Monday, March 14, 2011

Inspired Room: Mourning for Japan

sibella court's bathroom

Today is a somewhat somber, moody day. With all the tragic happenings in Japan, we happened to Netflix the film, Grave of the Dragonflies before the earthquake and it could not have come at a more perfect time. Really, it's so close to the current status of Japan, what are the odds we would Netflix this film right before the tragedy occurred?  It  is truly a beautiful and tragic story of the a brother and sister fighting for survival after the 1945 fire bombing in Kobe Japan's WWII, based upon a semi-autobiographical novel by Akiyuki Nosaka .  Truly, the thing that brings peace is knowing that Christ has a plan for us, and that families can be together forever. Being that it has been thundering and stormy all day, and the tidings of the week, I'm feeling that very black and natural interiors are fitting.  Interesting she has a few Japanese themed items in her home as well.


Stylist Sibella Court, has a beautiful home, a curious shop called The Society, inc... Her lovely book, Etcetera: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things You Love, chronicals her many designs and ephemera finds, with photos taken by her brother, photographer Chris Court.

the random trail of glowing bulbs is mesmerizing

 sibella's living room, loving the Japanese pilgrim's jacket

this would be a perfect place to read Wuthering Heights

her favorite quote from Jeanette Wilnterson’s Lighthouse Keeping: My Mother called me silver


 sibella's bedroom


Friday, March 11, 2011

How to Wear: Lovely, Casual Braids


Model and actress Farris Patton is certainly stunning. I don't know if it's due to her features, the clothing styling or her flaxen hair, but doesn't her ability to pull off a hint of a loose, non-constricting braid look stunning?

As a hairstylist, I would hope I had the ability to pull it off. Surely, I would look more like a Pippy Longstocking though. But today, I'm going to give it a shot. I think that keeping it low, slightly disheveled, yet smooth is the key point, while keeping the rest of your hair carefree.

For a top part braid like in the first pic, lots of ideas here and instructions here. The skinny tight braid is old news, keep it low and loose, work it into a smooth, but messy side bun. Tons of ideas online.

This is a fishtail braid. Fergie has one here with pretty good instructions on how to do it.
Remember to keep it somewhat tight when braiding, but pull pieces apart when done.


The hidden braid. You don't even need to tie it off for a natural look. Just add a hint of gel or wax to your hands when you braid and then twist a bit of wax over the braid once you are done. Happy experimenting!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Recipes: Salsa Three Ways


It's no secret, I love me a good salsa. Not only do my husband and I love making salsa together, but it helps us snack on something that is pretty healthy, and inexpensive. Just a few years ago, I would only like runny salsa, just dip my chip in a teeny tiny tad, and shake off any chunks. Wow, have my tastes changed.

For our intro to salsa, plus tips on using and freezing veggies and herbs for later use, visit my post here. Also, you can doctor up any store bought salsa as well by using a few ingredients listed.


***

Basically Amazing Salsa Recipe (Chiptole Chicken)

1/2 can well rinsed black beans
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped (or jalepeno if you like spicy)
handful fresh cilantro, chopped (we grow our own, it's super easy!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil (we usually skip this)
2 T vinegar (we usually skip this too)
salt to taste
Mix all, let stand together at room temp for approx 30 mins to let the flavors meld together. This salsa is really good with corn (like a pico de gallo) and cooked chicken chunks in a bit of Tabasco Chiptole sauce chunks added in. Top it on rice with a bit of shredded cheese and you've got your own Chipotle chicken.

***


Tangy Strawberry Salsa

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium avacados, chopped (not smashed, this is not guacamole!!)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
huge handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
8 strawberries, chopped
1 squeezed lemon
salt and pepper to taste

After chopping the tomato, avocado and onion, we put it in a pan on the stove and do a light stir frying for about a minute. It helps to add flavor just in case they aren't totally ripe just yet, and makes a nice warmth for serving on chips. Then we mix it all together in a bowl.



I know what you are thinking, "What, strawberries?" I'm telling you, it's awesome. If you ever over do it with onions and garlic (which we tend to do because we love both), tossing in some strawberries balances the flavor and adds something not too sweet and noticeable, but just enough as a 'secret ingredient'.

***


Grilled Steak with Avocado-Mango Salsa

For the salsa (serve over steak but also amazing with chips)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium avacados, chopped (not smashed, this is not guacamole!!)
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
huge handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 squeezed lime
1 c crumbled queso fresco (I didn't do this part, but if you do, it's super good).
salt and pepper to taste


For the steak:
4 boneless beef ribeye steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick (we used 2 super thin cut cheapo steaks).
2 tb olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp EACH of: coarse salt, pepper, oregano, ground cumin
1 cup Texas on the Plate Bodacious Soppin' Sauce or any marinade you like (I'm an A-1 gal).

1. Combine all steak ingredients in bowl and rub on both sides of steak and let sit for 15 mins.
2.  In the meantime, heat grill or charcoals. (we just did it on the stove).
3. Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl and set aside at room temperature.
4. Grill steaks 6-9 mins per side for med-rare to med doneness. Baste generously after flipping if grilling.
5. Serve salsa, chutney style on steaks.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Inspired Room: Cozy Elegance


I adore Maria's dining room from johns journal. Her design mix is everything from an Okinawa dumpster find in a contact paper covered tv stand turned wine rack, an owl picture from Goodwill, chairs form Ballard Designs and a table from Thailand.Such a beautiful mix. The mix of rich warm colors, mirrored details and the white and espresso, the lovely gray walls... works together perfectly. Really though, her entire home is well done, check it out here.

love fresh white hydrangeas in a simple vase
I always love a good bust.

Spray painted overstock chandelier.
The contact paper dumpster tv find, with a wine rack added inside.
Love the various candles and their glass and metallic holders. I'm sure it puts off a lovely glow.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Fashion: Rolled Skinny Jeans


I'm a big ole jeans fan. I love paring them with a cozy, neutral but still sexy tee.  Being super short, I either get ankle length that work okay with flats, otherwise they  are always crazy long. So, I am simply loving the rolled jeans. The messier and more rugged of a roll,, or slouched a bit... the better in my opinion. J. Crews's dressing tip tells how to achieve the look here:

"With the jean fully unrolled, fold over an inch of fabric to make the ankle opening tighter. Then hold on to that fold as you roll up from the bottom to desired length (we like ours to hit just above the ankle).

       denimology, megan fox destroyed and slouched in  current elliott jeans the skinny in super love destroyed


 katie holmes... she is definitely a start of the trend, as I remember a lot of critics not liking this particular photo when it first came out, now of course they rave it. Perhaps it's the bagginess of the leg fit.

Sincerely Jules

blouse: Emporio Armani // skinny jeans: bdg (DIY ripped holes) // heels: Seychelles // bag: Alexander Wang // necklace: thrifted.   She gives great advice on creating the holes in her jeans:
"A good pair of denim jeans go along way. On mine, I added the ripped holes so that they look
imperfect and super worn in. 
Try this on a pair you hardly wear to test it out first. To add holes to your jeans you simply:
- grab a pair of scissors, poke a hole through the section where you want the rip
- Just cut through, the bigger the whole, the cooler it looks
- Stretch out the rip a few times
- lastly, throw them into the washer/dryer so that all the threads come out, voila!"

Related Posts with Thumbnails