Happy Weekend dear readers. Two things: it’s Oscar weekend and February is OUTTA HERE! Hoo-to-the-Ray! Will you all watch the Oscars? I am religious about watching- it’s one of my favorite nights of the year. I used to throw an Oscar party every year, but I could never really hear anything and didn’t ended up really watching, so now we just watch it sans party. I make a little toast to realized dreams each year as I danced on the Oscars in 2000 realizing a dream I’d had since I was a wee lass. Good times. I love these vintage photos of chic ladies and the fabulous Warren Beatty from the 60s. What style. Natalie, Audrey, Grace, Liz… does it get better? Maybe. I can’t wait to see what Lupita wears.
What I’m Drinking:
Bubbly. Of course. Please, even if I am watching the Oscars in my tiny condo in Virginia, you better believe I’ll be bubbling it up Hollywood style. My wallet can’t handle a bottle of Champers this weekend so it’ll be a Burgundy Cremant Rosé Brut please: Bailly-Lapierre. At $18, how can I go wrong? (Well, I can but I’ll let you know how it all shakes out.) Tasting Note to follow. Good times indeed.
Here’s where we’re currently at, with a move-in date 17 days out. What’s your wager? Do you think we’ll finish before move in? I don’t have a clue. At this point, we are held up by the cabinets. They are due to arrive tomorrow and once they’re in, the real work begins. What is now a blank slate (how I love those!) will soon shapeshift its way into a working kitchen- I hope. Stay tuned.
Here it is folks: a good value, single varietal Spanish red. Tempranillo is famous for being the home grape of the Rioja and Ribero del Duero regions but you won’t find much in the way of a really good deal from its pricey real estate. Sure, you can find some value wines but nothing worth its weight in the under $10 category. You have to reach out to the developing wine regions of Spain for a single varietal 100% Tempranillo that will really please your palate.
This one comes from the Castilla y Leon region. It’s good. Not great. A bit rough around the edges for me to really get excited about, I did like it and thought it made an excellent partner to our spicy buffalo wings. That’s right, buffalo wings. We cannot get enough these days- it’s like Hooters up in here, minus the shiny suntan-colored-tights-wearing waitresses. Then again that’s kind of the whole point of Hooters. Anyway I digress, Tempranillo is a very food-friendly grape and I think matches well with foods that have a bit of a kick to them. If you’re not in a spicy mood, it’s a great grape with a burger too.
If you can’t find this label in your neck of the woods and are looking for something similar, ask your wine merchant for a well made Tempranillo from an up and coming Spanish region- maybe La Mancha or Toro. They’ll point you in the right direction.
Ok, here’s what I got:
Flavorful and well-balanced but not fussy- in fact a bit too rustic to jump from good to great- it’s a good value and perfect for a bbq or burger night.
Happy Weekend dear readers! I like to think this lounge chair is waiting for me, it’s a nice thought anyway. What are you all up to this fine February weekend? The temperatures are finally warming up over here so we’re going to try to spend some quality time with outdoors. I’ll be soaking up every last bit of city livin’ that I can while we still live smack dab in the middle of Old Town Alexandria. I love walking to the Saturday Farmers Market, strolling King Street and its fabulous local shops and restaurants (Oh Hank’s, how I’ll miss you and your dollar oysters!)- I’m so sad to leave this darling town. Granted, we are only moving 15 minutes away but I know how these things go- it’s never quite as easy as you think to get back. I have vowed to make the tiny trek to the Old Town Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning- weather permitting. It has become such a happy place of mine and I’d love the bebes to continue to enjoy the fresh flowers, colorful produce and live music every weekend. I think it’s one of the country’s best small markets. Sigh… I am clearly preparing to say Sayonara to my beloved town and hit the mean streets of the ‘burbs.
But let’s change the subject and get to the vino… What I’m Drinking:
Let’s talk Tempranillo. A beautiful and versatile Spanish grape, this is the grape of the famed Rioja region. It’s also used all throughout Spain in single varietal bottles as well as blends. The traditional Rioja winemaking method uses American oak. If not well-balanced, I can’t get away from the intensity of the dill that comes through on the nose and I’m not the biggest fan. I’m trying a budget-friendly bottle(because that’s the way we roll around here as Miss V.’s reno slowly steamrolls out of control- Ahhhhh!), Val de los Frailes Tempranillo from Spain’s up and coming Castilla y Leon wine region (hence the lower price tag than a Rioja or Ribera del Duero). I’ll let you know what I think of this one. Tasting note to follow.
A Few Things:
1. This house! Those windows, those trees, all of it. (La Dolce Vita)
Charlie and Meryl, how we love thee, but boy do I love their moms even more!
I’m not quite sure what to think about this. Now with the Op-Eds? Franco, you’re pushing it.
It’s almost spring, time to break out the leopard flats. I found these at Target for $14. Stick an orthotics insert in there and you’re good to go. (I sound like I’m 80, but let’s be honest- a $14 shoe is not going to be big on arch support).
Truly a Happy Chic moment, get the look of this designer Osborne and Little Minaret wallpaper on your floor for less than $250. You read that right. This Happy Chic Jonathan Adler for JCPenney rug is on sale through February 23rd. I just nabbed it for our bedroom. Forego the accent wall and go for the rug to save some serious dough and still get a great graphic look.
It’s kind of crazy deal, if you’re familiar with the rug world, you know how expensive they can be. I’ve been eyeing this fabulous Minaret paper that sells for a pretty penny to the trade only for a while now, I’m pretty content with its wooly mimic.
Twizzle. Twizzle. Twizzle. I can’t stop saying it. Add me to the list of recent Ice Dance-loving converts. Meryl Davis and Charlie White, officially America’s new sweethearts, have shown us the whimsy, fun and unbelievable athleticism that is ice dancing- that wacky sport that is essentially ballroom dancing meets synchronized swimming on ice, with a few Twizzles thrown in for good measure.
The Twizzle itself is a relatively new phenomenon. No doubt, people have been dancing on the ice for decades but the Twizzle was first officially performed by skater David Grant in 1991. The Twizzle seems to be the Triple Sow Cow of the Ice Dancing world. The trick of the Twizzle- maintaining synchronization throughout the multi-turn sequence. As much anxiety as those Twizzles seem to bring those hard-working ice dancers, they sure are fun to watch.
And can we talk about Meryl Davis? She’s like a Disney princess meets Geisha meets Angela Basset from What’s Love Got to Do With It. Those guns, those dated but strangely appealing updos, that face- can’t get enough. And Charlie White and that mop top- so good. We all know the story, they’ve been ice dancing together since they were just wee skaters, their moms go to each and every competition together but the figure skating topper on the cake… the fact that these two hail from Detroit- brilliant.
They’ve had us all Twizzling like crazy in our living room. Totally inspired.
Just a quick roundup of things that are making me happy nowadays.
I’m wearing this spotted shift to an arts gala next month. I can’t resist a good dalmatian print.
These plates make me smile. I just bought a set for Miss V. (aka: our new house).
Washington’s Beltway through the lens of Rashmi Pappu’s camera. Rashmi is a talented local photographer here in Old Town Alexandria. I love following her Instaworld.
If I can’t eat there (anytime soon anyway), I might as well read about it. Faviken is the first cook book penned by critically lauded 28 year-old Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson. His restaurant, also named Faviken, is situated on a 20,000 acre farm in the Scandinavian countryside. Talk about a destination meal- this is the stuff of dreams.
This little baby really puts a smile on my face. I have shopped high and low for an affordable espresso machine that is easy to use, makes delicious coffee and is above all, great looking. I’m a big illy fan, so this one takes the cake. Sold. C thinks it looks like a Panda Bear, I think it looks like it knows it’s awesome.
And the fabulous Miss Stritch- she never disappoints. If you didn’t catch this appearance on Kathie Lee & Hoda… you’re welcome. Not only does she drop the F bomb, but she’s got her feet in Kathie Lee’s lap and she’s wearing a floor length fur. What is happening! DI-to-the-VA. Love her. I can’t wait to see this new documentary. And if you haven’t seen Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, do yourself a favor and see it pronto, her stories are unbelievable.
I don’t know about you, but I am rather dubious of inexpensive New World Chardonnays- oaked, un-oaked, whatever the method may be, if it’s not French and it’s under $10, I’m dubious. Call me narrow minded, call me unoriginal, I can’t help it. I am snobby about my Chard as a result of spending months in the Balthazar cellar with some really stellar French bottles. I was quickly schooled on the nuanced notes of white burgundy, the subtle and delicate balance of oak to fruit and the beautiful wet-stone and minerally terroir flavors that accompany a great white burgundy. It’s a tough act to follow.
All of this is not to say that New World Chards can’t be absolutely fantastic and show their own terroir quite nicely, I just find that in this low price range, it’s a tall order.
Hark. I came across this Washington State wine yesterday quite by accident. After taking the bebes to the Children’s Museum, I realized we were out of wine (and that just won’t do on a Tuesday night), so I ducked into a local “gourmet” deli with a pretty shotty wine selection. The pickins were slim and I was on a budget (home renovation priorities)- the odds were not in my favor. On a whim, I grabbed a ’12 Charles Smith Eve Chardonnay and decided to give it a go. I’ve seen its graphic logo before staring down at me from grocery store shelves, but never tasted it. The bebes were about to break it down so I grabbed the Columbia Valley Chard and we were outta there.
Here’s What I Got:
The Verdict: Pleasantly surprising. Make no mistake, this is not mind-blowing bottle, but it’s zesty and zippy, medium-full bodied and really well-balanced. A good match with an Chinese or Thai take-out as it’s loaded with citrus, some lychee and a bit of spice. It’s rather tropical for a Chard but not overbearingly so, and boasts some nice acidity to boot. For $10 bucks, it’s a good call.
The Kitchen. Our biggest home improvement project to date- by far. I have always dreamed of creating a kitchen from scratch (as clearly evidenced by my plus-sized Pinterest kitchen board), and I feel so fortunate that I am able to put these dreams to work. Not since high school have I lived in more than 750 square feet. I’ve grown rather accustomed to my tiny galley kitchens, so this is a big leap.
Disclaimer: What follows is a fairly long and detailed post about all things kitchen-y. If you are not so much kitchen/reno-inclined, do as the Jedi Mind-Tricked Stormtroopers say and, “Move Along”. You seriously may want to skip this one and check back in later this week for some tasting notes.
Here she is kids, our kitchen as is right now at this very moment:
And below, how Miss V. looked when we found her.
If these walls could talk, I think this is what she would say, “I feel…”:
A tight galley kitchen with dated cabinetry, hardware, fixtures and appliances, she was in dire need of a major makeover. Once we got rid of that wall separating the kitchen from our main living space, things perked up a whole lot. And as soon as we stain these sad and yellowed floors a rich dark tone, things will get a lot crisper and cleaner too.
My Inspiration Kitchen:
I realize a lot that I love about this kitchen has to do with great styling- I mean there IS a giant white owl on the countertop admidst a painterly canvas on a stand, a table lamp, and a Buddha head, not exactly found objects in one’s normal kitchen – this photo screams “Great Prop Stylist!”. This kitchen’s also decked out with terrific ceilings and an over-abundance of light and windows, two things that did not come with Miss V. Though I may not have a nocturnal bird statue perched on my island (although- why not?), I still aim to recreate this kitchen’s spirit in my own way.
I love the clean white lines and the pop of dark cabinetry. I was going to do two-toned cabinets with my uppers being a mix of white cabinets and open shelving and my lowers being navy but the pantry threw me off. I didn’t want a tall looming dark pantry, so I decided to make the cabinets on the island dark and the rest white. We are going with a dark ebony wood stain on the island cabinetry as opposed to navy since we ended up loving a navy sofa. You can have too much of a good thing. We are losing a window as we are making the original door to the deck our new pantry and that door had a big window in it, which is a big Boo. I think the lighter we go, the better off we’ll be but I like the idea of contrasting the dark island with the rest of the white cabinetry.
I do love that this kitchen does not have any fussy pendant lighting or window treatments. Our space is not huge and I’m putting a big fixture over our dining table so I opted for no pendants and a cleaner look as well. I’m on the fence about a window shade, we’ll see how it all shakes out. I’d love to find a pretty rug to soften the dark/light contrast and add some interest.
I know that the white kitchen with marble countertops is not exactly a cutting edge design development, but it’s classic and beautiful, tried and true. There’s something really satisfying and clean about all of these elements that will ground our kitchen and make her feel more rooted, I think:
The Faucet I know everyone’s going crazy over brass right now but I think it’s timeless and I love the mix of metals with stainless appliances, so I’m going for the gold. Brushed brass (believe it or not) has not quite caught on in the affordable kitchen faucet world yet but after much research, I did manage to find this little beauty by Delta. My mom is renovating her kitchen right now too and bought the same one, unbeknownst to either of us. It’s a beaut.
The Countertops:
Call me crazy, but I just have to have me a giant slab of Calacatta Gold marble. I can’t tell you how many people have tried to talk me out of it. I know it’s porous, will stain easily, and is maybe not the smartest call with toddlers but hey- it’s been hanging out all over Italy for thousands of years and still looks great. I’m not one of those people who can’t bear a nick or a stain on their surfaces. I’m pretty much the farthest thing from Type A that you can get. I don’t color in the lines, sometimes not even on my own lips (I was dubbed “The Messy Showgirl” by my fellow Broadway dressing room pals as I never quite seemed to have that perfect showgirl face- always a bit messy) Perfection is not my style. I like a little patina. I’ve had a groovy little 1960s marble end table that I nabbed at the Chelsea Flea Market back in the day, with its own happy little patina that I think looks terrific. So, we’re going with marble for the island. For the rest of the countertops we fell in love a super matte black slab of soapstone. This stuff is so good, you just want to cut a big chunk off and eat it. Again, not the hardest stone around and apparently a bit of maintenance to keep up, but I can’t help it. When you love something, you just want it around.
The Sink I’ve always wanted a big white fireclay farmhouse sink but I didn’t want the rounded country lines or the rustic look. I found this lovely lady with its clean straight lines and an extremely reasonable price tag and… sold. Made in Italy- of course. Those Italians are all about clean lines.
The Backsplash I need to stay within budget somehow so I’m sticking with tried and true subway tile. I was thinking I might do honeycombed marble tiles because I wanted a geometric pattern, but I’ve got my marble on the island so I’m good (plus it’s not in the budget). Subway tile is always clean and chic. I’m going to mix it up a bit and do a herringbone pattern behind the range and straight subways around the sink. I’ll use a grey grout to highlight the patterns.
The Cabinets
I was gunning for Ikea with Semi-Handmade facings which I think is a great choice but our contractor persuaded us to go all wood. He’s old school and although I’d like to have spent a little less on our cabinets, my mind is somewhat put at ease by the idea that they should last a long long time. We went Shaker style to preserve the old-meets-new aesthetic without getting too traditional or contemporary. I think Shaker is a great nod to the old while still looking modern.
The Hardware
I’m not sure which hardware pieces I’m leaning towards yet- bins or straight pulls. To knob or not to knob? I sort of blew my budget by ordering about 20 different pulls and knobs- but how else do you know, right? The hardware decision is an ongoing process, but I know they’ll be brushed brass. I’m looking at these, these and these. I’m also looking at these, these, these and these and maybe these. Oy.
A few bells and whistles that I’ll get with this kitchen:
These bells and whistles may not seem like such a big deal to some of you folks but for me, they kind of mark my entrance into grown-up land. Just because I’m a little messy, doesn’t mean I don’t want to be organized. Not that I ever have been, but my number 1 goal in moving into this grown-up house is to finally become an organized human being. Fat chance? Maybe. But I think some of these little things might help. And the wine fridge- I mean really, any self-respecting wine geek with the space for one really needs one- the more to chill the nectar with, my dear. I’d love a super fancy gigantic one but holy price tag! Let’s hope this little cooler will do the trick. It’s not dual temperature, so my reds will still be stashed in their trusty little “cellar” (read: a rattan storage/end table from Target). Hey, just because I’m a wine expert doesn’t mean I’m fancy.
A few things that didn’t make the cut:
Talk about first world problems. Like it’s really a big deal that I didn’t find a way to get an appliance garage, I mean seriously. But, this is a blog after all, not The Economist and we are talking about pseudo-frivilous things like cocktails and kitchens so I thought I’d share some of the things on my wish list that, due to space and mostly budget, didn’t find their way into our design.
Sure, who wouldn’t love one of those fancy appliance garages to hide the blender, the toaster, the coffee machine, etc., but my contractor and my husband both talked me out of this one. They both agreed that they were a waste of money. It’s too fussy for C, but I loved the idea of hiding all that stuff.
The one thing I did really want in my kitchen was a tiny little office nook. I fought hard for this one but, no dice. We just ran out of space. Our kitchen doesn’t have a very big footprint and counter and cabinet space is the priority, so this one did not make the cut. I would love to have had a very organized (there’s that word again) place to stash mail, keys, lists, my laptop etc., but those things will have to find their way down to the mudroom that is doubling as my office.
And a luxe built-in coffee station? Yeah- we didn’t exactly have the additional 3G’s to make this one happen. So much for pressing a button in your wall to produce that perfectly foamed latte. But hey, good things require a little work right? I’ll do just fine with my space-eating on-sale espresso machine. I’m eyeing this one.
On a styling note, I just picked up this oversized vase at Crate and Barrel for $39 because it reminded me of that giant owl. Not that it’s a bird or even an animal shape, but it’s large (14″ tall, a nice substantial size) and white and was the right price.
So that’s the roundup of our soon-to-be kitchen. If you have any tips concerning anything kitchen reno-related, please do share- except of course if they involve reasons why I shouldn’t do marble. You can keep those thoughts to yourself. 🙂
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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