Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week:
I. Last week, I posted about my latest Assouline purchase, and since then have received several inquiries about recommendations for other coffee table books. Truth be told, I’m a bit of a coffee table book-junkie. In addition to the obvious, I have stacks of them on my entry table, desk, butler tray table, and nightstands. The key is mixing classics with topics you’re interested in plus a few cheeky books to keep guests intrigued. Here are my picks for each category. Classic: Tom Ford, The Big Book of Chic, Vogue Living, Harper’s Bazaar Greatest Hits, The Art Book, Allegra Hicks, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino. Personal Interest: The Big Book of Hair Metal, Mexico - The Cookbook, Diebenkorn: The Berkeley Years, The Complete Vader, Rhapsody Kelly Wearstler, ’s Evolution, Hubble’s Universe, and The Handwritten Letter Project. Cheeky: Tattoo, The Gay Essay, Drawn Together, Helmut Newton - SUMO, Inside the Chelsea Hotel, Punk Press, Naked Ambition, and Taxidermy Art.
II. As you probably know by now (if you read my blog) I am obsessed with Mongolian lamb fur and all things gold. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I found this photograph, combining my two loves in one gorgeous chair. After scouring the internet for them, I couldn’t find the designer - but I did find two fantastic options that will be perfect after I take a can of gold spray paint to them: Mongolian Lamb Fur Chair from an adorable Etsy shop, and a less expensive alternative from PB Teen. If you haven’t finished making your Christmas/Hanukkah wishlist, I highly recommend adding one of these!
III. This month, my workload has increased tenfold (yay!!), which means I’m often too tired to cook for myself. In an attempt to avoid eating out everyday, I’ve stocked my fridge with ingredients for easy dishes. My current favorite is this Breakfast Flatbread - a decadent mixture of runny egg, prosciutto (smoked salmon would also be amazing), mozzarella, and arugula atop ready-made Trader Joe’s flatbreads. Coming together in fifteen minutes, most of which is time spent in the oven, this is the perfect weeknight dinner.
IV. Lots of holiday parties necessitate lots of hostess gifts - and lately my shelf of wrapped presents to choose from on my way out the door is nearing empty. In search of something last-minute Friday evening, I popped into Pottery Barn on Chestnut Street. I was thrilled to find these striking Saw Bottle Openers - and even more thrilled at the ten dollar price-tag. I quickly bought a handful of them (including one for myself, which I love so much that I added it to my coffee table objet).
V. On the topic of hosting, this year I’m having friends and family over for Christmas morning festivities. To up my tablescape ante, I’m placing one of these adult hot chocolate kits at each setting. They couldn’t be easier to put together. Ingredients: instant cocoa mix, marshmallows, mini-Baileys, mason jars, and twine. Instructions: fill the jars with half cocoa and half marshmallows, tie a knot around the Baileys with a long piece of twine, then tie around the lid.
Have a wonderful week! xx tt