I discovered this online boutique, French Freak, via House Beautiful. I’m sure you’ll find something you love, and the prices won’t make you wince either. I think this stuff is adorable!
This Eiffel Tower blind was what caught my attention when I saw it in House Beautiful
They have so many of those adorable bamboo mats with the old advertisements on them – so if you don’t see one you like here check on their site.
Cute, huh?!?
My mom’s birthday was last Monday and I decided to go out on a limb and try cooking. While I’m a tremendous fan of food, it’s the making of it that alludes me. I thought I’d share my results, as I’m always proud when I manage to make something edible. The best part is that we had all of the ingredients already!
For dinner I made vegetarian tacos – instead of ground beef, I substituted lentils – packed with protein, fiber, and other delicious goodness.
The original green lentil tacos recipe
For dessert I decided to try and make a lemon meringue pie, since I can’t remember the last time we had one. It’s far from beautiful, as I haven’t made meringue since I was probably 12, but it was delicious. Also, I cut the sugar in half from what the recipe below says.
mmmm…
The original lemon meringue recipe.
Today is just a blah Monday and the weather outside is far from inspiring. I thought I’d do another installment of “Favorite Images from my Favorite Blogs.” I started this feature because I realized that as a blogger, I rarely had the time to peruse the blogs that inspired me to start blogging, or that I’d discovered while blogging. I hope you enjoy and that it ads a little brightness if it’s gloomy where you are like it is here…
(blogs featured in no particular order)
Gotta love Swedish style
This bit of heaven on earth is Lake Como, Italy
Images above from the lovely, La Dolce Vita
I want a kitchen that gets such great light – maybe it would help me wake up in the mornings
Great sconces on either side of the bed…
The three above images are from the inspiring, Cococozy.
Take a look at the room above again. It doesn’t jump out at you at first but I think that’s why it’s so great. This room is so serene and calm. Personally I find it very hard to feel relaxed, or focus and get any work done, if a room is cluttered. I feel like in this room I could either completely clear my mind, and/or really focus on the task at hand. Beautiful.
These images from the amazing 79 Ideas
Rue La La doesn’t often have furniture/home decor sales, so I thought I had to share this one with you, as it has some good steals in it. The sale features Safavieh furnishing, and best of all, some really glam rugs. If you like what you see – click on the following link to log in to Rue La La, or if you aren’t a member , sign up for free and get great discounts. Stuff sells out fast!
Click here to shop – http://www.ruelala.com/invite/decorology
I love this blue rug – reminds me of the rugs in Morocco. The rug prices vary, this one, at 3’9″ by 5’9″, is $129
The settee’s on sale for $1,499
This set of tables is $139
In Nesting Newbies, a shiny new online mag – lifestyle, food, entertaining, decor, etc. – they featured interior designer Jennifer Rowland Clapp and the magic she whipped up in the form of this gorgeous dining room. She shows – and tells- how to take the chintzy stuff you probably already have in your basement and turn it to a modern, glam set up. First – lets get your attention…
pretty right?
Jennifer’s favorite shopping resource is Etsy, and one of her tips is that “contrast is key, and her rules for achieving it: ‘reuse, repurpose, and have fun- balance, clean, modern pieces with ornate, vintage items; and don’t overload the table’.”
What I love about this look is that your stuff doesn’t need to match – in fact, it is the variety which creates a modern spin on the look.
In between hostel stays, Chris and I treated ourselves to a night in the Riad Lalla Mogador, in the city Essaouira. It’s actually priced really reasonably and just feels like a treat!
*please be patient during photo upload – I’ve specially uploaded higher-res images so you guys get extra detail! 🙂
Our room was very authentic and the furnishings reflected the craft/artisan trade that flourishes in Essaouira
Outside our room
Traditional Moroccan homes have no roof in the center, and an open courtyard area in the middle.
The second floor halls
Looking up from the second floor
Plenty of nooks to relax
You take your brunch on the roof, which has some great views – see the beach in the back?
See lots more gorgeous photos at their site, http://www.riadlalla-essaouira.com/
*All photos taken by my boyfriend, Chris
** I am by no means an expert and after 7 days of running around Morocco please feel free to correct me if any information I give in the Morocco Series is incorrect!
I know …Spring? Who am I kidding? It’s snowing outside right now as I’m typing. Maybe one day Spring will come, and when it does, you should try this really cute idea. It’s from Southern Living Feb. 2010, which revamped their look a few months ago, and I’m really liking all the issues so far!
These two photos are so pretty. If you have woods or trees on your property you could even create your own bouquets.
Click on the image above for a larger version with the names of the flowers. From top left: star magnolia, saucer magnolia, yoshino flowering cherry, flowering quince, forsythia, and eastern redbud (You can get these giant glass vases at vivaterra)
Click on each image above for a larger version of the instructions
This is a good idea- use strands of grapevine to support the stems. I like the look
Images via Southern Living Feb. 2010
After being in Spain, the land of gorgeous architecture, I stopped for a weekend in the land of comfort food -Boston. And at a hunger inducing 14 degrees, I was more than open to the idea of stopping in every cafe we walked by. Comfort was found in the form of cannolis, the foamiest chocolate drizzled cappuccinos one can find, and savory morning dim sum.
I was in Boston visiting my good friend from RISD, Liz – who is a very talented illustrator – see here, and has just started a great food blog. So if you’re ever in Boston, or live there, and need a restaurant recommendation – go to her blog, Chomp Chow Chew, for some great ideas- and a little appetite stimulus.
The pictures below are from my trip and can be found on Chomp Chow Chew.
Check out the cappuccino to the top left.
Read about our stop at Mike’s Pastry here.
I also had my first taste of Dim Sum! Read about it on the Dim Sum Sunday post.
mmmm…those dumplings would really hit the spot right now. Thanks for a wonderful time Liz!
Need I go into a lot of explanation? Very few people have enough kitchen space and we can all use a few new tricks to put up our sleeve.
I like this cabinet door that drops down and hides the mixer and/or toaster. Once those things (small kitchen appliances) go in a cupboard or in a drawer they aren’t coming back…
I like these floor to ceiling cabinets. They’re sleek with frosted glass – and the u-shaped shelves create even more space
organization is beautiful – beautiful is organization
If you are thinking or re-modeling – consider this sweet little coffee nook..
images above via BHG
tupperware is a nightmare – if you have a deep enough drawer, partition it if you can and create a “filing system” if you can. Put super small lids in their own little baskets.
Small kitchens cannot have enough hooks, bars, shelves – any device which lets you hang things or take items off the counter will not go unused.
Keep like items grouped – oils in their own container/basket, small bagged dry goods in another container/basket, etc.
An organizers dream cupboard…ahhh
via Real Simple
Since Maryland has experience record snowfall this year (more than Buffalo, Maine, and all the normal record makers), I thought it warranted some pics. My parent’s farm, where I’m living this year, is about 65 acres, located in Westminster. I don’t know the official accumulations – but once both blizzards passed through we were around 40″.
Poor Remi could only go where we had cleared a path. It meant it was harder for him to run off, though… hehe
A lot of snow had accumulated on one side of our roof, because there were strong winds, you can see at the top of the kitchen window all the snow!
From the top of the lane
Here’s the lane after the second round of snow and with all drifts created by the wind. You can see my mom at the very end.
The veggie garden and the chicken coop behind it.
A shot of our road after it was plowed.
