some really bright, ornate green tiles and mixed those in with a cheaper tile that had the same sheen to it. She placed the green tiles in the center of 4 4*4 squares. If you were to go with something like the Bergerac tile shown here, you could use that as a backsplash behind either your kitchen sink or your range to create a beautiful focal point. You wouldn't have to use it to tile your entire kitchen, but again, just adding that single beautiful touch can really upgrade your style without costing you an arm and a leg. And, if you want to keep abreast of the new tiles that Ann is showcasing, sign up for her newsletter.

Cool little treasure chest

I just came across a new site today as I was checking out the latest 'debuts' from Collective-E. Svasara has made some beautiful little containers to keep your 'treasures'. Each one is handmade from recycled wooden cigar boxes which are then covered - inside and out - with fabulous papers, rolled glass and colored stones. It's a perfect place for keeping jewelry or mementos (like the little rocks that my niece gave me from the bank of the river behind my parents house).

Love Brown Jordan's sleek, sexy patio furniture!

We all love lounging by the pool, but the chairs are always so uncomfortable. Dining alfresco is lovely, but outdoor furniture is always so drab. Enter Brown Jordan! How gorgeous is this?!? The detail work on the wrought iron is exquisite and there are multiple finishes to choose from. It's everything that you'd expect from fine furniture only made to withstand the elements. And instead of having to pick from the lesser of two evils - usually drab olive or taupe cushions, Brown Jordan has these beautiful indoor/outdoor fabrics that add a touch of class and a pop of color. Azure blues, pools of teal and bright whites transport you to the white washed beach resorts of Greece.
For more information - visit their website at www.brownjordan.com or check them out next time you're in The City at Gracious Home on Broadway. For those of us in the 'burbs, one of my favorite shops, Lillian August in Norwalk CT carries the line.
Hurry up summer!!

Organic Bedding from Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn has recently introduced their new organic bedding. It's perfect timing given the recent warm front that has us all wishing (and hoping, and praying) that spring is right around the corner. Just look at this rich floral pattern! Doesn't it just make you want to dive right in? Plus, since the cotton fibers are organic, this new bedding is something that will help you rest easy.

Gorgeous soaps from Beekman 1802

Beekman 1802 is an estate and farm in upstate new york (sharon springs) run by Josh Kilmer-Purcell (NY Times Bestselling Author) and Dr Brent Ridge (with Martha Stewart Living). On their gorgeous grounds they raise goats and have a fabulous garden dedicated to seasonal living. I totally want to visit - and hello, the mansion would make for a fabulous wedding site! Anyway, I came across the site because someone on Twitter (I'm so sorry that I don't remember who) posted a coupon for their fabulous soaps (see picture). Check out the site - and the info on seasonal living. And, if you Twitter - try following DrBrent_ it sounds like he just made some fabulous macaroni & cheese

Vixen is my new go to polish!

I've been trying to find just the perfect 'go to' nail polish shade for the fall/ winter. I totally love the dark craze, but I hate the black shades that are oh so popular. I am a big fan of Essie's Wicked, but was looking for something that had little more red in it. Something that was a little less predictable - and a little less goth. Although given that I'm currently reading the 2nd in the Twilight series, maybe I'm just trying to tap into my inner vamp! But that's all besides the point. I was browsing through the polish selection at Target and there, tucked down on the 3rd shelf was a gorgeous, rich, dark black-ish red called Vixen. I practically squealed in delight! $4.49 later and I was out the door. I have gotten so many compliments on this fantastic shade. It works great for a manicure - even better for a pedicure (which on me always lasts longer). The gals on Makeupalley give it a 4.3/5.0. Enjoy!