February/March Recap

I have been a little busy these last few months.

I'm training for a marathon. I am up to 21 miles which requires running with a fanny pack to pack Gatorade and gummies full of electrolytes. I should be emaciated at this point but I'm not. Weird. Moral of the story. Running is overrated.

Went to Minneapolis...the land of frozen rain and tater tot casseroles.

Where my son threw a 5-year-old tantrum in a 5-Star hotel.

Which, thank god, included a 5-Star mini bar.

Witnessed my mom making snow angels...

...in shearling and Louis Vuitton.

Dug in at the Science Museum.

Found 2 more Chinese reverse painted glass prints. For nearly nothing.

Mastered badminton with friends and formed our own team. Bad Kitten.

Had a Valentine's Day party.

Turned 39.

Went to Portland and celebrated at my hairdressers' pad.

Went to a dinner party at Space and Ouiji's house.

Easy Ouiji.

Played tooth fairy.

Drove by something beary random.

Fell in love and bought. This.

Went to a party at Buddha's house.

Got wild. Totally out of character.

Charles turned 6.

Rock climbed.

Had lunch at Marche. Alone. For no reason.

Made new rule. No more handcuffs in the shower.

Went to Sunriver. Kept the lodge in check...

...while dad taught the kids how to ski...

Met Joan...a vintage ski bunny.

Attempted to hijack a golf cart.

Scrubbed off stomach art named Bob.

Dad turned 42 with a burger cake.

Saw Alice in Wonderland in 3-D.

Tried this. Hated it.

Had a baby shower for Jarrell. Baby Miro.

Made Banh Mis.

Drilled a coconut. For fun.

Went to a Duck basketball game...right before the AD Bellotti canned Kent and then quit.

Cocktailed at my client's house...and admired the best sconces that I have ever ordered.

Had a poker party in the locker room at the Country Club because there is an all boys card room there...so why shouldn't we have the same?

Post game/post cocktails.

Made falafels.

Rearranged some furniture at home.

Replaced lacquer with pine. For spring.

Wrapped up this job. Befores and afters. Mister approves a little job for their other house. I predict he regrets this. Remember...this makeover started out as just a carpet change.

...and took up tennis.

Back to work. Gotta make some money.

Unreal

I have a client that called from Hawaii. Can you hang some art for me? I bought it and am shipping it to you. I want it hung in my bathroom. Above the red grate.

Okay. No problem. I can do that.

So...it arrives. I open it. I have it hung. Would you just look at this bathroom? It is unlike anything you have ever seen.

Just like my client.

Who is kind of like my own little unicorn. Totally unreal.

Gotta love it.

11th Hour

While my client was away in Hawaii it was my job to get his sofa and two poufs reupholstered.

The upholsterer was right on schedule until he unrolled the end of the 24 yards of Peter Fasano's Venetian Velvet in Porcini. It was crimped and creased at the end. Bummer but these things happen. Thank god for Fed Ex. So...here I am driving 3 extra yards of velvet to the shop that was overnighted to me (thank you Salty Pete!).

This stuff HAS to be ready as he is having a party on Friday. A welcome home party. A Truman Capote ode to his fabulous self sort of party.

An 'as his decorator I would have to drape my martini fueled self over the missing cushions all night' sort of party.

Well, it all worked out. Cushions completed. The sofa looks like a silver mink stole. The poufs were repoufed with the back side of an apple green Groves Bros. fabric.

Done? No. It's funny how if you work on a room slowly...the room will tell you what it needs. I don't mean to get ouiji on you...but it's true. I think that is why MOST 48 hr makeovers don't get it right...because the decorators didn't get a chance to listen. To the ouiji. Ness. Of the room. Listen room. This is what you need. Next. A wool and silk Tibetan from Kelly W. at The Rug Company.

Pigtown

I went to Portland with some friends and we stayed at The Nines...a former Meier and Frank department store that has been converted into a hotel. I loved the public spaces.

You get a lot for your money here. The rooms were super glam.

Drinks outside on the top floor started off the weekend.

We then headed over to my former hairdresser and friend Ivan's pad. He hired a pianist. In a shoebox. WHO DOES THAT? My own private Tom Ford does that. That's who.

We needed food and Portland is full of it. This is a town where the origin of everything is printed on the menu...even the olive in your martini. I highly suggest taking a trip there...well, unless you are a pig. Pigs don't live long in the City of Roses.

We hit Beast...a restaurant run by a former vegetarian (hard to believe) and her friend.

The six-course prix fixe meal ended with chocolate covered bacon. Really.

The next morning was hard on my roommate.

I told her to get up. We were urbanites now. We had work to do. We grabbed breakfast at The Urban Farmer downstairs in the atrium at the hotel.

Bloody Marys came...

...garnished with caramelized bacon...of course.

After that, I headed out to get reacquainted with an old friend at Saks. Jen...Gucci. Gucci...Jen.

I wonder if any pigs were killed while making these shoes?

Shopping made us thirsty so we took a detour in our limo.

Hardcore shopping was rewarded with another incredible dinner. In a food coma from Beast but still retaining a pulse...we trudged on in our epicurean tour of Portland and enjoyed duck breast under melting duck fat at Castagna. Ducking ridiculous.

Poached duck egg with lardons.

Cabbage atop a pig embryo. Kidding.

I took one for the team and slept on the rollaway that night.

The next morning we were sensible enough to hunt down a more peasant meal. I couldn't look at another pig. Well, unless it was orange and came with a handle and a lock.

We had killer pigless Chillaquilles and pigless Bloody Marys at The Veritable Quandary.

I said goodbye to Ivan (single!!!)...

...and came home. Good times.

Oui, Please

Oh, Christ. I've done it again. Somebody says French Deco...

...and I say....where's my checkbook?

NEEDLEPOINT

THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS THIS

...AND THIS

PLUS THIS

EQUALS THIS

... AT JONATHAN ADLER

Paul McCobb

I just bought this vintage walnut secretary for my Dallas job from reGENERATION via 1stdibs. It is by Paul McCobb...

who never received any formal design training.

Sounds like somebody else I know.

Happy Valentine's Day

I meant to post this yesterday but at 7:30 am on my birthday (Valentine's Day)...and against my better judgement...I ran the length of 198 football fields in the rain with my most athletic friends and remained in a coma until cocktail hour. I think I have finally recovered. Think. What was I thinking?

Hallway My Way

Hallway? Check.

One sunburst mirror from Carver's Guild.

One shagreen covered gilded table from Julien Chichester.

Two vintage chinoiserie silk paintings framed in bamboo.

Two vintage reverse painted chinoiserie lamps.

Two vintage Baker chairs covered in Sea Cloth for Kravet.