Wednesday, December 23, 2009

the gift chalet - scandinavian food and gifts

since childhood i have made many trips to this quaint, family run scandinavian imports store. it is filled with hand crafted gifts, linens and my personal favorite, foods. there are so many things to see in the gift chalet - i love the wonderfully textured linens and table runners below -

there is a wonderful variety of hand painted and carved dala horses, a symbol of sweden, as well as other whimsical animals -



and the food selections are spectacular!! there is everything from scandinavian candies and sweets to bread, cakes, jams etc. there is even a deli counter where you can order traditional potato sausage and other meats, cheeses, even a variety of pickled fishes.


i loved this simple glass chandelier - wouldnt it be perfect on a summer porch!!
our swedish family traditionally celebrates with a large feast on christmas eve, a smorgasbord, so after our trip to the chalet we are all ready to prepare this holiday meal - more about this in another post.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

inspired by white

I first saw this space in the pages of housebeautiful - i find everything about this light, airy and bright space to be inspiring! love the way all of the white plays off the honey colored floors!

Monday, November 23, 2009

wreaths o' plenty



i have been thinking about simple ways to decorate for the holidays - i found some serious inspiration on the website of colonial williamsburg -i love that most of these wreaths are simple, chic and uses everyday materials in their creation -

loving the use of a simple scollop shell and the frosty blue of the juniper berries - lovely for a costal cottage -perhaps the ones with fruit would even be snacks for squirrels and birds after the holiday!



Tuesday, November 17, 2009

sit back and relax


saw this gorgeous chair in the pages of house beautiful. i think its so stunning - it has such strong lines with an air of casualness that is so inviting. i can just see two of these flanking a fireplace or i love the thought of mixing these in with an ultra feminine decor for a bit of understated masculine presence.
this chair is called the TG-15 Lounge by katavolos, littell and kelley.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

simple sundays

typically i post a photograph that i have taken on simple sundays, but this morning, i just couldnt resists sharing this particular image. i think its so romantic, right down to the discolored water mark in the corner. found via myparentswereawesome

enjoy

Thursday, November 12, 2009

when the weather outside is frightful -



even though i no longer live in new england - i still think fondly of nights spend curled up in front of the fire place. here are a few stylish way to get your fuel from the outside, in!! these last two are from northline express


enjoy.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Illumination interlude

found via designdossier

i am loving the way this collection of glass is tucked away but illuminated in a big way! so clever and simple and terrific at drawing attention to your favorite collection with out putting it in a stuffy old cabinet - and i love how its like an interlude for your hallway. a placement thats a bit unexpected!!!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

interior inspiration - in a blue bedroom


Jacqueline Coumans home: Photos by Simon Upton for Elle Decor.

not only is the light in this room absolutely divine, but im swooning over the ease with which, rustic simplicity, modern elements and overt femininity can all sit so quietly and calmly together. i love that textured bedspread and that stately gazelle head which manages not to dominate the room. did i mention my swoonieness?


Saturday, October 31, 2009

in the spirit


last night in the spirit of halloween we carved two of the sugar pumpkins that had arrived earlier in the week's produce box. it was especially fun as sean, being irish, had not carved a jack o'lantern before. pretty good for his first ever!!


i decided to give mine ears!!


these guys will have their glory for a few nights and sunday they will become a yummy pumpkin soup! i will be roasting the seeds too for future use in trail mix.

happy halloween!!
here they are outside the apt. in all their glory

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

red and white all over



so i have been feeling really inspired lately by red and white, a pretty classic color combination that packs a punch! i feel like i have been noticing it everywhere i go - in stores, on the street, on etsy - every where! below are a few of my favorite red and white things.



this bathroom makes me swoon. i love the hexed red and white tile floor with the black and the brass accents against that luscious glossy red paneling. im transported into a glamours 1920's train travel movie.




love this little shop in my neighborhood!





Sunday, October 25, 2009

simple sundays


i must appologize for this last weeks lack of posts. i have been very busy with school - allan sekula was our guest for the week, it really was an amazing experience to be able to spend an entire week with such an influential photographer/writer - and then i ended the week with a nasty head cold - excuses excuses i know - but enjoy this simple sunday post!!

Friday, October 16, 2009

fruits of labor:chicken pot pie


nothing better on a crisp, rainy or otherwise fall night than a homemade chicken pot pie. here is one thats easy and a great way to use up leftovers, perhaps from that sunday roast chicken, which is what i did.

1 chicken breast plus about 1 cup of minced chicken. i was able to acquire about this much after i boiled down the left over chicken to make stock.

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut on the biased into 1/4" rounds

2 stocks of celery, cut into 1/4" slices

3 small/medium potatoes peeled and cut into bite sized pieces. potatoes should be about palm sized to start.

1/2 cup of frozen pearl onions

1/2 cup of frozen peas

1 large cooking onion

1 clove of garlic

4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour

2 cups of 2% milk at room temperature

2 tbsp of cooking sherry or Bermuda pepper sherry

1 sprig of rosemary minced as finely as possible

7-9 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/3 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

one premade pie crust (i used pillsbury store-bought crusts)

salt and pepper





preheat oven to 375

begin by boiling potatoes until they are just fork tender, when they are remove them from boiling water with a slotted spoon and add celery and carrots to boiling water. boil until they are just tender and remove from boiling water. discard water.

while the veggies are boiling - begin to make your white sauce. dice large onion and one clove of garlic and minced rosemary and gently saute over low heat in the 4 tbsp of butter until the onions are soft and translucent. once onions are done slowly whisk in the flour a little bit at a time until it is all combined. you may need to add a tsp of milk or so towards the end to avoid clumping. whisk continually and cook the rue until the flour taste is cooked out, approx 4 minutes. once the flour taste is gone begin to slowly whisk in the milk until it is all combined. once all of the milk is added stir in your chopped parsley and thyme (hold sprigs between thumb and forefinger and slide leaved off into the sauce) and cooking sherry - continue cooking over low heat until the milk is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (at least 10min) - do not boil. season with salt and pepper to taste. once sauce has thickened fold in minced chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, peas and pearl onions. stir to combine making sure all items are well coated and mixed in with the sauce. transfer mixture into an ovenproof dish.


on a floured surface roll out the dough - from the center towards the edges until it is desired thickness (i prefer the crust to be thinner) and make sure it will cover your dish leaving at least a 1/2 around all sides. if the dough is more than 1/2 inch on each side trim around with a knife until desired width. then roll dough up and under itself just at the edge of dish. place index and middle finger on the edge of the dish and push dough with opposite index finger toward the other two fingers to make a nice little skirt around the edge of the dish. brush a bit of milk on the top of the dough. it will help it get nice and brown

cook at 375 for approx 35 minutes or until the top is brown and the filling is bubbly.