Back to the Beach House

Growing up, I was always fascinated by my mother's gift chest. Cards for every occasion, perfectly wrapped gifts purchased for no one in particular, and rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon lay waiting, like puppies at a pet store. Her philosophy was simple: when you see a card or a special gift - especially one that is also an amazing bargain - purchase and store in the gift chest. Mom did not believe in scrambling last minute - gifts were to be purchased with thought and care - and presented at the appropriate time. Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer, and I think Coldwater Creek is an amazing place to collect the perfect "hostess gifts" you will inevitably need. Four blissful, sun-drenched months of pool parties, weekends at beach houses, barbecues, and rooftop cocktails lay ahead, so why not start a gift chest of your own? Coldwater Creek is on 69th and Third, but you can also access some items online.

What a perfect "frame" to give when visiting someone's beach house. Add a personalized picture of their child, or pet, and go down in gift giver's hall of fame! It's only $19.95 and can be purchased here.

I think the chair would delight my friend Jane Green, author of Beach House and several other terrific books to read while you are on the beach.

But back to Coldwater Creek - how whimsical and fun are these beach birds?

A bag of decorative shells is the perfect compliment to a glass bowl or vase - less expected than flowers and just as beautiful.

Or three beautiful candles in dropped-glaze bowls of azure blue on a wooden platform - long burning and scented "ocean breezes." For under $25, this is a steal.

A collection of summer gifts on the center table:

The beautiful little book above is a gem - a perfect gift for Erin, the creator of one of the most beautiful sites online, House of Turquoise.

You can go here to read the complete interview with the author, Roger Housden. His philosophy for creating this book rings very Back to A.

When I have not known what to do with myself or where to turn next in my life, my deepest consolation has usually been to spend some quiet time in solitude. There, I am usually able to return to myself. In times such as these, my companion is likely to be a book of poetry. Unlike prose, poetry does not explain things. It conveys the feeling of what happens. It articulates our deepest wonderings and aspirations, it shows us the world and ourselves in ways we might never have noticed before; it can name the questions that we wrestle with. Sometimes, it can prompt you to live your own answers in response. All of the ten poems in this book have done this for me. The essays that follow them are a response to the poems from my own life experience. Poetry, like anything else, is no miracle cure; no quick formula that you can apply to kick-start your life into action and fulfillment. Nor are the essays that follow the poems. But good poetry emerges from the wellsprings of the human spirit, and if we are in the right place in ourselves to hear it, it can call forth our own inarticulate knowings, and offer a mirror into the core and the truth of our own life. It can show us the spark, the fire at our center, which, in the end, is the only thing in us likely to endure; the only thing worthy of our true name. That fire is the real life in us, and it is this, in their different ways, that the poems in this little book invite us to claim. The book is little because there is no need to overstate its case. These ten great poems are more than enough to send a shudder through your bones and remind you who you are and can be (for that is the real question). More than enough, too, to help you feel without fear the emptiness that can well up when you are faced with the big canvas of life, and, seemingly, no paintbrush.

I was so lost in the beautiful little book that it took a couple tugs from Harold to focus on his ultimate find. . .A 16 piece dinnerware set in the design of Back to A!

Harold thinks self-gifting is too often undervalued. 

Back to Z

They're so exposed, the zebras. Black and white vulnerability in a prairie of burnt orange. Nervous and shy-eyed, on the brink of some unrealized majesty, yet always the inevitable prey. Individuality comes at a price.

A friend asks me if I have heard Zebra by Beach House, and as the ethereal melody fills the room I am reminded of the simultaneous simplicity and power of a song to move or transcend the spirit.

I think the lyrics to this song are absolutely beautiful:

You know you're gold, you don't gotta worry none

Oasis child, born and so wild

Don't I know you better than the rest

All deception, all deception from you.

Your love is stag in the white sand

Wilderness for miles, eyes so mild and wise

Don't I know you better than the rest

All deception, all deception from you

Anyway you run, you run before us

Black and white horse arching among us. . .

Oddity is embraced as a haven, and even though falling prey might be inevitable, there is a freedom and a truth and a beauty in the attempted escape. Zebra elements in home decor bring a rawness and a connection with nature; the wild can ground a home and connect it with the planet. Five reasons I love zebra stripes in the home:

1) The unstructured shape ironically brings floating pieces of furniture together - an unlikely cohesion of ikat and peonies, vintage and lacquer.

2) The black and white provides a nice balance to bold colors and ornate accessories, as featured in Glamour Magazine's layout of Ivanka Trump's apartment.

3) They can also add flair to a completely neutral, or stark room. There's just something about black and white that is so very, very chic.

4) Zebra skins can be layered over sisal rugs and provide a nice texture to the room - they work with what you already have.

5) A single chair, a pair of footstools, or a few artfully placed cushions can create a dramatic effect.

The chair is fabulous - it's available here - Maison Luxe Home is a gorgeous site.

The rest of the accessories can be found on www.kaboodle.com by simply entering "zebra" in the search bar. That disco zebra pillow has me in a frenzy.

Rachel Ames, Junior Designer at Elizabeth Street gem Haus Interiors  suggested that in lieu of a real zebra skin (can run upwards of $2500), a similar and striking effect could be achieved with a cowhide from Sunland Home Decor for a fraction of the price - $250! Haus' design philosophy and flexibility works perfectly for me - I am passionate about having a hand in everything I choose for my home, but it's important to recognize your limitations. Back to A is also about knowing that sometimes, it's okay to ask for guidance - visit the store at 250 Elizabeth Street or access the website here .

After ordering my rug here I was overjoyed to have my first zebra rug delivered three days later!

And Harold can wipe his paws or face on it as much as he likes - for all of you with puppies or little children, the best thing about a hide is that the stains come off miraculously. It's ideal in areas where there will be a lot of traffic, like under a table (as I did above) or even in entryways as a segway into the foyer - a Kelly Wearstler signature.

The internet is a veritable treasure chest of zebra rugs and accessories. Before you spend a fortune, check out www.overstock.com, www.ballarddesigns.com, www.etsy.com and then graduate to www.horchow.com and www.neimanmarcus.com or any other sites that you love - - as with kaboodle, simply enter the word "zebra" in the search bar and happy hunting! If only life were a blog with a search bar. . .Check out this amazing crackled zebra chest I found when perusing the Neiman Marcus site - you can access it here.

Or forgo the entire animal skin concept and play with Jonathan Adler's needlepoint interpretation.

At the end of the day, it's all about mixing - old with new, eclectic with modern and traditional - the web is the limit! Then break rules. . . place zebra rugs in kitchens with chairs upholstered in a funky, teal ostrich. . .

. . .or buy a ridiculously oversized chair just because it makes you feel like Marie Antoinette every time you sit in it. . .

Back to A discovers upon reaching Z that it's all about choosing and placing the items that bring you joy wherever you please. Now that I've sung my ABC's the first time around, I'm hoping you're going to keep on singing with me as we go Back to A and start all over again. We're going to do it even louder - really light it up.

That's the thing about do overs or second chances, or even third or fourth chances - you get to do it louder and better and with way more confidence and self-assurance than you ever had before. First timers are rookies - I always preferred living. . .

Oasis child, born and so wild.