Out and About

Hi everyone, happy Wednesday! 

I knew I was going to have a busy June — a birthday, a vacation, and a trip to visit a friend were all on the docket — but didn’t quite anticipate just how hectic things were going to get, and ended up taking an accidental month-long hiatus. But hey, what can I say? The weather is warm and my calendar is booked and busy!

I tend to do less online shopping in the summer, since it’s so easy to spend when you’re outside — an iced latte here, a cute candle there, a fun bracelet at the street fair, a tchotchke at the antique store you pass by on the way to brunch. I haven’t been browsing as much lately, but I’ve built up a fairly extensive archive of wishlist items, so I’ve pulled a few for you today. Hope everyone has a fun Fourth of July! 

Mirror Theory

SUMMER SERIES III MIRROR - LOVE STORY ($1,600)

If you enjoy a statement mirror as much as I do, but also think that the Ultrafragola is totally played out, might I suggest a Love Story mirror? Designer Bianca Stilwell drapes her mirrors with leather treated through a historical molding technique called “cuir bouilli,” which gives the leather a rippling, dynamic quality; accented with sumptuous ruching and cascades of ribbons, the mirrors look straight out of postmodern medieval fantasy. Most of Stilwell’s works are custom and made-to-order (with a concomitant price tag), though I did find a few ready-mades available at a small business called Yard Sale.

Here Comes the Sun

ALEXANDER GIRARD “LA FONDA DEL SOL” MENU - EBAY ($800)

I recently chanced upon a Twitter thread detailing the career of designer and architect Alexander Girard, and quickly found myself in the throes of a feverish desire to hang this image up in my room: an array of matchboxes he designed for the restaurant La Fonda del Sol in 1960. Etsy and eBay turned up nothing, and while there are plenty of pictures floating around online, none of them are high-res enough for a DIY job; the closest thing I can find is this nicely-framed menu from the restaurant, but it’s the matchboxes I really want. I even went so far as to contact the Vitra Design Museum, which seems to be the originator of the image via a retrospective they hosted in 2016, but I haven’t heard back. Short of contacting Girard’s estate, which honestly I’m not above doing, does anyone else have any bright ideas as to how I could possibly get my hands on this print?

Dyed in the Wool

BLACK TIBETAN LAMB SHEEP - OUTPOST ORIGINAL ($379)

I spotted this shaggy black Tibetan sheep on Facebook Marketplace a while back for only $100, and was immediately overcome by the same paternal yearning you get when you pass by sleeping puppies in a pet shop window. It’s functionally useless — you can’t sit on it or balance anything on top of it — but man, is it cute. Unfortunately, it sold before I could even message the seller, so I had to console myself with the thought that the curly hide is probably a dust magnet.

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Tried one of my recs and loved it (or hated it)? Wanna get something cool on my radar? Drop me a line at kittylguo@gmail.com!