All I seem to talk about lately is how hot I am. How hot my apartment is. How hot my poor furry cats are etc… Perhaps the worst part is sleeping at night though. You see, I’m a spoiled girl who until recently had spent the last three city summers in chilly centrally air cooled glory. So my pajama selection reflected this lifestyle and has been essentially composed of pants of cotton or flannel (I know…I know…how unsexy) in various prints and colors. Which was fine, but did I mention that I’m hot and sweating to death every night?! I desperately need new pajamas that are short, cool, and preferably cute – STAT.
Well ask the internet and she will deliver. Check out this sugary sweet cupcake studded chemise from Munki Munki. It doesn’t get very much more adorable then that. This cheeky little number would be the perfect thing for me to beat the heat in. Especially since I’ve taken to running around the house in CK’s t-shirts hoping that I don’t inadvertently flash the neighbors. Click here to see a close-up view of the must-have cupcake print and start picking out the trashy beach book you’re going to devour after you slip on this baker-chic lounge-ware. Operation sleepless nights has been officially put to bed.
[Many thank to West Coast Erin for pointing out this funky brand to me].
I have another hot shopping tip for you. This Friday (June 18th, 2010) at 11:00 AM EST the venerable Rue La La is having a sale on Le Creuset products. Yay! Let’s hope they have pretty colors to choose from because I don’t actually own a proper full-sized brand name dutch oven. I shockingly enough just have a smaller version that I had to hunt down on eBay. Unfortunately I paid more for that unique pot in lilac than you’re going to pay for the gigantic version on Friday, but perhaps this sale will be good enough to tempt us all to splurge?
I also have one “don’t buy this” suggestion. I own a Caribbean Blue Le Creuset enamel stock pot and while I used to like it quite a bit I’m finding that I don’t like it anymore. It’s quite thin and contents on the bottom of the pot catch on all the time making it horrible to clean. So even if they have some of those for super cheap I’d avoid them.
Please remember that you need a Rue La La membership to access the sale, but don’t worry you can sign-up by clicking on this link. Sign me up for Rue La La right now! [Many thanks to Karen for the email alerting me to this fabulous sale].
I happened upon this lovely little teacup while browsing ModCloth (thank you so much Alejandra for introducing me to this amazing store). I just love having cute mugs at the office and I think this Little Red Riding inspired cup would be a fantastic work accessory.
The Better to Brew You With Teacup is not only adorable but functional and I love that you have the option of brewing an afternoon cup of comfort (Lady Londonderry anyone?) with fresh loose tea as opposed to whatever funky tea bags I’ve had stashed in my desk for ages and ages. Plus clean-up appears to be a snap. You don’t have to fumble with stubborn tea ball latches anymore, just flick the used tea into the trash, wash the metal insert and store your cup proudly next to your purple flower Post-it notes and Alba Cocoa Butter hand lotion. Oh wait…that’s probably just my desk.
If I had a superhero name I’d probably be branded the “Anti-Crafter.” I’d ruin perfectly simple DIY projects with alarming accuracy and routinely stitch sewing attempts to my pants with resounding force. So while I very much enjoy cooking and baking I am horribly inadequate when it comes to other craft-tacular pursuits — with one exception. On occasion I have been known to embroider things without causing a global disaster.
I don’t do anything fancy and I only know how to do a basic stitch but since this is my one crafty saving grace I hold onto it with pride. The hands down best place to find fabulous, cheeky, and kitsch embroidery iron-on transfers is definitely Sublime Stitching. Cool food options abound on the site but my latest craving is the Sushi Bar set. Dreams of cocktail napkins decorated with maki dance in my head… There are also chopsticks, saki, and a pair of super cute lucky cats (aka Maneki Neko) included.
Sublime Stitching will mail you an iron-on transfer for $5 or you can download a PDF version that you can print at home and then trace onto projects with carbon paper or a transfer pen. I don’t know about you but I’m feeling the urge for some spicy tuna with a side of thread?!
I so shouldn’t tell you guys this because I know you’re going to sneak in and buy all of the really cool things before I remember to log in, but this Saturday starting at 11:00 AM EST a Mario Batali Boutique is opening at Rue La La. Trust me. You’re going to want to check it out!
In case you aren’t familiar with this awesome service, Rue La La is a fabulous members only shopping site that offers huge discounts on designer goods ranging from handbags to lasagna pans for a limited time each day. Speaking of pans I so hope one of those enormous cast iron Batali lasagna pans is available in this weekend’s sale!
While a cooking related boutique isn’t available every day over the past few months I’ve seen a large number of culinary related sales on Rue La La including items from The Culinary Institute of America, Kate Spade Home, Wedgwood’s Vera Wang collection, and Henckels. Not to shabby, right?
If any of the above items even remotely interest you then definitely sign-up to become a member of Rue La La. Honestly those 11:00 AM emails each morning announcing the opening of various boutiques have caused my heart leap with joy on more than one occasion. Happy shopping! [A big xoxo to Maggie for originally introducing me to this service].
While most children probably don’t need the added distraction of toys a dinner time, as an adult I find myself completely enamored with the idea of having my table set with an array of these Chalkboard Placemats.
Imagine the impromptu games of hangman and tick-tack-toe that will spontaneously erupt during your latest dinner party?! Not to mention the convenience of jotting down grocery items, story ideas, or “to do” lists while you have your morning coffee. No pen? No problem!
Each inspiring set contains one placemat, four pieces of colorless, dustless chalk, and a recycled felt eraser. It would appear that my fellow allergy sufferers wont have to run screaming from a dusty dining room, unless someone decides to scape their nails down the middle of their placemat…
I’ve had a tiny obsession with egg cups since the moment I was first read Bread and Jam for Francis years and years ago. In this beloved storybook Francis decides that the world’s perfect food is bread and jam and the fact that her parents attempt to serve her something as “revolting” as an egg for breakfast is inconceivable to her.
What caught my attention as a young reader though were the dainty egg cup illustrations at the family table. Francis received her morning egg in an egg cup. What on Earth was an egg cup?! I received my hard boiled eggs in a bowl so obviously this left me feeling deeply deprived. They looked so fancy! And I loved nothing more than being “fancy.”
To this day I still don’t own an egg cup but that may soon change after coming across this pretty pastel set of egg cups in the most recent Crate and Barrel catalog. Purple, pink, yellow, and green – how will I ever be able to choose which cup to balance my egg on? I may have to work out some sort of equal opportunity dish schedule.
I actually had to Google it this morning so now I know it’s official — Easter is literally right around the corner. Peter Cotton Tail will be hopping down the bunny trail on Sunday, April 4th this year. That means it’s time to plan the all important Easter Brunch/Dinner with family.
No pressure or anything! Even pancakes whipped up from a box will retain an air of luster if you serve them with a pretty napkin wrapped in this cute Bunny Ring. I can’t help but think that little kids will be slightly enthralled by these bright yellow bunnies too. So if you’re missing a few when you start to clear the table I’d suggest taking a peek in their Easter baskets. The Pearl Tail Bunny Napkin Ring is only available in-store at Pier 1 Imports.
Good Morning! I wanted to alert you to a sale on Amazon featuring a select array of Le Creuset. The sale appears to pertain to the multi-purpose enamel stockpots. I own one in Caribbean and love it. In addition, other items available at a significant discount include the 2-quart stoneware pitchers, single stoneware baking dishes, sets of stoneware bakers, and the square cast-iron grill skillets. These are all really functional pieces to own and they come in a variety of fresh and funky colors so I’m positive that you’ll find at least one piece that will appeal to your tastes and kitchen needs. Happy shopping!
It’s that time again…Valentine’s Day. The holiday that single-handedly alienates, disappoints, and destroys human morale every February. But at least it’s a good excuse to eat candy. Instead of over indulging in high calorie boxes of cheap chocolates though (yes, I know, that little map makes them practically irresistible) why not stock up on pretty gummy hearts? You can sneak them into the movie theater and throw them at the annoying teenagers making out three rows in front of you. Or share these ruby-red gems with weepy looking co-workers who don’t get flowers sent to them at the office. Red Gummy Hearts are truly a multi-purpose treat that will keep you sugared and sane during this most absurd of holidays.
