Here at Modern Pineapple, I’m a big fan of anything to do with pineapples {clearly}. Though I believe they never go out of style, pineapples are back in vogue — and in a big way. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite citrus choices right now to pick up just in time for summer entertaining. I’m especially coveting that Julia Knight tray {how cute is it!}, and the pink Persifor dress to wear for all kinds of outdoor adventures. The pineapple cheese board would serve as a fabulous hostess gift for your summer soirees, too!
Archives for April 2015
Friday Favorites
1. Have you seen the newly released Season 3 trailer for OITNB? It’s back June 12! {Evening Standard}
2. Love the lucite containers in these chic office decor ideas. {Domaine}
3. Belize in 2018, plus other celebs that have taken to tourism. {NY Times}
4. Mouthwatering spring vegetable dishes to make this season. {Stylist}
5. And finally, Chanel launches an online pop-up shop with Net-A-Porter for their fine jewelry. Swoon. {The Telegraph}
Image via Garance Dore
Spring Cleaning {or Life-Changing Magic} in 5 Steps
After an absolutely wonderful long weekend away celebrating Easter with my husband and parents in Italy, we’re back to our day-to-day lives and spring to do list. This involves shaking off the winter with a bit of reorganization and decluttering some of the extras that have built up over the past few months.
Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She’s a cleaning expert in Tokyo {seriously!} and has inspired me with her method explained in her book The Life-Changing Method of Tidying Up. She suggests focusing on what to keep {instead of looking for things to discard} and picking up each item you are considering saying “does it spark joy?” What a great concept — and how many things do we all have that just detract from our happiness? That shirt we stopped wearing three years ago or the old plastic tailgate cups that just take up space {and should have been left in college!}. Those are elements that don’t spark joy for me anymore. Here are the tips I’ve adopted:
1. Group like items together {instead of going room by room}. You may find you have multiples of the same item, and you can choose what inspires you most out of that group. Plus, who needs eight spatulas?
2. Pick up each item and ask “does this spark joy?” If the answer is no — it goes. Set the items together that you’re keeping to be organized once you’re done sorting.
3. I’m a work in progress on #2 and getting better. But — there are still times I’ve been unsure. If I am, I put it in a duffel bag under our bed. I set a calendar alert a year from now {truly!} and if I haven’t thought about the contents in a year, I donate the items. It sounds extreme to wait that long, but I’ve found it’s worked for me {and sometimes something I thought I was ready to part with, I really did enjoy wearing seasonally}.
4. Place all your papers, including cards, photos, receipts, etc. on your kitchen table. These items take up so much space in drawers {so guilty here}. File the papers you need like your tax forms, keep any receipts from the past month to check your credit card statement, and toss the rest. Leave cards and sentimental letters till last, as they’re the hardest. Appreciate the joy they gave you when they arrived, and then let them go {eek! so hard, but necessary}.
5. Now invest in great storage solutions — shelving system and shoe cubes for your closet, a proper filing box for those important papers you kept, etc. This will keep things in their place and easily accessible for when you need them next.
Most importantly, let things go with gratitude. Appreciate what things were to you, and what they can be for someone else. Next I’m thinking about the capsule wardrobe. I’ve been really inspired lately by ideas of a uniform and brands like Cuyana with their motto of “fewer, better things.”
Friday Favorites
1. Spring tabletops inspired from the latest runway trends. {Vogue}
2. Get a head start on a gorgeous pair of sandals for summer. {Habitually Chic}
3. Awestruck by this beach fantasy designed by Celerie Kemble. {Cococozy}
4. Loving these entertaining “staples” from Emily Schuman. {Cupcakes & Cashmere}
5. The best new beauty projects hitting the shelves this month. {Stylist}
Channeling the above Slim Aarons look while we’re in Firenze this weekend.
Five Seasonal Changes from Curtains to Tables
Despite spring taking an official leave of absence, I started the seasonal shift over the past few days: that exciting time when you can finally swap out heavy sweaters and boots for cardigans and ballet flats. {Seriously one of the best times of the year!} Just as we get ourselves ready to dress in season, I like to do the same thing for my home to mirror the fresh feeling of the outdoors.
1. Go bare. Remove the tablecloths and extra rugs to expose the surface underneath. Working with the elements instead of against is what makes this season so special. It’s no longer time to fight off the cold weather – instead embrace the cool wood under your feet or glass on your tabletop.
2. Light! It’s not necessary to have heavy curtains to keep the chilly winter air at bay anymore. Instead, consider swapping your window dressing for linen curtains. The room will feel breezier, and it’s amazing what a difference it will make with the actual light it will let into your home. A great source I’ve found for new curtains is the amazingly inexpensive Yorkshire Linens, along with scoping out Amazon.
3. White everyday. I like to switch up my china to more casual white plates for most any dining situation. It adds an effortless style to the table, and allows for other dynamic elements to take center stage: flowers, pastel-colored napkins, and of course the wonderful people around you.
4. Exchange pillows. I love our perfectly color-matched velvet and silk cushions on our living room sofa. But for now, they will be put away to make room for lighter cotton and linen ones. I buy pillows that are the same size to just swap off the covers {mostly at West Elm and John Lewis}, not the inserts themselves. It makes for easier storage and of course it’s easier on the wallet.
5. Decorate with nature. Utilize fresh branches {love cherry blossoms with their gorgeous height} and accent with bright colors from favorite flowers that are finally in bloom like tulips and peonies. I love the white pottery vases from Jonathan Adler that really make the blooms pop.
Florence Dreaming
As I mentioned in my post over the weekend, one of the greatest perks of living in London is the ease of travel to other European destinations. This weekend we’re heading to Florence with my parents (so excited!), and are both so looking forward to returning. My husband studied abroad there for four months, and I visited for a few days during a trip following university graduation. It will be our first time there together, and we’re thrilled to be experiencing it with my parents who love Italy — so we’re all just giddy with excitement.
We want to spend most of the time just enjoying spring in Italy, taking in the gorgeous city, drinking delicious wine and eating yummy gelato (!), of course. There are a few other must-sees on our list {I jotted down quite a little list from Dan Brown’s Inferno, which I blew through on our honeymoon}. Here’s what we’re looking into for the weekend:
- Wake up with a delicious cappuccino each morning
- Stroll around the Boboli Gardens
- Shop for leather sandals in Sabatini
- Dine on handmade pasta and so much Chianti
- Watch the Scoppio del Carro {the Explosion of the Cart} on Easter Sunday
- Climb Giotto’s Campanile for a perfect view of Firenze
- Have afternoon espresso — every afternoon
- Eat lots and lots of gelato
- Walk the Ponte Vecchio at sunset
- Peruse the farmer’s stands and artisan shops at Mercato Centrale
The amazing Explosion of the Cart in front of Santa Maria del Fiore.