The City Sage

Home Design Sale! Rue Girls Curate for Joss & Main

Sometimes you know what draws you to a design find. Maybe it's eye-popping color. Or mind-bending shapes. Or occasionally it's just a heart-racing, 'who knows' quality that you can't identify, but it doesn't matter because the deed is done and it's YOURS! When the folks at Joss & Main asked us Rue girls to curate a sale, we sought that perfect mix of the defineable and the indefinable. Swoon! 

I'm so excited about what we've culled! Head on over and shop the sale: find patio chairs in juicy citrus hues, zinc-topped tables with raw wood legs, and major discounts on favorite home labels like Kartell, Thomas O'Brien, Arteriors, and much more. That chevron rug has my name on it--I've been jonesing for that exact style for a while, and I think it's time to pull the trigger, no?

Image Credits: Emily Anderson for Rue Magazine.

It's Live! Announcing Rue Issue 10

They just keeping coming at us fast and furious, don't they? I'd barely had time to recover from the last one, and already a brand new issue of Rue is up and out the door. With March just days away, we wanted to capture that feeling of Spring being just over the horizon: clean, clear light, breezes that carry seemingly endless potential. And we wanted an excuse to go boating for our cover shoot!

For me, one home tour in particular captures the spirit of the whole issue: the upstate New York cottage of stylist Raina Kattelson. After a year of renovation Raina furnished this space in two weeks. And if she hadn't already lined up tenants, I'd be banging down the door to take it for myself. Head to Raina's blog for before-and-afters and the backstory on the whole process.

Of course we keep finding new ways to challenge ourselves (ie. drive ourselves crazy). In addition to the usual work of the magazine, we also figured out how to publish on a new, improved reader. You can now link directly to a page within the issue, and share directly to Facebook, Twitter, and soon to Pinterest. It's all part of our plan for world domination  never sleeping  continued excellence. Enjoy!

Photo Credits: 1, 4. Jose Villa for Rue Magazine. 2, 3. Emily Johnston Anderson for Rue Magazine.

 

Road Worn and Weary: My Travel Essentials

First. I'd like to apologize for neglecting the blog last week. I feel like I let you guys down! Second. It was the most horrendous travel week I've ever had. EVER. Monday: Vegas. Tuesday: Los Angeles. Wednesday, Thursday: San Francisco. Friday: Los Angeles. All by car, all for work. And more to come soon! So I thought I'd share some of the only things that have been keeping me sane lately. 

Requirements during a long drive: a silky scarf, a relaxed (but not droopy!) pair of sweats, and a comfy (but not scuzzy) bra. You want to feel laid-back but don't want to win Slob of the Year. I pretty much live off Starbucks oatmeal and Larabars; a quality sunscreen and a multitasking face tint are beauty must-haves; and media goods like the Daileymethod DVD and fave tunes keep me fit and focused.

Tell me: What are your travel essentials?

You're Invited: A Rue + Gap Party in San Francisco!

If you've been following Rue for a while, you know we look for any excuse to throw a party. And I'd say our Styld.by collaboration with Gap is a darn good excuse indeed! We've asked some of our best buds to help us celebrate--there'll be gorgeous decor by Enjoy Events Co., The Flashdance will spin tunes, Our Labor of Love will capture the evening, the Smilebooth will be in full force, and we'll have parking courtesy of Jeffrey Valet (seriously, these are the smoking-hottest valets you've ever seen. Yum.)

But it wouldn't be much of a party without our friends and supporters. So you're ALL invited. Please join us if you're in town Thursday February 23. Let us know you're coming--rsvp[at]ruemag.com--then eat, drink, shop, dance, and get 20% off your purchases during the event. See you there!

Photos: Angela + Ithyle

Spring Office Inspiration from Poppies for Grace

There's a distinct twinge of spring in the air. The cherries in San Francisco are blooming. As always with Spring comes the itch: to tidy, to regroup, to fling open the windows and let the breeze blow through. So I'm really digging the latest from Australian stationery line Poppies for Grace--not just for the sunny new product, but also for the fresh and fun way the website images are styled.

There's some serious office inspiration going on here. Nothing revolutionary--organization is not rocket science--but just enough to kickstart me into gear with my own stack of receipts, tax documents, and other 'monkey on my back' administrivia. Because if you can trick yourself into thinking those tasks are worthy of flowers, vintage clipboards, and pink and purple envelopes, you'll do them faster right?

Vegas Bound: Airplanes and Blazers Two!

I'm not really a Vegas girl. I don't drink, I don't gamble, I don't care much for feeling like a tourist. But there's one event per year that gets me excited about Vegas: the Airplanes and Blazers party at the annual WPPI photographers' conference. And it's THIS MONDAY! I'll be hopping in the car for a road trip, speaking at the conference, then getting gussied up to shake a tailfeather or two.

Last year was tons of fun--especially since we packed a Rue shoot in the desert into that trip as well. This year, the theme of the party is the 1960's Old Strip. I don't know what I'm wearing yet, or how I'll style my hair, but I've got my karaoke song picked out--and with a nine hour drive ahead of me, there's plenty of time to practice my high notes. Bonne weekend, all!

P.S. I'll be speaking at WPPI as well--if you're at the conference, stop by the Squarespace.com booth on Monday at 11 am! Photo credits: Smilebooth and Google. 

Statement Necklace Addiction: La Raffinerie

Ready for a vocabulary lesson? Panacea: an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties. In fashion terms, a single fabulous necklace is the best panacea money can buy. My go-to? La Raffinerie, an exquisite label based out of Montreal. Designer Julie Vallelunga was working in the busines world when she started the line (yes yes yes to taking the creative leap!) and we're all the better for it!

This spring's collection has me especially smitten. Inspired by Frida Kahlo, the colors are vibrant juicy, the shapes are graphic and bold. I'm especially fond of La Raffinerie's signature cord and silk-wrapped rope as an alternative to the usual chain--so tactile and unexpected. Pair these pieces with jeans and a white button-down, or wear them with a gown for a night out. You seriously can't go wrong!

Get the Look: Madewell Interior Design in Lucky Magazine

The March issue of Lucky Magazine is thick, fat, juicy: like a deluxe fashion burger with a super-size side of perfectly spiced curly fries. My favorite, as always, is the 'Lucky Life' column, in which we get a peek behind the curtain at the home life of an uber-creative mover and shaker. This time around we meet a designer at Madewell--and she's the living embodiment of Outfit to Room!

This Brooklyn apartment is exactly what you'd expect from someone who helps create the look and feel of J. Crew's little sister brand. The tone is utilitarian chic with occasional splashes of color and pattern, and the focus is on fabulous texture and materials. Wood, leather, and cotton abound; there are plenty of stripes; and there's a sensibility of heritage-meets-modern that will never go out of style.

Of course I had to put together a wee 'get the look' guide. With clothing from Madewell, and with decor from big box staples like CB2 and West Elm. I adore how simple, straightforward, and accessible this look is. There's nothing complicated or pretentious about it, it would be brilliant for an urban childless couple in their 20's or an established suburban family of six. So I guess you could say...I'm sold!  

Images: Lucky Magazine, March 2012. Shopping Guide: Leather Butterfly Chair. Laugh at Every Joke Art. Ticket Collection Art. Striped Sweater. Charmed Ring Set. Llama Charm Necklace. Green Suede Flats. Blush Pink Envelope Clutch. Noir Pendant Lamp. Mod Needlepoint Pillow. Wood Bench. 

Food + Music = Love From Turntable Kitchen!

Some dynamic duos just go together. Fred and Ginger. Lucy and Ethel. Food and music. I can't imagine a summer barbeque without 'Brown Eyed Girl' blasting; a winter's cup of tea without George Winston in the background. The cool folks at Turntable Kitchen just get that food/music connection--so they're recreating it in a monthly subscription!

Here's how it works. A mystery box arrives. Inside is a recipe, the dry ingredients needed to make it, and a special edition vinyl of some brand new music to listen to while you prepare and eat it. You're guaranteed tunes and good taste! Plus right now, creators Kasey and Matt (themselves a dynamic duo!) are having a giveaway for this gorgeous red turntable. It's a V-Day gift that keeps on giving!

Another Loeffler Randall Fashion Hit: Clogs by HEART LR

Stop the presses! Just when you thought Loeffler Randall couldn't get more awesome (and I mean really, aren't they the epitome of cool?) they've announced the release of HEART LR: a capsule collection of lower-priced sandals and clogs that have me looking out my rain-spattered windows and cursing the cold front currently hitting San Francisco. Spring can't come soon enough! 

There's something about clogs, no? That clomp, clomp sound they make when you walk echos of playgrounds and summer days, yet when done right as these HEART LR styles are, the shoes have a magical lifting effect on your calves. Plus I love to pretend I'm a willowy Swedish model--though my physique is more German farmgirl--and those gold lace-ups on these are very Anita Ekberg!