Yes, yes…the rumors are true: I have a thing for calligraphists. Well, to be more accurate: I love the art of calligraphy.  I really think it’s pretty incredible how angle, contour, and stroke can turn the written word into a stunning visual art. This may or may not explain my childhood habit of practicing my signature (I had dreams of Hollywood, baby!). Beyond my fledgling autograph, wonderful examples of calligraphy can be found in the portfolio of Jerise Fogel.  Based in Manhattan, Fogel displays her art on a variety of canvases—from greeting cards to bedroom walls. To view more of…

Shortly after we moved into our new apartment, my husband and I welcomed a new addition to our family: Ernie, a Shih Tzu puppy. Ernie’s arrival created a serious décor dilemma. I had spent over a year selecting the perfect furniture, fixtures and accessories for our new home, and most dog beds seemed tacky and cheap. Plus, after weeks of searching for an appropriate place to lay his little head, he’d gotten used to some pretty fancy digs. An extensive search turned up some incredible options, but be prepared to spend more for couture doggie décor. Ernie’s now living it…

So everyone knows Sin City is a hot bed for glitzy, shiny, over-the-top hotels, casinos and nightclubs. But when I hit Vegas for the International Builders Show last week, I got a chance to check out the newly completed City Center — a conglomerate of modern design and architectural displays unlike anything Vegas ever has seen. And for all the hype, it really is spectacular. Set back from the Strip, the grand entrance to Aria, the newest mega-hotel that opened last month, is breathtaking. Waterfalls greet visitors to this 4,000+- room hotel that also features 16 restaurants, including two by…

As a young boy, I (allegedly) often played with my parents’ jewelry collection. Yet, despite being transfixed by shiny and expensive things at an early age, I’ve never been “good” at jewelry. The first sign: losing my dad’s wedding ring when I was four. Oy, yoy, yoy! Nor have I ever been good at wearing jewelry (both in the sense of “pulling it off” and also simply remembering to wear it) until last year, when I was given a very special bracelet by one of my best friends. I call it my “bicycle bracelet.” Repurposed from a broken, retired bicycle…

It’s safe to say I’ve rarely met a throw pillow I didn’t like, largely owing to my approach to home décor (and fashion, for that matter): accessorize well and memorably, and you can get away with spending much less on the big things (namely, furniture and clothes). Hence my passion for pillows—they instantly dress up a room, and are a surefire way to “pull” color out of a rug and unify a space. Rarely do I return from a trip abroad without a few fabulous pillow covers, even if I don’t have a place for them (yet). They take up…