November 30, 2009

Eat, Drink and be Sporty

photo via Patrick Demarchelier

Now that the feast is over.

November 24, 2009

Chris Benz Resort 10


photos by Chris Benz
Can't wait to say "2010", not like "two thousand ten", but like "twenty ten".
The resort collection by Chris Benz is making me look forward to twenty ten!

November 22, 2009

Thanksgiving Dream


image by Nate Williams / www.n8w.com
Always interested in urban homesteading, I read a great article in Utne Reader online titled, Detroit Rock City: Farmer's Paradise? The article explains how the citizens of Detroit have come to depend on convenience stores, liquor stores and gas stations for food markets as big box corporations have abandoned their city. Many citizens are fed up with this nutritionally unsound arrangement and taking matters into their own hands by forging an urban farming movement! Way to go, Detroit!


November 21, 2009

Thanksgiving Recipe Debut - Swiss Chard Gratin

This Thanksgiving a new dish will debut at our table: Swiss Chard Gratin. It is a special way to serve chard, which is plentiful and local (mostly) and will be the ideal complement to our spatchcocked turkey, cornbread dressing, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry chutney, roasted yams, fennel-sunchoke-apple salad, and finally, pumpkin cake, not pie. I must get a  hold of truffle oil to drizzle over the mashed potatoes. I never use sausage in my cornbread dressing/stuffing...pancetta is better! Flat leaf parsley, sage and thyme will flavor the cornbread perfectly.



Daniel Boulud's Swiss Chard Gratin

Ingredients
• 6 lb. Swiss chard, washed, leaves and stems separated
• 2 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 T flour
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Boil the chard leaves until tender, remove, and chill in the ice water. Strain well; chop leaves roughly and set aside. Cut the stems into thin slices. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 clove garlic, and stems, cooking until tender; remove and set aside. Add the flour and the remaining butter to the pan and reduce heat to low. Stir for 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the butter. Using a whisk, gradually stir in the milk and nutmeg. Cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. With a wooden spoon, add the chopped leaves, reserved garlic, and stems; season to taste. Transfer to a small casserole or individual-size casserole dishes. Sprinkle evenly with the cheeses and bake 6–8 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6.



November 20, 2009

Binkaminka Etsy Must Have


I love these beaded beauties more than I can say. The necklaces and gorgeous brooch are by Lativian artist, binkaminka and are in her beautiful shop on Etsy. Her blog is here. Plenty of vintage inspiration in these pieces -  and she makes corsets, too! Happy Friday!

November 19, 2009

Birthday Boy


Turning point - sigh.

November 17, 2009

Sargent the Sartorialist

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925), Margaret Stuyvesant Rutherfurd White (Mrs. Henry White), 1883, oil on canvas from the exhibit

My kids take art classes at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. The college's continuing education program for teenagers is fantastic and we visit the Corcoran Gallery when we are entertaining visitors who want to see more than the National Gallery. There is a current exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of the paintings by artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), who is known as "the pre-eminent society portraitist of the Gilded Age".
On the Street...Eva at Sunset, Milan, Monday, September 28, 2009 posted by The Sartorialist at 5:02 PM

Sargent has a lot in common with the pre-eminent portraitist of our time, Scott Schuman.
The photographic portraits by Schuman on The Sartorialist Blog and his book, The Sartorialist offer the contemporary point of view. In Erica E. Hirschler's book Sargent's Daughters - The Biography of A Painting, a series of paintings by Sargent "affirms and defies convention, flouting the boundaries between portrait and genre scene, formal composition and quick sketch or snapshot". Sounds like The Sart!

November 16, 2009

National Park Seminary




The Music Hall

photo via washingtonian 


The Dormitories
 photo via WitchGirl


 The Grand Ballroom 
photo via wikipedia


The Dutch Windmill House that served as a sorority 
photo via army.arch on flickr
Since moving to DC, one of my favorite places to visit is the National Park Seminary in Forest Glen. It is near the nearly defunct Walter Reed Annex where we shop for groceries. The seminary's incarnations include a plantation, a resort for Washington residents to cool off, and finally, as a finishing school for young ladies. Presently, it is being restored and rebuilt by developers who have condos on their mind. It is a mysterious place with interesting architecture and many stories, I'm sure. My kids think it looks like Hogwarts and I think it is fascinating. We have promised ourselves to go and snap pictures but and haven't made it yet - here are images that others have posted.

November 13, 2009

Girls in DC


Chris Owens at Black Cat on 3 November, rocking Summertime. Simply the best, ever. Inspiration, baby.

November 11, 2009

Spring in Black and White


Spring 2010 Clockwise from center:

Michael Kors Resort 2010,
Milly Spring RTW 2010,
ArdenB,
Dolce and Gabbana Spring RTW 2010,

November 10, 2009

Etsy - La Cabeza Fantastica



While checking out Etsy Handpicked Items I found these gorgeous designs by Coco Boudoir! This glamourous headwear is created by the very clever Erin. I'm smitten with the twiggy, leafy, vine styles; there are plenty of feathers in her store, too. Erin's profile:

"My name is Erin, and I am the girl behind the designs of Coco Boudoir. I am fond of colours, sparkle and the delicate designs of mother nature. I acquire many of the materials I use in my designs locally, but I also love to travel the world (when I can) looking for treasures. Some of my feathers come from as far away as South Africa.

I always have my eye out for something dazzling and original. I only create headwear that I would wear myself, and you will rarely see me without one of my pieces on. I am so proud of my creations!"


November 9, 2009

What I Would Wear Today


Karen Walker Fall 2009 RTW - Monday morning, cool November, dark glasses,
pony tail, shiny boots and gorgeous double breasted trench coat for warmth.

November 8, 2009

The Uniform Project




The funds raised from this project go to the Akanksha Foundation for the education of underprivileged children in India. Read all about this wonderful project here. Jody, thanks for sharing this!

November 7, 2009

Carole Lombard


Carole Lombard, gorgeous deco goddess
photo via hollywooddreamland


Carole and Clark bird hunting

 
Carole Lombard Paramount Studios

November 4, 2009

In Clover Vintage Feet Treat


Mad about sparkling holiday shoes? Love the unexpected pairing of a glamorous embellishment on a nude pump?
Check out In Clover Vintage!

November 3, 2009

Vintage Norrell



When I was a kid, I babysat for the Hadford Family and the Hadford kid's mom, Joan, was by far the most glamourous woman on the street. She had a fantastic wardrobe and didn't mind letting me try some of her lovelies on for fun. She was a fan of Norell and made a fan of me, too. There really isn't anything in the history of American Fashion that compares! This fabulous dress is presented by Finds by Rebecca on Ebay today!

November 2, 2009

A Golden Nut



Shopping for the holidays, I came across a fantastic jewelry maker, Gur Kimel, who is has a shop on Etsy - Mr. Kimel is inspired by nature and transforms the fruits of mother nature into lasting treasures. Check it out and see the delicate 24 karat covered pecan here. You can wear with or without the sweet shell.