DISCOVERY: THE SMITTEN KITCHEN COOKBOOK

November 7, 2012

I love to cook at home but don’t do it nearly as much as I’d like to. I’m definitely one of those people that needs a recipe and am terrible at planning menus ahead of time. This tends to result in last minute trips to the grocery store for obscure exotic spices that I’m pretty sure most people don’t keep in their pantries regularly.

I have noticed that I’m happier and feel healthier when I cook meals at home rather than ordering We The Pizza (whoops did that last night) or picking up noodles from Toki Underground. In an effort to get back to the kitchen I’ve been visiting my local farmers market (H Street FreshFarm Market ) on the weekends and adding more and more food blogs to my google reader.

Smitten Kitchen has quickly become one of my favorites and I was thrilled to learn its author, Deb Perelman, has come out with a cookbook, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. I’m planning to order a copy ASAP–which I’m sure will quickly end up dogeared and splattered with various ingredients–but isn’t that how cookbooks should be?

P.S I really loved reading all of the recipes you’ve tried and loved in yesterday’s Let’s Chat! Do you have any food blog suggestions that I should be adding to my reader? I’m sure my boyfriend would be forever grateful. He’s pretty excited about the promise of more homemade meals!

LET’S CHAT

November 6, 2012

Have you done your civic duty and are in need of a break from partisan politics? Me too, so let’s chat. It’ll be more fun than waiting for the poll numbers to come in. Promise.

Here’s the deal: I’ve answered a few questions below and hope you’ll do me one better by sharing your answers in the comments section.

ME
I collect: tortoise glass, statement jewelry, design books
Words to live by: Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful
Favorite place I’ve traveled/place I’d like to travel: Antigua/Greece
Biggest risk I’ve taken: a leap of faith.. but more on that to come!
Item on my wish list: Anthropologie Everjade necklace
Recipe I made and loved: corn and cheese chowder

YOU
I collect:
Words to live by:
Favorite place I’ve traveled/place I’d like to travel:
Biggest risk I’ve taken:
Item on my wish list:
Recipe I made and loved:

I can’t wait to read your responses!

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STYLE ICON: MARISA BERENSON

November 5, 2012

Marisa Berenson: A Life in Pictures was released last year but I’m just now adding it to my bookshelf. The model/actress exudes glamour and her life as a seventies ‘It Girl’ certainly seems like a charmed one. Photographed by virtually every famous photographer of the last few decades, I’m sure the editors at Rizzoli had no shortage of material in putting this book together! Here are a few interesting tidbits I picked up while reading up on her amazing life:

Legendary fashion designer and rival of Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, was her grandmother
Her christening photo appeared in Vogue
Diana Vreeland discovered her at age 16
Yves Saint Laurent called her “the girl of the 1970s”
She was also known as “Queen of the Scene”
Andy Warhol photographed her wedding

Ohh to be so stylish!

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IN PURSUIT

November 1, 2012

It’s the first day of November and the weather seems to have turned to winter overnight. The grey sky and chilly temperature have me craving inky blues, greys, and a little bit of sparkle.

These Tory Buch Eddie flats tick all those boxes quite nicely, don’t you think? For more budget friendly accessories I have my eye on this snakeskin clutch and Bauble Bar necklace. I also wouldn’t mind adding Bobbi Brown’s black oyster palette to my make up bag. Maybe I should master a smokey eye that doesn’t resemble a black eye first…

Shades of blue and grey also pair nicely in the home. I’m obsessed with the idea of this flora and fauna fabric paired with a ticking stripe. Throw in Lief Shop’s amazing (and seasonally appropriate) vase and you’ve got one chic room!

DISCOVERY: L-ATITUDE EVIL EYE BRACELETS

October 31, 2012

grey | purple | blue

These evil eye bracelets from L-Atitude have taken my weakness for statement jewelry to a whole new level. Both elegant and exotic, I imagine you would get stopped often when wearing one of these. If you haven’t been introduced to L-Atitude, it’s one of my go-to’s for a well curated selection of goods from around the globe.

I’m not doing nearly as much (read: none) globe-trotting as I’d like to, so shopping their site is as close to a bazaar as I’m going to get. Regardless, I’d gladly take home one these bracelets as a souvenir. The combination of silk ribbon, turquoise, and pearls is stunning!

Now for a tough question: which color would you choose?