Monday, July 29, 2013

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella


When produce season is in full swing, it is great to have a recipe that utilizes the vegetables that look great at the farmers markets - this was our loot from last weekend.


Panzanella is the perfect summer salad to serve with anything - a piece of grilled fish, chicken, steak, shrimp... burgers, kebabs, sandwiches, anything.  The homemade croutons just slightly soak in the vinaigrette.  So good.


When I saw all of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the market, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them....


It uses the best summer vegetables & herbs (peppers, tomatoes & basil - you can add cucumbers, too).  The best part is all you have to do is chop vegetables, stir together a dressing and make croutons - which, by the way, is much easier than you'd think!

Heirloom Tomato
Panzanella


Croutons :
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small loaf of good bread (6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Sea Salt & Pepper

Vegetables :
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound of tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes)
1 yellow bell pepper
1/4 red onion 
4 large basil leaves
3 cups of arugula

Dressing :
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon
3 tablespoons White Wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Croutons :
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet.  Drizzle the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 7-10, tossing after ever couple of minutes until slightly browned.

For the Vegetables :
Cut the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers into 1/2-inch cubes.  Cut onion into thin slices.  Add all of the vegetables to a bowl along with chopped fresh basil.

For the Dressing :
Whisk together dressing ingredients with a fork.  Pour over vegetables.  Add croutons just before serving. 

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The easiest & cheapest vintage grain sack pillow covers ever!

As part of my living room refresh project, I decided to update my throw pillows with something more in line with the vintage style I've been loving lately.

Source
Source  

They're just so cozy and homey and lovely. I can't get enough.

I went to Pinterest first and saw a lot of DIY grain sack pillow covers, but I didn't want to deal with finding the perfect linen fabric, then painting/printing/stamping anything on and I don't own a sewing machine.

After looking everywhere online, I wasn't loving the prices of the real deal. I was finding a lot of knock-offs but they just didn't look and feel like the real thing. I knew there had to be a way to make my own without a sewing machine.

Then I started searching for just the grain sacks and found several styles in many different conditions. They started at around $10 on the lower end, all the way up to $50+, depending on the type and condition. I noticed that the width on many of them were the same width of my pillows, and the length was just over double. I figured I'd have the perfect amount of material to make two covers.

I didn't mind a little wear and tear (it just adds to the character!) so I scored a nice vintage 19x42" Bemis sack on Etsy for $22 shipped.



It was perfect.


See where I'm going with this?


The design was right in the center which means it would be split, but I didn't mind the mostly plain pillows at all. If you wanted to center the design you could always pick up two grain sacks or find one with a design at the bottom.


To split it evenly I measured the center and drew a line...


Then I made my cut.


I didn't want the rough cuts showing, so I turned to the one and only Stitch Witchery:


For the first cover that was open on both ends, I had to stitch the bottom shut. I flipped the cover inside out, made sure it was lined up, and ran my stitch witchery across the bottom:


The result:


The top of this cover already had a nice hem from the factory, so I put it aside and addressed the rough cut on the second cover.


For this one I just had to fold the edges onto the inside all the way around the opening.



And that was that! I ended up with two perfect pillows with one open end...


I didn't want to close the seam permanently because then I could never wash the covers or swap them out down the road. I couldn't sew a zipper on either, so I thought about sewing buttons on it and almost went for it, but then I remembered these pillows I purchased from Ikea because I loved the little bows:



So I went through my leftover fabric stash and found some linen:



I cut it into six strips, then made little notches about 1" down with my Xacto knife:


Then I threaded each tie through and made knots:


And in less than one hour, I had my very own vintage grain sack pillows:





Ahhh... I love them. They're the perfect addition to our home, and specifically our updated couch... more on that next week!



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

New Product Color Swatches | The New Store

As I've mentioned in the last couple of posts, I'm working on putting together an online shop to be part of the blog.  I'll carry a collection of my "everyday essentials" like the parchment paper sheets, cellophane bags, custom labels and stationery.  I'm also planning to stock "everyday entertaining" items like hemstitch linens and candles.  The products I've ordered are elegant enough for special occasions, but can (and should!) be for everyday use.

I've been working on my collection of color swatches that my products will feature.  You'll be able to order embroidered linens, stationery, candles & custom labels in coordinating colors to compliment your home or the season.  I've gotta say - designing the color collection was the best part so far.  I received the coordinating collection of candles yesterday and the colors were so stunning - soft and sophisticated colors (even the bright ones).

Here is what I have so far... what do you think?  Am I missing your favorite? 



The store will be launching in just a couple of weeks - I can't wait for you to see what I have collected!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Guest Bath Details


Thank you all for the compliments.  You're all the best!
 
 
 
But let's take a step back for a minute to a request by Claudia to see a "before" photo.
There's no real "before" because this new bathroom was created by
borrowing space from my dining room, two closets (where the cat
just lost a toy down a hole in the floor) and about two feet of my kitchen.
The door to the kitchen (behind the chandelier) was moved
to the left and an area about 5 feet by 8 feet was closed in for the new bath.
 
 
 
This created a sight line from the front of house all the way to the back.
 
The old bathroom is behind the sliders in the kitchen and that will now
be demolished so the kitchen can be expanded.

 
 
This is the floorplan of the new bath. Just big enough to fit everything.
 


The guest bath door is a salvaged four panel door that I stripped using the
Silent Paint Remover--a much bigger job than I expected--primed and repainted.
It does look great though.  The porcelain knob is from House of Antique Hardware.

The artwork is a contemporary collage by Massachusetts artist 
Bernd Haussmann.  I already had it and it fits the space perfectly.



The floor tile is Sant'Agostino porcelain tile, color is Ferro Black.
This is the 6 x 24 size and I used a 1/3 stagger that, along with the
linear striations in the tile, gives it the feel of wood.  It's a bonus that the
price point is $9 per square foot.  The grout is Permacolor "Raven."



The small halogen light on the ceiling is probably a place holder.
I have a problem with most flush-mount lights and this one
didn't give me any adverse reactions.  I wanted something modern
and inexpensive and this fit the bill.  I threw out the box with
the name but it came from a local lighting chain called Wolfer's.



This shows the junction of all the materials.

The glass towel rod is vintage.  They can be found on etsy and ebay.

The 3x6 subway tile is American Olean in Ice White which is really
inexpensive stuff.  Available at Lowe's or locally at Roma Tile in Watertown.
The grout is Permacolor Bright White.

The small shelf is cararra marble (see sink info for source).

The Greek key mosaic border is Walker Zanger, Tribeca collection
Adelphia border in Flatiron gray, honed marble.

The planks are shiplapped Southern yellow pine painted with
Benjamin Moore "Icicle," #2142-70.

The chair rail was custom made to match the width of
of the marble mosaic.  The paint color is Benjamin Moore
Stonington Gray HC-170.


The tub is the Kohler Bellwether.  I liked this model because of its
straight front edge.  I thought it was a nice match to the modern
lines of the sink and a counterpoint to the more traditional elements
of the room.



All of the shower jewelry is Rohl from the Country Bath collection.

The shower curtain is Restoration Hardware diamond matelassé in white.
Mary suggested I move the shower curtain rod up to the ceiling.
I tried it and I love it.  It adds a little drama.  Restoration Hardware
makes the same shower curtain in extra long and I think it will be the
perfect length.  Thank you for that suggestion, Mary. 



The vanity table is an antique Swedish console table from Darby Road
in Waltham.  It was too long for the space and had to be cut down in
length to fit but I really loved the turned legs so wanted to make it work.



The original wood top on the table was removed and cut down to make a lower shelf
for additional storage.  Because the side of the shelf had to be cut down, Sam used
a similar routed edge and I did a little faux finish using brown stain and gray paint
to simulate the original worn edge seen on the front of the shelf. 



The plumber did a great job of tucking the turnoff valves way up
under the vanity table to keep the look as clean as possible.
I would have like to have used a bottle trap but they're not
approved for use in Massachusetts for some reason.
The turnoff valves are made by Jaclo.



The sink is Porcher (made by American Standard), the
model is Semplice which unfortunately has been discontinued.
The price was really reasonable so it's a line you should check out.

The new marble vanity top is cararra marble that came from a
remnant from International Stone in Woburn, MA. The people at
International Stone were great to work with and I think their prices are
reasonable so if you're local, it's a place I would recommend.
 
The basket is from Crate & Barrel.



I took this photo to show the corner details.

The clipped corner was originally on the Swedish console top and leg
so when I found a toilet that had the same corners on the tank and base,
I thought it was a perfect match.  I had the same detail cut into the marble top.

 
 
The toilet is the Porcher Lutezia.  I splurged for a fancier
seat with nickel hardware which is by Lefroy Brooks.



Because the chair rail ran right in to the faucet, I designed a bump up
with a little integrated shelf.  The lights are the Bryant sconce by
Thomas O'Brien from Visual Comfort in polished nickel.

The antique Brasscrafters mirror has a nickel frame.  It's unfortunately
too small.  I wanted the top to hit above the level of the sconce shades
but the bottom needs to be lower to make it useful for people shorter
than six feet tall. 
 
The bottles are the handiwork of Artie Vanderpool from Color Outside


 
The faucet was my biggest splurge.  It's the St. Germain faucet made by Horus
(from France) in polished nickel.  It comes with either lever or cross handles.
All of the fixtures came from Waterspot which has five showrooms in the area
including the Boston Design Center.



To the left of the sink is a little shelving unit that is built between the studs.
The little painting was a lovely gift from a long-time follower Dianne Ballard
who says it's a portrait of me.  See more of her work in Dianne's etsy shop.
 
There's another bottle of Artie's, a small vintage unmarked vase,
and a few beakers for supplies.
 


I think that covers it.  The bath is now open for guests so I put this
little arrangement of milk weed pods, hydrangea, caladium, ferns and ivy
together to welcome you.  It's always nice to have flowers in the house.  
 
Let me know if I missed anything and thanks again for the great feedback!