The one that got away

I am still forlorn over the beautiful gray leather bag that I did not buy in Paris.

I found it at an independent designers expo filled with tres chic clothes and accessories. It was made of the softest dove gray leather I've ever felt, slightly unstructured with handles and a shoulder strap. It was perfect. But I didn't buy it...maybe due to sticker shock, maybe due to jetlag. I gave it one last longing look and then left it at the booth.

But the bag haunted me throughout my stay. Finally on the last day of our trip, I dragged Matt back to try to find the shop through the winding streets of Marais. We finally found it after many laps around the neighborhood, but the building was closed. There was a sign for the expo which read 17 - 20 Septembre. It was 22 Septembre. Devastated over my loss, I glumly returned to the US.

I tried to find info about the expo and the handbag designer on French websites but I don't remember what it was called or what building it was in. And there's only so much googling you can do in French.

So I've spent the last two days on an online hunt for its replacement but even that is hard. I came up with the following but they are all not quite right and way too expensive. Woe is me.



















This one is nice. The leather looks soft. The color is a liiiittle too dark but the main problem is that it costs $908. From Jerome Dreyfuss.




















This Iro Boker Bag is okay, and a better price, but too dark and kinda dowdy.


















This one from Banana Republic is nice too and the right price. But maybe too structured.
















And finally, here's the Chloé bag. Oooh la la, c'est magnifique.

Still, these are all substitutes. I still think the one in Paris is destined to be mine. I'll just keep looking and maybe we'll cross paths again one day.

Antler Decor

Ever since I saw Erich Ginder's ghost antlers, I've toyed with the idea of decorating with antlers. I would love to hang this above our tv, but the scale is too small and it would get lost in the room.

So I was researching how other people did it:






















I like this effect - but am squeamish about using real antlers. I'd like to find faux ones made from resin that look realistic.



















This is pretty cool - maybe I can spray paint it gold?

















I wish this was larger - but it's only 2.5" big.


Apparently, I'm like 4 years behind on this trend that is way over, but I like the kitsch/irony of decorating with antlers.


















Maybe I'll just go for this clever cardboard version instead and call it a day.

lights!

I'm sad that the moravian star pendant lights I've been eying are no longer in production. i hate when that happens - I never act quickly enough.

Oh well, I'll come across my perfect light fixture someday. and coffee table too.

In the meantime, I drool for these beauties...

Star Lantern - Brass, 1 Light from Vaughan Designs

Royal BB Gold/Chrome Suspension Lamp






















Diamond Pendant from Urban Electric Co.























Venezia Circular Chandelier from NicolettiItalia

Spade Ceiling Mount from Dennis Miller Associates

Pallina Ceiling Mount from The Bright Group

More Green

We've been looking for green accents for the bedroom. Currently it is a nice calm grey room with dark brown furniture. It needs some character, some pop, so we're looking for a bright green rug and accents. This is harder than it sounds because green (and all colors) is open to interpretation and everything we find is either dark forest green or a light sage.














The rug shown here is what inspired us - love the morroccan tile pattern and the shade of green. If the background were in green and the pattern in light grey (and if it cost about $3000 less), it would be perfect. Source
























I also love the pattern of this rug, and you are able to customize the colors, but alas it is also out of our league. Source

I found the second picture on UrbanGraceInteriors, the blog of interior designer Erika Powell. Wow, new inspiration site! It's chock full of good ideas and resources.

It lead me to buyfabrics.com and makes me want to buy a sewing machine and make my own curtains and pillows. Can't be THAT hard, can it? um... probably is.

Seeing Green

If you didn't know, we have a lot of old folk in this building. Old, curmudgeonly, quite loving white caps, set in there ways after centuries of life on this planet. You think they would care about Earth since many experienced the Paleozoic Era.

You see, every floor in our building has a compactor room. It's basically a miniature garbage closet that has a chute (which is way too small) for regular bagged and tied garbage and two pails marked for recycling. Sorta like these: (please click on the picture as it is too large to fit in the blog)



These aren't our actual stickers, but they are very similar. As you can plainly see, it is clearly illustrated what should go in each pail unless you are Mr. Magoo after getting a dilation test at the optometrist or one of the people that live on my floor. Yes, clearly your soda bottles should go where is says cardboard. I'm also pretty sure the actual slices of pizza can't be recycled to make another pizza.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not the most environmentally conscious person out there. In fact, I find a lot of people who preach green to be insufferably pretentious (just like you vegetarians!). I'm just saying, how hard is it to put a newspaper in a bucket that has a picture of a newspaper right on top of it. No wonder why monkeys made it to space before humans.

New Z's

The rest is history, but my bad puns are not.

We have completed operation grown up bed. We aren't full anymore. No, now a Queen in Queens. Perhaps that did not come out right. We are not starving cross dressers, but this week we will be sleeping in a new bed.

For that last couple of weeks, we have used our new storage bed frame, topped with our full sized mattress. It's a bit like Jared from Subway's pants. Big frame, tiny bed, and very cumbersome if you try to get in our out of them. Here is a picture of what our bed is supposed to look like:



Just imagine a shrunken down mattress and it not looking like Popeye's master bedroom. That's where we were. So this weekend we set forth to remedy this somnefarious situation. We would buy a bed this weekend for Pete's Sake.

So out we went to the furniture row, that is Queens Boulevard.

We laid down, we rolled, we bounced, we tested the edges, we punched, and we poked, and prodded with prices. And we bought our bed.

Here it is, sans creepy sheepy:


Welcome to the Serta Perfect Evening Spring Garden. It's the firm (we like firm, if you want to sleep on a cloud, get a beanbag) platinum mattress that was awesome enough to pass our rigorous standards*.

It is supposed to be delivered this week sometime and I can not wait. A actual bed that fits the furniture. We will be sure to post a full review upon sleeping on it.

If we are awake.


*Pretty much that it doesn't mush, but you don't break your hand if you karate chop it.

Fuel

It was all so simple then.

While we do love our home and enjoy the convenience of living to many forms of mass transportation and any drug store you fancy (because a lot of old people live here and they need a lot of drugs to stay alive), our return trips from Blue Bell have become a bit harder. Nevertheless, I think we have stumbled upon the best way to go. Get off at 125th Street & 2nd Ave and jump in a cab. It's the most convenient. If we had a car THAT would be convenient. I would really like a car. I think at this point actual furniture would be a more logical investment though.

Gratefully, Jung goes out of her way to drive us back into Manhattan. We could take the Jersey bus from her house, but she is too nice to let us experience their unreliable timetables and late night stops of every 15 feet.

Whenever we leave Blue Bell, we always leave later than we say we will, but for very good reasons.

1 - We love spending time with our family.
2 - We hate the prospect of another long car ride.
3 - We always have to stop at Wawa for the official snack of the Blue Bell North Express....



Yes, Kids and Grown-Ups love it so. The Happy world of Haribo.

It's true. I bought these gelatinous gems on a whim two trips ago and they were enjoyed by all. Before hitting the road this past Sunday, I picked them up again. The difference being that this time, the bag didn't make it half way through Jersey. You don't believe how good they are, just read this. It's true. The Germans have once again improved our driving experience. Who doesn't love mawing down on a confectionary cola, bottle and all? You don't? You probably enjoy Ezelkiel Bread or sumpthin!

Not only are Haribo Happy-Cola the perfect snack, but it allows me to circumvent my ridiculous self-imposed ban on soda.

But what about these:



I'm probably pushing it.

So the next time you are on a multi-state trip and need the greatest snack (at the moment) around. Don't hesitate. It's COLA-RIFFIC!

This post was brought to you by tractor. You make me happy, you make me sad, you're always changing gears.