If a home is one's castle, it deserves a proper key. Inspired by the ornate details & magical appeal of skeleton keys she discovered as a child antiquing with her grandmother - by train or in her very large Cadillac (she was four foot ten inches tall and had to sit on a pillow to see over the steering wheel) - designer Michele' Lilley now makes ordinary keys extraordinary with her unusual keys to my castle line. "It was at the bottom of boxes at the end of the day I would find my treasures," reminisces Lilley. "I remember so clearly as a little girl looking through my box of skeleton keys, holding them and imagining the enchanting castle that they surely must have opened at some point in their existence (Although I must admit I was also quite sure that I was a princess stolen at birth.) Anyway, the keys fascinated me and I loved the whole idea of the beautiful places that they could take me…the secret doors that they could open."
In an era of mass-produced sameness and our use-it-and-toss-it mentality, these keys are a fun and charmingly quixotic antidote. "I remember once asking her why the keys that we used to open our doors now were so plain…not at all beautiful and certainly nothing like the enchanting keys that I kept in my jewelry box. Her response was so typical of her, she said 'honey, people throw away tiffany shades and beautiful china to read by bright lights and eat off paper…I’m afraid the magic of rare and wonderful things has faded'. Well I believe we need more rare and wonderful in this world…. I like china, I love tiffany’s and I want my special key to open the door to the most sacred place I know…my home, so I created my own magical keys."
There are currently 20 unique designs, with new ones being released each month at KeysToMyCastle.com.
- Lesley Scott
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- Lesley Scott
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Emerald, clover, grass...almost nothing is better than the color green at conjuring up cool & refreshing images of nature. So why not bring a little of this luscious hue into your wardrobe, home & and beauty regime? Since this is a season where color is a major style story, take advantage of the fashionably green riches that are on the market - in dresses, shoes, accessories, home decor, beauty products, and even soothing wallpaper for your computer screen.
Groovy green fashion, accessories & accoutrements to try:
- Sarah cotton dress in Parrot Green - JCrew.com
- Splash Gisha wedges - LoveMyShoes.com
- recycled candy wrapper purse - Ecoist.com
- malachite bracelet with a conflict-free rough diamond (proceeds go to
the Diamond Empowerment Fund to benefit underprivileged communities in
Africa) - SimmonsJewelryCo.com
- Lesley Scott
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100% eco-friendly fabrics and fun prints make the point with wit rather than a bludgeon. A portion of annual sales is donated to causes like the International Rescue Committee & The Natural Resources Defense Council. Tee available at AzaleaOnline.com.
- Lesley Scott
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Where once people dressed up to travel, they now resemble a loungewear-clad army. The RedTango collection of totes and carry-ons inspired by the vintage airline era is a small but important step in making the skies fashionably friendly once again. Available at TOKYObayInc.com.
- Lesley Scott
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like a cartoon cut-out of a lamp
(via Stylehive.com)
The stylish Sontu tea set makes tea more tasty
Live it up at the fantasy-decorated Baby Grand Hotel in Athens
