On Friday morning, I spent some time walking around downtown Lake Forest (one of my favorite places to wander, by the way). I picked up lots of berries at my favorite market, stopped at the florist for some flowers (pictured above – more ranunculus) and then wandered into the bookstore to see what was new.
One of the booksellers was ultra-helpful in trying to help me find the perfect summer read (and someday soon I will get around to reading an actual novel – I promise) but what I really love are coffee table books. Cookbooks full of full-color pictures, garden books, house books. Yeah, what I like in a book is a longer, hard-covered magazine.
Here’s two that I’m thinking about adding to my collection:
photo from amazon.com
Stylish Sheds, by Debra Prinzing. I saw this in the bookstore window, and let me tell you – it had me at cover photo. We can’t have yard structures where we live right now (the homeowner’s assocation says “no”, and it’s not like there’s any room for one anyway) but someday, I’d like a little shed tucked in the corner of my lot. Either an ultra-sophisticated potting shed, or an artist’s studio/office. This book is full of photos (by William Wright) that inspire me to do exactly that. Debra’s blog is fun to read, too.
photo from amazon.com
The Summertime Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin. This book comes out today (anyone care to bet when I’ll be at Barnes&Noble to search for it?) I first learned of it in the May issue of C magazine. The photography looks absolutely gorgeous, and the recipes are from Shutters on the Beach, a luxe hotel in Santa Monica. I must confess: I am obsessed with the photos. There was one of infused water that had me thinking about the Paris Market in a very Proustian way. Simple food, and summer food in particular, always sounds good to me, including this recipe from the book for lemon ginger cookies. (I also love the idea of eating dinner at the beach. Not lunch, though: too much sun!) You can read a short interview with the author here: her “heavenly” meal of tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and s’mores sounds delicious …..
Enjoy!
Hello! Hope you all had a lovely Mother’s Day weekend. Our Sunday was rainy and windy, so there was no Mother’s Day soccer game, but that just means a rescheduled game. My husband treated me to Starbucks for breakfast – venti skim misto and a doughnut – he went and picked everything up. I love little treats like that.
I’m so excited to tell you about Wedding Style Guide magazine today. Remember when I posted about it (after Chelsea clued me in to its coolness)? Well, two copies arrived in the mail last week, courtesy of Jane Cameron, WSG’s Creative Director.
even the wrapping is pretty!
I’ve taken time to flip through them, and sticky-tab them up, and I must say, it’s a fabulous magazine! Love its digest size – it’s small enough to easily tote around or tuck into your purse. Love the free downloads; love the layout too. (Reminds me a bit of Vitals – remember cool Vitals? Most likely you do not. It was a blink-and-you-missed it magazine. I guess just too cool to catch on.)
photo from styleguide.com.au
Anyway. My favorite feature from the most recent (Autumn 08) issue of WSG is “A real garden wedding” (pictured above) Not only would it make a perfect wedding setting, with summer coming it would make a perfect party theme, period. And even better – there are downloads available for invitations, swing tags, thank you tags (to tie around a sweet little potted plant), and a yard sign. All are easily adaptable for any kind of garden party – the word “wedding” doesn’t appear on any of the paper goods. I see this as another gentle nudge toward my (possible? hypothetical?) post kitchen-remodel party. I am long overdue for a party, and a garden theme sounds nice ….
Another feature I really like is “the vital palette”, where circle swatches of seasonal colors are shown in a gorgeous, clean layout. My favorite autumn colors? Refinement (a golden orange) and Connection (olive green).
There are also plenty of ideas for dresses, invitations, flowers, household goods, inspiring real weddings, not to mention a nifty little guide at the back full of tips, including how to tie a tie, an anniversary gift list, as well as a handy resource list.
The next issue of Wedding Style Guide (winter 08) comes out on June 25 in Australia. I hope it doesn’t take too long to cross the ocean and hit the US magazine stands, because it’s the newest addition to my crazed anticipation list. I look forward to seeing what’s next.
Totally off-topic, but my husband will be in NYC today and tomorrow, and may have a bit of free time to go on a mission of my choosing. Any suggestions? If he runs short on time, I’m requesting some goodies from Bouchon Bakery, but if you have a better idea please leave a comment.
See you tomorrow!
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The weekend is (almost) here! I’m ready to kick back and enjoy Mother’s Day …. at a soccer game. You knew that was coming, didn’t you?
On with the Five:
- Almost Prada
- futur.
- flowers on film
- oranges … with a little dirt
- Fallow Field
Sometime today, McMaster & Storm’s website should be “open for business”. I, for one, cannot wait.
The twelve-year-old in me would like you to know that Coldplay’s new song, Viva la Vida, is awesome. And I wouldn’t blame you if you listened to it 10 times in a row. I think I did. You can listen at iTunes.
See you back here on Monday.
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Wednesday was an incredibly long day. Lots of rain; lots of drama. All part of being a mom. Which makes for a great segue:
Are you still looking for a Mother’s Day gift? (Three days to go, but who’s counting?) May I offer the following as good jumping off points for your last minute gifting:
photo from basicfrenchonline.com
Cote Bastide pottery from Basic French Online. Simple, functional, and beautiful. I would use these for berries and cream. Or yogurt and granola. Or a huge bowl of guacamole.
photo from Williams-Sonoma.com
Animal Cracker Cookie Mix (and circus cookie cutters) from Williams-Sonoma
One of my favorite cookies, even to this day, is animal crackers. These are beyond adorable! It would be fun to make the mix and cut them out with my son …..
photo from generousgems.com
A charm This one is totally easy, and customizable for your mother. I have a gold charm bracelet, filled with charms from our travels, but a charm I’d like to add is one of the lion statues outside the Art Institute of Chicago (available from Generous Gems) to signify my three years organizing the Art Adventure program for my son and his school. That said, there are charms for nearly any interest your mother has, and they’re even available at eBay.
photo from winstonflowers.com
Flowers Yes, when all else fails you, flowers are always good. How about some roses, or peonies, or lilacs ….. the arrangement pictured (from Winston Flowers) has them all! I’ll say it again: flowers are always good, and this would be especially welcome.
photo from charleschocolates.com
Chocolate Just need a little “something”? How could I forget chocolate? My current favorite is the bar pictured above, Charles Chocolates Bittersweet Caramelized Rice Krispie Bar (also available with milk chocolate for those who like their chocolate a bit sweeter). A small yet utterly delicious treat!
See you tomorrow with the Five. Good luck finding something for your special mother!
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love this cover: don’t you want a slice of pie right now?
Here’s the thing: I’m thinking a lot about our upcoming kitchen remodel. Excited, yet nervous. And I must confess, I’m not the biggest cook who ever walked the aisles of Super Target. I’m better known for memorizing and obsessing over take-out menus (Did you see Parish Foods & Goods featured in Daily Candy Atlanta? The website is gorgeous, and I want to go to Atlanta and check it out!). I choose to see my love of gourmet take-out as a good thing, because no doubt, take-out will be my friend and savior come June and July.
Nonetheless, I love a good cookbook or food/cooking magazine. Because I’m an awesome virtual cook. And I’m crazy for the newly redesigned Bon Appetit. I think I’ve bought every issue since its re-launch. Love the recipes, and the features. (June’s issue describes an eat-your-way trip through the Mississippi Delta. One of the travelers is Lynda Posey, mother of Parker Posey. I had to throw that in as I am a Parker Posey fan, especially for Best in Show. My stomach hurt from reading about all the yummy food the three women ate in only five days, but in a good way.)
Next Tuesday (5/13), the Bon Appetit website relaunches, featuring “The Bon Appetit Top 100”, which will showcase 100 recipes that you should know about, updated seasonally. I’m sure it will be equal to the magazine in design, the food terrific (and tempting), and I look forward to clicking on over next Tuesday. Until then, I’m back to reality: carefully turning on and off the faucet, imagining the finished kitchen in July, and for the moment, finishing up dinner (magically moist chicken, mustard and olive oil roasted potatoes courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa, and green beans, in case you’re wondering what the non-cook cooks). I know the time on this post says 5 am. In reality, it’s 6pm. But that’s the beauty of the internet, now isn’t it?
See you tomorrow!
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