Dining by Designer: Happy, Happy Holidays from Jonathan Adler

Long before he made his debut as head judge on "Top Design", he made a
splash with his own hand-thrown pottery. America "hearts" Jonathan Adler.
The potter-turned-designer has created a complete Jonathan Adler Home
Environment, an upbeat and groovy universe he envisions as "happy,
handcrafted, and luxe".



He can put breasts on a vase and we'll buy it; turn a turtle into a ornament,
and we want if for our Christmas tree; needlepoint the ace of spade on a pillow,
sell it for $165.00, and we all sigh, "J'adore".



Adler is a riot of fun! He is Jewish and from New Jersey and can be found
speaking Franglais - - - it’s all about “a soupcon" of this and "moiself" that.
His official aesthetic is "happy chic," and this means Jonathan Adler is always
chipper, never dressed in all black and eternally encouraging his followers to
put clown art on the wall.



As a living icon of modern design, his work is at the forefront of style. His
unconventional approach to ceramics has single-handedly taken pottery from
hippie to hip. If your holiday décor calls for something clean, modern and
“happy”, like this skyline menorah, look no further than Johnathan Adler.

No Bones about it: tableware items with skulls are hot during Halloween and after

Halloween today means more than handing out candy and taking children trick-or- treating, carving a pumpkin, dressing up in costumes and visits to haunted houses. It also means decorating. More than any other holiday, Halloween brings out our whimsical side. With these skull and cross bone accessories you’ll be able to indulge your creativity – while keeping your table looking chic and beautiful.


(above: skull cross bone dinnerware, set of 4, from $39.80, Z Gallerie; 9oz bowl ghost skull, $20.00 Circa Ceramics; The Skull Little Porcelain plates, $175.00, Barneys; skull coaster, iomoi)

Skulls have symbolized many things over the centuries, from Halloween, of course, to Mexico’s Day of the Dead. But skulls have since become a year-round look, moving from Alexander McQueen’s skull scarf (which was introduced back in Spring 2003) to home furnishings and tabletop.


(l to r: Skull and Bones appetizer plates, $35.00 Horchow; Skull and Crossbone plate, Sarah Cihat, Clio Home)

I know my "truly trendy" friends have been over this trend for more than a year now and I’m beginning to wonder if the trend will ever end! Not everyone is a fan of the skull and cross bones trend in everything from dresses to shoes; but I think an unexpected skull on the table can add a bit of humor.


(above: skull teacup and saucer, skull teapot and skull flatware, all Murval, Aldea Home; skull and crossbones DOF set, $295.00, Ralph Lauren Home; skull candle, $8.00, Pottery Barn).

Even after Halloween, one of two of these skull accessories give a fun rocker chic vibe on the table, as long as you don’t go overboard. Yes, the symbol will forever be associated with a tough-girl, punk vibe; but who doesn't want a dash of that every once in a while? For great ideas and inspiration on how to use skulls on your table, make sure to stop by Hostess with the Mostess and check out her new Halloween party themes; they are fantastic - - - my personal favorite is "Ghoul's Night"!


(above: "new" candle collection, Joya + Sarah Cihat; "Ghoul's Night" theme, Hostess with Mostess).

Post Pink: DVDs for the Cure

Last month when Patricia of Mrs. Blandings blog contacted myself and some other woman and asked us to "post pink" on October 1st I responded with enthusiasm and told her I would be happy to participate. I don't know how many of your lives have been touched by breast cancer. For me personally, my great-grandmother passed away as a result of this disease. So when Patricia asked, I immediately responded "YES"!

Watching a movie may be good for your health. To mark National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, 20th Century Fox and MGM Home Entertainment have promised to donate a minimum of $250,000 to Komen from the sale of specially packaged "chick flick" movies in a DVD sleeve with a pink border.



Hosting a birthday party? A girl's movie night? In charge of snacks for your next meeting? Or maybe settling in to watch a new release with the family... pop some popcorn and try these bowls, these will make any occasion a sure hit.


(l to r: Cherry red popcorn serving bowl, $30.00, Waechtersbach; Buttered popcorn bowl $11.99, Fred Flare)


(l to r: Popcorn square vase, $40.oo, Plum Party; Small popcorn box, $2.19, Giant Party Store)


( l to r: Over and Back 5pc set, $29.99, Target; Popcorn Bucket, $29.95, Williams Sonoma)



(l to r: Burlwood bowls, starting from $48.00, Jayson Home and Garden; Whirley Pop wooden bowl, $16.99, Target)

Going, Going, GOWN!

By the time the ring's on your finger, the date's set, and you're shopping for “The Dress”; I’m sure he loves you just the way you are, right?



So I’m not blaming Chip for my weight loss frenzy; but from the moment he popped the question, my thoughts went to "The Dress" and the fact that I refuse to buy one until I get down to my “idea size”.


(l to r: Mesu bowls, set of 6 nesting bowls, $49.95, Studio Panepinto; Yum Yum dishes, set of 4, $22.00)

Like many brides-to-be in New York City, I’ve signed up for the “Brides Boot camp class" at New York Sports and hired a trainer. During this time, exercising regularly is never easy but eating right is even harder. That’s why I’m loving the set of Mesu bowls - six porcelain bowls, each marked with a symbol indicating the quantity of food it can hold so you can finally measure your portions. I also think the Yum Yum dishes are great as well.



So rather than popping pills, trying starvation diets and over exercising I think the best thing to do is learn about food choices and portion control to aid me in my beautiful-body quest. Before you know it the pounds will be going, going, gone!

Kitchen Kouture: Aprons strings tie me to my past

Aprons strings, those humble yet powerful domestic symbols, tie me to traditions, evoking memories of all the cooks in my family who have shaped my everyday meals and holiday feasts through the years.

To kick off the fall season, I asked Brooke to draw a new illustration - - - a modern, fresh, stylish woman who embodies the Toast and Table reader. When Brooke finished the drawing and showed it to me, I loved it immediately and loved the fact that she included an apron!



My great-grandmother, Sarah, was a fabulous hostess - - - while stirring, simmering and sautéing she’d wear her “practical apron” and then she’d slip into her hostess version to serve the food and mingle. I swear she probably had a different apron to go with every dress, they were clearly her fashion accessory. These aprons by BellaPamella is a modernized version of her aprons.



The apron's threatened demise has as much to do with changes in fashion as it does with changes in meals. Who needs an apron if you're wearing casual clothes that can be tossed in the washer? And who needs an apron to microwave a frozen dinner or open a Chinese takeout carton? It doesn't matter if I'm ordering takeout or cooking in, when I want to feel sexy in the kitchen, I turn to my apron by Jessie Steele. Great news!!! If you head over to "Life in a Venti Cup" you can enter to win a hip Jessie Steele apron with matching oven mitts.



No longer tied to the concept of a mere uniform for domestic chores, aprons have become a wardrobe essential. The new generation of domestic goddesses demanded stylish aprons and designers were paying attention. Needless to say, some of these aprons, like the ones shown above by Delilah Crown, are more about looking fabulous than they are about keeping sauce off your skirt. And there's nothing wrong with that!



(lst row: camel apron, waffle apron, leaf apron; $65.00; Virginia Johnson)
(2nd row: vintage apron top; $165.00; Camp On Perry)

Fall kicks off the holiday season, so as reach into your drawers or closets for a protective covering to tie around your waist, may you feel a connection with the past, and a kinship with those before you who took pride in the endless details of homemaking. I know I will.



(above: Ivy League apron; $61.60; Kitsch n' Glam)
(1st top photo: Needle Art Apron; $24.00 - $32.00; Anthropologie)

Initial Impact!

Long before Carrie Bradshaw popularized the nameplate necklace on HBO's Sex and the City I was all about personalized jewelry. I can remember the “initial” gold charm I just had to have with my first gold chain. The initialized goods trend comes and goes, remember the "Laverne & Shirley" sweaters and the letter stick-pins?

(l to r: letterpressed monogram cards, $16.00; Archipelago Monogram Candles, $25.00; both from Anthropologie).

For me the trend has never lost its spell and I think initals are a great way to express creativity, individuality and identity. For my fellow Brides 2 Be, check out Darcy's post today about personalizing your invitations with a monogram.

(l to r: initialized coaster, $26.00, Iomoi; Glass plate, decoupage with gold leaf back, letter"r" shown, $156.00, Superdeluxe NYC)

Coming off the heels of the New York Gift show, the “initial impact” is coming on strong! Intitals are hot, people like the idea of embellishing with a monogram or initials. If the gift show is any indication of what Buyers are ordering for their stores this Fall then it looks as though retailers are looking to cash in on the personalization trend. (booths shown below: Two's company, Keena and John Derian).

These pictures were taken outside the window of the Anthropologie store in Rockefeller Plaza: monogrammed wood-and-metal pedestals, wood salvaged from bygone railroad tracks handcrafted into consonants and vowels and did you ever think matte metal would spell understated elegance.


You've installed shelves in your new home and now you need to add a few accessories between the books. Let's see, there's a plant, a framed photo and a vase. But if you want your space to have something more, something personal that carries good design. Why not stake your claim on that space in a most graphic way by adding letters?

(above: Typesetter Plaques, starting from $19.50, Ballad Designs)

(above: printer letter stands, $26.00, Anthropologie)

(above: recycled wood alphabet letters, $16.00, Anthropologie)

Small initials look good on small things. But if you move the alphabet into the decorating arena, you need to go large. Singled out, any one of these 26 characters becomes an art element. Do I have to spell it out for you.

(above: Red Letters, John Derian, $45.00, Abitare)

(top row: spelling bee fabric letters, $12.00, Anthropologie; bottom row: wall blocks, Rae Dunn, Magenta Inc., (510) 849-3888)

Come out of your shell: get the dish on tortoise shell tableware

A mottled brown shell material with a spotted, striped, or sometimes even speckled pattern.

Tortoiseshell is a material produced mainly from the shell of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species. It was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the manufacture of items such as combs and sunglasses; however in the 70's the United Nations banned all trade of tortoiseshell worldwide. There have been a number of faux tortoiseshell materials developed since the 1970s, most of which mimic the appearance of tortoiseshell.

This fall, rich tortoiseshell glass is coming out of it's shell. Warm your table with these rich tortoiseshell pieces:

(above: tortoise shell vases, Two's Company, 914-664-2277).

(above: Shell/Horn turtle salt and pepper shakers, Frances Stoia Home, 516-897-8440)

(l to r: Tortoise tray, $55.00, William Wayne & Co.; Tortoiseshell flatware, Sabre, cottagehomemaine).

With its remarkable depth of color and tonal variation, the collection by Jaune de Chrome exemplifies their innovative glazes . Made in France of top-quality Limoges porcelain, each piece is wrapped with a tortoise border and edged with 24-karat gold.

(l to r: Jaune de Chrome dinnerware, from $46.00, Gump's San Francisco; Tortoiseshell vase $9.99, Target).

A quick décor accent - Place these tortoiseshell vases - either filled with flowers or as is - on any table as a stunning centerpiece. When light passes through the crystal, it will create exciting new dimensions in the tortoise pattern.

(l to r: Tortoiseshell vase, $43.20, Lenox; Tortoise bowls, starting from$14.00, West Elm).

(l to r: Tortoise tumblers, $32.00, set of 4, West Elm; Tortoise short goblet, $9.60, Cocktail vibe).

(l to r: Tortoise Urn, $29.95, Zgallerie; Tortoise shell soup bowls, $29.99, Oneida).

Elegant by nature, tortoise glass gorgeously diffuses light and lends a rich warmth to a favorite table or fireplace mantle.

MacBeth Collection is a bucket of fun!

Though her métier is designing and producing containers, Margaret Mary Josephs and her creations are anything but contained. With an infectious sense of fashion and need to steer the lackluster home accessories category in a new direction, Margaret Josephs launched The MacBeth Collection with an opening mantra of Decorate your life.I loved visiting this booth during the Gift Fair - - - it was loaded with color and overflowing with energy. Margaret Josephs designs each season with a fashion eye in terms of what colors and patterns are going to help make a room's decor stand out. And stand out is what they do.

The Macbeth Collection is full of beautiful vases, wastebaskets, tissue box covers, buckets and odds and ends – in short, gifts and whatever else is under the sun. Margaret has put her individual stamp on these galvanized metal items, via the whimsical designs she decoupages on the metal. It is this uniqueness that has made The MacBeth Collection a must-have item.


This March, Margaret Mary Joseph flew to Chicago to accept one of Country Living magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards. And, how this for a coup? Margaret’s yellow and white polka-dot flower pitcher is featured on the spring cover of Martha Stewart’s Blueprint Magazine.

After triple-digit growth and distribution in more than 3,500 stores nation-wide, what’s next for MacBeth? Disposable plates, napkins, placemats and other pieces for entertaining. Can't wait!