Monthly Archives: October 2011
Create: Le Spooky Salon
| October 19, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under autumn, Celebrate, do-it-yourself, Eat, food, Gather, Have Fun, inspired life series, le salon, Mind, Projects, Seasonal |
Nearly a year ago, my creative lady pals and I decided to start holding secret meetings to determine the future of the world…under the guise of crafting. It has since been known as Le Salon: a Gathering place for us to share ideas, swap stories and complete a project in the process. From truffles to lip balm to canning preserves, Le Salon has helped us learn a lot from each other – and we always leave inspired.
Last weekend we got in the Halloween spirit (pardon the pun) by carving pumpkins, sipping spiked cider, and munching on some delicious food.
Like the Apple Tart I mentioned last week…
Or savory Butternut Squash Soup
And fresh heirloom tomatoes topped with basil and goat cheese…OMG so good!
Sadly I do not have a photo of the Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt, Pumpkin Seed and Almond Bark because it has been eaten, but I WILL get you a recipe because that stuff rocked my world.
Great times had at Le Salon, you should try one too. Get your friends together make something simple. Have a Spooky Day.
Design: Wear This Now – Wedge Boots
| October 18, 2011 | Posted by Nicole L. under accessories, autumn, clothing, fashion, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Seasonal |
This is the first in a series of “Wear This Now” where we’re going to talk about trends. And what better item to talk about than Fall boots!
Boots are so popular they practically have their own season, and now is the time to claim your pair. But, before we talk about the trend you should be wearing, let’s talk about what you should avoid.
The mega platform, the 6-inch heel and the sheer impracticality of footwear like this is a trend you want to avoid. We’re coming into Winter, for crying-out-loud! Can you imagine scurrying into a stone-clad entryway on a rainy evening wearing these without taking a tumble?
Plus, nothing will make you look like you belong on one of Bravo’s many Real Housewives shows more than these styles. I know; they’re still everywhere. But if you’ve been paying attention to trends for the last 2 years, you know this one is on a downward curve. And, if you’re like me, you prefer to invest in styles which might take you through a few seasons – which this won’t.
You want to be ahead of the trend, not hanging on until the bitter end. So, with that said, let’s get a little more familiar with a trend you DO want in your shoe collection – the wedge boot.
Wedge boots are a style which are more wearer-friendly and modern – but also much more of a classic style which you can keep in your closet for longer. Below are several styles which will last through more than a few trend cycles and won’t make you risk breaking your neck in Winter weather.
Wedge boots shopping credits:
Hive and Honey Giddeon, Hamilton Tahari, DV by Dolce Vita Kandy, Kelsi Dagger Kristi, Belle by Sigerson Morrison 6617, Vince Camuto Dolly, Adrienne Vittadini Sarah, Unlisted by Kenneth Cole Map It Out.
Nicole Longstreath is a wardrobe coach in Orange County, CA specializing in helping her clients build affordable and expressive wardrobes. She writes a daily blog on fashion and wardrobe-building, and loves combing her favorite thrift store whenever she gets the chance.
Design: Inspired Autumn Palette
| October 17, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Design, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, interiors, Seasonal |
Everywhere I look right now I see Halloween decor swallowing up beautiful homes and spitting out creepy and/or tacky ones. I’m not a big fan of the cheap-o decorations found at the store, but I certainly do love the colors of Fall and the natural decor that gets delivered right to your doorstep (if you live under a tree anyway…).
Today’s post is from guest writer Susi of Arcadian Lighting and her subject is one of my personal faves – how to gracefully incorporate seasonal decor into your home.
5 simple ways to add fall color to interiors.
Step 1: Foliage inspired textiles. Swapping out pillows with each seasons is the easiest (and cheapest) way to instantly change the palette of a room. Area rugs can be switched out too and are a lot less expensive than they used to be. This chocolate houndstooth rug can definitely be used year round but is classic autumn.
Step 2: Add a wreath. A sophisticated fall palette of plum, brown and yellow found in this wreath would look great in a living room, hall or kitchen. You can buy one or make your own.
Step 3. Take cues from nature…literally. Create a collection of natural elements such as fall squash and pumpkins displayed in a non-working fireplace.
Or use acorns and nuts to surround white candles in varying sized hurricane shades. Arrange them in groups for a romantic centerpiece or mantle decor.
Step 4. Make the palette pop. Rich brown leathers and russet reds paired with creams, harvest wheat, and camel bring autumn into this living room. The ottoman has a lovely fall color palette. As do the decorative elements on the mantle. Love the twisted metal branches that form the wall sconces.
Step 5: Do Subtle Holidays. Halloween’s iconic orange and black DO have a place in your fall decor. Bring in the colors using branches and flowers with black accessories, boxes and frames.
Or add fun accent furniture like this orange poof which resembles a pumpkin—so charming. So are the black metal pendant lights hanging above the room.
Thanks Susi! I love some of these interiors, especially the one with the orange pouf! Please check out Arcadian Lighting’s website for lots of lighting fixture inspiration.
Images ( 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ).
Design: A Day in the Life of Luxury
| October 14, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under antiques, architecture, Design, design history, design obsession, doors and windows, entry way, Explore, furniture, hall and stair, interiors, lighting, Places, textiles, travel |
Yesterday I got to spend my afternoon at the luxurious Four Seasons Biltmore resort in Santa Barbara. I went nut-so over this place; No detail went overlooked in the interior design. Built in 1927, this is classic Mission architecture and I Loooove it.
An ocean view from the patio
Unfortunately for you, my pictures turned out pure crap due to my inability to operate a camera and the harsh contrast between the bright sunny sky (shining through walls of glass everywhere you turn) and the dark, romantic interior. Alas, this poor excuse of a photo was salvaged from my phone because I simply could not skip pointing this out. These are the air vents throughout the building – no cheap looking metal grates here, no sir.
It would be mean not to show a couple good pics, so here are some professional shots of this lovely place…trust me, it looks even more like this in person 
Images from http://www.fourseasons.com/santabarbara
This was the side entrance, which you come upon after walking through several dramatic archways. What I love most is those thick wood doors, with intricately carved posts and no glass (because there’s no such thing as bad weather). Loving that sunny yellow.
Hallway lounge
This photo is well done, but kind of misses the gloriousness of the details that I loved so much. Like the gorgeous chevron patterned wood ceiling with rustic exposed beams. And the textiles appear a little dated here but were quite the the opposite – lush and inviting antique fabrics – the place is filled with antiques. Very warm and romantic!
I don’t think I need to explain why I could spend a few hours in here…
In the lobby, look over to the right, where you’ll see a fresco of an old world map behind the check-in counter. Yum.
image from 2blowhards.com
Okay, I’m waiting to get some photos I took from another camera so I promise there will be an update with a few other cool spaces soon. Stay tuned.
Eat: Apple Crazy
| October 13, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under cooking, Eat, edible thursday, food, Have Fun, Mind, See and Do, weekend fun |
Like plum crazy, get it? Yes I realize I’m a total grandma for saying that.
It’s apple season (and pumpkin season) so what better way to get some fresh ones than to drive 2 hours out of town to pick them yourself? Right – so that’s exactly what we did last weekend. Fellow blogger Nicole and I took our honeys on a road trip outta town to take in the farm-fresh air of Oak Glen, CA. Do you remember when we did this last year? Well this year wasn’t quite as fruitful as last year, but I did manage to score some delicious apples, cider and some wildflower honey.
And now I’m going crazy with apple-based recipes to use it all in. This one is from my awesome friend Emily, who assures me that seriously anyone can make this. I’m going to prove her wrong (or maybe right) on Saturday.
Free Form Apple Tart
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 9 tablespoons cold butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 or 4 medium apples, preferably Golden Delicious, or pears, peeled, cored and very thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- Crème fraîche, sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
How To:
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse once or twice. Cut 8 tablespoons butter into chunks, and add it and egg yolk to flour mixture. Process until butter and flour are blended, about 10 seconds.
Turn mixture into a bowl, and add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. After adding 3 or 4 tablespoons you should be able to gather mixture into a ball; wrap ball in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or freeze for about 15 minutes).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll or pat dough into a 10-inch circle; it can be quite crude in shape. Place it on a cookie or pizza sheet, preferably nonstick.
Arrange fruit slices on top, right out to edges; make the pattern attractive, if you like. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cut remaining butter into bits, and top fruit with it.
Bake until crust is nicely browned and fruit is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with your choice of cream topping
Sounds nice, doesn’t it? I’ll be (hopefully serving this to my lovely lady friends at Le Salon this weekend.
If you’re looking for something more savory, check out this recipe for Vegetarian Manzana Chili Verde from Nicole. You apple crazy yet?
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