10 Things That Make Me Happy: ABCD Design

Well, another one bites the dust. Can you believe it's Monday already? I certainly can't. Especially after spending my Sunday laying by the pool in Sonoma. I hope all of you had relaxing weekends as well.

But as always it's good to be back in the swing of things and I couldn't be more excited about having Amy from ABCD Design. Her blog is written in the form of a personal sketch book, filled with endless amounts of inspiration. I feel lucky she shares it with all of us. Amy Beth is an artist, designer and stylist based in New York City. She has worked in event planning, interior design, window display, and photo styling. What doesn't Amy do? Oh, she designs beautiful stationary. She's a wonder woman!

When Amy's "10 Things" list arrived in my inbox, I couldn't wait to see what she had in store for all of you - it doesn't disappoint. Her very first item is one of my favorite things, you can't go wrong with this bedding. Enjoy this list lovelies, it's wonderful.

Thanks Amy for stopping by today!

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I don't know how many of you are familiar with my digital sketch book, but besides being a designer based in New York City, I am also in the midst of renovating a tiny country house in the hills of Connecticut. Even though all of our worldly possessions are in storage - and they will most likely fill up the entirety of our new house - I can't help but dream decorate with both new and vintage items that I don't own... yet!

The very first thing on my '10 things that make me happy' list is bedding from Matteo. I adore how they layer cotton textures with silky-satin fabric, and linen with quilted textures to create the most luxurious of sleeping experiences. The colors that they offer range from neutral basics to the natural tea-stained variety. I am going for a neutral palette in our new country house, and I think that a collection of Matteo would look amazing in our master bedroom. Really, what's a New England country house without a bit of black and white ticking stripe?

We recently refinished the entire main floor of the house with poured concrete. Inspired by Scandinavian design, I had them finish the floors in high-gloss white. In keeping with the feel of a Swedish home, I would love to bring in a Gustavian period Mora clock. I have always loved Mora clocks, but this particular one that I found at Dawn Hill Antiques is a real stunner. The turquoise blue color of this beauty makes my heart sing ~ circa 1790!

Did I mention that I have 'dark' design plans for our new living room? When I stumbled onto the Royan lighting collection, well... let's just say that I think the sconces would look pretty incredible on my deep charcoal, nearly black walls. Don't you agree? *Gold and Black is my current favorite color combination.*

We've owned the house for 1 month and 2 days. Since we're doing so much work, I have not yet moved any furniture or belongings into the house. I am camping in CT while I oversee the renovations. The first thing I purchased to take to the house was a nespresso one cup espresso/coffee maker. The second thing I purchased was two Hakusan Mille Feuille coffee cups from Korin. Can I tell you what? Everything about them is perfect! The handle holds just your middle finger so that the cup can be cradled in the palm comfortably. The shape fits like a glove to one's hand. They are not too heavy. They're the perfect shade of white porcelain and have a super simple espresso colored rim. They would fit seamlessly into any decor. I have designs on ordering a complete set once the renovation is complete!

Since I tend to talk with my hands, I am dangerous at the dinner table with stemmed glasses. Me and the Mr. have a white sofa back in the City, so I like to drink my evening glass of red out of a tumbler. Last Summer, we spent some time with my family in Northern Michigan and I took to drinking my nightly glass of Chianti out of my mum's Waterford Roly Poly glasses. They are so adorable! Again, they're the perfect size to cup on one's hand. I love the idea of getting an entire set of twelve for when I entertain guests at the new house. Wouldn't they be pretty for cocktail hour (ideal for mixed drinks) or set out on the farm table with dinner?

Did someone say cocktail hour? One of my favorite luxury kitchen ingredients is the Lemon Artichoke Pesto from Bella Cucina. I adore it at cocktail hour, placed out on a simple white platter with dipping crackers. But at dinner - ohmygosh - at dinner I sautee fresh vegetables and fold the pesto in with rigatoni and roasted sausage. It's such a simple dinner fix, you'll feel guilty when your guests ask "What's your secret ingredient?" Easy-breezy dinners that appear spectacularly complex make me happy!

Uh-oh, is there a mess in the kitchen now? You must, must get your hands on these very chic tea towels from Hammocks and High Tea. They're so darling, and on point with fashion and interior design trends. I could see myself using these pretties in our powder bath off of the foyer. Who says you need to use them in the kitchen? Breaking design "rules" makes me happy.

At this point you may be wondering what I shuttle my things back and forth between NYC and CT in, aren't you? For many, many years I have been a fan of m0851. The large postman bag is one of my favorite pieces. I got mine in 1998, and I still love it as much today as the day I bought it. Actually, I love it more. The leather on these pieces are incredible which means they wear beautifully and only get better with age. This is a great carry-on and weekender bag since the strap is completely adjustable and can be worn both slung over the body and the shoulder. I love it when I find a company that makes a high quality product that lasts a lifetime.

I absolutely flip over items that will do triple duty in my toiletry bag. Kiehl's Grooming Aid No. 133 is by far my favorite hair conditioner. Not only does it work as a conditioner, and but leave it in wet hair as a de-tangler. Not to mention, you can tame fly-aways by placing a dime sized amount on dry hair. This makes it my perfect travel companion, outside of my dear Mr, of course! It makes me happy that I don't have to lug three different bottles of hair goo every time I change locations.

The last thing on my '10 things that make me happy' list is my Blackberry. I tweet like crazy and my Blackberry Tour allows me to do so. I can be walking through the streets of NYC, dealing with tradesmen in Connecticut, visiting my family in Michigan, or on a beach in the South of France and be connected. I can still tweet, return emails, comment on blogs, and answer my New York City (212) phone number...and no one will be any the wiser!

Caitlin, It was a lot of fun to take part in this post. Thank you so much for asking me to share the 10 things that make me happy (right now!)