C.Z. Guest: Lettuce-Inspired

From the 60s - 80s, Palm Beach based artist and potter Dodie Thayer produced a collection of lettuce and cabbage style porcelain ceramics. As depicted, the pieces are naturalistic in subject but whimsy, vibrant and bold in personality. Akin to Lily Pulitzer dresses in their hay day, these ceramics became staples when entertaining. Women that incorporated these pieces into their table ware were far from shy and often females that to this day, are muses to lifestyle brands and mavens such as Aerin Lauder, Oscar de la Renta and Tory Burch, all of whom have their own table ware collections. The photograph above showcases C.Z. Guest's collection, one that she had in her Long Island home and utilized at her legendary parties. Todd Romano, a New York decorator who attended one of C.Z.'s lunches, was a fond admirer. He is now one of the largest collectors of the lettuce-inspired ceramics and has sold portions of his collection to clients such as Tory Burch. In 2012, New York socialite Brooke Astor's 218-piece Thayer collection sold for $75,500 with Sotheby's. Impressively, the collection included 41 dinner plates, 15 butter pads and six pepper shakers. Other collectors included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the Duchess of Windsor and Frank and Barbara Sinatra. Table wares were also widely produced in England and Europe throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, however some of the prettiest and most widely photographed collections stem from America. Be sure to add this book to your coffee table stack, as it gives a further glimpse into C.Z.'s charmed life, lettuce-inspired and all.

Magnificent in Milan

The Sartorialist captured this beauty on the streets of Milan. Sensual, confident and feminine, thumbs up in my book.

Baubles, Bangles & Beads

  One of my favorites: "Baubles, Bangles and Beads", the popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, later recorded by Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim. It seems fitting for these lovely tassel earrings from Oscar de la Renta's jewelry collection. Akin to the song, they are dreamy, glittering and fluttering along with great ease, like a butterfly along the coast of Capri. They require a classic beauty, perhaps adorned with a summer tan, wispy locks, wearing with confidence, a dress made for a great love affair. Shop here.

Getting it Right: Typeface

Garance Dore just gave her blog a facelift thanks to the fabulously french talents of Colorz, a digital strategy agency. In true Hermès fashion, they have brought play and style to e-commerce. Their graphics and font provide a well-rounded web experience. Meredith Melling and Valerie Boster's creative consultancy has a sharp but concise web presence. I suppose that is to be expected for the former Vogue editors...

The chic San Francisco interior design firm Elizabeth Swift Design just launched their site and I'm loving the graphics and font on their "contact" page.

I'm working on a new project for a client and love exploring different typefaces. Typography, the art and craft of arranging and designing type to make the written language most alluring, can have a dramatic influence on how the brand or product connects with the consumer. Above are a few typefaces and designs I'm currently coveting.