Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tips-y Tuesday...it's been awhile!

Keeping it super simple this Tuesday eve.
Just sharing a link that sort of sums up my philosophy on life:
12 Things Happy People Do Differently.
Read, learn, love.
(Scoff if you must, but chances are if you read this blog, you're not really a scoffer.)
Catch you on the flip side!
Have a beautiful evening...

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Simply, Saturday

Super cool decor item alert!




The Flamingo Stool from Crate and Barrel serves as an extra seat or table, can go inside or outside and even dismantles for storage. And? It's $16.95!
 No brainer.
 The hard part is deciding which color to get!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Simply, Saturday

Love to shop? 
Love to repurpose/reduce/reuse/recycle? 
Love to do a good deed?
Love snacks and a cocktail? 
Love to donate to a worthwhile cause?
If you answered yes to any of the above, come to the "Be A Hero" event at Windsor Cottage this Wednesday,  August 24th. Eloise and I will be there!
Windsor Cottage is a high end consignment store that also sells a wide variety of new home decor and gift items. It is a dream of a place for someone like me, who loves an eclectic mix of old and new. Furniture, decor, unique gifts and yes, oh, yes.... chandeliers.  Chandelierious, indeed.
This event benefits the free of charge and not for profit, Gilda's Club of Rochester, which provides a "meeting place for men, women and children living with cancer, along with their family and friends. They join with others to build social and emotional support as a supplement to medical care."
 Stop, shop, snack,  and save 10% on your purchases! 
This Wednesday, 4pm-7pm. Come!


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Thirsty Thursday

Ok, I admit it. I am stealing this right from the page of a magazine. Better Homes and Gardens, in fact. See? 




Torn right out.


It looks too delicious not to steal and share. Combining fresh fruit, ice and some Southern Comfort, it sounds refreshing!


Grilled Peach Frappe'


2 fresh peaches, halved
2 oz. Southern Comfort
2 tsp. raw sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
1 cup ice
More peaches to slice and garnish


1. Grill peach halves on the rack of an uncovered grill for 8-10 minutes until tender or lightly browned.
2. Remove from heat, cool and peel.
3. Blend peaches and remaining ingredients, except ice, on high for about 20 seconds.
4. Add ice and blend until smooth.
5. Serve in a chilled glass, topping each glass with a slice of fresh peach garnish
Makes 4 cocktails.


Wouldn't this be a delicious alternative to a Bellini or Mimosa at a brunch? Yummmm.....

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Spotted!

Ellie and I were tooling around Lowe's the other day for various thingamabobs and naturally had to wander down the lighting aisle. I loved the recent assortment of drum shade fixtures that were available and had to share. They are really fantastic. Love Lowe's!


This one below is stained glass. But, it's not your Grandma's stained glass (not that there's anything wrong with that). This is black and white polka dot stained glass! Yes.
Awesome. It also comes in a flush mount fixture that would make a great, graphic statement in an entrance way.



This next one features a fabric shade, surrounded by a metal, cage like frame. It's another cool, modern fixture.


These two are subtle, with a surprise. Plain jain at first glance, then, voila! 
Super chic on the inside.

                                   Music lovers?



I have a weakness for that one: the Manhattan skyline. I wish I had a spot for it. 
(It's on clearance, too! $86! ) Please, someone I know, get this so I can live vicariously through you and stare at it.




Ellie and I both loved this last one, too. The silvery, scroll-y pattern is so clean and yet so visually interesting. 
Oh, to have a chandelier in each room... and to have limitless rooms to hang them in....
Sigh.
I do love me some lights...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Thirsty Thursday

Oh. Dear.
I tried this the other day, and that's all I can say. Oh, dear.
UV's Cake flavored vodka is like dessert...(that gives you a buzz.) I have to admit, it was yummy.
 And yummy is gooooood.




I sampled it over ice. Delish. Poured as a shot, it is simply called UV Birthday Cake. But, the sweet girl at the store gave me some recipe cards to look at. One in particular made my mouth water a little bit:


Pineapple Upside Down.
(I know, right?)
This recipe is simply UV Cake and Pineapple Juice. Another scrumptiuous sounding cocktail was Coconut Cream Pie (UV Cake, UV Coconut & a Splash of Half & Half) 


Proceed with caution.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Two Words: Desk Chair.

Desk chairs? As in, task chairs? Uh huh. 
Tres Chic task chairs, in fact. The other day, Eloise and I were in Pottery Barn Kids. (even at 7 1/2 she is still a sucker for the pink, retro toy kitchen....heck, who are we kidding, so am I.)
Well, the first thing that caught my eye when we walked in was a deliciously furry desk chair.




(They are all adorable, obviously, but see that one in the back on the right? It's SHERPA! And fantastic!) I realize at $169.00 it's not the most economic choice...but, oooh, I can almost feel the comfy.
As one who parks it rather regularly at her desk, this inspired me to hunt around for more sassy, stylish but functional options.
At PBteen there were even more, even furrier, choices:




This chocolately, plush arm chair, and the flokati version below are $259.00. Not sure about you, but that is out of my budget. Looking at the white one I can't help but think how simple it would be to recover any wheeled desk chair with some luxuriously, Muppet-y fabric.




These next two are just adorable and graphic. And, slightly easier on the wallet, at $139.00.




Now, this one in hot pink and black below is fabulous AND cheap. And comfortable. How do I know, you wonder? This is my desk chair at work. It's from Target and it was only $18.00.
Form, function and fashion. Boo-yah.




(I still might find a way to Muppet-fy one for home though!)

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Simply, Saturday

Happy Saturday, lovely people!
Some Chandelierious quick hits today:


This.

Just Being Audrey

Utterly fantastic. I love Audrey Hepburn. She is an icon for all the right reasons. Sure, her style was to die for, but as a human being, she was divine. 
"Just Being Audrey" tells her story, and it's quite a story, through illustrations. This book is written for "grades 1-3", but it captivated me.

And....
Don't forget! We have 5 performances of


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Ellie just rediscovered her love for the movie "Ghostbusters." (And, really, who shouldn't rediscover "Ghostbusters"? It's awesome. Go ahead and re-watch it. You won't be sorry.)
But, I'm off track. That's not the point of today's Ghost post. I have another ghost to share...
The Ghost Chair. Sigh.




Also called the Louis chair, it was originally designed by Phillipe Stark for Kartell.  Clean, clear, stackable and virtually indestructible. It takes up almost no visual space and has an ethereal  look to it that is both modern and classic at the same time. I am slightly obsessed with these and their variations. Arms or no arms. Crystal clear or different translucent shades. They even come in opaque black, white, red, green...any color you can fathom, really.





Oh, how I would love to place these around my dining table. Maybe someday. In the meantime, you can find them online with prices ranging from $100 and up.

My love affair with this clean, acrylic style has extended to other furniture, as well. I recently bought a set of lucite nesting tables. The ones I found are delightfully vintage, circa 1960's, but you can find similar ones at CB2 or Overstock.com.


Here is a not so great picture of my tables...and, as a matter of fact, a very similar lamp to the one in the picture above. Mine is from Target. I didn't purposely recreate this photo, I just now discovered this design coincidence. Lovely.


Someday soon (ish) the houndstooth upholstered chair will live in this little corner, as well.
In the meantime... 
Back to "Ghostbusters"....