It doesn’t take much to persuade me to emulate the Coen Brothers’ 2010 remake of True Grit. Mattie Ross is the most nerve-y, whip-smart, unconsciously stylish heroine I’ve seen on the big screen in ages, and I’d almost give up my cozy, heated bedroom to follow in her footsteps. When you add her partner in…
Catching a winter cold? There is only one cure — a little vitamin C. The same holds true in the floral world; the bright spot on our winter horizon is the mountains of fresh, seasonal citrus fruits being harvested in Florida and California. If you’re lucky, you can find kumquats, oranges and lemons on the…
It seems as though the whole internet (or at least my very small but special corner) couldn’t stop shrieking about this week’s Season 2 premiere of Downton Abbey in the States. A TV show on Living In? Gasp. But it’s OKAY because no TV is required, thanks to streaming from the PBS website. The British…
In a post-holiday world, potted amaryllis languish forgotten and forsaken in the corners of every grocery store floral section. If you look past the holographic foil gift wrapping, there are some serious possibilities for unexpected and gorgeous arrangements when you boldly clip off the bloom. Now is the time, too, because bulbs and plants can…
The holidays have come and gone. No more presents, no more cookies, no more twinkly lights — just an endless abyss of winter ahead. No story captures the magic of the never-ending cold months quite like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, where after all, it’s been winter for a…
White Christmas is the crown jewel of holiday movies in the Merrick house, the gold standard by which all others are judged. Classy but funny, with mind-boggling dancing and more costume changes than Christina Aguilera at the VMAs, it’s the movie we reach for year after year. Sure, there are a couple gratuitous musical numbers,…
Even nature fiends happily succumb to commercialized holiday commemorations. Since I launched my flower business this year and started writing a flower column for the site, I’ve got nothing but blooms on the brain. From a classic book by flower gods to rubber galoshes for morning garden runs and tongue-in-cheek gilded lily stationery, this list…
Sometimes red and green flashing lights and an inflatable Santa perched on your roof are the best way to decorate for the holidays. Sometimes not. For those not times, I find myself really attracted to natural trimmings that don’t scream Christmas. Added bonus, your shame is lessened when you don’t get around to taking them…
When the weather takes a dive this time of year, I can’t help but turn to Fargo. The dark comedy-crime film conjures the snowy Minnesota landscape in a way that makes trapper hats and diner mugs as American as apple pie. While it took some selective editing to take the film’s aesthetics from sometimes abysmal…
Casablanca is the romance to end all romances. Bergman and Bogart practically melt the screen with sadness, but for your next screening, try to focus those puppy eyes on the movie’s swoon-worthy style. Moroccan by way of the French Resistance, each scene outdoes itself in lamps, rugs, chairs, tables and arched doorways, not to mention…
Thanksgiving movies are a bit thin on the ground, so when I remembered the 1969 movie Alice’s Restaurant based on Arlo Guthrie’s classic song, my belly was instantly filled with happy-hippie turkey goodness. No one does a big, communal feast like the counter culture revolution, so this Thanksgiving, take a trip back to 1969 and tag…
Secretariat fills the spot in every horse girl’s heart for an underdog victory. The 2010 telling of the Triple Crown winner is quite a looker, scoring high not just in speed but also style. It’s impossible not to root for the amazing mix of horse-girl housewife and southern 1970s, so skeptics, don’t even try. — Amy…
Somehow, unbelievably, it has become the time of year when people put wreathes on their front doors. I must have left my brain back in mid-summer and instead am standing stupefied at the thought of snow on the ground. Nothing speaks to late fall like the arrival of bittersweet and rosehips, so to celebrate the…
Not many movies portray a New England fall better than The Cider House Rules. Set in Maine among apple orchards, rambling old buildings, seaside towns and lobster docks, it’s obvious why we crave the 1999 adaptation of John Irving’s novel when fall rolls around. Toby Maguire plays an orphan trained as a doctor who struggles…
There is something about fall in New York that always puts me in a 1970s mood. Kramer vs. Kramer hits all my favorite fall notes — minimal but warm, classic, erring on the side of masculine. It’s also the one movie that makes me weepy on command, an impressive feat, considering its lack of overwrought…
Look out your window right now. With any luck, you can see leaves. With a smidge more luck, they are changing color. While October riots here on the East Coast, nothing begs to be worshiped like fall foliage. Walking anywhere takes twice as long, as you’re constantly bending over to stash the prettiest of the…
Practical Magic scratches the Halloween itch you might be feeling in an unexpected way. I’ll level with you, the movie is straight up 1990s rom com cheese, so light some candles and lock your man in another room. A pair of gorgeous witch sisters live in the most unbelievable rambling Victorian, casting spells and mixing…
The Royal Tenenbaums is the film that canonized Wes Anderson as America’s most beloved auteur so far this century. His quirky art direction re-interested our generation in preppy classics, while pushing the envelope of dry humor and absurd character plots. To see The Royal Tenenbaums is to love The Royal Tenenbaums and we couldn’t imagine…
That Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a stylish movie is probably the worst kept secret in the world. Just wander the streets on Halloween, and you’re likely to bump into several Holly Golightlys along the way. But beyond the cigarette holder and pearl necklace are some pretty amazing elements that are equally deserving of iconic status….
Far from Heaven is a color-drenched look at the darker side of a 1950s idealized life. Julianne Moore’s magazine-worthy house doesn’t save her from the town’s scorn when her marriage dissolves, but we can’t stop coveting it. Brightly colored leaves swirl around her family’s gorgeous mid-century setup, and if your seemingly perfect life has to…
