new-homefurniture: August 2010

Interview: Miles Fisher

The penny loafer is back. True Prep: A Whole New World , Lisa Birnbach's follow-up to the 80's prep Bible, The Official Preppy Handbook is out next week. And my pre-ordered copy of the third printing of the cult classic book, Take Ivy, gets released today. So in honor of all things old school, I thought I'd touch base with a true prep (not to mention a true talent); Miles Fisher.

If he looks a little familiar to you, like say....Tom Cruise...it might be because he did a dead-on impression of him in the movie, Superhero Movie. Sometimes, he resembles Christian Bale and even parodied his American Psycho role in a video for his remake of the Talking Heads song, "This Must Be The Place". And sometimes, he looks like a walking Polo ad as seen in the picture below, taken in Nantucket.

Miles has starred in television shows such as Gossip Girl, Mad Men, and The Cleaner as well as films such as Gods & Generals and was just cast in the next installment of Final Destination. He's also a musician and performed with the Harvard Krokodiloes (yes, this true prep went to Harvard, where he was chosen by his classmates to deliver the Harvard Oration for his commencement). Here he is on the set of Mad Men:

He has a great sense of style and a great eye, which can be seen on his blog of inspirational images, Leslie Miles.

Miles is the childhood friend of my sister, Bo, and I'll never forget when I met him when they were younger. My roommate and I took Bo and her friends to a football game at her brother school, St. Marks (where Luke & Owen Wilson and Tommy Lee Jones also attended school). Miles introduced himself to me and my roommate and then he wrapped up our conversation by saying he needed to get back to the ladies at the bar. He was maybe in the 7th grade. He was charming way back then and I'm still smitten, especially since he was kind enough to answer the following questions:

PERSONAL STYLE: Understated with a nod to tradition and an eye to quality.

MUST-HAVES: A breast pocket on a button down shirt. No matter how small they get, phones are still a little clunky. In my pants pockets, I can't always feel it ring or vibrate. Rather than take it out of my pants each time I get in and out of my car (don't want to sit on it), I've got it right where it's easy to reach.

DAILY ESSENTIALS: Until the next iPhone includes a great pair of glasses, buys my groceries, and unlocks my car, it's the four things I can't leave home without: iPhone, wallet, glasses, keys.

ULTIMATE LUXURY: Unconditional support from one's family.

ARTIST/PERFORMER YOU MOST ADMIRE: Paul Newman. Being a great actor is one thing. Doing great things with that talent off screen is another. He's unmatched in both arenas.

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR BLOG: Mood boards and OCD. Designers keep mood boards for things that inspire them for a current season. A color, a fabric texture, a certain look. My whole life I always tore out pages of magazines that looked cool (in part because I tend to file EVERYTHING). Leslie Miles is a look at what I think is hip right now.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Like a good beer, it all depends on the audience, the mood, and the time of day. But take another look at Three Amigos. If you can't laugh at that, I'll enjoy my beer with somebody else.

FAVORITE CITY: At the moment, Malibu, CA.

FAVORITE LA HAUNT: This town isn't short on good haunts, but Father's Office in Culver City is a win each time.

FAVORITE HOLIDAY: Boxing Day. Kidding. Kind of...

Are you smitten now as well? I don't think it's far-fetched to say Miles IS the next Tom Cruise. Or Paul Newman for that matter. (The name "Fischer" seen in the background is not lost on me):

Rachel on Crosby

It's Sunday and I'm catching up on The Rachel Zoe Project while cleaning house. I love Rachel. I admire any woman who is so passionate about something and builds a career out of it. This season, she moved her headquarters while in NY to Crosby Street Hotel and I immediately fell for the gray paisley wallpaper in the background of her suite. It translated better on TV than it does in this picture below - it was bolder - but you get the idea.

Love the huge windows.

Here's a shot of Rachel in her suite:

If you have a moment, you should watch the film that follows the construction of Crosby Street Hotel, a project that spanned two and half years, and is set to beautiful music.

Calling Cards

I've been thinking about ordering cards for myself and I like these chevron print calling cards by Jen Ramos at Made by Girl. I'd have a hard time choosing a color they're all so cute.

I'd probably pick the light blue one:

I also came across these mommy cards & play date cards that are precious. I could swear the top one from petite alma was created with my sweet child in mind.

Honey Bee Farms

I've always enjoyed reading blogs...mostly those that focus on interior design. But I officially became obsessed when I stumbled upon Darby's blog, Fly Through Our Window. Not only is she witty and creative and has the most adorable kids, but she is the darling twin of my other obsession...her sister, Erika, who has an amazing blog, too: Urban Grace (and is also a Designer Crush of mine). In a dream world, these twins are amongst my BFFs. I share all of this with you because Darby just launched a little business with her husband, Honey Bee Farms . One-stop shop for local honey, pine straw, and Darby's t-shirt creations. Once you take a peek at Darby & Erika's blogs and family, you'll see why I find them so adorable!

Homesick Texan

My husband brought home a lot of corn on the cob and it made me think of how much I love the way it's served at Cafe Habana. So I searched for a recipe and came across one from Lisa Fain at Homesick Texan, a wonderful place for recipes from a woman who now resides in New York City, loves Woody Allen movies, and directs other homesick Southerners where to find Ro-Tel in the city...clearly a soul sister of mine! To my delight, Hyperion is publishing The Homesick Texan Cookbook next year!

Mexican Corn On The Cob

Ingredients:

4 cobs of corn
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
4 lime wedges
1/2 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled
Cayenne to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350. For 25 minutes, cook corn in husk. Once you take the corn out of the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes.

Pull husks down, leaving them attached at the base of the cob, which can act as a handle. While warm, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise all over the cob.

Sprinkle 1/8 cup of cheese on the cob, then sprinkle on some cayenne pepper, and then squeeze a little lime over it.

Note: You can also grill or steam the corn. If you can't find cotija cheese, you can use Parmesan instead.

{Image via Always Hungry New York}

A Reason To Have A Party

I read about the founders of Confetti System in this month's Martha Stewart Living magazine and loved their story. They first started making pinatas and garlands in an unheated NYC basement in the middle of winter as part of an art project. They've since turned it into a business and have been called upon by the likes of Bergdorf Goodman. Aren't the colors of the garland so pretty?!

For Sale

Interest rates are at an all-time low and Marilyn Monroe's little 1929 hacienda is still on the market. I'd take it but I mean, gosh, I just moved. (wink) Actually, it's in escrow but take a peek before it's gone:

Fall Wish List for Stella

Love these ruffle shirts from Pears & Bears:

Mad for Pears & Bears plaid jacket:

Cozy cuteness from Zara :

Adore the top and the necklace from Little Bean:

Striped shirt from Chloe In Style:

And last but not least,

Minnetonka boots from J Crew:

Double Take

I spy my beloved parrot in somebody else's home. Stella would be relieved to see this parrot is clearly with it's mommy.

And here it is in my bookshelves:

Lemon Tart

We're two months into living in our new (old) house that we bought with a broken oven. Needless to say, we've resorted to a lot of grilling this summer! But finally, we're installing an oven today and one of the first things I'd like to try out is this lemon tart recipe. I'm interested in trying the healthier ingredients such as almonds and agave syrup.