‘Tis the Season

So if you’ve been following along, you’re aware that we’re extremely excited about the holiday season. So, naturally, this Swatchbook of the Week is red, green and white. But since we don’t want to be too predictable about the whole thing, how about this rake: the red errs a little orange, the green on the limey side and the white swapped out for a natural brown. The result? A festive palette that looks great year-round. (-Moe)

Moulding, $25.97, at Home Depot. Allendale Oak laminate flooring, Pergo. Wood door, Masonite. Parlour chairs in Tangerine, $699 each, Cb2. Malma mirrors, $2.99 each, Ikea. Wreath, $54, Arcadia Home. RDB100 rug, $134 for 4×6-foot, Dash & Albert. Rustic block accent tables, $99 each, West Elm.

Present Time!

In the coming weeks, we’ll be bringing you a bunch of gift ideas to help you with your holiday shopping. First up: a few ideas from our archives…

• For the music lover: a neat-o iPod case or a cool yellow radio
• For grandma: a sweet strainer and girlie napkins for teatime
• For the entertainer: a slate platter to serve apps and plates to eat them with; cools bags to bring over a bottle of wine (and a corkscrew to open it), and some fancy indestructible plates and tongue-in-cheek candles
• For Felix and Fido: a new litter box and a designer dog bed
• For the gardener: cute herb tags and a modern birdhouse (and for the brown thumb: porcelain plants)
• For the cook: a funny peeler, cute pot holders or a fancy recipe box
• For newlyweds: a lovey-dovey salt & pepper set, new sheets, personalized dinnerware or a luxurious throw
• For the boys: funky duct tape or a cool bottle opener
• For the animal lover: pet portraits, pillows and plates
• And for that person who’s impossible to shop for: cool snow globes, beautiful water bottles or a designer t.p. holder

Hope this helps you, and check in early next week for our first installment of the official Swatchbook Gift Guide! (-Moe)

Tweet Dreams

Do your avian friends need a place to hunker for winter? Maybe they’d like this chic, modern birdhouse! It’s made of recycled content, too, so it’s a feel-good, guilt-free splurge. (-Moe)

Cube Birdhouse, $68, Loll Designs.

Give it a Shake

Aside from being just plain cute, these New York-inspired (212 is the primary NYC area code) salt and pepper shakers would also make a great gift idea. And at under $15 they won’t break your budget.

212 Salt & Pepper Shakers, $14.95, Fishs Eddy.

Sur la Table

Ooh la la! Think pink martini table is tres chic! Plus it comes in sixteen different colors, so there’s bound to be one to match chez vous. (-Moe)

‘Tini Table III, $350, Oomph.

Thanksgiving table, Part Deux!

Since you’re all dying of curiosity, I thought I should share my Thanksgiving table, too! This is the first time we’ve broken out all of our fancy wedding china – combined with our West Elm table and Ikea folding chairs, we were definitely rocking the high/low look. Here’s my sister getting ready to light the candles…

Since the plates are aqua and white, I asked my mother (thanks, Mom!) to bring up a crisp white tablecloth and napkins to match them. We served an asparagus amuse bouche for the sole purpose of using the accent plates – because why not wash eight extra dishes just to show them off? When we chose our china, we actually mixed three different patterns – the blue waved-rim style for dinner plates and teacups, the”Trees & People” small plates and plain white gold-rimmed pieces for everything else. 

Our fancy settings are still a work in progress. I’m on the hunt for modern gold-plated cutlery to complement the edging and maybe some orange or green napkins to bring out the pop of color and give it a contemporary twist. You’ll have to back in next year to see how it evolves! (-Moe)

Who are you, really?

We all have one: a bedroom. But what does yours say about you? I recently designed/wrote a quiz for ShelterPop to help you decipher just that. Take it and let me know your style! (-Allie)

Stock Up

Moe said it right yesterday: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We’ll do our best not to overwhelm you with cutesy holiday decor for the next 25 days…but it’s going to be hard. Especially when beautiful holiday stockings like these are out there. If you’re not the velvet-fur-trimmed or golden knit stocking type then you’ll love these modern varieties. The nature-inspired Christmas is “in” this year — let these be your starting point. (-Allie)

Trail Stocking, $25 each, Amenity Home.

Thanksgiving Table!

Thanksgiving is over [half sigh of exhaustion, half sigh of sadness]. And my first holiday cooking for five people was a success (OK, so I overcooked a couple items, but I blame my Barbie-sized kitchen for that). Before all the craze of cooking began I set my table with a festive modern feel. Knowing I couldn’t depend on my cooking skills, I wanted at least one element of my hostess duties to be perfect! I opted for an unexpected color combo of chartreuse and pumpkin orange, with mix-matched paisley prints. Then I brought in more rustic elements to balance the color — wooden candlesticks, and I made placecards out of pinecones (“salvaged” that morning from Central Park) with leaves cut from chartreuse paper for the names. I then threw a casual orange bouquet in a low glass vase to serve second fiddle to the towering candlesticks, proving that mixing seemingly random objects and colors can work! …At least I think so… thoughts?

Of course I couldn’t leave out our dog Frankie. She is part of the family, after all. And isn’t that what the holiday is all about?

Did you snap a photo of your Thanksgiving table? If so, send it to swatchbook@gmail.com — we’ll share our favorites with readers! (-Allie)

It’s beginning…

Yes, I am one of THOSE people who adds holiday songs to their iPod the day after Thanksgiving. And I know it’s not even December yet. But isn’t this Christmas-y bowl cute? (-Moe)

Pear Tree Point Nut Bowl, $30, Kate Spade.