the great white way

one of the best choices i made while creating my bridal registry was to go with a set of whiteware in addition to my other dishes. they are clean and sharp looking, endlessly versatile and easy to use for casual and more elegant tables. most often, i have used them by themselves with other white pieces, or with my clear glass dishes for a shimmery and fancier look.

the absolute best thing about having a set of basic white dishes is that it is so easy and inexpensive to add to them - so many stores, including macy's, crate and barrel and william sonoma, carry great white pieces, and there's no issue with matching when it's all white. the notion of different whites is not lost on me - of course there are some whites that are more cream or more gray, but i have found in general that any time i've purchased a piece to add to my collection, if it has looked "white white" in the store, it's been perfectly matched.

i always feel like it's a downer when a hostess is using special china but has to mix in mismatched serving dishes to supplement because she only has a certain number of serving dishes in their set. with the white, i don't worry about having enough pieces because i can easily supplement when needed. i've also been able to add different, more specific pieces as i need them...gravy boats, long platters, sectioned dishes, creamers, egg cups...okay, i don't have any egg cups - what do people really use those for?

it's also particularly fun to use the white dishes as a blank canvas, and employ other small bowls and accessories, linens and floral choices to punctuate with color and texture.







as far as mixing it up, i find that my white dishes go perfectly with all the wood pieces i love to use and are great as a casual table setting for easy chili or pizza nights, but they also dress up nicely with silver and crystal pieces and for holiday tables as well.

it's nice to have a set of dishes that can grow as my serving and entertaining needs grow, with the ability to adjust and update, and without worry of discontinuing patterns and pricy replacement.

lettuce begin again

okay so my inaugural crop of lettuce wasn't even baby lettuce-worthy because somebody dug up the little sprouts before they could grow into real lettuce. so rather than staring, forlorn, at what used to be rows of newborn salad, i started fresh last week. it actually turns out to be a good thing, because i took what i learned about planting seeds, in terms of spacing and depth, and applied it here. so it's a second chance. i planted the seeds on wednesday night, and was already seeing tiny growth yesterday morning. but i'm not getting as excited as i did last time...i have to reserve hope a little this time.

as for the herb garden, i don't know....the basil seems to be doing okay, now that i have successfully thinned it. it's actually popping up in front of the oregano and mixed in with the dill too, which i have to eliminate. but i kind of like seeing where it will turn up...guess there was a mighty wind the day i planted the seeds.



but overall, the dill and cilantro are so thin and lacy they just don't seem to be doing much of anything at all. and of course, the oregano transplanted from my father's wonderful garden, and the rosemary and parsley plants are doing quite nicely. i'm not giving up on the herbs from seed though...i believe in them!

i want a bleeding heart

no, really, i do.

passing by a flower and plant shop near my office, my attention was dominated by two gorgeous succulents, one of which, with its paddle-like, red-tipped leaves is apparently called a "bleeding heart." when i searched online, i could find no succulent called a bleeding heart, and found much evidence of the fact that like many things in the horticulture world, there are many names for each specimen, and the best thing to do is just get something you like when you see it, because you likely won't see that exact plant again, unless its something very common.

i have often considered succulents, and how i might use them. one option is to either make or buy a terrarium, and this is sort of nice because it is display-worthy, almost looking like an exhibit. my friend kelly has cultivated a couple of these recently and enjoys them because they're pretty looking and also low maintenance, and she has many, many other plants she takes care of with a lot of effort, so it's nice respite from that. that ease seems like a big selling point on succulents, in any form.

another option would be to use the "stack and grow" i have been admiring from smith and hawken, and make one entirely of succulents, as pictured here. this would be nice on a deck or balcony, because its condensed form provides a strong hit of texture and color while also having visual interest and variety.

the large potted ones like the bleeding heart and its amazingly petal-leafed friend, whose name i can't find despite extensive internet searching really are beautiful, but they were also almost $200 each. this makes me upset, and not pleased with this as a solution to my succulent desire. i'm also upset that that last sentence sounded like a book with fabio on the cover. or a lifetime movie. okay, moving on....

i think the best and most exciting idea is the succulents' answer to flower shops, called by one such company "a flora design firm," who create gorgeous potted succulent arrangements to send as gifts the way you would send flowers, which inevitably die after only a few days. they also do pieces for events, homes and gardens like those below by succulent luv, a california company.

i absolutely LOVE the idea of sending something sustainable and lush looking that can stay with a person for many years. i haven't done it yet, but i think what i might do is order one for myself at some point, and give it a test run. this is one i love that's a nice mix of textures and shades of green - making it so much more interesting and polished looking than just a single type.

finally, it's easy being green!

showers: check...flowers, come on!!!

have a wonderful weekend...i am hoping, hoping, hoping that my hydrangeas and day lilies finally bloom this weekend...it seems that everything in the neighborhood has already begun to bloom, so it is definitely time. i'm being as patient as i can!

you can see how the plants have grown even compared to the pictures below, taken two weeks ago. i've known them since they were this big!

day lilies two weeks ago (in the back and right side of the picture)
hydrangea bush two weeks ago (note how the tiny inner leaves have grown since then!)

a wink and a smile

i am trying to be mindful of the little, silent moments that make me smile. there are visual "winks" each day -- moments of lightness in an otherwise mundane commute or errand, and i find the more i value the moments when they happen, the more of them i have, and they are restorative.

here were some of mine this week.

trash and treasure

there are so many things that go into the look and feel of a home and the rooms inside. it's easy to get lost in focusing on the big pieces - floor coverings, paint colors, fabrics, finishes - but it is often the tiniest details that provide the most visual mileage and pleasure. the items around our homes, and often the smallest of those items, are markers of who we are and where we've been - they are the pieces we bring home from the places we've been, and the memories of people we love that we hold onto. likewise, these items have the ability to make a home truly reflective of the people who live there, providing little hits of pleasure each time we take them in.

these pretty wastebaskets are two of these such items for me - i resuced them from non-use at my grandmother's house, and although she doesn't remember where she got them, i imagine her on one of the many, many trips she and my grandfather took. i like to think of her in a fantastic hat on some island picking them out or in some tiny shop in a city in spain or italy. of course, they're probably from a drugstore in brooklyn, but whatever. each time i catch a glimpse of these in my bedroom, i am pleased, first because they're pretty, but also because they make me think of my grandmother and her excellent taste. while i could just be using plastic or stainless steel trash cans, which would certainly do the job, instead, the utilitarian purpose of collecting trash has been elevated to a thing of beauty and memory. it all goes back to the idea of loving everything in your home.

apparently my grandmother and i aren't the only ones with fancy taste in wastebaskets, as evidenced by a spread in this month's house beautiful.

daddy-o!

well, i’m sure everyone has already figured out, purchased and wrapped their father’s day gifts, but just in case…

*only a few of these items would need to be shipped, in which case there is still time for overnight, with many online vendors offering free or discounted shipping for father’s day

**any of the outings or experiential gifts listed below can be "given" on father's day with a nicely printed sheet giving the details of the gift, even if it's not happening on that day

for the reader

• magazine subscription - give a copy of the chosen magazine with a note inside informing of the subscription – check out mental floss, details, scientific american and harper’s for something different than average newsstand fare
• books - aside from the bestseller list or your dad’s personal interests, check out “not exactly what I was planning,” a clever book of six word memoirs, and “home game,” a funny memoir about fatherhood and a janet maslin pick
• books-on-tape for traveling and commuting
• chip-in gift: kindle, new york times weekender subscription

for the outdoorsman

• hammock, garden kneeler, small trees for inside or out, planters with seed packets and planting accessories, sports equipment, picnic basket
• chip-in gifts: potting bench, telescope - there are supposed to be meteor showers july 28th-30th and august 12th of this year
  
  

for the music lover

• CD's, itunes gift cards
• LP saver USB turntable – converts old records into CDs or MP3s so you can listen to them on CDs or ipods - how awesome is that?
• sirius satellite radio subscription - excellent deals and free shipping right now, especially for existing customers
• chip-in gifts: ipod, bose stereo, dock or headphones

for the sentimentalist

• put together a photo project quickly and easily and receive in time for father’s day, a photo tumbler which starbucks has in stores now
• frame a series of three photographs - you could do a series with one photo of your dad as a kid, one of him when you were a kid, and one of him now, or do the series idea with any funny or sweet progression of images your dad would appreciate
• ipod playlist of songs that remind you of your childhood with your family
• a handwritten poem or letter
• some father-child together time –theater, concert or sports tickets , sports outing (golfing, batting cage, rock climbing), once-in-a-lifetime experiential gifts, featured by city here

for the beach bum

• merrell sandals (famously comfortable shoes), kite, solarshade, extra special beach chair, beach chair with sunshade – i have a chair like this and as a beachlover who also stays out of the sun, it’s phenomenal

for the cook

• weber’s “way to grill” cookbook - basic recipes and techniques as well as twists on classics like barbecued meatloaf
• grill tools, grill light, roasting pan, knife set, belgian waffle maker, electric carving knife
• arrange for an outing to his favorite food store and together, gather the ingredients for his most famous dish – then cook it together so he can fill you in on his tips and you can follow in his footsteps
• spices - companies like penzey's sell them in various sizes and variety packs
• chip-in gift: grill, cooking classes at a cooking school or favorite restaurant
  

for the connoisseur

• wine refrigerator, decanter, vacuum sealer or opener set
• monthly wine deliveries, monthly cheese deliveries, omaha steaks, tequila of the month club, scotch of the month club -- note: you can subscribe to these services for as little as three months - doesn't have to be a full year
• there are also clubs for BBQ sauces, hot sauces, dog treats, lobster, neckties, pasta and coffee, among many others
• arrange an outing to a winery where you can tour and then make your own wine

for the overworked

• massage (sports, reflexology, etc), other spa service (hydrosoaks, steam treatments, etc)
• chip-in gift - gym membership, multiple massage gift certificate

for the one who doesn't treat himself

• briefcase, wallet, umbrella, netflix subscription , the art of shaving , gift certificate for car detailing, robe, slippers, camera

for the handyman

• addition to a tool set he has been building, drill set, tool box or caddy

and for the father who has everything, and likes to give more than to receive… consider a loan in his honor to kiva. it’s a micro-lending organization which succinctly defines its mission this way: “kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur, empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.” if there was ever a living example of “teaching a man to fish,” this is it, and it’s a wonderful way to honor many of the lessons your father taught you. best of all, as each loan gets repaid, he can reloan the money to another person in need. mitchell and i did this in my grandfather’s memory when he passed away, and we have since reloaned the same money three times, thereby helping four people in need.

or, make a donation of any size in his honor with the fruit tree planting foundation, a non-profit which plants edible, fruitful trees in needy populations and improves the surrounding environment.

however you celebrate, let your father, grandfather, stepfather, and any other father figure you love knows how his special brand of fatherhood has shaped you. telescopes and radios aside, that's what they want most.

a pinch of this, a pinch of that

most of us probably have a pile, folder, notebook or box with recipes almost bursting its seams. i had all of the above -- emails and aricles printed at work and at home, tear sheets pulled from magazines, recipe cards given to me by friends and family...they come from everywhere. this past winter, i finally devised a system for mine that alleviated my anxiety surrounding the recipe box vs. recipe book controversy. where does this controversy play out, you ask? in my very own mind. well, the solution i arrived at involves both book and box and makes me not dread recipe exchanges or bridal shower recipe cards.

there is real value in the book approach - it can be easily flipped through and added to without the need for neat writing or transferring. i use a thick binder with plastic sleeves to protect each page from tearing while in the book, and also to protect them from food and liquid while cooking. my book is very generally organized into four sections - appetizers, soups/salads, entrees and desserts and then crudely separated by type within those categories, but without dividers. i like it to be as easy as possible to stay organized, which means as few steps as possible.

the book is my complete recipe collection and is always growing - it includes ones i've tried and ones i have not. the ones i have made and been happy with are marked with stars, and also printed on recipe cards that are kept in a countertop box. this way, when looking for recipes, i have choices of where to look - if i'm looking for ideas, i look in the book and have access to new and old recipes. if i am looking for a specific recipe then i look in the in much smaller collection, arranged by category in the box.

in the front of the recipe box, i keep cards with kitchen measurement conversions and meat readiness temperatures so that i have the information handy when and where i need it.

this book/box solution addresses my desire for a recipe system that is both thorough and finite. love when that happens.

crystal clear

as much as summer is synonymous with the beach and baseball and family vacations, it is known in the collecting circle as tag sale season. if i had to put it into hard numbers, i would say a good 85 to 90 percent of what is sold at tag sales is just junk - not "one person's junk, another person's treasure" kind of junk, just literal junk. but once in a while, you get the original owner of an old house being sold, or adult children selling the contents of their parents' estate or someone whose tastes have simply changed and are looking to make room for new.

if i stop at a tag sale or antique fair these days, i am interested in crystal and china, which i didn't register for when i got engaged. although i briefly wished i had, i quickly fell in love with the idea of collecting my own over time, with one restriction - i have to love each and every piece i buy, not just add pieces i don't love in the interest of building my collections.

this past weekend, i had two great finds. i love how crystal clear these plates are (pictured above) and how they look pretty and fluted from the side. they're a great addition to my eclectic collection of crystal and i haven't added anything in a while so i was excited to find these.

i was drawn to this platter because i love the color and width, and i knew it would be a nice complement to my favorite vase, pictured here.

grand total for both purchases - $5. great success!

for that kind of satisfaction, i'll make my latte at home and spend my $5 on the tag sale circuit, thank you very much.

"don't force it" and other lessons from the kitchen

this past weekend, i visted my local farmer's market and enjoyed perusing the just-caught fish for sale. i was reminded of the rule of thumb about mussels, clams and oysters - so simple, it seems it would be obvious even if you hadn't been told - if it doesn't open when you cook it, discard.

i couldn't help that thinking that this very basic piece of culinary truth was actually much, much more than that. it's a good rule of thumb for many things in life and reminds me of a phrase my husband mitchell often uses - "don't force it."


by "forcing it" he means the act of trying to make something work that simply doesn't, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. when we were first together, this "not forcing" was a hard concept for me - i was in the habit of making things happen the way i wanted with little regard for the signs along the way that might have indicated a better approach, a wiser plan, a more patient solution. it was sometimes about trying to plan too busy a day, spend too much money, even the tendency to settle for one chair over another because it was available sooner. "don't force it" meant let's not overbook our saturday, let's wait until next week to buy that coat, let's live with what we have while we wait for the dream chair to be delivered.

and sometimes when the universe is resisting something - a job, a relationship, a move - when the shell doesn't open, maybe it's because what's inside isn't right for us, or ready for us, or maybe there isn't anything there at all. i love when i discover underlying meaning in the tasks that make a house a home. there are so many things i've learned as a cook and a gardener (and i use those words loosely) that apply in the rest of life, sometimes figuratively and sometimes quite literally.


i suppose it's not surprising that some of the smartest, most instinctive people i know are excellent cooks and gardeners. they have honed the art of paying attention, being flexible, changing course and knowing when to be patient, and when to act swiftly. the more experience i have in these arenas, the more important i find it to take stock and be aware of the lessons i am picking up -- maybe that's what they mean by chicken soup for the soul.

things remembered

no offense to mall shopping, but most of us have only experienced "engraving" as a service you get for free on a money clip or a picture frame in a crowded store at the mall. it has certainly been my experience, which is why i am so blown away by the simple, yet exquisite pieces of jewelry by san francisco artist jeanine payer.

hand-engraved poetry and sayings adorn each of her simply shaped and finished pieces, and i adore them. in the jewelry world, there is so much same-ness and her pieces are so different and interesting. for me, there is also something really soothing about them - the gentle lines of the pieces themselves, and then the same qualities of the hand in which the words are written. on her website, jeanine says "i believe in pieces having a wonder about them. i like making things that are at once both powerful and private."

and powerful and private is exactly how i would describe the way i felt holding them and poring over them. i think the sales clerk helping me was getting a little nervous i was going to make a mad dash with one with this apache blessing. it said:

may the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night
may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being
may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life

i mean, can you blame me? but i think next time i want to admire her work, i need to hit up a different store. her website lists where her pieces are sold in each state, and if you're in NY, fragments, among other places, carries her work. and if you're unfamiliar with fragments, you're welcome.

one of jeanine's pieces would be an unforgettable gift - one i would be thrilled to give or receive.