MacKenzie Childs Flowers

In deference to the whimsy of MacKenzie Childs, I let the rose petals "fall as they may" - I think it actually adds to the bouquet, don't you?  When one rose gives up the ghost, I slip in a few more fresh blooms.

I was delighted to find this MacKenzie Childs hand-painted glass pitcher (and four matching octagonal glasses!) at a garage sale last month.  The owner of this gorgeous set had loaned them to her sister and who ran them through the dishwasher! 

"Oh no," was all I could say when she told me.  She was clearly upset about it and wanted to sell them to put it all behind her.  $5 later, I was the proud owner!  You know that my decorating style is "Swedish Beach House," so a little faded paint doesn't bother me at all.  In fact, I inserted one of my hand-painted jars inside the pitcher (banana polka dots) and it compliments it perfectly.

The next time a few of your roses fall to petals, leave them.  Tell yourself that a scattering of petals is a touch a whimsy. 

MacKenzie Childs

Have you ever worn a lampshade on your head?  Me neither, but this fellow seems to wear it well!  His hands are gold, his pocket square is a napkin and he's wearing pottery shard pants!

The whole look is "martini meets masonry", don't you think?

MacKenzie Childs is a fabulous company centering around hand-painted pottery and glassware, often rimmed in a black checkboard motif.  The latest design trend from MacKenzie Childs is offering items covered in pottery shards from the design studio. As quirky as they are, the color, texture and whimsy "works" and some spectacular pieces have been available lately. 

If you missed seeing the "Grand Shard Tree" (which I think was on display in the New York City store at Christmastime), you can see it here.

In honor of the new shard pieces, the Palm Beach store is featuring shard pants to get our attention.  It worked!

Black & White

Black and white is a timeless color combination that is especially effective in check. I have seen it everywhere in interior design (fabrics, wallpaper, kitchen tiles), but rarely is it used outdoors.

After attending the ordination service for a friend entering the ministry, I wandered outside to admire the gardens before the reception and immediately loved the geometric design of this gorgeous courtyard.

It reminded me of MacKenzie-Childs, a fanciful design brand specializing in dishes, glassware and pieces for the home. Their look is distinct and one theme of their brand is dedicated to black and white check ("Courtly Check").

I have followed this brand for years and instantly thought "MacKenzie-Childs" when I saw this walkway.

Can you see what I mean? Gorgeous.

MacKenzie-Childs

I think one thing that makes me love housewares so much is that they are timeless. Unlike shoes or clothes, a beautiful dish never goes out of style.

A dear friend gave me this beautiful MacKenzie-Childs dish as a house-warming present twelve (!) years ago and here it is today looking as cute as ever holding our first "crop" of strawberries.