My Favorite Movie of All Time: DTMTBD

Today's post is not exactly about design; its about a movie, and I never write about movies, in part because I don't feel all that qualified to give my opinion. But this is a movie about which I am exceedingly knowledgeable, although the title may surprise you. This is no highfalutin' artsy film with nudity and French language subtitles. This is no deep, demented documentary commenting on the plight of one political party or another. No, this movie, my favorite of all time, is Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead. You know, the one from 1991 starring the likes of Christina Appelgate (Sue Ellen) and Joanna Cassidy ("I'm right on top of that, Rose!").

The trailer from 1991:

Some of you are aware of the love affair I've had with this movie, but for others, this will come as a perplexing shock. Why DTMTBD, you ask? Because it is ingenious! A flippant and irresponsible mother leaves her five minor children at home with a octogenarian babysitter while she galavants around Australia for two months with her boyf. When the elderly drillmaster unexpectedly kicks the bucket, the kids are left to fend for themselves for the rest of the summer (or call mom, but they choose option a). The eldest finagles her way into a job in "the bowels of the fashion industry," pretty much takes over the company despite attempted co-worker sabotage, and the rest is history. While it didn't get high ratings from the critics (duh), the New York Post deemed it the best teen hit of 1991. And how! I learned so many life lessons from this movie.

As an only child, DTMTBD schooled me on the (very realistic) inner workings of the sibling relationship. It taught me how to "shop my closet" and make unlikely clothing pairings that result in the most show-stopping work attire (I honestly still do this, especially in the midst of a recession!).

It taught me the importance of glossing over my shortcomings in order to achieve a status I didn't quite deserve yet, but would quickly grow into. It taught me that a weekend of heavy-duty cleaning really can unveil a miraculously gorgeous house once choking beneath all the dust and grime. It taught me how amazing it is to have a great boss (later confirmed by my own experiences). It taught me that LA traffic is bad. It taught me that lighting and music will make or break a party. It taught me that tangerine tights are HOT (I am still a believer in bold-colored legwear).

I could go on forever about the instruction I gleaned from this movie, but I'll stop here and let Mrs. Moz take the wheel with her unmatched catalogue detailing 20 Life Lessons from Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead. Her post is perfection on a screen, and I have my college roommate/great friend/DTMTBD cohort Colleen to thank for sending me Mrs. Moz's post on the subject. Colleen, I must add, can recite as many lines from the movie as I, and she actually tracked down and GAVE ME a VHS copy of the flick one year for my birthday (best birthday present ever!). My mean, heartless husband forced me to donate it when he insisted that we retire our VCR 800 years ago, and I've never forgiven him for it. Even without a VCR, I wanted to keep the movie. For whatever reason, I have not replaced it with a dvd, so maybe that'll be my next gift to myself.

If you have not seen this movie, I suggest you run, not walk, to your computer and demand that Netflix send it to you immediately. Look, I've made it easy for you: this handy link will take you right to it! (But why the heckfire isn't it available for instant play?) Or, if you still go to Blockbuster, check it out, but don't return it late, for goodness sake – those fees will eat you alive!

If this post has made absolutely no sense at all to you, I implore you to see this movie. I hope it impacts your life the way it has mine.

Foxy Salon, Brooklyn NY

When we moved to New York in 2005 it didn't take long to find a hair salon I loved. I went there for five years, and while I thought the stylists were great, I went through a lot of them because each one lasted up to two years before they disappeared (and most didn't make it to two). I always wondered why no one stuck around longer, but since I never had a bad haircut, (it didn't seem to matter who cut my hair) I didn't lament it too much. A little more than a year ago I started seeing Ria, a phenomenal stylist. We chatted, she cut, I sat, etc... Even Oliver started to see Ria, after years of self-grooming in the tub! One day last summer, we called to make an appointment and we were informed that Ria was gone. GONE? What the–? How the–? Gone. Despair ensued, but we made appointments with other people at the salon, because, like I said, I'd never had a bad haircut there. Well, Oliver scored Tana, who did a great job on his hair, while I got stuck with a psudeo-hipster newbie with enough hubris to fill a room. He was happy, I was disappointed and out too much cash. 

A few days after the cuts, Oliver and I were letterpressing Suzanne's business cards (he pressed; I photographed) and I decided to take a break and check out a nearby vintage furniture shop. Would you believe that I ran into Ria? I damn near mowed her down with excitement. We talked about my too-short, not-so-hot haircut and where the eff she disappeared to. As it turned out, Ria was in the process of opening her own salon and was planning to send out an email about it to her clients as soon as it was ready. Shortly thereafter, we got the email that Foxy was open for business and we soon made ourselves appointments, me with Ria; Oliver with Tana. THANK THE LORDY.

Yesterday was the big day, and let me tell you, these ladies did not disappoint. Ria has opened an adorable spot on Graham Avenue in Brooklyn. I highly recommend a visit, but you don't have to take my word for it. Check out the write up in Time Out New York! (There might be a New York Magazine write-up in the future, too, so look out!)

That's Ria, at the front desk. Note the cute fox illustration on the glass!


Tana at the front desk

The salon is decorated with vintage mirrors, an eclectic mix of reclaimed furniture and sconces, and a forest-y backdrop. Details like framed illustrations, photos, potted plants and terrariums make it all home-y and warm, especially on a soggy, rainy day like yesterday (and today). 

I am pumped, post-cut!

Sadly, we won't be back to the salon for a while, although I plan to go when we visit NYC) but I highly recommend Foxy to all New Yorkers looking for a great cut from ladies with a heavy list of credentials, outstanding personalities and extremely reasonable prices. This isn't a salon just for women; tons of men get their wigs split at Foxy, too, so don't be shy, fare male readers!

Foxy is located at 331 Graham Avenue, just off the L Graham stop in Williamsburg

Things I'll Miss in New York

Now that the move is official, we are often asked about what we'll miss most when we leave New York. As excited as I am for our move, there is certainly a lot I will miss about this city! Last Sunday I had brunch in Chelsea with one of my oldest friends. After eating (snarfing) we wandered over to 17th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, one my favorite stretch of thrift shops. So, here we are, with my first installment of things I'll miss about New York.

An all-time favorite shop is Pippin Vintage, which actually has two stores; jewelry and home goods. I stumbled on Pippin Vintage Jewelry when I embarked on the quest for the perfect engagement ring back in 2007 (with the help of my friend, who was with me on this lovely weekend afternoon!). Pippin had some great options, but ultimately I designed my own, based on a few vintage designs I loved. No matter, I've been a Pippin patron ever since!



As you can see, the store is chock full of treasures, and it's all displayed so beautifully – and it's not all jewelry; there are sumptuous fur coats and hats, as well as vintage buttons, scarves and gloves.

Right next door, the home store is a must every time I'm on 17th Street (and let me tell you, sometimes I go out of my way to get over to 17th so I just have to stop in).


That long hall of mirrors just beckons me! (I walked out with a mirror once...)

Beyond the hall, there is a little "front yard" with goodies:

And the main store is set in a charming wood frame house, a perfect setting for a little vintage shop.


I've come home with a handful of things, but always have to resist bringing back more. The shop owners are friendly and highly knowledgeable, making shopping there a pleasure. Every time I go in they've re-arranged a bit to make room for new wares. My first job in interior design taught me the importance of keeping a store fresh – and thereby moving lots of merchandise – was to constantly rotate and re-style. If you give a new home to something that's been sitting around for a while, unnoticed, it never fails that someone will suddenly see it and inquire about it. Successful merchandising at work: thank you Brian (my dear friend, former boss and showroom manager at Palecek in San Francisco). Pippin definitely employs this tactic, and it works!

I was really tempted to buy the little George and Martha Washington silhouette in the back. I had to remind myself that we're moving and now is not the time to bring stuff home. Damn conscience.



My next stop is always Angel Street Thrift Shop, a bustling store from which I've emerged with countless pieces of milk glass, a snazzy cut glass decanter, tumblers and two framed maps of olde world France and Spain. The shop isn't styled as well as Pippin, but that hasn't deterred me from finding tons of treasures.

The store was in the midst of a re-arragement session, so snapping a great photo was a little tough. But, you should go :)

Next up: the forever amazing Housing Works, which has ten locations (nine in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn). Housing Works does a pretty good job of merchandising in the stores, but their showstoppers are their windows, which contain items for auction. Current windows. left and right:


Images courtesy Housing Works

Just inside the shop:

Housing Works sells clothing and accessories in addition to house wares. The organization is very prominent in the home design fundraising world, which I've written about before.

West Elm is on the block, and while it's technically a big box store, they are killing it this year with cute but not at all junky ornaments and holiday decor. Definitely worth a look. Also on this beloved block is From the Source, the incredible showroom that displayed eight of Oliver's paintings for a few months (we just took them down to pack them up for the move).

Thus concludes my tour of 17th Street. If any of you have ever been to these stores, I'd love to know (and see) what you purchased!

Pahking the Cahh in the Haavid Yahd

So, we didn't park a car in the Harvard Yard (hello, illegal!) but we did walk around it one weekend in October when we took a little journey to Boston with our pal, Mara, to visit her sister Liz and brother-in-law, Dave. They have a fantastic (read: enviable, spacious, bright, charming) apartment in a three-decker in Brighton. Somehow, I managed to take no pictures of the apartment, which is a real shame, because Liz and Dave are seriously industrious and their creations are worth documenting. She is an expert canner/preserver (we are gracious recipients of scrumptious home-made jam), Dave brews his own beer, and they've been pickling, and making mustards, pates and salsas. It was a warm and sunny weekend for a jaunt to New England, timed perfectly to see some gorgeous autumn leaves.


The world-famous Harvard Yard

We kicked off our adventure on Saturday at Head of the Charles Regatta, the world's largest two-day rowing event, with more than 8,000 athletes from around the world competing in 55 races.


Liz and Dave


Mara and Oliver

That night we were treated to a delicious home-made charcuterie dinner by Liz and Dave before a night on the town (which ended fairly early for Mara, Oliver and me, since we'd gotten up at the crack of dawn). On Sunday, we strolled around Cambridge and Harvard before heading to the bus. Boston and Cambridge are great because there's top-notch examples of Greek and Gothic Revival New England architecture at every turn.

Entering the campus









I recently mentioned that raw plaster is a trend on the rise in interiors. Well, as an old professor used to say, there's nothing new under the sun; as the plaster work on this building shows.


That's John Harvard in the distance.


Departing the campus

My dad is a proud Harvard graduate (Class of 1954!), so I gave him a call while we roamed the campus and he pointed us in the direction of is dorms and various buildings.

Thayer Hall, former home to my dad and Teddy Roosevelt. Not bad company, eh?

I couldn't resist sharing these photos of my dad in his Harvard days.

My dapper father is second from the left


Front and center (with the mitt), my dad as captain of the Harvard baseball team

Flowers and Cookies

Two of my favorite words. My mother claims the first word I uttered as a child was "cookie." I think she's yanking my chain, but what are you gonna do? I can't exactly prove her wrong.

With our big move rapidly approaching, we really need to hunker down and pack. This past weekend was mostly consumed with rounding up boxes and starting to fill them. Pretty boring. But, there were two highlights:

1. FLOWERS
I wasn't completely pleased with the photos I took of our hallway and I want to re-shoot it before we have to dismantle it. On Friday afternoon I picked up a bunch of flowers from a bodega in the West Village and brought them home to dress up the hall a bit for a mini photoshoot. It is fairly common knowledge that I am not an expert flower arranger (taking a floral arrangement class is at the top of my list of things to do) but I threw together a pretty inspired bouquet on Friday afternoon and couldn't help but share it with you all.



Now, I'm no Denise Fasanello, but I'm proud of this creation – my first with some depth and a variety of textures with a monochromatic palette.  The spiky little bursts of flowers are thistle and the sprigs of green are safari sunset. Sadly, I don't know what the white baby's breathe-like sprouts are. They have shots of purple and green among the white, which makes them a little special. Additionally, I added stalks of green leaves.

2. COOKIES
Due to the packing, we didn't do much to celebrate Halloween this year, but, to our surprise, we were the recipients of a spooky cookie delivery on Friday:

Hello, lovelies!

The ginger cookies above are the creations of an extremely talented (and thoughtful) friend who lives in LA with her husband, a former work buddy of Oliver's, and their pitifully unfortunate-looking child:

Photo courtesy Ben Lau
Shame, isn't it, that he's so homely? He's also devoid of personality, which is the saddest part.*

Here's a glimpse of the full batch:

Photo courtesy Ben Lau

DELICIOUS.
Thank you, Ben, Giao and Baron!

*Note: I am being completely sarcastic here. Baron is quite obviously an adorable, charming toddler with a vivid personality.