Light My Fire

PRINT//TRAYS//CARAFE//NECKLACE//BATHING SUIT//STOOL//BLANKET//LAMP//CHAIR//SANDALS

My boy Gray Malin had an awesome write-up in the nytimes this week. It’s so fun to see people you “know” killing it in a creative space. Gray was a year ahead of me and rowed for my step father in high school. He was kind enough to do an informational interview with me when I thought about being a photographer for a hot second, and I’ve always enjoyed following his career. I’m particularly drawn to this photo he did of Sicily right now, since we were supposed to join our friends there in three weeks. But Alas…Covid. I’ll be doing his two-sided Italy puzzle instead as soon as they come back in stock. 

I recently went down an Amanda Lindroth rabbit hole as I’ve always loved Island style and hers is calling my name right now. I’m particularly fond of her Island Trays with the colorful blue handles and apparently Oprah is too! These would be great for taking a cocktail to the grassy patch we’ve discovered close to our condo that we’re currently pretending is our backyard. 

I always take a glass of water to bed and never drink it. This would be a chic way to continue the tradition. It also comes from one of my favorite London shops, Pentreath & Hall. I dragged my brother-in-law here on our last trip pre-Covid, and we had a great time wandering the neighborhood and getting coffees. 

I’m a big fan of Lizzie Fortunato. I love how they pair their stunning jewels with simple tees and sweaters #goals. I recently read how the founders launched their resort collection from their living rooms while pregnant, which seems like a small miracle. I’d kill for this necklace right now to wear with a white summer dress. 

I’ve got swimwear on the mind, and I’m of two minds when it comes to swimwear. I’m all about the classic, solid maillot or something with a stunning, colorful pattern like this number from Bower.  

On my future dream terrace in Italy, I’d have this stool by the pool. In real life, I just bought this colorful blanket to swap out our duvet for summer. I’m hoping this will do the trick to keep my husband cool, so we don’t have to buy him a bed jet. The blanket comes from one of my favorite online shops, Furbish Studio. The founder, Jamie Meares, is a constant inspiration for me, and she was featured this week on the Select 7, which is a great read. 

I’m not sure how to pronounce this brand, LRNCE, but I like what they’re putting down, especially this lamp, which seems to speak to the faraway places none of us can go right now. 

I got the McGee & Co. catalogue in the mail this week. Their interiors are a constant inspiration to me. I’m loving the Greely stool right now mostly for its white oak frame. 

And last but not least, I bought these awesome Tevas this week. Since it seems summer is going to be quite low-key this year, I figured I needed the shoes to match.

Bribes for Santa

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Milk Glass//Cake Stand//Dessert Plates//Napkins

One of my favorite things about Christmas is getting to make Candy Cane Cookies. I had these cookies for the first time at my uncle and aunt’s house many moons ago during a Christmas baking extravaganza. Ever since, they have been my favorite cookies and one of the things I most associate with Christmas. Ever year, a few weeks before Christmas, I ask for the recipe from my aunt and uncle as it’s a super secret family recipe, and they are kind enough to share it with me. It’s one of the ways I know they love me because I’m one of the only family members that has it! The recipe comes from my uncle’s mother, Lois Lucille Herrin, and they’ve been my uncle Mark’s favorite cookies since he was two. I love continuing the family tradition by making these cookies every year. While I can’t share the recipe with you, I’d love to know if your family has their own secret family Christmas recipe.

As an adult, I don’t usually leave out cookies for Santa anymore, but because we’re celebrating Christmas in our first home this year, it’s making me think of all my Christmas traditions from growing up. One of my favorite was leaving cookies and milk out for Santa and finding that they’d been nibbled on in the morning. This year, I decided to take an “adult” take on the theme of leaving out cookies for Santa and decided to “bribe” him with the very best treat I know of – Candy Cane Cookies! If he doesn’t put me in the “Nice” column after sharing these cookies with him, I don’t know what it will take. I also loved these gold-rimmed milk glasses, nice/naughty plates, and striped Christmas napkins to complete the theme.

Do you have certain things that make it feel like the Holidays in your family? I’m certainly looking forward to devouring some of these cookies as well as having a few days to relax with family.

Gifting for the Humble Abode

Gift Guide 2017 - Home

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This year, home for the holidays has a special meaning for me because it’s the first time Tom and I will celebrate Christmas in our very own home. One of the first things I did in preparation for the Holidays was to go out and buy the largest tree that would fit in front of our windows. I’ve always loved a tree in front of a window because not only do you get to enjoy it, but those on the outside do, too.

When it came to thinking about gifts for the home, I gravitated towards really unique items that would really make a house a home. Those things that show others a bit more of your personality and make coming home feel special.

I really love the idea of pairing this acrylic book stand with a gorgeous coffee table book. I have lots and lots of coffee table books that I absolutely love and while they look good sitting on a shelf or the table, I’ve hardly ever seen a guest look at one. I like the idea that you could open your favorite book to your favorite page and encourage guests to thumb through it. Continuing with the book theme, I’m feeling like my bookcases could use a little kick. I love the idea of pairing these beautiful bookends with your most tattered and beloved books to create a beautiful contrast on your cases.

I also looked for items that I thought would make a space cozy and bright. I’m completely obsessed with these pillowcases by Elizabeth Few. I saw them first at Roxie Daisy here in Charlottesville and have been completely in love ever since. I also love the idea of using this coverlet during the holiday months. How amazing would an emerald green velvet coverlet look this time of year.

And last, but not least, those emoji notecards. Last year, I got some emoji cocktail napkins that I just love, and I wanted to continue the theme. My husband has been really into writing handwritten letters this year, and I love the fact that these pair the best of technology with a good, old fashioned note.

I hope you find something in here that will bring a special touch to the homes of those you love this year.

Merry Merry!

All The Things She Wants for Christmas

Gift Guide 2017 - Her

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I have a confession to make. Even though I’m almost thirty, I still make a Christmas list each and every year. Last year, I happened to share my digital Christmas list with my girlfriends when we were out shopping for the holidays. I’d recently started making my list in Google docs and adding pictures and links so my family and friends could easily shop my Christmas list. You see I just don’t see the point in having someone spend hours during what’s already a stressful time of year picking out something they think I might like only to have me go and return it a week later.

This year, I’ve decided to share my Christmas list a little more broadly with not only my family, but those of you who might be looking for great gifts for your loved ones this year. This first gift guide is really focused on clothes, shoes, and accessories for the women in your life, and I hope to include similar ones for home, travel, and beauty before it’s too late to ship presents in time for Christmas.

One theme you’ll notice about my gift guide as it includes not only my love for all things simple (that white coat) and the things you might want to pair with it to give it a little oomph, but it also showcases my love for an incredible pattern (that bomber jacket). Speaking of that white coat, when I was in college, my dad offered to buy me a dressy coat for Christmas very much like the one pictured. Unfortunately I turned him down because I didn’t feel grownup enough or responsible enough to have a beautiful ladylike coat (hello frat basements), but if there’s one thing I could go back and change now it would be saying yes to that coat even if it hung in my closet for the next ten years. You see I think that’s the beauty of buying something classic. While you might not wear it everyday, over the course of many years, it’ll really begin to payoff. That being said, while I love going for a classic gift for the holidays, I think it’s also really fun to give something that’s really unique and special and not at all practical that the receiver probably would never buy for themselves. Ultimately, I think that’s the fun of the holiday season, it’s a time when it’s completely appropriate to spoil those you love just a little bit whether it’s with something you know they’ll love for years to come or something they are dying to have right now.

I’m curious though, what’s on your Christmas list this year? What kind of gifts do you like to give? Are you the classic gift giver or the completely impracticable, but amazing gift giver? I hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comment below.

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful Holiday season filled with lots of cheer!

The Thanksgiving Table of My Dreams

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For the last couple of years, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving by taking a trip with family. It’s a surprisingly wonderful time to travel as you don’t encounter many long lines while exploring a city since the bulk of humanity is sitting on their grandmother’s couch watching football. While I absolutely love this new tradition we’ve started, the one thing I miss about Thanksgiving is having the opportunity to design a beautiful Thanksgiving table.

Since I won’t be able to put together a real Thanksgiving table this year, I decided to share with you the Thanksgiving table I’m currently dreaming of. When I started to brainstorm what my ideal Thanksgiving table would look like, two things immediately came to mind dutch tulip vases and Richard Ginori’s Oriente Italiano dinnerware collection. I first fell in love with delftware tulip vases when Tom and I saw the dutch flower pyramid or “Bloempiramide” at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. On a recent trip back, Tom brought me home a kit to build my own flower pyramid. Mine is made of plastic, but it’s still super cool. Ever since, I’ve wanted to design a table with a Bloempiramide as the centerpiece. Now on to those pink plates. I first saw one of Richard Ginori’s Oriente Italiano plates at Forty Five Ten in Dallas. I awkwardly took a picture of the back of the plate in the store because I knew I would want to remember who made it. I think what I love about these plates is that the simultaneously seem traditional and modern at the same time, but in all reality, it was probably just the millennial pink that caught my eye. I built the resulting tablescape around these two pieces and hope it inspires you to make a beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape of your own. Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll!

The 12 Dinner Napkins We’re Craving for Thanksgiving

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I can’t believe the holiday season is upon us. We didn’t really have our traditional Fall weather here, so the fact that it’s almost Thanksgiving is really surprising. Maybe it’s the fact that this year feels a little “off”, but when I was thinking about how to set the table for Thanksgiving this year, I was drawn to things that didn’t look too “Thanksgiving.” While having a theme can be nice, sometimes I feel like it ends up looking too kitschy.

This year, I’m really craving adding some color to my table. I have beautiful white dinner plates and napkins, which I use for practically everything and it would be nice to have an alternative. I also really like the idea of buying something that can be repurposed for other dinner parties throughout the year so that whatever I buy will get used more than once.

I think when it comes to holiday decorating often times we feel like there’s a right way to decorate. For Thanksgiving, your need warm colors – reds, oranges, and yellows and lots of gourds. But I don’t think you need to be overly formulaic. When it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s all about getting your favorite people around the table and enjoying a delightful meal. It’s also one of the two times per year that you will probably actually set the table and use real napkins and fancy china. The objective for setting the table is really to make the people you have invited to your home feel special. By just by being thoughtful about how you set the table, you will set the tone for the day. Whether you use a pumpkin or a gourd or some metallic napkins, is totally up to you.

It’s All In The Mix

abstract art dresser interiors

I’ve always loved this image from Veranda – I love the choice of art, the colors, the textures, and especially the mix of styles. I think there are two reasons why mixing styles works so well in this image. The first is that pairing the antique dresser with a bright, colorful piece of contemporary art breathes life into the dresser, which could have a tendency to be overly stodgy or too precious. The second is that there is a tension created by placing two contrasting items next to each other that is much more interesting than if you didn’t.

I have a somewhat similar antique dresser that I absolutely love, and I’m dying to get a great abstract painting to go above it. If I did, this is how I would style it.

The gorgeous painting is by Michael Manning on Artsy, which is a great source of contemporary art, and I paired it with a wonderful occasional chair from Jonathan Adler, a unique lamp, and a simple box.

I also found several other options, below, that offer a similar take on the idea:

fhikes

I am lucky to live in Virginia, where I’m a short drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains and some of the best hiking in the country. This past Sunday, I was finally able to get back out to the mountains, which got me thinking about my favorite hikes in the area. After hiking for the past ten years in Virginia, if I had to pair down my favorite hikes to just five, these are the one’s that would top the list.

  1. Old Rag – My husband and I hiked this mountain on our first date, and he later proposed to me here. It’s a seven mile hike complete with a rock scramble and 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.
  2. Cold Mountain – Can’t make it to Ireland? Go on this hike, which has a vast open meadow at the top. The parking area is also close to the meadow, so I suggest packing a nice picnic and enjoying it at the end of your hike.
  3. Bear Church Rock – The high canopy and stream that follow you on the first part of this hike remind me of a rainforest. If you go when the Rhododendron is blooming, it’s absolutely stunning.
  4. McAfee Knob – Make this a day trip and have lunch at The Homeplace afterwards. Don’t forget to hang your legs over the edge and get the iconic picture.
  5. White Oak Canyon – Great for dogs or when it’s hot and you want to take a dip in a nice mountain stream along the way.

What are your favorite hikes in Virginia?

Rachael + Logan (+ Max!)

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I’ve obviously got love on the mind. I recently had the opportunity to take a few shots of my friends Rachel and Logan and their beautiful pup, Max. One of the things I loved about how these turned out is that you can obviously tell how much these two care for each other. I think it’s funny how in today’s world pictures are so ubiquitous, yet often we don’t take the time to take a few portraits with the one’s we love. That’s why when Rachael asked me if I’d be willing to take her and Logan’s picture, I jumped at the opportunity. Even though I had never really done portraits before, I thought it was a great way to stretch myself as a photographer, but I must say, when you have subjects as good looking as this crew it’s hard not to end up with some great results. I hope you enjoy their portraits, and that you think about getting some pictures of you and your loved ones made this Valentine’s Day.

 

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