1. People that work at cool museums tend to be cool themselves. A few weeks back the folks from The Cooper Hewitt Museum sent fellow LIFC blogger and my favorite city cohort, April an invitation to attend Elle Decor’s 2nd Annual Women In Design Event- which the museum was co-hosting.

The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum (an outpost of the Smithsonian Institute) is housed in what was Andrew Carnigie’s 5th Ave. mansion
April’s Feeling The Felt At The Cooper Hewitt post had caught their eye and they thought she’d like to hear for herself what a few of today’s most successful female designers have to say about juggling life, love and career.
They were so right- we were psyched. The line up was fabulous. Elle Decor’s Editor-in-Chief Margaret Russell playing host to this year’s recipients: (minus Josie Natori-too bad, I love her PJs!)
Charlotte Moss (whom the magazine also presented with their annual Vision Award)



2. Margaret Russell must have some innate sense of direction. I quickly realized that these women represent not only varying styles and life stories, but when pinpointed on a map they also represent a crisscross of locations within our colorful country.
Moss (NY), Nussbaumer (Dallas), Wearstler (LA) and Hunt (Chicago). Was this just a coincidence? Was Ms. Russell consulting an atlas? Whatever the reason for their geographical alignment, I was thrilled. Feeling as if I’ve been suffering from ‘NY tunnel vision’ I was excited to hear about life as a designer beyond the Big Apple.
So I happily headed to the heart of Times Square to hook up with April outside of the hip and happening TheTimesCenter housed within the NY Time’s headquarters (wow, try saying that 10 times fast).
3. That TheTimesCenter is an amazing space inside an even more amazing building. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The New York Time’s new headquarters is a 52 story marvel of glass and steel. It’s transparent facade allows outsiders to peek in and the day’s ever changing light and colors to shine back through. Here’s a quote I found from the designer himself:
“I love the city and I wanted this building to be an expression of that. I wanted a transparent relationship between the street and the building. From the street, you can see through the whole building. Nothing is hidden. And like the city itself, the building will catch the light and change color with the weather. Bluish after a shower, and in the evening on a sunny day, shimmering red. The story of this building is one of lightness and transparency.”-Renzo Piano (source)

The building really does change colors. I remember it first caught my eye while I was driving in a cab up the West Side- it’s facade had literally turned the same amazing palette of crimsons and blues as the evening’s sunset.
I had yet to ever have the opp to be inside- as soon as we walked through the big glass doors we were struck by the space’s colors- about as close to Pantone’s color of the year for 2009 Mimosa as you can get highlighted with punches of a bright, true red.




When I walked into the auditorium and caught sight of the building’s interior moss and birch tree garden beyond the stage’s windows I was truly blown away. It’s no surprise to learn that Piano has become the go- to architect for museum redos throughout the United States. The space has the same serene and contemplative feel you’d expect to experience in a modern day gallery or museum.
3. Networking is important, but when you are not in the mood very hard. Luckily sometimes fate steps in. I was first and foremost there to listen in on the conversation between Ms. Russell and her panel of ‘designing women’. But the cocktail hour at these events exist for one reason and one reason only- to quench your thirst, feed your hunger and fulfill your need to meet new people and provide your own answer to New Yorkers’ favorite question ‘What do you do?’.
But it was a Monday night and after a busy weekend I found myself lacking all social energy. Besides I was having way too much fun egging April on to talk to the cute catering guy and playing the ‘Does where we stand effect the amount of hors d’oeurves we are offered?’ game to be bothered.
being this close to Holly Hunt, it probably would have been a smart move to say ‘hello’
By the time we were instructed to line up to enter the auditorium we realized we hadn’t talked to anyone other than each other. Then as if on cue a lovely woman came up and asked if we were in line and an interesting conversation ensued. Long story short she owns a ‘fringe’ art gallery and has a very exciting art show opening this month. We ended up sitting together and now we have yet another interesting event to look forward! So sometimes being lazy does pay.

4. That we must remember how awesome the founding mothers of modern day design are and that Margaret Russell is really cute in person. Elsie De Wolfe , Dorthy Draper and Sister Parish were among the mavens mentioned in the opening slide show. It was fascinating to take a quick jaunt through history and see how much of an influence these woman still have on what makes for a beautiful home today.

rooms by Elsie De Wolf and Sister Parish (combining mauves and greens was a big hit for all 3!) and one of Dorthy Draper’s stylish ‘how-to’s’
Margaret Russell was quite poised, able to laughed off a few minor technical glitches and at herself -divulging us with her need to suck on cough drops due to a lingering cold. Once the panel was introduced and took their seats next to her in the living room like set, she charmingly referred to the evening as her own version of ‘The View’. ( She however did not explain an ankle brace she was sporting with her LBD and heels but judging from her ‘gams and her guns’ I’m guessing kick boxing accident).

5. That Charlotte Moss is hilarious. April and I of course loved her for the fact they she’s a Virginia girl turned New Yorker-just like us, but it was her plethora of feisty one liners that kept us chuckling throughout the evening. When Margaret (or Peggy as Charlotte refers to her) asked “Do you care if you are called a designer or a decorator (since Elle Decor tends to use both terms in their magazine), Charlotte replied- ‘I don’t really care what you call me, as long as you pay my bill on time”.

I also admire that Charlotte is the only blogger out of the bunch. Tete-A-Tete followers her latest musings and inspirations. (By the way none of the panel including Ms. Russell Twitters)
She was also quite candid about her recent decision to shut down Townhouse, her famed Upper East Side retail store. Saying that what seemed at first to be an incredibly hard choice, once made- was in the end one of the easiest she has ever made. The demands of the store had taken ‘all the fun out’ of the other areas of her professional life.
6. That even the most successful of designers has a decorating skeleton or two in the closet. When asked what the worst decorating mistake they ever made was. Michelle Nussbaumer offered up that at a clients request she had slipcovered a desk- ‘You couldn’t even open the drawers’ she laughed. While an entrance way of six different colored stripes led to Kelly’s worst ‘decorating don’t’. Michelle also stated that she has mounted a stuffed alligator over a console in a client’s dining room (it’s a Texas thing, I suppose!)

7. That a good staff can organize your life and perhaps even polish up your fashion styling skills. Kelly Wearstler credits one overly zealous staff member with having the organizational skills of a pro, creating what sounds like an amazing clear bin system of all of her samples, memos and archives. She described it with such awe and appreciation you know it must be incredible. Then Michelle let us in on the fact (after it was first brought to our attention by Charlotte) that she often takes her younger, just starting out in the business staffers shopping for their professional wardrobes. (Wow-really? Again, this must be a Texas thing?!)
8. That Holly Hunt believes success comes from taking risks. She admitted to making many mistakes when she was first starting out in business, but that it was her risky decisions- like buying a showroom after her divorce and eventually signing on to partnership with designer Christian Liaigre that helped to define her career. I loved that she admits to being totally disorganized and even made reference to the many, many piles of papers that constantly crowd her desk (hey, Holly-me too!). Plus even though she’s called Chicago home for many decades now, she has yet to lose her West Texas drawl- which I find very cool.

the evening’s stylish crowd-we’re in there somewhere
9. A room’s atmosphere and energy is what a successfully designed space is all about. These were the keywords on everyone’s lips. How the room makes you feel, it’s comfort level and how a room can enhance your life are of top priority for all four women.
10. It was refreshing to know that even the most famous of designers don’t always have carte blanche when it comes to running the show. Charlotte Moss was again hilarious in talking of the trials and tribulations of working with clients saying that she sometimes has to tell her clients “let’s step back for a moment and revisit why you called me in the first place’.
11. Kelly Wearstler believes its important to constantly surround yourself with inspiration- Scouring bookstores, museums, movies and travel are some of her personal favorite sources. Charlotte makes sure to keep a notebook in every room and bag so she’s always on the ready to jot down an idea, Michelle works with traditional inspiration boards as a starting point to defining the mood of a new projects, while Holly always keeps an eye open believing that good design ideas are all around us everyday.
12. That Michelle believes that in order to be a successful mother, friend, wife, sister and business woman it takes finding that perfect balance: Since she manages to be a career woman and mother to four children, I’m guessing she’s found it. I wish more had been discussed on this subject- perhaps she will start a blog…I will read it Michelle if you do:)!!!!
After a big round of applause we all made our way out to the lobby to say our goodbyes and the panel came out to mingle with the crowd. As we were leaving, we caught sight of Charlotte Moss and felt it was imperative to give a ’shout out’ to the common bond of our ‘Old Dominion’ home state.
She was very sweet, comparing notes on being southerners in the city and encouraging us to ‘keep blogging’. When we told her that she was the one that we voted ‘the designer we most wanted to go have drinks with afterwards’, she politely laughed and said’ Oh, yeah, well that’s good, I like that-but I’m off to dinner now” and away she went.
Rats! If only she had taken us up on it- what a fantastic ending to an already great evening we would have had. Oh, well. Holly…. you’ll be happy to know we took a risk.

Kate’s Talking ‘Colors That Make a Man’s Heart Race’ in this month’s Cosmo: (Yeah!!! It’s the Fergie issue) Did you know that wearing a vibrant shade of pink can increase others’ heart rates, an electric shade of Teal attracts attention and can up your self confidence, a yellow hues can give a boost to those around you and that certain shades of purple can make you appear either coy (light purple) or mysterious (deep Amethyst) to the man of your dreams?
Cosmo takes a fun and flirty look at how your beauty routine can benefit from a little color knowledge. Our favorite color guru Leatrice Eisman and make-up artists Jillian Dempsey and Michael Marcus also weigh in with their own colorful spin.
I had planned to show an image of the article’s layout but I’m having some scanner drama…so you’ll have to make a stop at the newsstand to see it for yourself. Its well worth it I have to say… I realized I had completely read through ‘Get Rid of Muffin Top’ and ‘Wacked-out Things Guys Say In Bed’ before I even checked to make sure we had been included in the issue…:)
Designers Lend Their Creative Passions To a Spectacular Charity Auction: Women In Need (or WIN) is a fabulous organization that has been providing housing, help and hope to homeless families since 1983. I was shocked to learn that there are over 100,000 homeless people in NYC alone and that 1 in 4 children in our great city are living within poverty level. With the holidays and another cold winter right around the corner these statistic truly hit home.
To help raise awareness and funds, WIN has asked a whole slew of celebs to decorate a paper mache house in their own unique style. The houses are to be auctioned off through November 30th. My money is on Oscar De La Renta’s. I’m flipping for his symmetric landscaping and pink trim. Here’s a fantastic behind the scenes look at the inspirations behind this incredible event.

‘I’m Not Really A Waitress’ And Neither Is My Laptop: Dell is one company that loves adding a little color to technology. Their online Color Studio allows consumers to chose from over 300 cover design options featuring among them works by such artists as Tristan Eaton, Siobhan Gunning and Bruce Mau. Dell has also collaborated with both Product(Red) and the MLB (please no one tell my son about this). Their latest and greatest partnership is with non other than nail lacquer experts OPI. Starting next months you can chose from 20 different classic OPI shades and 6 seasonal favorites including ‘Dear Santa’ and ‘Smitten With Mittens’.
“Beautiful nails really are the ultimate accessory to any look,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive Vice President & Artistic Director. “And now, with Dell laptops that coordinate with OPI Nail Lacquers, you can match your nails to your emails!” Parafin dip and complimentary shoulder massage not included.
A Big Book About Minis: Have you ever noticed that the tallest people drive minis (is it just an optical illusion, or am I right?). Well, the cutest thing on 4 wheels turns the big 5-0 this year and a new book called ‘Wash Me’ pays homage to the auto’s unique spirit and style. Car as muse- the images include works by 10 distinct artists non of whom have ever had the chance to list ‘car’ as their medium. The Mini Brand is no stranger it seems when it comes to curating artistic expression. I was surprised to learn that the auto company has been in an exclusive partnership since 2008 with NYC’s own Ludlow 38, an exhibition space within the Goethe-Institut in New York’s ever artsy Lower East Side.

Over 900 buildings and monuments worldwide are set to ‘go blue’ this Saturday night in honor of World Diabetes Day: “Understand Diabetes and Take Control’ is the theme of this year’s campaign. It is estimated that around 285 million people are living with diabetes and (shocking to hear) that sufferers are responsible for about 95% of their own life long care. With (in most cases- preventable) Type 2 Diabetes on the raise (with an estimated 344 more people at risk), education and awareness has never been more important. Get the facts on diabetes and read more about this colorful campaign here. Thanks to Liberty Post, for sharing with her readers how the disease has effected her own life and making us aware of this wonderful event.
Farewell Met Home and Gourmet: Yikes!! Not much to say here….just that the world will be a little less colorful and yummy without you. Best wishes to you all.
I was reminded of Colorstrology when a piece by Michele Bernhardt was included in the fabulous House Beautiful September Color Issue but it has been awhile since I looked at what Colorstrology says about each person based on their birthdate. When someone asked me about it this morning I decided to click over to the Pantone website and take another look.
I love the first two opening pages (shown below) and the ideas expressed. Off to a good start.

I pulled up my birthdate first. Although I’ve never really been attracted to the color ‘Blush’ the write up about personality traits seemed to fit. Here’s a couple of highlights:
YOU love to learn and explore new things especially if there is an artistic or organic slant to the subject. [Yep, that's true]
Although you get along well with others you have a strong independent streak. You want a partner with whom you can share your life, but one who doesn’t require all of your energy. [True again & I don't think I could have said it any better]

Now I know my sister Julie pretty well so I decided to see if it seemed to fit her personality traits. Read more..
If you follow this blog then you’re probably aware that I am always on the prowl for inspiring color and style ideas. I also love a good party (especially ones filled with interesting and creative people). When these two occasions merge you can say I’m truly ‘living in full color’ !
So it should come as no surprise that when I recently received an invite that included the words paint, palette, The Audubon Society and inspired by the colors and beauty of nature- it took no twisting of this blogger’s arm to get me R.S.V.P-ing YES right away.
The occasion: a colorful party hosted by Olympic Paints to celebrate the unveiling of Olympic’s Audubon Collection, 8 palettes inspired by the beauty of nature, drawing upon the vision and artistic tradition of the National Audubon Society.

With the works of renowned photographer Tim Fitzharris and painter John Jay Audubon himself as inspiration, these 8 Olympic paint palettes (in 48 colors ranging from the softest pastel to the deepest rich hue) virtually come to life before your very eyes, as if they were (sorry Great White Egret- I have to say it) plucked directly from the canvases.
Best part-Olympic Premium Paints (available exclusively through Lowe’s nationwide) are zero VOC , low-odor and- coming in at below $25 a gallon, quite easy on the decorating budget.
It was all sounding to my inspirations-loving-self, a bit too good to be true. So I invited my pal Mary (a colorful interior designer in her own right) to tag along with me to The Bryant Park Hotel to get a closer look. Read more..
Many, MANY moons ago (eons before we had this blog about color), fellow LIFC writer April Clark and I found ourselves at a party in a web of a conversation with two guys who wanted to know what ‘we did for a living’.
Without missing a beat April replied, ‘We work for Estee Lauder. We’re the ones that come up with the color names for lipstick’. Knowing full well that we would never see this duo again and because they both seemed very impressed by our colorful jobs ( truth be told we were at the time simply overly-imaginative waitresses) I of course played right along.
Soon after as we made our way out of the party I looked at April and asked, ‘Where did that come from?”. She laughed and said “I don’t know-but wouldn’t that be a cool job?”
I had to agree…this many years later I’m still thinking naming colors would be a cool job.
So when I heard about General Motors sponsoring a competition to put a name to a color to one of GM’s first ever extended- range electrical car ( or E-Rev)- the Chevy Volt, I figured here’s April’s and my (and yours too) chance to make this little white lie into a full spectrum reality!

Okay here it is- the Volt in all of it’s pre-production glory. The current name-less color is described as a Silver exterior with an Emerald hue. The color will be available exclusively on the Chevy Volt which will begin production in late 2010.
Once offically named, the color will join a palette of other Volt exterior colors including Black, Cyber Gray Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic, Silver Ice Metallic and premium White Diamond Tri-Coat.

The Volt gets a test drive. Very exciting considering the car is expected to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted of energy, the engine generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to more than 300 miles.
So here’s a quick round-up of the contest from Maria Rohrer, Director, Global Volt & Global Marketing Operations at Chevrolet- Read more..
Happy Halloween!
Okay as the countdown begins for the arrival of good spirits (evil ones you are so not invited), I find myself rushing about with the final preparations for my evening’s festivities.
I had a few silly decor ideas and I thought I would quickly share them- then I must run because I’m having all kinds of last minute costume drama! What exactly does one wear to star in Kibuki Theater these days..hum, the hot pink kimono or the black with aqua one?

I always love to do at least one ‘trick’ for the kiddies. A small toy Jack O’Lantern inspired this idea. I can’t wait to see their faces when they discover that even our ‘House Mouse’ wants to celebrate the sweet and spooky holiday!

a faux construction paper hole, a quick felt door mat, a few plums from an ornamental grass wrapped to look like corn husk, my toy pumpkin and a mini- terracotta pot of treats sets the stage for my trickery

Oh man, my House Mouse is way more trusting then I am….
A few days ago I learned about an upcoming show at the MOMA that gave me a great idea for how I could set the table for tonight (best part, it’s the cheapest table setting ever!)

No one does Halloween better than Tim Burton, an upcoming show at NYs Museum of Modern Art pays tribute to his creative, macbre mind.
This Tim Burton drawing gave me the idea. I’m thinking an austere dining room might just be the way to go (aka I’m off the hook for having the pressure of dressing a perfect table!!!)
So I’m clearing out all decorative items from the room. The light fixture that hangs over my table is really just a single bulb once the pretty Fortuny cover is removed so it easily turns into a simple bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. I tested it out-if I slightly loosen the bulb it flickers a bit when you move across the floor. The now cold and bare room is so weird and spooky, I can’t wait!
I really am loving the austere idea, but I can’t resist having fresh flowers when I entertain. So I really tried to figure out what I could do that would be quick, easy and cost basically nothing. I do have lots of interesting things I could pick from my yard. My butterfly bush actually turns almost a shade of black this time of year so I did experiment with some cuttings- but nothing was coming together.
When I spotted a $8.99 bunch of roses at Costco, I had my idea.
these

plus

equals

A bouquet Morticia would be proud to call her own-hey, there’s that mouse!
I loved Morticia Addams when I was a kid! I was fantasying I was her as I was chopping of the flowers…now if only I can train my husband to become ravenous and suddenly French every time he sees me.
(I’ve always preferred small compact bouquets of roses over the long steam variety anyway -so I had no problem sacrificing the flowers to create this Halloween display. My little vases filled with pretty roses just went into hiding upstairs. I see it as a win/win situation).
Okay, now I do have to go. For a little more reading and viewing pleasure did you by chance see Kiki’s post this week on Color For Your Home..it’s a great rundown of her favorite Halloween color trends and more fab holiday decor ideas then you can shake your broom stick at!
Cheers! Hope your night is a Treat!
I admit most years I procrastinate and leave the carving of my pumpkins til the very last minute. Sometimes this works to my advantage- like the year my kids caught wind of our town’s first annual carving contest 20 minutes before we were set to leave the house to attend the Halloween parade.
As I looked past their disappointed faces to the two beautiful but very un-carved pumpkins resting on either side of my front door, a feeling of unorganized parental guilt washed over me. But then something caught my eye- a little sugar pumpkin that was resting nearby. A light went off in my head! The contest flyer said nothing of size requirements.
5 minutes later we had our submission. A few hours later we had our first place ribbon- even the judges couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it looked next to the other gi-normous entries.


A dramatic reenactment- the winner was actually even smaller, but you get the idea. Now every year for my house I carve one of these little guys- give him a worried expression and place him well within squashing distance of the bigger guys. It still gets a laugh.
When I do finally get around to carving, my last minute antics result in your standard run of the mill Jack O’ Lanterns- crooked smiles and all. Which is fine- I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to my holidays, but its getting hard not to notice that the pumpkins around my neighborhood seem to be getting more and more intricate every year. I spotted a couple last year that left me wondering if Martha Stewart herself had turned up to style the night.

Now this is something to aspire to! Some incredibly talented carver sent a picture of their Elvis O’Lantern into MarthaStewart.com-why oh why can’t I be patient enough to accomplish such a feat!
FYI-Did you know that gourds, potatoes and beets were originally carved on Halloween night to welcome the good spirits in and scare the evil ones away throughout Europe. That the celebration of Halloween didn’t really catch on in the USA until the late 19th century thanks to an influx of European immigrants, particularly Irish fleeing the famine in Ireland. It’s the Irish immigrants in fact who are credited with the switch to pumpkins (indigenous to North America) once they realized how much easier they were to carve. The name Jack O’Lantern is in reference to Irish folklore- the story of Stingy Jack and The Devil.
So this year I’ve vowed to challenge myself. To move outside the familiar and create at least two interesting pumpkins. But where to find inspiration?
A quick drive just past the famous village of Sleepy Hollow to Croton-on-Hudson, NY. There lies the historic Van Cortlandt Manor and the answers to all of my pumpkin carving inspiration needs- The 5th annual Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

On your drive though Sleepy Hollow beware of running into this guy. Legend has it every October he’s menacing around! Read more..
When it comes to celebrating holidays I’ve always been a ‘God (or perhaps for the the sake of this post) the Devil is in the details’ kind of person. For me it’s always the subtly stylish and sometimes quirky ideas that makes for the most memorable of times.
I love how creative Halloween makes people, and though I’m not a huge fan of blood curdling scary- some spooky, eerie and slightly unexpectedness- all ‘rock my haunted boat’.
With this in mind, I’ve decided to throw a little last minute ‘hallowed happening’ for a few of my favorite ghouls and goblins. Nothing big, just a little post-treating tete a tete where the goblins can trade off their candy and the adults can secretly trade off favorite ways as to dispose of the fore-mentioned candy.

You might not realize it but Sleepy Hollow, the home of Washington Irving’s legendary tale of the headless horseman, is only about 20 miles north of NYC. Eddie Ross’s HGTV Halloween Block Party special was inspired by the spine tingling story and historic NY village. I found his behind the scenes blog posts chock full of such great decorating ideas- I had to share! Plus, I was in Sleepy Hollow last weekend and found some inspiring Halloween ideas myself- but more on that in a minute.
With a shortage of time and an even shorter stack of bills for a budget, I’m thinking it’s going to take a witch’s spell of some serious inspiration to successfully pull it all off. Lucky for me, I’ve got some creative friends, some inspiring neighbors and even a few tricks up my own sleeve to get me going.
With plans to keep things special but uber-simple (and because everyone will have eaten dinner so I will only have to provide drinks and a few nibbles), I’ve decide to do something I’ve never done before and offer my adult guests a ready to be poured colorful treat when they arrive.
Realizing my bartending repertoire is about as limited as my time, I enlisted the help of my friend and author of ‘It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere: The Global Guide to Fabulous Cocktails‘ Colleen Mullaney for a little stylish direction.
Besides being an accomplished author, Colleen is a stylist and former magazine Editor-in-Chief who knows a thing or two about creating memorable events. I knew I could count on her to have the perfect libation in her arsenal of goodies. Read more..
Who knew that Leatrice Eiseman and Mother Nature were so close! Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eismen has forecasted mimosa yellow as the color of the year for 2009. “The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance… Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation.”
When I stepped outside this morning I was overwhelmed with a visual tsunami of bold shades of warmth. There were hypnotic yellows, ripe reds and oranges that seemed to taunt me, as if to say, “Caution! You are witnessing a magical spectrum that may mesmerize you to the point of missing your next class.”
There was legitimacy to this concern. My normally dull, ten minute walk across campus transformed into a 25 minute promenade through one of Mother Natureʼs most joyful explosions of beauty. I just had to share! Read more..
It’s seems almost apropos that the minute I’m inspired to write about the stylish trend of Peacock motifs, I would find an article claiming that the male peacock’s elaborate plumage perhaps has much less to do with attracting it’s mate then had always been thought. Instead a scientific study done on Indian Peacocks and Peahens cites the male bird’s vocal callings and shuttering moves may actually be what catches the female’s attention.

How very fitting, right ladies- it’s always what they say and how they move-not how they look that ultimately keeps us hooked!
Well regardless of why the peacock has such a spectacular showing of feathers, one thing is for sure their beauty has inspired countless artists and designers through the centuries.

Peacocks are spoken of in Ancient Mythology, The Bible and the Hindu religion. They are often used symbolically in literature and in folk art, often being depicted as looking back at their tails ( signifying renewal, since they drop and replace their feathers yearly).

Personally peacocks feathers always make me think of a time when Art Nouveau was actually ‘nouveau’ and of lovely heroines caught up in some wonderfully heart wrenching Edith Warton plot.

can’t you just imagine using this Preening Pen ($20 from Anthropolgie) to scratch off a calling card to your family matriarch or passionately write prose dedicated to a secret lover! Read more..















