Flings

our studio apartment in NYC is finally feeling like it's ours.  tad found the ligne roset sectional at the thrift store in aspen, and it just arrived via a truck shipment from Colorado - and praise be!  it's one of those pieces that doesn't need much else around it.  like your one friend who's a fitness superstar on instagram and has like half a million followers, and when you're out with her, you don't really get to mingle that much because it's more about tending to her needs.  ya know?  it's that good.  there are still challenges on the horizon, like a solid wall of built-in shelves, that's amazing, but daunting.  I can't be a books by the foot girl, and I just filled up the behemoth bookcase in raleigh with my blood sweat and travel momentos, so it's either going to be a hot girl minute before I can fill it up, or I come up with a clever solution, like a screen or shade to pull down over the whole situation while some life is lived and collected upon.

the fruits of my trip to Jaipur are finally joining the cobbler of my life - 1) we're dropping a brand new line of mix n' match (sound like cat food!) table linens I designed for furbish next week 2) I'm finalizing color selections on new rugs I designed exclusively for the furb frond family (that's you).  think Caroline blue with cherry red trim!  neon snakes glittering over maroon seas!  and antiqued washed greek key patterns that look like your globe-trotting great-aunt willed them to you out of her long-forgotten travel valise of treasures.

in September I'm flying down to the Bahamas to put the final touches on the project I've been working remotely on.  the house is complete, the furniture has been moved in, and all that's left is a tropical zhush that I'll apply with textiles, art, trays and other decorative bits.  I've loved getting snapshots from the family of the progress - like these shell sconces that were installed last week in the stairwell.  oft overlooked, but never under appreciated, I'm a big fan of miles redd line for Ballard.  I've been using his stuff a ton lately, and it's all on sale!

it's a blessing and a curse that our nyc apt is right behind the John Derian trifecta of carefully curated shops, full of pretty bits that I don't ever need but must always have.  on a recent shopping trip, I did pick up some switch plate covers for kondo.  I've aways wanted to invest in a few, and now that I'm in this big white box, they can really stand out.  at $100 a pop, it's a spurge, but I think it's justified for something you interact with everyday.  just one of those little things that being thoughtful about can pay off big time in terms of sparking joy on the extra-reg.

I don't know much, but I know I love this vintage chandelier I found in a little mid-century thrift shop on 1st street in nyc.  not sure if I have a home for it, but surely someone will, eventually.  this magical thinking gets me in all sorts of trouble (specifically two storage units full of magical thoughts) but to create a collected kondo, this is the path we must take.

new find: the cupcake market on 7th street in my hood.  here I'm enjoying a banana strawberry cupcake that's really a perfectly moist muffin masquerading as more, but I couldn't have been more pleased with it's deliciousness, and the fact that I can enjoy it on the stoop next door whilst participating in my number one NYC pastime: people watching.  also notable about the cupcake market: they do custom cookies with faces on them. you can turn your face, your friends or even your favorite pup into a batch of custom cookies, or you can walk in and purchase a cookie iced with the likes of Anna wintour, a crying Kim kardashian, or Cardi B.

just a sneak peek from our latest real raleigh shoot at the downtown home of Van and Vanvisa Nolintha, the proprietors of Raleigh's beloved bida manda and brewery bhvana.  can't wait to show you the amazing shots we got at this very fun shoot.  do you have a friend who's inarguably interesting, with a fun home, a good story and a collection that needs to be featured?  if so, shoot me an email and I'd love to learn more. we're definitely looking for more friends to include in the real raleigh fam!