Long Island Style: March 2011

23 March, 2011

my intaglios

I love framed intaglios. They are classic. A reminder of an elegant time gone by when travelers collected them on Grand Tour to remind them of the marvelous places they had visited. Many of my favorite designers use them throughout their designs. Amy Morris, Suzanne Kasler, Phoebe Howard, Jackye Lanham, Liz Williams and so many more use these beautiful framed intaglios in almost every area of their designs -- they are so versatile. Yet, I can't justify paying huge amounts of money for them. I change my mind too frequently when it comes to my home's decor. I've learned that lesson the expensive way, and have way too many framed pictures sitting in my storage area that I once loved and had to have. But, my love for intaglios hasn't waivered throughout the last several years, and I think I will always find them useful in any place in my home. One night I began to wonder how I could incorporate them into my home for a more reasonable price. I began looking online and came across a company in the UK called Plastercraft. For an unbelieveably low cost, I was able to purchase an enormous amount of plaster intaglios that rival any of those I've seen in stores or online. I was so excited, thinking it was too good to be true. When they arrived yesterday, I squealed with delight. They are exactly what was advertised and are gorgeous. So, I am off to begin my intaglio diy project. I plan on glazing them either a soft brown or grey and then using my handy glue gun and browsing through my local craft store for beautiful silver gilt frames and mats. Here are some of my favorites and what I'm hoping for in the end result. Enjoy!

This first grouping is my all time favorite by Jon Freeman of Tiberian Design Framed Intaglios, aren't they simply gorgeous!? These are my 'gold standard' by which to measure all other intaglios. These signed originals use original 18th & 19th century intaglios and handcrafted frames. Even more amazing, a portion of the proceeds from your purchase goes to a charitable cause-wow. Thanks for letting me share - they are timeless!

image courtesy of http://www.tiberiandesign.com/

image courtesy of http://blog.foxgloveantiques.com/

image courtesy of http://www.amydmorris.com/index.html

image courtesy of http://www.quatrefoildesign.com/

image courtesy of http://www.quatrefoildesign.com/.

my intaglios from http://www.plastercraftinteriors.co.uk/index.htm

16 March, 2011

royal wedding watch breakfast

Spring is almost here and I have Royal Wedding fever. Yes, I've fallen prey to the excitement and am planning a Royal Wedding Watch breakfast for my ladies! I love planning parties for my friends and family. My yearly Halloween party is quite fun, with everyone always having a memorable time. This little get-together should be equally as memorable and so much fun - I can't wait. Hats are mandatory, pj's optional due to the early hour we will be watching! I've based the morning's color scheme on the newly released Royal Collection China being sold by Buckingham Palace and The Royal Collection shop. The porcelain pieces are pale grey and silver, with gold embellishments and a touch of pale blue. The tea towel is my favorite piece; I love the blue starburst, as well as the garlands. So pretty. My checklist is almost complete, and I'm awaiting my final goodies to arrive from the UK. Enjoy!

images above courtesy of http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp

For starters, I'd like to create a beautiful 'breakfast/dessert' table that will feature all of our fun breakfast foods and some very yummy sweets. Here is my inspiration table from Amy Atlas Events. I have all the crisp white serving pieces, but will be adding touches of pale blues, greys and silvers. My sky-blue and white damask tablecloth will be the perfect table covering, with perhaps my crisp white table runner as a topper.

image via http://www.amyatlas.com/

The amazingly talented Micheline, from Madame Butterfly Cakes, made a beautiful Fall basket cake for my family to enjoy at Thanksgiving last year, and has graciously accepted the task of making a Royal Wedding Cake for my breakfast! She is magnificently talented and I can't wait to see what she will be creating! Maybe something like this beautiful homage to Wedgewood?

My Wedding Breakfast Menu Cards are being created by Sarah Ridgley. I love Etsy, and Sarah is one of the talented letterpress artists that creates true works of art and sells them on Etsy. Here is a working draft as of today. It will be printed on heavy, 8x10 ivory paper with rounded edges and sit on the dessert table with all the yummies that you see on the card. Sarah is also making little tags for my dessert table. Love them! Sarah also made the large letterpress card that will go on my foyer table to welcome my guests as they enter. This is how I found Sarah on Etsy! Fun!

My hat (aka Fascinator) is being created by Hats by Cressida. Another great Etsy find! It will be in a pale grey to match my suit (or pj's, whichever I am motived to be in!) and will look like this. How much fun is this?

My floral arrangements, (you can't have a ladies tea without flowers!) will be pale pink, creamy ivory and crisp green. I'm trying to go for a very soft look, but with punches of crisp green. My large glass hurricane urns that previously stood on my mantle, will adorn our dessert table filled with large bunches of limelight hydrangea. I think this will set off the pale blue damask table cloth and other pale blues of the macaron, as well as the crisp whites of the serving pieces just right. Lisa at Main Street Nursery is so perfect at creating exactly what I'm looking for each and every time. Here are some ideas I've given her to work with.

image via http://www.marthastewart.com/

image via http://www.teleflora.com/flowers/bouquet/telefloras-park-avenue-centerpiece-372828p.asp

image via http://www.carolynshepard.com/

And, just for giggles; I've also included a few of those fun items that have been popping up all over the place. This flag will fly outside on the porch to welcome guests to their royal morning! I just couldn't resist.

I'm counting down the days, and will keep you informed as to any fun little things I've found to add to the day's festivities! If you see something you think I'd like, please let me know! Aren't you dying to know, what will she wear? (I personally am hoping for something very Grace Kelly-esque).

09 March, 2011

saving Tiffany

Louis Comfort Tiffany that is. If you get the chance to visit Winter Park, Florida (approximately 5 miles north of Orlando for you Disney fans) please take the opportunity to do so. The Morse Museum in Winter Park holds the remains of one of Long Island's lost treasures of the Gold Coast; Tiffany's Laurelton Hall. Laurelton Hall has been called Tiffany's greatest work of art, having been built between 1902 and 1905 and destroyed by fire in 1957. The once grand 37,000 square foot home that Tiffany nutured for over 20 years is the expression of Tiffany's love of nature and his art. Many Long Island boaters can see the only remaining structure from the once 600-acre estate in the form of the smokestack from the power house or as we call it, the tower, that stands tall above the harbor in Cold Spring, the spot where many of us raft up for July 4th and marvel at what was once up on shore.

The Morse Museum exhibition features the recently restored Daffodil Terrace from Laurelton Hall and approximately 250 objects from or related to the estate. These include prize-winning leaded-glass windows, iconic Tiffany lamps, custom furnishings, as well as art glass and pottery in Tiffany’s personal collection. The artist directed every facet of the estate’s construction, from the room interiors and architectural details to an extensive scheme of gardens and fountains. In addition to the terrace, the 10 new galleries at the Morse showcase surviving components of Laurelton Hall’s dining room, living room, and reception hall—also known as the Fountain Court—as well as other rooms, creating a uniquely immersive experience.

The Morse Museum exhibition opened February 19th and is especially timely given the impending demise of the beautiful mansion, Land's End in Sands Point, Long Island, (said to have been F. Scott Fitzgerald's inspiration for Daisy Buchanan's home in The Great Gatsby) only days away. This exhibition is truly a unique opportunity to see some of the glory that was once Laurelton Hall from Long Island's Gold Coast and Louis Comfort Tiffany.

P.S. If Long Island's Gold Coast intrigues you, please visit my favorite site http://www.oldlongisland.com/ and Enjoy!

all images via http://morsemuseum.org/

04 March, 2011

LOVE IT!

a) Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine can do no wrong.
b) Bonnet chairs I will always love...no matter what they are covered in, no matter if they are 'in style' or not. This one below from AH&L I especially love, with the animal print and the tufting and the nailheads, how cozy is this? This is from designer Amy Morris via Coup d'Etat for a recent show house featured in AH & L.

P.S. I found some CRAZY bonnet chairs out there! Made me re-think my previous statement above. What do you think about the bones bonnet from Voila Gallery? Funky, right?! These chairs are also referred to as Porter's chairs, Canopy chairs, Hooded chairs, and many other fun names.