True Beauty.

(Click to enlarge.)

This photo is from the cover of the new J. Crew catalog. I love that J. Crew still uses older models. And I love that this photo wasn't retouched.

How refreshing to see a 65-year-old with wrinkles.

My idol.

Williams-Sonoma Home, You Little Devil You.

Damn you and your gorgeous in-store merchandising and styling. I am powerless over it. It is exactly why I ended up with this chair.


No, not the black Chinese Chippendale-style chair, the (highly comfortable) Scottish Tartan Plaid wingback chair. I don't even like a wingback chair much less plaid. In fact, I do not like plaid so much that I gave away all of my husband's plaid shirts that he had before we met (with his approval and excepting one that is sentimental because it belonged to his grandfather). I at least like the Chinese Chippendale chair. A lot, in fact. So, how is it that I ended up with a $2,200 chair (plus shipping) that I hate, you ask?

Well, it started around Christmastime. Tartan Plaid at Christmastime made perfect sense. That, and this photo from the Williams-Sonoma Home catalog with its perfect red walls and Ralph Lauren-y art:


Speaking of Ralph Lauren, this did not help matters whatsoever; nor did having recently attended a cocktail party at an old house like ours that was completely tricked out in Ralph:


Okay, well, all that and this ad from J. Crew. This campaign actually made me think I needed a long tartan plaid skirt like this (and a house like this and drapes like that)...


So, do you see how this was a perfect storm of tartan plaid? Even this fall, they are tempting me with plaid-clad catalogs (say that three times) and tartan plaid resurrected on wingback chairs within):

I love that, though. I think it's beautiful. I know many of you have a much more modern aesthetic, but I think this is really beautiful. I have been through a lot of different styles in my lifetime - from modern (Phillip Stark-ish, Met Home Modern) to Country French to traditional with a twist which is where I think I end up.

Anyway, I have to recover that chair. It's currently in the family room with this (Ralph Lauren) sofa (that I got on sale at Bloomingdale's during that donation week where you get 25% off plus and extra 20%!):


Please forgive the unfortunate lighting (I'm working on it) and there is a different rug there now. White shaggy, just bigger. I am too lazy to take another picture. And that yellowish rug is actually inside the basement door. It's currently there just to toy with you. Suggestions are welcome and even encouraged. (Don't use all your suggestions, though. I have a bathroom issue or two that have me flummoxed and I will need your help.)

I *Heart* Fall.

image via flickr

Fall is my favorite season by far. It makes me want to start a fire in the fireplace and curl up in a (faux) fur throw and drink hot cocoa (okay, a dirty martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives :-) and read something really great like Dr. Zhivago.

The truth is, I am a season-rusher. My husband always teases me about it. Any minute now I will be secretly watching really old Christmas movies like "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck. But not quite yet (okay, that's a lie). I love the old 40s movie sets. But more on that later.

For now I am listening to Grandma music on cable and looking through catalogs.

Acorn bracelet, J. Crew

Faux bois garden stool, Gump's

Provence Platter, Williams Sonoma

You will not be surprised to know that I have about 20 versions of "Autumn Leaves" on my iPod - from Edith Piaf to Tom Jones - which I will listen to while I cook a really fattening dinner of comfort food such as I am planning for Sunday night: Lamb shanks with creamy parsley and mascarpone polenta. It's so good. Compliments of Curtis Stone, Take Home Chef:

Adorable Aussie Curtis Stone

It's a little heavy on the prep but then you throw it in the oven for hours and forget about it. Anyway, it's actually a little early for this - usually I am making homemade ravioli with sage and butter sauce which I might make tomorrow since we are in the midst of a Nor'easter and sort of stuck at home.

But for now I will have to psyche up to hike over to the high school football game where my daughter will be playing snare drum in her kick-ass marching band in spite of the rain...

But I will sneak home after halftime while she is huddled up in the bleachers until the game's over. And these will be her memories of Fall.