{give-away: crystal & 24 karat gold tray}

. . . has been a while since the last glamorous give-away, but most definitely well worth the wait . . .




. . . designer anna rabinowicz launched her first home collection for new york-based rab | labs in 2002, creating objects inspired by nature, fusing ancient, precious materials in a luxurious palette with modern design, layering semi-precious gems, including crystal and agate, with the finishing touches of pure gold and sterling silver . . .



. . . resulting in beautiful pieces such these pure brazilian agate bookends, left, and a personal favourite, the rose quartz tray with 24 karat gold trim, right

. . . rab | labs' pieces are so lovely, they have been featured in the new york times, elle décor, architectural digest, harper’s bazaar, o magazine, and new york magazine and carried by the museum of modern art stores, moss, and barneys new york . . .

. . . and best of all, today, one charmed reader will win a crystal and 24 karat gold or sterling silver tray {retail $325.00 - $375.00}, perfect for brie & table water crackers on a romantically overcast autumn afternoon, or champagne & macarons in a pair of sequined heels after dinner, or even as an ultra-stylish place to display an exquisite perfume collection on the dressing table . . .

to enter, {click here} to visit rab | labs or {here} to browse the beautiful selection of crystal trays, then leave a comment below

{bonne chance!/good luck!}

* one winner will be randomly selected and contacted by e-mail after thursday, september 30, 2010; if you do not have a blog or contact e-mail on your blog, please include it with your comment for notification; this give-away is open to u.s. & canadian readers only - apologies!; images: haute design - one & four; 2 - the cherry blossom girl; 3 - barbara palvin by max von gumppenberg & patrick bienert for vogue germany, october 2010 via oh}

{storage inspiration: shoes, shoes, shoes}

. . . hello! a hazy september thursday and it's out the door for a late lunch, leaving you with tufted velvet and highgloss white, a glittering chandelier and rows and rows of shoes . . . .

{via the style files}

{happy monday + a give-away}

. . . hello! monday, monday and beautifully exhausted after a summer weekend away, lavender-laden thoughts still lingering . . . and while wonderful to get away, always lovely to return home again to a new week filled with a million brilliant things: to do, to see, to plan, to accomplish, to dream . . .

hope you had a spectacular weekend & wishing you a perfect start to the week,
xo

{p.s.} new & lovely things you may have missed:
* colour inspiration: shades of citron
* in the bedroom: crisp summer whites

{images: 1 - shabby chic via decorology; 2 - scan by this is glamorous, photography by jeff macnamara for victoria october 2001; 3 - style me pretty}

{in the bedroom: summer whites}

. . . the sultry days of summer have arrived and it has been hot, hot, hot and positively living in pretty summer dresses and upswept hair, and in the evenings, the duvet with its lovely lacy trim becoming far too heavy and we're dreaming, dreaming, of draping everything in romantic mosquito netting and saturating the bermuda teal walls in enchanting shades of crisp summer white . . .

{p.s.} don't you just adore the crochet bedcover?

{images: stylist susanna vento via the style files; 2 & 4 - cyrus, home hotel firenze via apartment therapy; 3 - shabby chic via decorology}

{give-away: herman miller eames chair}

. . . can hardly contain the excitement for this week's glamorous give-away: the award winning, iconic, and always classic herman miller eames chair from boston-based csn stores, a wonderful resource of over 200 online stores with over 1 million products, carrying everything from champagne flutes and four-poster beds to weekend carryalls {prefer this filson duffle}, and, of course, a perfect selection of herman miller eames pieces . . .

". . . designers charles and ray eames established their long and legendary relationship with herman miller in 1946 with their boldly original molded plywood chairs; the aesthetic integrity, enduring charm, and comfort of the chairs earned them recognition from time magazine as the best design of the 20th century; time called the design 'something elegant, light and comfortable. much copied but never bettered.'"

. . . and for the impossibly exciting news: one very charmed reader will win a choice between:

the stunningly elegant Herman Miller ® Eames ® DCW - Molded Plywood Dining Chair with Wood Legs - DCW {$629.00 USD}


or the iconic Herman Miller ® Eames ® LCW - Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Legs - LCW {$679.00 USD} available in light ash, walnut, or natural cherry

*********************

to enter, {click here} to visit the csn stores website, or {here} to browse csn's 200+ online stores, then leave a comment below listing one other item from the site that you like . . .

{bonne chance!/good luck!}

* one winner will be randomly selected and contacted by e-mail after wednesday, july 14, 2010; if you do not have a blog or contact e-mail on your blog, please include it with your comment for notification; unfortunately, this give-away is open to u.s. & canadian readers only - apologies!; images: domino magazine, and a previous post; quote via hermanmiller.com}

{hello + a few things}

. . . french doors and a velvet tufted settee, wood floors and another stunning chandelier -- there is something about each of these things that adds such glamour and elegance to a room -- and all intermingled in one place, sheer perfection . . .

{p.s.} hello! things around here are rather sporadic on the best of days, but this week, more so than usual, so if you've just arrived, a list of the new & lovely things this week so far:

* hazy summer days: play of light & shadow
* lace bangle set give-away: and the winner is . . .
* blog inspiration: linen & lavender
* a new week: happy monday!
* first day of summer: italian silk & manicured gardens

{image: design is mine; more chandeliers here}

{chanel shoes + shimmery velvet}

. . . there is something about velvet that is so luxuriously alluring, and especially so, on a stunningly elegant and tufted sofa in shades of shimmer and silvery grey. . .

{p.s.} also quite taken with the blush-coloured chanel sandals

{image: going to the chapel tumblr}