holiday gift guide 2009 – part deux

 Hello again and happy holidays! Now that the feeding frenzy of Thanksgiving and the mass bedlam of Black Friday are behind us, the gift-giving season is in full effect. Without further ado, here are some more unique and creative suggestions for your loved ones.

Pictured above is a lovely pillow from designer Lena Corwin. The whole site has some really nice ideas for your home.

For more home goods, you must check out the fantastic bedding and pillows at John Robshaw. Absolutely gorgeous, albeit a big splurge.

 For the book or design lovers on your list, the new hardcover Pictorial Webster's is a must-have for any desktop. Available at Chronicle Books and other online booksellers.

More fun desk/office/school supplies include this fantastic fluorescent pencil set from Spoon Sisters.

And, this set of fun, cheerful happy tape is a great gift. I'm dying to wrap a package in kraft paper and use this tape to make a plaid pattern all around the box.

For the calendar-lovers on your list, this desk calendar from Moleskine is a perfect stocking stuffer, available at the great guy shop, Gent Supply Co.

I am loving pretty much everything from Present and Correct, especially this fun grid blackboard. I may have to get this one for myself!

This is the grown-up version of glow-in-the-dark constellations on your ceiling – the Personal Planetarium from Restoration Hardware.

Oh! So pretty. This necklace will be a most welcome gift, perfect for any New Year's Eve frock. Available at Anthropologie.

These stylish Flight Bags from Wm. J. Mills and Co. are perfect for guys or girls and available in tons of colors. The vintage styling is really nice and the heavy canvas makes them durable and ready to last for years. (Found via the delightful blog Design Crush.)

I love this vintage xylophone player from the Hindsvik shop on etsy. So bright and colorful and a cute, one-of-a-kind kid's gift!

A nice gift for a co-worker pal or anyone's stocking is this beautifully packaged candle from Saipua. Available at Bird.

And, finally, for the naughty peeps on your list, they will love this coal chewing gum! Available at Paper Source.

{All photos in the gift guides are from the shops/designers listed with each item.}

holiday gift guide 2009 - part one

I've been collecting ideas for a gift guide series for a few months now. From books and stocking stuffers to some really beautiful vintage finds, here's the first part of the series – much more to come in the next few weeks. In the meantime, hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

First up, and pictured above, is a vintage classroom map from the trampoline shop on etsy. trampoline has lots and lots of specially curated vintage treasures, including the vintage dice collection pictured below.

Penguin Classics finally released their Coralie Bickford-Smith-designed cloth-bound collection here in the U.S. They are not just beautiful to display on your bookshelf, these are meant to be read – the absolute best classics, including Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, among others.

These mercury pendant lights from Mothology are just so pretty. They would look as beautiful over a dining table as they would in your home office.

With the demise of Polaroid, Fuji Instax is a nice replacement. Available through lots of retailers, I found this one and refill film over at Urban Outfitters.

Another Urban Outfitters find is this antique-inspired industrial accordion table. The price is a steal, and it would look great in almost any space.

If anyone on your gift list is as wild about office supplies as I am, this bright orange Swingline stapler from CB2 would be a great stocking stuffer.

More office/school supplies! This full set of yummy colored pencils from MUJI at the MoMA Store are almost too pretty to use.

For the little ones on your list, I love this fun, stripey duck by Esthex, available at Twig.

And, Pink Chicken has adorable kid's clothing - this Tess Dress is so sweet.

Another one for the kids, or yourself, is this delightful, limited-edition alphabet poster from Anna Bond's Rifle Paper Co. She just opened her shop this week and it is incredible!

For the men in your life, this cool vintage-looking Stanley flask from Restoration Hardware would be a great gift.

Another nice one for the guys, or maybe more for you? Whichever it is, this garter and stockings set from Academy for Wayward Girls is just awesome.

{All photos in the gift guide are from the shops/designers listed with each item.}

weddings on minted

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, it's time for another contest at minted! You can see the beth perry DESIGN entries by following these links – pictured from top: Tortola, Quadrille, Beaufort, Tuileries, Madeline, and Augusta. For this challenge, designers were asked to make Wedding Invitations and Reply Cards.

If you have time, please take a moment to vote for mine. If you don't already have a free account at minted's site – it takes only a few seconds, just click here. You can also see which of my other designs are for sale on minted's site by clicking here. Thanks for your support! I appreciate it so much!

library

 

Library, Archives of Fashion has just launched a gorgeous new site. Based in Charleston, S.C., and owned by Lauren Lail, Library is a dream come true for lovers of beautiful – and one-of-a-kind – vintage fashion and accessories. Lail, inspired by the rich history behind her collections, sums up her love of vintage in the nicest way: "Vintage pieces have a story to tell – they are the books that make my library." {Found via Simple + Pretty; Photos: Library, Archives of Fashion}

wallpaper invites

My mom asked me to design these invites for a birthday dinner she hosted for me back in the summer. I've been obsessed with vintage wallpaper for a while and decided to try my hand at getting a wallpaper look with some hand-drawn flowers. Reminded me how satisfying it is to turn off the computer and put pencil to paper, old school style. I'm using a few wallpaper themed ideas and a new hand-drawn design for the next minted contest too - stay tuned for images and voting information sometime next week!

lonny

 

New and fabulous online magazine Lonny is live! If you've been looking for a replacement for Domino or the late-great Blueprint, you must check it out. Beautiful photography spreads and great lists of must-have items for you and your home. I love the gorgeous dining room in the first photo. Check it out here. {Photos: Lonny Magazine}

book love

I am a bigtime re-reader - always coming back to some old faithfuls like my all-time favorite re-read treat, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I'll get completely immersed in Pride and Prejudice every few months too, ignoring laundry and dishes and life as if I've never read it before. And I've been known to take a little trip to Hogwarts once in a while as well. Author Meg Cabot recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal about her love for reading and re-reading the wonderful Betsy-Tacy series of books by Maud Hart Lovelace. (I re-read these a lot when I was younger and remember first reading Betsy-Tacy at summer camp after it arrived in a care package from my mom right when I was feeling a little homesick. She wrote me the sweetest, funniest note on the inside of the paperback cover, and between the note and the book, I forgot all about any lingering homesickness.)

In the WSJ article, Cabot sums up the best part of the Betsy-Tacy books perfectly: "What's always made Betsy seem so real is that when she makes a mistake and falls down, she gets right back up." Although the books are set in the early 20th century, it's still a really timeless message. Definitely re-read worthy, even for semi-grown-ups. Photo: WSJ

light as air

 

 

 

Loving these pretty dresses - designed by sarahseven out of Portland, Oregon - especially the beautiful, ethereal styles and floaty, sorbet-colored fabrics. Found via Amy Odell on the great blog, The Cut, over at New York Magazine's site. Photos: sarahseven @ etsy.

au revoir to summer

Just a few photos from my fall trips to the beach at Fripp Island, and one of my mom's best pal, Jake, the wonder-dog with spotted feet. He's the best.

hats on!

 

  

  

  

  

 

Fall is almost officially here and I'm a bit obsessed with hats these days - trilby, cloche, bucket, fedora. There are so many beautiful styles. The best parts are the gorgeous details like grosgrain ribbons, little buckles, spotted feathers, patterned linings, and rich countryside-inspired colors. Photos from top: Velour Sidesweep Hat with feather trim and Trilby with fur felt trim, both by Philip Treacy for Purdey; Della Cloche Hat with bow detail by Eugenia Kim at Net-A-Porter; Wool Bucket Hat in herringbone at J.Crew; Aubergine Cloche Hat by Patricia Underwood at Bluefly; Navy Tweed Fedora by Baroque And Roll at Etsy; and Brixton wool with feather detail at Revolve Clothing.