Firing Up The New Year

Happy New Year!!! Here's how we celebrate in Las Vegas. Back in the day we would have been out on the town with the rest of the party goers but now a days we ring in the new year at home to avoid the crowds and drunk drivers.

The town puts on a great fireworks show that we can see from our house.



It starts at one end of the Strip and goes to the other end with one of the highlights being the Stratosphere in the middle.


We have fireworks over the fake Eiffel Tower and in front of the fake Venetian but wouldn't it be great to actually travel to some fabulously exotic location for the New Year? ( When you live in Vegas it loses all of it's exotic local status and it is just your hometown)



Here is the real Eiffel Tower lit up and ready for New Years. Now that is a party that I would love to attend!!!


How about Rio di Janeiro? That blue band of light along the beach is the crowd of party goers assembled to watch the show! I wonder if they are all in Bikinis? Isn't it summer down there now?


If you're into seriously cold weather you could ring in 2009 in the Red Square in Moscow and watch the fireworks over the onion dome.


I think I would love to celebrate in Sydney. The weather is great this time of year and the celebration is said to be top notch. I think Aussies know how to have a good time.



Can you imagine watching these fireworks from atop the London Eye? That would be a spectacular view.


No matter where you are at the stroke of midnight I wish you a spectacular New Year filled with good health, a dash of luck, happiness and contentment and dreams come true.

The French Table

I've been doing some research lately on table linens and I realize how sorely neglected my dining room table has become. We rarely eat in a formal setting and take most of our meals in font of the TV or at our desks. Since most of the time it is just my husband and I, my thought is that it's just too much trouble to set the table, but I realize that I am really cheating myself out of the experience of dining. One of my New Years resolutions will be to take more care in planning and executing our meals.

I love the simplicity of fine french table linens. The table above is to die for but sometimes you want something with a bit more color and pattern.


I ran across a fabulous website, F & B Fine Linen that offers a full range of French table linens. They import only the finest brands and have a large assortment of beautiful, everyday and special occasion products.


These toppers are from Beauville and are almost too pretty to use.



Other lines carried are Sferra, Yves Delorme, Le Jacquard Francais, and Garnier Thiebaut.



These colors are divine, they make me want to redecorate.



Classic Provance, the rooster and chicken towels are done in wonderful color combination's that would brighten any kitchen.


Well, I'm off to set my table for dinner! Enjoy....

Bedroom of the Week

This beautiful bedroom was designed by the very talented Maura Taft. I love the combination of silks and linens used. To me this bedroom has just the right mix of comfort and luxury.



I usually don't include other images in the bedroom of the week post but her work is so gorgeous I had to share a few more photos.



Delicious! See more here.

Winter in Las Vegas

We've had an early start to our "winter" here in Vegas. People who have never been here in the colder months don't realize that it actually gets fairly cold here in the winter and we ussually get a few snow days. But what we call snow days and what real snow days look like are two different things. Here it's ussually a little bit of snow or more like a bit of frozen rain that falls but doesn't stick and we all go absolutely crazy.

Every few years we get lucky and we get some actual real snow with flakes and everything that sticks to the ground and doesn't immediately melt. This week we had two full days of non-stop snow and we ended up with about 7 inches in some parts of town. Here is my front yard in all of it's wintery splendor.



Now I know you real northerners with your blizzards and giant snow drifts who own tools like snow shovels, ice scrapers and snow blowers to deal with your white stuff probably think this little bit of frosting is no big deal. But for us dessert rats, this is what we live for in the winter.



This "severe" winter "storm of the decade" as the local news was touting it here, caused our airport to close for a day and a half, stranding a lot of unhappy tourists and resulted in a snow day for local schools. Yes we are ridiculously crazy and totally overreact to any tiny bit of precipitation. On the other hand it's nice to have something to get excited over that gets you into the holiday spirit. Palm trees and cactus don't ussually give off that "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" vibe!

Christmas at Conde' Nast

Pierre Brissaud 1930 for Conde' Nast

Since my first visit and post about it, I have become a frequent (obsessive) Conde' Nast Store stalker. I am in love with the artwork of cover illustrator and artist Pierre Brissaud (shown above) .


I thought I would take a look through their vast collection of cover art, illustrations and photography for some holiday inspiration and I found these fabulous ladies, all done up for a festive evening.

This stunning red lace Lanvin dress published in 1935 looks like it could be worn by any celebrity on the red carpet today. The illustration by Christian Berard reminds me of the lovely drawings by our fellow blogger, Patricia van Essche at PVE Design.


This image could have been Las Vegas yesterday, it snowed over seven inches here in one day! Although to be accurate if it were a picture of me yesterday I would be wearing my pajamas ( it was snowing, why get dressed!) sitting at my desk and drinking hot cocoa while staring out my window at the snow (It was snowing and I live in Las Vegas - I don't own warm, fluffy winter wear)


This fancy lady is prepared for a snowy evening with her fur coat and muff. I'm not sure what's going on under the coat, are those pants or bloomers of some kind?



This is my favorite - she has really got it going on. That head piece, the pearls, the fur, and the flowing train of her dress - perfection. Plus she's riding away in a sort of motorized, magically transformed pumpkin coach! A new age Cinderella.



While searching for holiday photos I ran across these gems from 1950! The modern woman, hard at work selecting fabrics and finishes for the home. I don't know about you but I have frequently gone to work in my mink coat and evening gown!


Lastly, I love this design inspiration photo. Some things just never change!

The Conde Nast Store has added many new illustrations and photographs to its line up. Get on over there and pick up a few for the Holidays. I'll take anything by Brissaud!

Where Would You Go for Your Dream Christmas

If you could magically transport your friends and family to the perfect Christmas destination where would it be? Personally I would love to have been a guest at the very first Christmas celebration held by George Vanderbilt at his new home, Biltmore , in 1895.


The magnificent estate located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC, took a city of craftsmen over six years to build and it is considered to be the largest and one of the finest private homes in our country. Still owned by the descendants of Vanderbilt, the estate is outfitted in splendid fashion for the holidays in keeping with the homes original Christmas tradition.



Stunning both inside and out the estate looks like the Disneyland light parade on steroids when lit up for the evening during the holidays.



The interior decoration is true to the spirit of historic preservation that is seen throughout the buildings and grounds.


I would curl up in the massive library with a pot of hot chocolate and try to make a dent in those books.


If this blog had smell-o-vision you could breath in the heavenly pine scented air spiced with a hint of orange and clove.


The grand dining room would be alive with well turned out family and friends sitting down to a holiday feast served by crisply dressed butlers.


Perhaps some Champagne, a bit of dancing and a late night sleigh ride and we would be ready for the long winters nap.

See more here.

Bedroom of the Week

photo: sorry - can't remember

I am head over heels for this beautiful bedroom! I admire how the designer has skillfully blended toiles of different patterns and scales and mixed in just enough white to give it a light handed touch. If I knew where this room was I would have to go over there and beg them to sell me the stunning mirror they have used as a headboard. It absolutely makes the room, although the beamed ceiling and the fabulous rug make quite an impact as well. I wish I had a view of the whole room to show you - or the entire house for that matter. But we'll have to settle for this lttle gem.

There's a New Material Girl

There's a new Material Girl in town, the town of Brooklyn, NY to be exact. Meet Abbey, she's armed and dangerous with a Masters degree in Interior Design from Pratt Institute, one of our countries finest interior design schools. She is joining the dynamic duo of Emily and Lauren and their fellow cohorts in design Jill and Julie.

Thanks to the addition of Abbey they are now spanning the country with M Girls living in and running design businesses in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, and now The Big Apple.

If you're not familiar with the Materials Girls blog (winner of my vote for cutest banner) check them out here. They're smart, savvy, passionate about design, and ridiculously young to be so successful.

They are getting ready to unveil a redesigned site soon and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. Hey girls, if you need a designer in Vegas let me know - I'm available.

Architectural Digest + Brad Pitt = A Good Thing

I have not read an issue of Architectural Digest since their March 08' issue on the Bush decorated White House when I questioned their poor timing, here. I have been a fan on and off but over the last few years I just couldn't get excited about the interiors they were featuring. But when my husband brought home the January issue with Brad Pitt on the cover I felt obligated to give it a once over.

design: Peter Marino photography: Durston Saylor

To my surprise the issue was absolutely stunning, filled with a scintillating variety of diverse designs that, while certainly luxurious, offered inspiration that could be applied to any interior.

design: Chakib Richani Architects photography: Marina Faust

The locations of the homes featured are as exciting as the interiors. From this beautiful home in Beirut, which seems to be such a departure from the images we normally associate with the war torn city, to a collectors paradise designed by Samuel Botero in New York.

design: Samuel Botero photography: Phillip H. Ennis

Jennifer from The Peak of Chic, recently posted inquiring what had become of the decorative arts collector. Well Jennifer, I believe he's doing very well and living in this gorgeous apartment which is done to perfection and filled with a diverse collection of art, architectural elements, and antiques.

design: Hendrix Allardyce photograph: David Matheson

One of my favorite interiors in the issue is this eclectic but elegant home in Melbourne. The jubilant mix of furnishings in the great room is nothing short of perfection. It is a study in the superb use of scale, balance, and harmonious effect.

It takes a lot to overshadow the glorious Mr. Pitt but I was so entranced by the interiors in this issue that I almost forgot about him. The issue takes a look at the efforts of his Make It Right Foundation to help rebuild the devastated neighborhoods in New Orleans using safe, affordable, and sustainable homes. Learn more about the organization at www.makeitrightnola.org.

On another note: Hot on the heals of their New York auditions, Architecturl Digest is holding another series of try outs in California. Brooke Gianetti - get on over there !

In an age where shelter magazines and design book publishers are in serious trouble I plan to do my part and subscribe to AD. If this issue is any indication of things to come I know it will be well worth the price of admission!