Hip Find: Charming French Bow Stationary January 10, 2013

I am loving these charming notecards from Minted (design by Emily Ranneby).  They would make a great hostess gift, bridal shower shower gift, thank you gift for bridesmaids, or a little something for your valentine.  Personalize them with the recipient’s name; the French text – which translates to “just a little note” – comes standard on each card.  They are dubbed as “children’s stationary” but I think they’re sophisticated enough for adult notecards (if you aren’t French, it seems silly to have a French saying on a child’s stationary unless they listened to Rosetta Stone in utero).

Paris + Vintage Ribbon Stationary – $35 for 15 notecards.

Hip Find: Fire It Up with an Instant Fireplace DVD December 17, 2012

My husband made such fun of me when I came home a few winters ago with a fireplace DVD.  We live in NYC with no fireplace in our current apartment, and I thought it would add a cozy feel to a holiday dinner party.  While my friends also made fun of me when they first saw the faux fire, we all sat around the “fire” late into the night drinking, talking and watching the flames.  Two of my friends went out and bought the DVD the next day; now I can make fun of them as well.  It’s definitely kitschy, but who doesn’t love a little kitsch for the holidays?

I have the Fantastic Instant Fireplace DVD, and there are several other fireplace DVDs available on Amazon (including high definition, etc.).

Hip Finds: “Hip”ster Holiday Gifts December 13, 2012

I’m not cool enough to understand the mustache trend, but I am hip enough to know it’s cool.  Here are some fun gift ideas for the hipsters in your life, or even just the mustached men in the fam. 

I heart mustache sweater at GreenFlea Market in Manhattan (W. 76th & Columbus Ave., Sundays 10am-5:30pm); Mustache ornament from J. Bee Designs, $15; Mustache Pint Glass from Bread and Badger, $10 each; Mustache wrapping paper from Ruff House Art.

Hip Finds: Autumn Mini Pastry/ Cookie Cutters November 9, 2012

Fall is the time for all-American pie.  Even if you aren’t crazy about pastry and weaving crusts, you can still make beautiful pies by using mini autumn pastry/cookie cutters to adorn your crust.  This set, Autumn Mini Cutters from Crate and Barrel (currently on sale for $3.95), includes three leaf shapes, an acorn, a pumpkin, a turkey and an apple.  I purchased a similar set of these adorable little pastry/cookie cutters almost 10 years ago from Williams-Sonoma (no longer available) and have used them every year since.  They come in a little cute little tin and are very easy to store (though getting them into the tin is a little puzzle and takes a minute).  I often use the apple in the center of the top pie crust for venting, and then make additional apples from the scraps to place around the top of the pie (brushing one side with water and sticking that side to the crust).  The leaves are pretty when you use a variety on a pumpkin pie.  These little pasty/cookie cutters are a great addition to your baking arsenal.

Hip Find: Slate Serving Pieces {Brooklyn Slate Co.} October 16, 2012

 

As you can tell from my pictures, I’m big on solid serving pieces and plates. My everyday dishes are white and most of my serving pieces are too.  I find that white doesn’t distract and keeps the focus on my food.  To change things up, I add a few wooden and now some slate serving pieces, which have become my new favorites.  Slate platters, like the one I have from Brooklyn Slate Company, are perfect serving pieces because they are simple, provide high contrast to light foods (like cheese), and are easy to clean (getting dried soft cheese off of a cutting board hours after a party isn’t fun – that doesn’t happen with slate).  I love that you can write on slate with chalk, so no one needs to guess or ask what’s being served. Its’s also fun for a tasting, like the honey tasting I served (pictured above).

Brooklyn Slate Company’s slate platters ($25-32) are locally made (in NYS), super sturdy and they come perfect for gift giving. Each slate (choose black or red slate) comes with a burlap bag for storage and a little packet of chalk. I used the burlap bag to wrap the slate for gifting, and added a ribbon to complete the wrapping.  It’s a great gift either for your own serving arsenal or for you favorite hostess.

Hip Find: Jack-O-Lantern Pillow Cover {Halloween Ideas} October 5, 2012

Swapping out your pillow covers is the easiest way to decorate for any season.  Well this rustic Jack-O-Lantern pillow cover, made from burlap and hand-stamped in the UK, is a simple way to decorate for Halloween without getting to kitchy.  For you crafters out there, you can probably make one of these on your own, using fabric ink and a homemade stamp.  Use this pillow on your sofa or for outdoor seating for those early fall days when it’s still warm enough to sit outside with a glass of wine enjoying the foliage.