We'd like to express our sincere gratitude to those of you who came on as our guinea pigs this summer.  As we've ramped up toward our launch (which is now just 6 days away!) we've truly appreciated the opportunity to test content and ideas on our early readers.

You've probably noticed that we have a new look that reflects the ways in which we have evolved over the past few months (kind of like the girl who somehow metamorphosizes in the three months between 8th and 9th grade and comes back to school with an intoxicating sense of self-awareness and confidence.)  Certainly our look will continue to evolve as we do but we think this is a pretty good place to start out our Freshman year.

Thanks again for a great summer.  We look forward to hanging with you this fall.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a lovely dinner party at the home of Nancy Joseph (along with several fantastic designers and the always-entertaining Krissa Rossbund of Traditional Home Magazine.)

I thought I'd share with you the gorgeous table design by Jason Murakawa of Small Masterpiece, who has prefected the art of mix-matching vintage china, crystal and flatware in conjunction with wildflowers in old apothecary bottles to create exquisite outdoor elegance. (It didn't hurt that Nancy happens to also have my current favorite outdoor chairs from the Topiary collection by Richard Schultz.)

Hope your weekend was equally gorgeous. Happy Monday. KL

There is no denying the elegance that a Venetian plaster finishing can add to your room. That's why here at Standard, we love American Clay—it provides an equally beautiful way to create the look of a  plaster finish. A mixture of potter’s clay, marble dust, and earth pigments, this clay is extraordinary in that it can help regulate temperature and atmosphere in a room by absorbing excess moisture. Another perk is that it goes on in two coats and dries within hours. A great source with lots of different colors and styles to choose from is ecohaus. 

Loving this belt by Brave New Leather as well as this awesome record bracelet. Perfect accessories for an LA stunner outfit.

When: Sunday, August 22nd - 12:00-5:00

Where: 4333 Holden Street Studio 54, Emeryville

Sara Paloma (whose pottery will be featured in the On The Boards section of Standard's very first issue!) will be having an end of the summer sale this this Sunday afternoon at her studio. We adore Sara's unique style which somehow seems to epitomize both the art of perfection and the rare beauty that can only be found in imperfection. Be sure to head over to Emeryville to get yourself something special if you're in the SF Bay this weekend.