From top: Jamie Young Lafitte Mercury Glass Pendant, DwellStudio Draper Stripe Wool Rug, Matteo Bedding Tick Duvet Cover and Shams

Laura Fenton is a freelance writer and crafter; her work has appeared in Budget Living, Country Living and Good Housekeeping. Laura has lived in New York City for thirteen years, currently in leafy, brownstone Brooklyn where she can be found cooking in her tiny kitchen and dreaming up new D.I.Y. projects, all of which she chronicles on her blog The Little House In The City.

Give us a peek into your personal style, faves and hot trends to watch out for!

• My signature colors: I wouldn’t say that I have a “signature” color, but if you looked around my apartment (or in my closet) you’d find lots of neutrals and shades of blue — and lots and lots of stripes.
• 5 things in my handbag right now: iPhone, my Moleskin notebook, fine-point felt tip pens, Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and a stainless steel water bottle.
• Trends I have my eye on: I love all the dip-dyed pieces I’ve seen this summer — especially in shades of indigo. I also love seeing lots of block-printed designs that hint at travels to India.
• The superpower I would love to have: To fluently speak and understand all languages.
• I can’t live without: Running. I don’t know how I stayed sane before I took it up.
• My favorite place on Earth is: New York City, of course! Though Montauk is a close second.
• Book or music I am loving right now: Right now I’m reading Anthony Doerr’s Memory Wall (I loved his first two books, The Shell Collector, a short story collection, and About Grace, a novel.) I’m listening to Gillian Welch’s new album The Harrow & The Harvest, which I’ve been waiting eight years for her to release.
• Any big personal or professional plans in the works? Yes! I’m working on the launch of an online newsletter all about the art of entertaining called Toast. We’re slated to launch this fall, and I couldn’t be more excited.
• Layla Grayce items I covet: If money were no object, I’d invest in Matteo bedding. I especially love the Tick pattern. And what can I say? I’m a sucker for stripes. I love this bold DwellStudio Draper Stripe Wool Rug. I’ve been meaning to update our hallway fixture since I moved into my apartment nearly five years ago — this Jamie Young Lafitte Mercury Glass Pendant would be perfect.

It’s lucky number 7 as Layla Grayce celebrates 7 fabulous years of chic products, savvy vendors and loyal customers by gathering our team for a weekend in Los Angeles. We enjoyed breakfast at Doughboy’s, threw down a feisty bowling game at 300 and gussied up in sassy sequins for an anniversary party at the Sunset Marquis. Proving how lucky 7 is for us, the festivities included the launch of our mod alter ego, Zinc Door! With this new modern decor website, we’re thrilled to offer you even more options to love your life and express your style. Shop Layla Grayce. Shop Zinc Door.

The gals of Layla Grayce and Zinc Door celebrate at the Sunset Marquis

Layla Grayce co-founders Tiffany Harris and Wendy Estes

Place setting at the Sunset Marquis

Friday Night bowling at 300 Pasadena – can you guess which one of the Layla Grayce co-founders is about to give birth to twins?

Recipe and image by: Jenny Flake of Picky Palate

Goblins and Ghouls of all sizes will have no trouble gobbling up this treat frighteningly fast. Using the classic sweetness of a favorite childhood confection, Jenny from Picky Palate adds a sweet smooch to these Shortbread Candy Corn Kissed Brownies making them perfect for a special dessert or Halloween party! The buttery shortbread base, milk chocolate goodness and melted Kiss frosting on top guarantee a yummy bite that will bring screams of delight! See the entire recipe here.

From top: Arteriors Jarrod Carved Wood Pendant, Ikat Print Pillows With Red Piping, Oisaux et Fleurs Porcelain Wallpaper, Lucky Magazine

Emily Hsieh is a freelance writer and and contributing editor at Lucky Magazine, where she has worked for more than a decade. She has also written for publications including Allure, InStyle, Glamour, Martha Stewart, and Travel + Leisure. The former New Yorker recently relocated to San Francisco, where she lives with her husband and 6 month old daughter.

Give us a peek into your personal style, faves and hot trends to watch out for!

• My signature colors: I’m big on black, white, and grey in varying shades, and I always come back to red and peacock blue when I’m craving something more vibrant.
• 5 things in my handbag right now: Aquaphor, a Smythson notebook in camel leather, enormous black Oliver Peoples sunglasses, lavender-scented hand sanitizing spray and a Canon digital camera.
• Trends I have my eye on: I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of ikat.
• The superpower I would love to have: The ability to instantly “beam” myself places, a la Star Trek.
• I can’t live without: Ballet flats—they’re comfy, chic, classic, and go with just about everything.
• My favorite place on Earth is: Poolside but overlooking the ocean with loved ones in Bali.
• What I’m reading: I’m reading Life: Keith Richards, which of course has me listening to a lot of Rolling Stones.
• Big plans in the works: I’m helping Madewell launch their tumblr blog—come find me there!
• Layla Grayce items I covet: Ikat Print Pillow with Red Piping . Yet another reminder of how much I love ikat, especially in colors as rich and bold as the red and magenta and red combo here. I love the rustic, slightly exotic vibe of this Arteriors Jarrod carved wood, drum-shaped lamp. And there’s something irresistibly pretty and ladylike about this ornate chinoiserie Oisaux et Fleurs Porcelain wallpaper, which would look great in a powder room.

Celebrate 7 years of Layla Grayce! Save 20% off everything* for one week.
Enter code: lg7years. Promotion ends Sunday Oct 16th, 2011 at midnight EST.*Coupon may not be applied to previous purchases or combined with any other promotion. Excludes Argington, Bella Notte, Company C, Dwell Studio Furniture and fabric, OiOi, Oopsy Daisy Art, Petunia Pickle Bottom, Pine Cone Hill, PSA Essentials, Serena and Lily, Signatures, Skip Hop and Layla Grayce gift certificates.
From us to you, enjoy the shopping!

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Images: Liza Voll Photography

Who knew a girl who lives the color pink, fabric ruffles and pearls could fall in love with baby blue sailor suits and masculine fonts?!?! It’s Kate Landers here, debuting my very own baby shower! I was beyond thrilled to learn we were expecting a baby boy. Visions of hand smocked rompers and a vintage pram with sparkling silver spokes filled my head. I soon became aware that you CAN have a classic, romantic, sophisticated and timeless baby shower, regardless of the child’s gender. The images, beautifully captured by Liza Voll Photography, tell much of the celebration story on their own.

INSPIRATION ABOUNDS: A monogram family heirloom silver baby cup and my Petunia Pickle Bottom Cake Collection juniper berry diaper bag provided inspiration for the details of the shower (and also made a fabulous decoration on display!) My vision of smocked romper cookies, edible saddle oxford baby shoes and classic baby block Rice Krispie treats came straight from the armoire and nursery. All were hand-crafted in the most extraordinary way imaginable. A vintage-inspired pram from a thrift shop and charming rocking horse (also from our nursery) fueled the idea for more of these perfect and utterly darling cookies. I adored the dainty details! A gorgeous wreath inspired by the fabrics used in our nursery (baby blue toile and crisp white quilted diamond linens) introduced guests to the theme as soon as they walked up to the door.

SET THE STAGE: Serving as a focal point of the shower, the darling edible delights on the dessert table were a highlight of the event. Amazing designers generously provided many of these treats and the finished display speaks volumes of how successful this collaboration was. I simply adore the monogram sterling silver baby cup, silver rattle, white lamb and my diaper-bag-inspired cookies and Rice Krispie treats. I got goosebumps when we placed the sweetest fondant buttons on petit fours and baby bottles on mini carrot cupcakes. Coordinating pacifier mini cupcake toppers added a bit of whimsy to the dessert table, and French macaroon pop “rattles” were a guest favorite.

DELICIOUS DETAILS: Designer and friend Brittany took on the great challenge of creating a stunning fondant cake banner and matching cupcake toppers, all designed to coordinate with the gorgeous custom printed paper details created by the spectacular Loralee Lewis. I fell in love with Loralee’s petite rosette cupcake toppers, but had no more cupcakes to put them on! But I realized how perfect they would be for favor box adornments, and they fit perfectly on the custom printed mini gable boxes I ordered from friend Pam. A few trendy elements like silver striped paper straws were mixed with vintage-inspired silver urns to keep the beverage table fresh.

THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP: I must share the greatest lesson I learned from this event: the power of teaming up with party designers or friends who love to design and entertain. I knew I would have a hand in designing my own baby shower (an etiquette no-no), and was also aware that hosting and executing a shower on the scale I imagined would require the help of women passionate for party design. Jenny and Christy stepped up to the plate, traveling from near and far, to co-design, coordinate, set-up, execute and break down the event. They worked so very, very hard, and threw me the perfect shower. For many weeks we worked together as a TEAM, each coming up with brilliant ideas (such as Jenny’s idea of signing baby blocks instead of a guest book) and setting up a perfect dessert table (thanks Christy for your vision!). Party planning can be overwhelming, and pairing up with others not only relieves stress, but also can create a celebration far greater than you ever imagined.

Images: Liza Voll Photography

RESOURCE LIST

• Loralee Lewis {all printed designs & details, from banners and favor box rosettes to dessert table signs and invitations}
• Lynlee’s Petite Cakes {edible pacifier cupcake toppers and edible Petunia Picklebottom “Cake” inspired diaper bag rice krispey treat toppers}
• Edible Details {edible cake banner and matching “N” cupcake toppers}
• Cakes and Kids {edible button petit four toppers and edible petite baby bottle dessert toppers}
• Dainty Delights, Inc. {rocking horse, sailor suit and vintage pram cookies}
• Holly’s Sweet Hobby {fondant covered-rice krispey baby blocks, gum paste baby saddle oxford shoe cookies, fondant smocked romper oval cookies}
• Crazy About Macarons {french macaron pop “baby rattles”}
• Sweet Tea & Linen {white custom tablecloth}
• Party Starters {custom stripe and gingham printed mini gable favor boxes}
• A to Z Celebrations {custom pom-pom trim gift table topper}
• Bambella Cookie Boutique {custom Petunia Pickle Bottom “Cake” diaper bag-inspired cookies, lamb cookies, silver rattle & silver baby cup cookies}
• She’s Kinda Crafty {custom fabric wreath}
• Christy {co-designer, stylist and host} inspireddesign44.blogspot.com
• Jenny {co-designer, stylist and host} bugger-dixonline.blogspot.com
• Liza Voll Photography {all images} www.lizavoll.com

From top: Jonathan Adler Bargello Pillow, Apartment Therapy, Louis XVI Sofa, Barefoot Dreams Ribbed Throw Blanket, CultureMap.

Adrienne Breaux is a writer, blogger, design nerd, crafter and photographer in Austin. A graduate of Louisiana State University with a B.A. in Interior Design, she worked in the design field for years, ran her own interior design consulting firm, and now does all sorts of freelance writing for the web and in print on the subjects of interior design, architecture, furniture, Austin and more. She’s been lucky enough to convince a few pretty awesome websites to pay her on a regular basis. Among them are 2Modern, Apartment Therapy and CultureMap. When she’s not writing about creating perfect spaces and fabulous designs, she enjoys making things and more writing. She can usually be found hiking, walking or running around the Greenbelt or Town Lake. She also really likes smoothies, sushi and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Give us a peek into your personal style, faves and hot trends to watch out for!

• My signature colors: Lots of warm grays, a good earthy red/orange and purple! I’m really not into cool colors at all, but I really gravitate toward a number of grays that act as neutrals. My favorite crayon is the red-orange one, and it’s also one of my favorite colors! Nothing says bold like a bright pop of red. I also really believe that colors affect you emotionally, so I try to include purple in my spaces so it can inspire creativity!
• 5 things in my handbag right now: Wallet, keys, Canon point and shoot camera, my Samsung Epic phone and a Wildlife Identification Pocket Guide (you never know when you’re gonna come across some tracks you might have to impress a guy with being able to identify).
• Trends I have my eye on: Definitely the tribal/Native American/Southwestern pattern trend that’s a kind of off-shoot from the geometric trend of last year. You’re still seeing (and I’m still loving) triangles and squares and all kinds of fun geometry, but that’s combining with really earthy, more organic patterns to create a fun trend that I hope lasts. A great example is the work of artist and illustrator Leah Duncan.
• The superpower I would love to have: It’s a toss up between being able to freeze time or being able to eat as many French Fries as I want for life without gaining any weight.
• I can’t live without: My laptop. I’m definitely addicted. I’ve been on the Internet for what seems like forever and now am very honored to make my living on it. I start getting a fever and chills if I’m away from it too long. Also I have curly hair so you don’t EVEN want to see me without my mousse.
• My favorite place on Earth is: Probably the Town Lake running trail around Austin. This city is so amazing and we have this long, 10-mile trail that lets you run alongside the lake. There’s a beautiful natural feeling to the whole trail and getting to look up and see the amazing downtown skyline makes me feel so blessed every time I go for a run. Paris is a close second.
• What I’m reading: Burn Lake a book of poetry by Carrie Fountain. She’s a local writer and her work is a revelation. I’m also not embarrassed to admit that I’m a huge sci-fi and fantasy nerd so I’m totally reading some George R.R. Martin right now.
• Big plans in the works: I just redesigned my website to include more of the great photos I’ve been able to snap the past few years, and I’m continuing to work hard to bring good content to the internet through the three websites I write for: 2Modern (also the editor-in-chief), Apartment Therapy and CultureMap. I’m also throwing, in conjunction with Apartment Therapy, CultureMap and the great local Austin furniture store Threshold, an awesome event on October 13th in Austin that’s going to be a big celebration of all the fun aspects of Austin design. It’ll be a part of a larger month-long, city-wide event called Austin x Design. Man I love Austin! So many cool things happening here.
• Layla Grayce items I covet: As much as a I love modern design, I’m a sucker for gorgeous antiques and vintage-looking pieces, too. In fact, I really like when those styles mix: A Louis XVI Sofa paired with a Barefoot Dreams Ribbed Throw Blanket and a Jonathan Adler Bargello Pillow.