Laurie Grassi

the art of the vignette: books, books + more books!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Being a books editor means having a lot of books coming your way — and I mean a lot! I already had plenty to begin with, before I even started this endeavour, so now figuring out how to accommodate all the books I want/need to hold on to has become a definite challenge.

This little vignette below came about as an attempt to cull the piles of to-be-read books multiplying out of control on and beside my coffee table. I grabbed all the mystery books lurking in their midst — along with a number of other mysteries from elsewhere in my place that I hadn't yet read — and stacked them alongside my night table in the bedroom. Then I propped a pretty picture in front of the stack — it has the same frame as the other two pictures you see in this shot for visual consistency — and, voilà, lovely vignette!

Not to mention masses of unruly book tamed. Now for the rest of those crazy piles on the coffee table in the living room…

But I do have to say, I love having stacks of books everywhere, as long as they look relatively neat. I call it controlled clutter and, composed of those stacks and other things like pictures, objets d'art, cushions, throws, table lamps, and so on (you get the picture!), that "controlled clutter" adds up to a lovely lived-in-for-centuries look reminiscent of old British country houses.

Just my style!

P.S. The photo was taken with my iPhone — I love the emphatic graininess you can get in a shot with it as it over-adjusts
for the lighting.

indigo spring preview

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Went to the Indigo Spring 2012 Preview on Thursday — always a treat! The theme for this year is a trip to Greece, as Heather Reisman said in her introduction to the collection, and that was evident in all the lovely aqua and sky-blue hues everywhere.

Makes one long for bare-skin, feet-in-the-sand days!

P.S. I'm lusting after that gorgeous piece of driftwood in the bottom pic (I won't even get into how much I want the journals in the same pic — I have so many journals, I've put a moratorium on any more journal buying!)

great book design: we, the drowned by carsten jensen

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Book: We, The Drowned
Author: Carsten Jensen
Design: Lisa Diercks
Publisher: Thomas Allen & Son

schoolhouse appeal: neutral accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:14:00 +0000

These accessories from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. are so appealing with their raw, organic-looking tones and natural, sometimes unrefined textures.

The company has showrooms in Portland, Ore., and New York City but, unfortunately, only ships within the continental United States. Got any friends there?

Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

anthropologie wall mural

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

A lovely vista awaits whenever you walk into a room with this gorgeous mural.

Who knows what flights of fancy or pleasant reveries it might inspire?

Anthropologie

library lust: downton abbey

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:23:00 +0000

Who wouldn't want a library like the one in Downton Abbey?

And what about that couch? Isn't it something?

Downtown Abbey

lori ellison drawings

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:54:00 +0000

I came across these drawings recently and fell in love with them.

They're done by Brooklyn-based artist Lori Ellison on notebook paper, so they're quite intimate in scale. The patterns are also small-scale and intimate and almost hypnotic in their repetitiveness. In the notes for a current exhibit (see below), Ellison says that she is interested in "Proportion based on the lyric, not the epic — that is where the juice lives…. Art that
is the size and resonance of a haiku, quiet and solid as the ground beneath one's fee…. A discreet art, valiantly purified of
the whole hodgepodge of artist's tricks and tics."

If you happen to be in New York between now and Feb. 11, you can catch Ellison's work at the McKenzie Fine Art gallery. Her work is also in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art, but is, unfortunately, not currently on display.

Lori Ellison

tory burch bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +0000

I really don't need very much more than I already have, if anything at all, if I'm being honest. But, of course, pretty little
things catch my eye from time to time, and I can't help but think, I'd like to have that!

This Tory Burch woven rope bracelet is one of those things; I show it here in orange, but it also come in navy (love!),
pink and yellow.

So pretty, so effortless.

toryburch.com

louisa may alcott notebook & quote

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Sometimes I wonder…

literarygiftcompany.com

merry christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:24:00 +0000

laurie's ginger cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:42:00 +0000

Every Christmas I make these ginger cookies — they are a favourite of so many people.

The key ingredient is blackstrap molasses. Not cooking molasses, and definitely NOT fancy molasses. Blackstrap molasses is the result of the third cooking of sugar cane or sugar beets, and is the strongest, most flavourful molasses. I think it's what makes people love these ginger cookies in particular.

They're very easy and quite quick to make. And because you just have to roll the dough into balls, they're fun to make with kids.

For the recipe, just have a peek below the photo!

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Extra sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses; beat. Mix together all dry ingredients; blend well into butter mixture.

Shape into small 3/4-inch balls; roll in extra sugar. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

where is the snow?

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:05:00 +0000

rebecca cowan christmas card prints

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

One of the best Christmas cards I get each year is a print from my artist friend, printmaker Rebecca Cowan. It's such a treat to get an envelope from Rebecca and her husband, knowing that inside lies one of these little treasures.

In the past, Rebecca's themes have included vintage clothing (corsets, boots and shoes), and many of the cards have been shades of red to suit the season. One of my favourites was a print of a luscious pair of lips.

This year Rebecca has gone with a modern classic decorating theme — an Arne Jacobsen Egg chair. I can't wait to see what awaits in the years to come!

You can buy Rebecca's prints (the vintage clothing and lips ones in particular) at Art Interiors; for more on Rebecca, have a look here. And if you live in the Kingston, Ont., area, she also runs printmaking workshops at times at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queens University, and in her own studio.

white still life

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:22:00 +0000

Saw this stunning art installation, Still Life: The Food Bowl, on the Vogue Living Tumblr today. It's made entirely of salt — yes, salt! Isn't it incredible?

But you, too, could have your own version of this beautiful set piece. Just gather some white china — that's the super easy part! Then find old wine glasses (second-hand shops and dollar stores often have amazing finds) and faux fruit (any craft store should have this crafting essential), and get some satin finish white paint (people often have this colour left over from doing trim in their house, so check your basement!). Paint the glasses and fruit and let dry, then arrange the whole shebang into a pleasing vignette.

You could go much smaller than what's shown — say three dessert plates, a bunch of grapes on top and a wineglass — or go to town. The setting is up to you: a petite sidetable, on a dining table as a centrepiece or a mantel — think how amazing this sort of display would look along the length of a mantel backlit with mini lights for the Christmas season. You could even dip the painted fruit in some clear glitter before they dry for that extra-sparkly seasonal touch!

So lovely either way!

war horse & a special horse of my own

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:58:00 +0000

One movie I definitely won't be seeing this holiday season is War Horse. I did try, when I was in London a couple of years back, to get tickets to the stage production. I wasn't really positive I wanted to see it because of the subject matter, but I'd heard incredible things about the staging, so I decided I would give it a go regardless. Alas, I couldn't get tickets.

I have real difficulty watching anything in which animals get hurt. And the fact that Steven Spielberg has directed the movie is another reason I think I'll give it a pass: take the animal situation and add a man who manipulates his audiences into emotional reactions the way Spielberg does and I would be lost. I don't even want to read the book (by Michael Morpurgo). I've always had this thing about hearing about animals getting hurt. I've never even read Black Beauty for that very reason. And when I stumble across horrible scenes in other books or movies, I can't get them out of my mind for days and even then they still pop up, unexpectedly, years down the road.

I'm sure you're thinking to yourself: Wouldn't the bits about how wonderful the animals are and how amazing the bond between humans and animals can be make it worthwhile?

I suppose to some people, yes, undoubtedly. I will and do experience that personally. I love pretty much any kind of animal and horses are a favourite. If you've ever worked closely with one that's particularly amazing, you know just how incredible the relationship can be. I know a horse now that I had ridden who is a spectacular character. He is so kind, and so aware of where you are at all times, it is unbelievable. I remember one time I was in his stall and something fell and he got startled and whipped around in a circle, but kept well away from me so I wouldn't get hurt. Not every horse would be so mindful. When you get to know him and he knows you well and trusts you, he'll follow you around without a lead, stop when you stop and play chase with you — it's like you're part of his herd.

About a year ago, his owner was walking him around an empty arena doing just that sort of thing. He started to get very playful, running around in circles. I was sitting in a corner on a mounting block, and he started racing up to me, coming to a sliding stop only at the very last minute, sending dirt flying. I'm sure he was thrilled that I just sat there and didn't flinch — he kept it up for a good 10 minutes.

Here he is (below) walking with his owner (no lead line at all) and running away from me.

Such an incredible experience, such an incredible animal.

wooden christmas tree

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:05:00 +0000

I would very much like to have this wee wooden Christmas tree for my apartment.

Given the way my furniture is arranged, there is no longer a place for the small real tree I used to buy and put up, so this sort of tiny tabletop tree would be ideal. And the price point is great! I could decorate it with tiny little painted wooden Christmas ornaments I collected when I was a child and it would look perfect.

Now I just have to go out and get it…

P.S. The tree is available at Indigo; here's the link, but keep in mind it won't likely work after the holidays!

house & home makeovers issue

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:42:00 +0000

If you love before and after makeovers, you won't want to miss the latest special issue of House & Home that I've been working on. It hit the newsstands on Aug. 15, and I'm very excited about it!

In it, you'll find all kinds of advice on how to make any room of your home look fabulous, whether you want to tackle a full-out reno or just a quick update!

And if you're digitally inclined, you can find it that way, too, on Jan. 1, 2012, in the iPad App Store under H&H Magazine and on the Magazines Canada Digital Newsstand here.

Do take a look and let me know what you think!

madeline weinrib's glorious rugs

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:57:00 +0000

For sheer awesomeness, you can't beat Madeline Weinrib's rugs.

The patterns are exquisite, and the colours — which range from juicy tones to deep and darkly delicious shades to subtle pastels set off by metallics — are to die for. All of this gloriousness is inspired by Weinrib's travels.

They're made from a variety of natural fabrics — silks, cottons and wools — and imagine how beautifully they'd set off a room, any room! From a nursery to a living room, they'd work wonderfully anywhere in the house. And if you're not so into big, bright, bold patterns, some of the more restrained shades would be ideal.

Any way you look at them, they're lovely. Walking on them would be one thing — me, I'd like to roll around on them!

madelineweinrib.com

spring fresh home decor

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:52:00 +0000

I feel the need for a fresh start at home and a big spring clean.

If I could afford to, I'd take everything out of my apartment, scrub down all the walls and floors, fix everything that needed to be fixed, refinish the floors, hire someone to paint everything again (I swore after I painted last time, I'd never paint again!) and move stuff back in, cleaning it all as I go.

But that's just waaaaaay too exhausting to think about...

So maybe just some bright colours and brilliant patterns would go down nicely right about now — sort of a way to celebrate spring and welcome the warmer weather.

Toss in some crisp white sheets, and I'd be quite happy I think!

Temple Tulips wallpaper from the Ocean Collection, amybutlerdesign.com

Azure Ikat Towels, anthropologie.com

300-Thread-Count Essential Sheets, potterybarn.com

julie moschenross muskoka collection

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:21:00 +0000

I was just writing a story for House & Home about a place in the Muskokas.

Of course, that made me long for hot summer weather and lounging by the water, which is one of my most favourite things
in the world.

And while I was being distracted by thoughts of idle summer days and attempting to actually get some work done and sort through a bunch of paperwork, what did I come across but a card from Manor12 featuring textile designer Julie Moschenross's Muskoka Collection!

The collection of cushions, tea towels, quilts and other soft accessories is inspired by the lake-filled cottage-land north of Toronto, and it's gorgeous, with the waterside images pretty much doing me in and overwhelming me with dreams of summer.

It was fate, I tell you, definitely fate telling me daydreaming was the thing to do!

Hemp and cotton Barnacle cushions

Hemp Cabana tea towels, manor12.com

the art of the vignette: windowsill

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Sometimes it doesn't take much to create a beautiful, still space somewhere in your home.

Here, a small plant in a tall footed bowl and little pile of collected pebbles evoke nature and inspire quiet, calming reflection.

oscars-makleri.se

house & home kitchens & baths

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:05:00 +0000

The time has finally arrived!

The special issue of House & Home that I've been working on all winter has finally hit the newsstands!

And if you're digitally inclined, you can find it that way, too – just click here for all the details on how to link to it.

The issue is Kitchens & Baths, and it's full of before-and-after makeovers, colourful kitchens, buying guides, fabulous accessories and on-trend looks.

I hope you take a look and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

marvellous moleskine notebooks

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:45:00 +0000

I just bought an iPad 2 today, but that doesn't mean I've gone totally digital. I have a true passion for journals and notebooks and, in fact, can't live without them.

Earlier this week, I decided that I needed some new ones. I wanted very specific ones: they needed to be the usual height and width but really thin, so they'd be super easy to carry back and forth from work.

I hit Indigo and found the perfect ones! They're from Moleskine's Volant Collection and come in a gorgeous selection of colours (I got blue). I have no clue why a new notebook makes me so happy, but it does, and with this style of Volant, you get a set of two in slightly different shades – total bonus!

Visit the Moleskine site to check out the Volant notebooks and all the other fabulousness that is Moleskine!

spring daydream

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:08:00 +0000

I was riding the subway these early days of spring when I realized that soon we would have that amazing, all-too-brief time when the bluebells suddenly appear and coat the hills either side of the tracks with their beautiful blue blooms.

living with books

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Grassi) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:46:00 +0000

My life wouldn't be complete without books and reading. And my home wouldn't be complete without books in it.

I was talking with someone recently, and I said that I'd be suspicious of someone whose home had no books in it. Yes, that's exactly how I'd feel. How could you possibly live with no books? Inconceivable as far as I'm concerned.

And when people come to my place, I always think more highly of those who look at my books.

That's just the way it is.

Here are some lovely rooms with books. I'd be happy spending time in any of them. :)

Design, Thom Filicia; photo: Thomas Loof; housebeautiful.com

anthropologie.com

Domino, brides.com

srgambrel.com