The Origin of My Questionable Tastes

I know it sounds odd but I really think the aesthetic I cultivated in Junior High has stayed with me into adulthood. On one side, there is the Lisa Frank inspired love of jewel tones and pop art and on the other is an ardent devotion of everything WASPY and country clubish. I don't know how I came up with this. Oh wait, yes I do. On a summer trip to Shoreline Ct to visit my Grandparents when I was ten, my Grandmother introduced me to the fabulocity of Babe Paley via a photo essay on 50's & 60's socialites. Yes, this is probably when my fantasies involving Chinoiserie and habit of tying scarves onto my mother's handbags began.

Perhaps this is why I adore Jonathan Adler's designs so much. His pieces are funky retro takes on the classics but always with an unexpected slant and he embraces bright colors in a way that inspires me to paint my walls that horribly unflattering shade of lime green. I can't spend too much time on his website before feeling all hot and bothered by the things I want to own but, sadly, can't afford. Nevertheless, here are a few of my favorites.



It's an elephant! And a bank! I want it for the ostensible purpose of saving money to pay off bills and student loans, but we all know it will go towards pizza, bagels and coffee.



I love mythology almost as much as I love Gossip Girl so obviously I will one day own this lamp in Black & White and it will sit on a console table in my foyer next to a brightly colored tray containing that day's mail and our keys.



Who even uses pencils and pencil cases anymore? Me, that's who. Or at least I intend to when I have this adorable needlepoint pencil case in my purse. Of course I will promptly abandon the pencils in favor of lipgloss and other necessities that usually wind up lost in the abyss of my bags.

Images: Jonathan Adler