Are you house-proud? It's one of the simple satisfactions of domestic life. I believe that living in a clean, uncluttered space that's well-organized and smells fresh is essential for health and happiness. Your house doesn't have to be big (mine is tiny) and your furnishings needn't be fancy, but you can surround yourself with things that are pleasing to the senses. Right now, I've made some small adjustments in honor of the holidays. I'm burning this fabulous juniper incense all the time (I also love their Big Sur cabin spray) and I've brought in bunches of red winterberries and boughs of fragrant pine. My three big silver mercury glass ornaments (jumbo versions of these that I got at the old Takashimaya) and our two embroidered stockings are out—small tributes to the Christmas tradition in which I was raised. And I'm also loving incorporating Jan Richter's lovely drawings into little vignettes around the house. Those are her gorgeous pomegranates, above. Have you been to the GFL shop yet? Her work is for sale there.
Read More...

It's pretty fascinating how the internet has opened up so many avenues of opportunity for art and commerce—sometimes separately, sometimes together. There are jillions of blogs and online stores and social networks of every stripe. And now, there is a fantastic source for affordably priced art from the roster of talented illustrators represented by my dear friend Stephanie Pesakoff. Stampa, which just launched last week (as per this mention in the Times), offers limited series of prints, with 4 artists at a time each selling their exclusive work for 4 weeks only. Once the edition is closed, Stampa will never offer the same art work again. A new series is added every week, so there's always something to discover. (There are actually 5 artists available currently, but that will change to a permanent format of 4.)
Read More...

Once upon a time, I toiled in the creative department at Saks Fifth Avenue, working on high-profile advertising campaigns in the wacky and fast-paced world that is fashion retail. My boss, SVP Janice Richter, was a multi-talented woman who (like I) has since moved on to greener pastures. We had some fun while we were there, though she coped with the whole corporate thing much more gracefully than I ever could. Jan never lost her cool, perhaps because under the desk in her corner office she harbored the soul of an artist. In her new life as an illustrator, she reveals a talent for lyrical, vivid and always incredibly chic images that incite desire for whatever they're depicting. She's been kind enough to let me post a few here in the past, and today we have an embarrassment of riches along with her thoughtful take on, among other things, art and commerce.

Read More...