Bright Winter Stripes

It's been rather dreary in Arizona lately. We had a humdinger of a storm that dumped loads of rain on the Valley and even resulted in a tornado watch. The storms are gone, but the warm temps we enjoyed the week before seem to have disappeared. And while we're not as cold as the rest of the country, I still get the feeling that my fellow Valley dwellers are more than ready for spring.

Luckily none of us have to wait for spring to punch up our wardrobes and homes with some brightly colored (and striped -- of course) accessories. Take a look at these wonderful winter options that are sure to make you chipper.

Clockwise from top left: Uptown Coat, $138 here, Wellie Magee Bag, $195 here, iPhone 3G Cover, $30 here, Ojai Orange, Green and Yellow Dinnerware, $101.20 per set here.

Happy Belated New Year!

Happy New Year, peeps!

Apologies for the lack of posts, I had some big work-related projects over the holiday so I decided to give myself a bit of a break.

But now I'm back and ready to share my most favorite gift from the holidays. Aside from my new MacBook Pro (which is really a business expense...but rocks nonetheless), I am completely smitten with this little number:

small egg crate, $12 right here.

I can't tell you how long I have coveted this. Anthropologie apparently wants me to use it as an actual egg crate (it's ceramic), but I'm going to use it as a new home for my rings, earrings and extra buttons. It looks so pretty on my dresser, you have no idea.

It also comes in aqua. I may need one of those, too. We'll see.

Cookie Swap 2.0

Not surprisingly, people take their cookies seriously. In the midst of planning our cookie extravaganza, I was delighted with the cookie feedback I received via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Deliciousness via social networking? Who knew?

So here's a quick roundup of recipes. My oven is about to get a work out.

Christmas Wreaths: I know the green food coloring can be a bit off-putting, but once you get past that, (or just go au naturale and forgo the food coloring altogether) these treats are deee-lish. Recipe here. Photo provided by a trusty college pal who is THE authority on all things Christmas.

(Top) Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars & (Bottom) Sunny's Crunchy Peanut Butter S'more Bites: submitted by the one and only Heather Crabtree of Outstanding Occasions fame. I have not tried either recipe. Yet. But I know Heather and according to her Twitter page, she has cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner by herself, which I consider a serious feat. So I will henceforth trust any recommendation she may have when it comes to cooking. Oh, and she's also a doll.

Recipes here and here.

Magic Toffee Bars: My mom has a habit of digging up the most addictive sweet treat recipes during the holiday season. She calls these Magic Toffee Bars. I call them Crack on a Saltine. Plan on making several batches. You'll thank me later. Recipe here.

I am throwing these last two selections in because A) I have made them myself, 2) they are relatively simple recipes and C) they taste good no matter how bad they look.

Raspberry Pinwheels: I found this recipe last year and the cookies looked so pretty and relatively easy to make. A fair warning - unless you bake on a regular basis, your cookies probably won't look this pretty. But pop one in your mouth and SWEET MOTHER OF GOD ARE THEY DELICIOUS! I considered burning this recipe out of fear I would bake them every week and end up on one of those horrible TLC exposes. Half Ton Designer. So use this recipe with some discretion. Find it here.

Best Ever Butter Cookies: This is my best kept baking secret, are you ready? The best Christmas cookie recipe is not passed down from generation to generation, it's found on the back of a Land-O-Lakes butter container. My mother-in-law introduced me to this wizardry when my husband and I first started dating and I have made these babies every year since. I add a little extra orange juice to the dough. Splash some into the frosting recipe, too. This is where I'll start tomorrow - simple, basic and so insanely delicious. I can barely contain my excitement! Find it here.

Peace, Love & Cookies, peeps! Merry Christmas!

I Heart Cookies

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed this little gem last week:

I'm making good on my tweet. I won't bake cookies until December 24th. Maybe even the 25th. In the meantime, I've been perusing my favorite magazines and websites for ideas and recipes for my cookie extravaganza. I'll post the top contenders this week.

But my inquiring mind wants to know – what is your favorite cookie recipe? Leave me a comment or shoot me an email – info@kellyashworthdesign.com – and I'll post your deliciousness for all the blogosphere to see. We'll call it "Cookie Swap 2.0". Yum.

{ image from Sweet and Saucy Shop. Did you gasp at this gorgeousness like I did? }

Pretty Floral Gifts

Have you heard of Olive and Cocoa? I received their catalog the other day, and now want everything they sell. This is what I want the most:

Snow arrangement, $108 right here.

In addition to some lovely floral prettiness, they also offer an amazing array of gift ideas. I'm somewhat averse to the idea of sending food (it seems a bit overdone, no?) but their packaging is so pretty and if you're a business owner you can have it customized with your logo. Swoon.

PS - Olive and Cocoa has not paid me for this post. They just put out a lovely catalog and I felt the need to share.

Slipper Love

Hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving! I am in the thick of Holiday Card Season and loving every minute of it. But if I ever get around to designing my own cards remains to be seen. C'est la Vie.

When I picked up the mail on Monday, I found a new LL Bean Catalog and nearly tossed it. But then these cuties caught my eye and I just had to share. Say hello to the newest additions to my Christmas list. Santa, are you listening? I'm a 10.5.

Hearthside Beaded Moccasin, $39.95 and Hearthside Slipper, $34.95 right here.

Sequin Love

There is no better time than the Holidays to break out the sequins, am I right? Check out these fabulous sequined finds; perfect for weddings, parties and other holiday revelry:

Scarf, $12.95 at H&M, Dress, $225 at Bluefly, Ornament, $5.95 at Crate and Barrel, Cardigan, $68 at Urban Outfitters, Shoes, $395 at Kate Spade, Clutch, $49.50 at JCrew

I saw the Scarf pictured above at our brand new H&M about a week ago. I gazed at it lovingly. The price tag was even lovelier. But I had no idea how to wear it. Any ideas?

Pretty Things for Parties

I've been hard at work on a few pet projects, but wanted to share a few fab finds from the new Boden catalog that graced my mailbox today.

I love this time of year because we get to see lots of sparkly, pretty dresses and such for the holidays. And Boden does it well in unexpected ways with loads of color and shine. LOVE me some sequined flats. Just because heels make me wobble around like a baby giraffe does not mean I don't enjoy fun shoes.

Show-Stopping Shift - $198, Ravishing Ruffle Jacket - $168, Cluster Ring - $34, Party Flats - $128. All available here.

Tree Trimming in October

OK, I'll admit I get just as annoyed as the next person when I see holiday displays before it's even officially fall. This is especially true in the desert where the thermometer is still registering triple digits and the rest of the country is already enjoying the comforting embrace of their Snuggie.

But when my new Ballard Designs catalog arrived and it contained these beauties, it was hard to contain my joy. I'm already having visions of a Black & White Christmas. Take a look:

Alphabet Ornaments - Set of 26, $69 right here.

Oh, and did you know that you can trim your tree with capiz button garland? No? Neither did I. But now that you know, don't you kind of want to? Like a lot?

Capiz Button Garland - Set of 3, $29 right here.

What fun ideas are you hoping to incorporate into your holiday decor?

Your Favorite Chair in Lucite

I found this in the new issue of House Beautiful and had to share. (Are you reading HB? It's divine.)

Take a look at this fresh new version of the classic chivari chair:

It's Lucite, people. I love the idea of incorporating this into a traditional wedding with modern elements. So often I run into couples with varying styles. The Bride will pick feminine floral prints and the Groom will love modern, geometric patterns. What a great way to marry (literally and figuratively) these two styles!

These chairs can be found at Ruby Beets, 2 for $450.

While I was checking out their site, I happened upon this little cutie (also made of Lucite). I will need this for my office immediately:

What fun ways will you incorporate varying styles into your wedding or event? Please share, inquiring minds want to know!

My Sweden Adventure: Part 2 - Svensk Tenn

My apologies for the so-so photos taken with my phone, but check out these marvelous vignettes. I shot these at Svensk Tenn, the coolest, most difficult to pronounce design shop in Stockholm.

If you're a fan of Josef Frank, this is a must see. You'll find his designs on fabrics, lampshades, dinnerware and wallpaper. All equally fantastic. But a fair warning: bring your kroners. All of them. Nothing in Stockholm is cheap and this place was certainly no exception.

Because I hadn't checked any luggage, I was only able to bring a few small pieces home with me, and they will serve as gifts. Which is all the better, because holy cow is that exchange rate brutal!

Check out the website for all of the loveliness. And enjoy my attempt at pretending I wasn't actually an obnoxious tourist taking photos of everything in sight below:

Love this pillow arrangement!

My favorite. Love the sofa. Love the chandelier. And those green drapes? Yum.

Thank you, Svensk Tenn for convincing my husband that wallpaper might actually be awesome in our bedroom. But just on one wall. That's the deal.

My Sweden Adventure: Part 1 - H&M Paradise Discovered

This year for my birthday, my husband surprised me with a trip to Sweden. This trip was a trifecta of aweseomeness: The Detroit Red Wings were playing their season opener in Stockholm, which was the main reason for the trip. But I have always ALWAYS wanted to travel to Sweden because it's the land of my great-grandparents AND amazing design. So amazing surprise indeed, no?

We arrived in Stockholm at around 7:30am, jet lagged and delirious. The receptionist at the hotel was kind enough to let us check in early, so we took a delicious 4-hour nap, showered, dressed and hit the town for a little exploration.

In addition to checking out the beautiful architecture in the Old Town, my husband was also kind enough to indulge me in a little retail therapy. I knew we'd find some amazing shops in Stockholm, but I had no idea just how many there would be. The Swedes love to shop. (What can I say? It's in my genes. Now I have a perfectly valid excuse.) I was particularly excited to see an H&M on just about every corner. Which makes sense, because H&M was born in Sweden over 60 years ago. Most of the shops had multiple levels, and at one store in particular, I noticed a level devoted to home accessories. And that's when I knew I was in trouble.

Fun display with clock pillows.

Pillows and blankets and linens and textiles galore. At H&M prices. Here are a few of my faves:

Of course, none of this loveliness is available stateside. But you can join my drool fest right here. Perhaps if we ask nicely, we can convince them that we need these goodies, too? Anyone on board to sign my petition?

Fall Linens

Fall is in the air! At last!

In Arizona, this means open windows, eating outdoors and the end of living in a giant hair dryer. It's my favorite time of year.

But then again, it always has been my favorite time of year. As a kid, fall was ironing colorful leaves between sheets of wax paper, field trips to the cider mill, picking out pumpkins at the corner market. Fall is my wedding day.

My mailbox has been full of fun catalogs lately, many featuring some fabulous fall items that tempt me to empty my wallet. But do I really need a giant soup tureen in the shape of a pumpkin? Probably not. These cuties sure caught my eye, though. Take a look:

Pretty, modern and supremely autumnal. And much more affordable than the pumpkin tureen.

Foglia Print Dishtowel, $3.95 each right here.

What are some of your favorite fall finds? And does anyone know where I can find a cider mill in Arizona?

Should I Plaster My Walls With Birch Trees?

I happened upon this on the Urban Outfitters site the other day. At first I had a somewhat visceral reaction -- to be specific, "ick". It reminded me of a 70's era motel I stayed at in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Wood paneling, dark, smelled of stale ashtrays and Glade Plug-in's. An entire wall had been covered in a photo realist "Michigan Woods" motif that included a large buck with enormous antlers glaring at me. It was a great trip, though. I swear.

But the more I looked at this, I decided in the right setting it could be pretty cool. Perhaps in a library or study. Or maybe if you're having a kitschy event, you make this a portrait backdrop for your guests.

Then I remembered how much I loved shooting birch trees in my high school photography class. They were such an easy subject -- they stood still, provided an amazing amount of contrast and made for some easy abstract art.

After about five minutes of this, I had gone from "ick" to "yes, I think I need this immediately." Which I realize may expose my own neuroses, but the point of all this is to really consider the things you surround yourself with. Whether you're decorating your home or styling an event, it's important to pay attention to things that you have a reaction to - whether good or bad. You may find that what first seems "icky" will transform your space into something more fabulous than you ever imagined!

Do you have similar "ick" stories? Have you ever plastered your walls with arboreal splendor? Am I crazy?

Birch Tree Wall Mural, $140 right here.

Inspiration at Your Feet

J Crew has put out so much wonderfulness as of late, don't you think? I'm especially smitten with their peep toe pumps -- which would provide brilliant design inspiration for your next event. Or just dress up your LBD in a major way. Take a look:

Molly satin platform peep toes, $250 here.

Molly printed platform peep toes, $250 here.

Molly printed platform peep toes, $250 here.

Modern Republic Jewelry

My friend recently started designing jewelry and now has her very own Etsy shop that I think you need to check out. Immediately. Like right now.

You'll find pretty, modern pieces that are totally versatile and the prices will seriously blow you away. And better yet, she takes custom orders! Brides, did you hear that? Look at the gorgeousness you could bestow upon your fair bridesmaids without breaking the bank!

Czech Glass Beaded Earrings on Gold Filled Ear Wires, $10.00 right here.

Ice Blue Trio Sterling Silver Necklace, $10.00 right here and Ice Blue Dangle Earrings, $8.00 right here.

Chalkboard Table Numbers

Holy chalkboard, Batman! Quick, someone buy these and use as table numbers at your wedding. Your guests will take one look and declare that yours is the best wedding ever in the history of the world. For real.

Desktop Chalkboard, $14.95 right here.

3 Free Color Apps for iPhone

I got my iPhone in April and in addition to helping me streamline my business, social networking and restaurant tipping needs, I have also discovered lots of fun apps with designers and design lovers in mind. Today I'm sharing three apps devoted to color, all free and all fabulous. Observe:

1. Think Ink: Color Unleashed by Neenah Paper, Inc.

This app allows you to create custom palettes and order coordinating paper samples from Neenah Paper. Palettes can be created from your favorite photos, personality attributes (what color is sarcasm?), Neenah Paper colors or RBG color values.

2. Colorstrology by Michele Bernhardt, sponsored by Pantone, Inc.

If you love horoscopes, astrology or just pretty colors, this is the app for you. Look up you birth date and discover the color that reflects your personality and nature. In case you're wondering, my "color" is Oasis Green. Which naturally means that I'm detail oriented, profound and kind.

3. ColorSnap by Sherwin Williams

This app is pure marketing genius. Take a photo of something pretty and this app will offer you the closest Sherwin Williams paint color and a coordinating palette. I tested it with a photo I took of the Phoenix night sky, and I was able to specify specific colors from the sky that I liked best. Aside from providing obvious interior design inspiration, it's also a great tool for brides and planners who are looking to create a gorgeous color palette for their event.

There are loads of color apps out there, these three just happen to be free and easy to use. What are some of your favorite iPhone apps?

Designer Mugs for Designers

Do I need to spend $125 on coffee mugs? Nay.

Can you see why I'd want to? Yes? Good.

Highlight Books for Everyone!

I wanted to share some recent personal projects that incorporate my fabtabulous Highlight Books. I first introduced this concept last fall and I'm so excited with the response. If you have an idea for your very own Highlight Book, you can shop my Etsy site or send me an email at info@kellyashworthdesign.com to get the ball rolling.

Take a look at my two pet projects:

You met niece #1 right here. She's growing like a weed. I put together this Highlight Book for my sister-in-law to remind her that just two short months ago, her baby girl was teeny tiny.

I made this book for my husband to commemorate our recent trip to Italy. He keeps it at his desk at work and probably dreams about amazing scenery, great wine and incredible food. At least, that's what I do when I look at it.

You can have your very own Highlight Book for $15. Minimum order of 3 books. The process is simple: you send me your favorite high resolution photos and I do the rest.

In addition to the obvious uses (weddings, babies, travels, anniversaries, etc.) Highlight Books can also be used for fun invitations, favors and other event accessories. In the most recent issue of Bride & Bloom Magazine, my Highlight Books were featured as wedding invitations. The possibilities are endless!