Capote's Black and White Ball

Truman Capote was a strange man: eccentric, selfish, talented and obsessed with high society. In 1966 he decided to throw an amazing and (ahem) bitchy party for a little over 500 guests—those he deemed the most important at the time. Apparently he had enough clout to be taken seriously with this shenanigans and people went bananas trying to get invited. Among those he did invite were Frank Sinatra, Candace Bergen, Mia Farrow, Andy Warhol, Sammy Davis Jr and Harper Lee. The following are pictures of the night (set in NYC at the Plaza on Park Avenue). The ladies were instructed to wear black or white dresses with white masks and gentlemen in black tie with black masks. Amazing.


I got most of my information from a great article on the hub pages website. Read it. And I got some of the images from Fashions Most Wanted blog. (PS. One of my favorite things I read was that while so many of the guests purchased couture masks that cost a fortune, Capote's black mask was purchased from FAO Schwarz for 39 cents.)

Nina's Pretty Dishes

Nina Invorm combines two of my favorite things—sweet, vintage dishes with lovely hand-drawn elements. Her addition of birds or bunting or hearts to the already delightful ceramics result in a charming piece of art I'd love to showcase. Luckily you can purchase her art at her Etsy shop.


Ugh. So stinkin cute it makes me scrunch up my face.
While I was looking at some of her other work on her Flickr page I happened across some photographs of her darling house. The interior matches her creations so perfectly.



I love the random dresses and high heels and the fact that she has her own artwork splashed throughout the space. Did you see the nursery? What a fun place to be a child!
Visit Nina's website, her Etsy and her Flickr there's tons more to see!

Pretty Little Four Eyes

I'm not a super fan of American Idol but I remember seeing Ms. Brooke White a few seasons ago and I thought she was adorable. And when I ran across her project with Ms. Summer Bellessa called "The Girls with Glasses Show" I was reminded just how stinkin' cute she is. These two lovely ladies have put together a little talk show of sorts where they interview musicians or artists and make the occasional silly video. See for yourself here.
My favorite thing about the show is their fashion. Summer is also the editor of a magazine called "Eliza" so she obviously has a great sense of style. I love the retro feel of their wardrobe—they often where actual vintage pieces which is so fun to see.


Cute right? Head down to your local Salvos and get some pink dresses for yourself. I plan to!
Or if you have a little more cash and want something brand spankin new, check out these great pieces from L'Wren Scott. They have that same vintagey feel.

Mad for... well, you know...

I sincerely miss Mad Men. I can't even buy the show on iTunes! Well, not yet at least. It's about 5 episodes behind. Also, since I'm not in the states, I didn't even see this beautiful cover of Rolling Stone featuring the ladies (and one handsome devil). Luckily the internet exists and I was made aware of this editorial. The photos are stunning. I love to get a behind-the-scenes look, don't you? It's where all of the secrets lie...



Would you just look at that gorgeous Jon Hamm? Don Draper my heart beats for you only...

Back to School

Ok, so I'm a little late. I think all schools have already been back at school for a few weeks but I thought it'd be fun to show some school-inspired decor ideas. If you happen to be lucky enough to stumble across an old card catalog or metal lockers, antique desk or vintage maps- here are a few ideas on how to incorporate them into your decor. (As if you'd need the help you clever decorator you!)



I love the idea of using an antique desk for a bedside table (did you notice that? In the red bedroom?) and those great school chairs in the kitchen. It's all very cool and modern and yet comfortable. Happy hunting!
Sources: Apartment Therapy // Re-Nest // I Wonder Sometimes // Elle Decor // Habitually Chic // Poetic Home // Erin Davis

Pretty Ladies

Neryl Walker has a fun, retro style of illustrating that I'm (of course) super attracted to. I remember seeing her package design for Bloom and Bare Escentuals and being really drawn in by the flirty and fun art.


I can't get over the Sophia Loren olive oil bottles. And I really have to agree that manners are the "ultimate fashion accessory".
Good ol' Design*Sponge featured Ms. Neryl's Melbourne house and it's just as inspired as I would've imagined. Such glorious retro detailing and fun collections.

I apologize for the late post my friends. Hope you had a great week and are gearing up for a greater weekend. See you Monday!

Retro Styling

Mad Men is back on Sunday and I'm so ready for that distraction! In honor of the shows return I thought I'd share these photos from artist Alex Prager. I don't know much about her except that she's awesome—her fashion styling and set design and perspective is all so intriguing to me. Every image tells a story (and it's usually a little disturbing). These images of hers remind me of Alfred Hitchcock and the Valley of the Dolls and Mad Men...



And these stills from Beyonce's video "Why Don't You Love Me" fit so perfectly with Alex's aesthetic. (warning: the video is a little steamy).

This is my favorite era for fashion and makeup and hair—it's all so theatrical and put together. I could never pull it off (nor would I want to do all that work every day just to feather dust my Grammy's) but boy do I love to look at it! Can't wait until Sunday!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Sigh. This is one lucky lady. Not only does she live in one of the most beautiful, charming and romantic cities in the States (Savannah, Georgia) but she spends her days doing prop styling and event design. It's kind of my dream world. Look how talented she is:

She works with publications such as Country Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living. (all images on this page are from Liz's Flickr, except the first image from Design*Sponge)


LOVE this circusy wedding! The striped curtains in the barn, the kissing booth, the pom-poms, those HUGE, glorious balloons! All of it is so fun and somehow manages to not be over-the-top obnoxious. She's truly talented.


I love that she re-purposes so many items that others may just put in the trash can: broken fruit crates, rusty flower arranging inserts (used cleverly as a pen holder), musty suitcases, random (but oh-so-lovely) drawers. Her detailing is so fun and clever and inspirational. The only problem I have with looking through her portfolio and noticing all of the interesting items is that it gives me one more excuse to collect and hoard random items. And believe me, I don't need another excuse! But you see how it all comes together? Let's go garage sale-ing!

Paul Rand

When I stumble across amazing designers like Paul Rand it makes me really sad that I didn't study graphic design in school. Scrolling through his portfolio and reading bits about his life makes me wish I would've known about him years ago. But we'll learn about him together. You can read about him and see more of his work here.



I love it all, but the one that intrigues me the most is the balloon "inflation" advertisement. It's stunning in it's simplicity. Mr. Rand worked until his death in 1996 and although you can see that the technology changed the overall crispness of his work, his personal vision and detailing was constant. (The last two images in this set were done in 1990 and 1996.)
His site provides an excellent account of his life and work and provides many lovely photographs of him and his family. You get a real sense of who he was by simply perusing these images.

Splash of Color

When I moved into my grandfathers house I was lucky enough to have a harvest gold fridge and matching stove. Unfortunately the fridge had to be replaced but the stove still adds it's 1970's character to my kitchen. A colored major appliance isn't for the faint of heart—a bright orange fridge says a lot about your personality and the personality of your home. It's definitely a commitment but if you love a bright yellow range, you'll probably always love a bright yellow range.


sources from top to bottom: Country Living // Laurence Pasquier // Design Desk // Manolo // Country Living // HGTV // CasaSugar

Not ready to commit to a pink refrigerator but still want a splash of color? Check out these bright kitchen electronics:

pink stove // green kitchenaid // orange blender // baby blue microwave // red coffee maker // navy food processor // sky blue + white fridge // magenta toaster

Retro Beachwear

I went to college in Savannah, Georgia but unfortunately spent most of my summers back in Illinois with hardly any access to sand and surf. Oh sure there were occasional trips to the man-made lake and its pebbly beach or to the local water park but nothing compares to the ocean: the wind and salt and sand in your swimsuit/car/beach bag. I grew up watching Gidget and Moon Doggy surf and Frankie and Annette flirt and I dreamed of living in the 1960s. I ran across some great photos of fabulously glamorous starlets on the beach (or maybe that's the desert...) and thought you'd enjoy them.

Elizabeth Taylor is so cool with her lasso and ruffly bikini top and don't even get me started on how gorgeous that shot is of Marilyn. Then there's the lovely Susan Hayward with her tropical print and the fabulous Natalie Wood.
In the spirit of things, let's you and I channel retro glamour and hit the pool in something like this:

Sources: Floppy Hat // Beach Ball // Steel Grey Halter // Swim Cap // Vintage True Story Magazine // Beach Towels // Blue Striped Sandals // Red Polka-Dot Bikini // Floral Terrycloth Beach Bag // Sunglasses

Hidden Posters

You're like me—and we both love mid-century design. Particularly graphic/poster design. Oh, and we both love when things are discovered in their natural habitat. It's like they've been just waiting for us to be appreciated again. Which is why I know you'll love this as much as I did. Renovations at Notting Hill Gate Tube Station have recently uncovered these posters in a now non-public area of the station. This is where the elevators (lifts as it were) used to be, but when escalators were put in, this area was simply closed off. But with renovation comes exploration and they were found again. And aren't we thrilled? Check it out.


There are a handful more images on the London Underground Flickr page, but I've shared most of what they've got up. Since I am a notorious player-of-favorites, I have decided on one poster in particular to focus on. That little "travel Royal Blue" sailor on the end is so cute I can barely handle it. His little red nose and pipe and fantastic striped blue hat are so perfect. Certainly makes me want to get on that funny little blue bus. Thanks to Grain Edit I found out that the illustrator of that poster is a Ms. Daphne Padden. And she has created some other exceptional travel posters.


I love this child-like, jovial illustration style. And because I can't help myself, I've established a favorite: isn't the yellow-bearded sailor in the bottom right poster the cutest with that little cat? Boy oh boy. I would love to have that (or any of the others for that matter) hanging in my little house. Let me know if you discover one somewhere won't you? (Thanks to the Daphne Padden poster set on Flickr for sharing these great images!)

Carnivale

Once upon a time there was a dark little show called Carnivale. It explored human nature and all that that implies: good and evil, love and hate, hard times, good times... It only lasted for two seasons (and I'm just now finishing up watching the second season) but it's made an impact on me. Not just the story but also the cinematography. You know I love a historically accurate television series (see the Mad Men post below) and the designers of Carnivale did an excellent job of transporting me to this era.






This era is not a particular favorite of mine in regards to interior design (too many hard sofas and wood panelled walls) or fashion (all of those drop waists and shift dresses - no thank you). BUT one thing that I've loved seeing is all of the lounge wear. Such beautiful florals and silks and girliness.

One of the ladies of the Carnivale has a robe very similar to that one on the far left and I'm in love with it. Unfortunately, all four of these pieces have been sold, but this site has a lot of other great items (including some amazing vintage dresses).