Happy Halloween!

I hope you guys have an awesome time today! Are you going to a Halloween party? Trick-or-treating with your young cousins? Are you going to dress up and throw candy at trick-or-treaters? Whatever you do, I hope it rocks!

While it's a little late to get your decorating done for tonight's Halloween party, it's never too early to start thinking about next year. So I will leave you this last day of October with my suggestions for the ultimate Halloween decor:

I'm no HGTV interior designer, but let me tell you, that's art. Get both paintings, hang them up side by side, and imagine an Edgar Allan Poe-Zombie Lincoln buddy comedy. It's beautiful. These fine Archie McPhee oil paintings will bring light to your life wherever you put them.

Buy either one through Archie McPhee for $38.95.

Images via the same.

Maureen

Toast of the Town

Back in high school, my awesome friend Charlie had this game on his calculator called Toaster. It was basically the greatest thing ever, and when my own calculator died, taking the files for Toaster with it, I nearly cried. BUT! There is something out there to cheer up everyone, and today that thing for me is this fantastic red toaster:

It's all shiny and space-age-esque, and even though I have no need whatsoever for a four-slice toaster, I kind of want to buy this. (Shh--don't tell the toaster in my kitchen.) Mostly, though, I want to buy it for Charlie, because some memories will never fade.

Buy through Macy's for $79.99.

Image via Macy's.

-Cate-

PS Starting on Friday, we will be presenting our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide. Check back with us for great gifting ideas!

Magnification

Once in awhile, I find something in my searching that both amuses and confuses me. This time around, it's a charming magnifying necklace from the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store:

Is it jewelry? Is it an accessory? I HAVE NO IDEA! Either way, it's pretty genius--a lovely thing to wear, and also super-useful. It would be perfect for Maureen, I think, or anyone else who might dream of being the best librarian ever. Who would you nominate?

Buy through the Met Store for $75.00.

Image via the Met Store.

-Cate-

(Semi?) Grown-up Halloween Costume Idea

Image via iwastesomuchtime.com

Full confession: I haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy yet. I know there's this girl named Katniss, and two fellows by the names of Peeta and Gale. One of them takes an arrow to the knee, I think?

I do know this: apparently, Katniss had a pretty decent jacket on her when she was gallivanting around in the woods with some boy named Peeta who just happens to be a baker. Oh so punny. 

Oh what's that, ThinkGeek?

That's very nice, ThinkGeek, but...

 Oh. I see now.

ThinkGeek's listing describes the jacket as a 3-in-1, which is quite funtional, especially during  life-or-death entertainment. Is that what happens? No wait, don't tell me. I'll read the books eventually. Promise.

Purchase through ThinkGeek for $99.99. Some sizes may be on back order, check before ordering.

Images of jacket via ThinkGeek.

~Bonnie~

Bird of a Feather Flock Together

Like many people, I enjoy a good scare now and then. Unlike many people, I don't go see a lot of movies, and I especially don't see a lot of today's horror movies.

However, I am in luck! My family is full of old people with old people tastes that tend toward old people movies, so early in life I got to watch Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (also known as Alfred Hitchcock Flings Birds at Tippi Hedren) and see the eyeless face of a bird-murdered farmer and develop a healthy fear of birds on jungle gyms.

There's no soundtrack. This clip has schoolchildren singing a song, but aside from that, the main sounds are the flapping of wings as the birds come to peck out your eyes and stop you from dating Rod Taylor.  Perfect for a Halloween movie marathon! Or any movie marathon ever.

Buy through Best Buy for $12.99.

Maureen

Stop Ribbing Me

Halloween is coming up, and that means it's time for me to think about all the spooky things I can't have for various reasons. Today, it was a toss-up between a bat necklace and this:

I think it's obvious why the rib cage conquered the bat: rhinestones! No, but seriously, it's cute, and how often do you see non-gross anatomical jewelry, anyway? The best part is that it's a great thing to wear on Halloween when you want to be spirited but not get decked out in a costume. Or if you're Maureen, you'd probably wear it every day, and that's cool, too!

Buy through Plasticland for $28.00.

Image via Plasticland.

-Cate-

A Stone's Throw

Believe it or not, I sometimes get sick of searching for things about which I can blog. It's exhausting, looking at all these things I can't have. For example, there's this Furla bag:

I'm not big on ostrich--faux or otherwise--but the color of this one is making me a believer. It's a great color for fall, and the shape is classic. Besides, we all know how much I love totes, and Furla tends to make pieces I enjoy. If only I could justify the cost right now!

Buy through Last Call for $355.00.

Image via Last Call.

-Cate-

Bonnie's One Reluctant Breast Cancer Awareness Post...Sort Of

Don't get me wrong: breast cancer is a Very Bad Thing and the sooner a cure is found, the better. It just seems, to me, that the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month is bombarded upon us like so many missles or bombs that I fear it runs the risk of becoming overhyped. And when things get overhyped, people tend to not care about them anymore. Which is also a Very Bad Thing, because I don't know a single person (male or female) who doesn't appreciate and/or possess a good set of ta-tas. Therefore, I call this my one reluctant BCA post simply because I know our dear readers see enough advertising and advocacy for breast cancer awareness already.

As we are all aware, pink is the color for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a color I happen to not be a real fan of. This statement is completely lost on my momma, who loves to tell the story of how apparently one year I wanted to be a pink and purple dinosaur for Halloween and she made me a great outfit. I think I've repressed that memory. If younger me could see the number of pink items currently in my possession, she would probably wonder what in blue blazes is wrong with me?!

When I was in my tweens and teens in the Peach State, we spent countless weekends going to flea markets and antique markets all over North Georgia. I considered this to be a horrible waste of time, and always prepared myself with a good book.  For about 8 years, my stepfather had a real obsession with dishes made by the Homer Laughlin China Company. He especially collected anything dating from between the 1930s and the 1950s, with delicate floral designs and classic shapes. Eventually his collection was so massive that even hosting a Christmas Open House some 500 people strong, we still didn't run out of dishes.

Now, for some reason I still cannot figure out, I find myself prowling the local flea markets and antique markets (all the while bemoaning the dearth of such places in the area) looking for suitable dishes with which to replace the basic white Corelle dishes my grandparents gave me as a housewarming present 5 years ago. Side note: Corelle dishes are not shatterproof. They are breakproof, but not shatterproof.

A couple of weekends ago, I popped in to the Goodwill Industries thrift store nearest my apartment with $10 in my wallet, not expecting to find anything of value. Yet lo and behold, sitting on the shelf as though waiting just for me, sat a short stack of dinner plates.

Don't mind my awesome china photography skillz. ;)

I've been around HL for so long that recognition of a shape or decal (the pretty floral design in the center) has become almost instinctive. I still chuckled aloud when I flipped one dish over and saw the maker's marks on the back: Cavalier (the shape) Eggshell (the glaze).  Then I saw the price: 99 cents. I checked the stack of smaller bread plates: 57 cents. Immediately I picked up all 13 pieces (4 dinner plates and 9 bread plates) and made my way to the counter. Total cost: $9.10. When I told my stepfather about my Goodwill loot, he mentioned that depending on the condition of the pieces, they could retail for $40-50 per piece. You can't beat that kind of a deal. And this is why I go flea marketing.

Homer Laughlin China got out of the consumer china business years ago, instead focusing on heavy restaurant crockery. Most of the meals served in restaurants now are served on Homer Laughlin. This is also the company that is responsible for starting the Fiesta line which I am sure many readers will find in the cupboards of their family members.

Back to the pretty china. Here's the thing about Homer Laughlin's consumer china. As I said earlier, it has been out of production for at least my entire lifetime, and therefore can really only found in several places: thrift stores, antique shops/malls, flea markets, or online (Replacements, Ltd or eBay).

Therefore, the best places to get the look as pictured above are going to be eBay and Replacements, Ltd. A few bits of advice and warning: Replacements, Ltd asks a premium price per piece, yet is able to guarantee that any pieces ordered will arrive intact and possibly in nearly new condition. Purchasing through eBay, however, does not guarantee that the pieces ordered will arrive intact or their condition as viewed online. But at the same time, you may be able to get several plates on eBay for the price of one from Replacements, Ltd. 

Happy hunting! 

Image via Bonnie, flea marketer/antique mall shopper/thrift store raider extraordinaire

~Bonnie~

Running on Red

Two or three weeks ago, my father called me with exciting news: he'd been riding the bus when he spotted a shoe that impressed him so much he felt compelled to tell me. This surprised me; Dad isn't the type to spend time contemplating footwear. But when he told me what the shoes were, I understood perfectly.

The kid across from him was wearing leather Chucks. 

This is something I hadn't considered possible. I have a small collection of All-Stars myself (red, green, blue, mint green, black x 2, flames, and charcoal); of those eight pairs, seven are traditional canvas and one is corduroy. I'd never seen a leather pair or imagined one. So I hopped online immediately and tracked them down.

Converse offers many options, but my favorites are the Chuck Taylor Premium Leather in a wonderful near-oxblood red. If I still wore them regularly, I might splurge on these, seeing as how they're so fabulous. In the meantime, I might try to talk Maureen into purchasing a pair (living vicariously is my favorite).

Buy through Converse for $125.00.

-Cate-

Candle on the Water

Officially speaking, I'm not supposed to have candles where I live. Something about a fire hazard; I'm not sure what. However, that doesn't keep me from dreaming about the day when I can have any flammable material I want in my home. When that time comes, I might pick up this pair of sleek candlesticks:

They're so totally my style, from the stainless steel to the precise construction. I'd put them on the dining table, or perhaps on a fireplace mantle (fire plus fire equals fun, I guess?). And I'd light the candles every night, basking in the glow of my non-regulated home.

Buy through American Château for $14.99.

Image via American Château.

-Cate-

Dream A Little Dream...

A couple of weekends ago I found myself in DC (or the District, as I've begun calling it) for a friend's landmark birthday party. Seeing as the party was on a Saturday afternoon, I had to find a hotel room for the weekend.

[Let me interrupt my own story here for just a minute to say that while I do covet nice things and even purchase them occasionally, I am just as at home in a tent, a camper, or a cheap motel room as I am in an upscale hotel room. I haven't had the pleasure of an overnight stay at the Waldorf-Astoria, but I've seen my share of well-appointed hotel rooms, and ones that made me desirous of cleaning supplies upon entering. Back to my tale.]

So I found and booked a hotel room through Hotwire at a 3.5 star hotel for $69 a night. I felt mildly pleased about my booking, and set off for our nation's capital a couple of days later.

The night I arrived, I had driven non-stop to the District in 4.75 hours, departing home less than 2 hours after work with one stop the entire way. Turns out, Hotwire booked me a room at the Sheraton Silver Springs, located on the Red Metro line just outside the District. The well dressed evening clerk assigned me an end room on the 14th floor and bid me good night. Upon keying into my room, this was the lovely sight that greeted my weary eyes.

My apologies for any image quality deficiencies. I snapped a quick photo with my non-iPhone smart phone.

Readers, I am here to tell you that bed is more comfortable than you could possibly imagine. I could try to describe it, but I don't know that my words could fully do the experience justice. I can tell you that I did have a long discussion with Cate about this bed while lying in it. I believe I may have said some things about never leaving it, and Cate volunteered to bring me food so I wouldn't starve. This bed was so remarkably comfortable, Cate and I continued our conversation regarding the bed into my second and last night in it. Of course, upon returning to my apartment, I snuggled in my still comfy bed and set about researching the idyllic cloud I had rested in for two glorious nights in DC. 

Behold! Known as the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper, the entire bed you see pictured above (minus my luggage and gray shawl) can be purchased through the Sheraton At Home online store. From mattress and box spring to pillows and mattress pads, even the linens, all can be obtained through the online store. 

So while my current mattress is perfectly comfortable and supportive, when it is time to replace I will be speaking with the gracious staff of Sheraton At Home. 

Buy the mattress through Sheraton At Home for $1,200 - $1,725.  

First image via Bonnie. Second image via Sheraton At Home.

 Pleasant dreams, dear readers. 

~Bonnie~
 

What a Hoot

In spite of the fact that it was 86 degrees in my town two days ago, I'm sure cooler weather has set in throughout other parts of the country. You may find that your ears are getting chilly, or perhaps that wind is keeping you from having a fabulous hair day. In either case, this cute hat will help you out:

I like a good owl accessory, which is why I'm drawn to Accessorize's Twit Twoo cap. Though the handmade look isn't for me, I suspect some of our readers will find it irresistible!

Buy through Accessorize for $33.00.

Image via Accessorize.

-Cate-

Beyond the Grave

Since it's October, I'm thinking a great deal about Halloween, which is my favorite holiday. But how to accessorize in such a way that I won't jeopardize my office job? Here's a trinket that might help me or you overcome that obstacle:

At first glance, people will assume you're wearing a run-of-the-mill cuff bracelet. But then you see the truth--that there's a mini Ouija board on your wrist. Maybe you can use it to contact your dearly departed loved ones during your lunch break, or just bask in the fact that you mixed up your outfit in a semi-spooky way. What do you think?

Buy through UniqueArtPendants on Etsy for $28.00.

Image via Etsy.

-Cate-

Robe-o, oh Robe-o, wherefore art thou Robe-o?

I covet many things, although paradoxically I try not to covet ALL THE THINGS. It's a struggle.

What am I coveting presently? Robes. I know what you're thinking: "Robes? For a first post? Oh Cate, I don't know if this new girl is going to work out."

Bear with me.

Twenty some-odd years ago, my momma received a hot pink raw silk robe from a family friend who had just returned from Vietnam. It was gorgeous, with a big dragon medallion hand-embroidered on the back of it, and perfectly packable for trips. Except for the pink thing. I was not a pink girl growing up.  Recently I realized that if I was going to insist on gallivanting around my apartment in my underoos, people parking their cars down in front of my building did NOT need to glance up and see my underoos as I went about gallivanting! I immediately thought about that Vietnamese robe, and set about locating one like it online.  Regrettably, to this day I still have not been able to locate a robe like hers...yet. At the present moment I have resigned myself to simply having to take a trip to Vietnam in search of this robe. Cate has asked to go with me; I'm sure I'll need someone to help me get the extra luggage with goodies back home.

So yes. Robes. Not the usual super-fluffy or flannel or terrycloth ones that are usually given as Christmas gifts. By the same token, not the mid-thigh satin ones that grace the racks of adult entertainment stores. Believe it or not, between the two there is a happy medium, filled with robes that are simply amazing. Sounds like a magical wonderland, does it not?


Voilà, I offer you Exhibit A:

Natori's 'Amidala' robe.  While it is not silk, it is a good midweight satin that will stand up to daily use. I'm a sucker for colors and an ornate pattern.

Buy through Nordstrom for $180.

For those seeking a robe that smacks of Old Hollywood or vintage pinup wardrobe, I offer Exhibit B:

Jenny Packham's lace-trimmed silk-chiffon robe. This robe and I, it was infatuation at first sight. However, like any infatuation, it ended quickly when I noted the sticker price. Nevertheless, I still covet this robe from afar.

Buy through The Outnet for $532.


Images via Nordstrom & The Outnet.



~Bonnie~

It's-a Me, Mario!

Fact: I'm not exactly known for my video game skills. One time in college, while sitting in on a multi-player game of Call of Duty, the three guys I was with declared that they could always tell where I was, because I was standing in one spot, spraying bullets everywhere and getting killed every 90 seconds. (True story.) But I do appreciate video games, and every once in awhile, I will play the original Super Mario Brothers 3 on my brother's old-school NES. Actually, my friend James and I had a conversation about Mario himself the other day.

Cate: So if you're Mario, who's Luigi?

James: Luigi is Luigi, Mario is Mario, I am me, and you are you.

Cate: Thanks for clearing that up. If I ever forget who I am, I'll refer to this text.

Philosophical observations aside, that chat got me thinking about the primary colors in the Mario design--how cheerful they are, and how evocative the game is of my childhood. So it was dumb luck when I found an awesome Mario-styled bag on Etsy:

Though I don't personally carry cross-body bags or flat pack designs, I do covet the conversion of Mario the Plumber into a geometric fun-time accessory. Somehow, I see a nerdy girl integrating this bag into a Halloween costume in the near future!

Buy through CosmoCow Design on Etsy for $35.99.

Image via Etsy.

-Cate-

PS I had the most wonderful package in the mail over the weekend: a necklace from Senba Designs! My latest necklace is a lariat-style one with a wire-wrapped piece of Okinawan sea glass as a pendant. I love it, and I thank Lisa for taking the time to make it for me!

News: Fall 2012

Hello, Dear Readers!

As Cate mentioned briefly in Friday's post, we have a new blogger 'round these parts! Her name is Bonnie, and she and Cate went to college together. She covets things just as much as Cate and Maureen do, and she's very eager to get started. Our new posting schedule is as follows:

Main Site

Tuesday: Cate

Wednesday: Maureen

Thursday: Bonnie

Friday: Cate

Facebook

5th of Each Month: Cate

10th of Each Month: Maureen

15th of Each Month: Bonnie

25th of Each Month: People We Covet (rotating authors)

Please help us welcome Bonnie to the team!

-Cate and Maureen-