Happy Weekend dear readers. It has been such a tumultuous, sad and mysterious week in the world with so many tragedies and the Malaysian Air mystery. My heart and prayers go out to the families. I hope we can find some answers soon. Prayers to the victims of the Austin and East Harlem accidents as well.
This weekend we’ll be bidding adieu to our beloved Old Town as we prepare for the big move out to Fairfax County. In reality, we’re only moving 15 minutes away, but in spirit it is another world entirely and the beginning of a new and ‘burby life. Bring on the adventure.
What I’m Drinking:
It’s still cold around here so I’m still craving an earthy, chewy red. This is one of my go-to’s for under $15. I just picked up a case at my local Whole Foods. Great with pizza and burgers. A casual and rustic, while still complex, expression of the Tuscan Sangiovese grape from the Maremma region near the sea. A solid and yummy budget red.
An awesome DIY Sculptural Hand Dish a la the highly coveted Kelly Wearstler design- this one comes at a much cheaper price tag (and isn’t sold out). I’d like to find time to make this, mostly because I just love the way a fresh block of clay feels.
How to style your space like a Wes Anderson movie. I will find a place for that fabulous Scalamandre Zebra wallpaper one day.
Roahhhhr! Carly- what a tigress. I’m always inspired by the divine Ms. Simon, her style and her timeless sound.
A super quick tour through SJP’s NYC Brownstone as she answers 73 quick questions (and very well). Her brownstone is fabulous. I love all the books, there is a real live dictionary and those globes!!!
I can’t wait to read this. Walter Kirn, author of Thumbsucker and Up in the Air, shares the details of his friendship with the killer and con man, Clark Rockefeller and how it felt to be duped.
Bringing Down Bebé- a year in Paris brings this mother and her kids to their knees. This is a great read for any parent who has wondered why their kids can’t patiently play and self-amuse like those well-behaved Frenchies.
You’ve probably seen this video of parents lip-synching to Frozen’s “Love Is An Open Door” while their daughter yawns in the backseat. Last night, C and I performed an entire rendition of Sesame Street’s “La-Di-Da-Di-Dum What’s The Name of That Song” (quite possibly one of the catchiest tunes ever and the reason for my recent insomnia- I CAN-NOT stop singing it- all. night. long.) for our kids, and while our daughter bopped right along, our son repeatedly hit himself in the face. We didn’t blame him. We are pretty obnoxious when we get our full-on musical theater game faces on. And he was sort of trapped and forced to listen to us in his car seat. Seriously one of the funniest things ever. T- not a fan of musical theater (or maybe he’s just not the biggest fan of our singing voices).
Happy Weekend dear readers. I hope you are all off to some fun adventures this March weekend. We are busy renovating and beginning the big move. It’s still absolutely freezing here and we Virginians (I can’t believe I’m actually calling myself that!) are over it as I know much of the country is. I’m taking my little man to the barber today for his very first official haircut. Milestone alert- this will be one for the baby book (if I had one, I WILL get to that someday).
If you’ve not had the chance to vote for moi in Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards, ante up- of course, if you are so inclined. I would feel so honored to be be nominated amongst the talent of the blogosphere for Best Wine Blog.
Nominate Volatizing here. Grazie Mille and Thank You!!!!
What I’m Drinking:
I’m dreaming of Spring and warmer weather so I’ll be busting out one of my favorite rosés. Even though I drink this stuff year round, it still signals warm weather for me. From the house of Mas de Daumas Gassac, it’s their Moulin de Gassac Guilhem ’13 Rosé - it’s French, it’s organic, it’s $10, it never disappoints, and it’s made by a wise man (seriously- if you haven’t seen Mondo Vino and you are a fan of naturally made wines, check it out. Aimé Guibert of Gassac is truly a philosopher when it comes to making wine). Perfect with seared salmon, Domaine LA (one of my favorite wine stores in LA) sells this pink beauty so if you live in La La Land, you’re in luck. It’s widely available too so you can pretty effortlessly procure yourself a bottle. Pop that top and dream of balmier weather along the Southern French coastline. Ahhh… That’s better. Moulin de Gassac Guilhem ’13 Rosé, $10
A Few Things:
This asterisk print is so fun. This would be fun to recreate- filed away for that rainy day when I break out the easel.
The greatest little side dish courtesy of Anna Watson Carl at The Yellow Table. Her cookbook is cooking along, this is my latest favorite recipe.
P.S.: The Yellow Table is one of the best food blogs around. If you don’t read it, you should and if you agree, nominate The Yellow Table for the 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards here.
This made me sad. Come on- you can’t leave out Jonathan Winters and Dennis Farina- really people. Shame Shame.
Particle Fever- The Search for the Higgs Boson. You know, just some light movie material, like particle physics and the structure of the universe- no biggie. Our pal Matt Bennett was involved with the development of this doc (he also married us- fun fact). A worthwhile subject to be sure, I can’t wait to see it. The trailer looks mind-blowingly cool.
A DIY even I can handle- a spray paint-splattered cowhide rug. This is great.
The “Ugly Marble” trend. This stuff is so delicious, I just want to eat it.
The PBS American Masters tribute to Marvin Hamlisch is fabulous and worth a watch. Seeing him light up all of those great 70s variety shows and specials makes me so nostalgic for those days (not that I much remember them, but I’ve always felt akin to the 70s). I have so many Broadway friends who were fortunate to work with him, he was so loved. What a talent.
My friend Matt Miranda brought to light an interesting ponder this week:
Read this.
And then think this: “Skynet IS the virus. It’s the reason everything’s falling apart!” – John Connor
Things are getting a little too Terminator-esque, if I do say so myself.
And lastly, Lorde- you make me want to sit in the dark corner of a smoky bar with a well-made drink and act all moody. Thank you Lorde for sending me straight back to my early 20s. We all need a healthy dose of moody youth in our lives now and again.
Happy Weekend! Cin Cin and Enjoy!
Haricots Verts photo: Signe Birck, Moulin Gassac photo: Domaine LA
Not exactly thrifty if you’re going to deck out a ton of cabinetry, but definitely thrift-worthy for a quick dresser zhush, or something of the sort.
If you’re super DIY-oriented, you could probably figure out how to make these little beauties for even cheaper but who has the time. At $14, I love these.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A quick snapshot of what we’re doing to our main living space. We are fans of open-concept (thank you, Property Brothers and their fellow HGTV Canadians for cementing that phrase into our American heads) and prefer to eat, live and cook in the same space so we are doing away with the walls that separate the space. We will leave up a partial wall however so that you don’t walk directly into the kitchen from the entryway.
Here’s our Miss V. on closing day. Woo-wee, those window treatments are something, aren’t they? There are so many wacky little details in this house like those saloon-style doors that don’t actually operate? In any case, it’s all going. We’re ripping it all down and starting over.
Here’s what we’re doing:
Here’s what it currently looks like from a little different P.O.V. (view from the dining area):
Oh how I love a good demo! If I had the means, I would definitely get myself into the house flipping business. I love tearing things down and starting over!
I look forward to sharing our progress. If you all have any good reno tips, please let us know. Thankfully we landed an amazing contractor which I think is at least 80% of the project . If you like who you’re working with, it’s mostly just good fun-with a few hiccups here and there of course. Case in point- I ordered the wrong French doors, big fat mistake #1, I’m sure there will be many more. Thankfully the company was willing to work with me so I don’t have weird in-swinging doors in my dining room. Phew- Feng Shui nightmare averted.
Here she is folks… Miss Virginie, live and in the flesh. This is our little Virginian beauty. She’s got a long way to go but I’m looking forward to every re-inventing step of the way. She’s a little mousy right now but soon she’ll be zhushed up and ready to make her entrance into this century. While not the mid-century masterpiece of my dreams, I love her just the same.
Her exterior will have to wait until spring (and a little additional income) for a complete makeover, because apparently you can’t work with exterior paint in cold weather- who knew? But I can’t wait to brushstroke over those burgundy shutters and that door- ugh. I’ll give her a new molding around the door frame as well, something clean and simple. Let’s stop pretending we’re living in Colonial times, ok? Revere ain’t riding up to this door anytime soon. I know this is Virginia after all, but poor Miss V. just looks confused. She needs an update in the worst way.
My inspiration for her new exterior color palette:
I drew the inspiration from the whitewash-y bricks. I absolutely love those bricks and would like to play them up a bit. I’m still unsure as to what I”ll do the new front door in, I’d like to punch it up and I’m doing glossy black French doors at the back of the house, so was thinking I would matchy-match with a high gloss black front door, but I’m on the fence, below I show a pretty lavenderish door and a raisiny-gray- not sure which way to go. I’m also thinking either Ben Moore Silver Fox or Ben Moore Revere Pewter (Revere may make his way here after all) for the siding. It’s all up in the air. I’ll also nail a foxy vintage brass door knocker to our front door (etsy find!) circa the mid 70s. We live in a red fox-laden neighborhood so I figured it was apropos. I’m a sucker for numbers too so these brass babies will punch up our street number too, I think.
Here’s how it’s shaping up:
Thoughts? Do tell. I’d love your input. Interior post to come, I can’t wait to show you what’s going on in there and those poufy pink taffeta drapes that I inherited from her previous owner. Woo-to-the-Wee!
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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