Sour Grapes

I’m a pseudo-old biddy under my youthful twenty-something exterior, so it’s not totally shocking then to learn that I love fruit made out of semi-precious stones, most notably grapes. Made of onyx, amethyst, rose quartz, jade - I love ‘em all!

You may ask yourself, what does one do with a set of stone fruit? The answer is the same as with any other pretty tchotchkes- you stare at them and enjoy!

I have seen the prices range wildly for these beauties so you can imagine my delight when I found a whole lot of them at The Elegant Garage Sale for under $50!

I put them in my pretty wedgwood jasperware footed bowl that sits on my dining table and I just love how their pale luminous colours are set off by the matte black vessel. They add permanent colour to my tabletop and bring a sense of old world elegance to the space. (emphasis on old)

Considering I spotted a single cluster priced $225 at Bergdorf Goodman on my last trip to the famed 7th floor, I was pretty pleased with my local discovery. Not so pleased was the woman behind me at the cash muttering things under her breath when she caught sight of my fruity treasure and realized what she missed out on. (know you know why my blog title was an appropriate choice- zing!)

If you find yourself with an appetite for some fruité objét of your own, Cynthia had these pretties on a recent visit:

(top image: live auctioneers)

Missoni Madness in NYC

A pinch-me invite to the Manhattan launch of Missoni for Target was cause for a whirlwind trip to the Big Apple with my mother on Wednesday night.

Cancelled and delayed flights, plus uncooperative weather and a severe lack of taxi’s were not on our side, yet our crazy Missoni fandom prevailed and we managed to have a good time while amassing a large pile of shopping bags filled with fab scores. (In fact our pile was so large that a reporter from the Wall Street Journal took  notice and chatted with us… shame they didn’t list Style At Home in the article but still amusing nonetheless!)

I missed out on some choice items, such as the black and white laptop case as well as the embroidered pillows and the awesome shower curtain, but still walked away with a kick ass bag, stationary for my office, the metal martini shaker, a melamine tray, a sweet tie for Dave, and the awesome rainboots for Margot and more.  I didn’t see my top fashion picks from the lookbook, so I concentrated on scooping up the home buys rather than sift for sizes through the racks, and overall the quality was quite impressive!

Celebs and fashion insiders were out in full effect but the only one I approached was the gorgeous and sweet-as-pie Margherita. When I told her of my obsession with her namesake china she replied “Bravo” - Bravo indeed!

This Aint No Barbershop

 

How badly do you want to get your hair cut here? 

(photos via RDuJour and nypost)

Introducing Aromachology

It's not everyday I get to post about a world-class product created here in Toronto by my very own friends, so I am extra excited to talk about Aromachology - a custom fragrance experience that matches your personality to your very own personalized perfume.

 

Created by Ashlee Firsten and Kirsten Menkes, the former a chemical engineer and the latter a PR whiz, Aromachology makes buying and wearing your perfume an innovative and intimate experience. As a victim of countless department store ladies chasing me with foul-smelling spritzes, I was very keen to learn more about the product and was lucky enough to score a sneak peak of the process.

 

It all starts by filling out a scent profile that asks 10 easy multiple choice questions about your personal likes and dislikes. Your answers place you into 1 of 5 distinct categories: Sophisticated & Sensual Floral, a Totally Edible Gourmand, an Exotic Spicy Oriental, a Clean & Fresh or a Bold & Brisk Woodsy.

Once you have the base, you top if off with 3 out of 15 available notes to complete your one-of-a-kind creation. The notes correspond to classic aromatherapy functions, but are titled using adjectives, rather than the names of the scents. You can top your fragrance off with words such as passionate, sexy, spontaneous, focused, open minded or creative, resulting in a fine fragrance that reads totally you.

Each bottle is handmixed on site according to your unique formula, giving you a sense of empowerment and ownership of the scent -- plus the packaging is totally elegant and glamorous, making it worthy of being displayed on your vanity.

New Yorkers can experience Aromachology with a trunk show at Henri Bendels from October 26—November 2 and at Exhale Spa from November 3— 7.

Torontonians can high tale it now to the Aromachology pop-up perfume bar across from the main lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel  in Yorkville starting tonight until September 19th. I'll see you there!

Fabric of the Week: New York, New York

I love traditional toile prints, but when it comes to fabrics and wall coverings I am also open to less conventional pictorial illustrations.

Schumacher’s New York New York caught my eye months ago with its illustrated urban landscape of the Big Apple. On top of being classic black and white, the print is just so lyrical with its whimsical cartoonish take on Manhattan and I think it would be perfectly suited for a classy black and white child’s bedroom.

Can I Move in Mr. Nolan?

A veteran of New York’s fashion industry, Charles Nolan has created one of the most visually appealing boutiques I visited last month in NYC’s meatpacking district.

Akin to exploring an old relative’s basement for vintage treasures, you feel like you are discovering one-of-a-kind gems while you browse around the stunning store.

Imaginative displays involving made-over antiques and quirky odds and ends are hard not to smile at while you make your way through the layers of colours and objects.

The counter is beautifully detailed with ironwork on the front but the fun continues on top with cocktail rings and other bright baubles – plus the yards of amazing striped and solid grosgrain.

The store really feels like more of a groovy apartment then a boutique. I could honestly make myself right at home

The only bad part was having to leave those greek key x-benches behind – love them!!

Bag Crush: Hayden-Harnett’s Clara

For the past few months I have been on the lookout for a durable summer bag in a do-able price range. It’s hard to invest in a light-coloured bag that you know is just going to get filthy so I was frustrated that there seemed to be no amazing bags for me in my price range.

It wasn’t until the end of June in NYC did I find something swoon-worthy:

Shining out at me with its pale pink leather with green, coral and turquoise accents, the Clara bag by Hayden-Harnett pretty much hit al the marks: slouchy yet structured, interesting leather detailing, great hardware and a summery palette.

The price tag was still a little steep though for so late in the season so I had to abstain.

In the end after my exhaustive bag search I bought a white vinyl tote at a cheesy discount store catering to tweens. I don’t usually scrimp on accessories that get high traffic but it’s pretty cute if I say so myself and it cost less than dinner at my favourite Japanese place so you can’t beat that

PS- Hayden Harnett also makes amazing studded leather cuffs that I seriously covet. They remind me of my fierce patent marc jacobs studded clutch I picked up in Bal Harbour.

It was less than 50 bucks, but go figure the thingamajig that attaches the zipper already warped so now I’m forced to rock it handle-free

Partners & Spade

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what Partners & Spade is, but that’s just part of its curious charm.

Part art gallery, part boutique and part studio, this NoHo establishment is not a conventional retailer. A constantly revolving roster of artists’ works are displayed and available for sale along with found and vintage objects but its the kind of browsing experience that leaves you more inspired than consumer-crazy.

One of the owners, the ever-creative Andy Spade, wanted to produce a space displaying everyday objects in new ways that make people think and indeed you can’t help but take it all in when you peruse the bright white space.

Colourful rickshaw photographs by Greg Vore ($400 each) lean nonchalantly on top of a radiator

And those looking for a little confidence boost can find the uplift in the form of retro trophies they can pretend they actually won

You can channel your inner grade schooler with Some massive papier-mache items, including this retro car ($900)

Clear bulb table lamps by Ingo Maurer carry a made scientist vibe ($1,270 each)

But my favourite part of the space by far was the temporary display heralding a book written by the progeny of the Maysles brothers, the documentary filmmakers who shot Grey Gardens in the 1970s.

A visual feast, the hardcover book put together by Rebekah and Sara Maysles contains vibrant illustrations, collages, archival odds and ends and more from the film - all edited together in love letter to the Beales.

A lush scrapbook celebrating big and little Edie’s legacy as lovable eccentrics who didn't care about the world around them, the book also comes with a bonus audio recording of unreleased conversations from the film and is a must for hardcore fans

I eagerly snapped my own copy up and was happy to know when I bought it that all the money goes directly to the Maysles girls. The colourful cover looks very at home in my room

Evolution Baby!

I don’t know how I ever missed Evolution in the past as it totally brings out the nature and anthropology geek in me.

Dubbed as “art and science in Soho,” this store holds an array of curiosities from the natural world that range from the expected to the truly bizarre.

After being greeted by the skeleton parked outside the front stoop, your eyes are instantly overwhelmed by the large display of skulls, insects, fossils and other expired organisms (both real and faux)

These geode bookends ($60) were gorgeous! What a way to add a pop of colour to a bookshelf. I would have taken home the pink pair for my sister’s room if they hadn’t been so heavy.

I have always been entranced by butterfly displays and was pleased to see such an amazing selection of beautiful affordable species.

Upstairs are the more freaky items, such as taxidermy heads, snakes, birds and smaller mammals. There are even human skulls on display- creepy!

In the end I settled on taking home a long-awaited butterfly display for only $19! (a far cry from the price of these babies on vivre that I’ve had my eye on forever)

If you’re more riveted than revolted by nature, than you should check out Evolution’s online store for a sample of their natural ware