JC Swift, Your Style Cultivator

Tina Lutz & Marcia Patmos are designers whose style and ingenuity match their commitment to environmental responsibility. These artists specialize in knit fibers and work on the principles of integrity and purity with hopes of creating products that work towards a fusion of modernity and tradition.

Lutz and Patmos have recently designed a set of pillow covers for West Elm, which creates and commissions custom furnishings specifically designed for small urban spaces. and Their products are increasingly certified organic, responsibly produced, rapidly renewed and non-toxic.

The textural masterpieces created by Tina Lutz & Marcia Patmos  are bound to bring a sense of warmth and tradition to any home. Created with a soft acrylic/wool blend, the bas relief of the cover creates a wonderfully noticeable pattern while the thread still allows for comfort while sitting. Available in heather gray or ivory, these covers are currently on sale. Visit the West Elm site for a great gift or a a fine accent for your own home.

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Image Credit: lelabofragrances.com

Choosing a perfume mean making a big commitment to scent and is not a decision that should be taken lightly! Amidst the big names like Estee Lauder and Chanel there are quite a few lesser, yet equally enticing brands.

For starters, there is Saffron James Parfums, a company started by Hawaii native and former Elle magazine editor Katherine Growney. Named for the creator’s

nickname as well as her father, the company offers 3 exotic scents that hail from TheAloha State. Le’a uses a combination of Pink and Yellow Plumeria to create a scent that comes on strong, yet lingers. ‘Ume is a more earthy scent created from white ginger and is described on the website as “the Jimmy Choo of stilettos. Until you experience it, you really don’t know what you’re missing.” The last is pūnono, made from the essence  of Puakenikeni flowers and incense for a spicy scent that softens away to a more mellow vanilla.

Le Labo is  a fragrance company on a mission. The group works in New York City with a very interesting store concept. Self described as a ‘perfumery lab,’ the store serves as a laboratory for creating new scents as well as selling their current line. Each new scent made on-demand by an individual worker in the store is meant to create a “sensory shock.”  Le Labo boutiques have sprung up across the country, and has recently created a unique scent for each city in which they’ve set up shop.

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Image Credit: theselby.com

A few blogs really stand out when it comes to interior decorating. The Selby travels to the homes of interesting people- and the result is a captivating site. A testament to personal style- The Selby offers an intimate window into the lives of others.

mage Credit: remodelista.com

Remodelista offers wonderful home finds- I especially love the Editors’ taste in patterns. I’m thrilled because Remodelista recently featured slate boards from Crate & Barrel – I can now emulate this beautiful cheese display as suggested by A Cup of Joe!

Image Credit: hollisterhovey.blogspot.com/

Porter and Hollister Hovey are old souls- housed within the bodies of young women. Their killer eye for antiques landed them a feature in the New York Times. If you like taxidermy, Mad Men, and equestrian aesthetic, Hollister Hovey is the blog for you.

Image Credit: bloesem.blogs.com

Covering everything from paper goods to floor color, Bloesem will help unfurl your inner interior decorator. I like the French confetti garlands in the Holiday Gift Guide. Recently featured in the December Vanity Fair, Lonny Magazine allows you to click through its virtual pages. Sometimes I prefer a basic blog layout, but it’s hard to beat this ex-Domino contributor’s taste. Maybe one day Lonny Magazine will make it to print!

Image Credit: barneys.com

Black Friday exists online, but it’s called Cyber Monday and starts the Monday after Thanksgiving instead of the day after Thanksgiving. While some retailers do run their online and in-store Black Friday deals simulatenously (ex. Saks), Cyber Monday isn’t as well advertised as traditional the Black Friday. There’s a sense of urgency and impulsiveness that comes with shopping in-person, which may be why retailers with brick-and-mortar stores bank on Friday in-store sales rather than Monday online sales. For more on cyber Monday, check out the-signal.com, and wikipedia. There’s a site dedicated to Cyber Monday as well: cbermonday.com.

In the mean time, The Budget Fashionista offers a roundup of online black Friday deals that excite the inner penny pincher. From Budget Fashionista’s list, I have my eye on target.com deals. Refinery29 offers some pre-Black Friday sales, with labels such as Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Elizabeth & James, Opening Ceremony, and more. Nexus404.com covers Apple’s Black Friday deals for those of us who can use a tech update. Deals will ensue for iMacs, MacBook Pros, iPods, Apple T.V., and more. Happy hunting!

Bib necklaces are a large accoutrement that when worn well, steal the show. “Bibs” are best worn with simple outfits such as a monochromatic Holiday dress. In a vintage post, Fashionista suggestions wearing bib necklaces or collars with a “tattered t-shirt”. Even atop a pair of boyfriend jeans, bib necklaces cast a regal air of confidence. Below are samples of Sprouting Edge Bib Picks.

Urban Outfitters Studded Bib Necklaces $29.99

Marni Embroidered Tulle Collar $810

Anthropologie Dressed Down Bib necklace $218

J. Crew Sparkle bib necklace $250

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Dress: Vena Cava

Holiday season is the perfect time to wear your “Sunday best”. Clothes should be formal enough to pay tribute to the hostess, yet comfortable enough to engage with nieces and nephews. For women, this dress by Vena Cava is a reasonably priced yet beautiful piece…just get it while you can, it sells quickly. Marni offers some beautiful jewelry that adds to any Holiday outfit.

If you can wait until December 20^th, Wendy from Nitroliscious suggests a lace dress from Rodarte for Target. This dress will sell for $34.99, allowing some money left over for Holiday gift shopping.

For men,  many different designers are making patchwork shirts – they are conversation pieces and a nice alternative to the traditional “Christmas Sweater”. The Patchwork shirt featured below is the result of a collaboration between the historic Pendleton Woolen Mills and the always cool Opening Ceremony.  Whether wearing a shirt or sweater this season, everything looks good under a smart jacket. Check out this men’s UNIS waxed cotton jacket.

For children, J. Crew offers a boy’s two-button velvet sportcoat. As described by J.Crew, this jacket is “polished enough for visits to grandma and just-right for holiday gatherings.” J. Crew also offers this beautiful outfit composed of Girls’ sparkling moon cardigan, cascade dress, socks three-pack, and bubble jewel bracelet.

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Pendleton X Opening Ceremony Patchwork Shirt

J. Crew cardigan, dress, socks and bracelet

Image Credit: thesartorialist.blogspot.com

It’s a thrill to buy a book written by a favorite blogger . . . it seems like you know the author, and its fun to follow their progression. Check out these books written by bloggers:

The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman

Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander

Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers: Classic Recipes Redefined by Amy Sherman

Go Fug Yourself : The Fug Awards by Heather Cook and Jessica Morgan

Yvan Rodic of Facehunter is publishing a book in 2010. Teen Vogue outlines his future book here

You can even publish your own blog content with the software outlined in this vintage NY Times article.

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Image Credit: openingceremony.us

As uncertain times drive us to seek out comfort, fashion embraces soft cotton flannel once again. A notable list of celebrities have been caught wearing flannel, and the lumberjack inspired uniform has made its way into both high and low fashion.

Opening Ceremony carries Acne’s saddle dress, a western style shirt dress worn well with tights or leggings. Gitman Vintage does a notable take on flannel menswear with their bright pink check.I like Steven Alan’s Women’s Reverse Seam Flannel- this patten is also available in a pj top and bottom. Sometimes, nothing beats warm flannel pajamas and a cup of hot chocolate.

Selectism reviews Uniqlo’s patchwork flannel shirt here.

Take a look here for some suggestions on how to wear flannel this season.

Image Credit:oaknyc.com

Image Credit:stevenalan.com