The City Sage

Loving: Layla Grayce

We all have that one shop--the one from which we could happily furnish our entire house. For me, that shop is Layla Grayce. Featuring a mix of classic and contemporary pieces, all with a refined and elegant sensibility that I crave, Layla Grayce culls the loveliest furnishings and decor items from favorite brands like Bella Note, Arteriors Home, and more.

Not only do I rely on their merchandise for many of my shopping boards, I also adore their blog-- it's one of the few shop blogs that offers useful and inspiring content; for example I'm loving their gorgeous interiors sets lately. So naturally I was tickled pink when the gals at Layla Grayce asked me to do a little interview on their blog. Read it here and find out what my cray-zee first job was!

Image Credits: 1,4. Atlanta Bartlett 2, 3. Living Etc. Shopping Links, Board One: Sofa, Candle, Mirror, Rug, Beige Pillow, Blue Pillow, Etagere, Chair, Lamp. Board Two: Bed, Chest of Drawers, Bird Pillow, Floral Pillow, Rug, Candle, Hand Cream, Lamp, Chair. Sponsored Links: Get the latest JN0-303 questions and 70-686 answers to practice and pass your 1Y0-A09 exam fin 1st try guaranteed.

Hot Toddy Anyone? Meet the Hilfigers!

Pass the Pim's and bring on the tartan! Tommy Hilfiger's Fall 2010 campaign has me both splitting my sides with laughter and considering a cabin vacation in Vermont. The ads introduce us to 'The Hilfigers', a fictional family of Royal Tenenbaum-esque misfits. We meet this impossibly beautiful passel of 'relatives' as they engage in that most American of pasttimes: the tailgate.

All the requisite elements are present and accounted for. Letterman sweaters in navy and cream. Duffle coats with rope and wood buttons. Duck boots. Gold-buttoned blazers. Camel cable knits, hunter green courdoroys, and plaid up the wazoo. All that's missing are felt pennant flags and a duo of matched pups. Oh wait, those are here too.

These people drive wood paneled Jeep wagoneers and name their children 'Trip' or 'Chip'. They drop everything at 5 pm for a G&T. And despite the tongue-in-cheek tone of the ads, these people really do exist--at the Huz's notorious east coast college, you couldn't swing a cat without hitting someone wearing tasseled loafers! For more hilarious Hilfiger hijinks, check out each family member's profile--including basset hound Morgan IV, who apparently can be 'a bit of a pill'.

P.S. Attention graphic designers: I'm honored to be guest judging a design challenge at Minted!

Image Credits: 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12. Craig McDean for Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2010. 2, 3, 7, 10. The Find 6. Elle Decor 11. House Beautiful Sponsored Links: Worried about 000-200 exam prep? Join 70-450 training program and get complete set of 70-686 dumps with 100% success guarantee.

How To: Stretch Out Summer Just a Little Longer

Feast On: A triple-decker ice cream cone. Fruit from a roadside stand. Sliced heirloom tomatoes with basil and balsamic vinegar. Pizza with crust so thin it shatters with each bite. Pizza with crust so thick you enter a carb coma after one slice. A sloppy, drippy burger off the grill.

Get dressed in: Sneakers without socks. A sundress and platform sandals. Your rattiest, most threadbare cut-off shorts. An outrageous combination of colors and patterns--even if you only wear it to do the dishes. A breezy white button-down shirt and nothing else.

Make time for: A dip in a pool, a lake, the ocean, any body of water other than your bathtub. A towering stack of magazines--there's a reason the longest issues of the year are released during the laziest month of the year. An afternoon spent drifting in and out of sleep while the ceiling fan turns lazily above your bed. Reliving your fondest memories of the last three months--tell me here!

Also: Take a road trip, get hooked on Emily's must-watch TV show, catch the second sneak peek of Rue Magazine, style an outfit and win $1000!

P.S. Thanks to the Piperlime Fresh Juice blog for including Rue in their round-up of fab e-mags!

Image credits: 1,5. House Beautiful 2. Delcious. Magazine 3, 7. Amanda Pratt 4, 10. Living Etc. 6. Country Living UK 8, 11. New Zeland House and Garden 9. Saipua 12. Sasha Eisenman

Second Sneak Peek of Rue Magazine!

Mark your calendars folks. Rue Magazine premieres three weeks from today and we've shared yet another little glimpse with our friends at CasaSugar! I know what you're thinking. You ask, 'How could it be any better than last week's sneak peek?' Well if this vignette doesn't whet your appetite and set your heart to racing, then I don't know what will!

Black laquered tables, mirrored surfaces, flashes of gold? This is pure, unadulterated glamour at its shameless best. I can practically hear Humphrey Bogart knocking on the door. The only thing missing is me, insouciantly lounging on that sofa while wearing a silk chiffon peignoir. Sadly we had to edit those shots out. (I kid. There's no lounging at photo shoots.)

Get the full scoop at CasaSugar, including an exclusive interview with my co-founder and fearless Editor-in-Chief Crystal Gentilello. When I read her interview responses it brought me to tears. To tears, people!

Image credits: The phenomenal Laure Joliet for Rue Magazine. Sponsored Links: We offer best quality study materials including latest 646-656 dumps and 642-661 practice exam so you will pass 000-106 exam in first try.

Must-See TV: Secrets of a Stylist with Emily Henderson

It's so wonderful to see amazing things happen for friends. Your heart simply swells with happiness, because frankly there's no more pure joy than witnessing the success of your loved ones. Well that's exactly how I feel about my gorgeous girl Emily Henderson. Or as you may know her...drumroll please...the winner of HGTV's Design Star!

Emily has busted her butt for ten years working as a photo stylist in Los Angeles. Talent oozes from her every pore. She can take the most ramshackle bunch of "junk" and turn it into a space so sublime it will have you rushing for the nearest flea market to try a little Emily magic yourself. For example, these pics are all of her house, and the priciest item by far is the couch. A steal at only $800.

Emily is the funniest, most engaging gal you'll ever meet. We became fast friends when she emailed me to introduce her fabulous blog The Brass Petal (subject line: 'Let's cut the blog cheese together'). I squealed like a piglet when I saw she'd made Design Star. And when we finally met in person this summer, I knew she'd won simply because I couldn't imagine a universe in which she didn't.

Now Emily's rocking her own show on HGTV. Appropriately titled 'Secrets from a Stylist', she reveals all her tricks so we can make them our own. This Sunday, Emily transforms the home of Glee co-creator Ian Brennan (I know, right? Glee and interior design together?!) Watch the preview, get hooked, then tune in at 10/9c to revel in the full splendor that is Emily Henderson.

Photo credits: Teri Lyn Fisher Sponsored Links: Join 000-210 online training to pass JK0-016 exam in easy and fast way. Download the 70-271 dumps to pass the real test on first try.

How to Wear It: Hayden-Harnett Fall 2010

The Look: Crushed Velvet The Occasion: Much-needed do-over for 7th grade yearbook photo.
The Look: Swing Skirt The Occasion: Camouflage for hide and seek in a pile of autumn leaves.

The Look: Leather and Wool The Occasion: Profile portrait for Horse and Hound magazine.
The Look: Stylin' Serape The Occasion: Modelling Taco Bell's new haute couture employee uniforms.

The Look: Brush Strokes The Occasion: Ordering a croque monsieur in a faux French accent.
The Look: Black and Blue The Occasion: Deconstructed Keith Haring trend moment.

The Look: Double Breasted Trench The Occasion: Flashing the Huz upon his return from work.
The Look: Skin Tight The Occasion: Homage to television's most hilarious moment EVER.

The Look: WWII Tans The Occasion: Foxy but evil German spy from Indiana Jones.
The Look: Zipper Mini The Occasion: Equally foxy, equally evil, no dashing hero required.

But seriously folks. Fall 2010 is Hayden-Harnett's biggest--and possibly best--apparel collection yet. I'm coveting each and every piece! Sponsored Links: We offer best quality 642-533 dumps for practice. Pass 642-062 exam on first try using 70-653 free resources.

Inspired By: Tom Sheerer Incorporated

Have you ever stumbled across something so incredibly wonderful that you must stop everything you were doing and share it? That's exactly what happened this afternoon when I discovered the portfolio of interior design firm Tom Sheerer Incorporated. I'm smitten, I'm hooked, I'm utterly entranced--and like a girl in the throes of new love, I just had to tell someone!

Today I answered an interview question describing my interior decor taste as 'paralyzed'. I appreciate so many styles that I can't decide what to do in my own home. But then I saw Sheerer's spot-on mix of antique and modern; his unique application of iconic pieces (Panton chair as piano stool!); his serene yet dynamic neutral palettes. This is the inspiration I need to shake me into action!

So here's what I propose: I'll rip up the obscenely ugly carpet in my apartment and reveal the original wood floors beneath. I'll buy a mantlepiece at a salvage store to inject a sense of architectural gravitas. And I'll call Tom Sheerer in hopes of convincing him to take me on as his next charity case. Whadya think?

You tell me: Where do you find design inspiration when you need a kick in the pants?

All images courtesy of Tom Sheerer Incorporated. Sponsored Links: Get up to date 1z0-053 questions and 642-983 answers for practice and pass EC0-350 certification exam on first try.

Craving: Endless Country Roads

Yesterday we had San Francisco's first truly hot weather in weeks. It reminded me: in spite of all my recent talk about fall fashion and decor, summer is not over!!! And it got me to thinking about that most venerable of summer institutions, the road trip! Having criss-crossed the continent at least 8 times, I consider myself an expert on the topic.

I'd love to load up the car with a cooler of snacks and iced tea, a couple sleeping bags, and a pair of dusty boots. I'd grab a few of my girlies--or maybe just myself--and hit the highways with no particular destination in mind. Soak up the sun through the windshield, count the cows and horses that dot the landscape, get hopelessly lost at least once.

But the most important part of a good road trip? The music. I once cranked the radio so loud that I blew a fuse in the car. To get in the mood for this post I made my ultimate dusty roads playlist--think country twang with an alt rock edge. You can listen to it here---and add songs of your own! So head over there and tell me: What's your fave road trip tune?

P.S. Have you entered to win $1000 yet? Create your ideal fall outfit and the cash could be yours!

Image Credits: 1. Patric Shaw for L'Officiel 2, 6, 10, 11. Stephanie Williams 3. From Me to You 4. Chris Blott 5. Tom Corbett 7. Matt Jones 8. Chris Everard 9. Jock Sturges 12. Grace Huang Sponsored Links: We offer 100% pass guarantee with help of best quality 70-272 study material including 1z0-043 dumps and a00-211 practice exam.

At Last! Fashion Addiction Pays Off with $1000 from Polyvore!

Are you as psyched as I am about the biggest contest of the year? Polyvore is so excited about their new Mini Editor that they're awarding $1000 to the reader with the best Fall outfit! I've gathered my must-haves for fall so you can build the perfect look right here at The City Sage--the more mood boards you create with my picks, the better your chance of winning!

Powered by Polyvore

And any blogger can get in on the action and win $1000 themselves! The Mini Editor is a free widget that brings the Polyvore styling tool to your blog, giving you and your readers the power to mix and match up to 100 of Fall's most swoon-tastic items. To get the Mini Editor and to read full contest rules, check out the Polyvore blog--then style away!

Polyvore Contest! Win $1000 with the Perfect Fall Outfit!

What's the easiest money you'll earn this year? Style the winning Fall outfit with Polyvore's new Mini Editor and $1000 will be yours! I've used the Mini Editor to round up some of my fall must-haves so you can create your ensembles right here on my blog. You can make as many looks as you like--every new set is another chance to win, so go wild!

Powered by Polyvore

Bloggers, you can get in on the action too. Install the Mini-Editor on your site, pick up to 100 fave Fall items, and encourage readers to make outfits. The blogger whose reader has the best set will also get $1000! Of course I'm partial to the goodies I've collected here--with everything from cargoes to florals and beyond, search no further for everything you need to create the winning look!

The official rules: One blogger and one reader will win. The criteria for selecting the best Mini Editor will be based 50% on how many sets readers submit and 50% on style and aesthetics. The winning blogger will select his or her favorite set created by a reader to also win $1,000. The winning blog and the winning set will also be featured on the Polyvore blog! Sponsored Links: We offer guarantee 100% success with help of latest 000-104 dumps and70-271 tutorials. Subscribe for 1Y0-456 practice questions and pass real exam on first try.