NICOLE CAMMORATA | scarletandsterling

When lilacs last

2013-05-14T12:22:00.003-04:00

WHEN lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,

And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,

I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

O ever-returning spring! trinity sure to me you bring;

Lilac blooming perennial, and drooping star in the west,

And thought of him I love.

In the door-yard fronting an old farm-house, near the white-wash’d palings,
Stands the lilac bush, tall-growing, with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom, rising, delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle......and from this bush in the door-yard,
With delicate-color’d blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig, with its flower, I break.

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 192.

Homes of Newton, Mass.

2013-05-02T11:50:00.001-04:00

Goodbye, Old Man Winter.

2013-03-27T15:47:00.000-04:00

I have made my peace with the passage of time. Calendars and late sunsets and rising mercury tell me that there are lighter, brighter days to come. One last farewell to the snowy scenes of hibernation.

[Photo found via Cabin Porn, submitted by Jody Johnston]

Obsessed with this photo

2013-03-14T13:16:00.000-04:00

Image found via Cabin Porn, though I can't seem to track down the photographer. I just think this farmhouse and garden are so beautiful. Apparently, it's a hostel on Deer Isle in Maine. Weekend getaway anyone?

Houses I have seen and liked

2013-03-13T15:49:00.001-04:00

Recent favorites from the Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington/Medford area. Enjoy!

Cabin in the woods

2013-03-02T20:52:00.002-05:00

Absolutely love this mountaintop cabin at Gunstock.

Where the art is

2013-02-21T12:26:00.002-05:00

"Voyages over Edinburgh" by David Fleck

"The Whale" by Terry Fan

"Butterfly Love" by Love2Snap

Where your heart is

2013-02-20T11:54:00.000-05:00

Creative space

2013-01-16T17:33:00.001-05:00

"I think everything in life is art. What you do, how you dress, the way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality, what you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea, how you decorate your home, or party; your grocery list, the food you make, how your writing looks, and the way you feel. Life is art." --Source Unknown

Another gorgeous email from Lands' End Canvas

2013-01-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut

2012-12-17T09:58:00.002-05:00

A lovely little getaway

2012-12-04T11:44:00.003-05:00

Pretty.

Holiday gift guide

2012-11-29T14:39:00.002-05:00

There's no theme here -- I just think these gift ideas are all pretty great!!

[Tree stump side table -- $199 -- West Elm]

[Enamel mugs in red and grey for camping -- $18 -- Brook Farm General Store]

[Solar Powered Radio -- $35 -- Brook General Store]

[Maple iPhone Speaker -- $95 -- Koostik]

[Seed Pot Maker -- $18 -- The Beekman 1802]

[Handmade wool mittens -- $31 -- via Etsy seller Fall Code]

[Ikat clutch -- $65 -- via Jacqueline Rousseau on Etsy]

[Signet ring -- $98-$995 -- PB Teen]

[Crystal Bow Cuff -- $85 -- j.crew]

[Fig + Vanilla Candle -- $28 -- Sydney Hale Company]

Holiday window displays on Newbury Street

2012-11-28T13:08:00.001-05:00

A natural Christmas

2012-11-26T04:52:00.000-05:00

It's finally socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music! I'm looking to scale things back a bit this year and take more of a natural approach to my holiday decorating and gift wrap. That means lots of greenery! Here are some recent images that are inspiring me this holiday season.

[Above image via Nicole Franzen's blog La Buena Vida]

Happy Thanksgiving!

2012-11-22T11:45:00.000-05:00

I absolutely adore this image, called "Golden Retriever Pilgrims,"

by Elizabeth Aldridge. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

In my room

2012-11-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

Where to buy Nordic leggings

2012-11-20T16:24:00.004-05:00

I've been getting a lot of comments and emails recently from readers trying to hunt down patterned leggings for winter. I don't blame them! I am obsessed with everything Nordic and Fair Isle these days. Here's where to get them.

OnlyLeggings.com (image above is from their site) has a bunch of leggings in all different patterns and textures.

How cute are these Fair Isle Leggings from j.crew?

We've already been over my love for these Lands' End leggings, but they're worth mentioning again!

Then there are these Nordic leggings found via yesstyle.com

Here's another pair from yesstyle.com

These are from foottraffic.com

These Fair Isle Knit Tights are from Forever 21.

Fair Isle Knit Socks from Madewell

Dog Days: Office pets, street dogs, and more

2012-11-20T11:48:00.002-05:00

Bring on the beards

2012-11-19T09:42:00.001-05:00

Winter is coming, and so are the beards. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Floral display: fall berries

2012-11-16T13:27:00.001-05:00

Martha's Vineyard in November

2012-11-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

Nordic leggings from Lands' End Canvas

2012-11-13T09:52:00.001-05:00

Two posts in a row about Lands' End Canvas? I know. I'm obsessed. Move over j.crew.

[women's snowdrift merino leggings -- $70]

Lands' End Canvas is stepping it up

2012-11-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

Though I've long been a devotee to j.crew, I must say: in recent years their cuts and colors have become a bit too trendy for my taste. (I sound like a grandma saying that...) I've been missing that young, refreshing take on classic, New England prep. L.L. Bean Signature has done a good job at it, but you know who is picking up right where j.crew left off? Lands' End Canvas. Just take a look at some images from their most recent catalog.

[this last one was actually from an email blast]

Fireplaces, the hearth, and you

2012-11-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

It's officially time to get cozy, and what better way to warm your toes (and your soul) than by a crackling fire. I'm an apartment-dweller these days, but when I finally do get my own home, you better believe that a killer fireplace will be at the top of my wishlist.