Recently in Home Decor Category

I found an incredible deal for Mascioni Italian bedding.  A queen set in either sateen (solid) or woven stripe is only $95, half off the regular price of $190!

Mascioni 100% Pima Cotton Italian Sheet Sets

I was so excited to find this because I slept on these sheets a couple years ago at the Boulders in AZ.  They were fabulous.  They had the sheets, duvet cover and pillow shams that were all Mascioni.  It was a seriously heavenly bed.

Oh, and off topic, hanging out at their pool was awesome too.  They have great pool drinks and serve an excellent fish taco (non-fried fish) poolside!

I finally saw "What Happens in Vegas" on dvd last night. 

 

It was an okay movie, typical for the genre.  Cameron has some great outfits though!  But what really stood out to me was the fabulous bedding on the bed at the hotel room in Las Vegas... the duvet cover with the large scale leaf pattern in a greeny shade with dark brown and matching sheets.  I did a little poking around on the web, and I am pretty sure this is what it was:

Calvin Klein Boxwood Collection. 

 

It happens to be on super-sale at Macy's right now too.  The queen duvet cover is full priced at $315, but on double sale it's down to $188.99.  The pillow shams, queen flat and fitted sheets are normally $100 each, down to $59.99 and the standard cases $75 down to $44.99.

If you've been lucky enough to get invited to the Hamptons or the Shore... or anywhere this summer, here are some some hostess/host gift ideas.  Yes, even if they're your best friend(s) you still need to bring something!

Montaudon Brut Rose Champagne - seriously who doesn't love Champage, and Rose is just more festive. Montaudon Rose is delicious and one of the best values in Roses which are always more expensive.  Amazing sale price of $29.99 at Vingo Wine online, or if you need to pick it up (in New York) $39.95 at Sherry Lehman. At either price it's still a great deal!

Matouk Auberge towels (Egyptian cotton and 650 gram weight) feature a monogrammed letter that is actually woven into the towel, not embroidered.  A set of 2 hand towels in the letter of the couple's last name, of if it's just for your friend (and not a couple) you could do the first name initial. $36 at Horchow.

A gift that keeps on giving - a Wusthof Santoku hollow-edge 5" knife! This is an incredibly versatile knife that is so awesome to work with that they'll never want to cut with anything else. $69.95 at sur la table.

A Diptyque candle is always a great gift. I'd never buy one for myself because there are plenty of other candles that are great but a lot less expensive... but for a gift it's definely "the" candle. They're made in France and burn up to 50 hours. Lavender and Verbena scents are both good choices. $55 at beauty habit.

On a budget? Personally, I'd be very pleased if someone brought me matching Caspari luncheon and cocktail napkins in one of their gorgeous designs. (they make the BEST paper napkins available) Like the Maldives fish design or Chinese peony design in bright orange. Luncheon napkins $5.75/20 and cocktail napkins $4.75/20. They also make matching paper dinner plates for $6.00/8. Great if you don't want to do the dishes, but not tacky like chinzty paper plates.

I was wandering through Target the other day and I ran across these wonderful fleur de lys dinner plates.

They're $19.99 for a set of 4 and they're made of heavy chip resistant porcelain, not the chintzy ceramic that always chips like crazy.  The quality is excellent, very Pottery Barn or even Williams Sonoma! I SO DID NOT NEED THESE!  But I had to get them, because I love blue and I love the fleur de lys.  That's the problem with Target - everything is so cheap and they have really nice stuff, I can never get out of there without buying something that wasn't on my list.  These great plates have matching mugs, salad plates and bowls.  The mug is the same color as the dinner plate, but the salad plates and bowls are reversed (so more white than blue).  You can buy a set at Target.com for only $59.99.

Anyway, I'm already having a vision... these plates will look great with my Italian pewter flatware. Luckily, I already had this so I don't have to go buy it... but anyone looking for some great Italian pewter flatware, you can find it right now at Horchow, they have a very similar style, 20 pc set on sale now for $464.90.

And some white 100% linen napkins, preferably Sferra. You can get a set of 4 of these for only $34 at Fine Linens.

Then to complete the casual elegant look, some chunky wine glasses like these from Williams Sonoma.

All of this would be great at an outside picnic table on a stone terrace, overlooking the sea... okay these $19.99 plates are getting expensive...

I love cool beach towels, so here's a great find that doesn't cost a fortune.  These Missoni 40 x 70" beach towels are 100% cotton and made in Italy.

They're at Neiman Marcus. $134 - $188. There are also some other designs at Pioneer Linens. $149 - $168.

If you're like me, then you might be having trouble cramming all of your clothes into your closets.  (yes, even with seasonal removal of stuff that never gets worn!)  So, a little while ago I replaced all of my wooden hangers with these super thin hangers I found at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

They have a velvety-like texture so even slippery clothes don't fall off.  They're black and silver so they look somewhat sleek.  They are pretty inexpensive, $9.99 for 10 or $39.99 for 50, and you can also buy a 3 pack of pant hangers for $9.99. You can hang 4 pairs of pants on each one.

I guess these Bed, Bath & Beyond hangers are knock-offs of the Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers, Home Shopping Network has sold over 175 million of them!  Crazy, ha?  On HSN, you can choose from many different colors and you can pick gold or silver tone for the hook at the top. They sell for $44.95 for 36.

I have to admit that I prefer the look of all-matched wood hangers, but they just take up way too much space!  Someday when I get a huge walk-in closet then I can switch back...

Does anyone else love owls?  Well, I do and I've discovered this super cute pattern by the Scandinavian design company, iittala.

Isn't he the cutest! The pattern "Taika" features the owl and mythical animal hybrids in an ornate forest.  You can find the line at allmodern.com.  iittala actually makes a ton of really cool stuff.

Alvar votive holders - come in a bunch of different colors!

Kartio glasses come in 2 sizes and also in different colors. I think it would be fun to mix and match different colors.

The company dates back to 1881! Their motto is "Everyday design against throwawayism". I love that! They further explain, "the proof of good design is to stand the test of everyday use. iittala products are expected to withstand daily wear and tear as well as survive changes in tastes and trends, to remain relevant and cherished."

Yesterday I mentioned the Hermes Beach Towel as the ultimate beach towel... well start saving now, they've gone up to $510!  A few years ago (ok maybe more than a few - around yr. 2000) they were $400.  I had a beautiful penguin one, but it got left at an old boyfriend's beach house.  Woe is me.  :-(

Their online selection isn't that good, but here are a few that they sell online.  They have many more at the stores, especially the Madison Ave boutique.

Aren't they beautiful! And the quality of the cotton is superb, it's really thick and the towel has nice hemmed edges and is a decent size of 36 x 60". I love the seahorses...want it!

Louis Vuitton's Spring 2008 collections are out.  They're featuring some spring-y colors and designs.

Freesia Platform Sandal $740.  I love the wood heel and platform! I love walking on shoes like this, I even like the "clomp, clomp, clomp" noise they make when you walk on a hard floor, and how you feel sort of like a geisha. (does anyone else know what I mean?)

Monogram Inclusion Ring $215.  I don't usually like pink at all, but this would be fun to wear and would be okay to add a little color to an outfit.

Cadenas Key Holder $325. I just love this keychain... a bit pricey, but it's so cute with the lock and key and convenient with a clasp and a key ring.

Last, the Monogram Tisse Beach Towel. $425 Other than Hermes, this has got to be the ultimate beach towel! An homage to the classic LV trunk.

Of course the queen bee of candle pots is the Diptyque candle. They're made in France; come in wonderful scents like amande, figuier and baies noires; have super luxurious packaging; burn 50 -60 hours.... and they cost $55 - $60 each!  Yikes, I don't know about you, but that's a bit much for me.

Enter the Voluspa Basic Black candle...  these candles are slightly larger, 10 oz vs. 7 oz so they burn longer, about 85 hours. They also come in great packaging and amazing scents like genoa lemon basil, italian tangelo, crisp champage, fleur de cocoa, sake lemon flower etc. etc.  They also come with a metal cover, it serves as a base while it's burning and a cover to extinguish the candle and keep it dust free.  I love that!  The really amazing thing is that they cost only $22!

On the silver topic... What better way for a Gucci girl to combine her love of all things bamboo with sterling silver?  The answer is Tiffany's Bamboo Sterling Silverware!  I'm not sure if normal people still think it is necessary to have sterling silverware, personally I think it is de rigueur.

Side note, they used to make bamboo jewelry also, as part of the Tiffany Nature collection but sadly, it was discontinued. I have the bamboo hoops that weigh a ton (uggh) but look great!

Please forgive my neglect.  I was away for a few days in Arizona...

Let me take this opportunity to report back on The Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona.  Carefree is just outside of Phoenix (as is Scottsdale) in the beautiful Sonoran Desert.  Carefree is north of Scottsdale so it has a more remote feeling that is perfect for a truly relaxing getaway destination.  One might think it is crazy to go to the desert in June, but in fact it is quite lovely.  The heat is dry, so compared to the unbearably humid New York summers; it is no problem at all. 

One approaches the resort via a long driveway that curves through cacti, rocks, and the golf course.  It is a beautiful preview of what is to come.  You see this huge rock as you approach and the main resort building is just beside it. 

The rooms are spread out over the property in little buildings that they call Casitas.  The rooms are beautifully done in tasteful Southwestern style décor with wood beamed ceilings and fireplaces (not to be used in the summer of course!)  The bathrooms with attached walk-in closets are nearly as big as my New York apartment!  The beds were the most amazing hotel beds that I have ever experienced.  The pillows: Hungarian white goose down, the duvet:  the same in a perfect light weight.  The sheets:  Italian sateen by Mascioni, the duvet cover:  Italian wide stripe by Mascioni.  This bed was so incredibly comfortable.  I cannot say enough about it.

When I go away to relax, what I like to do is hang out by the pool (under an umbrella) and read and swim.  Their pool is perfect for this.  It is right next to the huge boulder rocks.  (see picture)  The pool attendants will bring you drinks and food or you can go sit at tables and order lunch at the pool café.  Their offerings were perfect poolside fare:  tuna Nicoise salad, fish tacos etc.

The desert has all sorts of cute little animals scurrying around.  Lizards, bunnies, all sorts of birds... that was really fun too.  I love bunnies!!!!

Wow, I can't wait to go back!