Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Cupcakes and More Cupcakes!!

If you haven't realized I am a big fan of cupcakes-for some reason! They are so cute! So here are all things cupcake!






The above cupcakes are plates that I came around on the Target website.





I love these! The 1st is a tea pot, then a sugar bowl/jar, and then a huge cupcake cookie jar. The last one is sold at Cracker Barrell stores. Check out http://www.allthingscupcake.com/







This is the sweetest Birthday Outfit! My little girl is about to turn One and I know I just have to get her this outfit. Its adorable. I came across it on ebay. The lady's website is http://www.jmr1londy2.etsy.com/ Be sure to Check out her items, she has done an awesome job on her work.



These are just some cute items also found on ebay. A cute little cupcake Baby Bib and a little cupcake Trinket Box made by Monet.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Our First Stop in Brussels

...will be to the Pierre Marnolini Chocolatier for some real Belgian Chocolate.


I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a chocolate snob. No Hershey's for me.

Here's what the Marcolini website recommends when tasting good chocolate:

Appearance:
Look at the chocolate. It should be an evenly colored shade of deep mahogany or brown and should be free of cracks, air pockets, streaks and bloom. Sugar bloom, an ashy, rough coating of the face of the chocolate, is a sign not of poor quality but of chocolate that has been subjected to multiple changes in temperature.

Aroma:
Enjoy the aroma of the chocolate. The initial aroma should be a pleasant and complex fragrance. It should not an overwhelmingly strong scent but rather one of cocoa, vanilla, caramel and perhaps nuts. As the chocolate melts during the touch phase, take notes of any news fragrances that may be released.

Touch: Hold a piece of chocolate between your index finger and thumb. It should feel silky and smooth and should not be sticky. As chocolate is one of the only foods that melts at body temperature, it should begin to yield to the warmth of your fingers.

Snap:
Break a piece of chocolate in half. It should make a clear snapping sound and should not splinter or crumble in you hand.

Taste & Texture:
Place a small piece of chocolate on your tongue and let it melt. As it begins to melt, you should experience a burst of the chocolate flavor. It should be initially smooth and buttery and then dissolve into a creamy liquid. It should not be gritty, gluey or waxy. As it continues to melt, the taste buds on your tongue will begin to register the sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, and sour qualities of the chocolate. A good chocolate will have a nice balance of the flavors without any one overpowering the others.

Tips:
When conducting a proper chocolate tasting, be sure that the chocolates are at room temperature. Additionally, begin with the dark semisweet chocolates and end with the lighter milk chocolate pieces.


Sounds wonderful. I can't wait! But secretly, I'm most excited for the truffles. Yum.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Great article about the San Luis in the Vital Voice

The most recent issue of the Vital Voice contains a great article by Lindsey Derrington of Landmarks Association concerning the endangered San Luis Apartments (formerly the DeVille Moter Hotel). The article, which can be read online, thoroughly covers all aspects of the topic and is well worth a read.

Wanderlust hits again! For the Himalayas this time..



Alrighty. My checklist:
Intentions in all the right places
Mittens and woolens ready
Trekking shoes ready
Camera and other misc stuff ready
Accompanying books and music ready
Traveling Partner (aka Mr. Shaking Head) ready - Ah..umm..well. #$%^&!!
My revised checklist..
Persuade/cajole/threaten my best half to be my road-warrior-partner again
Also find out how much would a stay in this piece of heaven cost!
Let me walk you through the architectural and design marvel that is 360 Leti. The fact that it is situated in the pristine Kumaon region of the Himalayas, makes it immensely (and uncontrollably) attractive to city weary dwellers like moi.

360 Leti, a vision of Shakti, was made real by Bijoy Jain and his team from Studio Mumbai Architects. This exclusive (I am very tempted to say reclusive!) resort has been designed and constructed such that it is in complete harmony with nature and takes full advantage of the expansive 360 view of the Himalayas. The resort opened last year, and has already won more than a couple international design awards for the architects.

Ready for a virtual tour of this remote piece of heaven?



I can not express in words how much I want to be in this room Right Now. As in asap!

I adore natural stone on floor and walls. And bare minimum number of walls.

Needless to say, you might add add some weight since you would also be 'taking in' all that view along with your food!
Metal (most likely beaten brass) bathroom fixtures. Irresistible combination of stone, gravel and wood

Ok.
Sorry, I can't speak anymore. Look at the above pics! I just want to be there. At 360 Leti. I hope that Mr. Shaking Head is listening (and reading).

[Will keep you posted on how my revised-checklist-item-no.1 works out...]

P.S: Shakti also organizes some amazing village walks in Kumaon, Sikkim and Ladakh. I am too stuck by 360 Leti to wax eloquent about those. Please read up yourself. They are so worth it!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

NEGLECTED JOHN VOLK HOME IN PALM BEACH RESTORED

Built in British Colonial style in 1938, this elegant Pelican Lane home fell into disrepair when found by Drs. Daniel and Judith Doctor back in 2000. Judith Doctor appreciated the repeated arched doorways with views of the ICW, louvered shutters, fanlight above the front door, and stepped chimney, all typical of Volk’s work. Working with builder John Mitchell, the house became what Judith calls, “a graceful beauty.” Volk had designed the house for Chester Kroger on a lakefront site a few blocks south of Worth Avenue. Judith added metal openwork gates to the courtyard and a fountain. She reinterpreted the bricks behind the fountain with the art deco influence that Volk incorporated into the chimney. Faux painting in a creamy color decorates the foyer walls. Original random-width oak planks are throughout, on the floors. The fanlight repeats above the living room door. French doors abound, some are arched on top. There are dentil moldings in the living room and columns separating formal living space from the loggia. Floors are limestone. Judith designed a recessed mahogany china cabinet for the dining room. The kitchen features wood wainscoting, white oak floors, oak cabinetry and a central island with black-granite countertops. The kitchen has a cathedral wood ceiling which Judith says, “reminds me of a boat.” There is a large rectangular pool over looking the intracoastal waterway. There are 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, 5685 sq ft. The house is currently listed for sale for $17.95MM.

Greek Revival Pool House

One of my favorite secret past times is to peruse architectural design firms websites to see what interesting spaces they are creating. Here is a lovely Greek Revival Pool House designed by Crisp Architects in Millbrook, NY. All photos and information are from the Crisp Architects website.
This jewel box of a pool house serves as an entertainment area for the homeowner and her guests. The architect decided to highlight the Greek Revival details of the main house and to keep the structure as small as possible.


Although the square footage is not large, there is an abundance of classical detailing that gives the building stature and also makes the space comfortably approachable. The lovely design highlights the easy flow between the interior and exterior spaces when the multiple French doors are thrown open.


I love the use of bluestone both as a flooring material throughout the interior and as the material used for the adjacent terrace areas. A lovely entertaining space - perhaps one of my lucky readers have been invited to a party here?

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Speaking of Favorite Artists...


I'm very seriously considering going back to school to get my Masters in 2009, after Michael graduates. In the meantime over the next year, I'd like to take a few art classes for fun.


If I could learn to paint like anyone, I would want to paint like Chelsea James. I have been completely smitten with her work since I saw it first on design*sponge a few months ago.


There is such a dream-like quality to her artwork. And I think her use of color is incredible.

She sells her paintings through galleries in the west. It would be so great to see her work in person. Learn more about Chelsea James here.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

My Favorite Artist

Swedish decor is so beautiful. I think it's unfortunate that most people think of IKEA when they think of Swedish homes, instead of graceful and classic Gustavian furniture.

My mother's family is Swedish. We grew up celebrating St. Lucia Day, enjoying all sorts of Swedish food and appreciating our heritage.

For as long as I can remember my grandmother has kept this print (below) in her bedroom of Carl Larsson's watercolor called "Lisbeth and the Yellow Tulip." I have always loved it. The combination of hard and soft lines, bright and pastel colors. I loved that it was like a snapshot into this artists' life and home (his most famous works are images of his own home and family). Most of his models don't really seem to be posing. He really seems to capture the essence of their life at home.
Carl and his wife, Karin, who was also a trained artist as well as a very talented textile designer, worked together to build one of the most famous artist's homes in the world, called Sundborn. I am so inspired by the way they decorated and brought art and color into their home. Sundborn is still owned by the Larsson family and is open for tours. We plan to spend a week or so in Sweden when we'll be in Europe this summer. I would love to dedicate a whole day to Carl Larsson sites.

Posted here are all of my favorites. I've already purchased a giclee print of the yellow tulip piece that my grandma has, but I think it would be cool to pick out a few others to make a grouping in a hallway or maybe in the girls' room.

This site, called Scandinavian Treasures, is very inexpensive and has the most selection. Allposters.com carries high-quality giclee prints of many of Larsson's works, although they are pricier. I just noticed though, that if you enter in "AGUA" as a discount code at check out, you'll get an extra 25% off your order at All Posters. The sale ends tonight at midnight.

Here is another of my favorites. I am so drawn into this girl's face. She is so sad or pensive... or something. And that yellow wall...

What I would give for a piano like this.
Just look at that woodwork. Talk about a linen closet!
I want a yellow fence. So happy.

I love the shelving hung at the top third that is shown in a number of his paintings. Right at eye level, but out of reach for little hands.
Oh that tub! Love the exposed pipes too.
Shelving again. Love the chandelier.
Beautiful built-ins.
The use of color in this home is stunning.
Lovely bedroom



This little girl reminds me of Claire.


Beautiful table and linens. I bet this is one of the pieces Karin Larsson designed. She was so talented and was a complete original.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London did an exhibition of her work in 1997. This is some of the text from the exhibition. She sounds incredible.

"Karin was Carl Larsson's muse. So thoughtful and quiet, he portrayed her as his idol, forever young. She was, in fact, hard-working, hard headed and highly creative. Carl relied upon her as a critic of his work. She trained as a painter at the Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm and Paris. After the birth of Suzanne in 1884 she turned her artistry to decorating the home, especially to weaving and embroidery. She also designed furniture and her own and her children's clothes. Her most creative period was between 1900 and 1910.
Karin's textiles were absolutely original. Pre-modern in character they introduced a new abstract style in tapestry. Her bold compositions were executed in vibrant colours; her embroidery frequently used stylised plants. In black and white linen she reinterpreted Japanese motifs. Technically adventurous, she explored folk techniques and experimented with others. A good example of her bold weaving is the tapestry ”The Four Elements” that she composed in 1903 to be hung above the new sofa in the dining room.
At Sundborn the Larssons developed an aesthetic partnership. He was effusive, covering the walls with foliage and flowers, she arranged the living flowers, but in her designs austere and often abstract. The colours of the interior seem to have been jointly decided. Their combined contributions created a perfect whole"


Karin's loom in the background

What a striking color combination for a room: green and orange.

Love the wall paper. This painting is of the kids waiting for Kris Kringle to come.






I love all the murals and painting on the walls.
Beautiful chair.

For more information on Carl Larsson, check here or here
My Ping in TotalPing.com