Monthly Archives: September 2011
Gather: Sip ‘N Chat
| September 21, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under cocktails, Eat, Explore, Gather, Hostess, See and Do, so-cal local |
How often do you get to taste really fancy wine? If you’re me, the answer is almost never. So I’m excited about the Green Drinks event happening tomorrow night at the OC Wine Mart in Irvine. I will be sampling some expensive wines for a fraction of the cost because the wine bar has this nifty sampler machine
image courtesy of dealperk.com
where you slide in a wine card and push some buttons (like the refrigerator in The Jetsons) and out comes delicious vino. If only it cubed the cheese too…
So that’s where I will be tomorrow evening from 6-8pm and if you’re in the OC area why not come say hello? If not, I suggest you have your own little wine party with a couple close pals and some easy appetizers like these:
- Baked Brie with Honey, Walnuts and French Bread
- Bruschetta – Chop tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt & pepper marinated in a bit of olive oil)
- Olives – Grab a mixture from the olive bar at your local grocery. I like the Nicoise, Kalamata and Sicilan Green.
- Salami – A favorite of many, I can’t recommend one because I don’t eat it but if you do I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
As for wine, well, that depends on what kind of snob you are. I think getting 1-2 bottles of decent wine and a bottle of cheap wine will have you covered. You could also have a wine pot luck and get your friends to each bring a bottle and you’ll really be covered. Maybe too covered. Don’t forget you have to go to work tomorrow.
Have fun!
Nurture: The Joy of Daily Rituals
| September 19, 2011 | Posted by Guest of the Day under bathroom, cleaning, cooking, Eat, food, Guest Bloggers, Home, Inspiration, Mind, Nurture, Sustainable Living |
Hi all! I’m Susi and I usually write for Design Shuffle, a social media site that promotes interior designers from around the world. Today I’m excited to be a guest here at Inspired Design Daily, talking about finding joy in everyday tasks.
When I started writing, all I could think of was how much I hate doing the dishes. I know nobody likes it, but I really hate it! But like any chore, there is something to be said for the satisfaction you get from a job well-done. This inspired me to try changing my perspective a bit, and find joy in making normal day-to-day activities feel more like a luxurious ritual.
Now Public via
Ah, the morning cup of coffee. So much more enjoyable when had out of a nice mug, while reading the paper rather than drinking it in the car as you rush to work.
Remodelista via
Elevate daily bathing with a beautiful bathroom. Indulge in the best towels you can afford. Treat yourself to luxurious bath products and scents to create an environment of pampering. I love these organic cotton spa towels from VivaTerra.
Haute Living via
Lunch. A boring sandwich is, well, boring. Making a sandwich or salad with delicious, fresh ingredients from a local market can elevate your spirits as well as nourish your body.
Homestead Blogger via
Nothing smells better than linens dried outside, and there’s is something therapeutic about hanging your laundry on a clothesline in the afternoon sun.
DIY Life via
Something about making the switch from commercial chemical cleaning products to homemade cleaners made cleaning more enjoyable for me.
See Bio via
One of my favorite rituals is gardening. Harvesting vegetables and picking flowers are the best parts of having a garden but even the daily acts of weeding and watering brings me joy.
Made Differently via
Cook. Bake. Eat. Be inspired by local, fresh ingredients for your meals. Cook as a family or couple once in a while to share the burden joy of cooking.
Pretty Ditty via
And finally, the daily dishes. While I’ll never love doing them, I discovered that I do love colorful, patterned, frilly rubber gloves. Wearing these puts a smile on my face.
Susi is a fabulous writer for Design Shuffle which is a central place for finding top interior designs from coast to coast – New York interior designers to San Francisco interior designers and more. Susi has a background in art history, auctions, and antiques, and a passion for decorating ideas. She is passionate about interior design, home furnishings, gardening and art and you can tell by her writing.
Design: Could You Live Here?
| September 16, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Design, design history, interiors |
I was instantly drawn to this gorgeous room of the Chateau de Fleury, featured in the recent issue of Elle Decor.
image from Inspiration Library
It’s a private home and I immediately fell for the woodwork on the cabinetry along the back wall, the architectural mouldings and, of course, that painted ceiling. I flashed back to previously life where I may have lived here, the days when I wore petticoats, walked arm-in-arm with friends through the garden and pined away for a man who I could never be with. Such a romantic, tortured life…
But then I was thinking, could I really live in a place like this today? I love me some traditional design, and the craftsmanship of period design is unbeatable. But in order to live in a really historic home you’d have to be comfortable living in historic style. My lifestyle is pretty casual – I like to sit on anything my butt can reach, my husband leaves his stuff wherever he’s standing at the moment, and we don’t even own a proper set of coasters. And don’t get me started on the dog. No, I think I’m better off admiring these gorgeous spaces from afar and letting the truly charmed ladies and gentlemen (such as Chateau owner Charles de Ganay) give them their proper.
So what do you think, could you live here?
Eat: Crunch Monster
| September 15, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under cooking, Eat, edible thursday, food, Inspiration |
I’ve been a bad, bad girl. I’ve been eating like crazy lately. In my house I’m famous for saying “I’m busy eating my feelings” and lately my feelings are on overdrive. One thing I’ve noticed with feelings is that cravings are usually directly related to them. For example: wanting soft, creamy food goes along with loneliness or sadness. Chewiness helps boredom and crunchy food gets out all that stress.
image courtesy of keyvive.com
So my need for constant crunching these last few weeks goes right along with the anxious, stressful energy I’ve been carrying around (and clearly dealing very well with). And these cravings know no end – they’re sweet crunchy, salt crunchy, spicy crunchy…they’re like a crunch monster living inside my belly.
I’ve got to come up with a way to deal with this -other than eating myself into oblivion – but in the meantime it would be good if I could find some kind of snack that would satisfy the monster without taking me up a pant size. I have an idea. Popcorn. It’s got the crunch, and is totally versatile for me to play it up the way I want it. And there’s built-in portion control when you pop it yourself. Here’s some ideas:
Spice Monster: Kickin’ Corn
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp Paprika, 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp Chili Powder and a little bit of Sea Salt on 2 cups popped Popcorn. If you want to take it a step further, squeeze some fresh lime on it.
Salt Monster: Buttered
Like vanilla ice cream, sometimes you just gotta go with the classic.
Sweet Monster: Cinnamon Chocolate Popcporn
Combine 1/4 confectioner sugar, 2 tbsp ground chocolate chips, 1.5 tsp cocoa powder, and sprinkle cinnamon to taste in a container that can be tightly sealed. Add 2-4 cups popcorn and drizzle a little butter. Seal container and shake to coat.
Salty/Sweet Monster: Honey Popcorn Balls
Preheat oven to 325. In a saucepan, melt and stir together 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup honey with 1/2 tsp Sea Salt and a splash of vanilla extract.
Put approx 6 cups popped popcorn in a casserole dish and pour the melty mixture evenly over the top. Bake the mixture until it’s golden and thick, stir about every 5 minutes.
Let the mixture cool just enough so that you can handle it and form into bite size balls. Yum.
Design: Where’s All The Missoni?
| September 14, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under accessories, Design, fashion, interiors |
I’m so dumb. I wrote a blog post last week about the launch of a Missoni for Target collection that came out September 13. I wrote it like I had somehow, through my superior design sleuthing, become privy to a secret that was about to unleash on the design world. And I had every intention of marching into that store yesterday to photo document my findings so I could do a follow up post on what I really thought about the pieces once I saw them in person. But if you listened to the news yesterday (which I didn’t), you already know that pretty much everyone in the world was aware of this and had already bought the farm before I even got out of bed.
Yeah. That’s a completely empty shelf at 11AM, just 2 hours after the store opened. As I was standing there taking my photo, 3 hawks swooped in and took a few plates and as soon as I got the shot 1 lady grabbed those remaining small plates.
Every section of the store was the same. The displays were getting pilfered as I tried to photo the carnage and, as usual in human nature, people who didn’t even know what the deal was were coming over and picking up anything they could get their hands on. I talked to a girl who said she was on hold with Target online for an hour that morning trying to order and finally gave up. The online store was flooded to the point where they would only let people in once someone left. Like a hot new bar. It went on like that all day. But I didn’t know, I just thought it would be a fun way to spend my lunch hour, plus I had to pick up a prescription.
My favorite was the shoe incident.
I think these are adorable, but only available in size 11 (no chance in hell of finding my size there). I leaned down to get my picture and felt heavy breathing on my neck. When I stepped back there was a mob behind me – apparently clamoring for these shoes. I watched as the savages took every last pair of shoes on that shelf with no regard to what size they were…it didn’t matter, they just had to have them.
Animals! I bow to the Marketing Gods who did this. I’m impressed and disgusted at the same time. What I saw was nice – the quality I’ve come to expect from Target’s nicer brands. It was colorful and fun, great packaging and displays, and I was really glad that the candles were soy.
They had a few pillows left, but not for long. That’s where I met the girl who sat on hold all morning, and she snatched a bunch of these puppies up. I like the felt ribbons, colorful and really bright but a great texture for fall. Not really my color palette though…neon green and pink bring me back to some outfits I wish I hadn’t worn as a kid.
So that’s my story. What’s yours?
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