BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

On My Radar

November 9, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

TRAVELING

As I mentioned last month, we’re heading to New York for a five-night stay in the city after Thanksgiving. It’ll be my first time in New York and I can’t wait to be there with all of the Christmas lights and decor. Gray Malin just released a beautiful photograph of the Rockefeller Center Tree, which I’ve already made my phone background to put me in the holiday spirit in advance of the trip! Shortly after we return, we’ll head to Chicago for the Christkindlmarket. Spending a holiday-filled weekend in the Windy City has become one of our favorite annual traditions — even if we have to limit ourselves to just one new ornament! A tree can only handle so much glitz!

WATCHING

I’m not a huge fan of movies. For whatever reason, the idea of sitting still for two hours for a feature film sounds like too much of a time commitment, yet I can binge-watch TV shows all afternoon long. It took no time at all for me to get through two new shows: The Haunting of Hill House and Bodyguard. I really liked Hill House up until the ending, but I’ll stay mum if you haven’t watched it yet. Bodyguard, on the other hand, was great through the last episode. We just started Homecoming, which gets rave reviews from critics and mediocre ones from viewers, so I’m curious to see how that unfolds.

DECORATING

If you saw my Instagram story last week, you’ll know that we finally installed a dining room light fixture! We had been living with an old ceiling fan that we removed the blades from last summer when we painted the ceiling. It was certainly a conversation piece, but not in the way we would have liked! I’m smitten with the new fixture and it has given us so much motivation to continue working on that room. We ordered this rug to try. The 7′ x 10′ size was just $140 when we bought it, so it’s cheap enough to keep for now even if it’s not “the one.” Adding curtains is the last thing I’d like to do in that room before the holidays. We have dingy roller shades right now and I think I’m going to add a curtain rod and light-filtering sheers or sheer linen drapes. I want the light in the room, while offering privacy from our neighbor’s house. Yet, I’m not sure I want to cover the architectural detail the window provides in that room. Anyway, just another thing to obsess over (and Photoshop ideas) before pulling the trigger!

WEARING

I can’t wait until the month-end recap or an outfit post to talk about the dress I bought, especially because there aren’t many sizes left. Madewell’s fit-and-flare dresses fit my body like a glove, and I love that the low v-neck and short hemline keep the dress flirty. The colors of the pattern are a lot more vibrant than they appear on screen. I’m smitten. I’m also eyeing up this bag in white (I do have a trip to Florida on the books in January), this coat, this sweater in green for casual holiday gatherings (just add sparkly jewels!), this sparkly sweater, and this swimsuit.

SHOPPING

I’m trying not to bombard you with all of the holiday spirit just yet, but that’s probably going to change next week. Ideally, I’d like to get the majority of my shopping done before the end of November. (I’d like to kick back and enjoy the holiday season instead of worrying about last-minute gifts.) I end up bookmarking all sorts of gift ideas to pass along while I’m shopping for friends and family, so those gift guides are going to start comin’ atcha soon. I’m also working on a gift guide for men that includes the things that I’ve given over the years that have rave reviews. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of seeing the same J.Crew sweaters and socks on everyone’s gift guide. (Speaking of socks, if the guy on your shopping list is looking for new pairs, Dave likes Garnet Hill’s cashmere socks, Anonymous Ism, and the wool socks from Chup.)

MOISTURIZING

Winter does a number on my skin. I’m stocking up on my moisturizing favorites to avoid running out during the winter. I’m still using this every night and loving how my complexion looks, along with this eye cream. This serum is an absolute must, and this overnight mask is great for the really drying days. My hands are prone to severe dryness and cracking during the winter. This hand cream, which you can snag at hardware stores, is the only thing that can keep that at bay.

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images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Attractive Cat Furniture Does Exist!

November 8, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

In a “Weekend Links” post a few months ago, I called your attention to Tuft + Paw, a company that’s been billed “the West Elm of cat furniture.” Pet furniture is notoriously ugly and as much as I love our cat, Bacon, he’s not going to be the recipient of an overstuffed cat bed or a carpeted cat tree. Tuft & Paw changes that, marrying good design with feline-approved furniture. I mean, just look at this sophisticated cat tree or this sphere-shaped cat bed!

To say that I was excited when the company’s founder, Jackson Cunningham, reached out to me would be an extreme understatement. I had a full-on crazy cat lady reaction. I mean, how could I not? An opportunity to feature Bacon on the blog — even if he’s a frustratingly uncooperative model — and feature a favorite design find? Sold. Read on to learn more about Tuft + Paw, including the inspiration behind the brand, the design process, and the one thing that surprised Jackson the most when he launched his company.

What was the inspiration for Tuft + Paw?

“In 2015, I was traveling in South America and there were a ton of homeless cats. Being a cat lover, I knew I wanted to start a business someday where I could help support the homeless cat community. Fast forward a few months and we rescued our cat, Peppers, and when we went shopping for cat furniture we were appalled at the options available. We live in a small apartment in the city and so we’re very careful about what we bring in our home, and there was nothing we could find that wasn’t super tacky.”

How did you identify this niche in the marketplace?

It arose from our own problem with cat furniture, but then I verified that other people were having the same issue by using keyword tools to show how many people were searching for things like “modern cat furniture” on Google.

Tell us a little bit about your design process.

We try to start with basic open ended questions like “why do cats scratch?” or “what makes cats happy?”For example, it’s important for cats to scratch at different angles because one of the main purposes of scratching is stretching. So, why are all scratching posts shaped like a beam? Why not a pyramid or a cube? Once we sketch out some concepts, we then create basic models that we can take to local shelters to test out. If cats seem to like it, we create a prototype to iron out the details and then we produce. We’ve definitely had some flops, but usually you can turn them into something workable; we created a scratching wall once but noticed the scratching material was too thin so cats couldn’t sink their claws into it. As soon as we adjusted that, cats loved it.

Has there been anything that surprised you since starting Tuft + Paw?

It surprises me how expensive shipping is! As consumers, we’re all used to Amazon free shipping. But what you don’t realize as a consumer is that shipping (especially furniture) is insanely expensive and most vendors are taking a huge hit when they offer free shipping. That’s been our biggest challenge, some items cost upwards of $200 to ship and many customers expect free shipping now thanks to Amazon.

What are your most popular items?

The two most popular items are probably the cat cave and simple scratching post, which has catnip embedded in it so cats love it.

Cat bed c/o Tuft + Paw*

*I was torn between the Gatto Basket and the indescribably cute cat teepees. I opted for the former only because I worried that the teepee would put me on the verge of treating my cat like a child. Plus, the basket is a much more appropriate for our mid-century-leaning living room decor! The wool basket is densely woven, which holds its shape and cradles your cat when he’s curled up inside. Bacon had other uses in mind, however, and actually prefers to flip it upside down to sit on the bottom, as well as dive underneath the upturned basket and scoot around with it on top of him like its a turtle shell. It’s … odd, but hey, he likes it!

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Thanks to Tuft + Paw for partnering on this post!

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7 of the Best Fall Design Finds at Target

November 6, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN

I know I’m not the only one who can’t enter Target without leaving with something that wasn’t on my shopping list. It’s just so easy to impulse shop when the store is full of gorgeous design finds that won’t break the bank. Above are seven of my favorites for fall decor, but I’d also like to draw your attention to two of my recent finds: a glass decanter for holiday hosting and the rug we just ordered to try in our dining room.

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Weekend Links

November 3, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Hi, friends! I’m finally back in the swing of things after a work-induced break from the blog and from much of social media! I always realize how much I appreciate this space after I’ve been away for a bit. We’re expecting a dreary weekend here, which is the perfect excuse to tackle a few house projects. As you know, I’ve been slowly working on repairing and painting the doors in our house, and removing the paint from the original hardware before polishing the brass back to its original sheen (without ruining the perfect patina you can only get with age). I’ll be wrapping up our bedroom door today, leaving me with three more I’d like to finish before the end of November. There are few things I find as satisfying as finishing up household projects, but we’re nearing the end of the things we can do on our own and will need to find a contractor to embark on our more ambitious — and more expensive — improvements.

Weekend Links:

I just love Meg’s makeup art column.
DIY macrame feathers for budget-friendly wall decor.
We finally picked out a dining room light fixture!
dELiA*s is back with a limited-time capsule collection. (So many late ’90s and early ’00s flashbacks.)
Taking candy tasting as seriously as wine tasting.
An Instagrammer is being sued for a failure to influence.
I never thought I’d want green kitchen cabinets until now.
This scarf is a must-have for the holiday season.
Make sure you know what’s on your ballot before going to the polls on Tuesday.
Pumpkin bread with salted maple butter looks like the perfect thing for cool fall mornings.
The stories behind legendary hip-hop photos.
In search of a sexy cocktail glass? Look no further than this one.

Finds Under $50:

This glass decanter is really pretty and comes in at just $15. I added it to our bar cabinet already!
An evergreen lace dress is perfect for the upcoming holiday season.
A metal handle makes this affordable bag look chic.
A cozy, wear-it-every-weekend sweater.
A pastel scarf is unexpected for winter, yet it’s perfect for the holiday season and would look great with a camel-colored coat.

Earlier This Week:

What I bought last month.
A selection of silver and grey favorites.

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What I Bought Last Month

November 2, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

All of the purchases I kept last month were made at the tail end of September and didn’t arrive until the very beginning of October, giving me a misleading sense of frugality for the month! But if we’re looking at cost-per-wear (the fashionista’s convenient rationale for overspending), I nailed it with these three items. All have been on heavy rotation, especially the shoes which have become such staples that I’m surprised I’ve only had them for a month!

PURCHASED
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

Madewell ‘Frances’ loafers in black – I’ve wanted these loafers since they debuted last year, but I missed out on my size at the time and they fell off my radar over the summer. The reviews claim the stretch and to go with a snug size. I disagree. My normal size 7 was way too tight. Yes, they stretch a bit because they’re leather. But if they’re not comfortable right out of the box, I’d recommend going up a half size. You can wear loafer socks with them, too.
C/Meo Collective sculpt knit top – I bought this during the Shopbop sale at the beginning of October. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it that much in person since it’s a lot sportier than my typical style, but it was really a ride-along item to get me to the 25% off threshold rather than the 20% off. (I was also ordering two sizes of the Vince sneakers to try.) I was shocked by how much I liked it. The wrap style is flattering, and it’s incredibly soft and warm. However, I don’t recommend it at its full price; wait for a sale.
Vince ‘Blair’ slip-on sneakers in navy tweed – I finally caved and bought a pair of Vince sneakers. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d like them, but I wanted something that felt more elevated than a traditional lace-up style and everyone seems to like them. Well, there’s a reason that bloggers rave about these — they’re so comfortable! I went with my normal size.

DIDN’T WORK OUT
Things I tried and didn’t love.

J.Crew ‘Daphne’ topcoat – I bought my usual size 8 for J.Crew coats and I was swimming in this. It was sold out online by the time I received it, so I didn’t have a chance to order it in a size smaller. However, I’m not sure I loved it enough anyway. It felt unfinished without a lining inside.
J.Crew plaid front-pocket cardigan sweater – I get that this is supposed to be oversize, but I was drowning in the size small. It looked sloppy (the shaggier knit didn’t help), so back it went.
Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Bow Detail Tweed Jacket – This was cute, but I didn’t have that “oh-my-goodness-I-need-to-have-it” feeling that I should for a $170 jacket. I also felt the tweed was a bit too loosely woven and would easily snag.
Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific Cashmere Beanie with Faux Fur Pom – This was another adorable piece from Blair’s collaboration, but I thought it was too long for my head. Besides, I much prefer this winter hat.

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