coffee talk

there has been a lot of coffee table coverage on the blogosphere, and all of these beautiful images really put the emphasis on the important role that this piece of furniture plays in our homes.

 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

there are even styling "how to" posts - the everygirl and good bones, great pieces have great ones.

i have been searching high and low for a new coffee table for ages, but i couldn't find anything i liked that fit our budget. my criteria: large. brass and glass. square or round.

i checked every resource i could think of: west elm. pottery barn. wisteria. home decorators collection. craigslist (of course) but to no avail. 

(sidenote: maybe i should make a resources tab for shopping? i am seriously good at knowing where to look for things!)

and then, one day i took a brief pause from a task to check craigslist just because...
ladies and gentlemen, the craigslist whisperer strikes again: i found this GORGEOUS coffee table a short drive from my office for... $130!

at 15 inches high, i was a little concerned that it was too short, but it was simply too good to pass up.

check out the feet! they're hooves! 

now, time to "style" it - stay tuned!

high brow

brooke, the original brow gal

they say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, so i guess that makes eyebrows the draperies... or something. i happen to have dark, thicker eyebrows (thanks, dad!) and i am so glad to see that there are some lovely ladies out there embracing their beautiful natural brows in favor of over-plucking.

lilly collins and kiernan shipka - is it bad that i am jealous of a 13 year old's brows?

of course, all brows need a little bit of grooming. i go to a phenomenal indian lady near my apartment who shapes mine just right using threading - for $10! if you ask nicely, i might divulge my secret :) 

otherwise, i just use a little of this brow gel and i am set to go.

anastasia clear brow gel - $21

homerun

zara has long been a go-to for fashion-forward pieces that don't break the bank. 

the much-anticipated launch of zara home went live yesterday, and i was excited to check it out!

here are a few things that caught my eye:

rug / serving utensils / pie plate / throw / tumbler / napkins

check out the entire line here - see anything you like?

art imitating life

i love cookbooks, as you know, and i love stanley tucci. 

imagine my joy when heard about THIS exciting happening:

i cannot wait to get my hands on a copy (it comes out next week!) but in the meantime, the nytimes did a great article on mr. tucci's culinary family heritage.

read it here, and perhaps rent julie & julia or the devil wears prada for a little tucci time.