I know...I know—Jaithan and I aren't supposed to be back until Monday, but I couldn't resist sharing a few pictures from New Year's with our friends Michael Devine and his partner Thomas Burak up in Kinderhook, New York. Michael I've known for years, ever since I was an editor at House Beautiful and he covered design trends and events for HFN Magazine. These days, Michael spends most of his time upstate, designing his own line of fabrics, blogging, and running his store Michael Devine Home. Here it is, all decked out for the holidays!
Inside, hanging on hooks, were just a few of Michael's gorgeous fabrics. I love how easily they can go from casual to formal. And that yellow damask I'm not-so-secretly coveting. What about you?
Above the store, Michael and Thomas have a beautiful apartment, where we all sat down to New Year's dinner. The color palette was fresh—all greens and whites—with silver from Michael's family and an antique table cloth Thomas found at a flea market. Even the first course was in keeping with the palette, a delicious spinach soup garnished with crème fraîche.
For the main course, we had wild rice-stuffed Cornish game hen with caramelized carrots and braised leeks Michael picked fresh from the garden! The flowers Thomas did, a beautiful mix of white lisianthus, carnations and (our favorite!) fringed tulips.
Come midnight, a toast!
The night before, Thomas got crafty and even broke out the glue gun to create these fun, festive (yet oh-so-tasteful) New Year's Eve hats. In fact, as our good friend Rhonda Carman of All The Best already knows, Thomas is quite the creative one too. Here's the group just after midnight!
And here I am with Jaithan, champagne in hand, as we celebrated well into the night!
Happy 2009, everyone! We'll be back Monday with a fresh start to the year, full of exciting, new things you're going to love, I promise. See you then!
awwwwww, that house is a dream!
Posted by: hanako66 | January 06, 2009 at 04:07 PM
You make me smile and lol..Glad I found your site! Happy New Year!
Posted by: Kindle | January 05, 2009 at 08:52 PM
Brillant and I adore the hats! The table and flowers are truly Devine! Thanks for sharing your wonderful celebration with us -- and I love his blog too! Best to all in 2009!
Jan at Rosemary Cottage
Posted by: Jan | January 05, 2009 at 02:47 PM
I love everything! Read you every day. Want to send you a picture of something I did with an old lamp base. I think you would like. Hope you have the best new year!! Paulette
Posted by: Paulette Dennick | January 05, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Oh,what fun, just love the hats.
Posted by: Lady Katherine | January 05, 2009 at 12:02 PM
Oh what fun! Love all the fabrics and that shop looks like a fun road trip! Have you and J found your dream home?
pve
Posted by: patricia | January 05, 2009 at 09:51 AM
I just wanted to say thank-you! Thank-you for rekindling my desire for a happy, loving, style filled life. My style light had almost gone out when I saw you on the show and then getting to know the real you thru your blogs has just been a blessing. I see and feel things so differently now, as they should be! So Happy New Year Eddie (and Jaithin, of course!)!
Posted by: Lucien | January 05, 2009 at 06:42 AM
Happy New Year! Thank you for letting us see your celebration with friends. I can't wait to see what you have in store for the New Year.... Eddie, THIS is your year :)
Posted by: Anne-Marie | January 04, 2009 at 09:06 PM
So beautiful! Happy New Year to you and Jaithan
Posted by: Darci | January 04, 2009 at 09:06 PM
Looks like so much fun!
Posted by: Megan Hobson | January 04, 2009 at 09:06 PM
It was such great way to start the New Year with you both-- What a scream. Next year maybe we should do it in the city?
Posted by: Michael Devine | January 04, 2009 at 03:28 PM
You're right! Love the yellow damask. So nice to see damask in such a cheery color. Thanks for sharing. Happy NY!!
Posted by: dana | January 04, 2009 at 03:27 PM
what a beautifully set table! wishing you a very happy new year. :)
Posted by: mary | January 04, 2009 at 03:27 PM
I just love the decorations!
Posted by: Johanna | January 04, 2009 at 01:55 PM
thanks for sharing...everything looks beautiful. and those hats are great!!
Posted by: stacy di | January 04, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I was so excited to see a post from you this morning.How fun to go and spend NY with good friends.I just found Michaels blog the other day and had fun looking at old and new post.I loved the metal flowers on the table I spied those in the pict.of his shop.So glad you are back and can't wait to see what is in store for us. I need a new reason to go thrifting,I am waiting for my inspiration.xoxo kathysue
Posted by: Kathysue | January 04, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Looks like so much fun!!!! (Michael's place looks beautiful too!) Happy New Year!!! xoxo!! *mr*
-lauren
Posted by: Lauren Liess | January 04, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Well, it looks like you had a great evening with friends.....I just love small intimate groups as opposed to large crowds. The table looked DEVINE and the food scrumptious! Thanks for sharing, Eddie!
Posted by: Mimilee | January 04, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Gorgeous, good friends, delicious decor, scrummy food, cold sparkling champagne and a glue gun, sounds like the perfect way to spend an evening and early hours! Happy New Year! Rachaelxo
Posted by: Rachael | January 04, 2009 at 07:37 AM
Happy new year boys! Glad you had a good one, as did we. Ours totally unexpected, proving that spontaneity really does work. (I'm such a plan-aholic, that I'm usually too worried about leaving things to chance.) But it works...and very often better than the planned events!
Posted by: Columnist | January 04, 2009 at 07:37 AM
Sweet! I love the table setting...I love a table in white and silver because winter, spring, summer, fall - it always works (maybe that's why my parents called me Princess Winter Spring Summer Fall ;-).
And the hats...they rock. I also think I need to have 2 yards of that chain link fabric, top row, right. :-)
Happy new year, guys!
Posted by: laura @ the shorehouse | January 04, 2009 at 01:35 AM
Fun, fun, fun! I love the yellow damask as well! 2009 will be great!
Posted by: Karena | January 04, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Happy New Year! I've spent my whole evening discovering your blog and falling in love with you both - can't wait to read more!
Donna
Posted by: Donna | January 03, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Happy New Year to you and Jaithan!
Posted by: flutter | January 03, 2009 at 11:48 PM
ooo...that fabric is yummy! That yellow is making me long for spring! Happy New Year!
Posted by: Kelly | January 03, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Impressive - you've taken tacky New Years Hats to a whole new chic level. Love it.
Happy New Year - looking forward to what you have up your sleeves in 2009!
Posted by: MrsLimestone | January 03, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Want to share your friends? I would not mind a bit, smile~
Posted by: Susie Harris | January 03, 2009 at 10:35 PM
Michael's shop is so close to my house and it's been on my list of places to stop in. I need to do that in 2009!
Love the hats!
Posted by: Renovation Therapy | January 03, 2009 at 10:35 PM