21 Monday Jan 2013
Today’s inauguration got me thinking about living in Washington DC. I mean, living in Washington DC if I could afford a 3 million dollar house in Capitol Hill with a converted carriage/guest house like this one. I have no idea who this house belongs to currently, but I like the mix of traditional and modern and love seeing people use COLOR. So, happy inauguration day!
Available through Sotheby’s
15 Monday Oct 2012
Posted in Inspiration, Interiors
My husband is a mapmaker and globe collector. It’s one habit that I can fully support as I think globes can make for great décor, adding color and conversation to any room. Not to mention that they are certifiably educational! I’ve assembled some great examples of using globes in room decoration as well as some fabulous options for sale. Yes, the really old ones can cost as much as a home downpayment but they are fun to look at anyway, don’t you agree?
The same room as above but after a remodel. The globes work great with both styles!
Get Obsessed:
From 1st Dibs
From Restoration Hardware
From Urban Outfitters
From 1st Dibs
From Ultimate Globes
From 1st Dibs
From George Glazer Gallery
From 1st Dibs
20 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in culinaria
You know it’s coming. It happens every year. Summer is over this Saturday and my garden is only now full of ripe vegetables. No matter, I’m serving up a dinner Friday night to honor the passing of the warm months into the cool. That, and I really need to use up these tomatoes!
The Paper Plane Cocktail – the perfect transition from the summer Negroni
– from Serious Drinks
Buffalo Grilled Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip
– originally from Gourmet
Tomato Panzanella Salad with RicottaÂ
From Martha, of course…
As the end of Summer it seems only fitting to pair this salad with a nice bottle of rose, because you might not be drinking it once it cools off. While I normally prefer pinks from southern France, it seems fitting to drink something Italian here. I won’t recommend a specific wine because I have no idea what your local wine shop sells, but ask them for a recommendation on an Italian rose. That’s what they’re there for after all!
Brown Butter Plum Upside Down Cake
14 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Inspiration, Interiors
We are in the process of tearing out the old and incredibly nasty carpeting that the previous owners (let’s call them the Dummings) of our house installed on the basement stairs. And by “we”, I mean my wonderful and hard-working husband because I get itchy even thinking about it. Having lived with the results of various DIY home projects that the Dummings undertook we were expecting the stairs to be made of particle board or maybe layers of old magazines. I cannot tell you how please we were to find them to be made of actual, real wood. Of course, it’s real wood under decades of paint, our house was built in 1955 after all. We don’t yet know what the wood under said paint looks like or if it’s something we will want to stain or paint again, but I’ve been assembling some inspiring stairway images to help us decide. What would you do?
Of course, the stairs we all really want are these:
11 Tuesday Sep 2012
If you read last week’s repost from The Wander Plan you’ll know that I recently returned from a trip to France, including one week in Paris. I’m still having dreams of walking the streets of Paris in search of the perfect macarons (which are of course at Laduree) and would return in a heartbeat. There are so many amazing shops, many of which sell just one thing, a concept that I adore but can’t imagine being successful in the states, that I couldn’t dream of visiting them all. Here’s the roundup of my favorites.
Laduree – macarons, tea and branding perfection
La Fille du Pirate – museum quality antique globes and so much more
Cire Trudon – Candle makers since the 17th century and damn good at it too
Galleries Lafayette Gourmet & Bordeautheque – all things delicious and beautiful
Patek Philippe – In case you need a $30,000 watch.
Deyrolle – the most amazing store in the city
07 Friday Sep 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
From my sister site The Wander Plan…
Yes, I realize it’s been a long, long time. I’ve been living in a nebulous world of possibly moving across the country, possibly not for about 6 months now and it all seemed to (happily?) culminate in a multi-generational two week trip to France last month. I still have no idea if I’m staying or going, but I’ll say this: France is the cure for what ails you. Even if nothing ails you. I’ve been about 5 times now and while travel to anywhere resets my psychic clock, travel to France puts me in a mindset that no other place yet has. I feel at home in Britain and Ireland. I feel content and full of life in Italy. I feel rootless and wild while an American road trip. But France does something different to me. It throws me out of my comfort zone just enough to keep me on…
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26 Tuesday Jun 2012
Posted in Inside Bars
I don’t know if I’ve ever said this about a pub before, but this place is so pretty I could live in it. And of course I’d keep the bar intact.
For photo credits click on photo.
21 Thursday Jun 2012
Posted in Travel
If this blog is where my fantasy life resides, then I’d be remiss to leave out travel. Yes, I write about travel at the wander plan but I’m feeling the need to condense at the moment. Likely this is due to the fact that my real life is working in the exact opposite way, like the second or two that it takes the coin to flip in the air before landing. It’s all a possibility with no determined outcome. Some days this sounds exciting (adventure!) and some days this sounds like being shoved out of an airplane (fear of heights!).
At any rate, I’ll still update the wander plan with Fantasy Fridays at least for the time being and sneak in others here. Places like the Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana in between New Orleans and Lafayette. The mansion was completed in 1859 by the Randolph family who enjoyed a prosperous and typical life of plantation owners up until the civil war. Yes, it could be a bit like playing plantation owner to stay here, but I’d hope not. Many old plantations can fall in to ruin without the income to keep them up, and I don’t think anyone wants to lose the history of this area. Especially when it’s embodied in such a beautiful location. Personally, I’d book one of the cottages and order a bourbon immediately.
Photos courtesy of Nottoway Plantation
08 Friday Jun 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
There was one cottage that I didn’t squeeze in to my Thatched Cottage post last week. It was just too lovely to share the attention with other cottages. The Old Fox Cottage is in Worcestershire, England sleeps four and is perfect for a small family. It’s seriously adorable and what’s even better is that it is practically stumbling distance to the 13th century pub, The Fleece Inn which is owned by the National Trust. Perfect summer vacation? I’d say so!
Photos curtesy of Unique Home Stays
 www.uniquehomestays.com +44 (0) 1637 881947
07 Thursday Jun 2012
Posted in Inspiration, Outside
It may be officially summer soon, at least it will by next week, when my daughter is out of school, but that doesn’t mean I’ve actually got anything done in our yard this year yet. Ok, that’s not true, some weeds were pulled, some veggies planted, but that’s pretty much it. It’s never too late to look at some inspiring outdoor spaces though so have at it!
For photo credits, click on picture.
immortal pie 