Meeting the lovely & crazy talented Denise Porcaro, creator of  Lower Manhattan’s Flower Girl, was a chance encounter at a mutual friends Nolita boutique.  I was instantly captivated by this stunning creature with piecing blue eyes, a warm demeanor, & distinct style. Later that very evening I was smitten by the petite & artfully arranged florals that adorned the tabletop at an intimate dinner party. When I learned these whimsical arrangements that evoked a rustic yet elegant edge were none other than Flower Girl I thought… ok, well here’s a sign.

At that very moment I whipped out my phone ”….do you think Denise might want to collaborate on an EyeSwoon spring flower feature?”  And there you have it….that’s how magic happens!  I went from not knowing Denise, to having a full on SWOON feast! Spending the entire day together; first at the flower market, then moving on to her charming & perfectly curated Flower Girl storefront. Watching Denise in her environment; experiencing her palpable passion for florals & learning her brilliant & natural flower arranging tips just might have been one of my favorite days ever!

Flower Girl approaches flowers in a refreshing way….with an edge that adds personality & a juxtaposition that makes her stand out amongst the rest. Her aesthetic & unique style of combining unusual floral varieties, textures, & use of quirky vessels, gained her the respect of many top fashion brands she now calls clients.

Denise & I created two very distinct style floral arrangements, both jaw-droppingly gorgeous! Our concept for this feature was to show both super luxurious flowers you can only purchase at the flower market, to your basic pedals you can always count on finding at any corner deli.  I think we can agree that there is always a need for both the high and the low…what’s essential is making them both SWOON~worthy beautiful!

SHOP  S W O O N

Pruning Shears                                                 Ball Jar                                  Flowers by Irving Penn                        Flower Girl Apron                         Olive Bucket

I first met the incredibly talented interior & prop stylist Kim Ficaro on the beach in Montauk. As we chatted, I was instantly aware of how at ease I felt as we both affirmed “it was our summer to surf!” Through sporatic run in’s at the beach we shared surf lesson tales, milestone, fears, & setbacks as though we were the oldest of friends.

Little did I know at the time, this was a woman whom I quietly admirded for many years. Kim was the style director at Domino, which I can attest was the magazine that initiated my love of interiors & design. I coveted each issue & in my memory have filed away specific shoots & design tricks. Domino & Kim somewhat schooled me in design…I still have every issue!

Later that summer, Kim came to scout my home in Amagansett for an interiors book she was shooting with Ditte Isager. Have you ever had those surreal moments when you take a step outside of yourself & realize – wow, without knowing so I dreamt this up….I set this intention & now its really happening!

The day they shot my house I had the opportunity to create along side two woman whose work I swooned over and admired for years & years! I was bursting with excitement seeing Kim in action, playing with & styling my things, as Ditta documented each moment so beautifully..…pinch me please!

The shoot was just magical and by the end of the day Kim & I both knew we would become fast friends, I felt as though I had found my kindred spirit! Kim embodies all the same passions as I do….a love of design, food, and making things beautiful.  She has such an incredibly refined eye and knows just the right mix of rustic & refined, how to create balance in a room, on a table, or in a photograph that elevates it to art – all the while remaining effortlessly layered with subtle complexities. I asked Kim if she would swoon with me and share her styling essentials, tips & tricks for creating a stunning tablescape.

SHOP  S W O O N

French Bistro Napkins              Duralex Picardie Rocks Glass      Chemex Drip Coffee Carafe      West Elm Scape Dinnerware         Riedel O Wine Tumblers

Easter has changed a lot since childhood, I suppose as you grow older the magic disappears. But this year together with friend Erica Domesek, creator & genius behind P.S. - I made this, we brought back the enchantment of Easter.

Erica invited me over to her swoon-worthy gramercy park abode to organically and naturally dye Easter eggs using {{{genius}}} fresh veggies (beets & cabbage) and tumeric!  But no no no.…that wasn’t creative enough for Erica, she also dreamt up designing her own custom P.S. -  I made this / eye-swoon tattoo’s to adorn our stunning eggs.

The palette the natural ingredients imprinted onto the eggs were in hues of pale yellows, blues, and blushy dreamlike tones reminiscent of a perfect Ladureé macaron. Erica and I crafted, played, laughed, dipped, & dyed, and certainly nibbled on a peep or two!  Our arms also got to play “tattoo” dress up!  Essentially we engaged in some pure ps swoon~able DIY & DYE magic!  I mean who doesn’t like to get their craft on!

Bartending is what got me through my first few years of living in Manhattan. Now almost 18 years later here I am behind the bar yet again at Dell’Anima.  I love the nastalgia of it all….my life has changed so drastically since those early NYC days when I lived at the Breslin in a 350 sq ft apartment. (Yes, my first apartment is the now converted and much chicer Ace Hotel) Anyway I didn’t cook then, knew nothing about great food and wine, and I certainly wasn’t making Negroni’s behind the bar at the Tunnel & Palladium!

Dell’Anima in a way represents the new,”grown up” version of myself with a more refined palette!  I can probably say that partly through Joe Campanale’s restaurants I discovered new food and drink.  I began eating Octopus for the first time here at Dell’Anima, I tried my first sweetbreads, I found my obsession with Aperol through Dell’Anima, and I learned a lot about fine Italian wine through the guidance of Mr. Campanale and his passion & encyclopedia knowledge of wine!

Joe, who is a partner and holds the title of executive beverage director at Dell’Anima, is the most lovely & gracious guy who I have gotten to know well over the years though my many visits to his swoon-worthy establishments. I am soooooo incredibly thrilled that I had the chance to go back to my roots behind the bar and through Eye-swoon had the opportunity to make one of Joe’s favorite cocktails….Dell’Anima’s twist on the classic Negroni!

All images courtesy of Chloe Crespi, THANK YOU!

I have yet to visit Dell’Anima without savoring over the braised octopus, one of the dishes they are most renowned for! And rightfully so, this dish absolutely blows my mind with the punchy citrus flavor coupled with the bitter chicories, creamy beans, smoky & spicy chorizo…and then add the crispiness of the octopus….I mean {{{BOOM}}} this is an explosion in your mouth! Please promise me you will give it a try for yourself!

The captain of this ship, chef Andrew Whitney, embraced me with tattoo’d open arms into his teeny tiny kitchen, walking me through the process of their famous octopus from start to finish.  I thought my knife skills were pretty darn great until I witnessed a pro’s precision & speed at work….I think a knife skills class might be in my future.  I diced & chopped, seared & sautéed and LOVED every last minute of my sous chef field trip to Dell’Anima!

Through my consistent visits over the years (i’m a creature of habit) Joe Campanale, owner and beverage director, has become a friend and was kind enough to invite Eye-Swoon into his domain while also teaching me some of his master skills behind the bar. Keep your eyes peeled for the Dell”anima follow up post on ES!  **And be sure to check out Andrew’s hilarious Swoon-isms below!

A massive thank you to my girl, Chloe Crespi, for the incredible photography!

If I were to go to reform school I’d want Yael Aflalo to be my head master!  This fierce & fearless LA native is ridiculously smart, successful, stylish, smoking hot, & creative….plus she’s making bold and conscious choices about business, fashion, & our earth; Yael is my hero & her leadership is inspiring us all! Oh did I mention she is doing all this & looking damn cute while doing so!

Yael is the CEO & creator of The Reformation, a swiftly growing environmentally conscious fashion brand that every downtown fashionista adores. Yael is not afraid to break the mold when it comes to fashion & design….she is continually pushing herself to find ways for fashion, design, function, value, and sustainability to coexist.  Reformation, at its core, is a sustainable fashion brand that repurposes vintage and surplus materials to create a chic, limited edition collection. How smart is that!  Clothes that we can be proud to wear while also feeding our exclusivity needs! I mean who doesn’t like to wear one-of-a-kind pieces!

I was unbelievably swooned by her mind-blowing loft….I mean, it has it all; a massive duplex with crazy light streaming in from a killer skylight, patina’d brick walls, excessively high ceilings, & she’s curated a perfect mix of modernist & classic furnishings in a rich warm palette that’s sprinkled with eclectic antiques to boot!! Plus, I was schooled in how much excessive waste there is in the fashion industry and how Yael is making a difference!   *see the Ref eco fact sheet below

I met Hannah a few years back at a Vogue dinner when we realized we were like-minded foodie freaks who shared a common connection in the, then, yet to be opened Acme. We have since become great friends!

Hannah recently developed a brilliant beauty app called Beautified, a mobile-only application that allows spas & salons to fill unsold, last minute appointments at high end salons….genius!!!  Vogue is singing her accolades in their Feb issue.

Never complacent & always thinking innovatively Hannah discussed her plan to develop an app to educate people where their  food is coming from.  Taking conscious eating & support of local farms to the next level!

Cooking with Hannah was a treat this Sunday afternoon at her SOHO apartment.  She chose to make her version of a classic Mexican Posole.  We chatted, we chopped, we sautéd, we had a lesson in using a mandolin, & then enjoyed the warmth & homey yumminess Hannah created together on a rainy & cold winter’s day.

So much more swoon-worthy inspiration to come in 2013!

Wishing you a year of abundance, contentment, creativity, beauty, and yummy food!

xx athena

The direction for the home is for it to feel elegant & sophisticated with a mix of oddities and unique pieces that gives the space an edge.  I’m always seeking that balance….a little bit of glam and a little bit of grit. I love playing with contrasting elements as they add a curiosity to a room which makes me swoon. The architecture is modern & industrial, with a metal stairway leading to the 2nd floor and a double height concrete wall, so injecting warm & textural elements seemed necessary.

My most exciting purchase for the PH was finding a Dunbar tufted sofa on Ebay…score!!!  I chose to recover the sofa in a muddy grey tone silk velvet….very lush and the perfect starting point and anchor for the living room. 

Ben Pundole gave me the much needed push to create Eye-Swoon, & subsequently launched the blog for me via a greatly appreciated tweet almost one year ago.

Ben has an incredible & eclectic eye, trained through his many years of working in hospitality & nightlife at some of the finest properties around the world. Ben recently took a position with Ian Schrager at Edition Hotels where he will develop everything from brand identity, partnerships, food & beverage, marketing, nightlife, & social media. Ben is also developing a hotel review site called A Hotel Life due to launch mid November.

Since we both love all things BK when I had the opportunity to cruise the Bklyn Flea with Ben, I hopped over to W’burg & enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon together. Ben’s eye gravitated to so many interesting things…here’s a snoop!

Rebecca Minkoff is building a swoon worthy and enviable fashion empire at a super speedy pace & with a loyal following of young fashionistas!

Rebecca took a few hours out of her very busy and uber structured day inviting eye-swoon to snoop about her showroom and tour her favorite local décor & food haunts, Canvas & Haven’s Kitchen.

I met Becky 3 years ago at our friend Tali’s wedding in Tuscany. However, it wasn’t until shooting her for ES that we really got to know one another…chit chatting girly style about life, love, babies, bags, fashion, design, & food.

As I entered the RM offices I was swooned by the bags lining the walls…the vibrant pops of color and texture instantly pulled me in!  I was having one of those obsessive…“i’ll have one of  this and two of that” type of moments. I then took a step back and observed…I got a glimpse of the mechanics behind this powerhouse of a company; growing so rapidly they are expanding to an office double in size next month!

Fast forward 5 years, still the same care free gal,with the addition of her beautiful daughter Ruby, with Ben Watts, and two incredible and swoon worthy homes in MTK.  Jeanann embraced the challenge to design the new home, an investment property, in 2 months! Her definitive eye and genius shopping finds add a distinct personally & flair to the rental home!

Most weekends the neighboring homes are filled with guests, an open policy for friends to pop over anytime, and epic Sunday BBQ’s.  I found myself fascinated and eager to learn her tips, tricks, & secrets on laid back beach living & simple entertaining.

Kate Foley, the absolutely stunning English rose, with bone structure to die for, and a fast track career in fashion as the buyer for Opening Ceremony, is my kinda gal.

Her fashion sense is without a doubt swoon-worthy, she’s a Brooklyn girl through & through, she loves food {especially wine, cheese, & prosciutto} and she swoon’s her local veggies….from either Greenpoint’s, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, or from her mum’s beautiful country garden in West Sussex.

Kate immediately knew she wanted to take me to two of her favorite Williamsburg spots. Bedford Cheese Shop, she joked “this place is going to be the death of me….I can eat cheese every day!”  And Bakeri, where holding on strong to her English roots, we had tea…chatted about fashion, our summer plans,  how we’re both late night eaters,  &  about her cat weenies fire escape fiasco’s..she jumps often!

Our Sunday afternoon together was girly & giggly perfection….come take a snoop!

I poured my heart and soul into the design & renovation of this “diamond in a rough” of a mid century modern beach house. Every single item in the home….a piece of furniture, art, accessory, antique, or oddity…has a specific & personal story attached to it & I enjoyed every drop of the very organic curation.

Working with Paul Masi, of Bates Masi Architecture, propelled the renovation process into another stratosphere, especially his brilliant engineering of the loomed rope ceiling.

The house obviously had spectacular bones and a lot of potential…however it was engulfed by trees, untrimmed for 40 years, with a roof that was caving in and ridden with mold….we had our work cut out for us.

One major concern was that the architecture was already uber modern and I wanted a home for my family that felt relaxed & rustic…I did not want a cold and austere modern house.  My vision was to turn this 1960′s house on its side a bit with the addition of mixed period pieces, oddities, and the use of warm, natural materials like rough hewn wood, leather, lava stone, and manilla rope.  The result is a home that in Summer is light-filled and beachy yet can completely transform to a lodge-like cozy retreat in Winter!

At the time Jenne was living in NYC, but as we had a chat, I quickly realized she was more well versed in “Brooklyn” than most Brooklynites! Everything from the lay of the land to the best BK restaurants!

The fact that Jenne now lives in Brooklyn makes complete sense, and I adore our standing Friday night dinners…always at a local spot!

Jenne comes from the most incredible Italian family, so it seemed perfectly fitting for her to cook me a classic Italian dish as I “snoop” about in her Carroll Gardens Apt.

Though we are ten years apart in age, we both have a similar sensitivity where we can understand and relate to one another viscerally.

We also both LOOOOVVE food, sampling the newest BK restaurants regularly with our significant others, and eat much more than our little bodies dictate.  I was super excited when she agreed to be my first feature for this new “snoop” section of Eyeswoon.

I asked Chels to create a simple meal for us at her incredible & eclectic Williamsburg apartment that she shares with her boyfriend Ben.  Super easy, low key, just two friends chatting, giggling, and having a healthy lunch.

You breathe better, you’re connected to nature, you slow down with ease, sit around a fire, you certainly eat indulgently (or at least I did), and you feel connected to yourself and to the people you love.