Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week:

I.  Despite the fact that San Francisco is in the midst of its infamous Indian Summer, autumnal pumpkins are ubiquitous throughout the city.  Rather than carving my pumpkins this year, I’m going to create a stylish harvest tablescape by painting odd-shaped pumpkins with complimenting shades of wall paint (using tester-sized paint jars from my local hardware store), and display them on vintage cakestands.

II.  Craving something decadent for dinner last night, I pulled out my takeout menus to search for something to satiate my hankering.  Finding nothing satisfactory, I headed over to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for lobster pot pie.  In thirty minutes, my apartment smelled like buttery puff pastry and crustacean, leaving my appetite appeased. 

III.  As I’ve mentioned (perhaps a few too many times), I’m a bourbon-aficionado.  My birthday was last week, and one of my favorite presents was this gilded crosshatch decanter.  The juxtaposition of classic barware and modern metallic make this decanter worthy of display on my coffee table.

IV.  Surely, many of you have already had the chance to read Emily Nussbaum's New Yorker article “Difficult Women: How Sex and the City Lost its Good Name.”  But if you haven’t, I highly recommend indulging in the piece, which suggests that the show became a game-changer by holding up a mirror for women rather than promulgating the stereotypical rom-com characters, "Slut, Prude, Career Woman, and Heroine.“  I couldn’t agree more with Nussbaum’s defense of the much-lampooned (and much-missed) series. 

V.  On the hunt for a new dining table, I consulted friends about their favorite places to find interesting furniture.  Chairish came up several times - if you aren’t already in the know, it’s an online marketplace for consignment home decor ranging from table lamps to headboards.  I was blown away by both the pieces and the prices!  This industrial farm table with a zinc top caught my eye…  As well as many other treasures that I don’t need, but will no doubt find reasons to buy.

Have a wonderful week!  xx tt