Friday Favorites...

Story of two artisans' home. Rachel's sweet new kitchen shop. A new-to-me blog, Paper Morning. And making tiny paper flowers.

Grow.

Our orchid has had a sudden growth spurt; four blossoms and another bud. It always amazes me how gratifying it is to see it thrive in the winter, while outside everything is sleepy and cold.

Cookies & Tea

I had lunch with a friend I hadn't seen since before Christmas, and since she loves tea & lemon-y treats, I made her a batch of chewy lemon cookies (recipe here) on Sunday and wrapped them up along with some of this tea. They are kind of perfect for winter, because they're a refreshing version of a sugar cookie, with a bit of lemon zest in each bite.

Monday Inspiration...

Artist Penelope Boyd // Third Room Studio paintings.

In addition to her artwork, she writes one of the sweetest blogs around.

Friday Favorites...

Calming entryway. Gift bags (via satsuki). A tiny closet cubby (via lisa). And sweet Valentine stamp packs.

Mudroom Progress

Below are a few shots from my phone of the back entryway so far. We painted it Bakery Box White in December, and it lightens the whole room up from its previous dark yellow walls.

Stacking the washer & dryer to make use of vertical space opened up a corner area that also made a huge difference. It feels ten times bigger now! We have plans to cover that washer hookup on the wall with a box shelf, and add a small bench and coat hooks. We'll get there...

Paper Mache Bowl

A cool project on making gold frosted bowls, from the third issue of Styled. magazine.

Making French Onion Soup

Between getting the cookbook My Father's Daughter recently, along with the new camera lens, I've been cooking & photographing in the kitchen a lot lately. It's usually dark when I start dinner (courtesy of winter), so the photos don't always turn out pretty, but I like documenting the process for myself to look back on and am considering printing a little booklet of all of my favorites...someday. Here is one favorite (from the cookbook) that I make frequently: French-onion-style bean soup (recipe here). It is so delicious, and best of all, easy to make.

(simple spices)


(star of this dish: fennel bulb - so fragrant - along with garlic & onion)


(hearty, white cannellini beans)


(served, with crusty bread...or cheesy toasted baguettes)

Monday Inspiration...

Woody Allen's film, Midnight in Paris.

I love how this movie combines magical scenery and humor with an interesting theme on life & the arts. And, now the screenplay has a well-deserved Golden Globe.