tidbit: hither & thither

my husband and i have a bad case of wanderlust. while we love our [relatively] simple life in our little cottage, we love to travel -- which, for us, usually means lots of wandering, peacefully taking in the sights and quintessential "local" experiences, scoping out fabulous restaurants, dipping into shops and trying to gather the feeling of a place.

well, when it comes to travel guides, we have hit the jackpot.
hither & thither.

the couple in venice, italy.

a darling couple, living in manhattan, who love to travel just like us. i knew we'd struck gold when i read through their post on napa and it looked like they photocopied the photo album of our trip. the will, heretofore, be our "go to" travel resource.

check out their blog. beautiful photos. incredible tips & recommendations that seem to really capture the spirit of a place. even the way they document their everyday life will leave you inspired. whether you're planning a trip, or you want to escape for a few minutes, you will certainly enjoy hither & thither!

...happy sophisticating...

enjoy a smattering of photos from their travels,
and from a local farmers market in manhattan!

sophisticateurs: the novogratz

a little over a year ago i discovered the novogratz family. i became immediately obsessed with the unbelievably fashionable, new york-based couple -- house-flipping, avant garde, interior designers -- and their 7 [yes 7] children. imagine my delight at the news that they've landed their new design show, home by novogratz, on hgtv.

i love their outside the box approach to design. the normal rules don't apply to them, because they design in a way that works for THEM. large, open floor plans, communal living spaces, bright colors, white, fabulous flea market finds.

the homes featured below belong to them. they are famous for purchasing dilapidated, sometimes condemned properties and utterly transforming them into these unbelievable spaces. i'm smitten. you will be too.

tune in tonight, 7/16 at 10pm on hgtv.
...happy sophisticating...

their children's names? wolfie (wolfgang), tallulah, bellamy, breaker, five, holleder & major.
did i mention the entire family is signed with ford models? no, seriously.

before and after

they had this fabulous rooftop space where they loved to play basketball, but they kept losing the ball. so, naturally, they constructed this unbelievable chain-link dome to solve the problem. brilliant.

want more? check out more of their incredible designs at the
website for their company, sixx design.

tidbit: delectable dining

a tidbit of delight. so fresh, so clean.
love the "interpretations" of red--from toile chairs, to high gloss chairs, to the deeply distressed light fixture--it's spot on!
i am convinced meals would taste better in this dining space.

...happy sophisticating...


photo courtesy of house beautiful

sophistikitchen: roasted beets & sauteed beet greens

my friend carrie is pretty much amazing. matron of honor in my wedding, she is a dear friend, wife, mother of 3, educator, GOURMET chef, artist, gardener, raiser of chickens, caretaker of piper the labradoodle...the woman does everything, all the while making it look effortless & chic.

she & her family just left on a long vacation, so she gifted me her latest crop of beets. that's right.
HER. latest. crop.
i love beets, but had never roasted them, cooked with them, had them in my home in any form other than a can--you get the idea.

so i poked around the good ol' world wide web and came across this recipe that utilizes both the beets and their delicious greens, so that not one delicious morsel is wasted.

one word: YUM.

the result was a truly special thursday dinner. i'm hooked!

...happy sophisticating...

Roasted Beets & Sauteed Beet Greens
recipe courtesy of all recipes

Ingredients

1 bunch beets with greens
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. [Tip: Cutting the stems will result in purple hands. Twist them off for a much tidier experience. :)]
2. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
3. Cover with foil, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
4. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Cut stems off of beet leaves, then tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.We went "as is" and they were unbelievably rich and delicious!
   

photoshoot: ashley & ken

i recently had the chance to work with the amazing husband & wife duo that is d'avello photography.

i coordinated mike & brynn's wedding last august, and was delighted when they called and asked me to style this engagement photoshoot with ashley, an old friend from high school, and her fiance, ken. we started at the fullerton train station and rode the train to union station in los angeles.

i am a sucker for classic architecture, so union station provided endless opportunities for incredible light, great lines and unbelievably romantic nooks and crannies. i didn't want any of the styling to interfere with the feeling of the station, or the romance between ashley and ken--so we went with a monochromatic color palette and some classic accessories. brynn & mike did an incredible job of capturing every little moment between ashley & ken, while capitalizing on the incredible venue. the results were stunning.

...happy sophisticating...

could they BE more photogenic? love it.

love the original seating--and check out that color palette! gorgeous washed out earth tones.

i love the way mike & brynn captured this moment.

we were shooting in front of a large area of the station that is roped off for special events. we very obediently adhered to the "no trespassing" rules, and it paid off! the security guard let us in for ten minutes!

the light was unbelievable.

i saved the best for last. they look stunning, the light is unreal--this makes me think of those classic portraits of french royalty.

more to come, as i'll be coordinating ashley & ken's september wedding!