Mesi Jilly

I am in love with these beautiful rings designed by self-taught designer Mesi Jilly. The collection offers simple and elegant spiral shells as well as oversized, stone-encrusted ones. The handcrafted shell-based rings combine semi-precious stones, mother-of-pearl and coral with gold or silver. I will profile Marie Therese “Mesi” Jilly in the upcoming week. I can’t wait to learn more about this talented woman.

More Odd Balls

I'm on an invitation kick at the moment. In just a few weeks I’ll be in New York and then I’ll be in Texas for most of November. I usually stock up on invitations when I am in the States, as I have not found the same printable invitations here in the UK. Certainly it’s not for a lack of trying, but even the nicest stationery shops seem to only carry fill-in-the-blank type invitations and I don’t particularly care for my handwriting. If anyone knows where I can source great invitations here in the UK I’d love to hear from you.

Odd Balls

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a real weakness for beautiful and original stationery. For special occasions I love to use Odd Balls, known as the Best Little Paper Company in Arkansas. Odd Balls was established in 1992, the year before I was married. Several of my showers and wedding events were printed on their beautiful invitations, as was the invitation for our first Christmas party after our wedding.

For the past two years we have hosted Thanksgiving in Scotland and I always use Odd Balls for this occasion. I’ve posted a few of my favorite finds for yesterday. One is an obvious choice, but I think any of them would work. Thoughts?

Profile: Michelle Smith

I have long been a fan of Michelle Smith, the designer behind the successful clothing line Milly. I was thrilled to see her gorgeous apartment on the cover of the October 2007 issue of ELLE Decor. I’ve yet to get my own copy, but the photos I have seen online are fantastic! I especially love Osborne and Little's Asuka wallpaper in the dining room pictured above. Michelle’s fun and feminine approach to fashion comes across just as beautifully in her home. What a great combination!

How would you describe your own personal style?
My style comes from my personal experiences living and working here in New York and in Paris. I guess you could call it “New York-meets-Paris chic with a youthful edge”. I like to dress in a feminine, smart and sexy way.

Who are your style icons?
Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Ali Mcgraw, Romy Schneider

What or who inspires your designs?
Thinking of what I want to wear the coming season inspires me. I then design a wardrobe for myself. It’s lots of fun!

What are the must haves for this fall?
Dresses are a must have. I like them above the knee. Straight shifts with sleeves in structured jacquards, sleeveless dresses that can go from work to cocktails, Wool jersey dresses with black patent belts, and don’t forget a ¾ sleeve coat to top your fabulous dresses. In terms of color, I’m loving black accented by gold or hot pink.

What are the greatest challenges being both an entrepreneur and a mother?
Budgeting my time is sometimes difficult, but it is manageable. I used to work very late hours in the office before Sophia was born. Now I bring my work home and finish it after Sophia has fallen asleep…I can’t miss her bathtime! I have a pretty busy travel schedule, but I always bring her with me. I hate to be away from her. She is now a seasoned world traveler at 8 ½ months old!

Your home on the October cover of ELLE Decor is stunning.
Thank you! It was surreal to be in the JFK magazine shop and see my apartment on the cover.

Do you see yourself moving into home fashions?
Eventually. I think my prints and jacquards would lend themselves well to home furnishings. I enjoyed designing my apartment.

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
My family! My family always comes first.

Profile by Ronda Carman

Shopping

Just 18 more days until I leave for New York and I can’t wait. So instead of posting my regular ‘Shopping on Saturday’ yesterday I actually went shopping for my trip. I am still trying to work out in my mind what to wear for Courtney Cochran’s book launch. Perhaps I should save myself the mental torture and just ask Courtney.

But here is the big question, why is it that when you need/want new clothes and you have the money to spend you can NEVER find anything to buy? Am I the only person in the world that suffers this quandary on a regular basis?

As always I found some great handbags at Zara. I love Zara for well-made, fashionable and affordable bags. The photo above was my purchase from last winter. At the end of the day I did purchase an adorable pair of Carvela flats and a pair of black trousers. Not exactly what I had in mind when I set out on my shopping excursion, but I love them nonetheless.

Guising

Halloween ranks right up near the top as one of my favorite holidays. I must have passed my enthusiasm on to our son as he loves the holiday almost as much as Christmas. With all the leaves on the ground and candy in the stores I am very much looking forward to October.

However, there is a significant difference in the way Halloween has developed in Scotland as opposed to the United States. Halloween customs in Scotland these days consist chiefly of children going door to door ‘guising’ and performing a song or telling a joke before receiving money, apples or sweets. On Halloween night you primarily go to surrounding neighbours (in large groups) and everyone is invited into the homes.

Our first year was quite a surprise as I had no idea this was the custom. I kindly refused the offer to ‘come in’ from several homes before I realized that I was being rude. For those who live the US it’s hard to imagine inviting every child into your home. It’s actually good fun and a great way for the whole family to socialize.

Interview - Part two: Mary McDonald

House Beautiful October 2002

What are the greatest joys and challenges of being an entrepreneur?
I am not sure as that word connotes business and I am not sure I have ever been great at the bottom line. BUT creating my vision while being my own boss I do understand, and yes I do get paid for what I do each day. In that respect, the greatest joys are the moments your vision is coming together. You stand there and realize it is actually coming into focus. The colors are working, the patterns are dancing, the furniture seems to be flirting and the room has the FEELING for which you were hoping. You feel like you are in the right place and time in those moments.

It’s then you are reminded that someone (other than your mother) has actually requested and paid for this vision inside your head. You have been given the opportunity to create and it is totally yours and it is working. I do have to say it’s not always the case. There are often times before it is all coming together when you wonder what is wrong, why isn't this working, why is this so flat or boring or corny? So the day of vision realization is pretty great.

It is also nice when someone you don't know writes a fan letter or stops you on the street to say how much they loved some house they saw in a magazine. Without these moments it would not be worth it to me because of all of the design hell challenges (in one form or another this certainly must be the case in every entrepreneurs life).

House & Garden November 2001

Of course there are challenges of running your own show and the learning curve never ends if you want to grow. In addition there are the clients that question every decision (after they begged you to do their house), do not spend the money they say they will, employee goof ups, bad hair days, working for attorneys (a lot of overanalyzing), wondering how come people think you should be cleaning out their closet because you are designing the closet, wondering when are they going to pay their $100,000.00 fabric bill. (Why am I a bank? Are other designers a bank?) Bla Bla Bla Bla it’s endless. In the end you have to laugh and just pick the next color.

What is your idea of the perfect party?
Probably a 15-person dinner party of new and old friends with a couple surprise guests. Definitely a cocktail hour in a candlelit living room with four to five small conversation groups mixing and interchanging. Casual but festive dress. Definitely hors d'oeuvres and drinks served as people get to know each other.

We are then led to a fabulously chic dining room decorated Indian style with a long low table on the floor surrounded by carpets and pillows to sit on. The table centrepiece has beautiful tureens and pedestals of fruits and flowers spilling onto the table. The atmosphere is sensual and moody with only candles. Everyone kicks their shoes off, finds a spot on the floor and gets planted with their pillow. The dinner is a multi course ethnic style meal (such as Moroccan) served throughout the night. It all ends in dessert and drinks by an outside fire.

House Beautiful October 2002

What are your favorite design books?
The Country Houses of David Adler; Vogue's' Book of Houses, Gardens, People; Parish-Hadley: Sixty Years of American Design; Albert Hadley's Drawing and the Design Process; and Interior Inspirations by Roger Banks Pye. Oh, also Great Houses of England and Wales

Who you would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
Hmmm big question...Ghandi is up there. I would love to ask all the big existential questions and corner him on some life advice.

Interview by Ronda Carman

Interview - Part One: Mary McDonald

Elegance and sophistication are the two words that come to mind when I think of Los Angeles interior designer Mary McDonald. Not only do her interiors exude beauty and glamour, but also Mary herself personifies these traits.

Consistently named one of House Beautiful’s top 100 designers, Mary’s interiors are always classic, timeless and easily recognizable.

How would you describe your own personal style?
Probably classic meets eccentric. I find myself in sweater sets some days and ostrich feathers others—Audrey Hepburn meets Auntie Mame. My interiors have that same range.

Who are your style icons?
Basically people who really go for it whatever their "thing" may be.

Like clockwork you can count on me to always love Babe Paley, Slim Keith, Elsie de Wolfe, Paulene de Rothschild, CZ Guest, Carolyne Roehm, Caroline Herrera and Coco Chanel.

On the other end of the spectrum I adore the theatrical eccentrics. Tony Duquette, Barbara Hutton, Diana Vreeland (part eccentric), Rosalind Russell's Auntie Mame, Morticia Adams (the original Morticia) and Edward Scissorhands.

What inspires your designs?
I am always inspired by the glamour of the past. I will never tire of the 18th century or all things French. Having said that I am also inspired by the multitude of small objects, textures and patterns I come across daily. I have drawers in my office dedicated to small finds in my everyday life.

I love the layers, tone, color and patterns found in driftwood, the color and curl of an ostrich plume, the endless complicated beauty in flowers, shiny packaging, beautiful ball gowns...they all inspire me.

All of these things might be the seed of a great color scheme in decorating, perhaps the detail of a bed treatment or the birth of pattern for a custom rug.

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
Lipstick and freedom. The freedom to say no, say what you think, leave when you want...I love freedom.

Interview by Ronda Carman

Mary McDonald

Please forgive me for not doing a proper post today, but if you come back tomorrow I will have part one of a fantastic interview with the wonderful Mary McDonald.

All the best,
Ronda

The Rug Company: Chris & Suzanne Sharp

The Rug Company has single-handedly inspired a whole new generation of rug lovers, myself included. I love the way rugs add layers and texture to a room, especially the wonderfully whimsical designs from the Rug Company.

It wasn’t always so, as Christopher and Suzanne Sharp, the husband and wife team who set up the company in 1997, can testify. “When we started out, the rug market was all about looking back,” says Christopher. “The only things you could buy were expensive antiques or the faux oriental carpets that your parents had bought in the 1970s. Nobody was looking forward and people were bored. It was clear to us that there needed to be a big injection of interest and design.”

The Rug Company boasts a designer collection from some of the worlds finest, including Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Matthew Williamson and Diane von Furstenberg.

Chris:
What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
As I consider myself unemployable, I have little choice! I love the variety of what we do and, right or wrong, I like making my own decisions. Travelling, meeting interesting people and working in a craft I feel passionately about, I don’t think it gets much better.

What is your favourite luxury in life?
Being outside at our home in Italy.

What is your most prized possession?
Suzanne, Nick, Sophie, Jack and Boo squashed into my 1965 Mercedes.

What is your greatest accomplishment?
I am very proud of the Rug Company, the quality of the design, the weaving and material. I think we have created a happy environment where the passion of the staff is evident to our customers.

Whatever we have done, we have tried to do it extremely well... I know we have changed the landscape of the Rug world for the better and what we are creating now will be significant retrospectively.


Suzanne:
Who are your style icons?
Christian Liaigre, David Hicks, Gio Ponti, Andrea Palladio, Ilse Crawford and I could list about a thousand more people – let me know if you want me to carry on!

How would you describe your personal style?
Modern, emotional and comfortable. I’m interested in how people feel in a space and I’m into being able to move things around when I have new ideas: the rug is a perfect example of my nomadic approach to decorating.

What is the one thing in life you can’t live without?
My family and my imagination.

profile by Ronda Carman

Supper on Sunday - Beef Bourguignonne

When the season changes to autumn I begin to crave steaming bowls of soup and hearty stews, topped off with a glass of red wine. Growing up my mom would make beef stew and chicken and dumplings when the first chill of fall was in the air. Of course in Houston it might be November at best, but I always loved a bowl of my mom's stew. Living in Scotland I don't have to wait until late in the year, autumn has officially arrived. Today I am making a delicious pot of Beef Bourguignonne. Enjoy.

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces bacon, cut into thin strips
3 pounds of beef cut into cubes
16 ounces baby carrots
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups good Pinot Noir or burgundy wine
2 cups beef stock or broth
1 bouquet garni
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 ounces mixed mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the beef in batches and cook until brown. Remove and set aside. Put carrots and chopped onions in the pot and cook until onions are caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for several minutes.

Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Sprinkle on the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the wine, enough of the beef stock to cover, the bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and let it simmer gently for 3 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving add the mushrooms and parsley.

Shopping on Saturday

Born a month and a half too early, my newest nephew has finally come home from the hospital. I’ve yet to see this precious little one, but I’m desperately hoping to make it home to Texas in November to see him and all of my family. In the meantime I’ve been doing some baby shopping and discovered a great site for the whole family.

Brora was established in 1993 with the aim to give classic Scottish cashmere a contemporary twist and 
create a collection in a wide range of unique colours. Brora cashmere is dyed and knitted in Hawick, the thriving centre of the Scottish 
cashmere industry.

I think these cashmere hand knitted bootees are just adorable. I also love the ribbed cashmere hot water bottle cover (hint hint) should interested parties be reading this post.

Holly Dunlap

Many thanks to the ultra chic Holly Dunlap, creative director of Hollywould, for her praise of All the Best. I was thrilled to learn that All the Best was mentioned on Holly's diary and described as a très chic & fabuleux site. I am so looking forward to visiting Hollywould next month during my trip to NYC.

Profile: Katharine Pooley

Yesterday I posted on Forter Castle and the wonderful restoration by the Pooley family. Today meet Katharine Pooley, the mastermind behind the beautiful interiors.

Award winning interior designer Katharine Pooley is currently one of the most in demand designers in the UK. Katharine attended St Mary’s Wantage, Oxfordshire and then INSA University in Lyon, France. She spent 14 years living in Hong Kong where she worked for Morgan Stanley and Barclays Bank and has lived in Vietnam, Singapore, Bahrain and London.

To date she has visited over 190 countries, summited Mt Kilimanjaro and Vinson Massif and drove a dog sled across the Arctic. As you might expect, her extensive travels play a prominent role in Katharine’s interiors, which offer luxury and refinement matched with contemporary and traditional artefacts from across the globe.

Apart from being passionate about interiors and travel, Katharine has attended several prestigious cookery courses, namely Cordon Bleu and Prue Leith. In 2003 she published a travel diary cookbook, A Taste of My World, available in her London store. A Taste of My World takes recipes from every place, person and home Katharine has ever known across the globe.

What countries are on your must visit list?
Ethiopia, Bhutan , Mozambique, Mnemba Island - Zanzibar

What is your favourite luxury in life?
Playing golf on a Friday afternoon. Waking up at the weekends with all my dogs in bed with me in the country.

How would you describe your own personal decorating style?
Warm yet stylish, easy living yet clean lines and I love lots of storage!

Who is your style icon?
Sir Norman Foster

What did you enjoy most about writing a taste of my world?
The reminder of all the wonderful countries and memories I had of visiting each place.

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
That I am at my happiest hanging out in a tent with no showers for three weeks whilst climbing a mountain at 22,000ft.

profile by Ronda Carman

Forter Castle

Prior to my first visit to Scotland I had the romantic notion that castles were on every corner. While I did not immediately see any castles surrounding the airport or dotting the M8 I did fall for one in particular after reading a fascinating article on a Christmas afternoon.

Forter Castle in Perthshire was originally built in 1560 and then destroyed by the Duke of Argyll in 1640. For many years the derelict castle remained uninhibited and became yet another ruin in the Scottish countryside. That was until Robert Pooley purchased the property in 1998.

At the time of purchase the stone walls were crumbling, the interior was scarred by fire and the entrance was obstructed by three feet of debris. Mr Pooley hired experienced craftsmen from all over Scotland to restore Forter to its former glory. After restorations were complete Mr Pooley commissioned his daughter Katharine Pooley to design the interiors.

The great hall is an exceptional space with beautiful wool rugs covering flagstone flooring. The main seating area of deep red sofas and leather arm chairs are centered around an enormous open fireplace with tartan rugs and a large ottoman. Also in the great hall is a mahogany dining table that seats 26. The fabric covering the dining chairs is Pooley family tartan. What a fantastic room for hosting a dinner party!

Tomorrow I will introduce you to Katharine Pooley, an amazingly fascinating woman.

click photos to see larger view

Profile: Joanna Weinberg

I love London author Joanna Weinberg's new book How to Feed Your Friends with Relish. After I received my copy (thank you Kate) I read it cover to cover in a weekend. More than just a great cookbook, it’s a celebration of food, friendship and comfort cooking.

Joanna’s love affair with cooking began when she was away at university. While existing on pasta and other typical college fare her sister would call from London with sensational stories of extra virgin olive oil, smoky pancetta and hunks of fresh Parmesan. Inspired, Joanna started cooking for her friends and realized early on that a great meal was as much about the food as it was the fun and the feelings shared among good friends.

How to Feed Your Friends with Relish is replete with great menus for every occasion, from an impromptu kitchen supper to an all-encompassing birthday party; from a cosy afternoon tea to a summer barbecue.

I personally cherish memorable dinners at home surrounded by friends, and Joanna’s book indulges my obsession for entertaining. This book will be the gift to give and get this holiday season.



What is your idea of a perfect dinner party?
Sitting around my kitchen table, tucking into a steaming plate of stew and masses of red wine, with old friends who haven't seen each other in a while and have lots of catch up on.

What is your entertaining trademark?
I like to use old-fashioned linen tea-towels—the ones with the plain stripe of colour through them—for everything: napkins, or tablecloths, or to wrap around ugly saucepans. I like to drink wine out of tumblers. And I never make starters.

What did you most enjoy about writing Relish?
Testing all the recipes - sometimes I'd have made a sensible balanced meal, but more often than not, I'd get engrossed in perfecting something, so friends would come round for tastings. Once, I ended up feeding 6 people nothing but pudding - 5 different kinds, and they left on a total sugar high.

Have you always been passionate about cooking and entertaining?
No, but I have always been passionate about eating. The cooking started at university when I decided I'd had enough on institutional food, and I've never looked back.

What is your favourite CD at the moment?
I feel like I've lost track - I'm a complete luddite about some things and iPods have got me foxed. But I listened to the boy least likely to a lot - it makes me smile, and has made up for the lack of sun this summer.

What is your favourite luxury in life?
A massage at home.

What is your most prized possession?
My two Burmese cats - though they're so much their own people I'm not sure they can be counted as possessions.

Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
My baby - but I'll have to wait a couple more months for that (I'm due in late November). I'd love to get a preview of what he or she will be like as a grown up, so I'd probably just want to hang out with them - but I'll have to wait a lot longer for that.

Profile by Ronda Carman

Studio Annetta & ELLE Decor

I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to the many of you who read All the Best each day and a very special thank you to fellow blogger Suzy of Studio Annetta. I was thrilled to learn that Suzy had sent a letter to ELLE Decor naming my blog as one of her favorites.

All the Best began innocently enough as a quest for the best champagne and blogging seemed like a great way to document my findings. I was shocked the first time someone left a comment! I had no idea that anyone other than my family was reading my blog.

Of course the recognition is personally gratifying, but the best part by far is the daily interaction with readers. Each day the number of visits to my blog continues to surprises me. I love all interesting comments and the kind emails that I continue to receive. Thank you!

Profile: Nathan Turner

What do Carolina Herrera, Carolyn Roehm, India Hicks and Soledad Twombly all have in common? Okay, besides the fact that they are all beautiful and successful women. All have hosted hosted parties with Nathan Turner.

Nathan Turner must have the world’s most fantastic job! He has successfully managed to blend his two great passions, food and design. His wonderful store on North Almont Drive in Los Angeles, California has become a faithful source for the country's leading decorators, as well as some of the most stylish people from coast to coast. And, not only does he entertain the best of the best, he is also a contributing editor with Domino magazine and C magazine.

Perhaps once I publish a book version of All the Best I should be so lucky as to have a US book launch at Nathan’s shop, now that really would be all the best!

I love that you have been able to combine your two great passions, food and design, and that you host fabulous dinner parties in your shop. What is your idea of a perfect party?

One where I have a good time!!! To me that is the point of getting people together after all. So often people get stressed out or too concerned with having the right people or china etc. They end up missing the point. The host sets the tone for a party so a happy host equals a great party.

What is your entertaining trademark?
Casual entertaining, but with style and fun!



How would you describe your decorating style?
Personally I love a traveled bohemian mix matched look.

What do you most enjoy about owning your own business?
Freedom! I LOVE to travel and would shrivel up and die if I only had 2 weeks of vacation a year!

What is your favorite book?
If I had to pick one favorite book it would have to be The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa. I dream of traveling back in time to those Sicilian palazzos.

What is your favorite luxury in life?
Travel. I can’t get enough of it and feel it’s the ultimate luxury in
life, getting to see the world and experience different people and cultures.

What is your most prized possession?
My dog Daisy. She's a fixture at my shop and parties.

Who would you most like to meet and how would you spend the day?
I would love to meet J.D. Salinger. Besides The Leopard, The Catcher in the Rye is an all time favorite, and I would have him over for an outdoor lunch.

Profile by Ronda Carman

10 Most Influential Design Bloggers

The Home Rejuvination Blog is in search of 10 Most Influential Design Bloggers.

To cast your vote send an email to homereju@gmail.com with your top five favourite Design Blogs.

New York Living

Home of Muriel Brandolini

Home of Amy Fine Collins

Home of Hamish Bowles

While making a regular visit to one of my favorite second-hand bookshops I came across New York Living, an exquisite book for the mere price of £3.99. Written by Lisa Lovatt-Smith and photographed by Alberto Heras, New York Living, offers a fascinating glimpse into private homes belonging to some of the city's most creative personalities.

I was especially intrigued by the homes belonging to Muriel Brandolini, Hamish Bowles and Amy Fine Collins. The interiors of their homes are as fascinating as the owners themselves.