All Hallows Eve

Sure, it seems rather Halloweeny on a day like today but these restored vintage chairs will bring year round delight. Too festive for you? Tell me what you guys think!



ps

Political Pumpkin Fun

Downloadable templates for political pumpkin fun here.

Passionate About Pillows

I'm loving the pillows we did for fall. They came out better than I envisioned and look fantastic in the showroom. My only regret is I didn't make more!


Farbrics in the order that they appear:
Chenonceau Charcoal - Schumacher
Chenonceau Fawn
Bloomsbury Lapis LuLuDK

Dinner Party

Dinner on Saturday was one of the highlights of our trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley. We attended Reverie Winery & Vineyard's private cave dinner in celebration of their new release 1998 and 1999 wines.


The cave was a truly unique dining room and the wine and company could not be beat! We had a 5 course meal catered by Butterfly in San Francisco which included an appetizer tasting plate, the largest prime ribs ever to grace a plate followed up with a smorgasboard of dessert.


A highlight was meeting and sharing our meal with the charming Jim Barrett, who's story was the subject of the recently released movie Bottle Shock.

May and Jimbo

There were a few other characters who rounded out the evening as well but none more important than our travel buddies! I can't believe that this was my first time in Napa but happy to report it will not be my last. Friday at 8:30am when we missed our flight (while standing directly across from our gate) I wasn't so sure. I won't lie, there were some moments of panic and the split decision not to throw coffee on a flight attendants face. But sans liquor, nicotine, zanax or physical brutality I got over it (barely) and agreed with 2E to make the trek anyway, via car, and so it came to be 7 hours later we were toasting with our first glass of wine. Clink Clink!

Autumn in Sonoma

What an incredibly fun weekend. Lots to share but life is calling.

May and I reaping the benefits of wine tasting at 10am.

More soon....

ps. Heather is guest blogging on Design Sponge this week and was sweet enough to include little old me. See our fun day out and about as well as a some of her amazing LA secret treasures here.

Some pretty

My friend Clement did a great photo shoot in our backyard a few weeks ago. You may remember the banner from this post (or seeing his work here).



He is such a talent.

Off again, this time to Napa. Oo lala. See you next week.
xoxo

Baby Things Are Cute

Rupert, the orphan preemie deer who I am currently obsessed with and pandas, post earthquake, in China.

One week ago today, cont'd....

It started out innocently enough.


Post beach spring rolls (freshly made), some bubbly.


An unbelievable show at a beautiful and historic venue.





And ended with fits of laughter, a Ted Kennedy impression that left a lot to the imagination, a photo shoot with my beloved jackalope, Otis, and this... some of our finest work. The best discovery after recapping all of this the next day was hearing the soundtrack to our Olympics. Pump up the volume for maximum entertainment.

Girlfriends are the shit and friendships are so important. The older we get the fewer opportunities we have to let our hair down and act a fool. Luckily I have no problem embracing the ridiculous and acting my shoe size rather than my age. After a recent blind "date" with fellow blogger Jozette I had a girl scout jingle from the past buzzing around my head.

Make new friends but keep the o-oold, one is silver and the other gold.

Well, I have a Michael Phelps worthy collection of golden girls and am lucky enough to still meet courageous, inspiring, silly, intelligent, brave, beautiful woman who aren't afraid to be seen in public with me. If they are to be graded in various metals than I can proudly say I have it all; Gold, Silver, Bronze and the dream to one day go Platinum and join the ranks of the greatest rapper alive, Jay Z.

One week ago today

Malibu

The Last Of The Beach Days. Taryn and I kicked off her time here with a day by the Santa Monica pier. It was so nice. With the beach just down the street I wish I could say we spent more of our time there but.... I'd be lying. Thank god I have friends who come to visit and remind me to take advantage of this perpetually sunny city...

Dolphins. They role through every day around 2pm. Pretty incredible.

The sky and the ocean practically melted together. The light was perfect...

Dehydrating nights call for rehydrating days.... Pomegranite spritzer, sooooo bueno.

Taryn! Come back.

Palm Springs

Quickly, a few of my favorites.....





From Jay Z to "synchronized" sofa diving... this past week with my friend Taryn has been a blast. I'll share some fun stories and pictures from the rest of her trip when I pull myself back together and these Palm Springs shots are the beauties I need to get on with my day! Its 11am! Up and at 'em!

Empiric Today

Now that 2E is maintaining a blog just for the store I have been writing fewer posts about pieces I am excited about but today I couldn't help myself. Now that our store manager moved on to a new position I spend more time behind the counter and less time out gathering inspiration. Lucky for me this little space inspires me beyond believe! Above, our new wallpaper which makes me so very very happy. It was only installed a few weeks ago but it's as if it was always here and that, to me, is a true test of great design. We have received many compliments and it only makes me want to do more. Stay tuned...



Make way for ducklings! Our cups are runnething over with vintage avian taxidermy this fall. Now, before anyone gets sad, these pieces are decades old and it is only as a tribute to their beauty that we offer them here. We sell many different kinds of taxidermy but the birds are our most popular by far. See more here.



How great is this bookend?! He is one half of a pair and they are one of three that we currently have. Deciding which elephants stay and who goes is always difficult but the 900 sq feet we call home does most of the dictating. I dream of the day I have more shelves to fill and can keep a few more special finds. In the meantime I get so much joy out of selling them to other collectors and/or admirers. I can't imagine it will be too long before these guys fly the coop. What a precious holiday gift for elephant lovers and avid readers alike.



Possibly my favorite current collection in the store, 9 colorful vintage spin tops. They all have so much character and have been worn down by years of love. They will look fantastic displayed in someones home that is, if a movie studio doesn't snatch them up first. These sorts of pieces are exactly what Hollywood sets need to make them unique and add a personal touch. We are known for our curiosities and are shopped regularly by set directors. I am embarrassed to admit how many night time dramas I watch to see our wares. Thank god for Tivo!

We are in the process of working out the kinks on our new store website, decorating for fall, picking out new fabrics to offer on upholstery and, of course, gearing up for the holidays. I sing carols year round and have folders full of inspiration so you can imagine how over board I go come December. I can't wait to share more as the boxes arrive but today I am hanging up my hat and spending the next 5 days with my girl Taryn, in from Boston. We are going to Jay Z tonight, dinner with my LA ladies tomorrow, Palm Springs for the weekend and tons of backyarding in between.

Taryn, backyarding

Morning Vignette

Waking up to this pretty scene on my nightstand and a chill in the air. Hopefully today will not crawl back up into the 90's by noon!

Curated.

I love this entry from bi-coastal design firm Curated. The Magnolia rug is perfect in a space such as this due to the directional nature of its design ( I have issues with symmetry!). A few others caught my eye as well.

Rad chair (that I am not 100% sure isn't from Empiric) / Gorgeous bouquet!!

and Babar!

They also worked on Farmers Daughter which is right around the corner from the shop and a favorite for lunch or after work drinks (although I admit to forgetting about it more often than not).

Persimmons

*

Persimmons are so beautiful.

Stop Hiding & Start Living!

IMPORTANT HEALTH ADVICE FOR WOMEN.

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Chardonnay can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Chardonnay almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Chardonnay.

Chardonnay may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Chardonnay. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth Or Dare, and Naked Twister.

WARNINGS:

The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
The consumption of Chardonnay may cause you to think you can sing.
The consumption of Chardonnay may lead you to believe that ex-lovers are really dying for you to telephone them at four in the morning.
The consumption of Chardonnay may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.
The consumption of Chardonnay may create the illusion that you are tougher, smarter, faster and better looking than most people.

For those of you who partake in Chardonnay as often I do, there is hope. An angel come to rescue us, perched atop our shoulder...




To balance out the little devil.

These were both forwarded to me, respectively, just in time for the weekend and I have no doubt the little mess I posted about last week will surely gain from this "better late than never" application so perfectly named, Google Goggles. I love! 21 year old Annie could have benefited as well but then I wouldn't have nearly as many incriminating stories to recite about my yesteryears.

Happy weekend!