Happy Weekend

I am so happy the weekend has finally arrived!  This weekend you will find me venturing to Upstate New York to go apple picking (my favorite thing to do in fall), having an annual apple pie bake-off with my boyfriend's dad, Harry and then on Sunday hitting up some local flea markets in Brooklyn. I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Image from here

Paris in New York (Maison Kayser)

New York City never creases to amaze me. Shops and bakeries pop-up and unless you are constantly wandering the streets it can be very hard to keep up. I was recently headed to a yoga class on the Upper East Side and I just happened to look over my shoulder to see that Maison Kayser, a boulangerie I used to visit daily in Paris, is now in New York City (!!!). I became extremely giddy and filled with excitement. Just stepping into the shop brought back a flood of precious memories, like standing in line on the Rue Monge for my warm baguette at 6pm with the other Parisians - something that had become a daily ritual (that I never wanted to end). The aroma and taste of their bread is something that repeatedly comes to me in a recurring dream - even six years later. I have dreams I am back in Paris and I am telling my loved ones that we have to go and eat one of their baguettes, but funny enough in my dreams we never actually get there. It is almost as if I long for those memories. So what did I do? I sat down to take it all in once again. Almost as if I was on the Rue Monge in Paris. I sank my teeth into a buttery and flaky pain au chocolate, bought the L'Italienne sandwich for lunch and took home a Rue Monge demi-baguette for later. Who says a little bit of Paris can't exist is New York? I have prime evidence that it does. And that truly makes me happy.

A Luxurious Life: Alina Cho

Every once in a while I will come across an interior that makes me want to redecorate. This is definitely the case after lusting over this living room belonging to Alina Cho. I adore how color has been incorporated in all of the right places, from the tufted pink bench to the dark green sofa with white piping and subtle hints of gold.  

A Gilded Life

I fell in love with Versailles. The grandeur, the gilding, the gardens - just too much for the mind and eye to absorb.  I visited the Palace and Gardens a few years back and ever since that moment I became intrigued by both Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette - probably two of the most disliked people in French history.  I actually wrote my final art history paper on the rise and inevitable fall of these two figures.  The fashion world, like me, has always been captivated by her storied fashions and her mile-high wigs. These photographs shot on location for Vogue Japan are breath-taking.  I could stare at them for forever.  

Kale Chips

 I am always looking for ways to incorporate more greens into my diet - spinach, arugula, Swiss chard and kale.  I was recently at Whole Foods and they were sampling homemade kale chips, they were amazing. Who would have thought that a green that is a little too bitter for my liking can be transformed into a crunchy and delicious, not to mention very healthy snack. Their version was dressed with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and garlic salt.  I tried to duplicate that recipe and the results were just as good. This proved to be an excellent snack and tasted much better than something that comes out of a bag.  

How To: Golden Office Storage

I will be the first to admit in my personal life, I am not that organized.  I am constantly ripping tear-sheets out of magazines or catalogs, not to mention recipes and I have a serious issue with collecting magazines.  That being said, I am always in need of some extra organizing pieces, but I find there are few things out there that I actually like, so recently I decided to take matters into my own hands.  I turned a boring black wired mesh desk accessory into a gilded piece definitely worthy of displaying.  Continue for instructions...

I Love This Look: Sweaters & Skirts

Fall has officially begun!  Typically the weather doesn't match with the season, but so far it feels like fall has definitely arrived in New York.  Yesterday I woke up to chilly temperatures and a crisp breeze that only this type of year can bring.  While I am not ready to bring out the tights and  heavy jackets yet, a light-weight sweater is a great transition piece into the season.  I love this look here and how a ribbed sweater is made to look feminine with a bright floral skirt.   I hope that everyone had a fantastic weekend!

sweater / skirt / boots / bag

Image from here

The Dinner Table: Baked French Fries with Herbed Garlic Oil

I have many, many herbs to use before the first frost, so lately I have been incorporating them into every meal that I possibly can, as you saw here. I always prefer fresh over dried - I feel that the former imparts more flavor into a dish.  One recipe that I decided to make recently was Baked French Fries with Herbed Garlic Oil - a healthier version of the traditional approach of deep-frying.  After tasting these fries, you will most likely never go back to the fried version, as these taste just as good, if not better.  Continue for more...

An Ode to the Flapper

One of my favorite books of all time is The Great Gatsby.  It is a heartbreaking love story at its core but it also takes place in a gilded and magical era of fashion.  I personally own two flapper-esque dressers - one vintage, another from H&M from years ago.   Topshop has created a limited-edition capsule collection of dresses, including the two flapper dresses above. Both of these dresses are calling for an invitation to an elegant soiree that will entail dancing under the glimmering stars. 

green flapper  / heels / clutch / cloche hat 

blush flapper / heels / clutch / cloche hat

Cookbook Wish List

With the official start of fall just around the corner, this means a few things - wrapping yourself in a cable knit sweater, sipping on warm beverages laced with spices and extra time spent in the kitchen making soups and other dishes cherished during the cooler seasons.  I could spend hours browsing cookbooks in either Barnes & Noble or Strand Bookstores.  Opening each book inspires me to cook this or eat that.    Here are some new cookbook launches (a few are from my favorite food bloggers) that I would just love to put on my shelf.  

Vintage Cakes / Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast / Baked Elements / Smitten Kitchen Cookbook / What Katie Ate / SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine

A Softer Fall

 With all of falls seemingly more dramatic looks - rich brocades and colorful patterns, it is nicer to see a lighter side to the season.  I love the soft palette featured here - barely there nudes, buttery yellows and touches of light-as-air greens.  

On another note, fall is a season of change. The trees change from green to golden and then gently fall to the ground.  With change can also come discovery.  One of my really great friends, Michael is embarking on a solo trip to Italy to do just that.  He is going to eat his way through Rome, Naples and the southern coast of Italy and all the while document it through words and photographs.  Please follow him on his travels here, as he embarks on a life changing journey. 

Alberta Ferretti - Spring 2013 RTW Milan

The Alberta Ferretti collections alway create such a sense of wonder and intrigue.  Her delicate use of exquisite fabrics and colors portray femininity at its finest.  The Spring 2013 collection was submerged in aquatic blues, silvery whites an accentuated with sheer materials and delicate leaf appliques arranged to create an almost mermaid-like effect.  

A Luxurious Life: Nina Garcia

Some people just have an innate eye for style and beautiful things. This is definitely the case for Nina Garcia, fashion editor and judge on Project Runway.  Her eye for style definitely translates into her her Upper East Side apartment featured in the October issue of Architectural Digest.  I particularly like her living room and bedroom (okay, and what is in her closet!) that is filled with soothing neutrals like gray and camel.  

Images from architecturaldigest.com 

Herbed Goat Cheese

I must admit, there was a time not too long ago that I did not like goat cheese. I really couldn't get past it's tart aroma.  However, one day, I ordered a salad not knowing that it came with and instantly fell in love with the tang that originally made me turn away from this variety of cheese. Today, I love goat cheese, whether smeared on a cracker, in an omelet or a salad.  One of my favorite types of chevre to buy is the log bathed in herbs, however, instead of buying that version this time around,  I opted for the regular type and decided to add my own herbs from our garden.  The results were much better than the store bought version. The earthiness of the sage and the freshness of the parsley added another depth to the cheese.  This is great for a simple, yet flavorful snack or to serve as an appetizer. Continue for recipe...

Peter Pilotto - Spring 2013 RTW London

The Peter Pilotto Spring 2013 show was a dizzying array of colors, almost as if you were peeking through a kaleidoscope.  His pieces might be much to wear together (unless of course you are Anna Dello Russo), but the separates pieces are truly works of art.  So far all of the London shows have been bursting with a multitude of colors, in particularly blues.  

Little Bits of Happiness

(I could easy get lost in the magical windows at Bergdorf Goodman)

(A recent trip to Redhook, Brooklyn with the two loves of my life)

(Stopping by Baked while in Redhook and enjoyed a chocolate whoopie pie and also admired their mod orange door)

I Love This Look: Purple & Hints of Red

I just love this laid-back, yet effortlessly chic look seen on Taylor Tomasi Hill on the streets of New York during fashion week. I love the combination of deep aubergine and bright lipstick red on her heels and her lipstick - it creates such a pulled together look, don't you think? I hope that everyone had a lovely weekend!

blouse / shoes  / jeans / bag

Image from here

The Streets are the Runway: Spring 2013 RTW New York Edition

New York fashion week has come and gone (sadly), but one thing was for sure, the streets were a flutter with beautiful colors and eye-catching patterns - Prada! Celine! Stella McCartney! it was quite fabulous actually.  Here are some of my favorite looks off the runway.  

Inspiring Interiors: Modern and Eclectic

The past few mornings I have been woken up by a crisp breeze that can only come about with the beginnings of fall.  I just can't help but become excited about the start of one of my favorite seasons that is dedicated to concord grapes, apple picking, pie baking and wondering around admiring the vivid colors that tint each leaf.   This time of year also makes me rethink decorating, especially adding a layer of warmth which is typically removed during the hot summer months.  I love this newly remodeled bedroom of Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner - something about it says cozy in a modern way.   Their apartment is a fabulous combination of modern and eclectic.  You can tour the rest of her apartment here.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Fur Throw / bench / lamp / chest / painting /branches

Among Flowers

'There are always flowers for those who want to see them.'
-Henri Matisse

Creating a Rustic Kitchen

My decorating style typically lends itself towards rustic glamour; however sometimes the rustic side can appeal to me more, especially when it comes to the kitchen.  Perhaps it is my love of baking pies or Tuscany, but something about a rustic kitchen creates a real sense of home. The elements that I love to include are wood, chalkboard surfaces, burnished metal, wrought iron and of course mason jars and luckily, Terrain (from the parent company Anthropologie) is fully stocked with these types of items.  Below are some of my favorite picks for the kitchen.  If you haven't checked out their website, I really urge you to - you will be hooked! 

chalkboard jam jar /  chalkboard message board / soap dispenser / wooden box 

cutting board / wire basket / milk jar / table cloth / twig colored pencils

Image from here