SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS........   What is it about the beginning of summer?  Does it go back to school being out as a kid?  I don't know about you, but it is the most relaxing time of the year for me no matter what is going on with business.  There are three glorious months to look forward to no matter what you are doing or where you are going.  I am equally happy in my own backyard or on a beach in the south of France or hanging out on Lake Como as long as I have all of my favorite things around----namely, my family and my dog!         SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE ME GRATEFUL THAT THIS TIME OF YEAR HAS ARRIVED:   Robins and cardinals in our garden----they arrive much earlier, but become amazingly plentiful at this time of the year.        Fish----from Copper River Salmon to really fresh red snapper from the gulf----it all tastes great this time of the year.   Domaine Ott Blanc---a refreshingly light wine from the south of France that reminds me of St. Barth's...the French like the rose version, but I prefer blanc.   Deviled eggs----only the ones I make----they are so perfect as hors d'oeurves before a lovely supper on the terrace.  The reason that they are so delicious is that they are simple---a little great mayo (either homemade or Spectrum) and a dollop of Durkee's Famous Sauce and a little salt.  Yummy!!   Fireflies just before dark---as a child, I used to love catching them and putting them in a bottle with holes in the top.  Now when my grandchildren want to do the same thing, I tell them not to.   Lamps outside to be turned on as soon as dusk falls.  Just be sure they are under an overhang or awning or loggia.         Outdoor drinks carts for lemonade or martinis.                                  A stack of books to read for the summer----or for travel, a Kindle since I can't carry all of them with me.   Wildflower---this book by Mark Seal gets 4 stars from me.  He writes a compelling story about Joan Root and Africa from 1960 until her murder in 2006.  Truly well written and researched.  A must read.   A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert----the story of a family focusing on the women past and present....great reviews.   The Bolter---by Frances Osborne, the wife of George Osborne who may be England's next Prime Minister about her great grandmother's adventures from pre "Great War" through her escapades in Kenya's "Happy Valley" in the 1930's.   Shanghai Girls by Lisa See---a story of sisters from Shanghai in the 1930's immigrating to L.A.  This one will certainly be a movie from what I am reading.                    Fourth of July weekend with my family at our house in the country---this year all of the children want to ride in the parade which consists of horses, bicycles and fire trucks along with a few motorcycles.   Lake Como----we'll be there in late July until early September.   A complete vacation from watching the news on tv....just checking out The Daily Beast every other day to keep up---love this website.  It's like reading the news in Vanity Fair on a daily basis.  From hard news to fashion to art....Tina Brown knows how to report on all things that interest me.  You can read in depth (or not) on her "Cheat Sheet".     Movies----I think the best ones come out in the fall, but there are always blockbusters in the summer.  However, I'm looking forward to seeing Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie & Julia.   So, kick back, read books, enjoy being outdoors and RELAX......

JEWELRY!!!! Jewelry by Elizabeth Showers I love to compare design objects to other things in life...chairs often look like people because a great character chair has such personality. A Klismos chair reminds me of a really laid back guy, a Louis XV chair reminds me of a great looking lady with pretty legs. You get the idea. The next time you look at a chair, think about it! There is only one way that I describe wonderful lamps---JEWELRY---as they are the true jewelry in any room. They come in all shapes and sizes just like chairs. Changing lamps in a room can do more in a minute that almost anything else. A great example of this is the sparkle of glass lamps. There is nothing else that adds this element to an interior. Glass lamps can be masculine or feminine depending on coloration and shape. The one on the left has very straight lines and would look great in a man's study or library. The one on the right would be appropriate for a lady's dressing room or a formal living room with light colors. I often use bronze lamps----they are oh so of the moment in Paris right now----as they add weight and a sculptural quality to any décor. We are working on a handsome house in Phoenix with stone walls. The house will look totally appropriate in the desert. Colors throughout are an extension of what's outside----sand, sage and pale blues. We are using bronze and nickel lamps in most of the spaces and also mixing in colorful vintage ceramics. When there are lots of beautiful glass accessories in a room, I love to use ceramic lamps. They add color and form---no sparkle, but that isn't necessary if there are glass pieces present. Just remember, there is nothing you can do to change your décor faster than to change your lamps or dated lamp shades! There is nothing that can spoil an interior faster than bad lamp shades, and conversely, nothing that can glamorize an interior faster than good ones. Here are some of my all time favorite lamps..... So, if you're not redecorating an entire room, remember these jewels...instant gratification for achieving a fresh look! More to come soon...

SMALL BUT IMPORTANT

The cigarette table -- no, I don't smoke and hope you who are reading this don't, but this is what they were called originally and I still prefer this to "accessory table" -- is certainly small, but one of the most important pieces of furniture in a room.

I agree with Sister Parish and did before I ever knew what she thought-- one must have a chair by every table! It makes me crazy to see a room with a chair floating across from the main seating area all by itself with no table to place a cup of coffee, glass of wine or a book. Even when two chairs are flanking a sofa and there is a coffee table and lamp tables, if the expanse is wide, I use small tables beside the chairs. It's such a thoughtful thing to do for your guests.

Sometimes, they come in nests which are great when you entertain and serve buffet. The French invented these little treasures for this very reason! Move them around in front of any chair or bench and you have a place to rest your plate and a glass. Very often, I will recommend that a client buy a nest and separate it in the same room as 3 tables in a nest -- the French love this idea -- are too unwieldy together.

They come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes are pieces of art that can be used as a table. Here are some of my favorites that we have in our showroom right now...

I also created several of these tables for my furniture collection because I simply couldn't find many that I liked other than antiques or vintage pieces. One of my favorites is the Ava Magazine Table.

This little jewel has it all! You can rest a drink while you have your newspaper or magazine handy. It also is so narrow that it can fit nicely between 2 chairs when you don't have much space for a table. It is the height of glamour, too, don't you think? It is made of forged iron with a gold leaf (not faux) finish--a piece to keep forever. This is what sustainability is all about.

Here are a few others from the Jan Showers Collection...

Eliza Table Como Table

Amalfi Nest of Tables Edie Table

Enjoy your summer relaxing with a good book, and by all means, a little table for your mint julep or glass of champagne and a good summer read.

ON MY SUMMER READING LIST

Christopher Buckley's "Losing Mum and Pup: a Memoir"-- this promises to be a look inside Bill and Pat Buckley's world as well as the effect that those two powerhouse personalities had on their son. I love Chris Buckley's sense of humor, anyway, so it should be bittersweet and funny.

Jay McInerney's "How it Ended: New and Collected Stories." McInerney's writing is reminiscent of F. Scott Fitzgerald and John O'Hara in that he writes about society in the way they wrote in their time. This collection of short stories should be fun to read and put down, then come back when you're in the mood.

FACEBOOK

We have finally created a company page on Facebook and intend to post great new ideas and photos from the world of design.

www.facebook.com

EASTER We celebrated Easter at our house with my entire family which is a tradition of many years. The cookies were made by my niece, Allison Sykes, who has started a business making the most incredible cakes, cookies and cupcakes. They are not just works of art....they are delicious. She will have a website soon, and I will post it when it's up and running along with some photos of her cakes. Allison has my mother's perfectionist gene regarding cooking and entertaining! The picture below was the centerpiece that Ron Schulz and I did for the main table. We wanted it to be whimsical, simple and fun. The little chicks are my favorite. My daughter, Susanna Moldawer, found them several years ago at Target in Houston. I love them because they look like antiques....they have bobble heads and bodies. I love the lilacs, too. WESTWEEK IN L.A. Westweek has become the one of the (if not THE) biggest markets in the U.S. in the past decade. It is always the last week in March and designers, editors and manufacturers from all over the world come to the Pacific Design Center on Melrose to see what's new and wonderful in the interior design world. With the economic situation as it is, we expected attendance to be off this year. However, it was very well attended and surpassed everyone's expectations. JS Collection is in the front window of David Sutherland's showroom which is situated in one of the most prime locations in the PDC on ground level. Our space in the David Sutherland Showroom While in L.A., Jim and I enjoyed visiting with other manufacturers who were there and loved seeing their new pieces. Jonathan Browning, Kyle Bunting and Ann and David Sutherland were all in attendance. Perennials has the most exciting new outdoor fabrics that I intend to use indoors as well. My favorite is Plushy which is like a cross between a velvet and a mohair. LOVE this new opportunity to use a fabric that is both beautiful and durable and WASHABLE. L.A. RESTAURANTS We never go to L.A. without driving out the Pacific Coast Highway to have dinner at Giorgio Baldi. They have the most incredible Italian food I've ever tasted outside of Italy. It is owned, operated and run by the Baldis. Giorgio is the chef/owner and his daughter Helena runs the front and is the ultimate pro. It is worth a trip to L.A. to eat here and is in my top 5 favorite restaurants in the world....can you tell I like to eat?! Even though I wouldn't classify it as a see and be seen place, I always seem to see someone like Nicole Kidman or Benecio del Toro or Ridley Scott having dinner in their neighborhood. The bar at the Bel Air is one of my favorites. We've been staying there since the 70's. We enjoyed having dinner there one night with David Phoenix, a wonderful designer from L.A. INTERESTING BLOGS AND WEBSITES It's fun to get links to these. Hope you'll enjoy them....not all are just design. GOOP---Gweneth Paltrow's website. I like the format and most of the time, the content. THE SARTORIALIST----this one is primarily fashion, with great photos taken around the world when there are fashion weeks and events. This blog has won all kinds of awards. PIGTOWN DESIGN----I like this blog as she has such a love for really good architecture. The site's author, Meg Fairfax, also has great book recommendations that are primarily design related. REBECCA SHERMAN'S "HOUSES, GARDENS, PEOPLE"----former editor of Dallas Papercity and D Home is now on her own writing pieces for national and local magazines. I love her writing and her blog. THE DEVINE LIFE----a blog about design events and happenings in New York. ON MY MIND THIS MONTH...... CRUSHES A COLOR THAT HAS NO NAME----I started to call it lavender, but that will bring the color of the lavender flower to mind and it's not that color. It is really a mixture between lavender and lilac. I was inspired by this photo of Carla Bruni in the one of the rooms of the Ellysee Palace. A few days later, I found these lamps (click below to see them on 1st Dibs) and we did a room in my showroom with this color, gold and ivory. Yummy! IVORY---Love all shades of it and especially combined with white. Donald Kaufman #3 is a great ivory and so it Benjamin Moore Lancaster Whitewash. EMILY BLUNT---She stole every scene in Devil Wears Prada and is one of the 3 best young actresses working today----Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams are the other two....in the mold of Cate Blanchette and Meryl Streep....all chameleons. WHITE COWHIDES---they freshen any room in the house and add a sensual element. Use several in one grouping for impact. GRACIE WALLCOVERING---always incredibly pretty---it is shown here installed on a project in Dallas. TOMMI PARZINGER----I always love lamps and chandeliers designed by him. Found these 3 pieces when in L.A.. He also did small, interesting tabletop pieces. They have such presence no matter how small. BEL-AIR----Probably the prettiest neighborhood anywhere---it's magical. MARCH ISSUE OF ELLE DECOR----great projects! PEEVES CABLE NEWS----I am a news junkie but the repetition and negativity are not helping the economy, rather, hindering it. There should be more creative programming on these channels. There are exceptions, of course. For instance Fereed Zakaria's GPS on CNN Sundays at noon. He and his guests discuss foreign affairs and policies that shape the world. ROOMS THAT HAVE NOTHING BUT FULLY UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE----so boring! BIG SHOULDER PADS---oh no---not again! Just take a look at any photo from the mid 80's----not a great look then and certainly not now. BAD ARCHITECTURE---I know, I say this a lot, but it bears repeating because I just keep seeing it in every city when I travel. That's it for this month!