Domino Magazine

Almost all of the design blogs out there are bemoaning the demise of Domino Magazine due to lack of advertising support. I am too. I really admired how this wonderful magazine provided so much inspiration and made style attainable for anyone; even for the likes of me. They made decorating small spaces on a budget seem doable. As much as I love Architectural Digest (and others) I always feel like everything is priced out of my tax bracket. Not so with Domino.

Perhaps a way of keeping things afloat in these tough economic times is moving the magazine solely to a online format. I already think Domino's online site is fabulous. From the moment I found out the magazine was closing I've been on the domino site saving as many images as I can in case the website shuts down. Here are some of my favorites (classic style with an edge):

Favorite Children's Books

Most of the books that are near and dear to my heart are books I read as a child/young adult. I have wonderful memories of reading with my dad at bedtime and then exploring the bookshelves with zeal when I got older. I miss the wonderment and naivete I approached a new swashbuckling book in my youth. I guess when you are young the world is a very, very big place! I've been known to peruse the children's section at bookstores and hey, why not? The Harry Potter series is not the only literature out there suitable for all ages. Be a kid again and soar high in the clouds in a giant peach, fight a pirate or two and slay a dragon! Here are some of my favorites:

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Boxcar Children Series by Gertrude Warner

Oh, the places you'll go! by Dr. Seuss

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

Polar Express by Chris Allsburg

Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola

Little House Series by Laura Engall Wilder

Anne of Green Gables Series by L.M. Montgomery

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

James and the Giant Peach, The Witches by Roald Dahl

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

My Side of the Mountain by Jean George

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Chronicles of Narnia as you can see is at the top of my list. I read it when I was little and then many years later I made a deal with my 8 year old rapscallion of a sister to read the chronicles in exchange for a steady supply of candy per chapter. Now the kid (ahem... I mean young lady) can't stop reading. Who says bribes don't work!?! I'm surprised her teeth are in such good shape.

Time to re-stock my bookshelves! What are your favorite children's books?

Cake Pulls

Although my wedding in New Orleans has passed I will probably post about weddings every once in while if the inspiration takes me. My brother is getting married in South Carolina this Fall and I'm already dreaming of low country cuisine, balmy weather and Charleston charm. We are so excited for them! Jack and I will probably stay in Charleston a couple of days after the wedding for a mini-vacation (shop, eat, and rest will be the agenda). It's strange to be the arbiter of wedding advice now (when most of the time I felt clueless!) but I think my brother and his fiancé will fare better than I did.

Thinking of my brother's Southern wedding got my thinking of the Southern cake pulls wedding tradition. It's hard to say when the inception of this tradition took place but most people agree that it's been around for quite some time. Cake pulls are charms that are tied onto ribbons and placed under the wedding cake. Members of the bridal party then randomly choose one of the ribbons (usually artfully fanned out from the cake) and pull their charm. Each charm represents a fortune; prosperity, love, money or if you are lucky a fortune that fates you to a life of spinsterhood (the thimble). Most Southern brides usually only include charms of good fortune for their bridal party and omit the dreaded thimble. It's great fun to see who gets what and it usually ends with a little teasing and merriment!

Cake charms are relatively easy to find; especially in New Orleans. The New Orleans Bead Shop carries a wide variety at an affordable price. If you want something a little more lux then New Orleans jewelry designer Mignon Faget will exceed your expectations. Her work is unfussy, clean and very much influenced by nature and architectural forms. Her cake pulls are made out of sterling silver that include charms that represent Marriage, Eternal Beauty, Luck, Red Hot Romance, Prosperity, Opportunity, Stability and True Love. Not a bad omen in site. Once cleaned, they make great jewelry charm gifts for your bridesmaids.

Harouni

I'm currently obsessed with David Harouni's work. Walking into his gorgeous art studio by chance I fell in love with his "neo-expressionist" work. His current paintings prominently use the king motif but he paints other subjects. The silkscreen above is calling my name; if I close my eyes I can see it displayed proudly in my dining room. Ah... if wishes were fishes!

Harouni says his paintings "can be summarized by the word palimpsest," an art term that means to draw and erase over and over again so the underlying layers can be seen on the surface. I love the layers of meaning, his crimson slashes of red and his cryptic kings. Bold yet restrained. Love it.

*All images from David Harouni's website*

Parisian Beauty Products

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is peruse beauty products at the "pharmacies". You can't miss them; they usually have green flashing crosses hanging over the stores and they are on every street corner. Two brands in particular come to mind (Caudalie and Huiles & Baumes) and unfortunately I haven't been able to find any local U.S. stores that sells both lines. Thank God for the internet! I came across SpaceNK, a fairly new online "apothecary" that carries both! They have recently jumped the pond and opened a couple of stores in the U.S.

SpaceNK is extremely easy to use, they have a great selection of products and I'm hoping that they will open a store in Chicago. You can also find Caudalie at your local Sephora but Huiles & Baumes is much harder to find. The Huiles & Baumes organic Gentle Dry Oil and Caudalie's Beauty Elixir are some of my favorites. Check it out!

Important Wedding Songs

Important Wedding Songs:

First Dance: Ovunque Proteggi (Vinicio Capossela)
Father/Bride Dance: Father and Daughter (Paul Simon)
Mother/Groom Dance: What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong)
Cake Cutting: How Sweet It Is (James Taylor)
Last Dance: Save the Last Dance for Me (Michael Buble)

A Perfect Night's Sleep

Deciding on our wedding hotel block turned out to be pretty easy. The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans met all of our needs: it was close to the reception site (close enough to walk), great amenities, great price, and a little luxury for all. But my absolute favorite part of staying at the Ritz-Carlton was the quality of the beds. We never felt so rested or comfortable; it was like sleeping on clouds. No tossing or turning. No lying awake at night. It was amazing. Only problem is realizing that your bed back home doesn't even come close to providing the zen like sleep that is suddenly so elusive. At first I thought it was stress, but no- having the wedding behind us has been a huge stress relief. Then it hit me; I miss the Ritz-Carlton bed.

We decided it was time we make a little investment in our quality of life. We've been putting off buying a new mattress for a while and it's finally a good time to do it. It turns out I didn't have to look too far because the Ritz-Carlton has a website devoted to selling products it uses in its hotels (from sleep wear to home products). The Ritz partnered with Sealy for their trade marked Ritz-Carlton Sleep Experience and with Pacific Coast Feather Company for it's pillows, feather beds etc. We went ahead and ordered the mattress, feather bed and pillows. The sheets will be an investment we will make down the road but for now we are thrilled. I'll let you know if our sleep is as good as it was at the Ritz!