Early Blessings

An early Happy Thanksgiving! Here at Pretty*Practical we have so much to be thankful for and I'm sure you do too.

Tonight, in the spirit of togetherness we ventured to Macy's pre-Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Despite the brisk weather, we put on our game face and travelled several blocks of back-to-back balloons weighted down by nets and sandbags. Random moment: spotting Mayor Bloomberg! Looks just like he does on the tele :-)

Anyway, we had an awesome time. Above, the Pretty*Practical sneak-peek before these babies take flight tomorrow. And look out for Horton the Elephant - he makes his Parade debut tomorrow. Have a great day!

Pretty Palettes: Ethnic Modern

So here's the new color inspiration I'm loving. The images are from two separate Better Homes and Gardens spreads. Although the style of each homeowner is completely different, I think their aesthetic is totally tied together by a palette of deep chocolate brown; coral red; pink mustard; and lots of white.

Both homes also incorporate natural area rugs as a textural accent. I'm calling the look ethnic modern. It really great way give a bright white interior big personality, no?

Saving these for the dream house files...

[Photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens]

Window Shopping: Kinokuniya

Want to go shopping with me today? I've been saving this one for you. :-) After hearing 'blog-whispers' about an awesome Japanese bookstore in Manhattan, I made a point of popping in after a meeting. And I was not disappointed.

Located opposite New York's fabled Bryant Park, Kinokuniya is a product-packed gem boasting three floors of hard-to-find goodies. In addition to tons of Japanese magazines and books of all genres, you can expect sweet finds like stylish stationery; kitschy toys; pretty kitchen linens; and exquisite wrapping paper. For intrepid crafters, instructional books on origami jewelry; soap-making and sassy knits abound.

Confession: I actually missed the entire upper floor. Sensory overload! Don't worry, I'll keep you posted on my next trip. Saw anything you liked? I have my eyes on the lovely koi stationery but that's another story. :-) In the meantime have a great weekend!

It's Gonna Be a Bright Sunshiny Day...

[Photo sources unkown]

Happy Wednesday all, and thanks to those of you who inquired about Pretty*Practical. I'm here nursing a round of musical colds in my family but wanted to let you know I'm still ticking! I swear there's a 10 degree drop in temperature between our home and kindergarten pick-up that doesn't help any. So do share your fave home remedies as I have a feeling I'll be needing them this season. In the meantime, these pretty pics are a real shot of visual vitamin C. Enjoy!