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Introducing: Bob Ellison Woodwork

By Lydia Ellison Howerton | January 26, 2012

Most of you have heard me brag about the creativity of my brothers. Wyatt’s incredible metal work at Wyatt Studio and Buck of the famed Deck Towel, the original linen beach towel. I have one more talented brother to introduce, Bob Ellison. Wood is his medium and he sculpts decorative bowls and planters, builds wood panels and frames and makes table tops and benches from reclaimed wood.

Drew received this hand carved bowl for a Christmas gift and I was delighted to find this plant box under the tree with my name on it. So impressed by our gifts we set up a family workshop between Christmas brunch and Hanukkah dinner to launch Bob’s career. Mom styled the shots, Buck photographed the pieces and Drew built Bob a website.

Now you can follow his career over at BobEllisonWoodwork.com. If you live in the Bay Area and are looking for custom wood or metal pieces for your home or garden then contact Bob or Wyatt. They also collaborate, like on this blond walnut table top and metal base they made for my mom.

xo,
Lydia

Topics: Library, Table | 2 Comments

Labor Day Entertaining

By applesandonions | August 30, 2011

The Daily Meal asked us what our favorite products are for entertaining this Labor Day weekend! So many simple ways to liven up your celebrations so you have some time top enjoy the weekend too!

A store-bought artisan product- Don’t spend TOO much time laboring over the food, take some help from the store with quality products. Start cocktails with a tin of Bazzini’s nuts. http://www.bazzininuts.com/gifts/tins.html Artisan pickles (http://rickspicksnyc.com/) add variety to your burger and dog toppings. Or pick up a pie from a local bakery or artisan ice cream at your local creamery.

Beverage Tub- Target always carries inexpensive beverage tubs in bright colors. We love this turquoise. Perfect for chilling water, beer and rosé as you relax in the sun.

Striped Straws- Because they’re fun, they’re striped and we want to SCREAM summer on this last weekend of summer 2011. We think they do.

Deck Towel- Pool parties, beach trips and picnic blanket needs are solved with one linen towel/blanket. It even makes a pretty tablecloth!

Drink Dispenser- If you want to serve sangria, fresh lemonade, ice tea or Arnold Palmers, fill one of these beverage dispensers. Then guests can help themselves and you’re free to have fun.

Outdoor Umbrella- Shade and stripes. There’s no classier way to protect your skin.Striped Straws

Bambu Plates and Cutlery- Disposable, recyclable, compostable and still chic! These are the hippest option for plates and cutlery when you can’t transport the real thing.

Disposable Cotton Napkins and Placemats - These colorful rolls combine the elegance of cloth napkins and placemats with the convenience of paper, so they’re perfect for summer garden parties and picnics. They’re made of fine-woven 100% cotton with easy-tear perforated edges and special bonding so they won’t fray. Gingham prints and pretty red and navy blue colors add a fun touch.

xo,
A & O

Topics: Table | 2 Comments

A Theme Free Wedding Shower

By Lydia Ellison Howerton | August 26, 2011

Hope you all enjoy this visual tour of the bridal shower I mentioned on Monday via Sarah’s pretty pretty pictures. The other hostesses and I wanted to honor our friend Anjali’s quirky-retro style and commitment to excellence in all things crafts, food and games. Oh, and make sure the shower felt hip and theme free.

A big bar spread laid out on a Deck Towel draped table. You can’t ask guests to arrive at 11am on a Sunday morning and not offer a nice assortment of cocktails, right?

The Blood Mary Bar offered lots of mixers and vegetables to garnish, like spicy green beans, good pickles and sriracha to mix in for an extra kick.

On the sweeter side there was Prosecco and fresh orange juice for mimosas.

Creative gifts were tucked into craft paper and bright ribbons. The bride received vintage plates in her wedding colors, a coffee set from the 60′s and a stunning crystal punch bowl with many mini glasses for her holiday fetes.

A long table with a craft paper runner was studded with bright linen napkins. The built in stone bench was covered with cushions and draped with saffron and magenta colored fabric from the balcony above.

Beth artfully arranged multi-colored blooms from the farmer’s market in tiny tea tins. Each place setting on the table was marked by Scrabble letters of the guests initials.

Cute.

Orange juice in the mid-day light.

Each guest assembled their own Banh Mi sandwich from a buffet of items and served themselves cabbage salad on Bambu plates.

I struggled to get a good shot of my plate with editorial help from hostesses Niki and Sandra.

Elan made this incredible almond cake topped with fresh peaches, raspberries and blackberries and lemon whipped cream. We enjoyed it over the ohhs and ahhs of gift opening.

SO many other crafts and details went into this event, I will share those in a post next week.

xo,
LEH

Topics: Library, Table | 10 Comments

Living Room on Lucile

By Lydia Ellison Howerton | July 5, 2011

Sarah’s savvy sister Julie pointed out we never share any pictures of our “homes” with y’all. While we don’t fancy ourselves interior designers we both LOVE pouring over shelter magazines, dreaming about paint colors and make our living spaces look nice with what we have on hand. Here are a few angles from my living room in Silverlake, CA.

Almost all of my furniture is inherited from family and friends. The sofas are hand-me-downs from college pals covered with white denim slip covers from Ikea (the slipcovers don’t fit perfect but they only cost $11!) The cow hide and the leather ottoman we use a coffee table belonged to my mom. She bought me those black side tables for my first apartment 10 years ago.

Those chrome lamps are from Target MANY years ago but I updated them with new Target grasscloth lamp shades recently. The art on the walls is by Drew, my Dad and my brother Buck. My brother Bobby made the 2 redwood frames. The family art wall is one of my favorite parts of the room.

This leather chair is one of two in the set that have been in my family for at least 40 years. They were my Grandparent’s, then in my parent’s condo when I was a baby and somehow I have been lucky enough to inherit them (for the time being.) On the book shelf is a collection of cookbooks and coffee table books as well as 3 different editions of Trivial Pursuit for easy access when friends come over! The collection of cream candles in many sizes are from Ikea and Pottery Barn. The wedding picture was a gift from our talented friends, Stacey and Aaron White.

What family furniture do you treasure?

xo,
LEH

Topics: Library | 2 Comments

The Weekend Dish: Deck Towel

By Lydia Ellison Howerton | May 6, 2011

Happy Weekend Friends!

This hot weather has had us dreaming about lounging on toasty sand beaches or sipping iced tea poolside. Even a grassy picnic would satsify those first cravings of summer.

Deck Towle- Norbert

Deck Towel by Buck Ellison just released a new fabulous color named Norbert. Vibrant red with crisp white stripes.

Deck Towel-Boudewijn

Boudewijn still has my heart…

Deck Towel-Francis

and Francis…

Deck Towel-Gilles

Gilles too!

So hard to choose. Snap them up before they run out of your favorite.

xo,
LEH

Topics: Library | Leave a comment

The Weekend Dish: Holiday Gifts

By Lydia Ellison | December 3, 2010

Happy Weekend Friends! I’m starting to get into the holiday spirit and have started some of my Christmas shopping! To help you choose unique and thoughtful gifts for your loved ones this year we’ve complied a list of A & O approved holiday gifts and gift guides.

Born & Bread Women's 2010 Gift Guide

Sarah and I are so excited to introduce you to the greatest new fashion and lifestyle blog around curated by Sarah’s sister Julie and her best friend Lauren. Check in for daily insights into outfits, accessories, skin care and more from these darling New York fashion girls. I personally was very inspired by their post on Ali MacGraw and the holiday gift guides they put together for men and women are sensational.

Morgan Parish Moores Pouch. Recommend by the GQ Women’s Gift Guide 2010 and by LEH personally (as I happen to own one)! This stunning little clutch adds a pop of sophistication to any outfit this winter. The deep emeraldy green color is perfectly on trend with this seasons military coats, furs and swing coats.

Jessie’s Girl handmade jewelry. Stylish and sweet jewelry from our friend Jessie. Win these stunning earrings just by commenting on our post here by midnight tonight! Shop her etsy store or visit her Holiday Sale this weekend in LA.

Mayu Infinity Scarf

Mayu Infinity Scarf. Fair Trade products, hand-knit with Alpaca by women artisans in Peru. So pretty and so cozy warm. Mayu was started by Sarah’s friend Kate and we will be featuring more of her next week when she shares her Day in the Food Life with our readers!

Deck Towel. My brother Buck started selling these linen towels he made in his tiny NY apartment bedroom while getting ready to graduate from college this May. Now they are featured in GQ magazine’s Best Stuff of the Year (Decemebr 2010). Prefect for the beach, picnics, soccor games, sofa throw blanket, bed spread, table cloth or plane blanket. Truly a super functional and chic gift for the people you know who have everything.

Happy Gifting!

xo,

LEH

Topics: Library, Wardrobe | 2 Comments

The Weekend Dish

By Lydia Ellison | July 30, 2010

Hi friends, what you do you have planned for this weekend?

Drew and I are up in Marin visiting my family for the weekend. Sarah is attending a baby shower and then her and Angus are going “glamping” to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary SL and AF!

For a first wedding Anniversary the traditional gift is paper, I bet Sarah would love this Kate Spade for Crane “Garden Bough” set.

Or maybe this more jaunty set for the both of them.

The Peniston social stationary from Mr. Boddington’s Studio might be just right, his and hers envelope liners!

We’ve mentioned my baby brother’s linen towel company Deck Towel featured in the New York Times Style section, here and here, but not my brother Wyatt’s incredible furniture.

This Bear Head is for sale in his showroom in the SF Design Center or you can see more at WyattStudio.com

This Cluster Sculpture is really beautiful…

and this Slat Bench is the chicest outdoor furniture I’ve ever seen!

Happy Weekend y’all from our families to yours.

Topics: Library | 1 Comment

The Weekend Dish

By applesandonions | July 23, 2010

By Sarah Lagrotteria

Friends, what do you have planned for this beautiful weekend?

Lydia and Drew are hitting the courts for her grandmother’s annual family tennis tournament. Angus and I will be toasting our friends’ upcoming wedding with dinner in the garden at Gjelina.

Here are some great posts-new and old–for your reading pleasure…

The Sartorialist misses Gourmet as well

A collection of pretty décor ideas for fête-ing al fresco

We’ve celebrated French-themed and vintage-themed bridal showers. This lingerie theme, courtesy of Mochatini, makes gorgeous inspiration for the next!