I finally had the churros with chocolate at XOCO. Super tasty. That Rick Bayless is awfully good at what he does and I think it is so smart of him to have his three fantastic restaurants all lined up on Clark street, one after the other like hotels on a Monopoly board.
I will admit that a show on the Cooking Channel reminded me that I needed to get myself down to XOCO again. Their Bean-To-Cup cocoas are kind of a thing. The one time I went for breakfast we didn’t order churros for some strange reason, as I rarely pass on fried dough. They dust the hot churros with cinnamon sugar and ground cocoa nibs for extra crunch. Umm, mmmm good.
This fresh cucumber mint limonata was a nice start with the spot-on guacamole. We had tortas too, and they were really good, but I must have been too hungry to take a picture. Just another reason to get back there asap.
We had to wait on line, which is always a challenge for me and reading the specials made me wish I could turn back time, fortunately I had this woman’s nifty sweater to distract me. But it was worth the wait and if you are visiting my fair city, don’t miss XOCO. To all you locals – maybe I’ll see you there. READ MORE
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Chicago,
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Treats
Every January and August I have the great privilege of spending five days in the company of Jill Rosenwald. Jill is my vivacious and hilarious “neighbor” at the New York Gift Fair, who among other things, makes these beautiful ceramic pieces.
I love her work because like Jill, it has a vibrancy and energy that pulls you in. It is colorful and fresh. It is modern, but playful. I really, really lover her work. And if Jill and her work are not enough to make me a fan – her awesome husband, Lawrence and her incredible parents, Mimi and Jimmy really seal the deal for me. The outrageous energy, pull-no-punches honesty and warmth of spirit that emanates from this clan is pretty great.
But back to Jill, because her designs and color sense are what I really want you to see. She has been designing and producing her pieces for a while now and selling them to stores you know like Barneys and Neiman Marcus. She is making these great monogram trays, which will be my go to wedding gift now. She also designed the rugs pictured above that are available through our friends at Garnet Hill. And once you are hooked on her design you can follow Jill’s blog for a peek behind the curtain – it is not to be missed. READ MORE
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Favorites
It’s true! A dream come true! We have partnered with the best of the best to bring you Snow & Graham bedding. Tweets is the first in a series of designs we are offering exclusively through Garnet Hill. This vibrant flock remains one of the most loved designs in our collection, and so it seems the perfect place to start our collaboration. And there is more to come…..just wait for the flannels this fall.
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I Spy
I don’t think I can say enough good things about The Crosby Street Hotel. Everywhere you turn there is something lovely to rest your eyes on and each and every surface feels considered. The mix is eclectic, luxe and oh so cozy ~ every bit “the living thing” that owners Tim and Kit Kemp set out for it to be and not at all a “stuffy institution.”
When I was lucky enough to stay there in May I tried to spend lots of time in the common areas of the hotel, as they were so special and inviting. The console pictured above sits in the corridor by the elevators. I never did ask what it was made of, maybe shell? But my goodness was it a lovely object to admire as I waited to be escorted to my spectacular room.
The Crosby is situated smack dab in the middle of SOHO, and so most anything you want is at your feet. The illustrious Balthazar Bakery is just around the corner. I would wake up bright and early to grab a coffee and read the paper or check email in the courtyard of the hotel ~ and usually had the place to myself.
That’s the Honesty Bar in the Drawing Room pictured above. As most of my meals on this trip were eaten in restaurants, being able to help myself and my guests to a nightcap was quite a novelty.
The wall coverings throughout are stunning. I have so many photos of surfaces and little details, it’ll take hours to edit them all. But it will be worth the effort, as there is so much to learn from each element. I mean they managed to seamlessly integrate the exit signs and fire safety equipment, elevating them to intentionally placed design elements. Which reminds me that I forgot to snap pics of the gym. It was perfect, of course.
Oh, and I cannot forget to mention how gracious and helpful the staff was! I cannot wait to return to this special place.
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Muses
I am not much of a beer drinker and it is too bad as there is a lot of fancy beer that passes though my house. Tyler has been diligently researching small production American beers and Belgian ales for years now ~ tireless work that may never be done. What I have learned along the way is that there are some great graphics happening on these beer labels. This hometown favorite always delivers, and of course there are classics like this one and this one. READ MORE
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Favorites
It is July 1st and that means its time to flip the page of your 2010 Calendar and revel in the red, white and blue of our Barber Shop stripe. I am a patriot through and through, so make no mistake this is a nod to Old Glory and all that she represents.
We introduced this design to the Snow & Graham line in 2006 on our gone-but-not-forgotten #1621 Barber Shop wrapping paper. While this pattern is a departure from my signature Snow & Graham florals, it may be my favorite wapping paper we have ever made. It laid so beautifully on a package and paired nicely with many of the other designs in our line. Just look at how lovely the stripes look when paired with the florals up above.
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Muses
Ridley is now 5 years old. His birthday was last month and we went all out with a every-kid-in-his-class party. It was a hoot, and vaguely resembled a frat party by the time sugar packed cupcakes hit their systems. The energy was boundless.
I completely forgot the “your presence is your present” line I usually include on our party invitations, and so there were gifts, endless gifts. It was Christmas in May for Ridley and he was over the moon. Among the favorites was a box of tricks from Ridley’s House of Novelties. The novelty of the name is an obvious boon and the retro packaging appealed to me, of course. But Ridley really loves the tricks, and we love watching him try his hand at being calculating and sneaky. It is not done with much success, but the belly laughs abound. READ MORE
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The first Friday of every June is National Donut Day. I heard Dunkin Donuts is giving away free goodies with a beverage purchase. Good to know, but I am happy to pay top dollar for my fried rings of pillowy dough topped with chocolate from Dinkel’s Bakery. Bliss. I may have two, it’s a holiday after all.
Upcoming Holidays:
July 20th – National Ice Cream Day
July 29 – National Lasagna Day
August 5 – National Mustard Day
September 3 – National Welsh Rarebit Day
September 26 – National Pancake Day
December 12 – National Ambrosia Day
December 23 – National Pfeffernuesse Day
There’s really something for everyone. READ MORE
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A childhood friend of mine would tell you that it is only natural that I ended up drawing flowers for a living. When we were young there wasn’t a surface that would hold ball point ink that I did not cover with tiny loops of daisy chains, tight clusters of daises or expansive landscapes of lacy lines. Three ring binders, ratty old jeans, the white band around the soles of my Chuck Taylors -everything embellished with a rhythmically rendered field of daisies. I, of course, had forgotten that until she pointed it out. But I do remember how pleasing it felt to make loop after loop of the simple form.
I can only imagine how pleasing it would be to find yourself in a seemingly endless field of the charming buds. That is my Grandmother Maxine pictured above who actually did. I have admired this photo for as long as I can remember, picturing myself in her position, holding on to as many daisies as my arms could hold. Her soft smile only hints at just how much effort this bounty requires. Old photos are always so alluring, but none so engaging as those that include people we were lucky to know. When paired with a story that you have heard a thousand times - their memories become ours. I really love that.
Well, summer is nearly here, and what better flower to carry us into the free-wheeling, schools-out, backyard-fun of this carefree season. Our 2010 Calendars feature the Daisy design this month and I encourage you to embrace their simple form as a reminder of simpler times and simple pleasures.
What is your simple pleasure?
Share your favorite - the simpler the better – in a comment below and enter for a chance to win a bundle of Daisy cards from our new GRATITUDES collection. Winner will be chosen on Friday, June 4th. READ MORE
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