awwwwww...

who doesn't like puppies? (and if you don't, wtf is wrong with you, cruella?)

for more heartwarming pics of these adorable pups (and other sweet foster babies), visit the dog blog of a self-proclaimed "crazy dog lady" (ie, heroic puppy foster mom) @ posybunny, and smile away... (hint: click on "duckie's puppies" for the cuteness overload of the above sweet pups).

m21's last minute gift giving guide (with goodwill to all)

the 2009 holiday season has proved more then a little vexing. yes, it's a time of celebration and gift-giving; yet this year there is a bit of somberness and restraint in the holiday air. the economy is still a shambles, we are embroiled in 2 wars overseas and here in the states, unemployment continues to rise, despite headlines stating the recession is easing. people are seriously hurting economically- so how does one fix that kind of thing with a sweater or scented candle? especially when the recipient of your gift might be facing far bigger issues...

it's not just people in shelters who are confronting hardship this year- it's your friends, neighbors and family. you probably think "i don't know anyone who's that bad off", but think again- if you know someone whose income has been affected by the economy, who has lost a job, who is overextended with credit card debt, then you very well might know someone in serious trouble, but who puts on a brave face, pretending everything is fine. after achieving success in life, admitting to losing it is pretty humiliating stuff, so lots of people just keep quiet, never letting on how bad things really are.

m21 has been acutely aware of this situation, as it seems like many of his friends and associates have had a really, really, rough year (economically speaking). m21 hasn't been immune to the rotten economy himself- the interior design trade is intimately inked to housing values, after all- but somehow we made it through, and things have already drastically improved from the beginning of 2009. maybe it's because m21 has no children to clothe, feed and pay tuition for, or elderly parents with exorbitant medical bills, so we've been relatively fortunate; for other people, their road in 2009 has been much tougher.

knowing this is happening all around us complicates gift giving: too luxurious a gift seems thoughtless and ostentatious; no gift at all seems callous; offering cash is no alternative- even if we had it to spread around, who would accept it? m21 initially thought of giving to charities like kiva.org or hiefer.org in others' names, but that almost seems the worst of all- who wants money donated to charity in their name when they might be in need of a little charity themselves? plus, it makes the gift all about you, the giver, not recipient, and that's no good.

fortunately, a series of unrelated events gave m21 an idea how to resolve his dilemma, and he'd like to share the resulting idea with y'all, just in case you might want to incorporate as well. first though, the events that brought us to our realization (you know how maison21 LOVES to go off an a tangent before getting to his point):

one event occurred during m21's very first holiday party of the season, where one of the guests shared about their pending foreclosure,and court order to vacate the week before xmas. in normal times, this would be a shocking admission, but quickly a larger group gathered around them, many admitting to similar hardships, and rapidly, tips, advice, encouragement, and email addresses were exchanged. people were actually joking about things like job loss, eviction and bankruptcy- not because these are happy things, but because through simple words exchanged with a stranger at a party, they felt less alone and more hopeful. it was both heartwarming and heartbreaking to witness, even just as an observer...

second event was a friend's post on facebook, stating this year they couldn't even afford to buy their friends and family a free glass of water. obviously, the post was meant to be funny, but many of the responses were of the "me too" variety, as people compared all the homemade gift giving ideas they couldn't afford to partake in: "bake cookies for neighbors? when i can barely afford to feed my kids?" again, it made m21 examine his holiday gifting plans- cookies are great, but only when preceded by a nutritious meal...

last, one afternoon while in a pissy, overworked and under-appreciated mood, m21 received a phone call from a client he hadn't spoke to in a while. expecting a complaint or some sort of decorating "emergency", m21 was pleasantly surprised to hear, "i'm just sitting here in my lovely living room, and wanted to let you know how much i enjoy it every single day". poof, pissy mood gone, replaced by happy mood- which not only lasted days, but could be enjoyed again and again whenever m21 recalled the conversation...

and that's when m21's gift giving dilemma was solved, and he knew what he was getting everyone on his list: the gift of a kind word. no matter how bad things are or how shitty life seems, truly heartfelt words of appreciation and support, can lift the spirits in a way no sweater or candle ever could. kind words are 100% free to give, yet make the recipient feel like a million bucks, so everyone can participate. it may seem cliché to some, or merely cheap to others, but in 2009, m21 is going to make it a point to gift the people in his life with sincere words of appreciation. oh, the younger ones might get a little something to unwrap, but this year, for m21, gift giving is going to be about friends, family, happiness, and love.

m21 has just enough hubris to think this is an idea worth sharing- imagine how nice it would be to get a card where the giver expresses the things they appreciate about you: "i appreciate our friendship because you show me unwavering support, even when you know i'm acting the fool", "your advice and encouragement are invaluable, thank you for caring", or " the laughter you provide me with everyday makes life a joy". the mushier the better, just as long as it's real. it also works for business associates and even for people you don't know that well: "thank you for your excellent service- you make doing business more like hanging out with a friend- a fantastically organized, and efficient friend, that is..." ;-) once you get started, you'll be amazed at all the people in your life who are truly fabulous, and by writing down your feelings, and presenting them as gift, you'll make the recipient feel special and valued throughout the year. if enough of us shared the qualities we love in our friends and families, imagine how happy this holiday season could be- even if material gifts are less abundant then usual.

so i hope you'll join with m21 this holiday season, and let the people in your life know exactly what you love them for, and give the gift of a kind word. it may be schmaltzy, it may be cliché- it may even be cheap to some, but really, who can object to a little kindness? of course, m21 wants to practice what he preaches, so we begin with you:

getting 'ahead' (kelly wearstler bust lust in palm springs, amongst other flights of fancy)

as usual,on our most recent visit to palm springs, we stopped into the estate sale to see what we could see, and while there, spent at least half an hour captivated by this ginormous bust of david, wondering where in the heck inside the atelier we could place this campy, yet fabulous sculpture (ala ms. wearstler, of course). try as we might though, we have no grand spaces like the lobby of the viceroy miami to hold a giant classical bust, so our $300 bargain david had to stay put, waiting for the next lucky (or crazy) decorator to give it an appropriately grand home...

the object of our wearstler inspired 'bust lust': this awesomely big n campy 4 foot tall bust of 'david' (sitting on a dining table base to give you an idea of its scale)

the only spot we could possibly work such a beast, the base of the stairs in our entry hall, but, no go- too stoney and austere (not to mention stage-settish). excuse our poor photoshop skills- we promise not to quit our day job to become a professional photo retoucher!

the lobby of the viceroy miami, m21's inspiration for his bust lust. photo is from ms. wearstler's fabulous HUE from AMMObooks (via habitually chic. ps- stop by chic's blog TODAY as she is giving away a copy!)

more of ms. wearstler's classical statuary obsession (via the daily mail)

we also thought these highly figured marble stools/tables @ the estate sale, would fit in a kelly wearstler inspired space- kinda awesome.

we also loved this pagoda mirror, an incredible bargain at $150.00, and we were shocked to see it was by the fabulous 'chinoisophiles' @ jardins en fleur, and is included in the latest sale from one king's lane- we assumed it was vintage! (ps, speaking of giveaways, if you stop by velvet & linen, brooke is having a sweepstakes for a $250.00 OKL shopping spree- you could get the same pagoda mirror- in the color of your choice- for FREE! that's an even better incredible bargain!

we loved these vintage twin headboards- wouldn't you love to see the original room these came out of? if the fabric is any indication, it was eye-searingly awesome!

last, the object(s) we were truly obsessed with from the estate sale, even more so then 'david', were these fantastically chic (imho), larger-than-life, plaster monkey statues on matching plinths- so beyond 80's fabulous, we really can't stand it! we hesitate to mention our love for them, as potential design clients would be rightfully scared if we were to suggest putting them in their homes; but if we could put them in our home, we'd do a whole room of late 70's- early 80's fabulousity around them: think parchment covered walls, with a gilt ceiling (cove lit, 'natch), avec lots of shiny ecru lacquer and brass furniture (think gabriella crespi and karl springer). we'd probably have to toss in a little leopard print too, because in anticipation of bringing our monkey friends home, we've already nicknamed them "joan" and "jackie" (collins)- no offense to the lovely collins sisters, of course- it's a compliment... swear!

so 80's haute safari chic...

"joan"

"jackie"

alas again, even though at $700/pair, the monkeys were inexpensive enough to have some 80's decorating fun with, joan and jackie had to be left behind at the estate sale- until we have a larger than life home in which to indulge such flights of fancy (you know, like kelly's hillcrest estate), we'll have to stick to simpler, less grandiose, ways to get our 80's on...

as always, we look forward to your comments- we know after ginormous plaster 'david' heads and haute 80's monkey statues, they're gonna be good! fire away! ;-)

winter wonderland (in paradise, no less)

a winter wonderland atop mt. san jacinto, via the palm springs aerial tram

living in southern california means sometimes it's hard to get in the holiday mood- images of happy scarf-wearing carolers and snow-filled bucolic scenes appear somewhat disjointedly out of place, when it's 80 degrees and sunny outside...

this weekend though, m21 participated in a southern california tradition, guaranteed to put even the most jaded of southern californians in a holiday mood- a visit to the snow, via the palm springs aerial tramway! (m21 is a third generation southern californian, so he firmly believes that weather is something one visits, but doesn't actually live in...) sure the tram is a bit touristy, but it's also a heck of a lot of fun- the views are breathtaking, frolicking in the snow virtually year-round is always a hoot, and the best part is no snow chains are needed, and it's only 10 minutes away from warm, sunny palm springs proper- you can enjoy a snowball fight in the morning, yet be sipping icy margaritas in the sun at lunch!

the view from the tram car

"tastes cold!"

apres snow, back in civilization

holiday cheers! (the junque whisperer™ brings a gift)

the best gatherings are usually those that are impromptu, so that's why maison21 thinks it's important to have a small area in your home dedicated to a bar area to make guests feel welcome and special- even if they've just dropped by for a quick visit. m21 has had an array of bar carts in his home over the years but for the last year or so, he's kept his bar inside a cabinet, but given that he is not hosting a large holiday party this year(not alone on that one, we think), he decided it was important to move the bar to a more visible location for impromptu events this holiday season, and that involved finding a new (vintage) bar cart. we've actually been looking for a brass vintage modern bar cart for over a year, since setting up a similar cart in a client's home during the holidays last year, but haven't found anything in our price range, as alas, our client's budgets are often a tad larger then our own; but with the holidays fast approaching, and m21's need recently launched to a fevered pitch by his friend habitually chic's well-edited compilation of decorator bars, maison21 knew it was time to set the junque whisperer™ to warp drive 10, and find a damn cart! (btw, congrats on the recent lonny magazine feature, chic- both you and your client's kitchen look terrific! yay for you!)

anyhoo, this last weekend, m21 and his inner junque whisperer™ made it their goal to find a bar cart, so we hit the road, and thankfully, our inner voice came through with exactly what we wanted- and for a price less then the cost of a single cocktail! woo hoo! thank you, junquey santa! mind you the cart is a bit rusted, and was never the most expensive thing back in it's heyday (the wheels are plastique, and the frame? cheap steel sprayed with a yellow lacquer finish to look brass), but maison21's #1 rule in decorating is, screw provenance- if it looks good, it IS good. another rule from m21 when buying vintage is "it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that ding", and our definition of "ding" is the opposite of bling (ie shiny and new)- maison21 likes his vintage to show a little history, a scratch or too, and of course, dents and dings... do we want it to look like it was unearthed from a junk yard? not necessarily, but then again, see rule #1- if it looks good, it IS good!

maison21 thinks bars should always be in a public room- living, dining, den, library, etc- so ours is tucked in a corner of our living room. we don't like bars set up in a kitchen (too utilitarian to entertain in, in our opinion), nor a family room (not child appropriate), and again, in our personal opinionwe advise setting up a bar in an entry hall (though you often see this in magazines). true, an entry hall welcomes your guests to your home, an da bar sure is welcoming, but it shouldn't also say "hi, i'm maison21 and i'm an alcoholic!" not exactly the first impression we want to make- our guests will figure that out later, as the evening proceeds... :-)

maison21's advice for filling the cart is similar to the david hicks quote used in habitually chic's post: a bar should create a "generous, welcoming atmosphere"- but we of course want to break it down into less airy-fairy decorator speak, and give you the real skinny! the goal of the cart is to gather everything you need to entertain a few guests at the drop of a hat- it doesn't work for large parties, and isn't intended to- BUT it should be crowded with enough crap, so it looks like it could host a hundred! that's how you establish "generous, welcoming atmosphere"- by cramming your bar (table, cart, cabinet) with lots and lots of stuff, so your guests feel free to partake of your generous abundance (kind of like with a birthday cake- people feel free to get second helpings when there are lots of slices available, but when down to the very last piece, suddenly everyone is shy and stuffed. don't want your guests to feel shy about helping themselves to a cocktail, do you?)

m21 likes to keep the bare basics on his cart- always vodka, gin, scotch and vermouth, maybe a bottle of red, and a few random liquor bottles just to prop it out. for mixers, one should always have soda and tonic waters (a must, but not shown in picture because we ran out of tonic- sorry), maybe add in some juice, or soft drinks, if those are your personal faves (soda cans are fine for your display but never a 2-liter bottle of soda or gallon of juice). it's important to have multiple bottles of mixers to keep the bar looking welcoming, yet not junked up, so keep the variety slim, but lots of each (the little individual servings are our preference, but we used tall bottles to make our cart look prettiest for our photo- remember, if it looks good, it IS good). also, you won't please everyone with their particular liquor and mixer requests, nor should you try, but with the above items, you can please 80%, and if the other 20 % bitch about it- oh well! they are guests in your home, not paying customers at a bar; you are a welcoming host, and do your best to accommodate, but you aren't a doormat either... ;-)
for accessories, the most important is the ice bucket- you want to go to the kitchen once to fill it, then spend the rest of your time in a prettier room, enjoying the company of your guests! m21 keeps a bucket, a carafe or shaker to mix, tongs, knife and bottle opener on the table at all times, along with a selection of double old fashioned glasses and stemware (we have skinny wine glasses that can double as champagne flutes if one of your guests- hopefully- brings a bottle of veuve clicquot)! m21 keeps bowls of whole lemons and limes out, because they are pretty & colorful, and if unsliced, last forever- so you are always prepared. last, make sure you have a stack of nice linen cocktail napkins- remember, we are going for pretty on the cart, so save the paper napkins for large events. ps, thanks for the napkins sferra- in our gift bag from a kelly wearstler party, hosted by ronda @ all the best).

finally, please note our choice of vodka: monopolowa, from trader joe's @ just $9.99 a bottle- the old school cool label is beyond chic, and it's just as tasty as brands many times its price. m21 is NOT ashamed to serve it in his home, because (here we go again): if it looks good, it IS good! if ya want grey goose, carry a flask!

cheers, everyone! stop by the atelier for a cocktail some time!