Love :: One Card, Three Ways

Talk about the things that make life great!* This holiday, my dad handed each of us -- my brother, his wife, and me -- an identical red envelope. But no, no -- not identical cards! My dad being my dad (and a designer by profession), we opened our envelopes to find customized versions of the same card!

As much as we're into finding and haunting wonderful things At The Meadows, we're even more so into making them.


My card (Chicago skyline, haunted loot and all):




My sister-in-law's card (with the kids -- and a husband):




And my brother's card (he's the ceramist):




And, God is in the details, right?

Check out the pocketbook and those pointy shoes on yours truly --




He knows where I'm headed --




And get a load of the haul! Modernist furniture, red foam roller (gotta roll those hip flexors!), art and he said the green thing is a candelabra -- no doubt!




Such a delightful and thoughtful handmade treat is the ultimate in gift-giving. We were all so delighted by these cards -- best ever!


*What's going on here At The Meadows :: We're talking about everything that makes life great (art, type, design, fashion, entertaining, history), and the places you find everything (the haunts).

Ms Fab Gets Screened

Oh wow! This incredible iron fireplace screen was a surprise at the haunts today. It has a dull brassy/silver patina over iron, and is very heavy. I love the scrolls integrated with the greek key motif.

Unfortunately, I have no fireplace. Kitty does, though, and I sent her a quick email with the shot above. But I had forgotten that her fireplace has a door. "You should just get it for when you do have a fireplace." Love her.

"What about Ms Fab?"

YES! I had forgotten that Mr and Ms Fab have a fireplace.... Kitty forwarded the image to her, and now...



This fab piece is living with fab people. It's a great foil for their modern furniture. It would have broken my heart to leave this behind!

Debut :: Aye, We Speak Trad in Chicago

Royal Stewart Tartan -- if I am incorrect, be kind and just let me know, as I'm not a tartan scholar (but this gentleman, apparently is -- and suddenly I care nothing for haunting kilts, but only of ordering one from him). This incredible four-yard kilt was haunted in Chicago and debuted today. The trees are really popping with color now, and with a rainy, gray foggy sky, this was just the punch I needed. Tartan debut!

Though my ancestors were Scottish Kennedys, I feel right at home sporting the Royal Stewart, as one of those Kennedy men married Princess Mary of Scotland. And let me just invite the thousands, nay, millions of other descendants to share in our wearing of a bright red kilt!

Details: Four-yard kilt (read more about eight- and four-yard kilts here) with fringe on the front panel, two black leather straps with buckles, kilt pin in-tact (biggest surprise of the score), and many, many knife pleats in the back. Made in Jedburgh, Scotland by Rannoch Designs.

Hmm, now that I am referencing my handy little book "The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans", I may be wrong. Well, I will keep telling people it is Royal Stewart until a tartan scholar corrects me, and then I will thank him or her for keeping me on the straight and narrow. The little book was given to me by Mema -- the Kennedy herself.





A sartorial Scot --



And the other Scot's footwear --



"Avise la fin" :: Consider the End
Clan Kennedy motto


The only other bit o' motto that resonates with me as much as Clan Kennedy's is "Esse Quam Videri" (to be rather than to seem -- North Carolina's state motto).



But is there a castle? Why yes, Fiona, there is.




And for context, today's weather report -- just like the midlands!*




*Though I understand that this name is out of fashion. The "Central Belt" just doesn't sound very romantic.

Haunted :: A La Tête :: Le Deuxième

May I present the second haunted chapeau from the weekend: a classic green 1950s beanie. Love this because it is so wearable. No hemming or hawing -- no looking costume-y. Just easy style. Personally, I am a big beret person, and it's nice to keep the signature beret shape and have the structure of a proper hat.

This soft green integrates well into my fall color palette -- I never realized that I had one until Kitty pointed it out. Funny, she points out a lot of things that I never realized. The fall palette is one of mauves, browns, heathered soft green, creams and grays. I'm a brunette* with a Scotch-Irish complexion, so it's a classic look with a brown base. I am thinking about debut-ing it in New York. Chic!


*I love the word "brunette". It's so Betty and Veronica.

Haunted :: A La Tête

From the weekend haunting: this very elegant 1960s Italian felt hat with feathers. Even with the high crown (very 60s), I think this is very wearable for fall. Everybody expects one to turn up the volume a little when it gets cooler, and I love wearing luxurious fabrics this time of year. And in Chicago it's not like we get a robust fall... in a few weeks we'll be wishing for sunshine and dealing with the bitterness of gray and wind.

Still, this isn't the type of thing you just run down for a coffee in -- or do you? Probably not, since this hat requires a proper shoe and attire. Definitely heels. With a slick trouser and a fitted jacket or fab sweater and a soft fringed gray shawl. Look out!



As my dear friend the Architect (a reformed hat wearer herself) told me long ago, "when you wear a hat like this, anyone -- and everyone -- will think nothing of walking up to you and striking up a conversation."

I'd better polish up my conversation skills.

Off the Cuff!

Hey y'all -- went haunting today at a new spot and picked up these glorious little cufflinks.

Let me tell you about this haunt: I had heard about it and driven by a few times, but I only get up to this part of Chicagoland on Sundays, and they're only open on the first Sunday of each month -- today! So, I was pretty happy to stumble upon it and find out that there was a huge vintage jewelry trunk sale today only to boot. They had the jewelry in a separate room. As I tried to just step inside, the young man at the door said "No ma'am -- you have to get a number and check your coat and purse" -- fine, fine. It just seemed that every which way I turned a got a "No, ma'am" or you-can't-do-that kind of thing -- what do you mean, shop in your store?

Anyway, I got over it after telling the shopgirl that "No, no, no" was not something a first-time customer wants to hear... on to the fun:

There was all kinds of jewelry, but all très expensive -- especially for a haunter -- it was retail, after all. I buggied a few items in my little white tray, but in the end put it all back and just got these beauties. I don't wear a lot of jewelry -- usually just pearls and pearl studs or little fat gold hoops, but these will flash up a plain shirt quick. The ladies at the DAR won't know what hit 'em!

More from the haunts all week! Stay tuned!

Kiehl's Original Musk

Kitty surprised me this weekend with a bottle of Kiehl's Original Musk. She turned me on to it a couple of years ago... and we snap it up whenever it shows up at a haunt. It's a soft, warm scent that will be a nice change when it starts to get cooler. I'm still into summer here, but I can't help but start thinking of the next wave of sartorial choices... after all, most of the year in Chicago is cool to freezing -- it pays to be prepared.



Get it online at Kiehl's.

Haunting :: JCrew-la-la

Very happy to report this score from a super-secret haunt. These lovely shoes were only $15 per pair. They are suede JCrew pumps (made in Italy) -- and I am so happy to have them for fall.

That muted citrus will pop like crazy with gray pants and a warm red silk blouse (with a wide gray snakeskin belt). I use this color almost as a neutral (see last week's Kate Spade post for a great way to integrate this color). The dove gray pair are a little more "standard" -- but lovely still. With a win like this, you can afford to get both pairs! Can't wait to debut!

Love :: New Kate Spade, Silk Blouses and Color

Lord I love this stuff. Not just the blouse, the dress, the coat... but the ways that these ensembles are put together. The pop! The glamour! Oh-la-la!

One of my wardrobe staples is the bold print silk blouse like the cream and black polka dot number shown above. I scour my haunts for vintage versions made in Hong Kong, usually from the 80s. Snip out the shoulder pads, fluff up the details, and you are ready to rock.

Check out the new Kate Spade website here.

Love :: "I Have My Sources"

Today I had the pleasure of having coffee with my friend E.

I was telling her about At The Meadows and explaining the concepts of "my haunts" (see sidebar if you're not in the know), she told me her mother's solution to the age-old question:

"Where did you get that?"

Her response: "I have my sources." (with a sly smile, I imagine!)


And the fabu cake we enjoyed at the Viennese coffee parlor:

Actual Email Correspondence

As I was writing this response to Kitty, I thought my description of my new haunted earrings warranted a quick post:

I just went to the local haunt at lunch -- didn't look at clothes though. Got an H2O sea salt scrub for $4.99... and some sterling/fwpearl (kind of old-lady, David Yurman but bamboo-esque metal rather than rope design) earrings on clearance.

On Jul 28, 2009, at 2:20 PM, Kitty wrote:

Sorry...it's busy here today. I saw some good Isaac Mizrahi/Liz Claiborne stuff at Xxxxx, so stop by your local haunt and check it out if you have time.


And the earrings:

Haunting :: Ms Wearstler Eat Your Heart Out

This ceramic number is from my recent visit to the haunts with Kitty. It's about eight or ten inches square, and about two and a half inches tall (elevation view) with highly reflective silver and gold glazes. This is the kind of thing that when it catches my eye, I immediately buggy it to inspect and assess. I walk around with it to "live" with it. When I saw this piece, I grabbed it and carried it around with me. Its only marking is a label with the words "Jaru" on it. The circle with radiating dots in the center is raised inside a sunken area, so the gold surface is at the same elevation as the silver surface.



The label is just like the one on this objet from Modern Cactus:



I'd never heard of Jaru, but after a couple of tries researching the name, I have finally found a confirmation of what it is -- what "family" it belongs to, so to speak. Finding that Modern Cactus image was the clencher, because though I'd seen things like this, nothing really matched up -- though those have similar glazes, which was encouraging.

This objet is the type that seems a little weird at first, but I had such a visceral response to it -- it feels good. In the shop I said to Kitty, "Kelly Wearstler would kill for this!"

Ever find something you thought was iffy but turned out to be a showstopper?

Love :: A Desk of One's Own

Stuff everywhere... I was sitting down to write or sketch or something one day last week and thought this summed up my ideal space. This is where I conduct my personal correspondence and At The Meadows business, where I write notes to friends... on paper. It's a bit of curated haunting -- I know some things have been seen on At The Meadows before (like this and this), but to see them together and how they "talk" to each other is nice.

The card in the holder is from the Ospedale degli Innocenti ("Hospital of the Innocents") in Florence. I like to send postcards to myself at home when I'm traveling. They are great reminders when you first arrive home, but even more so years later. On the back of that card is a quick sketch I made of the lanterns of the Festa della Rificolona. And the birds in the background are needlepoint done by a German woman (according to the signature on the back of the frame).

What's on your desk?*


*And a side note on desks, my favorite baristas offered to make me a little desk made of milk crates so I could work in the beautiful weather today. Those baristas are handy!

Haunting :: Some Saturday Finds

Oh, Lord. Kitty* and I hit the haunts today and whew... we were all over the place. Here are a couple of my finds:



A brass magazine rack with a relief of what looks to be a landing scene of a Spanish ship -- conquistadors? No telling really -- though I can't see any Spanish helmets on our landing party. It's marked "Peerage -- Made in England", and it definitely has some patina, if you know what I mean. But it will look fab in the living room -- I have a lot of magazines, and I need a lot of ways to corral them. And y'all know I love all things Americana/explorer/manifest destiny/history (what a thought-bucket!). Check the end of the post for an impromptu set-up.



This deck of playing cards was a steal! Love the type on this!

Okay ---- drummmmm rolllll pleeeease....



Oh this is going to be good.

More haunted stuff to come -- stay tuned!

* formerly known as "K"

Haunting :: Sea Biscuit

I'm not talking thoroughbreds, either.

What a great score that I found at a haunt in the dead of winter. This beautiful blue vintage glass piece has the shape of a sea biscuit like one I remember my mother always had in her house, but the transparency like a jelly fish (I remember seeing them from the heights of the Johnny Mercer Pier). Either way, it's summertime at the beach -- at home!

Absinthe, Chocolate and Minnies

Last night I attended a little soiree for the opening of Vosges' wine bar service at its Armitage shop. I always love a good Vosges event -- remember? Haunt-Chocolate. Everything is so rich and wonderful -- signature purple is everywhere and the place exudes a worldly vibe.



Mr and Ms Fab* and I headed straight to the back for a glass of prosecco, and Sam (check out that suit -- talk about dandy-glam!) treated us to a brand-new Vosges creation. It's a "Rock 'n Roll" interpretation from their Groove collection, and it's a dark chocolate truffle with clove ganache that has some kind of Brazilian smoked tobacco infusion. Forgive me, Vosge-ies for not describing it exactly right or eloquently, but I am not a foodie. (I'm a lover not a foodie... I don't analyze.) To get to it: This truffle was amazing. Amazing.

But what's next:



There is ABSINTHE. I have never had absinthe before. In fact, about the only knowledge of the green fairy that I have is from watching Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge. Sam demonstrated how to serve it -- from pouring to sugar with water drops, to adding more water and ice -- it was quite a production. And after all that, I have to say that I am not a fan. Loved the demo, the drink, not so much. The licorice flavor is just too much for me. Back to prosecco I went.



In addition to the Rock 'n Roll truffle, we sampled the Chef Pascal (one of my favorites), the Red Fire (with chili pepper -- num) and the Woolloomooloo truffle. I can never pronounce that one.

After all this decadence, we headed off to Minnies on Halsted for a quick nosh before home with our chocolate purchases (I decided on Red Fire Chocolate-Covered Tortilla Chips). What a night. Loved being with you, Mr and Ms Fab!

*as in Fab Four, you know

Haunting :: Mottled Green Marble Bookends

I spied this pair of mottled green Italian marble bookends on the second scour of the bric-a-brac section of a little nothing place in NC. They have some issues, but those wear more like patina than damage, and the green is so good -- so good. They will be good in my living room. And they are so heavy, there is no way that my books will fall over.

The little books shown here are part of the Penguin 60p series from the 90s. Penguin sold these little guys for 60p each to celebrate the company's 60th anniversary. They were perfect for toting through London during my study abroad trip... to have one of these on the Tube or while waiting in line for theater tickets was supposed to be smart use of your time, but inevitably I just liked to watch the people hurry about on the street or study the design in the Tube stations. And when I came home I picked up a few more American books (I think they were 95¢ in the U.S.), things like the United States Constitution and the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.

Haunting :: Candlesticks

I wasn't on the hunt -- I wasn't planning on looking, even. But I was in NC, and untested places scream "opportunity", so if you're feeling lucky, it certainly doesn't hurt to check one out.

I like to scour a haunt in sections, and the first walk through this place didn't reveal much. But as I made my way to the middle of the place, I spied these ironstone candlesticks with orange and black transfer color and painted gold stripes. And the fact that these were a pair made them a must-have. I snagged them straight-away.

They remind me of one of my old design profs -- he had this insanely huge collection of colorful vintage candlesticks, pottery and glassware of this vintage -- all crowded on tables and shelves. So much color!

Photo above: transferware candlesticks as found in the wild.

There's a Teapot in the Room -- Two, in Fact

These are the fab elephant teapots I mentioned last week. I spotted one at a good haunt, and while there was a second little guy there too, his finial was broken. So, I put out an APB with K (a fellow haunter), and she found one, no problem! Thank you, K!

This pair of pachyderms will be great for tea time. Their pristine white surface will blend well with all kinds of white china, and since they are so simply styled, they can work with stark minimal pieces and more English-inspired ones... think Imperial India. I need a safari jacket, pronto!

Haunting :: Moravian Cookies

A little bit of Winston-Salem! These are traditional cookies -- "the world's thinnest cookie" -- made in the old Moravian communities of colonial days. We used to have these with coffee after the Moravian Christmas Eve service. I picked up the Spice Cookies and the Key Lime variety. I like the traditional, but the Key Lime could be great for a summer tea.

PS :: They had cheese straws too! Don't get me started on cheese straws -- too good.

Find out more about the Old Salem Moravian community here, and more about the cookies themselves here. Enjoy!