Anchors Aweigh

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Oscar Highlights

Monday, February 25, 2013

Most likely at one point or another today you'll hear a recap about last night's Oscars....  I watched the entire show, which is saying something, because it tended to drag on.... 

Highlights for me included the AMAZING vocal performances by strong leading ladies and the ensemble cast of Les Miserables. If it were not for the show stopping talents of Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Barbra Streisand, and Dame Shirley Bassey (honoring 50 years of James Bond singing the iconic theme song from Goldfinger, watch below) holding the program together, the channel could have easily been turned.


The cast from Les Miserables taking the stage (above) and (left to right below) Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson, and Adele







Favorite dresses included.... (left to right) Jessica Chastain wearing Giorgio Armani, Charlize Theron wearing Dior, and Naomi Watts wearing Armani Prive

And, I did like Amy Adams (below right) in Oscar de la Renta, but her full skirt immediately reminded me of Penelope Cruz (below left) in Versace at the 2007 Oscars....




And Hugh Jackman (above, with his wife Deborra-Lee Furness), who seemingly can do no wrong.... Was the first person up & out of his seat to help Jennifer Lawrence, who had tripped on the stairs as she made her way up to accepting her Best Actress Oscar....


ATL Craigslist Collage #4

Friday, February 22, 2013


My Craigslist Mood Board -- "Cozy Camping"....  Crafted with current postings available on Atlanta Craigslist....



T Magazine

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Lee Radziwill

This past Sunday's New York Times included the T Style Magazine insert with a must read article (and cover photo) of Lee Radziwill.... the interview with writer Nicky Haslam at Ms. Radziwill's Paris apartment (below), includes heart felt stories of family and friends, paired with a lifetime span of beautiful personal photographs....  Additionally, watch director/actor Sofia Coppola's interview from Ms. Radziwill's New York City home, attached below....


Cover to cover, the entire magazine has been refreshed under the discerning eye of new editor Deborah Needleman. An immediate change to note is the reworking of the "T" logo (seen below), the former design on the left and new interpretation on the right. Needleman's previous successful publishing roles include founding editor of Domino magazine in 2005 and appointed editor of WSJ magazine in 2010. Included in this issue are articles written by Domino alumni Rita Konig and Sara Ruffin Costello.



A President's Home Post White House

Monday, February 18, 2013


President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford commissioned architect Welton Becket in the late 1970s to design a residence in Rancho Mirage, CA that the couple would occupy following their term at the White House. After 30+ years of ownership, the home was sold in March of 2012 for just over $1.5 million....  Interior photos (with furnishings remaining pretty much untouched at the time the home was placed on the market) and a video tour are included below....


Thank You!

Friday, February 15, 2013


Many thanks for your continued support of my One Kings Lane's Vintage & Market Finds + Duchess Fare Page....  Recent sales are included above....  Keep a lookout for my ever evolving collection of hand-selected interesting & one-of-a-kind decor.

Happy Valentine's Day

Thursday, February 14, 2013


INSPIRED....  Interiors, above, and Chris Botti & Sting serenade Sting's (lucky) wife Trudie Styler, below....

Weekend Warrior

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

One of Mr. Ferguson's many talents is that he can build anything....  At one point, he ran his own boutique design/build firm here in Atlanta, tackling the spectrum of residential projects. His carpentry know-how skills come in quite handy around our house, and most recently, he spent the better part of the weekend (Saturday & Sunday) making bookshelves for me.

When on my travels for vintage finds, I can't turn away design & cook books....   Anything having to with subjects like antiques, period style, classic Craig Claiborne, James Beard, etc....  So, as you can imagine, my collection of books is now getting a little out of hand and I was in great need of a space to organize and display my favorite titles.

On an existing plain wall, Mr. Ferguson put together a custom bookshelf, with materials all from our local home improvement store. He screwed the upright brackets right into the studs and added bracket arms to support the 1" X 12" X 10' planks of pine. He glued then screwed a 1" X 2" X 10' poplar trim piece to the front of each pine plank as both a design detail and for added structural support. He then filled the trim head screw holes, sanded the wood, primed then painted everything -- the brackets & all the wood the existing wall color.

By Sunday night, I was stacking and sorting all my favorite authors and accessorizing with our acquired treasures....


Mr. Ferguson at work....


In process (above) and Completed (below)



Finished....  these shelves will accommodate an ever evolving display of books and our finds from around the world....  Bird cages from Shanghai, a piece of Ben Owen pottery, vintage Michael Lee Chinese dolls from Hong Kong, a stack of Terence Conran books....

Intown Ten


The 2nd annual Intown Ten, 10K Road Race is happening Sunday March 3....  Participants receive a commemorative t-shirt, with design by local artist Flournoy Holmes, whose bold graphics have graced the album covers of many noted musicians -- including Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band.

Flournoy Holmes

ATL Craigslist Collage #3

Monday, February 11, 2013

A Decorative Mood Board for a Bedroom Created with Current Craigslist Postings....


VISIT >>> Queen of Hearts

Thursday, February 7, 2013


We were up in the Alpharetta area late afternoon yesterday....  And got a chance to stop into Queen of Hearts, an antiques & interiors store brimming over with an assortment of furnishings and accessories. The 33,000+ square foot space accommodates over 200 dealers, with individual booths lined along wide aisles to browse for finds & treasures. The Alpharetta location opened in 1998 and the business has grown to including 2 additional Queen of Hearts locations, one in Buford and one in Marietta. I took a couple of photos of some of the dealer's inventory below....  Our visit reminded me of when I was a dealer at Kudzu Antiques in Decatur....

To note, this weekend (actually opens today at 1pm) is Scott Antique Market, which is the once a month 4 day mega antique show & market....  Another fantastic place to check out if you are in need of interesting finds!






ATL Valentine Ideas....

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

No Big Whoop! Bakery's Dark Chocolate Dipped Marshmallow Hearts are available for pickup, pre-order, or can be shipped FED EX if needed....  6 for $10 or 12 for $15 and available February 6 - 14 at Casseroles.



Ceramicist Polly the Potter hosts her annual Variety Valentine Sale, 2/8 - 2/10, featuring the handmade wares of local Atlanta artisans....  This is such a great show to attend....  I always find a truly unique treasure to give my Valentine.



Cacao Atlanta is hosting Valentine's Chocolate Classes: A Sweet Labor of Love on Saturday February 9th, Sunday February 10th, and Tuesday February 14th. 



No. 246 is offering a special Valentine's Menu on February 14....  A $55 per person 4 course dinner.  Examples of entrĂ©e options include wood-oven baked red snapper in cartuccio, butter poached Maine lobster and braised Wagyu beef cheeks.


Hamptons Homes

A couple of truly unique Hamptons properties are currently available.... 1 for rent & 1 for sale....


The famed Grey Gardens estate in East Hampton has been listed for rent, available now through July. The property was purchased by former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and his wife Sally Quinn in 1979 from original owner Edith Bouvier Beale, known as "Little Edie", first cousin to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Bradlee and Quinn immediately embarked on a complete overhaul of the property -- returning both the structure & grounds to their original grandeur....  Watch the attached video below of Sally Quinn giving a tour of the home....






Husband & wife design duo Andy and Kate Spade have reduced the asking price of their Southampton compound (8 bedrooms + multiple detached structures) to $4.75 million. The 3 acre property was formerly a boarding house for William Merritt Chase's Shinnecock Hills Summer School of Art....  Watch the attached video below of Andy Spade giving a tour of the home....

Valentine Sweets & Treats

Monday, February 4, 2013


A complementary collection to my previous post, Valentine Tote + Treats, with perfect gift ideas that will make you or your Valentine very happy!

Hollywood at Home Vintage Cupid Textile Pillow | Veuve Clicquot Rose | Linneas Lights Tuberose | Elsa Peretti Full Heart Cuff | Allure by Diana Vreeland | Dandelion Chocolate | Essie True Love | Marc Jacobs Striped Lips Wool Scarf

Grand Central Terminal Turns 100

Friday, February 1, 2013

All Aboard! New York City's Grand Central Terminal turns 100 today....  In its lifetime, the Beaux-Arts style building located in Midtown Manhattan has served as a major hub for travelers in and out of the city (about 750,000 people daily), while at the same time standing proudly as one of the NYC's historic landmarks. A status that came about through the efforts by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who led the charge in preserving the building, once slated for demolition in the late 1960s/mid 1970s. The overwhelming support to save Grand Central and to protect the future of other architectural gems led to founding the Landmark Law.


Jackie Kennedy Onassis (center) with Fred Papert of the Municipal Art Society (left) and architect Philip Johnson (right) -- Outside of Grand Central

The interior is full of awe inspiring decorative details including the celestial ceiling & centrally placed Clock in the Main Concourse. Grand Central is also a shopping & dining destination including....  The Market, a foodie lovers mecca, complete with fresh and prepared items to grab & go whether you're coming from or going to the train....  The Campbell Apartment, once the private offices for John W. Campbell in the 1920s, has been restored to its original grandeur and operates today as an upscale bar and private events locale.

Looking Up to the Clock & Starry Ceiling

Grand Central Market

Campbell Apartment


As a child living in a Connecticut bedroom community of NYC, we would take the train into "Town" (as my parents referred to it).... One of the many fun secrets in the design of Grand Central is an area known as the Whispering Gallery, created by low slung ceilings, where at the 4 corners of the space, you can talk into 1 wall's corner, and the sound travels up and over the domed ceiling to the person standing at the opposite corner....  This was a scene that my father loved to show us as kids! Of course, it was always hilarious for passerbys to watch this unfolding as my brothers & I huddled into the corner to listen to our dad opposite from us, as he appeared to be having a conversation with himself....

 The Whispering Gallery


And because I'm a huge fan.....  attached below is a video from Carly Simon who held a concert in Grand Central Terminal's Main Concourse in 1995....

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