The Beauty of Pesto

I know I mostly write about design-related things, but this is also a place where I collect inspiration about the simple & beautiful things in life. The little things that make us happy... And not very much makes me much happier than good food. One of my favorite things to do in the late Summer & Fall is to make pesto. (image above from greenbabyguide.com) We had SO MUCH basil this year. (I pretty much managed to kill or seriously distress everything else we planted besides the basil.)

It's grown as tall as Christian! I took these photos about a month ago with full intentions of posting them sooner, so you'll notice that things look a bit warmer & greener than they are these days. My little assistant was wonderful and I'd highly recommend one for basil-picking:

He even came with his own bucket! Along with good food, I love spending time outside with my family. Christian & I had so much fun checking out all the final flowers in the yard as we snapped up our basil:

My "weeds" have ended up being some of my favorite flowers, like the Rose of Sharon that pops up everywhere. (And I can't kill them- yay!!! I'm honestly so terrible with plants that even my mint doesn't look so hot.)

And will this honeysuckle never stop?!!! We still have some blooms even in October! (Not that I'm complaining :)

We caught a shot of this little butterfly (or pretty moth? I'm no biologist.) on some sedum...

And these purple flowers just popped up (requiring no love) and made me really happy:

Ok, so back to the basil...

Once it was all collected in the bucket...

... And we had mounds of it...

We cut & washed it in my Grandma's collander. I pulled the chair up to the sink for Christian and he was just so excited to help.

And I broke out the blender:

Here's my Basic Ingredient List in case you don't already have one:

-Olive Oil--> and I'm not picky about very many things but olive oil is one of them... I used to be "Lauren Maestranzi" remember? ;) We always use Filippo Berio ( & love it when you can get it in the big can) and I'd say it's the most authentic "gorcery store" olive oil you can get. If they don't have it, then go with Bertoli. (and I don't go extra virgin with my pesto either.)

-Fresh Basil

-Pine Nuts

-Shredded Parmesan Cheese

-Fresh Minced Garlic (lots!)

-Salt & Pepper

-Italian Parsley

Yummy add-ons:

-Lemon juice

-Feta

-Spinach

-Olives

(I haven't listed any amounts on here because I just usually eye it. You can make it thicker by using less oil and more pesto & cheese or you can stretch it with extra oil. It's totally up to you. (I usually use just enough olive oil to get my blender to blend.) Anyway, then just blend it all up and remember at the end to salt to taste. Now put it on something yummy like pasta (loving tri-color in my pesto lately) and/or grilled chicken or even spread it on some french bread with some shredded parm melted on top in the oven.

I usually make it in huge batches and separate it out into smaller batches to freeze for easy stress-free meals later on. (Now that's simple beauty ;) (image from icookpasta.com)

I think we all know that in reality, not every meal can be lovingly prepared and/ or planned and homemade -at least not in my reality- but it really is nice to squeeze in these special meals where you have fun with your family preparing them. Some music, a nice glass of wine, or letting little ones help and make messes... I love it when meal prep can be fun: it's one of those things that needs to happen almost every night so why not make the best out of it? Even eating can be simple happy & beautiful.

xoxo,

lauren

Just One Kitchen... A Learning Experience

We can learn so much from dissecting rooms & spaces. It's one of the things that I love most about blogging: when you have to verbalize something, you end up forming opinions & making insights you may not have if you hadn't tried to explain it writing to others. I thought I'd share a photo of one of my favorite kitchens from Southern Accents. The owners designed the entire kitchen around the 18oos 17 foot L-shaped oak table from France. Now I know most of us don't have the space or luxury of designing a kitchen around a 17 foot antique table, but we can dream, can't we? (And learn from it!!)

What I'm loving in this space is:

1) The juxtaposition of old & new (antique table vs. modern cabinets) (farmhouse sinks vs. contemporary range hood)...

2) The windows!!!! -- Although they look like steel, they're actually custom wooden windows painted to look like steels. (Steel windows are SO on my list for my house one day!) How amazing would it be to have a wall of windows instead of upper cabinets?!! (Unfortunately I don't think we'd ever have the storage space for this, and quite frankly, we'd be staring out at our neighbor's house anyway.)

3) The mix of materials: travertine, marble, stainless steel, iron, and wood aged to perfection... People always ask about mixing metals and I say "go for it" (as long as you do it thoughtfully.) This kitchen is the perfect example of how it can make a space really special. It makes a home feal more "real"/ less model home/ cataloggy.

4) Old World light fixtures: They fooled us again! These chandeliers look antique but were actually custom made by a blacksmith! (eeeek on the wallet!) Light fixtures are key to making a space amazing. I especially love vintage & antique fixtures because they add so much character & age to a new kitchen like this one.

5) And finally, what amazes me most about this room is how light & airy it feels, yet cozy at the same time. I think that's a feat in and of itself. I'm DESPERATELY trying to achieve this in my own home because I really do just want both!

I think the important thing in looking at rooms we love that we want to emulate, is that we figure out how to make it work for our personal application. This kitchen above is massive... Not very normal. But how can we apply the principles used in creating this beautiful space to our own homes? Pretty easily. Just break down each element.

I know most of you are as design-obessed as I am (and probably do this already in your own blogs & at home) but I also know some of you are looking for some tips & tricks to get your home just right.

Lots of times we love rooms because of the overall feeling or atmosphere so it really helps to break them down. If you have photos of rooms you love, just figure out what you love about each space and write it down. 1-2-3, a-b-c. And then the most important part is to apply it to your space. Figure out how you can achieve each element in your own space. (maybe on a smaller scale or with different materials, get creative so you're not copying and it's personal to you, etc.) Write down an example next to each element. It really helps!!

xoxo,

lauren

The Fall Purge

Now's the time for getting rid of the clutter!! If you don't have a Fall clean-up in your neightborhood, set a deadline for yourself & do your own "Fall Cleanup." (image above from www.treelink.org)

The first thing is to get all of the "total junk" (or trash) out of your house & take it to the curb or dump. We did this this weekend & it feels SO good!! (The people left a shed full of junk here for us when we bought the house last Spring.)

As you're switching over your clothes from Summer to Winter/ Fall, go through each & every closet & drawer in your house. If you haven't worn something in the past year, decide whether to: give it away, throw it away (if you think no one would want it) or consign it.

Comb through your storage areas looking for items you or your kids may have outgrown or you no longer need/ want: old toys, ratty sheets & towels, bad decor purchases, non-working tools, etc. Finally, organize the wajeebies out of everything you're keeping so next season's organizing is easier.

*images from Real Simple

So go ahead, if you haven't already, begin THE PURGE. It's time and you'll feel so much better. I know I do!

xoxo,

lauren

It's Those Little Changes...

It's those little seasonal changes that make me so happy. (Like the huge pumpkin on our server, above.) I'm being super-quick today since Dave's got the day off for Columbus Day but wanted to share just a few pics with you. Clearing out part of our woods this weekend, I brought these branches from a now-deceased-bush into our kitchen. (I put them in a pilsner glass- one of my favorites for branches & tall flowers!) I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to see all that green as I look in the kitchen or out of it. I wish it could stay alive forever!!



It's exactly how I want my house to feel:



A new friend brought me over some beautiful green spider mums (one of my new favorites, thanks so my bright green sofa!) and I popped one in a vintage glass bottle I got last weekend for $1. You can also spy my new server in the dining room in the reflection of the mirror:




I found it at (where else?!) Lucketts for $165. It's the perfect size - 6 feet wide by 18 inches deep & I now have so much room for china & linens. It's a Japanese piece from the late 1800s to 1910 and was at the shop for 20 minutes before I snagged it. The clerk kept doublechecking the price tag because she couldn't believe it either. I LOVE all the storage!!! (means I can keep collecting!! hee hee)





We didn't have to do a thing to it. I was a little nervous at the store but when I got it home, its straight clean lines and the finish & size were perfect. It's the exact same width as my window, which was what I needed:

I love having a surface in the dining room now for candles, my moss bass urn, other revolving pretty things and to serve food! Righn now things have just sort of been tossed up there with no real thought but I'm still happy with the look...

Anyway, have a happy Columbus Day!!!! What changes have you been making to your home lately?

xoxoxo,

lauren

The Owl Trend: "I like it."

("I like it" is what my two year old says when he sees something he wants like the bulldozers at work on the highways.)

For the past couple of years or so, owls have been popping up all over the place. (fabric above found on southlandtopology.com) Maybe it's Harry Potter bringing on the resurgence of an old 60s trend, or maybe it's just the usual trend cycles at work, but whatever it is, "I like it" & I have a soft spot for them. My family's always had this vintage owl stapler (below) and I remember playing "office" with it as a little girl:

As most of us know, owls symboize wisdom & knowledge. So it really is interesting (and odd) to me that they pop up everywhere in such "cute" contexts. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely something special about owls. They're beautiful & a bit mysterious... But we've taken this night-hunting bird and plastered it all over fabric, household items, pillows, toys, and anything else we can think of and portrayed it in a very "adorable" way. (Collage by Helen Musselwhite below from here )

I'm starting to think about Baby #2's nursery (2.5 months away from arriving) and so of course, I'm drawn to all the adorable owls everywhere!!! I love these sheets from pottery Barn Kids:

And even better are these adorable stuffed owls they're selling:

I'm also crazy for this PERFECT little owl pillow:

The thing is, we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl and these are definitely on the girlie side. (Although let's be honest here, after already having 1 child, I know that the nurseries are for the parents, not the babies. Babies straight up don't care. Give them something fun to look at and they're happy.) BUT still, it's more the principle I guess... So, loving the little owls and wanting some more options I've started looking around online and have found some great ones! I love this little guy found on sewmamasew.com below. But it's a pattern & you have to make him... ehhhhh and I haven't been feeling too crafty lately:

I also love these (found at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5199545) by Retro Mama. Totally could be ina baby boy's room!

And there are so many great prints out there too! How cute is this mam & baby owl print below? (found SOLD --argg- on etsy by popartcafe):

Loving this collage by Linda Solovic found here:

And this one has such a great vintage feel to me:

Getting a little more sophisticated (and girlie again) but I LOVE this fabric designer, Tula Pink found on Trueup.net:

And I can't even handle this little vintage guy found here:

I bought a weekly planner last night with owls on it. That's when my husband said to me "You're really into owls lately" and made me think to write this post. Check out these pretty journals found here:

How cool is this painting "Vintagse Owls" by Kendra Baird?:

Here's a beautiful owl pillow found on House Beautiful:

A great brass owl:

A little stone owl (found on Kaboodle) who'd be perfect tucked on a shelf somewhere:

And now onto the owls I WANT. I've been lusting after this owl drawing by Albrecht Durer for a year or so now... (He's the Medieval artist whose drawing I had blown up on canvas in our dining room.)

I really really want this pillow for my living room (from penhollows.com) but just can't spend that much on a pillow:

And this letter opener is just SO BEAUTIFUL:

And finally, I'd love one of these rings from Kris Nations:

I love it in both white & black & there are other gorgeous colors too. ONly $28!!! I think they'd make great Christmas gifts..

Anyway, I think it's pretty clear that I'm hooked on owls so I'll be joining Julia at Hooked on Houses for her VERY LAST HOOKED ON FRIDAYS BLOG PARTY!! Have an awesome weekend and thank you so much to everyone for all the touching comments yesterday!! Congratulations to a few of you who are celebrating anniversaries right around now too!!!

xoxo,

lauren