Poppies & Posies » Mondays With Matt

Windsor Terrace Antiques and Ephemera

matt — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:31:02 +0000

I love vintage educational posters, you know the pull down charts from when there was no “online” and everything needed for a report was in an encyclopedia. That's why I was so excited when Windsor Terrace Antiques opened up a few months ago.

Filled with old globes, colored glass bottles, typewrites, and SO MANY old classroom charts, Windsor Terrace Antiques is a great inspiration for a day trip to an “undiscovered” neighborhood (full disclosure, I live there). While your in the hood, walk through Prospect Park, get a beer and a snack at Double Windsor, and maybe a meat pie from DUB pies. Great colors (original and imaginative images), well priced (most under $100) and you don't even need to worry about framing (at least for the moment).

Giraffe Manor

matt — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:12:02 +0000

Have you heard of Giraffe Manor? It’s a boutique hotel in Nairobi, Kenya located on a sanctuary for Rothchild giraffe. Every morning and evening they visit this gorgeous 1930’s home for snacks before they head out to the preserve for the day. What more needs to be said?… Its the perfect venue for an unforgettable destination wedding. Or just a wedding if you live in Nairobi.

I want to go to there.

X M

My Life in France

matt — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:21:45 +0000

If you’re in New York today than you’ll know how dreadful this rain is. It’s the perfect day to spend in bed reading. I just started “My Life in France”, Julia Child’s memoir of living in Paris.

I can’t put it down. It’s written in an incredibly friendly voice that keeps you wanting to read just one more page. And just because I can watch cooking shows all day, here you go.

Run For Love

matt — Thu, 30 May 2013 19:01:06 +0000

We found this photograph and thought it was so funny! How sweet is the bride for letting her hubby do this on their wedding day. Would you take this photo or even better can you think of a fun photo you could snap on your wedding day? Image from here.

first dance: choosing “our song”

matt — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:39:04 +0000

I have some issues with The First Dance. I imagine it’s a bit intimidating to dance in front of everybody, I have only enough coordination to get me safely down the aisle. But then again if you want your wedding guests to dance you might have to set the example. Then there’s the pressure to dance to your song. What if you don’t have a song, or worse, you have a song… but it’s just… not right to make first dance memories with. While choosing this or this can be… sentimental, I can’t get it out of my head that your song should be fun. And please don’t actually pick Your Song.

“This Must Be the Place” is the best song in the world. Period. Whenever it comes on the radio it never fails that somebody in the room says, “Oh I LOVE this song”.

I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like Dolly…

Or Tina for that matter. People can’t help but dance to this. The real goal is a song that the crowd will watch you dance to for the first half and feel compelled to join for the second. So pick a song you both love and get the party moving.

paper dress

matt — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:19:03 +0000

The other day Juliet was talking about wearing a dress made from paper… have you every heard of such a thing? Apparently in the late 60’s paper dresses were a huge fad. Designed as a promotional product for paper companies like Scott, paper dresses were relatively cheaply priced often came with a coupon for household paper goods.

Even Campbell’s Soup got in on the action creating a popular design called the Souper Dress, covered in a Warhol-like soup print.

Cute. But I’d worry about a rainstorm. Or a clumsy friend holding a wine glass.

Majesty

poppiesandposies — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:05:09 +0000

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and I think I know what I’m sending my mother this year. Every time we visit Juliet’s mother I look forward to (and I know this is a bit silly) to having some time to quietly sit and read all of the magazines that I don’t subscribe to/had never heard of before. Enough pages on country homes, English gardens, and articles about toile de jouy to drown in, but I particularly enjoy Majesty Magazine. Subscriptions can be ordered here.

Subtitled as “The Quality Royal Magazine”, article topics range from the Queen’s Jubilee to Princess Lillian, the Welsh born Swedish princess. Yes, it’s a lot about Kate Middleton, but I can read a lot about her… and I bet your mom can too.

Queen of Versailles

matt — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:41:11 +0000

If you haven’t seen Queen of Versailles, set your DVR. The bizarre documentary has been streaming on Netflix for a few months, but Bravo will be airing the movie tonight for the first time on television. Detailing the Siegel family, David Seigel’s timeshare company Westgate Resorts, and the 90,000 square foot home they are building outside of Orlando, FL.

Matriarch Jackie Siegel is a modern day Maire Antoinette and possibly a reality television star in the making. If you’re all caught up with Game of Thrones and Mad Men, sit down tonight with someone (you’ll need somebody to gasp and exchange horrified looks with) and watch. So go check your local listings. Afterwards you’ll be grateful you have good sense and good taste.

imelda

matt — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:11:18 +0000

I remember being a small child and hearing about Imelda Marcos (and her shoes) and thinking, “What’s so wrong with that?” There’s something kooky and campy and slightly dark about about her whole persona, which is why I’m dying to see Here Lies Love at the the Public Theater. Created by David Byrne with help by Fatboy Slim it’s less of a traditional musical and more of an event. The show has just been extended through May 19th.
I can’t stop listening to Florence Welch singing the title song.

Good right? Oh, and the concept album is available on iTunes, with Florence Welch, Cyndi Lauper, and Santigold etc etc etc.
XO M

Floral Wallpapers

matt — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 14:08:10 +0000

We really love floral patterns over here at P&P (it’s part of the job description), especially . I can understand that sometimes floral patterns feel a bit oldfashioned and mumsy, so I’ve put together a list of a few papers that are unabashedly efflorescent but still super modern.

I love the impressionistic quality and really cheery colors of Blazing Poppies which can be found at Anthropologie.

Foxgloves are one of my favorite flowers to have in a garden, so why not bring them into a hall or stairway. Designed by Suzy Hoodless for Osbourne & Little, this paper comes in a variety of colorways but something about the verdant green and plummy purple really speaks to me.

I think I’ve written about loving Josef Frank designs before, but it bares repeating. They are all so vibrant and full of life and color its hard for me to pick a favorite. Most can be found here.

Happy Monday all!
xoM