Many things can rub right off Crypton, but here’s one we would never want to wipe  away: Hollywood glamour! That’s Phoebe Cates Kline, erstwhile model and actress, wife of actor Kevin Kline, and busy proprietor of Blue Tree, Manhattan’s most eclectic lifestyle store. And by Phoebe’s side is her beloved little rescued mutt, Joe!

Phoebe and Joe are taking a break from helping customers to show off one of Joe’s favorite places to hang out while he’s visiting his Mom at work: a 1950s-era  slipper chair – low, wide, and handsome, not unlike Joe himself – that’s covered in Lipstick  Crypton Suede.  It’s one of several one-of-a-kind furniture items sold exclusively at Blue Tree. These haute home furnishings range in style and period, but they share one thing in common: all have been Cryptonized. Currently available: a Gustavian-style chaise longue with a button-tufted back, done up in Icing and Hershey Crypton Suede … and a Louis XVI oval-back arm chair in Grape Crypton Suede. 

Special thanks to Heather Green for these adorable photos; to book a portrait of yourself and your dog – Heather’s specialty – visit Heather’s web site. heathergreenphotography.com

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Here at Crypton, we love to spoil our pets. The holiday season provides a perfect excuse to shower our four-legged family members with a few special gifts of their own. Whether it’s a squeaky toy or a brand-new bed, even pets can get into the holiday spirit.
The classic canine stocking-stuffer for many dog owners has always been a good bone or treat purchased from a local pet store. But this year, we wanted to share our favorite alternative: homemade dog treats. The recipe below makes a fun Saturday afternoon project – and believe us, your dog will go nuts over these gourmet treats!
Try your hand at bow wow baking this weekend! We’d love to hear your stories of your pet’s holiday spirit.

Bow Wow Peanut Butter Bites

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir with hand or fork. The dough should be sticky. Roll out onto wax paper about 1/4” to 1/2” thick. Use various sizes of bone cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the rolled out dough (No cookie cutters? You can use a knife to cut small squares). Repeat until all dough is gone. Once the treats are finished baking, let them cool. Freezing the treats will keep them fresher longer.

A quicker version: For faster treats, once the dough is mixed, take the dough and roll out evenly in a nonstick 11×17 cookie sheet pan. Use a butter knife and cut squares throughout the entire pan to your desired size. For small dogs, I do 1/2” x 1/2” squares. Then stick them in the oven to bake. Use a spatula to remove the treats from the pan and let them cool. Once cooled, break the treats apart with your hand. Freezing the treats will keep them fresher longer.

Bake: 350 degrees
Time: 15-20 minutes*
* Time will vary. Shorter if you want the treats softer, longer if you want the treats crunchy.

Still looking for a last-minute gift? Dog treats could also be the perfect homemade present for the pet-lover in your life. Include a copy of the recipe to offer a gift that will keep on giving!

Healthystuff.org a non-profit environmental research organization, recently revealed the results of its first-ever study of pet products. Researchers at Michigan’s Ecology Center used an X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer to examine over 400 pet products for hazardous chemicals. The findings showed that many mass-produced pet products – especially dog beds – are treated with brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which a 2007 EPA study linked to hyperthyroidism in cats.

All this is eye-opening and frightening, and it means that animal lovers need to take precautions when purchasing items for the most vulnerable consumers: pets. This news is particularly upsetting to animal lovers with kids, who often snuggle up on the family dog’s bed right alongside Spot.

We believe that kids should cuddle up with dogs at every opportunity – and that pets should not have to nest on bedding that emits toxic substances as they sleep! Here’s just one more reason to love Crypton dog beds Crypton’s green technology ensures that your dog will rest his or her head on the safest, most stylish dog bed available – no BFRs here.

healthystuff.org urges concerned parents (of kids as well as pets) to support federal regulatory reform that would require manufacturers to take responsibility for their products’ safety. Until our government requires companies to take responsibility, it’s nice to know some have their priorities straight. For proving that high-tech does not have to mean harmful … kudos, Crypton.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Crypton is hosting a fun giveaway on home design blog Shelterrific offering five pink Crypton Doodle Dog Aprons to select readers.

To enter the Crypton giveaway, visit blog Shelterrific and write a comment that follows the posted instructions in order to be considered for an apron. Enter to win by Thursday, Dec. 10th at 5 p.m. EST. Once the comments close, the site will randomly select five winners and the aprons will be on their way!
Be sure to leave a working email address in the comments section (confidential under each user’s profile) so we can contact you if you win! One comment per person, please.
If you haven’t visited Shelterrific before, you are in for a treat. The blog covers design, decorating, cleaning, and the home. We love their cool product finds and their no-nonsense advice for cooking, cleaning and organizing.
Be sure to visit blog Shelterrific before the Crypton Doodle Dog Apron ends on Thursday!

They don’t make furniture the way they used to: beautiful and built to last in equal measure. That’s one conclusion to be drawn from a visit to the swanky antique furniture gallery Carlton Hobbs,

 carltonhobbs  where the world’s most discriminating designers shop for celebrity clients amidst shimmering chandeliers and other opulent oeuvres (some boldface names rumored to live with Carlton Hobbs furnishings are Madonna, Elton John, and Mick Jagger).

A fine example of the treasure at this temple of taste is an imposing neoclassical stool of partridge wood and gilt, circa 1800. Its seat is raised on two opposing sphinxes and two pierced, inverted anthemion which spring from a shaped, oval plinth above eight tapering, gilded feet. Flanking the seat are scrolling, down swept ends joined by turned arms.

This exquisite piece of museum-quality historical seating is priced at $85,000. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be lived with comfortably and casually - and to prove it, gallery director Stefanie Rinza had Lore Decorators

www.lore.qpg.com  cover the original cushion in  Crypton Suede  Lipstick. The sturdy, fitted slipcover sports a zipper for easy removal and laundering, yet looks every bit as elegant and regal as the original, fragile silk it came with.

Gamely demonstrating how family-friendly Crypton can make almost anything, even an irreplaceable antique, is Stefanie’s adorable son Alan Crockett.