Thanksgiving, Dorothy Draper-style

I couldn't resist pulling 365 Shortcuts to Home Decorating (Dodd, Mead & Company, New York, 1965) off the shelf to see what Mrs. Draper had to say about my most favorite holiday. I'll be thankful for a few things more meaningful than housewares this year, but I get what she's saying: Make your home your happy place, and be grateful for every single aspect of it.

"Around the House at Thanksgiving Time

Even if you live where the only place you can see a pumpkin is inside a grocery store, you can feel the frost in the air and know that in some lot, complete with scarecrow, the 'frost is on the pumpkin' and Thanksgiving is just around the next cornstalk.

And while you're looking to see what 'blessings you can count' and give thanks for, let's just stop a moment and see how many things around the house we can be thankful for this year.

I'm grateful, for instance, for the new cabinets to house the hi-fi and stereo equipment—for the beautiful new wallpapers and murals that give a room the illusion of foreign shores—for the new hobnail bedspreads that come with their own knee-deep ruffle on three sides—for the rainbow palette of towels available today that would make any insignificant bathroom sit up and take notice—for all the magic of accessories that may be chosen in the heady colors of today: citrus green, curry, Bristol blue, tangerine, amethyst, and cranberry—for the daring new area rugs in a variety of definite hues to match your most colorful whim and in a variety of designs to charm a Michelangelo—for the chance to set a Thanksgiving table with a big new block plaid in colors of pumpkin and white with a centerpiece of a mammoth real pumpkin, hollowed out and filled to overflowing with ripe fruit and a garland of sugar-frosted purple grapes, and low country goblets of shiny pine-needle green glass with inexpensive green glass ash trays at each place for an added green accent. Yes, it's time to give thanks for all that bounty available to the person of good taste—you!"

Holiday sparkle at Rolling Greens

Last night, Rolling Greens hosted a holiday kick-off party at their Beverly Boulevard location in Los Angeles. It's one of my favorite stores throughout the year (I've blogged about them before), but it's extra special during the holiday season.

I'm normally a bird girl when it comes to Christmas ornaments (I tend to do woodland-type trees), but I absolutely loved the little cloche jar ornaments -- some of which had Santa and some of which had snowmen. They reminded me of childhood snow globes, and I admit to being a sentimental fool from early-November to New Year's Eve.

If you're into funny dog ornaments, this is definitely the place. From poodles to yorkies to spaniels... they've got canines covered!

Stop in for a good a dose of cheer. I can't guarantee that they'll be offering Mason jars of white sangria, as they did last night, but I can guarantee that you'll leave feeling happy.

I'm clearly not the only one in love with the store -- they recently opened a new location in Costa Mesa. How great is it to see a company thriving? Like them on Facebook to keep up with the latest happenings, and follow their blog for seasonal inspiration. 

Hermès & Kneedler Fauchère: a double dose of luxury

Sophisticated and whimsical. Masculine and feminine. Regal and relaxed. Classical and downright groovy. Apparently you really can be all things to all people... or at least Hermès can!

Take a peek at some of the new textiles and wallpapers on view at the Kneedler Fauchère showroom in Los Angeles last night. It's a clever range of designs (from horses to monkeys to the famous "H") in wonderfully sophisticated colors. But one wouldn't really expect anything less from a firm that's been trading in luxury goods for 175 years, now would they...

Interior designer François Jantzen of Modoo Modoo and Rocky La Fleur of Kneedler Fauchère playfully consider the options for Couverture et Tenues de Jour, a bold fabric featuring parading horses. The pattern is based on the iconic Hermès scarf designed by Jacques Eudel in 1962.

A handy take-away last night was the small but handsome seasonal catalogue, which -- and kudos to Hermès for this -- identifies each designer by name wherever possible. You have to love a firm that doesn't hide their talent behind the company curtain, so to speak, but celebrates them with full credit.

Ottoman, cotton and viscose
The formality of herringbone meets the delicacy of grosgrain ribbon to create this tailored, but not stiff, stripe.

Equateur, printed cotton
A jungle scene imagined by Robert Dallet, the naturalist painter, in 1988.

Meow: A detail of Dallet's rosy-nosed leopard.

Finish, printed cotton
Designer Jean-Louis Clerc perfectly captures the rush of racing in a quick, sketch-like scene.

Bibliothèque, printed cotton
A fabric after my own heart: Hugo Grygkar's trompe l'oeil design inspired by the many equestrian tomes found in the Hermès family library.

Fil d'Argent
The equine theme continues with Henri d'Origny's bridle-inspired pattern (seen here as a wallpaper), a nod to the founding of the Hermès brand, which began as a saddlery firm for the nobility.

For more information on the Hermès fabrics and papers, click here.

If you're in Los Angeles, visit Kneedler Fauchère at the Pacific Design Center. Just don't be surprised if you find a dozen other things that you'd like to take home! It's a beautiful showroom.

PS: Kneedler Fauchère will be launching their Web site early in the New Year. Keep an eye out for it!