HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

Wherever you are this weekend, I hope you drink up every last drop of summer goodness. Picnic, party, beach, BBQ or pool, you are sure to enjoy summer's last lovely moments with a bit of cool. Here are some ways to hang onto the feeling.

Party of 4! The grass is ready for you. Acme Party Box Company has a jaunty French straw basket ready to go with tablesettings for 4. Complete with a cool Weck glass carafe, Bistro goblets or Mason Jar glasses, 4 Weck glass jars for food, bamboo plates and cutlery, bamboo cheese board and red and white gingham cotton napkins, this is sure to be one good looking feast. Perfect for watching that end of summer concert or hitting Central Park for a little fun in the sun.

Photos courtesy of Acme

 Picnic time! 

Photo courtesy of Longstreet Collection

Popsicles on a hot day make everything ok. This Longstreet Collection print of watercolor popsicles in every flavor you can imagine keeps summer going.

SHELL IT OUT

It's time to bid adieu to the seashore and seashells, but that doesn't mean you can't bring the seaside feeling inside. Karen Robertson's coastal chic  artistic endeavors never fail to surprise, so as you put away your flip flops and sarongs, you can still look at the art on your walls and feel as though your toes are in the sun - warmed sand.

 Karen Robertson's shell - encrusted Blue Limpet Shell Anchors framed artwork  come encased in acrylic or wood frames. There is an old - world charm to these clean and spare designs.

For a more is more effect, shell flourishes and curlicues. Like a neo - sailors valentine, The Shell Grotto collection includes detailed shell inlay in elaborate decorative patterns.  Utilizing the 18th Century art of mosaic shell patterning, the detail is incredible.

WELL ADORNED: HARRISON MORGAN'S PAGODA AND BAMBOO JEWELS

If you love pagodas and bamboo like I do, then I have just the thing for you. I discovered Harrison Morgan's pretty jewelry collection recently.  Bridging the gap between super dressy and everyday go-to, his designs are inspired by classic vintage touches evolved for today. Things we love in interior decor, from bamboo and pagodas, to door knockers and semi-precious stones converge. Wearability and beautiful scale make his collection a hit, and can be worn with a crisp white shirt or to a cocktail party. Providing a bit of luxury and days-of-yore glamour, his designs are divine. To order, email agata@hcmcollective.com, and their e-commerce will be up soon.
Have you started your Christmas list yet?

Photos courtesy of Harrison Morgan

Carnelian Agate Pagoda Drop Earrings



Carnelian Agate Links Necklace with Pagoda Drop

Carnelian Agate and Gold Doornocker Earrings

Carnelian Three Strand Necklace with Bamboo Clasp

Green Triple Strand Necklace with Bamboo Clasp

Coral Single Strand with Bamboo Clasp

Turquoise Single Strand Necklace with Bamboo Clasp

Turquoise Three Strand Necklace with Bamboo Clasp

Turquoise and Gold Arch Necklace

Sunburst Pendant Turquoise Brooch 

Sunburst Tiger Eys Brooch on Slide

Sunburst Tiger Eye Bracelet

IT'S 5PM SOMEWHERE: COCKTAIL TIME GETS CUTE

With a few warm August days remaining, now is the time to thank those that hosted you for the weekend, or longer this summer. If you bring a darling gift with you or send it as a token of your appreciation, and your chances of getting invited back are increased. August Morgan, the vintage needlepoint pillow company run by Austin, Texas-based Kate Hersh, just introduced the most adorable linen cocktail napkins. Cocktail hour will never be the same again. 

Don't get overserved. These snails will remind you to take it slow.

In case your really thirsty.

Fish aren't the only ones who love the bubbly and the drink.

GIFT SHOW A GO GO PART II: FOR THE NEO PREP

I covered another round of Gift Show aisles today, where I uncovered an abundance of cheery new finds. Since summer is on the wane, I thought I would show a bit of beachy fashion and home accessories to help extend the joys of summer. Try to take full advantage of the casual living and entertaining till Labor Day.  You will find Three Islands clothing and Iomoi for Matouk additions fit right in with your few remaining lazy days.

 Photo courtesy of Tina Barney

 Looking for easy breezy clothing you want to wear every day of the week, all summer long? Look no further, Three Islands has you covered. A friend of mine, interior designer Amanda Essex, shared the collection with me awhile back.  I kept seeing the purple and white Julie Dress (pictured above)  this summer, and I always wondered where it was from.  With its little cap sleeve and a-line silhouette, it was just perfect to wear to lunch and over a bathing suit.  Not knowing it was Three Islands, I was excited to come across their booth at the show, and discover they made the elusive dress!  Rhode Island-based cousins Phil Barney  and Justin Goff took their love of the shore, casual lifestyle and Balinese prints and created the fresh clothing line. Their cotton graphic, block - printed batik patterns change seasonally, and beautifully capture the essence of chillaxing, at a price where you can feasibly pick up a few pieces. You have some time left to enjoy the summer in these resort basics, and they are sure to be the first things you pack for your next island getaway.

 The Julie Dress in coral

The Julie Dress in purple and white honeycomb

 Guys get to look casual cool too in long sleeve shirts that look great with a navy blazer or Nantucket Reds.

A tiny pink sunflower print on navy just shows real men do wear pink.

This cotton is the softest woven cotton, perfect for golf outings or BBQ's. Or grilling fish.

 Little ladies can also rock the look, with a mini shift dress in an alligator print. I mean, come on! So cute.

 Iomoi for Matouk debuted their second collection at the show. The small scale prints compliment the original collection perfectly. Mix and match to get the complete Iomoi effect.

 From bar towels to pillows, you can go blue/green, pink/orange, and pink/red and blue.

 All the pretty bar towels in Pom and Mr. Casual patterns all in a row...

 ... and the row goes on

 Mr. Casual gallivants around on his seahorse alone or with coral sprigs in blue and green. A gift set includes 4 in one of each pattern.

He also comes in pink and orange.

Photo courtesy of Tara Wilson

 Remember the Lucite photo cube your parents used to put pictures of you in? It's back! Tara Wilson Designs has brought back the classic 1970's icon, and you can relive the good ol' days with your kids pics.

WHAT I'M LOVING NOW FROM THE NY GIFT SHOW

A visit to Pier 94, At Home and Accent of Design of the New York Gift Show yielded some exciting new finds. The artistic hand is still very much present, bold bright and striking color is as strong as ever, clean all American design is carrying over from summer to winter, and exoticism from globally sourced goods adds a touch of faraway chic. From abstract painting to high gloss lacquer finishes to embroidery, it's time to embrace eclecticism. It's all in the mix.

Zoe Bios Creative represents the work of 21 artists. The work they displayed was one of the most inspiringly fabulous finds of the day.

Bold abstracted watercolor prints from a variety of artists hung en masse around their booth opened my eyes to a trove of great art by artists whose work I never knew.

Bringing her painter background to tabletop, Gail Garcia's eathernware Dinner-Ware line includes this striking black and white abstracted brushtroke design.

An upholstered dresser covered in Indian embroidered textiles from Mangalam Arts is really outside the box in the best sense of the expression.

Lance Wovens launched a marbleized printed leather collection. Amazing.

Hillary Thomas launched a new Finial Touch collection, Moxie,  in collab with acrylic queen Alexandra Von Furstenberg made of laser - cut acrylic. It is hot.

Newell Freivogel  and Sally Gate, the sister act founders of Burrow and Hive in their booth showing for the first time.

Are you thinking holiday gifts? Here you go. It is the year of the pochette, I do declare.

A medallion print from the Longstreet Collection is a mandala of Skittles color.

New hanging lanterns from JM Piers are based on British lanterns probably of a much larger scale.

A striking new dining table with turned ball legs from Dunes and Duchess available in brights too.

Bungalow 5 launched a vivid royal blue lacquer collection which included this chic little mirror-topped x-base tray table.

Pochettes aplenty at Christen Maxwell of cotton prints, jelly neons, and metallic linen.

GIFT SHOW A GO - GO

As summer draws to a close, the New York Gift Show rolls around. Every August, the excitement of new products, inspiration and holiday gifts and decorations makes us giddy with anticipation. Seeing unbridled creativity and advantageous new brands emerge takes the sting out of summer's end.

Photo courtesy of Oomph

Red white and blue American tried and true, Oomph debuts their new white octagonal Westport Mirror and Westport Sconces at the New York Gift Show. A patriotic color palette drives their Made in America message home, and once you visit their booth, you will want to take it all straight home.

WHAT'S AFOOT: THE BEST RUGS FROM VEGAS MARKET

Boy oh boy, did I see tons of great new rugs at Las Vegas Market.  So many in fact, that I now have the dizzying choice of selecting a pattern for my own home, and am stumped. Patterned, graphic hurries in cotton and wool caught my eye, in both brights and muted tones. When it comes to innovating, color is king. Companies Safaveih and Surya are pushing the boundaries of geometric pattern with ethnic influences, scale and design with their latest additions.  Some of these are so new they will be updated with style numbers shortly. 

Which design would you choose?

SAFAVIEH:

 

Redefine Kilim-10 in beige 

in multicolor and yellow

A purple field with oversized arch detailing in coral and cream.

With green.

Possibly the happiest rug I've ever encountered.

A tight square and line pattern can work in so many settings.

Monochromatic graphic geometric rugs are just the thing to work with Quadrille prints.

Gettin' bold.

A grey version on white.

SURYA: 

Fallon in wool in a color combination I am seriously considering for my apartment scheme.

Fallon collection chevron pattern in poppy red designed by Jill Rosenwald, another rug in contention for my apartment floor.

A Moorish inspired rug comes in an array of fantastically fun colors

Yet another rug that matches my scheme!

New stripes in seriously great colors.

Amazing!

Love!

Yes, another coral and cream intricate pattern to love.

A graphic geometric to suit many schemes

A thick awning stripe is fresh and fun

Ikat with a natural, less rigid hand

Carrots and peas! Large geometric spheres surrounded by smaller ones trick the eye.

Fresh.

Resembling an updated modernized patchwork quilt, these rugs are great for country settings

More good combos

If you like it bold, boom.

A Fleur de lis design goes graphic geometric.

Alternating chevrons.

Mandalas look modern in cream on a bright color.

Like caning on a chair? You can have the pattern on your floor.

Interlocking boxes for a poppy modern feeling.

Outdoor or indoor, a little Americana goes a long way.