Gloom-Busting Balloons

With the gloomy days we’ve been having here in New England, and the incessant cold I’ve been fighting for the past week, I find myself yearning for some cheerful, funny goodness and fortunately that’s what I found in the latest edition of W magazine.

Among the high glam and glossy beauties I stumbled across a small blurb on the fantastic work of Buster Balloon…it was the tiny inflated Elvis that caught my attention (anything Elvis makes me chuckle).

Based out of Southern California, the balloon twisting genius has traveled the globe teaching, performing, and uncovering new and amazing balloon ideas to adults and kids alike. He’s even inspired famed artist, Jeff Koons (known for his own larger-than-life balloon sculptures made of stainless steel) and has collaborated with Koons on a “top secret” project. Now…THAT is something I am very interested in seeing! Until then, these fun pics of Buster’s work will have to suffice…enjoy!





{all pictures via www.acmeballoon.com}

Inspired by Nature

These two great ideas from Martha caught my attention. I love how they incorporate nature into summer entertaining. They are simple, elegant, eco-friendly and inexpensive. Brilliant!

{left image; right image}

Delicious Centerpieces

The other day, I was chatting with my girlfriend about centerpiece ideas and she wanted to do something edible, maybe something with chocolate :) I’m always impressed when a hostess makes that extra effort to style the table with a beautiful centerpiece. Edible centerpieces can be really unusual and fun, and if they’re good, they’ll be gone before the party’s over!



{great centerpieces from martha stewart weddings and sprinkles cupcakes}

Design: from Cutlery to Company

Great design, no matter what the medium, is inspirational. Design permeates life, because great design is about an experience, not just an object or service. One of the experiences that I enjoy is cooking. Well, both cooking and eating!

One of my kitchen tools, a Shun knife set, contributes greatly to the experience of cooking, because while the objects themselves function very well, they also honor a legacy of craftsmanship, and are themselves desirable objects.


I have a block of Henckels as well, which are in themselves decently designed and functional, but when I hold a Shun knife in my hands, I am inspired to make my cuts more accurate, my timing more precise, my knife-work better achieved. This is what separates good design from great design: great design enables the complete experience.

When you throw a dinner party, even if you do not prepare the food yourself, you are the designer of the experience. Your guests' enjoyment lies principally with your ability to engage them from start to finish, much of which is found in the joy of your friendship. The rest (the event itself) isn't something to fear; design does not need to be complicated or ostentatious, in fact, the best design is often the simplest.

Just like a product, your guests first impression of your party is yours to control, and when you invite them in a way that sets the tone for the entire event, it is just like using a fine piece of cutlery: you find yourself inspired to go just a little bit further, make their experience a little bit more exceptional, and take a little bit more care in every aspect of your party.