I am so excited about the return of Million Dollar Decorators on Bravo tonight. Returning are Mary McDonald, Kathryn Ireland, Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Jeffrey Alan Marks. This is mostly because I am most amused by Martyn, Kathryn and Mary. Last year none of them really had any big current projects to actually share on the show but it didn’t even matter because the personalities are such a blast.  They also did little bits for previous clients so we were able to see their completed work, like Tamara Mellon’s NYC home:

During season one, the show had to get by on Martyn teaching Joe Frances’s staff in Mexico how to fluff pillows and making lucite boxes for Tamra Mellon to display artistic shoes and bags in, Jeffrey redoing a depressing tiny bathroom at his gym (I mean, minutes of the show were dedicated to a shower drain choice) and Mary designing a small office.

Why didn’t we care we didn’t see a whole lot of design in action? Number one, because these are AD-cover worthy designers, not the same old stagers and DIYers making their own room screen and painting over ugly cabinet veneers. More importantly, number two, because these people are hilarious and as you watch, you wish you could hang out with them. I want to swill a margarita while hanging out with Kathryn and her housekeeper Jacqueline, catching up on the latest about her client from hell in Malibu.

I want to observe Mary and her somewhat snobbish and hilarious ways all day, picking up inspiration for how to look super-polished all day long. I would listen to Martyn read the phonebook, because it’s all about his unique voice, accent and grandiose way of speaking. As for Jeffrey, he doesn’t stand out as much as the aforementioned trio, as he’s usually bickering with his boyfriend (yawn). If you haven’t checked out the show, I highly recommend giving it a try. It premieres tonight on Bravo; if you’re not sure, try a little 10 minute preview over at bravotv.com right now.

All photos from bravotv.com

What a week! Personally I ruined my fall back extra hour of sleep by staying up late for election results and speeches and never caught back up; it’s like a week-long political hangover and I’m just glad there aren’t 6 billion dollars worth of annoying ads assaulting us anymore. It’s been fun to think about other things; here are a few fun virtual design stops I’ve made this week.

First, let’s get serious. Victims of Hurricane Sandy need help. A lot of helpful tips have been posted all over the web this week; I’m finding first-hand accounts from friends on Facebook have some of the most useful information. Bottom line, these people don’t need your worn-out clothing right now, what they do need includes warm outerwear (coats, scarves, mittens, hats, wool socks, etc.), cash, hand sanitizer, batteries, wipes, cans of soup and can openers, diapers, warm blankets, power cords and more. An easy way to help is to text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Another charity that is doing great work and makes it easy to donate online is Family-to-Family.

If you need to lighten your mood, I highly recommend a viewing of Moonrise Kingdom from the comfort of your living room. If you’ve already checked out Wes Anderson’s latest visual feast but can’t get enough, check out the behind the scenes tours, particularly Bill Murray’s guided set tour.

I loved this post from Tablet about great spots for what they call “the annual man trip” but I have decided to call mancations, dudescursions and/or bro-jurns. While I’m not a man and I don’t really care to go fishing or smoke cigars, I would happily cozy up in any of these awesome spots around the world.

I finally had time to sit down and savor the latest issue of Anthology magazine. The theme is Rhythm and Hues and it’s a great look at the homes of music-industry types. I love that during a time when so many home glossies were going out of business, this talented group had the guts create a fresh and original print magazine. I treat each one like I would a book, and they will never be making their way to my recycling bin.

By the way, if you got too caught up in the fray and forgot to shop our Blu Dot sale, don’t fret. It’s been extended through November 19th. Click here to start browsing and saving.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. Well, it starts off that way anyway, when I bound out of bed “early” and feel proud that I’m so bright eyed and bushytailed at what would otherwise be considered an ungodly hour. Anyway, even though I just ate lunch and it will probably be dark soon, I feel like I have an extra hour in my morning, and it tends to last all week. How will you use your extra hour? Here are a few suggestions, lots of which are selfish (you’ve earned it, and this is your Me Time) and I hope you will add yours in the Comments section:

1) Sleep an extra hour.

2) Finally order up that On Demand yoga program and start your morning off with some Namaste.

3) Treat yourself to an hour of reading. Whether you havent’ had time to get to that Entertainment Weekly or just want to get past the seemingly endless description of Moby Dick’s tail once and for all, use  a little time to loll around and read.

4) If TV is more your bag, clear out a little DVR space by catching up on one of this season’s new shows, like Nashville or Revolution. By the way, have you been watching Revolution? Interesting premise. I loved this post-lights-out cul-de-sac. Would it really go to crap this fast after 15 years? Would the Prius (bottom right corner) really rust that quickly? Who cares, it’s a fun premise:

5) If giving up the internet is your worst nightmare, take an hour to have some fun on it – no work emails allowed. Play Bejeweled Blitz for an hour. Email your Mom back. Add to your Wish Lists on your favorite retail sites. Catch up on your favorite blogs.

6) Call up a friend and meet for breakfast, or splurge on a New York Times to enjoy your favorite breakfast joint solo.

7) Take a walk. Or better yet, a bubble bath … with the reading materials. Or both – after all, you have a whole hour.

If you wish to be more productive, do an hour clean out – you can whip a junk drawer, your dresser, part of your closet, a few kitchen cabinets, the linen closet or the coat closet into shape. Carry around a donation box and drop that sucker off on the way to work in the morning.

9) Get started on your holiday cards. Use this time to get the envelopes stamped and addressed first so you can whip out a handful a day and send them off.

10) Make your grocery store run now, so you don’t have to do it after work in the dark.

Are you doing anything with your extra fall back morning hour this week? If so, please share it with us!

It’s officially November, which means those $8 billon worth of Halloween decorations Americans bought need to come down and it’s time to start thinking about your fall-to-winter tablescapes. Whether you’re hosting a large group of family and friends for the big day or are just looking to switch up your look for the fall/winter transition, here are some ideas for dressing your table and serving your guests.

Get woodsy with some faux bois:

Chilewich Rectangle Faux Bois Placemat, set of 4

Mix your metals. Here, a pitcher with a brassy-gold patina reflects the silver placemats. The simple arrangement of colorful leaves ties everything together:

Modern Twist Studio Placement Grain – Silver on Gray

Bring in the cranberry reds! This is a color that will take you from autumnal tablescapes to holiday tablescapes with ease. A rich red runner and/or placemats can stay on the table while centerpieces and place settings are switched out for different occasions.

Chilewich Basketweave Runner

Get a little tipsy: Freak your friends out with these swirling liqueur glasses that oxygenate as they rotate.

Sempli Cupa – Shot 2

Make sure you have platters in an easy-access spot. Grab fun seasonal ones for passing out those hors d’oeuvrs and sugar cookies:

notNeutral Season Serving Plate

Let there be (candle)light!  Whether you like simple tea lights, Grandmother’s candelabra, hurricanes or something more whimsical, candlelight is the final touch for party ambiance, especially at the dinner table. Right now I’m enjoying the modern lines of these bronze plated steel candlesticks, and their unexpected heights; they range from 15 inches to 58.5″:

DESU DESIGN Parallel Stem Candle Pedestals

How will you be dressing your table in November? Please share with us in the comments section!

All of this Halloween brouhaha and the terrifying Haunted Houses of today have me longing for good old Norman Bates and his dear old mom. My friend tried to tempt me to join him at one that was “Hostel meets Saw” last week and believe I’d prefer a Thai prison. Anyway, here’s my list of favorite classic spooky homes from TV and the movies. I’m afraid this will really show you my age. Please let me know any you would add in the comments section!

The Munster’s House. The Munsters also had that cool creepy font, and a kid with the best widow’s peak of all time, Eddie Munster.

Next we have The Addams Family. The show gave us a theme song that you can’t get out of your head once it’s in there. On a related note, it told us “their house is a museum…” Yes. A museum full off all kinds of weird stuff, like a fish with a leg sticking out of its mouth:

Of course, no list would be complete without the aforementioned Psycho House, which sat atop the hill from the Bates Motel.

I never actually saw The Amityville Horror but I remember Eddie Murphy talking about it in his stand up. This lovely Dutch Colonial doesn’t exactly scream “Get Out!” Well, except, you know, it screams “Get Out” literally.

More recently, I could see why any uninformed buyer would be interested in the fabulous house from American Horror Story, though once you move in, you never leave. I suppose it’s a bit Hotel California in that way. I haven’t given the new season a try yet, as I like being able to sleep with the lights off.

So those are 5 of my favorites. Please help me add to the list in the comments section, and have a fun and sugar-fueled Halloween.