There are some people in the world who just go around doing lots of good. And there are others that go around doing lots of said good with a creative hand. My friend Heather Lipson Bell is one of those people. Not only a talented dancer/choreographer/artistic director in her own right whose creative inspiration seems to constantly runneth over, she has also headed up Performing Arts for All, a program dedicated to teaching dance to special needs performers, since 1996.
Heather has created a curriculum that teaches movement, dance and drama to children and adults with disabilities including Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, depression, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. She is one inspired and inspiring lady but I’m not just posting her praises here. Heather and her creative partner-in-crime, director Christine Deitner, are spearheading a Kickstarter campaign to help fund a documentary about this work entitled, Freeze! Try Again. This short dance doc will follow Heather and her dancers in their journey together in movement.
I’m blown away by her awesomeness. All this and she’s a mom. Heather and I first met dancing together in the late 90s alongside Placido Domingo in an L.A. Opera production of Samson & Delilah. We shared a dressing room, swapped stories while donning our harem pants and stage makeup, and have been friends ever since. Check out the project and please support if you are so inclined.
My gorgeous grandmother just celebrated her 89th birthday. Above, Joseph and Frances Thomson shortly after they were married. They are such a handsome couple, aren’t they? He left us too early but she has led an amazingly healthy and interested life. Interested, yes, that’s what I mean. My grandmother is one of the most interested people I know, the primary reason I believe that she has and continues to live a healthy and vibrant. Her curiosity and interests, and attention to detail have always inspired me.
Frances Thomson, born Frances Chapman of Haskell, Texas, is a Texan through and through with a quarter Native American thrown in for good measure. An inspiration to our entire family, she is a graceful, fun-loving and energetic woman of the world. At the risk of sounding like Willard Scott, she paints, she exercises regularly (and always has), she loves a cool breeze, the fall foliage, and Jackson Hole. She has amazing style, always looks spectacular and knows what her “colors” are. She’s right on too. A fan of bold Chinese red and autumnal tones, my grandmother knows how to put on the dog.
Meme, as we lovingly call her, has a deep love for the Southwest and its Native American handmade jewelry, she has quite the impressive collection. I once drove out to the Zia Pueblo near Santa Fe with her to collect a few silver and black onyx pieces made by a local tribeswoman. We sat in the jewelry maker’s pueblo surrounded by her own family and barking dogs out in the town square, the smell of sopapillas baking and Zia chiles roasting in her kitchen, as she showed us each carefully crafted piece. My grandmother pointed out all of the details in the work, teaching me once again through her eyes, that great importance of detail.
Meme has always loved to paint but as a working mother found it hard to keep up with. The balancing act, it seems, has always been a challenge- not just for recent generations. Our culture looks back to the 50s and early 60s as a time when all women stayed at home with their children, the Peggy Olsons of that world an anomaly. While it may be true that most did stay at home, a great number of women were out in the workforce. Meme worked 3 jobs at times trying to make ends meet while my grandfather ran his dry cleaning business. To hear my mom recall her childhood, they literally worked morning, day and night supporting their four children in their small West Texas town.
When I was a young girl, Meme picked up her palette and paintbrush again. I remember her showing me how to illustrate a flower. We sat at the bar in my childhood home where she patiently painted a perfect Iris with me. I still remember how to draw that flower though I sadly did not inherit her talent. She paints with watercolors and has a innate sense of color and composition. She handpaints the most beautiful Christmas cards and I look forward to mine each year, they are truly treasures to behold. I value the way she holds tight to the things that she loves, making them an active and important part of her life- her painting, her appreciation of the seasons, her love of handmade things. I think it’s easy to have an affinity for things but another to make them part of your life. She has belonged to an art class for decades with whom she took yearly trips up into the New Mexican mountains during the peak fall foliage for both painterly inspiration and simply to admire nature at its finest. She knows how to slow things down and really appreciate the small things that make up the bigger picture. I’ve heard the saying “God is in the details” also as “the Devil is in the details”. It’s funny how that latter version really turns me off and I end up subconsciously not befriending those that live by the latter. My grandmother is a woman who sees wonder in those details and is not daunted by them but instead, delighted.
Meme has a twinkle in her eye, a knack for unintentionally funny one-liners and an amazing way of completely ignoring matters that she does not approve of, blatantly ignoring them- works for her. She cracks us up and is our modern day heroine. She spent this past birthday with family, most of whom live in Texas (sigh- I was not there, I have always been the black sheep on the East Coast). I have missed too many of my grandmother’s birthdays and will be there for the next one when she leaves her decade as an Octogenarian and officially enters into her years as a Nonagearian, wow. What does that make me, a Trigenarian? Whatever it is, I’ll be there with bells on. Happy Birthday Meme, here’s to many more.
xoxo
Kelly
Meme and Daddy Joe at Los Angeles’ The Brown Derby circa the late 40s.
Outside of Anthropologie and a handful of talented designers on etsy, it’s hard to find affordable statement pieces. I was so happy to discover Loren Hope’s work and not feel like I was once again ogling baubles that were out of my reach. The color palate for these latest pieces are inspired by the Hubble telescope photos of the Carina Nebula. So… that makes them pretty and metaphysical (sort of), I like it.
1. Alex Necklace in Aurora: bad ass meets vintage detail.
3. Gwyneth Necklace: this Deco style looks like you scored it at an elusive vintage flea, but you really just went online.
4. Cora Necklace: this one reminds me of those beautiful Zuni Indian necklace shapes.
5. Clara Necklace in Electric Purple: I am the proud owner of this one, picked up from one of my favorite local shops here in the town that is Old at bishop boutique.
6. Maya Necklace in Iridescent: simple and pretty, it’ll go with your p.j.’s.
Happy Weekend dear readers. How great is this Minimalist Spook dining room. My good friend Kristen decorated this year at her 5 year-old son’s request. She lives in a beautiful Scandinavian-like home in Connecticut and did this just right, I think. I love her style.
What are you all up to this weekend? We’re going to the Circus! I cannot wait. This will be the bebes’ first time under the big top and we have ringside seats. I’m so curious as to what they will think of it all. They’re still pretty young so there’s no telling how long they’ll be game, if they’ll like it, be scared, I don’t know- all bets are off with two 16 month-old little people. Chances are one will love it and the other- not so much, that seems to be the way things go around here. Cin Cin and Happy Weekend!
What I’m Drinking This Weekend:
Cold Heaven Makepeace Pinot Noir: from the Santa Rita Hills in the Central Coast of Cali. Morgan Clendenden is in charge here. Yes, of those Clendendens. She’s married to wild man Jim, the legendary producer of Santa Barbara’s Au Bon Climat, one of the first wines made in the French style to really put the Central Coast on the international wine map. We served Au Bon Climat’s Chard at our wedding. Big fan.
I can’t get enough of the St. Rita hills ever really, but particularly at this time of year. Their pinots are earthly and mellow but yet bright with ripe fruit and spice. They don’t tend to carry that heavy barnyard note that Willamette Pinots do (though I love that too), these Pinots are of a different breed. They go terrifically with fall fare. I’m thinking about making a roast chicken with some roasted carrots and maybe some red roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary- a real roast fest to pair with this beauty. If you have any good roast chicken tips, please send them my way!
I’ve been visiting this wine region since I was an wee Angeleno back in the late 90s, just out of school. Dare I say, it is my most favorite wine region anywhere. A pre-Sideways devotee, I’m always true to these parts. With wacky Dutch-influenced Solvang a few miles down the road, the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, an ostrich farm and Pea Soup Anderson’s in nearby Buellton, this region is right up my alley. I’m a happy camper when the Santa Rita hills are in my house.
A Few Things:
1. A nice reminder of what the weekend is for via Kinfolk Magazine. It would be great to live the weekend this way at least once in a while.
2. I need to get myself an espresso maker on the double so that I mix up these bad boys- Easy Espresso Martinis- a fun idea for a late Sunday brunch party.
3. These Halloween looks are killing me. Little Miss Wintour. Toddlers as fashion icons- come on- these are great. Oh Happy Day rocks out the homemade Halloween goodness with killer creativity and style- three cheers for Jordan Ferney. (Her artist hubby, Paul Ferney, is creating a canvas of our bebes for Christmas via his Commission Project- I can’t wait to see it, what a talented couple). Check out these great homemade Halloween looks via her blog as well- I love that robot, so old school.
4. The ultimate IKEA hack, this kids’ bike was purchased as a stool. Yes, you read that right. I would like to meet the mind of the person that thought this up. Talk about thinking outside the box- how do you look at a stool and think- bike!? I love it.
5. These shoes. Not in the budget I’m afraid, but a girl can dream.
6. This clutch. From one of my favorite etsy shops, somebody better buy this before me.
7. Holy fall feast- I made this salivatingly good mushroom herb lasagna this week via this month’s issue of Sunset Magazine. Made with béchamel sauce and lots of fresh herbs, it’s is completely awesome. For those of you who read this blog, you know I love my Sunset Magazine. It’s a hold-over I think from all the dreamy western trips I took as a kid. That and my mother-in-law used to save her issues and give them to me each month. After she passed away, I subscribed myself and look forward to it every month. For me, their recipes have never failed to make our mouths very happy. I love their travel, wine, interior and outdoor features as well. Big fan, all around.
8. This is hilarious. Real men posing like male underwear models. Bravo guys!
Russian billionaire Dmitry Itskov has vowed to cure death within the next three decades with his “2045 Initiative”. Say what? It’s all very Avatar involving cyborgs and the “quantum nature of consciousness” and the like. Trippy.
Paintbrush-free indigo mountains by artist Lynn Pollard. These are so dreamy and zen-ful. Lynn paints the mountains near her Atlanta home using a special dipping technique the involves a vat of dye and paper- no paintbrushes here. Check out her work at u-gallery.
For all of us that fancy ourselves little Liebowitzes, here’s an easy guide to shooting interiors that I find works well with other still life too. I love that stick figure drawing. I’ve caught myself in that position on the floor many times never to any success.
Diesel has launched a home collection. Look at this crazy couch!
A Francophilian playlist via Anthropologie. I’m always in the mood for some Frenchie tunes. I’ve been listening to the bebes French music lately. They take a little French class every Wednesday morning which is hilarious. They bop around and listen to tunes, play with a giant marionette and tiny papillons. It’s super cute although I’m not sure they’re really learning anything, they do love it. I love it too though mostly I sit there in a full-out sweat hoping that my little man doesn’t throw a fit when he has to put back his rubber serpent or vache. Mon Dieu!
{Images: Halloween Dining Room: Kristen Schaefer, Matches: Kinfolk, Espresso Martini: Emma Chapman, Lasagna: Annabella Breakey, Mini Anna: Sarah Hebenstreit, Ikea Bike Hack: Coroflot}
For some reason, most don’t think of the kitchen as a place for art but I think it’s a great place for a little visual inspiration. The kitchen is such a sensory place (smells, textures, smoke, flames- the list goes on), why not add another element to the mix. I am not the proud owner of any of these darling prints, but I do have this handy print from Nashville’s Hatch Show Print hanging in my kitchen. Sidebar: If you love woodblock printing, letterpress and great design and find yourself in Nashville anytime soon, you must visit Hatch Show Print. They have designed all of the original show posters for the Ryman Theater for decades, their work is inspired and original. But back to the work at hand… some details:
Lemon Print by Tonje Holand and Ingrid Reithaug. This Norwegian duo has a way with fruit.
Citrus by Anna Bond. Anna and her husband own Rifle Paper Co., a great little design company whose paper goods I frequently ogle. I love this sweet print and its muted pastels.
Club Soda you ask? Si. Club Soda. We’re cookin’ it up old school Tuscan style. Those centrally located Italians know how to fry up a vegetable. This two ingredient batter (club soda + flour) is sort of like the Italian version of tempura, just a wee bit thicker.
I don’t pretend to have learned this on my own, though I wish I could say I spent years in the Tuscan countryside apprenticing the best (one day), I picked this one up from Master Sommelier Richard Betts, who apparently can cook too. There’s a great article on Betts in this month’s Food & Wine where he cooks up a feast for sore eyes at a friend’s Sonoma Valley home. I tried his fig with ricotta and honey recipe as well, future post to come- big fan of the figs and SO easy!
For now, let’s talk squash. I’ve found my new favorite way to prepare this fall veggie, it’s so tasty it has earned a spot on my Thanksgiving table. The club soda gives makes for a fluffy battered texture while keeping it crisp and those bits of fried sage are heaven.
Disclaimer: I realize my food photography here leaves a bit to be desired (I’m working on my skills- nighttime cooking and lack of lighting proves to be challenging for this iPhone photog, but trust me these squash fritters are delectable), here’s a proper photo of the finished product.
RECIPE via Food & Wine:
Richard Betts’ Squash Fritters and Fried Sage
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
What You Need:
Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups seltzer or club soda, chilled
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds kabocha squash or sugar pumpkin—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch-thick wedges
1/2 cup sage leaves
Flaky sea salt and lemon wedges, for garnish
What You Do:
In a saucepan, heat 1 inch of oil to 360°. In a bowl, whisk the flour and 1 1/4 cups of the seltzer until smooth and the consistency of sour cream; add more seltzer if the batter is too thick. Season with salt.
Working in 3 or 4 batches, dip the squash and some of the sage in the batter; let excess batter drip off. Carefully add the battered squash and sage, and some uncoated sage leaves, to the hot oil. Fry over moderately high heat, turning, until lightly golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the fried squash and sage to paper towels to drain. Season with sea salt and serve right away with lemon wedges.
What I’m Drinking:
That Bandol Domaine Tempier Rosé that I’m always waxing poetic about, but any rosé is a perfect match. If you go with a Tavel rosé, you usually cannot go wrong.
My friend Lora’s daughter Lola is turning one this month and she is throwing her a super cute Pumpkin Patch Birthday Party. I love the idea, I only wished I lived closer so that I could see it in person. She asked me to put together some ideas for Lola’s big day, so here are a few things that caught my eye. There are some fun ideas here for an adult autumn-themed party as well.
DECORATE
Stack them, group them, write on them, fashion them into flowerpots, and make a pretty wreath out of the minis- there are so many fun ways to utilize your main party prop.
A pumpkin as a flowerpot- sweet. Grab some sunflowers or wild flowers from your local farmer’s market and trim the stems so that they just peep out.
I never think to write on a pumpkin, but I love the way this looks. You could welcome your party guests this way, paint your little one’s name, Happy Birthday, or their age on a pretty pumpkin. I love cursive on a pumpkin.
Stock up on lost of pretty pumpkins (I am partial to these Cinderella pumpkins they always have at Trader Joe’s). Grouped together and stacked on top of each other, they make for instant decor- very bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.
Get yourself some hay bales, arrange them in a semi-circle, throw in some pumpkins and call it a pumpkin patch complete with comfy straw seating.
Bust out the paint and bump up the glam.
Chalk Painted Pumpkins: For a matte and sophisticated look, these pumpkins are gourd-geous. (sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Metallic Painted Pumpkins: I like the neutral tone of these metallic beauties, they would look great on a mantle.
Graphic Painted Pumpkins: chevrons are fun but I love plain old stripes, thin stripes, bold stripes any stripe is fun.
Lighting really is everything, isn’t it.
Martha Stewart shows us how to DIY an ordinary paper lantern into a pumpkin lanterns or you could just buy these pre-made Pumpkin Paper Lanterns and save yourself the effort. Affordable and cute, these lanterns would be so pretty strung indoors or outdoors.
Fairy lights: a must if you’re outdoors and your party goes through the early evening. These are available everywhere, I love their round, globe shape. You can get them at ebay, Pottery Barn, Amazon- anywhere.
Autumn Luminarias: I love a luminaria (I have a thing for Santa Fe so of course I do). What a great idea for fall.
Celestial Pumpkins: Just a few dots and zigzags will really give your pumpkins a sophisticated luminescence.
Squash Jack-O-Lanterns: these oblong gourds are just asking to be carved into these cute ghostly jack-o-lanterns. I love the way they look.
Ok, I know it’s a children’s birthday party, but this is my blog afterall. I know many parents who choose not to cater to the adults at their children’s parties and really want it to be about the kids. I think that’s awesome and wish I were that noble. In the meantime, pour me a drink.
A few ideas for a quick bar/food table: it’s all about tin, reclaimed wood and hay. One or all of those elements is pretty great.
Tin is a great look for a rustic pumpkin patch party. I love the tin garbage can table. Using the trash cans for the base is genius. A festive tablecloth could mask an unsightly piece of plywood that would do the job just fine. Cute. And that tin trough with the reclaimed wood piece on top is beautiful if you could find a cool piece of wood or an old door. The hay bales and wood top are great and easy too.
The thermoses adorned with nifty tags are a great reminder that this IS a kid’s party and that is what matters most.
You could go a little overboard with all the hay, but if you’re not using it elsewhere and want a seated table, this is pretty cute. The simple white tablecloth kind of makes it. If there kiddos are tiny, I probably wouldn’t do a table but for older kids, I like this idea.
S’mores Pops: let’s face it, s’mores are awesome and cake pops are awesome, this combination is pretty fun.
Candy Corn Coconut Orange Jello Bites: you can also add some alcohol to these and put a few on the bar but that may be asking for trouble. The recipe here calls for alcohol, you can easily omit it.
Salted Caramel Apples: because come on- what’s a pumpkin patch party without some candy apples?
We’re keeping it simple because this is a kid’s party not a 5 course meal. Easy to eat soup, stew, cheese and crackers, crudite and cheese sandwiches sound like a winning combo to me.
A Shot of Carrot Soup: I like the cinnamon stick and flag detail.
Jack-o-lantern Cheese Sandwiches: I want one. Use some nice thickly sliced cheddar to make your life a little easier.
Turkey Chili Bar: everyone loves a chili bar.
Arrange your crudite in the shape of a pumpkin, it will get messed up pretty quickly but it was cute while it lasted.
Look at that cheeseball. I dig it. Stick a stalk of celery on top and call it a pumpkin.
Sugar Free Carrot Cake: Call me what you will (no fun, a killjoy) but I just couldn’t stomach feeding my bebes a super sugary cake on their first birthday. Sure they’ve tried a spoonful of ice cream here and there, but they’re still not on the sugar train- I’m hoping to keep them off of it for as long as I can. I baked the bebes this carrot cake (with finely chopped raisins) with this cream cheese frosting. All sugar free, no Stevia- only honey which is a great substitute provided they are not allergic.
Apple Cider Donut Cake: For the adults, not that you don’t have enough sweets on the table, but again what good is a pumpkin patch party without an apple cider donut? I would stack your donuts in a tower-shaped cake so that guests can pick their donut of choice. It’s cakey, it’s fall-like, it’s kind of the perfect cake.
Pumpkin Pie in a Jar- this is genius. If this is your child’s 1st birthday party, let’s face it, his or her friends don’t need a favor, but their parents do. I love the detail of the wooden spoon as well.
DRINK:
In addition to the juice, milk and water for the kids, serve a little mulled apple cider, beer and wine.
The Beer:
Pumpkin Ale, of course. If you read this blog, you know I am on a pumpkin ale kick. Offer some of the usual suspects too. I would definitely serve up the Cinnamon Pumpkinhead that I featured yesterday. Simple, easy and festive. This is a no-bartender-required drink. Just rim the glasses with sugar, fill a few with pumpkin ale and leave the rest in your ice bucket. The guests will know what to do and you won’t have to fret making drinks.
The Vino:
Keep it simple. There are probably lots of sweet treats on the table so you don’t want anything too tannic or super dry. Your best choice is a sparkling- I always say, the bubbly is your best friend, it will go with everything. I would serve up a good and inexpensive Cava or Cremant. Have a few bottles of white and red on hand too, just in case your guest don’t like bubbles (who in the world that might be, I’m not sure but you never know). I would go with a For vino, I would stock my bar with a pretty floral white like a Southern French blend, a Vinho Verde from Portugal would be perfect too. For reds, I would keep it light and not too dry. A Beaujolais Cru or Red Burgundy would be nice. Head to your favorite wine shop and ask for good representations of the following wines:
Spanish Cava
Vinho Verde
Languedoc White Blend
Beaujolais Cru
PLAY:
Paint Your Pumpkins: more fun and less hazardous than carving, let the kiddos get creative (and messy), I love the fluorescent paint.
Candy Corn Toss: so cute and fun. Just pick up a piece of plywood, paint and cutout. Small beanbags for the toss can be found here.
Red Wagon Hay Rides: this is a must. If you don’t have a radio flyer wagon, pick one up for “hay rides” around your backyard (if you have one, if not you could try pulling the little ones through your living room- I’m sure it’s been done). Throw a couple of small pumpkins and some hay in there and call it a day. Instant entertainment.
Bobbing for Apples: it just never gets old, does it and it’s always funny.
Pin the Patch on the Scarecrow: this one comes straight from my brain. Stuff a scarecrow and hitch him to your fence (again, if you have a yard- if not, your fireplace? your bolted-into-the-wall bookshelf?). Fashion a little fabric patch for his pocket and play.
And that’s all she wrote (and found). Let me know what you think? I’d love to hear of any other ideas you might have for this party. Happy Birthday Lola!
{Images and Credits: Pumpkin Butter Quick Bread Bars: Garnish with Lemon, Pumpkin Cake Pops: The Squeaky Grocery Cart, Pumpkin Pull Apart Cake: Kate Sears, Peanut Butter Pumpkins: Paper Jewels, Candy Corn toss and Pumpkin Place Setting: Frog Prince Paperie, Bar Setup: bjdhausdesign, Pumpkin and Roses Party: hostess with the mostess blog, DIY lanterns, Pumpkin Party Cooler, Glitter Pumpkins, Celestial Pumpkins, Autumn Luminarias, Squash Jack-O-Lanterns: MarthaStewart.com, Wagon: SouthernHospitality blog, tin bar and bucket: Better Homes and Gardens, Pumpkin Ice Bucket: Southern Living, Tin trash can table: Better Homes and Gardens, Thermoses- Better Homes and Gardens, Pumpkin Cheese Sandwich: Better Homes and Gardens, Pumpkin Cheeseball and Flowerpot Pumpkin: Kara’s Party Ideas & Michelle Levesque, Pumpkin Pie in a Jar and Shot Glass Soup: Melody Appel at Innove Events, Haystack Table: Frost Me Blog, S’Mores Pops: Ali Ebright, Chalk Painted Pumpkins: perfectly imperfect blog, Pumpkin Veggie: homemadecrap, Haystack Seating: babybalice, Apple Cider Float: Rachel Ray magazine, Metallic Pumpkins: The Handmade Home, Candy Corn Jello Shots: That’s So Michelle, Apple Cider Donuts: Smitten Kitchen}
This one comes from my sister in law, mixologist extraordinaire, Lauren Crandall. She served this up last weekend at a family gathering to much fanfare. Simple and easy, I thought it was delicious too- so seasonal and share-worthy.
The Cinnamon Pumpkinhead- pumpkin ale with a cinnamon sugar rim. That’s it, easy peasy. Made with Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale, the beer itself is the perfect balance of spice and sweet and rimmed with cinnamon sugar, it’s a festive, fun and a hit with a crowd. This would be fun to serve to the parents at your Halloween party, not hard-hitting enough to impair your parental judgement but stiff enough to take the edge off the kiddos’ decibel level. This one’s also great for a Saturday college game day- bumps up your beer drinking to a whole new level.
Easy enough to put together, the tough part is locating the Shipyard Ale. I found it here at Total Wine. If you can’t find it, any Pumpkin Ale will do. I am partial to Brooklyn Brewery’s Post Road Pumpkin Ale.
What You Need:
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 Cup White Granulated Sugar
Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale or another tasty Pumpkin Ale
A Wide-Mouthed Stemmed Glass- it’s always all about the glassware isn’t it. A good glass makes everything taste delicious.
What You Do:
1. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and whisk together.
2. Wet the rim of the glass with a bit of the ale.
3. Dip your glass into the bowl and turn as the cinnamon sugar adheres to it.
4. Pour the Pumpkin Ale into the sugar rimmed glass and voilá.
Happy Weekend dear readers. ‘Tis the season for apple cider donuts. I might try my hand at these little beauties handmade by Smitten Kitchen. Or, I might just pick some up at the Del Ray Farmer’s Market on Saturday, they are awfully good.
I hope you are all off to a fun weekend. Any big plans? My hubby is out of town this weekend on a writing retreat so I’ll be hanging solo with the bebes. This part of the country is loaded down with fall festivals galore at this time of year (seriously, it’s kind of out of control) so I think we’ll hit up the Del Ray Arts Festival which we can walk to (love that- makes me feel like a New Yorker again for a minute) and maybe the Fairfax Fall Fest to get a sense of life in the ‘burbs. Deep breath. The ‘burbs are in my imminent future, I’m trying to dip my toes in as opposed to diving in head first, which is my normal m.o. What are you all up to?
My Weekend Sip:Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose ’12. So, it’s not rosé season- who says? I personally love the pink drink year round. This one is my all-time favorite. From the Peyraud and Tempier family in Bandol, this one sings with hints of chocolate and spice. Yes, you read that right. It’s a little heartier than your run of the mill rosé, a nice companion to a fall feast. It’s a little pricey but if you’re hosting guests or just want a special treat, you’ll be so happy you sprung for this bottle. I talk about this wine a lot on this blog, I’m absolutely in love with it, its owners (Lulu is an inspiration) and its history. $39
A little link love and a few things that caught my eye:
1. I have got to get myself to a theater stat to see Gravity. This movie looks amazing. We have tried hard not to watch too many previews but the images look pretty astounding. I’ll see anything Clooney does, the guy never makes a misstep, and this one really looks magical.
2. I’m not sure that I’ll be plunking down $150 for an Italian cashmere onesie anytime soon, but I sure do like the looks of J.Crew’s new baby line. I’m just glad they didn’t have this line when I was pregnant, talk about el-broko.
3. If you’re a sucker for steak frites, a late night and live in the Bay area, you’re in luck. Alice Waters has just reintroduced late night steak frites at Chez Panisse, a long lost tradition there not seen since 1974. Monday through Thursday nights.
4. There are those brush strokes again. I tell you- frustrated abstract artist right here folks. I love this pretty iPad clutch. What I love even more- the color palette, inspiration for my next living room.
6. Call me predictable for the Pinterest set, but I can’t help but follow tales and adventures in the City of Lights- especially culinary ones. I religiously troll through David Lebowitz’s Instagram photos and love reading about parents and their bebes in Paris. A fun post by Joy Cho about her recent gastronomic adventures with her little one in Paris. I love that they toted their own highchair with them to local restaurants.
If you’re headed to the twinkly French city anytime soon and love a wine bar but don’t want to blow your budget, check out this new breed of wine bars in Paris. Spend a mere 4 euros on a glass of Burgundy at Ambassade de Bourgogne or pay retail price (unheard of, right) for a bottle at Le Verre Volé. Can’t get into Le Chateaubriand? Saddle up to the bar at Inaki Aizpitarte’s Le Dauphine for the second seating around 9:30.
And another thing:
To rid yourself of those annoying robo calls, the geniuses at nomorobo (i kind of love that name) have invented a service that claims to rid your voicemail of them for eternity. I’m a bit doubtful but it’s worth a shot.
Quote of the Week:
I was strolling the bebes down King Street yesterday and an older woman in her late 80s who looked like a more angelic version of Aunt Bea stopped me to ask if the kiddos were twins. I told her yes and she said that she had twins herself. “The first few months were hell.” I knew right then I loved her so and wished we were related. I really do love the elders, they are the most badass of us all.
Let’s talk shelter. Have you heard that Domino is back? Woohoo. Michelle Adams is taking over the helm at the editor’s desk which explains her sly exit from Lonny, the online shelter mag that she founded with Patrick Cline. That’s her pictured above in her official announcement to the world via Instagram.
Domino will be published quarterly at $12/an issue which has already generated criticism from folks like Design Sponge’s Grace Bonney, who told the New York Times she wished the magazine was “more substantial” at that price tag. There could be a conflict of editorial integrity as the magazine sets its sights on e-commerce becoming an online storefront. Domino will now offer direct purchase via their website to goods by Jonathan Adler and the like, hoping to make a profit on the markup. The question remains- can Domino stay relevant and cool while trying to locate and retail high volume pieces? Hmmm. We’ll see, it’s a new world, folks. What do you say, game changer or clunker?
While we wait for the Domino site to launch (later today), I have a new favorite shelter goods site I’d like to talk about. I know, there’s one every day right? How in the world does one keep track of all the interior goodness out there? The anti-theseis to the new Domino, this one bodes one of a kind pieces direct from owner to buyer. I was led to Chairish by way of Emily Henderson’s blog. I love her styling ways and she is currently holding a garage sale of sorts via the site. Sort of an uber-edited ebay/craigslist with lower price tags- a poorer man’s 1st Dibs, I like this shop.
Chairish bodes lots of great pieces for the home- everything from stylish upholstered headboards to affordable abstract art to Bobby Short’s piano chair (seriously). Some things are still a bit pricey but you can find some deals if you hunt and peck. I found the Room and Board Architecture bed below for $650 (retails for $1499)- a deal if you live in the Bay Area. Even if you’re not in the market for a vintage dentist chair or a brass elk head, it’s still fun to look.
A few favorite finds:
1. Pink and Black Abstract Circle Print- love the colors, love the swirliness, would love this in my abode. This one is unframed so shipping is not so bonkers.
2. Handmade Beaded Chandelier- I’m in love with this. With this hanging in my house, I could pretend I was living in Laurel Canyon circa 1974. Dig. It. (also, it’s only $380- that’s like a West Elm pendant- not a huge commitment if you’re a little commitment-phobic).
3. Bobby Short’s Piano Chair- for real folks. I would jump on this thing if I had $1600 to spare. What a piece to behold. I saw Bobby Short play at the Carlyle in the late 90s, it was an unforgettable evening. That dude had some serious swank.
4. Geometric Olive Chain Pattern Dhurrie Rug- this is unbelievable. A Turkish rug with this delicious pattern newly marked down to $285. ($39 to ship). I seriously might have to buy this one for future use- would be great underneath a dining table or in T’s room.
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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