Friday, April 27, 2012

Thanks, Universe.

{instagram}

Happy Friday, darlings! My fortune cookie the other day put a smile on my face, and it was just the little boost I needed after a busy week. I'm getting ready in the kitchen with some of Chris' favorite snacks for a picnic tomorrow afternoon. Crossing my fingers that the weather is kind. Wishing you all a beautiful weekend! Hope whatever you have in store puts a smile on your face.


Thursday, April 26, 2012

Community Love









During their college years, Standard Authority printers Daniel and Chelsea worked together at a small bistro café called the French Bear in the northern Willamette Valley region of Oregon. At 'The Bear,' they developed a great love for honest and good-hearted cooking, embracing not just the fundamentals of a good culinary technique, but the beautiful sense of togetherness that can result from a great meal. The dynamic couple hope to see Standard Authority grow into a publishing and print operation to marry their love of design with the food and beverage community.

This beautiful spread immediately caught my eye because Daniel and Chelsea are such attentive and creative hosts. The rustic feel of the event was elevated by their great attention to detail in both the menu and signage. Chelsea designed and printed the napkins and menus before whipping up a simple, yet elegant feast of sea salt and pepper crackers, cedar grilled salmon and hollandaise sauce with grilled spring asparagus. For dessert, an incredibly refreshing coconut milk panna cotta with blood orange simple syrup, that's also vegan and gluten-free. Daniel manned the bar and shook up two delicious classic cocktails: a variation on La Floridita with light rum, Maraschino liqueur, fresh lime juice and agave syrup, and the Deep Sea Diver of citrus vodka, a squeeze of fresh lime, the same sweet blood orange syrup that brightened up the dessert, and a splash of cherry liqueur. It all came together with the help of Kimberly Brandt of Billede Design and was beautifully captured by the talented Sara Gray. All recipes can be found in the Spring 2012 issue of The Violet.


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pick A Card, Any Card



Mmm... beautiful, aren't they? I've long been a fan of Bespoke Letterpress Boutique and their delicious paper goodness. These beautiful business cards caught my eye right away in a sea of wedding projects. I can't think of anything more elegant than a letterpress business card. Can you?

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Pretty & Smart

{beaux arts photographie}

I call it, Closet of a Sexy Librarian.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Sweet Scrub


Oh hey there, lovelies. How did the weekend treat you? The Garden State was drenched nearly all weekend, and Mother Nature still hasn't let up. Even though I spent most of the past two days running from rehearsals to lessons to auditions to church services in the rain, I loved it! I have a thing for downpours and thunderstorms, always have. Settling in after a busy weekend called for some quiet pampering, so I poured a glass of wine, enjoyed a long, hot bath with my favorite honey sugar scrub and gave myself a mani/pedi.

I may have shared this with some of you already, but it's worthy of a repeat. I love making my own sugar scrubs and since this particular combination is so easy to whip up, I always have it on hand.

Honey Sugar Scrub

Ingredients

1 cup organic raw brown sugar
1/2 cup organic raw honey (make sure it's absolutely raw honey,
not pasteurized or filtered honey)
8-10 drops tea tree oil

Preparation

1. Combine raw brown sugar, raw honey and tea tree oil
in medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Transfer to a resealable container like a mason jar,
using a rubber spatula

Application

Moisten your face with warm water to open your pores. Using a wooden tongue depressor stick, dispense approximately 1 tsp of your honey sugar scrub into your palm and dispose of the wooden stick. Very gently apply the mixture your face in a small circular motion, carefully avoiding the delicate skin around the eyes. The mixture is very course and excessive rubbing can irritate the skin. wait 1-2 minutes, then gently rinse with warm water. Rinse again with cool water to close the pores.
You can cleanse the skin with a gentle face wash before applying the honey sugar scrub if you wish. Raw honey contains natural antibiotics and tea tree oil is great for treating acne and acne scars, so it's up to you whether you feel the need to add the extra cleanser (I personally don't since I have sensitive skin). Always mix well before every use. When using and storing your honey sugar scrub, be sure not to get any water into the mixture and avoid dipping your fingers into the container as this can lead to the growth of bacteria, no matter how clean your hands are. Shelf life is approximately 2-3 weeks with proper use and storage.

So there it is, dears. Hope you get a chance to treat yourself to some 'me time' soon. If any of you try this or come up with your own favorite combination, do share! I'd love to hear your variations.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Golden


The warmer temperatures made gold my go-to accessory choice this week. I love arm parties on other gals, but my tiny stature makes 4 inches of bling on each arm look a little ridiculous. I think a couple of pretty bracelets, my favorite watch and my mother's earrings are just right. Happy weekend, dears. Hope the weather is just as nice wherever you are!



Thursday, April 19, 2012

Photogenic



















This is what happens when your love for dinner parties starts at the age of nine and you grow up to be a brilliantly talented and successful photographer. Lukas had hosted his fair share of parties, church events and workshops over the years, but nothing was more fun than an intimate dinner party. His love for great conversation, delicious food and a wonderful excuse to gussy up the house came together in this beautiful evening planned for eight of his friends, both old and new. The vibrant yellow linens collected from the downtown LA Fabric District made a beautiful statement against the rich eggplant walls, and antique dinnerware and table decor from Fishy Finds made a bold contrast from the very modern palette. The chandelier is from Collectible Thrift in Canoga Park, California. My favorite part of this party is that the delicious eats were mostly from Trader Joe's! I love me some Trader Joe's.

So what do you think, darlings? Doesn't this make you wanna throw a dinner party this weekend?



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Home Sweet Home












When I first saw these photos of J. Crew President and Creative Director Jenna Lyons' Park Slope townhouse on Casa Sugar, you better believe I went straight for the 'right-click/save image'. I fell in love with everything from the gorgeous fireplaces to the chevron bathroom floors, and really? That closet. The 7 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 4,400 square foot home sold for $4 million just last month. Dang, should've put a bid on it back in November when it was a measly $3.75 million.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Portrait

{shira weinberger}

Beautiful kate spade Karolina pumps in nude, embellished with crystal shoe clips. Cue the heart palpitations.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Dearest Mama...


Wishing the happiest of happy birthdays to my beautiful mom, Grace Patricia.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Tresses

{instagram one, instagram two}

Happy Friday, darlings. I didn't get a chance to share these last week, so I wanted to include them in today's snap of the week. A little inspiration from Stephanie Brinkerhoff's gorgeous work came true after thirty minutes, two failed attempts and two tired, but toned arms later. Not too bad for a first go, right?

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Celebrate











{rose & crown}

Speaking of birthdays, isn't this one beautiful? Nikaela of rose & crown celebrated her 27th in a cozy backyard get-together with a delicious family style meal, sweet berry cocktails and smiling faces all around. A perfect way to spend a birthday.