her long way home

we've moved

2010-08-12T01:55:00.001-04:00

yes, you need a social media strategy

2010-08-11T17:27:00.001-04:00

*before we even get started with this post, we have to give you an obligatory disclosure: hailey works at a PR firm in the digital media department.. if you know where she works, great. if you don't know where she works, even better. for all intents and purposes, it doesn't really matter.

The SmartBlog on Social Media postured: "Do you really need a social media strategy?" in their weekly reader poll. (You can read the results here.) It seems in recent months, that there has been this on-going debate that is starting to bubble to the surface about the merits of social media strategy. Do you need it? How do you do it? Where do you participate? Is it right for my company/brand/cause/product?

This is my answer: yes.
(Continued after the jump.)

Yes, you do need a social media strategy. It doesn't matter what company you are, what brand, what cause, what product - you need one. It can be proactive, requiring you (moving forward, "you" refers to company/brand/cause/product,etc.) to provide loyalists and curious-cats alike with a consistent stream of content. It can be a listening strategy, requiring you to know what is being said about you, and where. It can be a combination of both. But anyway you slice it, yes - you need a social media strategy.

For the record, I'm not advocating foregoing other traditional marketing, PR, or advertising strategies and campaigns. Social media is a nice way to tie it all together and further your messaging and branding.

Personally, I think it is important to have a strategy that is a combination of proactive and listening tactics. Think about it: If you're only listening, and are not participating on a platform (i.e., Facebook or Twitter), then how can you authentically respond to questions or concerns?

Five Tips for Getting in Bed With Social Media:

1. Understand the platforms and what you're getting yourself into: do your due-diligence.
Would you buy a car without researching the brand, the model, the year - heck, even the color?

Seek the advice of someone - no it does not have to be an agency - who plays on the platforms. Maybe you know someone who's brand you admire. Maybe it's a friend who blogs. Maybe it's your 14-year old daughter. Whatever the case may be, seek some general input from people you know and trust.

And above all else, research. Research the platforms and how they function. What are your competitors doing? What, in general, are comparable "you's" doing on the platform? What do you think works, doesn't work? Scribble down all your good ideas, and while you're at it, your bad ones too.

*A note on books about social media: By the time you've purchased that book you're holding, it's outdated, and something newer, hotter, flashier and trendier has arrived. Don't bother. You're better off reading up on online sources - there's a ton out there. If you're dying to get your hands around pieces of bound paper, read up on traditional thought on branding, messaging, PR strategy, advertising, etc.

2. Define your goals and what means success for you.
Your goals are going to be different than Pepsi's. I can say that because, let's face it, no way is Pepsi on here, and they don't need to hear my thoughts on social media - it hurts to admit, but they're doing just fine on their own without this girl. (But hey, if you aren't, give us a ring.)

Maybe success is 100 Facebook fans, maybe it's 100,000. Maybe success means 10,000 Twitter followers, maybe it means 200. It could mean 25 Retweets a day. It could mean 50 likes on a Facebook page a day. Whatever it is, know what it looks like (and you won't know until you've done your research) and how you're going to measure it. And don't cheat yourself by setting the bar low - write down your goal and stick to it. Just understand that it takes time.

3. Build your strategy.
After you research a lot (no, really, A LOT), and write down your goals and expectations, you can start to develop your strategy. (PS - Seth Godin has a great article about Strategy vs. Tactics you can read here.)

Once your parameters are defined, ask yourself, "how am I going to get there?"

Does it mean 5 blog posts a week? Does it mean posting Tweets at a certain time? How many Tweets do you think you need? How do you drive people from your website to your Facebook and Twitter, etc., pages?

Don't rush through this part - I think it's one of the most important steps. Clearly define how you're going to achieve your goal.

Part of building your strategy should include damage control protocol. Crisis management, if you will. You should be able to anticipate complaints, concerns, questions, someone might have about you. You have to be honest here - if you're not, you'll get stuck in a pickle and that's no good. (Think BP and their lack of response...anywhere.) Know how you'll handle a situation - what you will respond to, what you will leave alone, what you will remove. Know who is responsible for the response.

Promise me you won't get caught with your pants down.

4. Build an editorial calendar.
When it comes to you (meaning: company/brand/cause/product) and your social media strategy, it is essential to have an editorial calendar. Or you can think of it as a messaging calendar. Whatever the case may be, you should have a pretty good idea of what you're going to say, when you're going to say it, why you're saying it and how. Sure, things come up on the fly, but the road to authenticity and consistency is having a calendar to follow. Plus this helps you stay in line with your other marketing/PR/advertising efforts.

5. Measure your progress.
There are lots of ways to measure your progress. Depending on the platform or platforms you are using for your strategy, you'll be interested in different things. On Facebook, maybe its likes instead of fan count. Maybe on Twitter, it's Retweets instead of follower count. Whatever you decide how you're going to gague your success will determine what you measure - and what you use to measure. Sure, there are fancy services you can use for monitoring, but if you're a one (wo)man shop, you might not need it. But include social media measurement tools in your research.

Do you have a social media strategy? What is your take on the ongoing debate?

PS - come back tomorrow for thoughts on personal social media strategy.

source 1, source 2

a curated life : takeaways from the latest lonny

2010-08-10T19:26:00.001-04:00

hot of the presses is the august/september issue of lonny mag - one of our all time favorite design mags.

recently, we've been circling around the idea of a curated life. we've been known to remind friends moving into their first apartments/houses that "life is a collection." this sentiment is actually part of what went into naming this blog. the things around you, at least in our decorating philosophy, are parts of memories. the people in your life you've collected and are a part of your life - that you have curated for yourself.

we prefer to decorate with items that have memories attached to them, and that are a little quirky. what you surround yourself with should be an extension of yourself, your personality, what you are passionate about, what you love.

so, with that philosophy in mind, we were happy to see a lonny full of personalized collections. sure, you could arbitrarily "get the look" in any of the photos in lonny, as well as any other interior decorating mag, or just any picture - it's easy to break it apart and go buy similar pieces. but we think it's so much more satisfying to bring a collection together. and sometimes you don't even realize you have a collection until you are inspired to mimic what is strewn on the pages of your favorite magazine.

check out our takeaways after the jump!

we love the gallery wall that seems to be quite trendy right now.

we love a black and white palette - of no surprise to anyone that reads us frequently - and we love photography. a wall like this could take years to curate. it could take a day. you could go out to a museum, snap some pictures statues and head to ikea for some white frames (after painting the walls a deep color, like black or navy). sure it didn't take you years to curate the wall, but hey its your art now - totally qualifies in our book.

you should also think outside of the box when it comes to displaying your collections. we're advocates of purchasing (original) pieces of art when you're on vacation. but how do you display it all? what if they're different sizes? colors? what if i can't find 20 frames that "match."

well if you think we're all about matching, then you don't really know us at all.

it doesn't have to all match. it just has to make sense for you and for the piece. why not frame a great birthday card you love from your great aunt? why not frame in a HUGE frame a tiny little flower your boyfriend picked for you on a day out? it doesn't matter what it is - if it makes sense to you and for you, it will make sense to your guests.

layer your pieces. there's no reason not to put a frame in front of some books, stand unusual sized pieces next to one another.

combine pictures with other collections, like figurines you pick up on a trip. and don't be afraid to display a piece a little differently than you would expect - like on a chair.

put pieces together you wouldn't expect - like a bowl with random things, next to a stack of well loved books.

take over an entire wall with whatever will hang - pictures, clocks, telephones. every piece has a story, it will make sense because it's YOUR story.

and you can never go wrong with a collection of mirrors on an opposing wall to reflect your collection.

whatever the case may be, don't rush into taking over a wall or a book case or a coffee table or a credenza with "stuff." if you rush to fill a space, all you will get is just "stuff" and you'll feel weighed down by your "things."

when you choose pieces that have memories, have a personal meaning to you, and reflect who you are, you will have curated a beautiful wall, room, apartment, or house.

and above everything, you'll have curated a beautiful life for yourself. it doesn't matter how long it takes to get a room "perfect." at the end of the day, you have a lifetime to get it right.

all pictures via lonny mag

inspired closet space

2010-08-09T21:12:00.000-04:00

these make us want to have collections...of anything.

tell us: do you collect anything? is your closet a little glamorous - or just a closet?

pictures 1-7, sources unkown, picture 8 lonny mag - if you know where the pics are please let us know so we can source them!!!

an open letter to twitter

2010-08-06T08:47:00.001-04:00

Dear Twitter and The-Powers-That-Be:

We are writing to you today to encourage you to add more servers.

For the love of god, please add more servers! It makes our jobs very challenging when the fail whale pops up and stays there for hours on end.

the fail whale is iconic. don't let it be cliche.

add.

more.

servers.

please.

sincerely,

herlongwayhome

emma watson goes {really} short

2010-08-05T19:09:00.000-04:00

what do you think about emma watson's twiggy moment?

tres chic, non?

source 1, 2

don't talk to me during the jackal

2010-08-03T13:32:00.003-04:00

be the one

2010-07-29T09:12:00.000-04:00

restore the gulf.

sign the petition: http://www.restorethegulf.com/

green like a sea breeze

2010-07-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

how dreamy.

source 1, 2, 3, 4

taking the long way home

2010-07-27T22:27:00.000-04:00

Ohio to Minnesota Time Lapse from Dave Lucius on Vimeo.

the art of the staycation

2010-07-27T16:28:00.001-04:00

with trends like glamping floating around (which we're sure to post about in the coming days) we wanted to talk about the more inexpensive version of a vacation - the staycation.

do you staycation?

via apartment therapy

check out our tips after the jump for a great staycation, and be sure to share yours!

1. get all your housework, chores, laundry, etc., done the week before. don't spend your vacation catching up on laundry!

2. genuinely take the time off.

3. if you don't have a fluffy robe, invest in one. maybe even some fluffy slippers too. oh, and a sleep mask a la holly golightly.

via restoration hardware

via fred flare

4. catch up on some reading. we recommend time traveler's wife, still life with woodpecker, and to kill a mockingbird. mostly (99.9%) because we read them every summer.

5. indulge in really awful tv. think: jersey shore or keeping up with the kardashians.

6. check out at-home spa tips for great ideas on making your staycation even more relaxing from glamour magazine.

7. do something you wouldn't normally do, like rent a bike and see your town or city from a different perspective. bring a camera along!

no matter what you do on your staycation, make sure it's as relaxing as it can be!

what are your tips for a successful staycation!

where we'd like to be today

2010-07-15T15:43:00.000-04:00

happy bastille day

2010-07-14T18:00:00.002-04:00

cheer up buttercup

2010-07-14T16:27:00.002-04:00

this will make any bad day better

urban outfitters introduces jewelry studio

2010-07-14T12:07:00.000-04:00

today, urban outfitters launched their jewelry studio with heavy weights (and herlongwayhome favorites) like lizzie fortunato (who designed lower priced items for UO like this bracelet), archive jewelry, and sabrina dehoff.

these are our picks, fresh from the launch today.

source

it's so fuzzy!

2010-07-08T15:18:00.001-04:00

we had to post this...just for meghan :)

(hint: watch without sound - you'll thank us!)

a distincly french apple

2010-07-08T11:51:00.001-04:00

we love apple over here, and paris. so when apple meets france, we arrive at a distinctly french styled apple store.

we have suggestions on how to get this look after the jump!

check out more of the new apple store!

our suggestions for attaining this mod-french style:

naturally, you will need some of apple's sleekest products - always mod. always hip. always awesome.

taking cues from the decor of the new apple location, which has that ever classic french black and white, add pops of mod with traditional curly-q's, and pops of color with a classic black and white pallet.

combining a marie antoinette blue area rug with a bold pendant lamp and a pop of red (think chanel & louboutin) will get you closer to this look.

or you can partner a bold black and white area rug with a traditional pendant and a neutral paint pallet with pops of red - or any bright color!

for product info on our suggestions, you can visit here and here.

all apple store images via gizmodo.

what do you think of apple's newest location?

feet on the ground - head in the sky

2010-07-05T13:22:00.002-04:00

there's something about this windmill that is just so dreamy it scoops our hearts up and makes us want to drift off into a day dream.

source

click here for our picks for the windmill's color palette - we think these would be great colors for any room in the house!

glamorous mystery

2010-06-29T10:32:00.000-04:00

because mysterious is glamorous. oh, and totally sexy, too.

source

that boom boom pow

2010-06-22T09:54:00.000-04:00

this little guy has cancer and can rap with the best of them.

in summer, the song sings itself - william carlos williams

2010-06-21T19:41:00.004-04:00

ah yes, summer has officially arrived - and today is the longest day of the year, so this post is short and sweet so we can get back outside and enjoy these last few hours of sunlight before the days start getting shorter again.

oh how we will miss the 9 pm dusk.

when we think of summer, we think of these miniature vintage repro postcards we had from a trip to hawaii in high school. though we've been known to save everything, these didn't make it, but we did find a few online that were similar if not identical.

summer means that everything slows down just a little; the heat gets stuck beneath the trees; you sweat outside at midnight; you jump in a pool by moonlight; great music; all around fun.

what do you think of when you think about summer? what are your summer plans?

images 1 source; 2 source; 3 source

put a ring on it

2010-06-21T10:23:00.001-04:00

(from the shanghai expo's nao robot show.)

love the ones that matter, forget the ones who don't

2010-06-16T14:25:00.001-04:00

detour : eagles concert (w/ keith urban AND the dixie chicks)

2010-06-10T15:55:00.000-04:00

if you aren't from northern new jersey you might be interested to know that there are no country radio stations here, and it feels almost like it's a faux pas to enjoy country music. we've been mocked by many people for enjoying the twangy stylings of people like keith urban, kenny chesney, brad paisley, dierks, and sugarland. but we love them anyway. and we tend to think everyone is missing out if they 1. haven't been to a country concert 2. have never tailgated at a country concert with cornhole, blaring country music, and pick up trucks, shitkickers, and cowboy hats and finally, 3. don't enjoy country.

so we are always very excited when country musicians come to town - tonight we're going to be seeing the legendary classic rock band the eagles, with opening acts dixie chicks (who haven't been on stage together in something like 4 years) and keith urban (whom we love love love).

follow us on twitter for updates throughout the night!

here's a few videos of our favorite songs from the eagles, keith urban, and the dixie chicks - enjoy!

inspired: pink (and selena lake)

2010-06-09T18:02:00.000-04:00

we love pink. well. sometimes we love pink. it fulfills the three f's that we think are essential to creating your home - well, when you're single - flirty, feminine, and fun. (we also clothing shop with the same criteria.)

today, on design sponge there is a great with UK stylist, selena lake.

source: selena lake interview, designsponge

what inspired you today?

playing nice in the sandbox

2010-06-09T17:17:00.000-04:00

our friend, meghan (whose blog you should read) said the other day "the blogosphere is a small world, play nice in the sandbox." (she may have said the internet is a small world, but for this blogosphere is appropriate.)

and we couldn't agree more.

there is a long story that goes with this idea of playing nice in the blogosphere, which we've written and rewritten, and ultimately decided that it's not really that important to give the back story. but it boils down to this - we should all blog with integrity, cite our sources, and give credit where credit is due. we should play just as nice in this space as we do out in our every day world. we should be polite - to readers, other bloggers, or PR people who approach us.

and hey - it's the blogosphere. it's circular. what goes around comes around. what is said once is repeated.

so, play nice in the sand box, kiddies.

source

tuesday shoeday

2010-06-08T11:47:00.000-04:00

giuseppe zanotti $553

what are your picks?

summertime and the livin's easy

2010-06-07T21:36:00.005-04:00

the summer of sun has arrived, and what better way to ring it in than with a new pair of super funky sunglasses? these are our picks for adding a little whimsy to your summer.

will you buy a pair of sunglasses with edge or pick a standby classic like the oversized frames or aviators?

The Village Sunglasses- Neon Orange, $200; Face It Sunglasses- Tortoise, $80; Oak | spitfire brown clip on sunglasses, $46; Super Andrea in Summer Safari Cheetah, $167; SUPER Lucia, $161; Graz X Monster Children Obstacle Sunglasses, $298; Karen Walker Number One Sunglasses Brown, $170; RAY-BAN Clubmaster in Black, $145

(bonus after the jump!)

well behaved women seldom make history - laurel thatcher ulrich

2010-06-03T15:23:00.001-04:00

because apparently we wouldn't be the same if we behaved, at least according to our dear friend kathi.

source

do you misbehave?

who says you can't go home?

2010-05-26T16:29:00.000-04:00

though giants stadium is coming down piece by piece, bon jovi is performing the very first concert at the new meadowlands stadium tonight.

who says you can't go home, right? "take it in, take it with you when you go." welcome home, bon jovi!

follow on twitter tonight to see pics from the show!

pedal perfect

2010-05-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

there is something about a bicycle with a vintage vibe that makes you feel like you've fallen out of an anthropologie catalogue.

there's something about a bicycle (note: we can't bring ourselves to call these 'bikes') that captures a moment in time. of simpler days. of dreamy days. of sleepy saturday mornings.

source

we'd love to spend a weekend dreamily pedaling around martha's vineyard (in an anthropologie dress, of course) on any one of these beautiful bicycles.

this beauty is guaranteed to make you feel all warm and anthro inside because it's brought to you by the ever tempting-but-oh-how-we-love-them buyers at anthro. you can pick one up for a cool $1,998.

(even more bicycles after the jump! including our custom build!)

adeline offers our absolute favorite bicycles. there are so many to choose from it's so hard to pick just one:

there's the princess sovereign ($1,295)

and the poppy ($995)

we are in love with the aqua granturismo donna ($950)

the klassic paula is fabulous in a greige-ish shade of purple ($1,800)

and then there are our friends at urban outfitters who can out fit (haha we are clever little minxes) you with a custom vintage-esque bicycle.

this is ours - only $399! i know it sounds like a lot, but hey, we're in love with a bicycle that could cost $1,800! (we really love the green tires!)

build your own plato on urban outfitters - and be sure to share your pics! email us at herlongwayhome at gmail dot com or on our facebook fan page!

so throw on a dress, jump on a bicycle and pedal off into the sunset this weekend. and don't forget to share some pics!

the sartorialist

jenna lyons sighting

2010-05-21T11:44:00.000-04:00

by now, you must know the love we have for jenna lyons. she does no wrong. jcrew does no wrong. and we like to absorb everything she has to say (kind of like kelly cutrone, to whom we lovingly refer as "kcut," but that is another post entirely).

we bring this jenna lyons sighting to you from elle decor who tells us that the ever chic and inspiring jenna lyons has "never met a sequin she didn't like."

these are the 12 things that our "j.crew trendsetter" can't live without - all images from here

1. a lucite chair. lyons has one at her desk - HLWH recommends this one it's a different shape, but it captures the funky-yet-glam nature of lyons' chair. throw a bold printed cushion on it and we think that you'll be feeling chic as ever.

2. nars lip pencil in red square because it's "not too blue." j.crew uses this color on their shoots- though we wish they would come up with their own makeup line this will do for now. Especially since we love love love nars. snag yours here.

3. the fleshy tones in jenna's fred sandback drawing capture the season's neutral trend. the simplicity seems so natural and so beautiful this time of year. we're pretty sure that it would feel just as gorg. in the fall..or winter! maybe a little diy painting?

4. lyons likes the bedding from olatz (this is the Lido print). you can also get the minimalist-chic look from dwellstudio, potterybarn, and william sonoma home.

5. we must admit, the silver vases from asiter de villatte are pretty awesome - they look like cans with their labels peeled off. though it just seems like one of those things we tell ourselves we could 'diy,' we'd check out etsy first to find something similar that captures the same sparkling lightness.

6. one of lyons' must haves is her Leica camera (limited ed, of course, and from japan). for a camera with a vintage vibe, check out urban outfitters' cameras, or use this quick search on etsy.

7. miriam haskell. vintage. you can't go wrong. a google search turned up a few vintage items, but HLWH recommends visiting j.crew to see some inspired (and inspiring) pieces with a similar vibe.

8. we can't guide you on jenna's shoe collection, other than to a. buy what fits b. buy what you absolutely love c. take very good care of them d. keep them organized and e. remember it takes a lifetime to amass a shoe collection like that.

9. another thing we can't really help you with. vintage mercedes. you could buy a toy one. or visit post-war classic cars if you're seriously considering purchasing one. and if you do, you owe us a ride.

10. jenna loves the beach. have to admit it's calming. so long as you aren't visiting the jersey shore (think: fist pumps for everyone!...PS we can hate on the jersey shore, we're from jersey ;) )

11. arists jenna can't live without (some are on display in the guggenheim if you're in the nyc area): cy twombly, robert ryman, elizabeth peyton, or jenny saville.

12. sequins! jenna's last must have is sequins! and we often see her rocking them. HLWH recommends j.crew (duh) for some of the shiny stuff, as well as bloomgindale's or even forever 21.

what do you think of jenna lyons' must haves from elle decor?

taking a cue from the boys

2010-05-18T17:51:00.000-04:00

recently, we've seen a lot of trends coming from the men - the ever chic and always in season boyfriend blazer, slouchy boyfriend jeans for weekend errands, and menswear inspired everything - from tops, to bottoms, to shoes, to handbags.

but this new trend is taking it one step further - would you bite the bait and take this cue from the boys?

source

you could look like john travolta a la grease:

source

or you could have an elvis moment:

source

what do you think? would you try this trend?

bedroom neutrals perfect for blue skies and sunshine

2010-05-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

there's something about this time of year that makes us long for neutrals. those great shades of ivory, burlap, oatmeal, white, and gray just tickle us pink. they make hot days feel cool, and light, airy blue skied-sunshiney days feel even lighter. we love when sunshine pours into a room of neutrals and shines off those crisp white sheets. there is only one word to describe it - yummy.

we are loving the vintage-washed belgian linen bedding from restoration hardware. it looks soft, and clean, and perfect for those hot days when you just want to lay inside and enjoy a cool breeze that blows your long, sheer, white curtains in an oh-so-french kind of way - how idyllic. we would order ours in white, for that crisp feeling that makes us giddy.

acquire

as opposed to other items from restoration, these linens are pretty accessible price wise.

do you change your bedding with the seasons?

just do it

2010-05-03T22:19:00.002-04:00

the ultimate long way home

2010-04-26T09:12:00.001-04:00

thoughts for the weekend

2010-04-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

love life - because living is a wonderful thing

enjoy your few days, my darlings!

have a big heart and stand tall

2010-04-21T22:45:00.000-04:00

craigslist rescue

2010-04-20T23:33:00.000-04:00

i love craigslist. from the 'best of' to the apartments to the free stuff to the unique antique finds, i love it all. i'm even occasionally entertained by the scams. i mean really - nigerian missionaries, wire me the money, and then i'll send you the keys to an apartment you won't get to see - entertaining, so long as you are able to distinguish scam from truth. but i digress.

i like to look through craigslist and plot how i would rescue a piece of furniture. right now i don't have room to bring any more furniture into the house (i just got rid of 200 books and they're still overflowing). but someday....someday there will be an extra room for furniture rescues. maybe i'll even sell them. maybe i'll love them too much to give them away. maybe i'll put them back on craigslist. who knows. in the meantime i'll rescue them in my head and on my blog.

today i found this sad looking brass lamp:

there's no reason to throw this away, and no reason to not give it a little tlc. a very wise woman (love you mom) always reminds me that there's nothing a coat of paint can't do. (same woman who reminds me that it's just paint, you can always do it over, and it's just hair it will grow.)

for this lamp, i would scrub it clean and use this shade of ivory for the pole:

i would use this shade from anthropologie to finish it off:

the other piece i found today that i really, really, REALLY want to rescue (pleaseeeee mom???) is this:

i would (after cleaning, sanding, priming) use a gray/purple color like this one (which ties in nicely to with the lamp shade):

i would also consider distressing the paint once it's dried. for the hardware, i would use something similar to these drawer pulls from anthro:

and it would all be seriously fabulous.

how would you rescue these pieces from craigslist?

the sheer genius of apple

2010-04-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

we tend not to talk tech-related things here (though we'd like to plug the ipad at this time because we love it), and stay more fashion-home-letterpress-lifestyle-cooking-and-all-other-lovely-things-that-make-us-swoon.

but today i read at mashable that gizmodo "happened to find" the prototype for the iphone 4.

now...let's consider this.

do you actually think that someone at apple - a very hush hush company when it comes to prototypes and new gadgets - who is important enough to be carrying the prototype would actually forget the phone at a bar?

take it one step further - do you think someone important enough at apple would happen to be at a bar where someone from gizmodo happened to be and happen to forget said prototype?

and even further....would apple really not shut down the prototype for an entire week?

me thinks apple is too smart for that.

all that being said, we're excited for the new phone and will certainly be holding out for iphone 4 to come out before purchasing a new one. the physical design has changed - it's a smaller product and has hard edges instead of the rounded style. the new camera has a larger sensor and a flash, video chat capabilities (genius), and insanely high resolution.

check out gizmodo's article with videos here.

what do you think of the new phone? what do you think about gizmodo happening to be the ones to find the prototype in a bar?

we promise our next post will be something fashion-home-letterpress-lifestyle-cooking-and-all-other-lovely-things-that-make-us-swoon related....though the new phone makes us swoon just a little.

thoughts on branding and really, really great packaging

2010-04-13T20:55:00.000-04:00

branding for products is incredibly important. think about it - you don't have to read the labels in the juice aisle, you look for the carton that looks like the one that your mom kept in your fridge as a kid, and you buy that one because it's what you know.

have you ever seen a little kid (who hasn't learned to read yet) get SO excited about a box of animal crackers? they can't read what the box is, but they know what it is, because the box of animal crackers is branded, it always looks the same, so a little kid can reach for it and know exactly what's going to come out of the box.

but what about new products you integrate into your life?

they need really, really fantastically fabulous packaging to catch your eye. they need to stand out and shock your senses and be so downright gorgeous you feel like you can't live one more minute without buying the product.

and that's how we feel about these products....and we wish every product was packaged this beautifully....

food for thought - what if kitty litter had this gorgeous of packaging? what about the packaging for a lightbulb for your car?

these remind us of something straight out of alice and wonderland

this olive oil is from croatia so we wouldn't be able to understand what the label says. but it's the international language of yum - packaging and product together.

these cereals might just trump animal crackers for kid-love.

these chocolates from fling make us want to drool. between the color choice for the packaging (is that blue seriously not the best shade of blue ever?) and the curly-q's on the front, we have to find some!

now, we admit that we buy wine based on the label - we totally judge the book by the cover - but we've found some really fantastic wines that we buy time and time again (think, fat bastard). if we see these bottles from purple cowboy we'll definitely pick up a few bottles of the night rider merlot and the tenacious red.....if for no other reason than really cool design and perfectly named bottles.

get some perspective

2010-04-13T17:29:00.000-04:00

source

life is possibility

2010-04-12T22:35:00.002-04:00

fantasy shopping spree - from lonnymag!

2010-04-12T22:14:00.000-04:00

so this is really a shopping spree of ideas. every page of the latest lonny mag (the eco-chic edition!) is just dripping with inspiration.

what are your favorites?

(all images from here)

we are just loving every single one of these couches, and would gladly host any of them in our living room:

acquire

we also love this chair, which should surprise no one.

acquire

we'd like to pick up one of these to have in our backyard this summer....just imagining curling up in it with a book and warm sunshine makes us feel all tingly inside.

plus, The Rainforest Site will protect 6,870 square feet of land for every hammock purchased. Now that really makes us feel all tingly inside.

acquire

we really enjoyed the opportunity to get a peek inside lonny's editior michelle adams' home. simply inspiring, as is to be expected, with lots and lots of ideas we'd like to incorporate into our own home.

lonny editor, michelle adams

(page 70)

we are in love with everything about this picture. from the utterly perfect tortoise-esque lamp, to the antique hutch, to the awesome parisienne art, and down to the wallpaper and collection of bottles (oh and the picture of shoes...yes we know we just outlined everything in this picture), it is simply sublime. we'd love to have this look in an entry way, or like ms. adams, and have this look in our dining room.

(page 80)

we love the combination of the modern table with the classic striped chairs (in a most perfect shade of blue), with the great rug that compliments the photographs and really highlights the sepia tones.

also featured in lonny's eco chic edition is graphic artist ashley putnam....seriously lustworthy interior.

miss ashley

(page 120)

ashley's interiors give off an air of well traveled and worldly. with an art collection to die for, a mastered touch for the layered look, and an eclectic furniture collection that some how all comes together (without being a set of matching furniture), we are just falling over ourselves.

(page 132)

the piece above the mantle is a painting done by lucy kirkman. if it looks familiar, it's a take on christina's world, the painting by andrew wyeth - our favorite artist. we're inspired to figure out a way to turn this into a saturday diy project, since we'd never be able to afford a kirkman original.

(page 122)

loving the quirky-yet-classic look of the gold bamboo coat rack.

and then there's the dining room. that we need to have. immediately. we think we might just ask ashley if we could move in. we could be cooks or something. dish washers?

(page 124)

we particularly enjoy the contrast of the white upholstered chairs at the ends and white curtains against the chocolate brown table, chairs, hutch, and wicker/bamboo curtains. thinking we need to emulate this in our dining room. thoughts?

what was your favorite in lonny? can you even choose?

fantasy shopping spree!

2010-03-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

so at first we didn't feel like fantasy shopping. and then we realized - wait! that's ~~borderline~~ blasphemous! so we shopped a little. and dreamed a lot. and ended up with a set that is so out of reach for us it's kind of funny.

what did you shop for today?

shop it (if you dare): Jason Wu Twist front dress, 760 GBP || Hamilton-Paris Blouse with beaded neckline, 560 GBP || Designer Tops & Blouses, Matthew Williamson Spring Collection, $695 || Diane von furstenberg trousers, 205 GBP || True Religion Julie skinny jeans, $170

the (very) long way home

2010-03-14T21:41:00.000-04:00

so, when we started this blog, we promised ourselves that every friday we would take the long way home from work. enjoy life. take our time. take a back road. stop at a store. grab a bottle of wine. enjoy some music. and ~~try not to~~ not freak out about the traffic.

but this weekend we certainly took the looonng way home.

friday, we took our dear friend alexa to the train station and then went to dinner at flirt. (we suggest the down under roll. mmmmm)

then we drove down to dc, arriving at 2 am. and hailey begged and begged and begged until all parties involved conceeded to drive past the white house. she wanted to take great pictures of the white house lit up in all its peaceful glory while the majority of the city slept.

driving in circles, hailey kept saying, it's right here i know it's right here! (if we were outside, we're sure she would have been stomping her foot). and in fact she was right. except that the white house wasn't lit up. we guess nobody was home? so we didn't get any good pictures for you.

(so we'll share this one:)

so then we decided that it was okay we didn't have pictures to share from 2 am, that we would get fabulous ones for you on saturday.

well.

there was a lot of rain on saturday. and wind. and hailey broke her umbrella (and then thanked the gods she was intelligent enough to bring her rainboots). there was so much rain that we had to leave our cameras behind so we have no pictures of the city to share with you.

but we went to the international spy museum, which was fantastic, and highly recommended you go when you're in dc (there's a great shop and cafe....filled with spies??? perhaps.)

we'd all really like to be spies now.

we enjoyed the beer sampler at gordon biersch's. and then went to shamrock fest.

which is really why we brought our cameras, to share with you the s*it show that it was supposed to be.

but because of the rain....there are no pictures to be had. and no crazy stories to tell (except one crazy girl rolling in a huge puddle of water with a short denim skirt on and a white tanktop...which it was far too cold to be wearing let alone rolling in the water with).

after the shamrock fest, we got ready at the hotel, and went to capitol city for dinner.

it was a pretty early night because we HAD to come home to go into the city to see lies maculan's installation in chelsea (which we heard about from the ever fabulous refinery 29.

we wish we had great pictures and a review to share with you, but the george washington bridge needed emergency repairs on the lower level.

so if you don't know anything about the tri-state area or the gwb or people in this area who drive in the rain, let us share a few tips with you.

the first is that we've never once hit traffic so bad we kicked ourselves for not checking the traffic.

today we did.

when you take the gwb, all trucks have to use the upper level (since 9/11). so when the upper is backed up we take the lower (though we prefer the upper for the great views).

and there's always traffic, but mostly it's doable.

and people in this area don't know ~~how to get their heads out of their asses~~ what to do with themselves when a drop of rain falls, let alone a storm that wipes out power across the state, shuts down highways for tree removal, crushes power lines, and causes a water advisory counties wide. so it was a mess.

so we spent 3 hours trying to get to the gwb, which we when we started getting close to the bridge realized that it would have taken another 2 hours just to get to chelsea. which would have been 5 hours in the car (after driving 4 home from dc earlier). we could have gone to dinner in atlantic city and come back for that time investment.

so we turned around and ended up at the mason jar, five minutes from where we started our journey.

long way home - success.

emotional result - absolutely miserable.

so that's our weekend story.

what did you do on your long way home???

we are going to require several china cabinets

2010-03-11T20:14:00.001-05:00

to house all the dishes we know we are going to collect over our lifetimes.

but isn't that what life is, a collection?

a collection of people, moments, memories, and treasures - note, not stuff, junk, crap, things....treasures.

when we look around, we see people we've collected and loved dearly, moments and memories we hold close to our hearts, and treasures that surround us that make us smile, drool, and our hearts aflutter.

we have pieces of art that are, frankly, irreplaceable. we have candle sticks and lamps and little knick knacks that have become part of our lives. and we are, without a doubt, living in every room we touch. because things we've collected along the way have come to live with us, and memories surround each and every piece. a painting that was a gift for graduation. an art piece from an uncle. a trinket from a trip to a far away place.

so all of life is a collection.

and we know that one of the things that we will without a doubt start to collect, that may or may not completely take over our lives is dishes. tableware. kitchen utensils. eating utensils. whathaveyou.

just as long as it doesn't over take our book collection, i think we're okay.

(but you know pieces will most certainly end up as decoration on our book cases....yes. cases....there shall be cases upon cases of bookshelves (like that grade-shool-election promise 'rows upon rows of vending machines))

but we digress.

thanks to our new favorite blog (post about our new favorite blog in the coming days) sunday suppers, we were exposed to the brook farm general store. we are most certainly going to have to pay a visit to this wonderful little gem in brooklyn soon (promptly after we make a list of all the places on sunday suppers that we just HAVE to visit)

and so we have dishes.

three hand thrown stoneware plates in a milky shade of white: $39

classic french bistro glasses, set of 6: $24

and who could resist the set of 6 stainless straws?! : $18 (ps - if you're looking to buy us a gift this would be utter perfection!)

we also find it hard to resit the glass water jug....but we love all vessels in clear glass!: $25

ps - brook farm general has a blog!

get the look

2010-03-10T08:53:00.000-05:00

some spaces are so drool worthy, we cannot help but want to redo every room in our house one hundred times over.

when we stumbled upon the city sage's post on the hun t, we knew we had to use this picture for our next get the look:

for the wainscotting, we chose ash from restoration hardware from the slate collection.

we've found several lamps that would suit this room:

pottery barn: $269

pottery barn: $149

west elm: $99

sundance: $175

now, we know this tub isn't exactly the one in the picture. but our feeling is that no claw foot tub is wrong. and that restoration hardware does no wrong. so the more we stare at this tub, the more we drool and find it absolutely necessary for our next bathroom renovation.

restoration: $3110-$3410

we like these restoration curtains ($99-$139) in white, with these pottery barn rods ($69-$89) in antique bronze:

and our favorite piece, besides everything else in the bathroom:

the train rack from restoration: $279 in the chrome finish.

then we'd like to top it off with restoration's turkish towels ($8-$46) in white:

of course we need a 5 gallon water jug to accessorize our look:

$22.95

and we'd like to put our new jug in this vintage farm basket for $43.

what do you think?

paperless post

2010-03-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

last week we brought to you a beautiful e-card thank you note from kate spade and talked about the importance of a hand written thank you note. and then proceeded to show you everything we've been drooling over when it comes to the kate spade line of paper goods.

but what if we could get the most gorgeous letterpress that isn't on paper?

well you can!

brought to you by paperless post....

you recieve an invitation addressed to you!

and it unfolds just like a real invitation!

and just think of all the possibilities!

if you're anything like us, we love sending beautiful invites for something as simple as a sunday dinner.

but now, whether it's last minute and on the fly or planned well in advance, you can send utterly gorgeous e-invites to all your friends!

we love this virtual letterpress!

fantasy shopping spree - updated spring wardrobe!

2010-03-08T21:45:00.000-05:00

in our world, there's no better way to start a week than with a fantasy shopping spree. this week, waking to sunshine and chirping birds (endearing only for a few minutes before they became irksome) inspired our fantasy shopping spree to be a more tangible one. a spree in which we plot our spring wardrobe acquisitions.

the endeavor took on a life of its own.

SO we apologize in advance for the sloppy nature of this week's post. we got a little overzealous.

but we hope you love our choices!

we're loveeeeeing blush pink, ivory, and lace. standard favs at herlongwayhome. we're also loving stripes (another standard), dresses, skirts, and lots of patterns that can be mixed and matched.

what are you adding to your wardrobe this spring?!

(shop it)

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”

2010-02-25T10:09:00.000-05:00

oh emily post. sometimes you seem so outdated to us. and sometimes you seem so right.

since we were children, we have been writing thank you notes for anything. and everything - the obvious paper required events (birthday and christmas gifts) and the not so obvious (a friend hosting a dinner, a boyfriend's parents taking you to dinner, a family member hosting you for a few days...or anyone hosting you for any period of time).

we've been brought up to believe that, while some customs may be outdated, a hand written thank you note never goes out of style. it's like a strand of pearls - classic and everlasting and worth handing down generation to generation.

today we recieved a thank you from kate spade for signing up for their newsletter. (i say 'their' and not 'her' because ms. spade no longer owns kate spade. tears.)

kate spade is utter perfection. it is emily post meets j crew meets the real world (meets a good stylist). we are loving the tiffany inspired blue with the red (pretty sure it's red, we have some color blind people on the other side of your screen here....it could be pink...) which is one of our all time favorite color combinations. and thrown in with yellow - how perfectly spring?

kate spade does no wrong, especially with their paper goods. so it simply made our day to recieve a thank you from ks. even though it's not handwritten. it's still perfeclty sublime.

no?

our kate spade paper picks:

the ps card. loving the blue. loving the white. loving the perfection.

fortune placecards. half off. order them. immediatley.

big card, small party. we need these. the green. the stripes. the wit. need it. have to have it. would you like to come for a dinner party? if we sent you this card, we think you would!

be sure to visit kate spade for selected paper goods and crane & co for the entire line.

an american in paris

2010-02-23T23:08:00.001-05:00

after finally seeing 'the september issue' (documentary about anna wintour and the '07 september issue of vogue) we've decided that today's french word of the day is 'mode' -- for fashion.

and instead of just finishing the post with some pictures from vogue or covers from vogue, we thought it would be better to share some of our favorite fashion bloggers we're loving these days.

okay, okay, we love them every day.

keep in mind the key word here is *some* of our favorites....there aren't enough hours in the day to catalogue every one of our favorites. besides, what would we have left to share if we put them all out at once!

we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

*the sartorialist *fashionista *frugal fashionista *cupcakes and cashmere *where did u get that *fabsugar *a glamorous little side project

be sure to love them all!

typography tuesday

2010-02-23T22:12:00.000-05:00

mulling over our options for this weeks' typography feature, we came across a lot of great things we wanted to share with you. all of them have been put on the backburner since receiving yesterday's urban outfitters' e-mail for their spring break collections.

first, we love anything vintage. we love anything that looks like it's vintage. we also love anything involving vacations, staycations, roadtrips, and music. and of course, paper.

urban's graphics, always satisfying and inspiring, certainly have our hearts aflutter thinking about spring break.

and definitely tempting us into their online shop. what little minxes.

an american in paris

2010-02-22T14:24:00.000-05:00

as-tu connu le mot 'cowboy' n'existe pas dans la langue francaise?

did you know the word 'cowboy' doesn't exist in the french language? (!)

we suppose, as we dream of being americans in paris (pictoral interlude...)

that there really isn't a need for the word 'cowboy' or wrangler. and they probably don't wear cowboy boots. which makes us kind of sad.

but not sad enough to not want to live there for a year or ~~two~~ ten.

so le mot du jour is mountains - les montanges (du wyoming!)

we were going to do a whole set of pictures of the tetons, but we think this one of the mountains with the snake river speaks plenty.

fantasy shopping spree mondays

2010-02-22T13:51:00.002-05:00

he new week brings new lustworthy items to the house of herlongwayhome.

this week we are love love loving these pants

so we put together two sets for your lusting pleasure - one colorful and one neutral. be sure to click the links after each set to find out purchasing information.

Solar Star Blouse, $98, Smooth Sailing Wide-Legs, $88, New Arrivals - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $88, New Arrivals - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $78

we can always count on anthropologie for a colorful boost to any outfit. or a girly one.

Blouses - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $130, Dauphine Blouse, $120, J.Crew - Neopolitan Cardigan, $88, J. Crew Cotton cascade ruffle cardigan, $78 Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $88

for our neutrals we have the ever reliable jcrew, as well as anthropologie for a girly touch to a basic outfit. we are looooooooooooving this set. unfortunately it would cost us $592 to own it all. it's simply heartbreaking.

and then we have elephants. ever since dumbo, we've loved elephants.

okay we're not sure that's exactly true. dumbo made us cry and made our hearts ache when we were kids. but in the last few years our obsession with elephants has grown. it's expanded into little figurenes on our desks, right down to extra long necklaces.

they're a symbol of fertility, knowledge, and most of all good luck. so we like to rock them. and with all the options out there for the growing jewelry trend, we're sure you'll find one you'd like to rock, too!

Fashion Jewelry, Personalized Jewelry, Diamond Jewelry, Bridal Jewelry..., $115, storybook elephant long necklace, $15, Sri Lanka fancy elephant necklace, $12, Elephant Love Necklace, $4.80, The 13 most famous Numbers and their stories « The Antic Muse

what is so great about this trend is that there are some ultra affordable choices for these great pieces! well worth the gander!

fantasy shopping spree mondays

2010-02-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

this week's fantasy shopping spree is inspired by an upcoming interview. one thing about being young in the corporate world is our leway to wear colorful patterns and bold jewelry (as well as extra tall heels and crazy tops).

these four looks are pretty basic - navy skirt, black skirt, purple skirt, and a silve/gray brocade skirt. we've selected a printed cardigan, a basic whtie bouse, a fun gray top and a fun plum colored top. the accessories add a pop to each outfit, and the louboutins add an element of glamour to each look. what we love so much about these looks is each item is interchangable and we can mix and match depending on our mood!

(please click here to see the product info)

here, we've added denim to show how versatile our choices for tops (and louboutins) can be for a casual friday look. adding different pieces of jewelry or layering sweaters on top of these basic looks will also allow you to change up your look with less pieces.

(click here for product info)

and for our much loved pick 10 monday, we have selected 10 pairs of louboutins instead of handbags and jewelry (scarves and belts and hats and....)

we're sure you love all of these as much as we do!

swoon

(click here for product info)

an american in paris - word of the day

2010-02-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

today's word of the day - fleurs - flowers!

as in: oh, mon amour, j'aime les fleurs, merci beaucoup!

(oh, hunnie, i love the flowers, thank you so much!)

just in time for valentine's day!

eat drink and be merry

2010-02-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

thirsty thursdays is what we really wanted to name this feature. we've blogged about our dishware obsession before (such as here), but there is so much good stuff out there, it's enough to have a weekly feature.

let's face it, there's enough for a daily feature.

we're not quite sure where we heard about fishs eddy, but it was definitely from one of our beloved bloggers (perhaps poppytalk or thekitchn?). i always felt like it was a place i wanted to visit, and being right outside of new york city it was certainly accessible. i just never got around to it, and their website is sort of lackluster in terms of its merchandising. (we'd love to get our hands on it and revamp it!)

but then we went.

and then we fell in love.

each piece is kind of whimsical and kind of childlike. and we can totally appreciate the sense of humor that is inherent in this institution.

fishs eddy is perfection. it's kind of like the kitchen section of anthropologie. their website definitely doesn't do it justice, and hopefully we'll post some pictures from our trip there (and a few things that we picked up along the way). but everything there is just wonderful. so if you're in the nyc area you should certainly make a trip to this little gem.

simple colorware in pretty much any color you could want. great prices too! pedestal bowls for $6.95, dinner plates for $9.95, side plates for $6.95, and cereal bowls for $7.95. great staple for any kitchen! and at such great prices, you can stock up on all your favorite colors!

the carnival pattern is super cute too, and sort of whimsical. cereal bowls go for $6.48 (on sale), the tray is $12.95, these glasses are $6.00, and the jumbo mug is $11.95.

and we are simply smitten with the alice and wonderland pattern. every piece features one of the classic pen and ink drawings from the books. we love how the image floats off the side of the plate. we love the alice and wonderland pattern so much, we picked up the salt and pepper shakers while we were there! there are so many pieces to choose from for this pattern - side plates, square plates, rectange trays, oval trays, glasses, coasters, dishtowels and mugs. definitely worth a peak. or a purchase!

fishs eddy also has great flatware with open stock, so you can pick and choose the pieces ou need and want.

their glassware section also has some really great pieces (we picked up the wizard of oz set). there are some cute swimmers glassware

drink nyc tap water

and they have classic american glass pieces

and cake stands (better colors here)

and fabulous kitchen pieces

there's a sale on porcelain mugs (we're loving the politician ones!)

and there are the creepy yet loveable hands (we picked up three miniature ones)

we also love the linens! they coordinate with each line of dishware

so take a peek at what fishs eddy has to offer, especially if you can't go to the store!

but we DO have a sneak peek for you!

don't you just love it?!

(all pictures of fishs eddy from poppytalk, pictures of stock from the fishs eddy website)

girl crush

2010-02-10T16:17:00.001-05:00

we can't say that this girl crush is new, we've been following emersonmade for a while. but the more we create inventory for our etsy shop, the more we find ourselves continually inspired by her incredible style - from her personal style, to her gorgeous flowers, to the incredibly perfect merchandising pictures.

and so we wanted to share our girl crush with you on this snowy day, because nothing makes us warmer inside than emersonmade !

(ps the emerson mouse has a bloggie, too! http://emersonmouse.blogspot.com/)

we're sure you've been crushing too!

get the look

2010-02-10T14:39:00.001-05:00

we often stumble upon interior styling perfection. by often, of course, we mean daily.

many times, we look at a picture, it gives us warm fuzzies and we wish we could make our spaces look like the picture. but we shrug it off as a professional photo shoot and something that we could never achieve.

that is until now.

every wednesday we're featuring a 'get the look' segment. we'll break down a room so we, as well as all my lovelies, can achieve what was once the unachievable.

when we stumbled across this picture (warm fuzzies in tow), we knew it had to be the inaugural get the look. we love the colors, the intricate, delicate, and unexpected details, and that gasp worthy clock (which we trolled the internet for days trying to locate....which we did!)

first we need a modern poster bed. we found this one from room and board for $999. but you can think of the bed as a blank canvas, you can funk it up, dress it up, make it mod - do whatever you want. so this look would work on almost any bed.

this tapestry, from urban outfitters for $28, is pretty darn close to our inspiration picture:

our next issue is the pillows. don't be afraid to mix colors or patterns or sizes! (or textures, materials, etc)

the tailor striped sham from west elm is a doable stand- in for the large black and white print pillow.

now for some good shapes and patterns, from our dear friends at anthro (respectively: $68-168, $88, and $50):

and from urban outfitters (respectively: $20, $24, and $28)

we're loving this one from z gallerie:

and then there's the union jack pillow.

this one is from urban outfitters, but is no longer available.

karen hilton designs has this one available on her etsy shop for $66:

for a carpet, we like this option from ikea for $399. it's not as busy as the one in our photo, but we're digging the color choice:

instead of the cute little stool in the picture, we've picked out a folded chair from anthro, for $199:

and last, but certainly not least, the large clock on the wall. at first we thought that this clock was porcelain. but it looked like a pillow. and after scouring for something remotely similar to this clock (for two weeks, may we add) we found it. the conran shop has this clock (it's knit!) for $575.

quite dissapointing.

THEN, this VERY MORNING, we found THE CLOCK for....

wait for it....

SIXTY NINE DOLLARS AND NINETY FIVE CENTS. $69.95.

of course, we found it on anthro:

so we put it all together....
(okay, it's not that pretty, but we can see it all at once...)

winter wonderland

2010-02-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

enjoying the snow day!

we're taking advantage of being stuck inside and working on our inventory for our etsy shop!

every once in a while, we glance out the windows....

we just wish we could show you how hard it's coming down!

typography tuesday

2010-02-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

in honor of valentine's day, we at her long way home would like to share our typography obsession with you all by way of valentine and love inspired typography.

the you and me its love postcard from rarrarpress is one of our favorites:

anemone letterpress' venn valentine has got us all smitten between the color choice and sweetness of the sentiment, we're right in that happiness zone with them

for a year round, permanent installation of valentine-love-typographic-perfection, we are drooling over roll and tumble letterpress's gigi love handprinted poster

and of course, what would valentine's day be without the heart breaking perfection from paloma's nest? especially when it's the title of our favorite poem?

going on now

2010-02-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

- ideeli has a french connection sale, victorinox watches, a designer dress boutique featuring laundry, dana designs, joseph, ar cashmere, and kosta boda, as well as the sales from yesterday - nautica, alice and trixie, gustto, donna rico, michael kors sunglasses, eze sur mer and moon palace.

(french connection)

- the outnet has some great new additions, including this dress (now 70% off) from matthew williamson. (we're quite smitten)

- rue la la's newest boutiques include cosabella, english laundry by christopher wicks, and l'erba.

- haute look added tag heuer, rock and republic, decades two, cole haan, mario badescu skin care, mona taner, michelle vale, nachtmann, and 388 california cashmere.

- gilt groupe's newest additions are burberry shoes & jewelry, herve leger, marco bicego jewelry, modern staples by french connection, VPL, and jewelry by tuleste market and hazel & harlow.

(if you need an invite to any of our favorite sites, drop us a line! herlongwayhome@gmail.com) )

an american in paris - word of the day

2010-02-09T12:35:00.000-05:00

aujord'hui le mot du jour est blanc -- today's word of the day is white

appréciez, mes anges!

via this is glamorous

via dress design decor

daily sales from our favorite sites!

2010-02-08T15:14:00.000-05:00

enjoy today's sales!

- ideeli is featuring nautica, alice and trixie, gustto handbags, donna ricco, michael kors sunglasses, eze sur mer, moon palace, miss sixty shoes, bcbg max azria, tanner krolle, trunk, qi, and a mixed sale featuring candace ang and ben amun.

- theoutnet has an upcoming sale for the fendi doctor b tote

- rue la la is currently featuring stuart weitzman, a vacation boutique, a luxury vacation items boutique, gustto, gucci watches, c & c california, and H2 at hammerman.

- hautelook has sales from 7 for all mankind (women and mens), herve leger, tourneau (preowned), kevyn aucoin beauty, project exx, yumi kim, melissa, tova, burn, roberto cavalli, and sagaform.

- scoot on over to gilt groupe to enjoy the sales from chan luu jewelry, carlos falchi, vivienne tam,

marc bouwer glamit, walter, sector watches, and jewelry by ranjana khan and lee angel. there are also sales from frette, mariebelle chocolates, yedi houseware, jimmyjane candels, and simon & co.

their gifts section is also well stocked with beautiful items for valentine's day.

(if you need an invite to any of our favorite sites, drop us a line! herlongwayhome@gmail.com)

an american in paris - word of the day

2010-02-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

today's french word is "guirlande," meaning garland.

guirlande, noun, feminine (a) garland; guirlande de papier, paper chain; guirlande lumineuse, christmas tree lights, fairy lights.

cori kindred

allkindsofbeautiful

party poms

black*eiffel

abbey goes scouting

pink wallpaper

dites-moi, mes amours, do you use guirlande in your spaces?

fantasy shopping spree mondays

2010-02-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

hello all my lovelies! we're introducing a new feature today - fantasy shopping spree mondays. nothing makes us happier than clothes, and nothing makes us grumpier than mondays. so why not turn those frowns upside downs and go on a fantasy shopping spree all across the ~~world~~ internet and fill up our carts, and share our picks here with you....while keeping our credit cards further than an arms length away!

this week we went a little crazy in jcrew and anthropologie. we're so into tops right now, especially cute sweaters than can be layered with even cuter tops. we like combining patterns, textures, fabrics, colors....as long as it's fun and has some unusual little detail, we are guaranteed to fall in love with it.

clockwise from the left, all anthropologie: Demi Sec Cardigan $130, Star Sprinkled Cardi $88, Ruffled Cami $58, Scoopneck Bodysuit $38, and AG Stevie Skinny $168

clockwise from the left, all anthropologie, Winding Road Tank $48, Crossroads Buttondown $78, Solar Star Blouse $98, Peeking Lace Blazer $118, and AG Angelina Petite $168

clockwise from the left, Northern Latitudes Blouse $198, Badge of Blooms Cardigan $78, Cinched Cables Cardigan $118, Oscillations Cardigan $98, and Set Sail Trousers $118

and last but not least, our monday pick 10 accesories!

clockwise from bottom right: balenciaga $1695, chloe long zip wallet $565, kate spade shopper $175, kate spade ring $95, kate spade cool as a cucumber bracelet $98, jcrew majesty stone ring $100, kate spade stevie bag $295, jcrew pave cable bracelet $95, gussto pleat shoulder bag $250 , and jcrew crystal devote neckalce $150

what's in your shopping cart today?

our new favorite blogger

2010-02-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

the every stylish miss naomi of the rockstar diaries is our new favorite blogger.

she has a lovely shop, love, taza with the most fabulous headbands:

an adorable puppy that we might adore just as much as naomi does (okay not quite, but c'mon!)

and a killer sense of style!

house of harlow 1960 giveaway!!!!

2010-02-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

from the find! get over and enter!

stock for steak

2010-02-03T10:03:00.000-05:00

in today's New York Times we saw this very intersting ad from smith and wollensky

we just had to snap a picture and share with you - smith and wollenksy is accepting stocks for steaks. because they want to be responsible and put money back into the economy instead of these large bonuses given to wall street execs.

now, we're not economists, so we're not sure exactly how this works, and there isn't any information on the website (link above), but we like the sound of 'stocks for steaks' as well as the idea!

new daily feature!

2010-02-02T10:43:00.000-05:00

personally, we think we have the most wonderful job - we get to read the paper and enjoy a hot cup of coffee every day.

so as part of our daily enjoyment, we will be sharing with you - our most devoted readers - our favorite article of the day.

on the right hand side........... ->>>>>>

there is a section for article of the day. click on the link and enjoy along with us!

today's, in honor of the upcoming super bowl, is an article about the Manning family - "Football's First Family"

enjoy!

live in rooms full of light

2010-01-21T11:49:00.000-05:00

yes, my darlings, follow the wisdom of cornelius celsus, and live in a room full of light from this awe inspiring lamp.

J Schatz's 'night flight to venus' pryamid lamp is incredible. it's one of those things i would like to think i could create myself (because the pricing is a little hefty for most of us - $875, and made to order) but i know i never could. it's really wonderful.

now in search of something comparable...and a little more affordable...

shoes

2010-01-12T14:12:00.000-05:00

we were trying to find some fabulous quote about shoes and women and their shoes, but we think the simplicty of 'shoes' as the title for this post is perfectly acceptable and appropriate...and all of the above.

louise goldin. (who will be launching a shoe collection for topshop february 5th)

a picture really is worth 1,000 words.

spotted: jenna lyons

2010-01-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

it seems that every time we post, it's is something we are just OBSESSING about, but in the world - this great wide wonderful world - how can we not obsess about most things?

you must realize that we love jenna lyons (mastermind behind jcrews fabulosity) and in our eyes she simply does no wrong (we've posted about her wonderful home here)

today we've spotted the ever-stylish jenna in december's lonny magazine, talking about the elements that she has taken directly from her home and into the jcrew collection store on madison avenue.

we might just have to re-do our ~~lives~~ house to get the lyons look!

1. playful fun pops of color and unexpected detail

2. vintage serge mouille light fixtures

3. antiqued brass fixtures

4. chalkboard paint

5. black and white striped bathroom (YES!)

new feature: typography tuesday

2010-01-12T12:30:00.001-05:00

we are bonafied typography junkies here at the long way home. so we thought what better way to celebrate simply gorgeous letters that you want to eat with a spoon, than a weekly feature?

from gorgeous fonts, to letterpress, to designs-we-wish-we-thought-of, every tuesday will be: TYPOGRAPHY TUESDAY.

you can either blame or thank joanna swanson (swedish-american art director/stylist/blogger extraordinaire) of simpleblueprint not only for our new feature but also for the images in today's post.

the 7 rules to understanding design and designers prompted the commitment to our weekly feature (as did the lovely alliteration of typography tuesdays....though we suppose we could have chosen typography thursday for the same effect). we are loving not only the wittiness of this image, but also the layout and font use, and of course design.

1. designers are meant to be loved not to be understood 2. the purpose of design is to make the ordinary extraordinary 3. the best designers are the ones who find the good clients 4. design must seduce, shape & more importantly evoke an emotional response 5. good design can be planned but great design just happens 6. design the right things design the things right 7. imagination is more important than knowledge.

and we couldn't agree more.

also featured on joanna's blog was the cover of the australian financial review magazine:

there are so many reasons we are obsessing, lusting, drooling, and falling-in-love with this magazine cover. first and foremost, and we mean no offense by saying this, but the topic implied by the title of the magazine - australian financial review magazine - simply brings a tear to our eye- but not the good kind (the kind that generally results from sheer bordem).

HOWEVER, if they are trying to sell their magazine purely based on the cover, well then we can gurantee that we would purchase this magazine.

from the layout, to the font use, to the border use, to the bleeding of the colors, we are in love-love-love with it. it truly doesn't get much better than this.

the cover could be in a completely different language (well, it kind of is) and we would still find ourselves head over heels.

what say you, my lovelies?