Look Linger Love

Just a leak of the greatness that will be here on the blog come Monday morning…

Today I’m sharing some of my current obsessions over at Natalie’s blog Designer Bags & Dirty Diapers.  She’s a super gorgeous, fun, and sweet blogger whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know recently.  We found eachother through blogging, but since we both live here in Charleston we’ve been lucky enough to meet up a few times too.  She’s great, and so is her blog.  Today you’ll find me talking about pretty things like these…

How about another designer’s favorites feature for a mid-week break?  Today the very talented interior designer Staci Edwards is visiting.  She’s taking us on a little tour through her kitchen to share some of her favorite things.  I just adore Staci.  I’m sure you will too. She’s such a doll!

Hello to all of you lookers lingerers and lovers out there! I am so very delighted to be invited over here for the day by the wonderful Chassity to share some of my favorite things in my home. Thanks Chassity!

Seeing as I love so many things in my home, I thought I would narrow the items down my picking my favorite items from my favorite room in my home, or this could end up being a ridiculously long post. So, let’s head into my kitchen and poke around, shall we?

This is my cookbook collection, and while I absolutely love trying new recipes, I find I like flipping through and reading them just as much. Do you read your cookbooks? Anyway, I have a tiny kitchen with very little storage, so I do what I can to refrain from buying every book that I want… Instead, I only buy books that speak to me {plus a couple that have great quick easy meals – everyone needs quick and easy meal recipes} this really gives me the chance to enjoy and experience each book to the fullest!

This is my cute chandelier that hangs above my kitchen sink, which needless to say, I adore. My home was originally built in 1865, so the ceilings are quite low and therefore I have a hard time adding chandeliers to most areas, but this one works here and I am delighted that it does – “Chandy” is the only one I have in my home, so she’s special!

This is my antique meat grinder, which used to belong to my Grandmother, who was one of my most favorite people in the world, sadly she has passed on. Having it adorn my shelf makes me feel honoured as it has huge sentimental value… Not to mention it looks great, adds character to the space, and is a great conversation piece – a lot of people ask about it.

You all know what this is! My KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer {in Pistachio} is the first thing you see as you walk into my kitchen and it makes me smile each time I enter. Not to mention it has made baking a breeze – I decided I needed one after a near breakdown during a holiday baking marathon this past season {Is it just me or does each year seem to get busier and busier?}. I really think that I can taste a difference in my baking too… Perhaps I taste the extra happiness!

One more item for good measure {I like the number 5}… This is my ceramic egg crate from Anthropologie. I tried to hold off buying it for a long while, after all who NEEDS a ceramic egg crate? Obviously I caved due to it’s cuteness! I must admit that I am very pleased with my purchase because I now smile every time I open my refrigerator. I say the more smiles in a day the better!

Well, that completes the tour of what I love in my kitchen, thanks again to Chassity for having me over, and I hope you all enjoyed it! And what’s your favorite item in your kitchen?

Thanks so much to Staci for visiting today and giving us a peek into her kitchen.  I’ve been SO close to purchasing that egg crate!  Staci’s incredibly charming, no?  You’ll love her design blog too – so go check it out!

Today is really special because my friend Haskell Harris is here visiting us.  You’re most definitely familiar with her work because she is the associate editor over at Gargen & Gun Magazine.  She covers all things style.  So you can imagine that I fell hard for her when we first met at one of designer Marysia Reeves’ parties.  She’s charming, inspiring, smart, and gorgeous all wrapped into one.  Oh, and isn’t her name just the most?… to say the least.

LLL: Let’s pretend that we’re to going on a trip to Spain. What do you want to do first?

Haskell: First I’d hit the beach in Luarca (photo from soultravelers3.com). I like lonely, windswept, Heathcliff-ian types of places and I think that’s why I love Luarca so much. It’s not a tropical beach, which is part of the allure. Second I’d stop for fresh gazpacho made the right way (with bread) image from cookography.com. It’s the most beautiful color peach. Then I’d finish things off in Grenada in a tea house near the Alhambra.

LLL: Do you collect anything? 

Haskell: Yes! I collect hourglasses. All shapes and sizes. My favorite ones are big and made of antique brass. I also collect vintage bags…evening and otherwise.

LLL: What is your greatest extravagance?

Haskell: Being a foodie. I would rather try a new food or enjoy lots of great meals on a regular basis than go on vacation or buy clothes. I’m a big believer that if you really sit down and take the time to enjoy food and not rush, you don’t overindulge because you’re not in a hurry! It’s such a simple pleasure and you have to do it every day to live, so why not enjoy it to the fullest, right?

LLL: If you weren’t an editor extraordinaire, what would you most like to do?

Haskell: In a dream world, I would run a bed and breakfast in the mountains. There are so many bed and breakfasts in beautiful areas, but usually they are dated and scary on the inside as far as the design goes! I’d love to reinvent the whole idea of a bed and breakfast and do it the right way.

LLL: A Garden & Gun issue wraps up.  What do you do to relax/celebrate?

Haskell: The entire staff usually gathers to do something together. Last year we all went to Bowen’s Island for oysters and beer on the water after we closed an issue. Loved that!

LLL: You obviously have a flair for fashion. Who is your style icon?

Haskell: I love Cate Blanchett. She’s feminine and fearless. That’s what I love most about her whole aesthetic. She knows who she is. She knows what she likes. She knows how to make the most of her beauty.

LLL: We usually can’t afford to dress head to toe in our favorite designers. So which 3 stores would you say most of your closet comes from?

Haskell: Anthropologie, Asos, J. Crew!  In general, I avoid most trends. I just gravitate toward things that are soft and feminine.

LLL: We are out for dinner and drinks. What do you order?

Haskell: A champagne cocktail, tomato tart-tatin, gnocchi with lamb bolognese, and sorghum pudding for dessert. All from Fig in Charleston of course!

LLL: Is there a design trend that you are tired of?

Haskell: Most of the time, I have respect for every trend, tired or not. Even if it’s something I would never use in my own house, someone out there loves it and it brings them joy to look at it, so more power to them.

But right now, I’m loving all the marbled papers and other marbled motifs in the decor world. The whole look reminds me of all the beautiful marbled papers made in Florence.

LLL: Which blogs are daily reads of yours?

Haskell: Hollister Hovey and Remodelista.

See, I told you she is a gem!  Thanks so much to Haskell for stopping by.  I don’t know about the rest of you but I would happily visit a Bed and Breakfast designed by Haskell.  Or anything else she does for that matter.

XOXO,

I’m really, really excited to introduce my newest sponsor to you today.  You all know the line for their gorgeous jewels, plethora of celebrity endorsements, and overall fun and trendy pieces.  Stella & Dot has certainly grown in popularity recently, and looking at their brand new Spring Collection its easy to see why.

And a collage of some of my favorite necklaces.  So hard to narrow down.

Have you seen Eskayel’s new Era Collection?  Most of you know that I’m a fan of Eskayel if you’ve seen my Madagascar Wallpaper Hanging in my kitchen.  I’ve received a lot of inquiries about it.  Perhaps many of your husband’s are not fans of wallpaper like my own??  I found an easy solution by getting the wallpaper hanging.  But did you know they also make fabrics and pillows using their prints too?