berry bowls

Years ago, I spotted a great selection of charming berry bowls at New Morning Gallery in Asheville. As strawberries and raspberries come into season (with blueberries and blackberries soon to follow, although I'm already buying them for pancakes!) I've thought about those sweet--and functional-- pierced bowls again recently. 

Essentially, they are ceramic colanders and they're perfect for rinsing and serving berries and grapes, and summer vegetables. Bonus: They're usually dishwasher safe. The smaller models also are perfect for enjoying individual oranges and grapefruit. Fancy antique versions may have delicate and elaborate reticulated patterns, basketweave designs, handles, and colorful floral motifs (read: not as utilitarian but equally charming!). A sampling of my favorites from Etsy is above. Top to bottom: Stoneware Berry Colander by Abby T Pottery; Patterned Ceramic Berry Bowl and Saucer by Dawn Dishaw Ceramics; Flower Berry Bowl and Leaf Saucer by Botanic2Ceramic; Berry Bowl Colander on Leaf Tray by Blue Sky Pottery Co.; Spring Green Berry Bowl with Plate by TJ Cervantes Art. 

on the market: off the grid

Ever since my husband and I toured the net zero house (a house that makes its own power and contributes back to the grid) in the Serenbe community in Georgia, I've been even more interested in sustainable home options. Imagine $0 in monthly energy costs; the net zero house accomplishes this with 18 solar voltaic panels and a geothermal heat pump. The home also features eco-friendly appliances, fixtures, and plumbing, and earth-friendly materials. Above: The street view, kitchen, and front porch of the Serenbe net zero home (photos source). This home sold recently, but the homes below are on the market!


-An off-the-grid home on 97 acres in Arkansas has its own orchard, waterfall, and guest cabin:

-A stunning home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with active and passive solar elements and reclaimed materials.

Side note: If, like me, you're interested in old homes and green living, check out the work of New Orleans group Historic Green. Their "heritage conservation and sustainable design" mission proves that historic preservation and sustainable living can be compatible.

flowers & st. germain

Last week, my dear friend Katy spoiled me with a home-cooked pasta dinner accompanied by a wonderful Champagne cocktail. The cocktail was so pretty and yummy that I thought I should share the recipe with you all! If you do an online search for "st. germain and champagne," you will find various iterations and photos of this treat (the photo below is from Snippet and Ink. The photographer is Heidi of White Loft Studio.). 

You'll need three ingredients: St. Germain, Champagne, and berries.

This is a "to your taste" drink; you can mix one part (half a Champagne glass) Champagne with one part St. Germain, or you can combine three ounces or so of Champagne with a splash (up to 1/2 ounce) of St. Germain. 

Next steps: gently stir and garnish with frozen berries (raspberries look especially pretty). You can also use fresh berries, but, as Katy points out, the frozen berries help keep the cocktail chilled. One other Katy tip: If you wish, you can use prosecco or any dry, sparkling wine instead of Champagne. 

My contribution was brownies and flowers (top photo). Kudos to Publix for their great floral selection--I love some of the exotics they're now offering. All I did to shape up this arrangement was trim off excess leaves, cut several inches off the stems, and add some fresh mint from my own yard.

Happy Monday to you all!

when life gives you lemons

 

I love this print! Belgian Artist Leen de Pelseneer's beautiful illustration (discovered here) shows us how to make the perfect lemonade, and it's printed on archival, eco-friendly paper. See more of Leen's work here. Click image for a larger view.

Speaking of lemons, I've made several lemon recipes (all found via Pinterest) recently--lemon ricotta pound cake, lemon cheesecake, lemon olive oil cake, etc. I wish I had taken some pictures! I'll be sure to next time. Everything has been yummy, but here are the "top two" so far from my lemon baking marathon:

Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Very light and yummy--great after a heavy meal or with tea. Tip: To avoid a sticky situation, make sure the top of the cake is at least room temp before inverting the cake onto a serving plate. If you do lose bits of the top, a little extra dusting of powdered sugar can hide any issues!

Lemon Cheesecake Squares
The lemon zest gives these such a nice flavor. For the crust, I recommend swapping Biscoff cookies for the graham crackers. My batch needed longer than 35 minutes in the oven, so you may need to tweak your baking time. These are great when made a day ahead and served with fresh blackberries and blueberries.

fanciful ribbons

Bell'occhio is an interesting shop of curiosities offering everything from porcelain egg cartons to French safety pins (see more, like chocolates and scissors and stationery, here!). I'm partial to their ribbon and fabric trim collection. Above, German ribbon woven on antique looms (top to bottom): Eglantine, Lauris Redilis, Muguet Mélange. 

spring flowers

  

I was inspired by the spring flowers to be crafty. So, I made a simple vase a little fancier with a gold leaf pen. This is a quick/easy project: 

1. Select a plain glass (clear, white, etc.) vase. This one happens to be a candle holder--I bought them in bulk from the dollar store some time ago. The less expensive your vessel, the less you'll worry about the results being perfect! 

2. Tape off your vase with painter's tape: affix the tape around the circumference of the vase, at the height of your choosing. You may want a level top line; I went for the free-form look!

3. Begin painting below the tape with your gold leaf pen. I also painted the bottom of the vase. Note: You won't get perfect "brush strokes" with a pen like this, so try some dabbing/dotting with the pen to get good coverage and a little texture. Avoid too much saturation at the tape line so the paint won't bleed under the tape.

Wait 10 minutes or longer before trying a second coat and/or removing the tape. Below: The supplies; another view of the finished product. 

Have a great weekend!

ellen & portia's ranch

I think I could get used to the surroundings at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi's ranch home in Hidden Valley, California. Privacy (26 acres); serenity; and animals (deer, De Rossi's horses, a few cats) sounds pretty perfect. Get the design details and see more images at Elle Decor. Photos by William Abranowicz.

pretty jam jars

What a fun idea: The preserve decorating kit from {papermash} includes 12 jar tops, twine, labels, and matching tags in your choice of a tomato or berry pattern. You could also put your own little kit together with scrap fabric and labels of your very own design--this would make a great gift, especially when paired with homemade preserves! Lots more fun stuff from {papermash} here. (Find a recipe for Strawberry Jam [only four ingredients and no sugar!] here.) 

And speaking of fabric, check out this wonderful new line from Ellen Luckett Baker--"Folk Modern" for Kokka:

monograms anywhere

I love this custom monogram stamp from Katie Hoffman Ink. With this lovely stamp, you could put your initials anywhere--stationery, gift wrap, books, fabric, and on and on! See more of Hoffman's shop offerings here.

holiday wishes

Wishing you a happy Easter, peaceful Passover, and joyful spring! Above: Beautiful Easter-themed calligraphy by Liz Calligraphy. 

designer bookbinders

I thought you might enjoy the beautiful bookbinding art of the Designer Bookbinders of America, a group that "maintains the highest standards in technique and design used in the creation of design bookbinding..." Shown above (top to bottom) is work from these members:   Karen Hanmer, Robert Wu, Scott Kellar, and Gabrielle Fox.

Are you a book artist or do you know one? Learn more about the inaugural juried exhibition, The Book as Art, here (entry deadline: June 3, 2013).

And speaking of books, be sure to check out my list of favorite design and inspiration books on my Powell's Partners bookshelf here.

recent pins

May I share a few of my recent Pinterest pins? I must admit that I love Pinterest--it makes me feel organized and it's sort of mindless fun (and retail therapy without spending a dime--for the moment!). It's also fun to see what others pin and to share ideas. A sampling of my recent pins (follow me here): Cupcake toppers from The Shoppe (via Poppytalk Handmade Market);  Antique Turkish rug; Antique quilt; Meyer lemon cheesecake with Biscoff crust recipe; Ball fringe curtains from Restoration Hardware. Below: Maison Jean Longpré;  

Antique linen press; Harbour Island bath.

spring has sprung!

It's 70+ degrees here in Georgia and the daffodils are in full bloom! This nice break from the gloomy weather puts me in the mood for some bright colors from John Robshaw, a textile designer with a background in traditional block printing. Above: Screen-printed cotton napkins (with fun mix and match options); hand block printed heavyweight cotton pillow covers from the "Bungalow" collection; "Chief" cotton placemat. 

all things paper

I'm adding a wonderful new blog to my recommended list (under "favorites" on the right-hand side of this page): All Things Paper. Above: a sampling of the fantastic and fascinating work featured on Ann Martin's blog (paper cut lanterns by Hannah Nunn; paper sculptures by Irving Harper; a DIY gift wrap project with a quilled flower).

Below: Detail of Ann Martin's own beautiful handiwork, a custom quilled (paper filigree) wedding certificate (calligraphy by Riva Brown of Living Letters Studio). Many more images and examples of Martin's custom marriage certificates and ketubahs can be found here.