Outside and Proud


 
 

 
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ehold, the Lanai! A fancy and tropical-like way of saying porch. It also happens to be the location of some of the most hilarious scenes from the Golden Girls. I always hated the terra cotta flooring, but saw great potential for the wrought iron patio furniture - altho' not horrific in their original incarnations during the run of the show (I prefer the button tufted version.) Recently, I came across some lounge chairs quite similar to the ones from the GGs, but opted not to pay the $400 seeing as how I'd have to strip off years of rust and totally refurbish them - giving me little time to devote to several yet-to-be-finished projects. Instead, I restrict myself to fantasies of owning NEW versions of these classic pieces. McKinnon and Harris, a company based in Richmond, VA are serving up outdoor chic in ways that could make a city-boy like me want to spend as much time in the backyard as possible. Mostly made from iron, these delightful additions to the outdoor experience evoke classic detailing and still feel totally modern to me. The Benedict Arm Chair is Preppy meets Goth at its finest!!! I'm recently a sucker for prints and could imagine cushions in a baroque Thomas Paul for Duralee fabric. And the color turquoise against a garden of green grass makes me happier than a Golden Girl marathon. Not that I need a marathon. I own all episodes on DVD and play them on repeat 24/7. 

Fantastic Plastic




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uote: "Cheap is cheap." My favorite line from Woody Allen's hysterical comedy, Midnight in Paris. And I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. That said, I have an affinity for all things melamine. I don't know why this is except if I think back I do recall making a custom plate in grade school that I was quite proud of and coveted. Given the properties of this particular form of resin maybe my beloved dinnerware still exists somewhere out there? I'm sure many of my leanings towards the crafts of the 70's are just due to being a child of that era. Modern versions of melamine are becoming rampant and I've spotted their updated incarnations everywhere from Jonathan Adler to Target. These versions from the company Whitbread Wilkinson take my pal "Mel" to a sophisticated level and are embellished with portraits from the collection at The National Gallery. This is exactly the kind of snobbery I'd love to take to my next picnic in the park.

Dirty Pillows




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arrie's evil mother (that crazy bitch from the Sissy Spacek movie) would have held a week long prayer-pollooza in that creepy closet if she had laid eyes on these "dirty pillows." In actuality they are pillows traditionally embroidered w/ music lyrics by Subversive Stitch and a bit risque. But, my irreverent ass LOVES them and I can never pass up a company that offers customization. Personally, when it comes to nasty songwriting skillz I'm more of a Lil Kim fan so perhaps an extra filthy line from her first album would adorn my pillow. She refers to p***y about 300 times per song so maybe a little sachet for my kittens to sleep on would be fly? Sorry, I'm gettin' all granny-gangsta already. Werd!

Finding Nemo



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nimated films are a guilty (and to some, annoying) pleasure of mine. In truth, I watch one almost every night. Pixar, in my opinion, produce the best of this genre.  This posting really has little to do with animation except that one of my favorite animated features, Finding Nemo, shares a name with a chair design by Italian company Driade. There is a bit of a nod to Jaume Plensa me thinks and I hesitate to mention that there is a similarity to a mime face (as even displayed in their own advertising! ICK). Despite the latter, I still really love them.  Too large perhaps for a desk chair, I'm envisioning it as a modern, funky and surreal solution to a traditional Wingback chair. The 2011 Nemo version is in a deep blue color that invites me to dream of owning a indoor pool. You know, Hermes towels swept over the back mimicking an 80's side swept bang. Oh how different the Hearst Castle pools would have been decorated and adorned had I been in charge! 

Tragic




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rpheus and Eurydice. Yes, a Greek tragedy of the hopeless variety. However, the REAL tragedy of last Friday was that I had to sit thru/waste an hour of my life listening to Mr. Ian Ricky Gordon's production of the greek love tragedy of O&E. I found myself wanting to scream at the male lead, "Turn around!!!" Let's just say it was not my cup of tea. There is one thing I did enjoy, aside from the company of my handsome date, and that was the program design.  Very simple, modern and humorously tied in the iconic image of the New York coffee cup - you know, the one with greek designs adorning the outer facade.  I'm a sucker for anything with a Greek key motif, to be sure. Which suddenly jolted my memory of a favorite little accessories company I've not blogged about. A lovely e-shop called "Greece is for Lovers". I lust after the Hermaphrodite candles and would strike a deal with Hades for the Zeus! lighting bolt letter opener. Silver plated, please.