Barbecues Are for Amateurs

I plan to have this entire routine down pat by Labor Day:



Hope everyone's having a sunny holiday weekend!

On the beach this summer ...

Do we rock Hermès


Or HerMadgesty?


(The latter via Sean, who emailed "Shell out for it." I just might!)

Mean Streets

On SNL's hysterical Bronx Beat (which inexplicably never aired on the Betty White episode) our gals tawk about not having visited Times Square in a decade. Which cracks me up because I'm there EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. -- my condo project is just a falafel's throw from Ripley's Believe It Or Not, Madame Tussaud's, and the biggest Chevy's you've ever seen in your life. Now I'm certain the seventh layer of hell is reserved for slackjawed tourists who barricade subway stairs.

But I have to smile every time I pass a sliver of a building near 8th Avenue, a pre-Giuliani time capsule that makes me feel like Irene Cara with her blouse half off in front of that skeezy photographer in Fame. In a good way. Here's its sign:


Don't we love how the enclosed letter bits are whited out à la William Poll? The lobby is like a miniature Studio 54:


A fire hose enclosure in mirrored tile? Yes, please! I've actually been upstairs because an old friend's auntie lived (or hopefully still does, God and rent laws willing) on a high floor. Wonder if they have office space available for Nick Olsen International?

**NERD ALERT** Yesterday, while in a cab hauling shiz to the aforementioned West Side condo, I saw ROBERT DENIRO AND DUSTIN HOFFMAN just chilling on the terrace at Mr. Chow Tribeca!!!!! I immediately texted my friend Candice, who would still let Bob gentrify her any day of the week.

Bull Durham End Tables

And now for the part where I get very desperate/lazy and turn the tables, literally,

and ask for your help. I think Ballard's Durham end tables are quite handsome and a steal at $249 each. I need a pair for this epic condo project I'm working on (like, yesterday), so with a flick of the wrist I put two in my shopping cart ...

AND THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 6/14/10.

Was the red text really necessary, BD? While we're at it, don't label your Coventry Banquette "In stock and ready to ship" if every single component takes 4-6 weeks to deliver, even in a stocked fabric. But back to tables. HomeDecorators used to carry some similar "Figo" series (for more money) but that no longer exists ... I'm considering these new Restoration reclaimed elm Parsons tables but we're at the point when 200 more bucks for end tables means 10 fewer tchotchkes. Any leads out there? The search has led me to some bleaker corners of the Internet -- bupkis. Am I losing my touch?

** INSTANT UPDATE** The RH tables aren't available until 6/12. THIS IS MADDENING.

Art for Art's Sake

So for those of us who can get frustrated trolling eBay (me) or feel poor just walking past an art gallery (really me) there's Zatista, an online goldmine of original, affordable artwork. Check out some offerings:


30 by Sharis DeJaynes, $150.


Magenta Summer by Susan Grissom, $1800.


Strider by Edward Zelinsky, $100.

You can search by type, medium, style and price which I totally appreciate. One artist not on Zatista (not yet at least) is my friend Sally King Benedict, whom I've come to find out is a favorite of Style Court, Jamie Meares and other bloggerati:



Because she's so friggin' talented! Sally is now Mrs. Read as she got married in Atlanta two weekends ago -- her processional to the lawn was closely guarded by bridesmaids with white parasols until a reveal one guest compared to Madame Butterfly. I wept openly at the beauty. Anyway, she recently relaunched her website and I want every single work. The honeymoon should only bring more inspiration!

Design on a Dime

I'll get back to blogging about tchotchkes and Debbie Gibson videos soon enough, but first I want everyone to head over to the Metropolitan Pavilion and shop like you mean it at Housing Works' sixth annual Design on a Dime sale. So many amazing vignettes by top designers and merchants. Look at what chicness Mugatu created:



Quite naturally Charlotte Moss ("CharMo" to the cognoscenti) swooped in and scored lots of the goodies, including that adorable red slipper chair, but there are still tons of bargains to be had.

Other faves included Todd Romano


and Steven Sclaroff


All proceeds will help homeless and low income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Decorate and donate, folks!!

... And We're Back

From ATL and Savannah. I had a blast! Special thanks to Rebecca G. and every amazing SCAD-et(te) who made this trip happen. Oh and to those who attended our little panel discussions -- I actually learned a lot about the relationship between blogs and mags and hope we imparted some wisdom to the kids ("stalking a potential employer will eventually pay off"). Speaking of students, check out a small sampling of their stellar work:





And yours truly, Rita and Atlanta moderator Richard Mishaan with a student in the interior design department (forgive my expression as her project was actually quite fabulous):


Is it wrong that now I want to go back to art school, live in a 19th century 2-bedroom garden apartment for which I pay pennies, and change my name to Nickels Ogelthorpe?? BECAUSE I DO.