Gone Shoppin'

I know my posts this week have been short and I apologize. I was joking with friends tonight that I was going to hang a sign on the blog that said Gone Shoppin' since I've been taking advantage of many of the great sales going on in the city this week. Hence the new Roger Vivier sandals. (Sorry Stefan!) I've also been running around for work and enjoying the beautiful sunny weather. I promise that things will be back to normal next week and possibly better since I have a great announcement and some fabulous people, places and things to profile! Bon Weekend!

Summer Reading List

I'm more than halfway through My Life in France and I am already starting to think about what I'm going to read after I'm finished. Vogue.com has a list of their Top 10 Summer Books that I am going to check out but I'd like to know what you're reading. You all had some great suggestions for me last year when I asked so I thought I would try it again. What should I read next???

Photo by Liam Goodman for Vogue.com

Tips for a Stylish Summer...

A big thank you goes out to Charlotte Moss for including me in her Dispatches from the Blogosphere: Tips for a Stylish Summer post on her blog Tete-a-Tete! Check it out and you can read what I'm wearing, reading, eating and doing this summer! Oh, and those are my photos from the Hamptons. Wish I was there right now!

Bon Appetit!

A very sweet article about Julia Child in the new August issue of Vanity Fair inspired me to reread her wonderful book, My Life in France, which she wrote with her grand-nephew Alex Prud'homme. The book is really a love story...the love of her husband, food, cooking and France! It's also very inspiring. I mentioned before that Julia Child didn't even start cooking until she was 37 and her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which she co-authored was published in 1961 when she was 49 years old and her television show, The French Chef, debuted on PBS the following year. She also inspired author Julie Powell to start cooking which she chronicled in her blog that later became a book and movie staring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams which will be released August 7th. I don't think I'll be mastering any French cooking any time soon but I can't wait to pick up some of her cookbooks next and see the film. Julia Child always reminds me that it's never too late to start something new! Bon Appetit!

Back to Work

It was a gloriously beautiful weekend in New York! The sun actually shone so I spent most of it out of doors and away from my computer. I also got to see my friend and designer Grant K. Gibson who was in town for a wedding. But now it's back to work.

Usually, I am the one answering design questions but today I have a question for you. One of my clients loves the look of the wall covering in the above photo and wants to use it in their entry. It's a metallic tea paper that was available at the Roger Arlington showroom which unfortunately has gone out of business. I've been to many places and have found papers that look similar but so far nothing exactly the same. Someone suggested Donghia which I plan to check out on Monday but if anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know. Merci!

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who left suggestions and advice today! I found out that although the Roger Arlington showroom has closed at the D&D building, the company is still in business. They also have a website, www.rogerarlington.com which doesn't come up on Google searches for some reason. You can call them in New York at 718-273-4500. What I like about their paper compared to the others I checked out today is the asymmetrical squares and multi-tonal quality. You can see the brochure on it here which shows all the sizes. Once I receive my sample, I can show you the difference of all the papers. Thanks again!

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

I hope all my American readers enjoy the long 4th of July holiday weekend. Oh, and let's keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't rain!

Photo from Markham Roberts

Weekend Chic

While I was looking through designer Meg Braff's portfolio, I came across the most perfect East Hampton home. I love the patterns and shades of blue she used throughout all the spaces. The mudroom is my favorite room and pretty much sums up the feeling of this chic weekend home. I can also imagine how much fun the family who owns it will probably have over the long holiday weekend. I hope all of you l have a wonderful Independence Day no matter where you spend it!