Fourth of July Picks: Festive Flair

I'll be celebrating the 4th in our nation's capital with my family. Our plans call for a backyard BBQ, and I can't wait to get to the grilling, feasting, and basking in good company. If you too are barbecue-bound, I've rounded up some festive accessories to pack along for the occasion.

A Steven Alan striped beach blanket to take the party to the lawn (picked one of these up last year as a picnic/beach blanket and it's an absolute dream -- highly recommend), $48.

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The perfect cuffed jean shorts: Mother The Cuffed Short Shorts, $185 @ Shopbop.

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Festive fingers: RGB x Need Supply limited edition nail polish in 1996, $16 @ Need Supply:

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A pair of red tipped navy slip-ons to kick off: Vans Authentic Low Pro sneaker, $42 @ Need Supply.

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A tote to cart around snacks and a bottle of vino: Diane von Furstenberg Laragh Tote in red/white, $185 @ Shopbop.

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Electric blue sunnies to light up a happy face: Super Sunglasses Basic Sunglasses, $117 @ Shopbop.

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Fantasy Friday: Giuseppe Zanotti's Crystal Visions

In which we shop with imaginary money and indulge our fanciest fancies.

I first glimpsed these crystal-studded Giuseppe Zanottis on one of my favorite, preternaturally stylish Parisiennes, Betty Autier of Le Blog de Betty (that's her modeling the bejeweled blush colored beauties -- the minty pedicure sets them off perfectly). She's been rocking them a lot lately and I love seeing what she'll pair them with next. I adore the juxtaposition of the chunky heel with the delicate ankle strap. They make me want to go out dancing.

le blog de betty

There are a few pairs left at Barneys, going for a cool $899 (and mind you, that's the SALE price).

A Wednesday in Wisconsin: Laurel Leaf Farm's Vintage Menagerie

Is anyone else having a crazy week (/month)? If, like me, you find yourself in major need of a distraction, these vintage treasures from Laurel Leaf Farm are just the thing to whisk you away from your worries. The family-run, Wisconsin-based antiques business has the most delightful wares, from old coffee grinders to obsolete farming tools. Hand-plucked from the remains of someone else's long forgotten past, these lovely, vibrant finds are ready for a new life.  Be forewarned, though -- they tend to get snatched up rather quickly, so act fast.

Vintage Wood Tennis Rackets, set of four, $60 @ Laurel Leaf Farm.

60s vintage yellow enamel teakettle, $20 @ Laurel Leaf Farm.

Vintage enamel collander, $34

1944 Leica Camera/Photography Manual, $45.

Photos: www.laurelleaffarm.com

Fantasy Friday: More Chair Porn

In which we shop with imaginary money and indulge our fanciest fancies.

How could I possibly find more chairs to covet and crave? Lately I've been hankering after Jonathan Adler's Camille dining chair. Have you ever looked at something so perfectly beautiful it sent chills down your spine? Well, its lovely lines, rich walnut base, and nailhead details do it for me. I want to be sitting in it at my desk right now, happily typing away on my imaginary Olivetti Valentine. The fact that its name is a nod to Brigitte Bardot's smolderingly sexy character in Contempt doesn't hurt either. While I can't afford to outfit a whole dining table with them, I hope to at least have one as a desk chair in my next apartment. 

I also snapped this one while dining at Gorki Park in Berlin. I don't know its make or provenance, so if anyone has a clue, please help a girl obsessed. 

Photos:
1-2) www.jonathanadler.com
3) © The Shoptometrist

Summer Splurge: Rag and Bone's Harley Dress

This Rag and Bone dress caught my eye a while ago, but it wasn't until I saw the detail shot that I really fell for it. A closer look reveals that the gorgeous pattern of tropical watercolor hues is comprised of teeny tiny layers of delicate, frayed silk chiffon). Sigh. If only I had a fancy art gallery opening to attend . . . and $600 to throw around for said occasion. I've been stalking it for quite some time, hoping it'll go on sale, but no luck so far.


Rag & Bone Harley Dress, $575 @ Shopbop.

Photos: www.shopbop.com

Kitchen Obsession: Ice Milk Aprons

This past weekend, bf helped me cook a meal that, shockingly, didn't suck (if you only knew my cooking history . . .). I credit him for keeping an eye on things and ensuring that our ricotta gnocchi in sage butter made it safely to the table. I'm excited to embark on more cooking adventures as sous chef to his science geek. Here are a some delightful aprons to help me along on the journey:

Aprons! Although I've purchased some in the past, sadly, they've gone unworn and now I'm kind of over them. I've been encountering Ice Milk aprons everywhere these days. They're so darn pretty you won't mind if company comes over before you're done cooking.

From top to bottom, Rollings of Cinnamon, Frosty Tin Marshmallows, and Morning Bun Moments, $85 each. The first and lattermost are on pre or backorder, but if you need one now, Frosty Tin Marshmallows is yours for the taking.

Photos: www.icemilkaprons.com

Spring Obsession: Orange Bicicleta

Growing up in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a lavender bike with multicolored handlebar streamers was my most prized possession. Every day after school, it carried me away on countless adventures beyond the borders of my school-going, book-reading, overprotective-parent-having world. I spent many a long afternoon exploring the flat, sprawling Chicago 'burbs, often to places my mom had forbidden me to go. Chief among them were: the Goodbye Ranch (candy heaven for any 4th grader and primary recipient of my allowance money), anywhere near busy Roosevelt Road, and a nearby, untamed patch of prairie with tall grasses that seemed to graze the sky when you were standing in them, causing you to suddenly lose all sense of direction as if tossed by a golden sea. I eventually graduated to a blue ten speed with balding tires -- a hand-me-down from an older cousin -- and then we moved to Virginia, where I preferred borrowing my brother's mountain bike to scale the hilly terrain, before abandoning bike riding altogether.

NYC's traffic-choked streets are a far cry from the quiet, tree-lined sidewalk paths I blazed back in the day. With too many crazy yellow cabs careening down its avenues and hordes of tourists clogging the intersections, the idea of riding a bike here makes me break out in a nervous sweat, so when I laid eyes on this flame-colored beauty from PUBLIC, it seriously made me consider moving to Brooklyn. 

For the next 40 hours, you can get a significant discount on it at design-centric flash sale site Fab. 

D3 Orange Bike & U-lock, $625 (originally $830).

Photo: www.fab.com

City Guides: Berlin Favorites

It's taken me a week of catching up after vacances (Berlin + Prague) to find the time to blog about it, but at last, I've readied my list of must-shops for you to add to your travel hit list.

I completely fell in love with Berlin (it deserves every bit of hype it gets), and it would take an age for me to chronicle all the wonderful things I saw/did/ate (and possibly longer to lament the things I didn't have a chance to see/do/eat), but I'll do my best to give you a best-of-the best of my whirlwind visit.

There were so many great shops on my itinerary that it was, quite frankly, overwhelming. I didn't end up shopping as much as I thought because most of what I liked was either too expensive or just a bit too out-there for me to pull off (though I certainly oohed and aahed over it). I did, however, find some decorative touches for the home at the Arkonaplatz and Mauerpark fleas (the former was my favorite, with a smaller, more tightly edited selection of vintage objets trouves -- wish I could have spent more time trawling the stalls). I picked up some painted drawer knobs, a few postcards fit for framing, and a little round magnet featuring a photo of an adorable Trabby.

Studded leather hangers at the Arkonaplatz flea

Vintage typewriter keys, stamps, and letters

Space Hall record shop in Kreuzberg:

The bookstore at the excellent Hamburger Banhof museum was a shopping destination of its own.

I also picked up some darling desk accessories and stationery at R.S.V.P. in Mitte, including a beautiful tan leather pencil case with four brightly hued Kohi-noor pencils.

Lala had some lovely things in muted palettes and I loved the decor.

Do You Read Me?! is a fun shop with magazines from all over. I picked up one of their black and white tote bags while passing through.

One of the best buys? My friends and I piled into this photobooth in Kreuzberg, which was, for a minute or so, the most fun place on earth and produced some wonderful black and white photos that perfectly captured our mood.

I'm already trying to figure out when I can go back . . .