Round Up: Cozy Weekender

Who doesn't love a spending a cozy weekend at home?  Since it's the finest time of year to do so, here's a little round up of some of my favorite things to do while lounging...

No. 1  A soft cozy shirt.  With stripes, of course!

No. 2  I bought a pair of these socks from Madewell when we visited San Francisco.  Pretty + comfy!

No. 3  A great pair of sweatpants.  These beauties aren't the tattered balloon-y versions we knew as kids.  You'll look {and feel!} refined {even if you are just taking a nap}.

No. 4  Is there anything better than wrapping up in a cashmere blanket?  Maybe, but not much.

No. 5  A campfire candle!  It will smell like fall even if it's 90 degrees where you live. 

No. 6  These are my go-to movies.  Little Women, A River Runs Through It and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. {As a southern girl I must also include Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias on this list}

No. 7  Pumpkin soup.  Let your taste buds delight!

No. 8  I first read Prince of Tides when I was in college.  If you've never read a book by Pat Conroy, you simply must.  This book is magic.  It will make you laugh, cry and want to read all day.  His writing is so beautiful that I find myself reading passages out loud just to hear the words.

If you haven't already, add Fannie Flagg's novel Welcome to the World, Baby Girl to your reading list.  This woman is seriously funny and you'll laugh out loud at more than one part in her feel-good, fire-cracker novel.

No. 9  Le Pen est magnifique! And comes in a whole host of colors. 

No. 10  Catch up {or start} on your correspondence with pretty stationary from Austin Press.  

So what does your cozy weekend look like?  Is it similar to mine or am I missing out on a key cozy item?  I'd love to know!

Happy weekend...

Isn't this photo amazing?  It's of Drew Barrymore's grandmother, Dolores Costello, who was known as the "Goddess of the Silver Screen." I think she's absolutely spell-binding.  And just gorgeous!  

Speaking of thespians, I'm leaving work early to watch my little actor in his Celebrating Cultures Parade at school.  It should be pretty hilarious / endearing.  I always get a kick out of watching Dylan in front of a crowd.  His level of interaction is pretty hit or miss, but last time he belted out the song at the top of his lungs and then bowed at the end.  We'll see if he's shy and timid this time.  But, after his soccer theatrics I've been wondering if he belongs in an acting class.

We have a weekend full of organizing, cleaning and cooking up some casseroles to freeze.  I'm having surgery next Thursday so this is my last chance to get things in order before I'm ordered to bed.  Eeeks!

Here are some fun links to love...

I found this post about Dolores and the beautiful Barrymore women fascinating.

Romantic comedy stereotypes. Via Design Mom.

What a cool chair.

Starchitects.  

The sweetest lunch boxes.

I don't know how this is possible, but there is a National Coffee Day and I didn't know about it.

Speaking of coffee!  We use this magical machine to make ours.  It is so good.

I'm definitely making this snack this weekend.  You should, too!

The Diner En Blanc looks out of this world in the best possible way.  How do the French get it so right?

Plus some Meyer on the Wire posts you may have missed:

Favorite Things

Crushing on ♥ Coline

Plum Jam

Loving...

Funny notecards

xo!

steph

Funny notecards

People are so funny, especially whoever created these hilarious notecards.  So witty!
Buy some, here.

Loving...

The prints + patterns by textile extraordinaire, Luli Sanchez.  I think any of these would look pretty framed as artwork, don't you?

Favorite Things: Weekend Recap

This weekend flew by!  I spent most of it hunting treasures at Roundtop, so I'm especially missing my boys today and wishing we were on a road trip to somewhere up north right now...

Here are some of my favorite moments from the weekend.

happy weekend

Does it feel like fall where you live?  I'm dreaming of crisp air, apple pies, rosy cheeks and the smell of fireplaces.  For those of us geographically located in the south, this means we have a few months to go, but I'm glad to know fall is officially here and that northern air is making its way down to the south.

Hope you all have a wonderful + lovely weekend.  Cheers!

Whoa, this is one cool dog bed. Via Desire to Inspire.

J.Crew, I love you.

Great thoughts on marriage + relationships.

Move. Learn. Eat.

Fall-ish sticky notes!  Aren't they pretty?

Duvet cover round up.

Outer-space blows my mind.

Plus some Meyer on the Wire posts you may have missed this week!


Favorite Things
Round mirrors
Crushing on ♥ Erstwhile Jewelry Co.
On Children
Round Up: Beauty

Top image via Beautiful

Clients from Hell

The website Clients from Hell has me cracking up.  In my work, I sometimes feel like it's a constant battle of good design vs. horrible, terrible, no good, very bad, awful design.  The effort to push creative, great design can be exhausting and frustrating.  But, as I read through the hilarious scenarios on Clients from Hell, I feel comfort in knowing I'm not alone in the war on suck-y design + ridiculous clients.

A few of my favorite quotes...

"Could you please send me a different file— one that is not a… what’s it called…jpg? I spent the last two hours trying to copy the text from this thing, and it is driving me crazy!"

Modern Playhouse

How cute!  I think the simplicity of this modern playhouse is a breath of fresh air in a world of so many bright and noisy toys.

Via Small Magazine.

loving...

The TypoDesignClock for iPhone and iPad by Katsushi Nakano.  Choose from thirty different color palettes.

You can download TyopDesignClock on iTunes.

Via design-milk.

Lonny Magazine

Yippee!  The September/October issue of Lonny went live yesterday.  And my heart went pitter-patter as I "thumbed" through the pages.   So lovely, you must go see!

new look + fun news!

Morning + happy Friday!  Do you like the new look?  I hope you do!  I'm still working on some of the details, so hang in there while I tidy my space up a bit more.  I ended up pushing my blog re-design because of some very exciting news I have to share with you later today!

Until then, you can admire the gorgeous peonies I picked up the other day; they make me ridiculously happy.  And so does the new issue of Veranda, which is a.m.a.z.i.n.g.  More on that later, too!

xo
steph

{image: meyer on the wire}

big family photo prints

My niece, Sabine, took this photo of Dylan on New Year's Day.  I find it equal parts hilarious + fabulous + weird.  We are thinking of getting a super-sized print of it made.  I just have to decide if I want the color or the black + white version.  I mentioned, recently, that I had 3 dedicated readers, but I had a few people inform me they actually read my blog, too.  So, to my now 5 or 7 dedicated readers { = ) }: what do you think: color or black + white?

Here are some more family photos done in a big way.  So fun, right?
{I just noticed they are all in color...}

xo,

steph

{image 1, 2, 3}

happy weekend...

I lucked out and snagged an unexpected half day at work, so I am off to do some mad-dash, day-before-party running around.  Sometimes, when we do the party thing,  I wonder how we are going to pull it all together, but, remarkably it happens.  I hope the same goes for this party.  Does it make me a crazy person if I'm considering baking this amazing, adorable, so perfect rainbow cake tonight?

Here's a little link love for you...

How crayons are made.  Do you remember watching this as a kid!?!  It totally took me back in the best way.

1001 books to read (before you die).


Author and illustrator M. Sasek.  Dylan loves these books and I love M. Sasek.

Paul Rand Rocks.

How fun is this zoo?

Very cool album covers.

Santa's Portable North Pole.  This is the coolest!  I made a message for Dylan and it was hilarious watching him watch it.  Check it out!

Reindeer Cards.  Free templates for adorable reindeer cards that the kids or you can color! 

Enjoy your weekend!

xo,
steph

Le Saint Cover Illustrations

 

 Beautiful Le Saint illustration covers.  A long-standing French book series (1928-1963).
Tres chic, n'est pas?

pretty packages

Last night I didn't get home until 8:30 and I was feeling gloomy.  I had a meeting in Houston at 7:30 this morning and was tired after dealing with pesky deadlines, a sick Dylan and a broken car (Bob the Saab and I have a love-hate relationship and, thanks to a broken water-pump may be saying our good-byes soon).  I had spent the better part of the afternoon performing a rather impressive juggling act featuring these key players, but had finally picked Dylan, who was sleepy and smelled good, up from my parents' and found myself on my way home in my Dad's extended-cab, barbed-wire pin-striped Chevy who I affectionately named 'Barb'.

So, after climbing out of Barb, collecting my warm, yummy little one and feeling less than motivated about finishing even more work, I walked in the door to find this pleasant surprise waiting for me:

I had ordered a small, vintage bronze fawn from La Table Talk last week and came home to the sweetest little package.  I was so touched that I had to share.  To me, opening that pretty package was just as fun as getting my little fawn.  What a wonderful end to the day.  Truly, all is well that ends well.

Isn't he cute?  I really love him.

xo,

steph

p.s. After opening this, I saw my copy of Anthologie in the mail and almost died of pure excitement. A pretty package + a pretty magazine is almost too much to handle.

gifted

{image via creature comforts}

Have you seen the new Gifted Magazine yet?  It made my holiday heart flutter!  Gift guides, free templates and wrapping ideas, oh my!

xo,
steph

new hair

I've had a couple people request a photo of my new do.  I felt totally stupid taking these photos of myself, but I kept forgetting to have Paul take one.  Do you like it?  Please say yes.

You can't tell, but I got some new color, too.  For the first time since my horrible phase as a blonde, I got low-lights.  Don't worry, they've been toned.  It really does look like the color in this photo I went off of.

Thanks to my rad sister-in-law, Gwen, for doing my hair.  I really love it.  Funny though, how a dramatic hair change effects your entire wardrobe.  Pretty sure I need new clothes now.

xo,

steph

p.s. have you had a shallac manicure yet?  i did last week and it's pretty much the coolest thing ever.  it doesn't chip and dries instantly--no more anxiety over how to find your car keys in your purse!

tel aviv port

{photo by iwan baan via designboom}

The photos of Mayslits Kassif Architects' regeneration of one of Tel Aviv's most neglected ports are incredible.  The project won the esteemed Rosa Barba European Landscape Prize and has revolutionized the city's once forgotten waterfront.  Most of the news we hear in the States regarding Israel is both complicated and heavy; the complexity always unsettles me.  The beauty of this port is a welcomed change of view.  See more, here.

{photo by albi serfaty via designboom}

{photo by galia kronfeld via designboom}

xo,

steph

sunday perfection + modern world jokes...

happy monday to you.  and you. and you and you and you.

I must tell you: yesterday, our little family experienced what may have been the perfect Sunday.  Really, it was wonderful.  Cozy, Sunday morning coffee, a trip to the 'big city' aka Houston, lunch at tiny boxwoods with my sis, a gorgeous garden book find, an unexpected AIA Houston Home Tour stop, new red converse for Dylan, yummy spaghetti and salad for dinner and lights out.  Mix in beautiful weather, a good hair day (when sporting a new hair cut, this is vital), no temper tantrums (well, basically none that really counted) and bottomless mimosas and you've got yourself perfection.  Sprinkle in afternoon Berrypop, the dreamy nursery at Thompson + Hanson and your two-year-old serenading you with a Beck song and you made need a pinch.

I felt happy to the core.  All the crazy that can so easily consume our little existence melted away this weekend.  To-do lists? Out the door!  Monday anxieties?  Hit the road!  Weekend cleaning?  You must be kidding! 

I felt relaxed and in the moment.  And it seemed like everyone else did, too.  Life just meshed in all the right places.  Don't you love when that happens?

I hope your weekend was just as fabulous.  I hope your little heart feels recharged.  But if not, here's a little something to make you laugh, which always helps, doesn't it?

Do you like contemporary design?  I flip-flop on my feelings toward contemporary architecture and design.  To me, there is definitely a fine line between beautifully minimalistic and pretentiously cold.  So, I had to laugh when I saw Unhappy Hipsters this morning.  The site pairs modern architectural and interior design photos with cheeky, passive aggressive captions.

Aren't these funny?

 

And the children all hung on the rust-streaked mantel with care...

{photo credit: dustin aksland; dwell}

With the proper combination of palette and diffused light, there was no need for a crib.

{photo credit: takumi ota; archdaily}

Despite his recent score of the complete Depeche Mode discography, he spent countless hours staring at the ceiling, headphones unplugged.

{photo credit: roger davies; dwell}

xo,
steph

good morning...

{don't you wish you were doing this right now? image via sunday suppers}

Why, hello Monday, you sure showed up fast!  I am a busy bee this pretty day, but I wanted to drop in and leave a little inspiration for the day.  Hopefully I'll be back with a post later, but here are some people doing something fun for you to see just in cases*.   And, the new issue of Lonny is out!  Did you see?

xo,

steph

p.s. Have you seen Love Actually?  If you have, then you know what 'just in cases' is about.  If you haven't...rent it!