time to hunker down, dear readers…with only a week left to the big day, we’re getting a little limited with the online shopping opportunities.  sure, the free express shipping offers are imminent, but after last year’s blizzard (which led to closed airports and no packages), i’m taking the road more cautiously traveled.  so, from here on out, i’ll only suggest something if you could pick it up at your friendly nearby megamart.

anyway.  if you’re heading to some wonderful friend’s house for christmas eve, christmas day, or perhaps some boxing day festivities, i know all of my readers are more than thoughtful enough to know they need to bring something.  the question is what.  wine is so cliche, flowers only work if they arrive in a vase (don’t make your hostess stop what she’s doing to arrange flowers!)…what to do?

if you haven’t a clue, nest’s holiday fragrance this year knocked me off my feet with its festive goodness, and is an easy but thoughtful choice.  with notes of pine, pomegranate, orange, cinnamon and cloves…well, it’s like christmas in wax.  it also comes in a gorgeous flocked red and gold box (yep, just got to say ‘flocked’ on the blog!), making it gift-wrap optional.  and the price point is actually great – grab one candle for $28, or my preference is this collection of six votives for $32.

for those of you tempting fate, neiman marcus still has free two-day shipping on any order – use code NMRUSH.

one of my favorite bloggers of all things pretty, rachel of heart of light, has opened an etsy shop to share some of her most popular DIY projects, and the results are so lovely, i just had to share.

i am so wishing i were a headband person right now, as that beautiful cobalt rosebud version is practically perfect in every way (i am, as we know, obsessed with all things cobalt).

and i, for one, can’t wait to throw a dinner party and set the table with those darling, hand-embroidered napkins.  since i know i’ll never get around to making them myself, i think i have to splurge on a set.

check out all of the goodies in rachel’s beautiful new shop, but hurry…she has quite a few fans, and we’ve been waiting with bated breath for her to save us from having to craft her gorgeous creations ourselves.

in honor of the movie du jour, julie & julia, i thought i’d share a few of my favorite foodie finds of late.

speaking of the movie, if you’re looking for a way to spend a few hours of your weekend, i have to admit that i loved julie & julia when i saw it last weekend.  for fans of the book, i wouldn’t worry about being disappointed…the two are really only the same in concept.  i wasn’t crazy about the actual “adaptation” of the book (as usual), but if i’m being honest, i loved that we saw so much more of julia child in the movie than you do in the book.  if nothing else, you have to see it just to be amazed by meryl streep’s portrayal of julia child: it’s utterly amazing.  see the movie, and then stop by your neighborhood bookshop and pick up the novel – they’re so different, you’l have no problem enjoying both.  oh, and then go out and buy something amazing to cook. trust me, you’ll be in the mood!

i’m finding absolutely everything at maryhill clayworks to be utterly charming this week.  i love the free-form, crumpled glasses, i love the exaggerated bumps on their “bumpy bowl,”…this whole table just looks like such a cozy, warm setting.  and oh goodness, please don’t get me started on the chocolate ware collection.

i actually couldn’t believe it when i found out this stylish, chic kitchen storage collection was from ikea.  ikea!  as in, not one of these pieces is more than $10.  i’m dying to pick up a whole stash of those canisters (left) for my dry goods, and i’ll use the “soy sauce” pitcher for balsamic vinegar, i’m thinking.  those sweet little spice bowls?  for the salt and pepper next to my stove, naturally.

and if none of that inspires you to head to the kitchen this weekend, i’m willing to bet my favorite food blogger will.  happy friday, everyone!

the other day, i was strolling through a favorite home boutique with a friend and came across a line of candles so amazing, it made my normal “that candle is HOW MUCH?!” shriek go right out the window.

the line was cire trudon, a centuries-old candlemaker based in france.  they were the official supplier of candles to napoleon’s court, for heaven’s sake!  but it’s not the wax that made me swoon.  the scents are completely and utterly unlike any i’ve ever experienced…and my friends, i’ve smelled some serious candles in my day, so that’s saying something.

each fragrance is named not for a scent, but for a place or person.  take my favorite, abd el kader.  it’s named for a famous algerian war hero, which couldn’t be more appropriate.  with notes of mint, ginger, and a touch of tobacco, you can practically see the north african coast when you light this.

la marquise, named for louis xiv’s mistress, madame de pompadour, is an amazing concoction of verbena and lemon, with notes of rose and a bit of cedar, and you can’t help but think those light notes are being grounded by the heavier wood just to keep it from being too easily dismissed.  and the one i can’t get out of my head is dada, which is every bit as confusing to the mind as the movement for which it’s named.  it’s a crazy blend of black tea, eucalyptus, mint and chamomile – just as you think you’ve decided what it smells like, the scent changes entirely, and you’re baffled.

these little gems are definitely pricey luxuries, at about $75 each. but i will say they burn much slower than most i’ve tried, and have a fantastic way of lingering long after the candle’s snuffed out.  once you take the plunge, you’ll find yourself taking any excuse to light these…and really, don’t we deserve a little luxury after all of the practical, recession-y cutbacks we’ve been enduring?

i found them at cielo home, here in portland, and they seem to have the best prices around (and the added advantage of not needing to charge sales tax).  every little bit helps, right?

wow, i’m not sure what’s going on. normally i just don’t appreciate urban outfitters – going to the store feels a bit like coming home from college for the weekend and swinging by your old high school, only to realize you’re already hopelessly unhip and out of place.  but in the last few days, i’ve spotted several things that have made me swoon.

i’m a longtime fan of andrew holder, so i’m thrilled to see (thank you, cafe cartolina!) he has two brand new prints available at UO.  they’re both huge (one is nearly three feet tall), and such great examples of his work.  in fact, i coveted his original edition of the jellyfish print (which i promise you will be on my wall soon) for ages, and nearly cried when i realized it was sold out (not that i could have afforded it).  so, as you’d imagine, this new edition is making me extremely happy.

and, from fish to birds:  i’m apparently strangely attracted to both this week.  after owning my iphone for more than six months, i’ve still been unable to find a cover i didn’t hate.  these are actually skins, not true covers, but they’re lovely, aren’t they?  and isn’t that penguin just the cutest thing?  as soon as i spied it, i knew it was by joanna mendicino – she can just do no wrong in my eyes.

and then there are the shoes.  i’m still bitter that the rachel comey diffusion line wasn’t available in my size.  but now they’re carrying some very stunning marais suede gladiator sandals – also not in my size, and equally fabulous.  sigh.

the one low point:  i was going to point out these blue stacked heel sandals, but the color in the catalog (left – sorry it’s horribly blurry) was this fabulous, bold shade, and on the website (right), it’s, well, more blah than bold, don’t you think?  the whole thing has left me feeling sort of iffy about these.

but the rest is good, don’t you think?

good morning!  how exciting to have so many new people here today…thanks for stopping by!  for my regular readers, i hope you’ll take a minute (okay, five…it’s a long piece) to check out my portland design guide over at design*sponge today.  i was beyond excited to put this together for grace – i’ve been dying to share my favorite spots in PDX ever since i moved back last year, and can’t imagine a better way to have been able to do it.

for those of you who wandered over from design*sponge, welcome!  i’m so happy to meet you.  i hope you’ll take a few moments to look around, make yourself at home, and discover something new to covet.

today, i thought i’d show you a few of my favorite finds from some of the local shops i featured in the design*sponge guide.  fortunately, most of my top picks for portland retail have online shopping…so you don’t have to wait until you visit to indulge.

that winking owl paperweight has been calling my name since i first visited canoe.  i have no need for an actual paperweight…but there’s something about this one i just can’t resist.

while i’m not much of a soft-boiled egg eater, i have a feeling that fun little alessi egg cup from hive (see the blue fellow, holding a spoon?) could convert me.  his cap is actually a salt shaker.  you take it off, put the egg in the man’s head, and dive in.  i’ve largely overcome the ‘cutesy’ decor affliction in my life…except my kitchen, where i’m a huge fan of kitsch!

ever since the shop owner at elsa + sam showed me that creamer/sugar combo pitcher by tonfisk, i haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.  i’m pretty sure it’s the ultimate wedding (or housewarming) gift for just about anyone…and i wouldn’t mind having one for myself as well.  that clever little sugar bowl actually sits inside the pitcher, and manages to stay upright even when the cream is being poured out.  fantastic!

i hope everyone’s enjoying their little taste of portland today, and i’m looking forward to seeing all of these new faces around a lot more!

as usual, today’s finds are a collection of the random lovelies i’ve come across in my travels this week.  happy friday, everyone!

it’s going to be a while before a $400 box to hold very tiny things is on my actual shopping list.  but this is so beautiful, i just keep going back for another peek.  by r & y augousti (of course), and constructed from vintage penshell and bronze.

my dishware fetish continues unabated, as does my love for grey/yellow color combinations.  they seem to have collided in this collection from up in the air somewhere, and i’m heartily crushing on the results.  i’m thinking my world would become so much simpler and more sophisticated if i could serve my morning juice from this pitcher and these glasses.

going through my etsy favorites can be depressing business…since most things are one-of-a-kind, it’s basically just a way of browsing all of the things i loved and missed out on buying.  so, i’m grateful for the ones that stick around.  i recently happened on lirola’s beautiful, made-to-order clothing line, and am patiently biding my time until i can indulge in the closest thing i’ll ever get to couture.

so, did you happen across anything especially lovely this week?  have a great weekend, everyone!

first things first, we have a new winner for that gorgeous necklace from two sisters jewelry!  entry number 5, “a” is our new lucky lady, and she won with her bonus entry for posting the contest on facebook!  a, you have until the end of the day to email me – or we’ll have to let some other lucky reader nab the prize!

next up, since i had to hold off on last week’s random friday finds post, i thought we’d just bump it to monday – i’ve had so many lovely random discoveries lately, i just can’t resist sharing.

on paper, these aren’t my style in the least, but i’ve been inexplicably fascinated by this croc-stamped t-strap sandal ever since it launched in the barneys co-op spring collection.  now that it’s marked down by 60% ($440 to $173), it’s hard to resist buying them for the fun factor alone.  that almost tie-dye pattern on the croc-print leather, the chunky, bohemian leather straps and chunky wood heel…sigh.  these are such a great wardrobe-update piece, because they’ll work with so many things, and will make just about any look fresh and edgy.  perfection!

how’s this for a cheap thrill?  if you’re in the market for a thrifty fashion fix, i’m a big fan of this floral halter tank from american eagle – especially for $20.  proof you actually can find some sweet style at the teeny-bopper shops.  pair it with a leather jacket and jeans, or keep it simple and casual with a cut-off short.

and this is neither here nor there, but i spied these on my latest anthropologie run, and i think i’m just going to have to buy them.  stacking matryoshka dolls that double as measuring cups.  how cute would they be on your kitchen counter?  you’ll have to check out the zoom photos if you’re tempted…it’ll be love at first sight!

ed. note:  tomorrow, we’ll be kicking off our july giveaway.  stay tuned…you’re going to love it!

welcome back, everyone!  i hope all of my US readers had an amazing holiday, filled with barbecue, sun and beer!  mine definitely had its fair share, and i have learned a new appreciation…no, a love, really, for laura mercier’s night nutrition renewal cream for dehydrated skin.  after a day (or three) in the sun, my skin was predictably parched, and showing every fine line and mark it could possibly come up with.  but the laura mercier cream saved me: my skin is now plumped, bright, and happy.  can’t say enough good things!  if you’re a dry skin victim like me, you’re going to want to roll around in a giant tub of this cream.  it’s that awesome.

aside from three lovely days with the hubs, the highlight of my weekend arrived at my door friday afternoon.  after months and months of anxiously waiting, my review copy of vogue living: houses gardens people arrived on my doorstep.  and i can tell you, as someone who has been suffering serious shelter mag withdrawal (having lost blueprint, domino and even the vogue living magazine in the past year), this book made me way more happy than a design book ever should.  i spent most of my weekend curled up in a chair, oohing and aahing at every page.

(pardon the photos…iphone meets beautifully-illustrated book, inevitably goes awry.)

the book is essentially a compilation of the very best photos and articles from editor hamish bowles’ years at the magazine, as well as a few spreads that never made it into print.  the end result is a gorgeously gluttonous look at some of the most fabulous homes you’ll ever see.  christian louboutin’s retreat on the nile, a huge retrospective on karl lagerfeld’s various residences, and countless homes of socialites and other VIPs.  the end result is serious eye candy, with just enough potential for inspiring your own home design to keep it in the realm of reality.

my favorite thing about vogue living is that it showcases more than empty rooms. it shows real people actually living in their home.  dogs jumping up on tables to steal food, the incredibly disorganized office of sofia coppola, and so many other “real” living spaces.  it’s an incredibly welcome change from the stark, over-styled images i’m forced to suffer through with mags like architectural digest.

vogue living is definitely my new front-and-center coffee table book, if only so that i can continue cuddling with it on the sofa for a few more weekends.  if you’re as design-obsessed as i am, this is a must for your shelf…trust me.

i’m in a fantabulous mood this friday, dear readers – my parents are headed to town, and i have so many goodies planned!  wine tasting, loads of good food, and a couple of shopping stops i know my mom will adore.  should be a great weekend.

plus, it happens to be the birthday of one of my very dear friends and my first official shoppingsmycardio devotee.  that deserves some celebration, don’t you agree?  since this particular dear friend is the ultimate “eternal optimist” (and since her card is late), i thought i’d throw together a few of my favorite “happy” finds i’ve come across on the web this week in her honor.  i hope they bring a smile to your face…and to hers!

yep, that’s right, there’s a new man in town on the tea towel circuit, and since no one does graphics quite like the talented mr. adler, i’m all aflutter!  could i have one of each, please?  hey, at $12 each, they’re by far the most affordable JA splurge you’ll encounter.  wait…oh lordie, he has a new penguin too.  and a dachsund….oh my!

i know, socks in the summer seem a little off.  but these appropriately-dubbed “happy socks” just launched over at steven alan are just that. hey, we all need something to let the moisturizer soak into our tortured, flip-flop-wearin’ feet, right?  plus, in the evening, when my hubs turns the a/c up, i feel a little silly wearing uggs in july. 

and, how’s this for happy?  i got the most exciting note last night from the gals at the bright side project that i’d won that gorgeous initial necklace from designer ariel gordon!  the internet is so, so awesome.  seriously, if you haven’t entered any of the giveaways at the bright side, why on earth not?

have a wonderful, happy weekend, everyone!