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My trip to Boston in February left me with tons of inspiration and business cards from the plethora of adorable shops and boutiques. One of those shops was E.R. Butler & Co.; known for it’s fine architectural details, but what made my jaw drop was the beautiful porcelain treasures and jewelry. Here are a few of my favs. –

The Ted Muehling pieces were simply amazing – the candlesticks, and the exceptionally delicate porcelain vases and candle holders. I’m especially drawn to objects with elements taken from nature – so the “coral” luminaries and tulip tea light especially.

They also have a lot of unique, and stunning jewelry like these cuffs by Darcy Miro.

The Boston showroom.

E.R. Butler also has showrooms in NYC and Florence. See the site for details.
I want to thank Nina, at E.R. Butler, who was super helpful and enthusiastic to answer questions during my visit. It’s always great to meet someone passionate about what they do!

I was really grateful to Spirit Beauty Lounge for sending out two lovely soaps. One was from Skinny Skinny, an organic Lime and mint bar that is chicly and responsibly packaged and produce. This was great after the beach ( I spent the last three weeks visiting my sister in Tampa). The sent wasn’t overly herbal like a lot of herbal soaps – but refreshing. Did I mention the lovely packaging?

The other treat I received was Nostalgia Organics Lavender Flowers. It was really tough to use this one as soap – as great as it is – because the scent is so wonderful. I had it on my desk for awhile before testing it and every now and then I’d get a whiff and…instant relaxation. I love the smell of lavender. And then I tucked it between my clothes in my suitcase and everything smelled so ahhhhmazing when I unpacked it.

A great perk of these products are organic and responsibly manufactured – they say, “Spirit Beauty Lounge is a place where you can shop safe, knowing we’ve done the research for you! All of our organic and sustainable products come from companies who have clearly defined humane, ethical, and environmental policies ensuring the care of our planet and its inhabitants!”

Want some yummies for yourself or for a hard-working lady in your life? See all the goodies at Spirit Beauty Lounge.

I was so excited to receive a Jo Malone “Vanilla & Anise” candle last week, which is part of a new fragrance line including cologne, bath oil, body creme, and a home candle. When I first opened the candle, the scent was a little strong, but I soon realized it was only because it was just opened. Now the candle is perfect for freshening up the room, and I’ve found it especially great for cleaning up bad odors. Example? This weekend a friend was working on his car in the garage and the engine flooded – EVERYTHING smelled like gasoline, even my freshly washed clothes. I kid you not though – the candle really helped alleviate the overpowering smell of gasoline.

The Vanilla & Anise scent is surprisingly complex, but I’d summarize it as a “woodsy sweet” scent. The release reads “the fragrance inspired by the floral landscape of Madagascar, capturing the fleeting moment that the rare vanilla orchid blossoms….blends notes of bergamot, neroli and star anise to create a touch of spice sparkling above transparent layers of delicate vanilla orchid and frangipani. The warmth of vetiver, white amber, and the subtlest hint of clove complete this unexpected, modern story of vanilla.”

Now these are a lot of elements I’ve never heard of, but I can definitely notice different “layer” of scent based on how far or close I am to the candle. It really is lovely.

An added bonus? The packaging is gorgeous! It comes to you in a lovely box way too nice to toss bound in a smart black ribbon. The Vanilla & Anise collection is available this month at Jo Malone shops, jomalone.com, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.