Hello again, hello.So I finally had some momentum when - SMACK - life threw me a bagful of reality check. Ever happen to you??
And like so many other freelancers out there, I've had to brush off my suit and return to the 9-5 life.
Being back in the States has me dreaming up a vintage-inspired Americana experience for ourselves. I just want to pull on my kicks this fall and head out west for the likes of New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada. I can't believe I haven't been to the Grand Canyon or Joshua Tree yet! How terribly unpatriotic. So for anyone else out there looking for a way to combine the quintessential American road with your gypsy spirit, look no further than this recent The New York Times article.
August 20, 2011
Global Style Inspiration: Industrial Vibes in the Restoration Hardware Catalog Fall '11
Wowza. I don't normally post entries like this but couldn't resist with this sheer overload to my senses. Restoration Hardware just released their largest-ever publication featuring not only their latest decor collection, but also- cue the drum roll, please - "journalistic articles." (They called those "magalogs" back in my publishing days.)
One day my dollars will stretch far enough for me to actually buy something as luxe and iconic as a Moroccan Beni Ourain rug. Fingers crossed! With every appearance of these hand knotted, wool beauties in design mags (both print and online), they've seem to go up exponentially in price. In fact, I've channeled my inner child, thrown my hands up over my eyes, and pretty much learned to ignore these rugs completely.
Nope, there's no way a $4,000 rug is gracing my floor...
Yep, they're subtle and exotic, adding just a hint of a global mood to whatever type of room you have. (And, yes, that's Eva Peron on the wall...be still my Argentine heart.)
...but I still can't justify the price. Unless someone with mad DIY skills can teach me how to recreate one, of course.
...but I still can't justify the price. Unless someone with mad DIY skills can teach me how to recreate one, of course.
And since the talented Danika Herrick from Gorgeous Shiny Things posted her Beni tutorial, I've been a happy camper. Danika took simple ingredients-- an old shag rug, Black RIT dye, an empty spray bottle and IKEA cutting boards-- to create the stunningly simple criss-cross design of these iconic Moroccan rugs. Isn't the result lovely?
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| *From Gorgeous Shiny Things |
I love that these rugs can be as traditional...
...or eclectic as your whim carries you.
Do you guys love these as much as all the stylists do? Sadly, I won't be buying one of these bad boys anytime soon, but definitely want to try my hand at Danika's tutorial. Wouldn't it be a great DIY as a simple throw rug?
Psst...For more comprehensive details on the Beni Ourain tribe and weaving tradition, check out this great entry by berber-arts.com.
Sources: 1. via Atelier Abigail Ahern; 2. via Elle Decor; 3. via Elle Decor; 4. via Coco Pearl; 5. via Gorgeous Shiny Things; 6. Heide Lender via Desire to Inspire; 7. via Elle Decor; 8. via Elle Decor; 9. Living Etc. via From The Right Bank; 10. ATL Home Lifestyles via Sketch42; 11. Martyn Lawrence Bullard; 12. Morrocan Maryam via My Marrakesh; 13. Ondine Karady
"Well, girls, life is an adventure." That's what my dad would say to my sister and me every time we moved to a new town (and I went to a different high school every year, if that gives you any idea of how many times I heard this particular phrase growing up.)
And true to my gypsy form, I'm now off on a quick jaunt down to Philadelphia for a little r&r (whilst catching up with my fabulously stylish sister and her sweet, brilliant son) and couldn't be more elated. I haven't packed my suitcase since June and have been suffering from acute wanderlust withdrawal. So this sweet poster from Fifi du Vie is exactly the type of travel inspiration I need to kickstart the trip and remind me how I became a vagabond in the first place.
Hope all you gypsies out there can get away this weekend, too!
(By the way, oh, hello friend is offering a 50% coupon code on her blog for this fab poster!)
All my obsessing about floor cushions and boho charm made me so very happy to stumble upon this Arabian Nights editorial in the latest Rue Magazine. Beautiful, serene and slightly mysterious...
She's a maniac, maniac on the..... Floor cushions aren't simply for hookah dens and rec rooms, my friends. They're chic, stylish and one of the most budget-friendly options out there when adding a touch of nomad flair to your pad.
Lack of furniture shouldn't stop anyone from having a fab space to relax, nest and entertain. That's what makes floor pillows so fantastically perfect for those of us prone to the jetsetter lifestyle. Don't have the space or dough for that blue velvet sofa? Not a worry! Simply channel your inner Bohemian and swipe some shams for the living room carpet.
Global decor can be as capricious or perfectly reasonable as your personal style leads you. And floor cushions are a quick fix to your/my ever-changing interior design whims.
Every time I see this photo (above) I remember lounging at a rooftop cafe in Pushkar, India. Really, it wasn't anywhere near as clean as this, and I think you could actually order hashish off the bar menu. But despite the quasi ick-factor at the cafe, nothing beats relaxing on cushy pillows to take in a summer pink sunset.
The pillows themselves can go from informal to luxe, depending on the fabric quality, size and shape. And- of course- they certainly cost a fraction of an armchair's price.
Or they may not. Here's Jean Paul Gaultier's beautiful couture furniture line that stared at me from every Roche Bobois window in Buenos Aires. A bit slick for my taste, but it's certainly the antithesis of rec room decor.
It took some time to sell myself on the floor cushion idea. I've always preferred the pouf and ottoman look, which sits up a bit higher and can be used as additional table space. But clearly floor cushions can play the polished part, as well.
For apartment dwellers (like myself) floor space is always limited. While the pillows are not in use, artfully stash under a table or on your bed as temporary euro-sized shams.
I've come to the hard realization that while I'm traveling and living out of a suitcase, I need to choose pieces that can squish into a Space Bag. Also, when prowling through markets and shops, keep an eye out for just the floor pillow covers. Purchase pillow inserts separately which are easily found anywhere at home, making the covers a wonderfully transportable piece.
xoxojess
Sources: 1. HK Living via Decor8; 2. & 13. Lonny Magazine; 3. & 12. Selina Lake; 4. Stephanie Lake Design; 5. Domino Magazine; 6. via Emmas DesignBlogg; 7. Style at Home Magazine; 8. via Little Blue Deer; 9. via Roche Bobois; 10. via The Beautiful Soup; 11. Elle Decor Magazine; 14. unknown; 15. & 16. via An Indian Summer; 17. Jayson Home & Garden; 17. Tulu Textiles via Amber Interior Design
I'll be heading over to the Jersey side on Sunday for Home Goods' special India event. Only select stores are participating, so if you have a HG near you, check the site before hauling yourself over bright and early.
It's been oh-so-quiet this past week because we finally made it back to the NYC area after a few false starts (courtesy of an active Chilean volcano and incompetent South American airlines) and I've been swamped. And perhaps guilty of developing a few lazy summer habits. But really, I've been away for 8 months so I'm due for a slow afternoon or two before I hit the grind.
June 11, 2011 Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Capital Federal, Argentina
What to Buy in Buenos Aires
We're off to Montevideo, Uruguay as a last-minute stop before our flight to NYC. That´s only if this looming cloud of volcanic ash courtesty of Chile dissipates anytime soon. Between saying goodbye to friends, shopping for *respectable* souvenirs for the family (not another mate gourd, I promise), and spending time actually being a tourist (hello La Boca!), I still haven't made it to the piles of packing waiting for me.
Despite my commitment to wrapping up those (ahem) priorities, I've managed to create a fairly healthy wishlist of Buenos Aires mementos. And once I started putting this together I fell in love with BA all over again!
So if you ever visit Buenos Aires (and I really hope you will), here's some of the very best goodies to shop for and sample. Bear in mind that most of these items are found at markets and boutiques in BA. Unfortunately, you'll have to do some digging to run across the real-deal online. I've tried to point you in the right direction with a few links, although you might have better luck shopping on your own.
- Sheepskin Throw. Am I the only one who doesn't have one yet? Love it or hate it: You'll find anything from a cow, sheep or goat in Argentina. Photo courtesy of Domino.
- Vintage Fiat. These little cars come in all shades of the rainbow and are everywhere in Argentina. Now I just need some extra pesos to ship a cherry red one to NYC.
- Alfajores. Argentines have an unbridled love affair with dulce de leche. This hyper-sweet love child of caramel and butterscotch was really off-putting in the beginning, to be quite honest. But the quintessential Argentine cookie-- loaded with the aforementioned sweet stuff-- has grown on me.
- Frazadas. Vintage handmade blankets, or frazadas, are found in Northern Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. These beauties will soon be sold at my etsy page. Stay tuned!
- Vintage Seltzer Bottles. Classic seltzer bottles are found all over the city. Why? Buenos Aires has long-standing tradition with seltzer! Mixed with wine, served alongside your cafe con leche or sipped alone, seltzer bottle companies are still making home deliveries of personal spritzers. Check out this article from a fellow expat for more info.
- Malbec. Wine is so reasonably priced in Argentina that you'll often find a cheap Malbec replacing Coca-Cola on the lunch menu. "Would you like Coke or wine with your sandwich?" Hmmm...obvious choice, no? Oh! And they serve it in tumblers here. Yep, giant tumblers.
- Criollos. Traditional gaucho criollo knives were originally used in duels-- short and light, these knives could maim your opponent rather than kill. Luckily, these beautiful criollos are now purely decorative.
- Bandoneón. Similar to the accordion, the bandoneón lends that traditional deep, warm "tango sound" to most of Buenos Aire's legendary dance hall music. They're truely beautiful and someday I´ll learn how to play. Or, more likely, simply buy one for an amazing vignette in my entryway.
- Filete Porteño. If tango is the music of Buenos Aires, then filete is it's artwork. You'll find the fancy filigree painting on nearly every storefront in San Telmo, and plaques like this one for sale in most every tourist shop.
- Tango Shoes. No, I still haven't taken a tango class. But what girl doesn't need a pair of patent leather dance shoes?
- Buenos Aires Subway Sign. The Buenos Aires Subte (short for subterráneo, or underground) is the oldest metro in South America and the preferred method to zip around the city. The oldest line, Linea A, still has cars with wooden interiors and doors you have to open and close yourself! This vintage reproduction subway sign was spied in the kitchen of blogger Visual Vamp and designed by Subway-Sign.com. Me encanta.
- Estancias Argentinas. I love this book by Maria Saenz Quesada loaded with beautiful photos of the gaucho life in all its sexiness. I think a trip to Argentina would be remiss without sampling at least a little bit of the estancia lifestyle. You can easily book estancia stays online or at most tour agencies in BA.
- Cowhide Rug. To match the sheepskin throw!
- Medialunas. Nope, not a croissant (although every foreigner has made that mistake!) Medialunas are my absolute favorite lunch in Argentina. It's simply a crescent roll with a sugary glaze on the top. But when dipped in your coffee, it's sublime.
- Custom Riding Boots. Even if you swore off horses after 8th-grade summer camp, you're still entitled to a nice pair of riding boots. And whats more indulgent than custom ones? Thanks to the prevalence of polo, tango and leather, there are cobblers all over BA. The best shops don't have websites, so be prepared to brush up on your Spanish while hunting around the city.
For more on BA shopping, check out my previous post on the amazing Mercado de Pulgas! And let me know in comments if you think I've left out any essential Argentine goodies. (Aside from Che posters and mate gourds, of course.)
Happy Shopping!
P.S. Mom, please don't get your hopes up that I'm bringing home a vintage Fiat!
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”
- Mother Teresa
I'm a little late to the game here, but I just ran across this fabulous ikat fabric tutorial by Elizabeth at The Mustard Ceiling. This is such a brilliant (and easy!) way to bypass those big-dollar signs often located alongside designer ikat fabric. I've been trying to figure out a way to create this same look with my husband's screen printing kit, but Elizabeth's technique is much simpler. With just a few tools picked up from her local craft shop, she saved beaucoup bucks!
Find the full tutorial at The Mustard Ceiling.
On my first trip to Asia I visited Wat Po, the temple housing Bangkok's giant, golden reclining Buddha statue. The site is considered so holy, so special that the management required me to buy socks for my flip-flops before I could enter the premises. Evidently my toes weren't respectful enough. Or my shoulders: They actually had thrift-store like bins in the temple foyer filled with blouses for me to cover up my (already rather modest) tank top.
But despite my rather goofy appearance (and subsequent travel photos), I wasn't deterred from being in complete awe of such a peaceful looking teacher. Every time I see the likeness of Buddha I smile. Be it the jolly, fat-bellied or zen-like androgenous version, I adore little touches of Buddha in a room. Not overboard, mind you. Just enough to keep the stress levels low.
So on my quest for a more zen-like approach to living, I couldn't help but be inspired by these bedrooms.....
And who doesn't need a little more zen in their bedroom?
Whether cool and serene or tongue-in-cheek, a little Buddha really charges up the east-meets-west decor.
Not a Buddha in sight, but these silhouettes still lend an incredible touch of Asia to a bedside table.
I adore this modern take on the pagoda lamp and baby Buddha paired with the more traditional panels.
I count five Buddha's in the bedroom above. A bit overload for my personal taste: Perhaps atoning for something in a past life? (Shall we assume that if Jim Morrison is hanging over the bed that this person is perhaps atoning for something in this life?) What do you think-- too many Buddhas or just right?
Image Sources: 1. via Decor Pad; 2. Betsy Burham Design via Houzz; 3. via Shelter Blog; 4. Madeline Stuart via Design Junkies; 5 & 6. Domino Magazine; 7. Elizabeth Bomberger via Houzz; 8. Marie Burgos Design via Houzz; 9. via Design Junkies; 10. via Do Stuff Decor
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