Ethan Allen Rosette Quilt

Hubby and I wandered through Ethan Allen today and I was totally enchanted by this rosette quilt. The picture does not do it justice. As I don't have $750 to spend on new bed coverings, perhaps I will have to take up quilting.

Image from Ethan Allen

Art Nouveau Primer

I think that my favorite style of design is Art Nouveau. I simply adore the curvy, organic lines. The style was most popular around the turn of the last century (1890-1914). It has been called an artistic response to the utilitarian design of the industrial revolution, an attempt by contemporary artists to inject beauty back into cities and objects. It was also a backlash against mass production, which is something that seems to be very relevant today. At the turn of the 20th century, those with style are increasingly seeking out superior craftsmanship and durability, with eye toward supporting artisans. This mirrors the desires of those involved in the Art Nouveau movement one hundred years ago.

Art Nouveau overlaps a great deal with the Arts and Crafts movement (another personal favorite). Arts and Crafts can be simpler and less ornamental than some Art Nouveau works, and is defined by its emphasis on hand made, artisanal production.

Here are a few names to know from the Art Nouveau Movement:

• Tiffany Glass and Decorating Co. (yes, it is the ancestor of Tiffnay, as in Breakfast at Tiffany)
• Morris and Co. was an early manufactures of this style, it went out of business in 1939, it has been reborn as a new company which manufacturers replicas of the original products
• Aubrey Beardsley was an illustrator in the Art Nouveau style
• Some works by Gustav Klimt , Mucha and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec are done in this style
• Adler and Sullivan, Antoni Gaudi, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright all designed building in the Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau style

These are just a handful of names to know! There is a full and rich body of work to discover if you've fallen in love with Art Nouveau!

If you would like to absorb more of this beautiful style, I recommend watching GiGi or the opening animated sequences of Enchanted. If you have a lot of money to spend...Chicago, Barcelona, Prague or Glasgow all have excellent, well preserved architecture in this style.

Image sources on flickr

More funiture lust...

I've finally found the vanity of my dreams, and at Pottery Barn Teen? How random! Now if only I had 1K to drop on a faux vintage vanity with three built in electrical outlets. In any case, for $200 at least I can have the coolest swively chair ever, perfect for the girl forced to have her desk and vanity in the same room...this chair does double duty with style. BTW they also sell the dress form...in pink and white polkadot! I maybe well past my teen years, but I wish I had some wealthy parents to outfit my abode in Pottery Barn Teen, because goodness knows I can't afford it on my own.

Perfect Boudoir Chair

I found this chair whilst browsing the most lusted after items currently listed on the front page of Style Hive. The Jardin chair is from Crate and Barrel and is also available in a loud Dufy-esque green floral print. This chair would be perfect for canoodeling, reading, adjusting the seams on your stockings, and artfully lounging. How sexy would it be in pink!

I have to note that I am also in lust with the Avery Bombe chest, which was listed under "coordinating items." I was further enamored after seeing the swoon worthy detailing on the interior of each drawer.

Images from Style Hive and Crate and Barrel

Little things make me happy

These have to be the most adorable matches on the face of the planet! Too bad they are only available in Japan.

Image from thedieline.com

Posters for Marilyn

Marilyn has been fixated on the Drunken Mermaid collection from Tsai-fi on etsy. She originally was thinking of putting a set up in her bathroom, but in conjunction with this vintage mermaid poster, she can have an entire tipsy mermaid installation in her bedroom.

Images from Tsai-fi and allposters.com

Introducing Inspiring Images

I've recently started a tumblr page: Chic and Charming, Inspiring Images. I think of my tumblr page as a virtual scrapbook and inspiration journal. Everyday I post my favorite images from across the internet, from fashion to decor to art. I'm a pretty big fan of tumblr because it is SO easy to keep track of your favorite links and pictures. I just installed a button on my tool bar and whenever I see something I love I press the button and it automatically makes the post! This is definitely one of my new favorite tools for organizing my online favorites.

DIY Craft Armoire

I am totally obsessed with this do-it-yourself craft armoire from this month's Martha Stewart Living. Two bookcases are joined with hinges so that they swing open and closed, with plenty of storage and a foldout desk inside. The backside of this piece is covered with a hand painted botanical wallpaper panel.

Image from Martha Stewart online

Tree House Love Affair

I continue to dream about one day owning my very own tree house vacation getaway. I envision a simple, but well designed space with amenities somewhat better than a camper but not quite as extensive as a home. TreeHouse Workshop provides me with plenty of dream fodder. I especially love their somewhat whimsical and craftsmen inspired designs.

Images from Treehouse Workshop

Decorating Marilyn's new apartment

My dear sister, Marilyn, is graduating from college and getting her first real apartment. She has put it to me to help decorate her new bedroom. The first thing we did was pick out her bed set. We decided on this set from anthropologie, which happens to be on sale.

The task at hand is to choose new curtains for her room. Thus far I have discovered three options. The first is from Target, sheer polka dot curtains beneath blue blackout curtains.

The second and third option are from Pottery Barn Teen, an excellent source for cute and preppy decor. The blue pleated curtains are adorable and feminine. The green ones are quite nice, but a little plain and they might be difficult to match to duvet.

What are your thoughts? Any suggestions?

Images from Pottery Barn Teen and Target

Underwater Hotel

I'm kind of obsessed with unusual dwellings. I've been fantasizing about tree houses for the last week, to the point I went out and purchased the retro version Disney's Swiss Family Robinson. I LOVE that tree house. My husband has promised to build me one someday.

Anyway, I ran across this underwater hotel set to open in Istanbul in 2010. How fab is that?

Image from vagabondish.com

Sophia's Superstars: Trendinista

Even though I went MIA, I still kept in touch with the blogging community by scrolling through about 400 posts on fashion and decor in my google reader everyday. The most striking post that I've run across in recent memory is a post comparing McQueen's new collection to a series of breathtaking chandeliers at Trendinista. It is SO fabulously creative, you really must go check it out!

Images from Trendinista

In love...

I ran across this photograph of a peacock by Rareimage photography on etsy today and I am totally in love with it. I love the way the artist captures just the head of the peacock, an area usually ignored for the showy peacock tail, however the head of the bird is also beautifully iridescent. I also love the expression on the bird's face, it looks a little miffed that it is being photographed. I've added this piece to my favorites list on etsy and it is on my short list for new art when I finally finish paying off the Chagall print I splurged on in December!

Image from etsy

Chic and Charitable: Pink Garden Hose

There are not many things that would actually make me want to wash my car...but this pink garden hose just might make the list. With Valentine's day on the immediate horizon, I felt like a pink hose was an appropriate product recommendation, especially since a portion of the proceeds goes to breast cancer research. I should warn men: this is not an appropriate Valentine's Day gift, even if your wife/girlfriend is a hardcore gardener.

Image from amazon

Who did it better?

West Elm and Anthropologie are currently selling essentially the same bedding. Guess which one costs $99 for a queen and which one costs $248?

Images from West Elm and Anthropologie

Sophia Started an Online Store!

I've been thinking for several months about the best way to monetize my blog. I know Chic and Charming is a young blog, but I have been getting offers here and there via email. I never felt that any of my contacts provided an advertising arrangement that I was completely happy with. I really like the idea of having total control over what I am promoting, which is, of course, not the best approach earning money, but it is the approach I plan to take on Chic and Charming.

Recently, The Coveted got a face lift and added a book store. I thought this was such a brilliant idea! So, I investigated further and discovered that Amazon allows you to set up your own "shop" using their products. They host the shop for free and you get a small portion of any sale from your website. I feel this is absolutely perfect for Chic and Charming! I often post my favorite products and interesting finds on Chic and Charming, and now I will also post them in my shop to perhaps get a little return for making the recommendations. I promise not to change the variety of products that I share. I will continue to feature finds from independent artists along side more commercialized items that love for find interesting.

My shop will be updated pretty frequently over the next few days, and after that I will update every few weeks with new interesting products. I've started out with the following categories:

• Sophia's Recommendations: products Sophia uses on a regular basis and loves
• Chic and Stylish: fun accessories to make your life and your look even more fabulous!
  
• Charm School: Etiquette books, home keeping, cooking, stationary and more
• Chic Decor: Items to make your home more beautiful
• Buy to Be Audrey Hepburn: a section dedicated to accessories, clothing and home decor that Audrey or her most famous characters might have loved. There is also a curated selection of her movies!
• Buy to Be Marilyn Monroe: similar to the above category, but for Marilyn
  
• Chic and Charitable: chock full of items that support charity
• Chic and Green: leave a small carbon footprint and lead a healthy life with style
  
• The Charming Dandy: goodies for the guys

Image adapted from www.denness.net

Fabuless: DwellStudio at Target

Over the next two months a wide range of products designed by DwellStudio will be available at Target. DwellStudio produces several modern graphic lines under its own label, including products for home, table and baby. These products are regularly featured in many of my favorite decorating publications, including Blueprint, Domino and Elle Decor. The new lines at Target will reflect the label's traditional offering, with a Target DwellStudio Baby Collection, a Target DwellStudio Bedding Collection and Target DwellStudio Kitchen Collection.

The Target DwellStudio Baby Collection is the most diverse, offering cribs, changing tables, baby clothes and other baby accessories. Furniture for the DwellStudio Baby line at Target runs about $290 a piece, and it is rumored that it will only be available online. Overall, the Baby collection is full of cheerful graphic prints in calming pastel pallets. Any of these products would be an excellent baby shower gift! To give you an idea of what a fabulous deal the new DwellStudio Target line is: a crib set form the Target line will run you $80, while a cribset from the DwellStudio label is $384!

The Target DwellStudio Bedding Collection is fabulous and simple! These duvet and comforter sets would look at home in any bedroom, and manage to be both traditional and modern. I think what I like best about these sets is their equal appeal to both sexes. There is no need to make your husband sleep on a frilly, girly pink bed: you can outfit your bed with DwellStudio Bedding Collection's Baroque duvet set and both be happy (only $80 for a queen set!). I have not seen any details about thread counts or fabric content, but I will check it out after the release of this collection next month and give you an update.

Finally, the Target DwellStudio Kitchen Collection offers potholders, place mats, napkins and towels in designs similar to the bedding collection (might be perfect for a loft, where you can see both sets at once). I was a little disappointed with the lack of variety compared to the Bedding Collection and Baby Collection, but perhaps they have not released pictures of many pieces of the collection yet. I really prefer table clothes to place mats, so I wish Target would offer more cute table clothes and less place mats in these seasonal and designer collections!

Images from Apartment Therapy

Williams-Sonoma Spring Table Linens

Table linens are among my many collections (or maybe addictions would be a better word). I am quite in love with the spring table linen collections from Williams-Sonoma, as it happens I am usually in love with the latest seasonal linens at this shop, but I find this collection particularly inspiring. The collection is full of bright colors and preppy prints. The subtle pink paisley on the left would make an excellent table setting for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner. The table cloth on the right is linen and a bright, cheerful magenta. This table cloth is monogramable, and would make a fabulous modern heirloom.

Similarly brilliant, the Magenta and bright green toile table cloth and matching napkins are probably at the top of my wish list. Is the set a little loud? Well, yes. But, it combines my favorite colors in a fun table cloth that matches my apple green kitchen. I love it! I decided to round things out with a conservative piece...every girl needs monogrammed cocktail napkins and Williams-Sonoma makes a great set.

Images from Williams-Sonoma

How to be like Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany

One of the golden girls of the silver screen, Audrey Hepburn, forever immortalized Truman Capote's Holly Golightly in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany. After meeting Miss Golightly, women all over the world wish that they could add just a little bit more glamor and spontaneity to their lives. I've come up with a exhaustive list of almost everything one would need to live like Holly, from where to sleep to what to wear. Enjoy.

Holly Golightly's Home:

1. A homeless Cat
2. Twin metal bed fame
   
3. Champaign saucers
   
4. Bath tub sofa
5. Liters of perfume and cake mascara on your vanity
   
6. Pinata smoking a cigar
   
7. a very large mirror leaning against the wall
8. Green stuffed parrot in cage
   
9. Zebra rug
   
10. Old fashioned black telephone to be kept in a suitcase
11. White rocking chair for those days when you are feeling domestic
    
12. Three piece white vintage luggage set
13. Old crate coffee table (obtain from your local grocer)
    
14. Pink pillows
    
15. Weather vane?
16. White cherub lamp
17. Vintage Brazil Poster
    
18. Wall mounted bull head
    
19. Red fleece blanket with Harvard written on it over a golden bread spread

Holly Golightly's Accessories:

1. Tortoise shell Rayban Waferers (or knockoffs)
2. Pearl chocker with broach pinned on, in fact you might want to buy matched broaches and wear the second in your hair.
3. Holly has loads of jewelry for all the fabulous parties she attends. You should invest in several pieces for large costume jewelry, such as these earrings.
4. Consider wearing a watch on your ankle with your cocktail dress
   
5. Black crystal and pearl bib necklace that looks something like this.
6. A guitar or failing that the soundtrack from Breakfast at Tiffany
7. Over the elbow black gloves
8. Pink ballet slippers, to be kept in your refrigerator
9. Inexpensive ring engraved with your initials
10. Carpet bag
11. Black coin purse, money is stored wadded up inside
12. White pearl studs
13. Black kitten heels
    
14. A handful of fabulous hats, including a large black one, a modish brown shaved mink one and a cute black pillbox hat with large white marabou puff decoration
    
15. Black patent leather bag with embossed croc pattern and chain handle, kind of Chanel-esqe
16. Knitting needles and yards of red yarn to knit your own ranch house
17. Cigarette holder
    
18. Audio Portuguese lessons

Holly Golightly's Nightclothes (well, actually just what one wears to answer the door as Holly sleeps nude):

1. Generic white bath robe, rolled up to your elbows
2. Eye Mask
3. Men's Tux Shit
   
4. Orange robe
5. Tassel Earplugs
   

Holly Golightly's Clothing:

1. A simply fabulous little black dress and perhaps a long black dress as well
2. Grey sweatshirt and demin capris with black flats for those days when you wash your hair
3. Classic Trench
   
4. Grey jersey full size flat bed sheet, to be worn as toga at the opening of your next party
5. Grey cowl neck sweater and black capris
   
6. Redish orange wool bouche jacket with a mock turtle neck type collar
7. Black tweed skirt with black t-shirt style shirt with buttons down the front
   
8. Black tweed sheath
9. Khaki sweater with black trim
10. Matching pink dress, cape and shoes to be worn with pink tiaraand white clutch
    
11. Or, you could be lazy and just get the costume
    

Holly Golightly's Associates:

1. Charming latin millionaires with political aspirations
2. Pudgy playboys from wealthy families
3. Drug lords and their cronies
4. Rats and Super Rats, all of whom shell out $50 for the powder room
5. Southern belle models
6. Hollywood moguls
7. Washed up writers with a taste for married women
8. Hillbillie ex-husbands

Holly Golightly's Hangouts:

1. Twenty-one
2. Burlesque shows
3. Tiffany
4. Five and Dime stores
5. Public library
6. Sing Sing

Holly Golightly's Wisdom:

1. Don't accept drinks from disapproving men
2. Keep extra perfume and lipstick in your mailbox for last minute touch ups
   
3. Combat the mean reds with a trip to Tiffany
4. Operate on a cash only basis
5. Steal things from the five and dime on occasion, to keep your hand in
6. Have a cookie jar, ie a man who pays for the pleasure of your company with out expecting anything physical...this generally only works if that man is in jail and using you to send messages to his drug cartel
   
7. Always know who the ten richest men under 50 are in your area
8. A trip to the powder room is an excellent exit strategy
9. Marry for money
10. People don't belong to people

Looking for more Audrey? Check out my Amazon store's Buy to Be: Audrey Hepburn Section

Image sources listed in the description of each picture on flickr

Truly fabulous dishes

My mother in law got the completely fabulous 12 days of Christmas dish set from Rosanna that was all over the blog-o-sphere this Christmas season. I must say that they were even more fabulous in person than in the pictures!! So, I surfed on over to rosannainc.com and was surprised to discover the crown tea pot that I have been obsessing over ever since I saw it at Wittard in London on my honeymoon is also made by this company! My new favorite is the les bijoux collection, which has fantastically bejeweled tea cups and dessert plates. I think that they would mix and match with the crown tea pot perfectly!

Image from rosannainc.com