Molt your layers in Matthew Williamson’s latest issue for Osborne & Little—“Narissa” butterfly wallpaper—the fashion and decor designer scoured London’s Portobello and Kempton markets, collecting different butterfly species and artifacts. He then photographed the arthropods one by one. The digitally printed statement covering can be used as a continuous wallpaper or as panels. Its large repeat makes for a unique result in a powder bath, salon, or study.
How Neiman Marcus Got Its Wings
In 1971, the colorful insect was adopted as the official icon for homegrown luxury retailer Neiman Marcus to symbolize beauty, grace, and change. The butterfly features as a motif on shopping bags, gift packaging, apparel, accessories, gifts, and on pages of the book. The symbol figures yet again in NM restaurants across the country that bear the name Mariposa, Spanish for butterfly. Lucky shoppers of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue store will spot an Alexander Calder mobile also titled Mariposa. The piece was Stanley Marcus’ first purchase for the impressive NM Art Collection.
If You Plant It, They Will Come…
Dallas is the perfect environment for building a butterfly garden thanks to its location on the migration path. To get started, you’ll need a mix of “host plants” (which feed the larvae that will become butterflies) and flowers full of nectar. Many perennials will do the trick when planted in full sun in the spring. Josh Pulcinella of Nicholson-Hardie Nursery & Garden Center recommends verbena, salvia greggii, echinacea, black-eyed Susans, and Gregg’s Blue Mist. For caterpillars, mix in milkweed, dill, fennel, and rue. “The idea is to have as many different flowers that flower at different times so you keep a consistent supply of nectar,” he says.
While you’re planning your garden to grow, visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden or the Texas Discovery Gardens for some inspiration. “Every path represents a different family of butterflies,” says Roger Sanderson, director of horticulture at the Texas Discovery Gardens. “People can get a good idea of what they’d like to put in their butterfly garden by walking through.” In the fall, catch migrating monarchs at the Arboretum’s Rory Myers Children’s Adventure Garden. “This past year, we did a tag and release to keep tracking them as they move south,” says Dave Forehand, vice president of gardens
When Pigs Fly
“Butterflying pork serves a couple purposes,” says Graham Dodds, executive chef and owner at Wayward Sons. “We do it in the restaurant to cook thick cuts quickly and evenly. And it’s especially handy for those pesky well-done orders.”
Step 1: If the pork chop has a bone, you should remove that first by cutting it off.
Step 2: Lay your hand on top of the chop, and with your knife held horizontally, slice the pork through the middle until you almost reach the other side. Stop when you have cut through roughly 90 percent of it.
Step 3: You can then open it up like a book, and it will resemble a butterfly (or one of those ink blot pieces the psychiatrist asks you about).
Step 4: Finally, season it and cook it, or “stuff it with deliciousness.”
