My house and the things that go into it - the way it looks, its atmosphere, the parties we give and the food we serve - these are a way of expressing my feelings about the people I love. Dorothy Rodgers

{HISTORY}

Dorothy Rodgers (1909-1992) was the wife of  composer Richard Rodgers of the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical duo. Besides having a famous husband, Dorothy was famous in her own right too as an inventor, writer and interior decorator, a tastemaker for midcentury living and entertaining.

A true homebody, Dorothy lived a splashy life full of wealth and glamour but she was also an astute scholar of the subtle art of gracious living and a do-it-yourselfer when it came to curating a highly unique and personal life. Through her own trials and errors of decorating her New York City apartment, a historic 18th century Connecticut farmhouse and a brand new midcentury modern house that she and her husband designed and built (also in Connecticut), Dorothy learned first hand the emotional impact personality can have upon a space. In her decorating book, My Favorite Things, Dorothy takes readers on that journey explaining how she goes about decorating a space, why its important to acknowledge and appease your fancies and inner desires and how to turn your home into a showcase of your best self. 

If you could combine the joyful organizing wizardry of Marie Kondo, with the beautifully curated brand of Martha Stewart and the personality driven design aesthetic of India Hicks, then you'd have Dorothy Rodgers summed up - midcentury style!

My Favorite Things, first published in 1964, includes chapters on decorating, entertaining, collecting and cooking. It was a runaway bestseller and went on to promptly produce additional printings and to become a source book or interior designers throughout the 20th century. This edition was the 5th printing, published in 1967.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Hardcover, coffee-table sized book with original dustjacket

- 282 pages, 9 chapters

- Chapter breakdown includes: Decorating With a Personal Touch; Rooms That Really Work; Good Basic Planning; Things You Love; Parties Large and Small, Foods Various and International; Menus With A Sense of Balance (and Recipes); Parlor Games and Other Diversions; and House Guests

- Illustrated throughout with drawings by Jeremiah Goodman and color photographs by Tosh Matsumoto, Hans Van Nes and Norman Karlson

- Along with party planning advice, there are two food-related chapters that include both recipes and suggested menus for buffets, suppers, brunches and lunches. Interesting recipes include: Paella, Iced Brie, Chicken-Caviar Soup, Beet and Buttermilk Soup, Chicken Vealburgers, Pots de Creme, Pork Rolls and a bevy of seasonal desserts

- All recipes feature fresh, whole ingredients

{CONDITION}

In beautiful vintage condition. The interior of this book is spotless with a tight spine, bright pages and no foxing or fading. The dust jacket is intact but contains chippy spots along the top and bottom edges. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.75" inches (width) x 11.5" inches (length) x 1.25" inches (thickness)

{WHY IT IS ESPECIALLY MARVELOUS}

Dorothy may have lived an extraordinary lifestyle, but at the heart of this book is the simple story of a woman successfully trying to navigate her own life on her own terms.  Although set against a midcentury landscape, the design advice she offers here is refreshingly modern and easy to apply today's world. By casting aside many of the old-fashioned or traditional notions of what constitutes good design, for a more thoughtful and personal aesthetic, Dorothy shows us all how we too can became  great designers, gracious hosts and better stewards of our passions and interests.