MiH Jeans AW '13

Loving the simplicity of MiH Jeans' latest lookbook.  Sneakers for your skinny jeans and cut-offs, boots for your flares, a few classic t-shirts, and you are good to go. . .

Whisky Peach and Plum Galette

I googled peach and plum galette and this beauty popped up from Crepes of Wrath. The warm whisky brown sugar soaked fruit adds a lovely depth to the galette. I took a few shortcuts using a Trader Joe's pie crust and soy milk for the egg wash. . . It's a great way to use the stone fruit while it's in season.

Whisky Peach and Plum Galette
(adapted from Crepes of Wrath)

Ingredients:

Trader Joe's Pie Crust

Filling

2 Peaches

4 Plums
1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Water

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons Maker's Mark Bourbon

1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 tablespoon Butter
Egg wash or Soy Milk for crust

Raw Sugar, for sprinkling 

Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:

1. I just picked up a package of Trader Joe's Pie Crust, it's very buttery
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice the peach and plum uniformly, and toss with the lemon juice. In a small pot, bring the water and brown sugar to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the whisky, vanilla, butter, and cinnamon until melted together, then remove from heat. Pour this mixture over the peaches and plums, then let them soak in the warm sauce for at least 5 minutes.
3. Unroll and lightly shape your defrosted pie crust. Place the fruit mixture in the center of the crust; then fold the sides in. Whisk together an egg wash (or just use soy milk), brush the crust, and sprinkle with sugar. 
4. Place the galette on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sides of the galette are golden and firm. Allow to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before serving with a few generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Interior of the Week

Lonny featured a San Francisco couple's lovely 'starter home', although I doubt this is what most people's dining rooms look like in their starter home. With it's sharp paint palette, beautiful window treatments, and a lovely dining set. But, that's what inspiration is for, right?

 

(via Lonny)

Happy Weekend!

My plans this weekend are pretty low key so far. I'm having a friend over for dinner to celebrate her new job and I'm off to my niece's 4th birthday party tomorrow.  Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Here are a few links from the week:

A playlist for your weekend

The New Yorker: How “Sex and the City” Lost its Good Name

Lunch with Hemingway in Havana, Cuba

Martha Stewart’s Best Lesson: Don’t Give a Damn

Amy Adam's Beauty Routine

The Secret Language of Birthdays, so addicting

Slate highlights 10 of the best This American Life episodes


(Citrus Cake with Lemon Curd Filling and Orange Lemon Icing via Apollinas)

Diamond Studs

Watching Project Runway's challenge tonight with millions of dollars in jewels got me thinking about diamonds. . . I love these brown diamond studs from Satomi Kawakita, classic with a twist.

(via Satomi Kawakita)

Entry Inspiration

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is, of course, Pinterest. (P.S. I'm dying to get to 500 followers!) I've been wanting to add some hooks near my front door, but never thought to stack them vertically. I've also become somewhat of a hat collector, a Cuyana panama hat is in the mail for my US Open trip. This is the perfect way to display some hats or scarves and add some interest to the entryway.

(via Apartment Therapy)

How to Build Your Bar

Building your bar is definitely an investment, it's good to start small and see what you favor in your cocktails. It's also important for the budget to keep a perspective and not buy everything that catches your eye.

I started with my favorite spirit, Maker's Mark bourbon. Building up the bar with vodka, rum, and tequila. Then adding the more expensive Hendrick's gin and a unique Kraken spiced rum. After preparing for Wimbledon and browsing Pinterest boards I picked up Pimm's No. 1 and Aperol, both great for fun, refreshing drinks.

Next, it's nice to round out the bar with bitters, the most common being Angostura bitters. This addition will allow you to create more complex flavor profiles.

Last, you will need to stock your bar with mixers: tonic, club soda, ginger ale, ginger beer, and some citrus for fresh juice. Ingredients essential for quick two to three ingredient drinks like gin & tonics, whiskey gingers, lemon drops, or whiskey sours.

Do you have any suggestions for building your bar? Some people are even starting to add liquors to their wedding and housewarming registries! Because your bar is so specifically geared to your tastes and aesthetics, it can be really fun to create your own unique collection.

Palettes of a Different Color

I love color palettes that catch the eye. The first look you might think, hmm, that's a little odd, but by the second look you know they are meant to be.

The combination of red and blue can be tricky, but a different shade or saturation of the red or blue can keep the room from looking too patriotic.

1, 2, 3, 4

Have a lovely weekend!

It's amazing all the thoughts that can roll through your head within the week. I've gone through several alternative career plans, talked myself into 'getting into the game' at work, and thought of ways to distract myself from work altogether.  Thank goodness for weekends to clear the mind!
Here are a few links from the week:

A playlist for your weekend

The entire second season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is up now

A Cuyana Panama hat or a J.Crew Panama hat, decisions, decisions. . .

Roger Federer is testing a larger racket, proving he's still in it to win it

This collapsible water bottle from Vapur will be perfect for toting around the US Open

42 perfect summer trips: Yosemite, Sawtooth Mountains, Lake Tahoe, San Diego. . .

Soludos is having a summer sale, if you're looking for a pair of espadrilles


(Claude Monet's house in Giverny, France)

Seaworthy

Seaworthy (designed by Marisa Howard of Portland, Oregon) has been getting a lot of well deserved press as of late.  A feature in Lonny Magazine and a mention on Miss Moss turned me on to these lovely necklaces.  They are classic with an edge and perfect for summer.

Carnelian Agate Talon Necklace

Kyanite Blade Necklace

(Photos courtesy of Seaworthy)

Park City Yoga Adventures

I've been interested in doing a stand-up paddle board yoga session since I read this WSJ article last November. Well, it turns out that in landlocked Utah, Park City Yoga Adventures offers paddle board yoga in a hot spring within a cave! What an incredible, yet slightly terrifying, experience, no?

(images via Park City Yoga Adventures)

Punches Make a Comeback

You may have heard of Boozeday Tuesday by now and I thought it might be fun to showcase a few tidbits about the imbibements of which some of us indulge.

According to the Los Angeles Times, punch is making a comeback with it's communal atmosphere and potent combinations. Perfect for parties, punch is a low-maintenance entertaining drink. It is thought that the original punch, imbibed by British sailors in India contained five ingredients (one weak theory of the etymology of punch, is that it derives from panch, or "five" in Hindustani). The five key elements still include citrus, sugar, spirits, water, and spice. However, anything served in a punch bowl is considered punch, so the non-alcoholic variety need not be offended.

One punch gaining popularity is Pisco Punch. Pisco is a Peruvian brandy that traditionally pairs well with the sweetness of pineapple and of course the sourness of citrus. Are you ready to break out the punch bowl?

Peruvian Pisco Punch
via The Kitchen
Serves 10 to 12

1 bottle of Peruvian Pisco, 750 ml
1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped into bite size pieces (about 2- 3 cups)
10 ounces (about 1 1/4 cup) simple syrup
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
1 small lime sliced into wheels, for garnish
1/2 lemon sliced into wheels, for garnish
Ice

In a punch bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir to combine, add a large chunk of ice, and serve.


(Image of Stawberry Pisco Punch via Honestly Yum)

Colonial Williamsburg

I hadn't thought of visiting Colonial Williamsburg until I saw the gorgeous pictures from Jenny Komenda's weekend trip. The living-history museum is a 301-acre Historic Area including buildings dating from 1699 to 1780, showcasing and preserving Colonial and Colonial Revival architecture. The vibrant colors, stunning wallpapers, and bold combinations are highlighted by the high ceilings and decorative moldings. The rich, authentic paint palette is currently available through Benjamin Moore's Williamsburg Color Collection. I think a little classic Americana is ideal for inspiration.

via Little Green Notebook and Benjamin Moore Williamsburg Color Collection

Happy Friday!

I have a serious case of wanderlust and would love to be strolling along the streets of Paris, but it's only 6 weeks until my trip to NYC and the US Open.  I can't wait. . .

Here are a few links from the week:

A playlist for your weekend

Jelena Ristic, Djokovic's girlfriend, in Oscar de la Renta, love

I could go for a Summer Breeze or a Cucumber Gimlet this weekend

Finally got to watch HBO's McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice, it was perfection!

I'm a huge list person. Have you tried a 1-3-5 To-Do List?

The Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano, Italy looks divine

Some lovely summer drink and summer salad ideas

(via Branco Prata)

Karlie Kloss' Chop

The 'Karlie' or 'Chop' has already been named the haircut of the year by The New York Times.  The swingy, one-length, lightly layered, banged bob is a modern update of “sexy sixties” icons Jane Birkin and Jean Shrimpton. The length, just south of her chin, give or take and inch, is universally flattering according to Garren Defazio, who chopped Karlie's hair for this Vogue article late last year.

If you aren't ready to go quite that short, Alexa Chung's has been rocking her signature mid-length choppy cut for years. . .

(1, 2, 3, 4)

July Resolutions

It's hard to believe the year is already halfway over, but (glass half full) we still have six months, right? I'm going to try to take my yoga practice to the next level and take some classes at the Avenues Yoga studio. I think it will be nice to get a different perspective and to meet new people.

My Poppin order is arriving Thursday to get my office in tip-top shape and I'm hoping to make that space a little more inspirational and inviting. The best project is always the one you are starting next, so I'd like to try my hand at DIY concrete planters and these apparently amazing raised waffles.

Any fun projects, or interests you are hoping to further, for the next half of the year?