>> postcards from penguin

My brother and sister-in-law sent me this AWESOME set of 100 postcards of Penguin book covers ($25, it says they're out of stock on Amazon, but click the "17 new" link below). From classics to crime, this box contains seventy years of quintessentially British design in one box. It is hard to part with them, but too much fun to send them out. Thanks again M+B!

>> scenes from the city

It was quite a week to be tromping around NYC with buckets of snow blanketing the city (accompanied at times with thunder and lightning!). Central Park was unreal; kids sledding on trays, dogs chasing snowballs, and the skeletal trees plumped up with a coating of white. I was in NYC because my other blog, Tomboy Style, is on its way to becoming a book (Spring 2012), so it was a dream to walk into the Rizzoli book store on 57th street and take it all in. But I have to say, the best part was seeing all my friends and meeting the newest member of our gang, the beautiful two-week old Mister Augustus Fitch.

>> nyc

I'm off to New York for the week, I'll be back next Monday with frost bite. (Chocolate Egg Cream recipe from 2002 issue of Gourmet can also be found online here). Have a good week!

>> wknd

This weekend we'll be watching the Bears, wearing Bears t-shirts ($28), eating football sammies and wearing Ditka mustaches ($9). The only thing wrong will be the sunny 78˚ forecast in L.A.*

*I think I'll get over it.

Go Bears!!!!!

current obsession: james blake

Likelikelikelikelike.

>> old blue eyes

Emotional eating: Every one does it sometimes.

>> Eliot Noyes

Just playing some accordion...

Architect Eliot Noyes' daughter, Derry Noyes, practicing her accordion in the living room of her home (designed by her father). Note the vase in foreground by Pablo Picasso. Photo by George Silk, 1963.

Just cleaning my rifle...

The Talbot Rantoul summer house designed by Noyes. Neil Rantoul cleaning his rifle on a pull-down bed in the boys' quarters which doubles as a painting studio. Photo by John Dominis, 1965

>> tablescapes

I wonder how many hours (days?) of productivity I could waste just by rearranging tablescapes. Probably lots.

>> tighten up by the black keys

Love the song, the video is pretty funny too.

>> current obsession: Todd Romano's Manhattan apartment

(not so great) scans from February 2011 issue of Architectural Digest

>> tedde bears

I'm kind of into these weirdo "tedde" bears by illustrator Daniel Birch, especially the city collection shown above (NY, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Vegas, DC). About a dozen of the L.A. bears were hanging out at the Paul Smith store on Melrose and they are really funny looking, but I seriously debated putting one on our couch (maybe it wouldn't go so well with our David Hicks pillows, but...). They run from $11 for the teeny versions to $60 for the couch/bed size which you can get here, or you can pay $75 at Paul Smith, up to you.

>> the foodinista's champagne caps

above photo by The Foodinista

I can not really deal with how awesome this is: My friend Heather has been collecting her champagne caps for years and recently decided to use them for design purposes. Read her post here, and then, like me, you'll probably start your own collection. Obsessed!!!

>> current obsession: G.H. Bass Bucks

I've already been tearing through the classic Elys ($59) and am now waiting with bated breath for the laceless canvas variety (on right) to come out (any day now?). They are available online for men ($79) and women ($59-$69) and at one of my most favorite stores in Silver Lake, Driftwood.

>> 2011

We were in Sedona to ring in the New Year, and although we didn't have any mystical breakthroughs or participate in any healing chants, it was spectacular. Especially with the dusting of snow. Above is a shot of the mid-century Chapel of the Holy Cross which is built right into the side of a mesa. Happy New Year!