Free People's January Catalog

This week I received my first Free People catalog. I can only assume that FP is onto the fact that I am obsessed with their sister store, Anthropologie, and wanted a piece of the action. I must say that I was very impressed with their collection and have my eye on several items.

Romantic
Wisteria and Lattice Dress, $128
Sweater and Chiffon Dress, $168
Sunburst Maxi Dress, $108
Kite and Butterfly Tunic, $298
Ruffled Eyelet One Shoulder, $98

Sporty
Crepe Pullover, $58
Fluttered Hems Tee, $78
Vesper Pocket Belt, $258
Mini Stripes Tall Sock, $20
Mojave Hip Belt, $58
Slouched Rugby Tee, $78
Engineered Crochet Tunic, $98
On the Go Top, $78

Honestly, I would have to wait for sale on most of these items as Free People is no more budget conscious than Anthropologie. Hey, a girl can obsess can't she?

Brilliant....and amusing.

Something about this set me off into a fit of giggles last night.



I was also ready to buy it.

New at West Elm

I love this apres-Christmas time when all the shops roll out their new wares for spring! West Elm is one of my favorites. It looks like turmeric will be the it color of the collection this season.

Here are a few pieces to get excited about:


Parsons Mini Desk in straw (with that cute design on the top)



Scoop-Back Chair in turmeric bloom



Chrysanthemum Rug



Capiz Window Panels



Sheared Sheepskin Pillow Cover The sheep have been shorn this season and I love that amethyst color!



Wood Boxes with Lacquered Lids Nice contrast.



And these little cuties.
Carved Birds

Happy New Year!

It's amazing how time flies when you're overhauling your house during the holidays! It was a fun and busy couple of months but I must say that I am soooo glad it's over. Back to real life. I've been doing some post holiday decompression for the past week.

Here are a few of the things I've been wasting time on:

1.The Times Online "50 of the World's Best Design Blogs"

2.The Homies, Apartment Therapy's annual home blog awards.

3.The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2009.

4.Online Magazines: Ideal Home, Living Etc. and Lonny Magazine

5.Oh, and True Blood, a gory HBO series. Oddly enough, I was able to borrow the first season at our local library. Not for the faint of heart!

Listening to: Chromeo

Just a little something to brighten the day.
Great cleaning music by the way!

Curing what ails my house...

I just signed up for the "Kitchen Cure" and "Home Cure" e-mail events through Apartment Therapy. I was planning to do a full cleanse from now through the winter and this should be just the thing to help me get started. My impression is that I will receive weekly e-mails with assignments to tighten and tidy things, gradually, over a period of about a month or so. What a great opportunity for those who have a difficult time knowing where to start with a project of this magnitude. The best part is that it's e-mail so you can choose to do as much or as little as you want.

I'll keep you updated. Wish me luck!

Wine Tasting Winners!

We just had our monthly wine tasting at the store and these were the winners in my book:

1.Adelsheim Pinot Gris 2007 (Oregon) $16.99
Fresh and fruity with a little more weight than other pinot gris. Love this with lobster.



2. Domaine de Régusse Vin de Pays de Mediterranée Aligoté 2008 (France) $13.99
This was my favorite summer white this year. Wonderfully fragrant nose, spicy peach and yellow apples. Lovely and sophisticated.


3. Falesco Vitiano Rosso 2007 (Umbria, Italy) $12.99
So good for the money! Nice complexity, definitely Italian.


4. Montaria Reserva Vinho Tinto 2006 (Portugal) $10.99
Just a good little Portuguese.Peppery spice, nice fruit and a dry finish. Really stands out from others in this price range.

5. Ferrari-Carano Merlot 2005 (California) $23.99
Rich, rich, rich. Big Cali merlot and awesome.



6. Hugl Zweigelt 2007 (Ketzelsdorf-Poysdorf, Austria) $15.99 - A 1 liter bottle!
Perfect for this time of year between summer and fall. Good with food, medium weight, and spicy.


7. Apaltagua Pinot Noir 2008 (Chile) $12.99
Great bargain pinot and tasted like pinot.


8. Thorn Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz 2008 (Australia) $21.99
Oh my, this was good. Rich and complex. I can see myself sipping this all evening next to the fire!