From runway to everyday, Theodore Leaf brings a classic quality-tempered by a creative edge to all of his clients.
“Classic details in a modern world”
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January 17, 2010
Fashion Police “New Moon” Premier
January 15, 2010Here is a clip of my appearance on E! Fashion Police, dishing about the hair at the “New Moon” premier.
Don’t throw it away (Tip # 1)
January 14, 2010I am a total candle junkie, as soon as I walk in the door the candle of the moment is fired up and glowing. I switch candles based on the seasons, my mood, or who will be over to the house. This is a great way to create a beautiful atmosphere, but what do you do with all of those jars once the candles are used up?
Well start with putting them in the freezer, yes the freezer, when it is frozen the wax ill pop out with the slightest nudge of a spoon.
Peel off any stickers and wash the jar, you an now use them for:
Q-tip Storage
Cotton Pad Storage
When there is no time for flowers….
January 3, 2010Many times I find myself throwing impromptu dinner parties, while that can be the most fun, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for planning. So over the years I have pulled things from all over the house to create interesting and effective centerpieces for those last minute events. One must have is those hurricane glasses that you see in a lot of my photos, they are inexpensive and extremely versatile.
I always keep a stock of many different types of candles, they are a perfect solution for any bare table. Notice how I placed them in front of a mirror to double their impact.
Notice the tea lights nestled inside the beautiful crystal tumblers, they sparkle like diamonds!
What I Hate About ME
December 27, 2009
If you had a chance to see the new show on Style “What I Hate About Me” featuring my hair makeover on Ambar, let me know what you think! If you are looking for an amazing hair makeover, book an appointment with me @ Chris McMillan Salon 310-285-0088
Ambar Before her makeover with host Lisa Arch.
Christmas Decorating Details
December 14, 2009Growing up I had so many influences and they were all present over the holiday break, from table settings to artful cheese displays. I wanted to share a sampling of how my family entertains, be sure to let me know what you think!
Beautiful cheese display courtesy of Aunt Ellen of Fezziwig's Marketplace in Lebanon, IL
Mom's quick and easy center piece: one trifle bowl+glass ball orniments= divine centerpeice
Aunt Ellen enjoying a glass of champagne, after her haircut.
Glittered reindeer & candlight on Nana's beautiful Christmas night table setting
Here is a great way to present peanuts on a buffet table to add something different.
The family enjoying a beautiful table, amazing food, and delicious wine.
Hosting overnight guests
December 4, 2009Whether throwing a dinner party or hosting an overnight guest I always strive to create an extraordinary experience. The bar is not set very high these days, so even the slightest niceties get noticed.
When hosting overnight guests I like to set out a stack of fresh towels with a ribbon neatly tied around, you would think the ribbon was solid gold the way people react!.
I also keep a healthy stock of travel size toiletries, and assemble a beautiful basket full of anything they may have forgotten. These subtle details make a guest feel welcome and relaxed and are well worth the small effort.
What do you do to make your guest’s feel welcome?
A wreath from Fall to Winter
November 29, 2009
Do you recognize the beautiful wreath that I had on the door for Thanksgiving? The moment the turkey soup was ready I was over it and ready for Christmas decorations!
So with my trusty Krylon Chrome spray paint and some gloves I transformed it into the perfect icy looking accent for the mirror in the dining room.
Here is the wreath before, I laid it on this huge peice of cardboard around for my various spray painting projects.
The brighter the better when choosing a silver color to go ontop of wood, I love this Krylon Chrome.
1/2 way through I was so excited with the result, and it was so easy.
Do you have any fun ideas for converting any of your holiday decorations?
Thanksgiving Re Cap
November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving for many is a family holiday filled with the usual suspects, for me it is a friend holiday that Matt and I co-host every year. This year I wanted to create a beautiful fall setting for our group of ten and in LA this isn’t as simple as it would be in Ohio. After some careful planning and a trip to the flower & farmers’ markets, I was ready to put it all together.
My mother cracked up when I told her that actually bought fall branches, but they were a must to create the setting that I envisioned. I had originally thought that I was going to create something around the light fixture above the table, but after wrestling with wire and hooks I resorted to this beautiful accent on the archway.
The rosemary and “orange ball things” were perfect for adding a little festive fall color and fragrance to my basic twig wreath.
Matt’s sister and 9 year old niece came in town to visit during the holiday, so for a fun activity Chloe and I created these feather head pieces.
They looked great on the table and were a total hit with all of the guests! I got this idea from Martha Stewart’s kids table pictures.
This was our first attempt at putting 10 people around the table, thankfully it worked out perfectly and we had enough space. I made this tablecloth with Nana while she was visiting….now I can officially miter corners! For the rest of the table I used these small red berries to intersperse some color around the food. Speaking of food we had the usual turkey & stuffing, but we changed it up on the sides, roasted root vegetables, sweet mashed potatoes, Matt’s “white trash corn dish” & Gruyere gratin potatoes. For dessert our neighbor Robert made an amazing lemon lime cheese cake & a pear tart, I made two pumpkin pies (made my own pie crust and whipped cream!) and a blueberry cobbler. After all of that eating we all stretched out over a glass of wine.
Here is a simple arrangement along with a hurricane glass filled with fruit for an after meal snack and a pop of color. Details like this create that warm Holiday atmosphere.
Finally here are Matt & I holding our host gift from our friend David, they are “Love Birds” salt and pepper shakers; so cute we immediately filled them and used them on the table.
Leave me some comments and let me know what you think!!
Closet Confessions
November 1, 2009
We all have some skeletons in our closets, for some of us it happens to be our closets themselves. When you open the door do you feel like you should have a helmet on? Or maybe it has been so long since you have seen the floor you don’t remember what it looked like… I must admit I have struggled with keeping a tidy closet over the years. Something finally clicked for me one day, I had just returned from a trip to Chicago where I had bought some new clothes. And when I went to put them in my closet it just didn’t feel right, they had come from such a beautiful store and here they were being cast into my less than glamorous closet. So it hit me, the closet needs to look and feel more like the store, so we got to work. After years of buying little “organizing products” that don’t work I realized that their are basics to buying them:
1: If it’s not strong it wont stay. 2: The way it looks is just as important as how it works. 3: Spend more on quality pieces so you buy less often.So when we went shopping for this extreme closet makeover the options were simply endless, starting at the overwhelming Ikea where I found this perfect piece for folded clothing like jeans and t’s :
Notice the red drawers above they fit perfectly in the cube for socks and undies…
I rotate the piles based on the seasons, keeping in season clothing on the lower shelves and out of season clothes on cubes higher up.
Another essential to a beautiful easy to use closet is using the same hangers on all of your clothes, this looks great and I love the new slim hangers available now.
I found this mirrored tray at a flea market for $20.00, the glass rods are perfect for keeping my sunglasses from falling off and provide a great home for other accessories as well.
If you have a basic closet you probably have a shelf above the bar and a fair amount of vertical space, take advantage by using the Closetmaid shelving at Target. They are simple and all white and available in several configurations. Instead of buying fancy organizing boxes, I opted to keep these beautiful shoe and accessory boxes from Ralph Lauren they fit perfectly and are free. (the shoes however are not free!) So take a look at your own closet and get to work on creating great space and a beautiful experience every time you open the door.
How athletes can take care of their long locks.
Here is a question from a client of mine:
“I swim and exercise all the time? Good for my butt – bad for my hair! I have very good hair, and you give a great cut, but the constant exposure to chlorine is wrecking my hair. And I have no choice but to wash at least once per day due to my workout schedule (the every other day thing is simply not an option for hard-core athletes who sweat a ton every day) “
After years of working with everything from home remedy’s to expensive treatments I have gone back to the same solution time and again, it is called Malibu Wellness. They offer an extensive array of different products for several issues including chlorine, hard water, & mineral buildup. The first I recommend being a shampoo that is specifically for removing chlorine daily, followed by a conditioner to replenish that squeaky clean hair. My absolute favorite is the Crystal Gel you simply mix the powder with warm water it becomes a gel, & it removes those dingy tones from the hair and brightens your color (a must for blondes). The Crystal Gel is for a weekly “hair detox”. So if you are having issues with the water in your area or happen to be a triathlete like my client, check out Malibu Wellness and let me know how it works for you!
