Ready for a snack?
Something fruity, perhaps? Or a rich chocolate bite?
Don’t sink your teeth into these morsels — they are ‘Crunched Pillows’ by Bonjour Mon Coussin, a food-obsessed online store started by Claire Eglizaud and Paul Moreau in 2007.
She’s a fashion stylist; he’s a graphic designer. And the clothing, bags, purses and home items featured on their site are a foodie’s dream come true.
And if you want to literally dream in chocolate? Well, you can make that happen, too.
Posted in Design, Foods, Home, Humor, Internet, Life, Shopping
Tagged Bed Toppings, Bonjour Mon Coussin, chocolate, chocolate bedding, chocolate dreams, Claire Eglizaud, Crunched Pillows, fashion stylist, food bags, food clothing, food home items, food purses, foodie, Foods, graphic designer, home, Humor, Internet, life, online store, Paul Moreau, pillows, shopping, tarts
I like to do things a little differently.
But would I have the guts to have a Christmas tree…
…that was upside down?
This whackadoodle pre-lit fir tree is available on Hammacher Schlemmer. They trace its origins back to a 12th century Central European tradition of hanging a tree from the ceiling at Christmas.
Its unique shape also allows you to place your tree in small places, since the base is its narrowest point.
It kinda makes sense for someone like me — a New York City apartment dweller with very limited floor space. But just looking at it makes me a bit dizzy. I start having Poseidon Adventure flashbacks (and who wants to think about that film over the holidays?).
No, I think I will stick with my the traditional Christmas tree for now. And keep my dinner down.
Posted in Christmas, Design, Holiday, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping
Tagged Christmas, Christmas tree, design, Hammacher Schlemmer, Holiday, home, Humor, life, New York City, Poseidon Adventure movie, pre-lit tree, shopping, upside down Christmas tree
Are these sticky notes a ‘good thing?’
Of course they are. They’re Martha Stewart Sticky Notes.
You heard me. Martha is branding sticky notes now. Applying her custom colors — and what appears to be tiny notches — to the corner of everyday stickies.
They are supposedly super sticky — more so than the regular Avery brand that Staples carries. And Martha has handpicked the colors, so they will coordinate with any other Martha accessories you have in your kitchen or home office.
Because using sticky notes that don’t match your home decor?
That’s definitely not a good thing.
Posted in Business, Commentary, Design, Home, Humor, Life, Shopping
Tagged accessories, Avery, Business, custom colors, design, home, home decor, home office, Humor, it's a good thing, kitchen, life, Martha Stewart, Staples, sticky notes, super sticky
“Good-bye, Atlas.”
If you’ve been watching Project Runway this season, you’ve no doubt heard the contestants bid their New York City digs adieu as they head to the workroom each day.
Like most reality shows, Runway is chock full of product endorsements. Heck, each challenge is sponsored by an advertiser, and the producers usually make the design challenges a creative use of the featured product.
But for the Atlas, all they can come up with is shots of the apartments in use, and “Good-bye, Atlas” each time the designers leave the building.
Why not feature Atlas in a challenge itself? Have the designers use textiles from the apartment in looks that are true to their design aesthetic?
No, what am I thinking…
Having them lovingly say ‘ta ta’ again and again is much more effective.
Posted in Commentary, Design, Fashion, Home, Television, TV
Tagged advertiser, apartment, Atlas Hotel, commentary, contestants, design, design aesthetic, design challenge, Fashion, fashion designers, home, home bodies, New York City, product endorsements, Project Runway, reality shows, ta ta, Television, textiles, TV
What’s it like, living in a big city, everyone practically on top of each other?
These art pieces by Kudu-lah, on display at Stoopher & Boots in New York City, capture the feeling pretty well. Living in tight spaces, yet kinda on display. And often stacked together in high-rise buildings.
Don’t worry…
We still get out on the town.
Posted in Art, Commentary, Design, Home, Humor, Life
Tagged apartments, art, big city life, City, design, home, Humor, kudu-lah, life, New York City, privacy, Stoopher & Boots, tight spaces
Friday night my family hosted my nephew’s rehearsal dinner.
The main course? Turkey and pork barbecue.
Only much later did we realize that we’d let National Fried Chicken Day pass us by with nary a breast, thigh or drumstick in sight.
(Of chicken, folks — keep it clean.)
Now that our nephew is wed and already enjoying his honeymoon in Cozumel, we decided today to set things right…and gathered the family together for an honest-to-goodness Southern fried chicken dinner.
Plus all the fixin’s.
My favorite meal with my favorite people — what a perfect way to end the holiday weekend.
Posted in Commentary, Cooking, Family, Food, Foods, Holiday, Home, Humor, Life, Relationships, Travel, Vacation
Tagged barbecue, chicken, chicken breast, chicken drumstick, chicken thigh, comfort food, commentary, Cozumel, family, favorite meal, favorite people, food, Foods, fried chicken, Holiday, holiday weekend, honeymoon, Humor, life, National Fried Chicken Day, rehearsal dinner, Relationships, Travel, turkey, wedding
It’s official –
I’ve lost my country card.
When I saw the rows and rows of corn that line the highway in my hometown in Kentucky — right next to my brother’s driveway, in fact — I thought the golden tassels against the bright blue sky were evidence of a great harvest in the making.
But my brothers quickly corrected me — the heat has ruined the crop. The tassels have appeared too soon on stalks with little or no ears. The farmers will take a loss.
And I couldn’t tell the difference.
Oh well, the locals here would need my help on the subway…so I guess that evens things out.
Once upon a time there was an apple.
He dreamed of one day being an apple pie on a Thanskgiving Day dinner table. Or maybe an apple cake for a very good girl or boy’s special birthday.
Heck, he would have settled for a turnover at McDonald’s — gooey, crispy goodness on the run.
But what did life have in store for this apple?
Hotel lamp at the Hilton.
Oh well, at least he was in….
ORLANDO!!!!!
Posted in Commentary, Design, Family, Home, Humor, Life, Travel
Tagged Americana, apple cake, apple lamp, apple pie, apple turnover, apples, design, Disney World, fruit, furniture, Hilton, home, hotels, Humor, life, McDonald's, Orlando, Travel
As society and technologies advance, some practices become archaic.
So why are people still bathing in cologne and perfume?
Most people in the United States — emphasis on most — bathe on a regular basis. Lots of folks I know shower twice a day due to workouts and runs, god love ‘em.
So as a rule — and again, I’m generalizing here — men and women in the US are pretty darn clean.
So why the need to surround yourself in a cloud of cloying cologne? When you walk down the sidewalk, it’s practically visible. Passersby choke on it. Folks who hug you are left unwilling wearers of it.
And let’s not even discuss your elevator assassinations.
Perfumes were initially reserved for burial rituals, then became popular as a way to cover the stench of the great unwashed. We are no longer — as a rule — the great unwashed. A little goes a really long way.
Think before you spray.
Posted in Beauty, Commentary, Fashion, Friends, Home, Life, Shopping
Tagged beauty, burial rituals, cloying cloud of cologne, cologne, commentary, Fashion, friends, Humor, life, perfume, shopping, society, technology, the great unwashed, think before you spray, US bathing habits, US shower habits
Save the salt for our chips, please
When I arrived home last night, light snow was falling on New York City. The street was quiet. My footprints (and luggage tracks) were the first to disturb the sidewalk snow. It was a welcome scene.
This morning’s cityscape was very different.
And yet building owners continue to spread it quite liberally, every snowy morning.
Our good friends at Morton Salt make an ice melt that is salt free, chloride free, and organic. It doesn’t irritate dog paws or tummies and melts below 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Does it cost a bit more? Like most green-friendly products, it is a bit more expensive. But stacked against the high price our pets and the environment pay, I’d say it’s well worth it.
I’m going to talk to my building super today.
“You say traction; I say corrosive chemicals. Let’s call the whole thing off!”
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Posted in Commentary, Dogs, Environment, Green, Home, Life, Weather
Tagged building super, contaminated ground water, dog paws, Dogs, doorman, environment, friends, green, home, ice, ice melt, life, Morton Salt, New York City, pets, sidewalk salt, snow, weather