Friday Farewell

Hey guys, no FfF this week.  Instead just a brief goodbye until next year.  I'm going to take the next week and a half off from blogging.  I want to get away from the computer screen and spend a ton of quality time with the fam!  I wish you a wonderfully merry Christmas and a very happy new year!  May your holiday season be warm, bright, full of love and cheer!

Reindeer design by Cedille

Jetting Away (For an Extended Stay!)

Hey guys!  I'm in the Jet Blue terminal at JFK (btw, thank you JB for the free wifi- you rock).  I've got about 20 minutes until boarding time.  I'll be in California for lunch and couldn't be more thrilled!  Talk to y'all lateh, time to power down this little Mac Book, finish my breakfast and use the restroom.  Sorry if that was TMI : )

Poster design by Vincent Pacheco of Mud Chicken Art

Heart... Melting!

Ugh, I want a doggie so bad!  This post made my chest ache; what a sweet little badger dog!  Also... check out this face.  I've been obsessing over her for the last week.

I've got to tell you, I'm super excited.  Tomorrow I have a early morning flight back to California.  I haven't visited in an entire year!  I miss my family so much; especially those I don't get to see as often.  I can't wait to chill out everyone- grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Plus this furry beast will be hanging around and I can get my doggie fix!  Psst, check out the furry beast as a puppy, 3.5 years ago! 

Photo by Jeff Holt, featured on Southern Weddings

Print Shop

Garance (finally) opened a print shop!

Four for Friday

Firstly, my heart goes out to Newton, Connecticut.  I always feel at a loss for words when something this horrific and atrociously senseless occurs.  My condolence and sympathy to all those connected with Sandy Hook Elementary.  So terribly sad...

I'm leaving work early this Friday.  The past two weeks at work have been really rough.  I'm going to spend my afternoon running errands and doing laundry; things that I've been too busy to get to for the last 14 (plus) days.  I'm hoping to wrap up (and wrap) some holiday shopping this weekend and check out a couple fun holiday events.  I hope you have a suggly, festive, fun weekend ahead as well!

- So pretty!  I want to make holiday ice too!!!

- I want to go to this and this (again) over the weekend.

- Gingie-boys!  And the recipe is already vegan, score!

- Beeeee-utiful winter prints and cards.

Design For Mankind

I've only just discovered Design For Mankind (oooooh the shame!) and I'm obsessed (rightly so).  I'm reading the archives, digging back weeks, months, years.  Blogger Erin Loechner has a great eye and pretty much every single post has me clicking links and feeling inspired (true sign of a great blogger).  Her recent gift guides are super awesome.  I also discovered Sara Maragotto's art over there.  Hooked!  Go check out the blog, I have a sure feeling you'll be a fan too!

Paintings by Sara Maragotto

Black, Blue and 3 B's

I'm loving the abundance of navy and neutrals seen in the pre-fall shows.  Belstaff, BCBG and Band of Outsiders are all relying heavily on a black and blue palette.  I love color.  Love it to no end!  But it's refreshing to see a resurgence in classic, core hues.

I completely geek-out on how cool, yet vastly different each collection is.  Above at BCBG, I like the mix of feminine pleats and ruffles with the architectural blocks of color.  Down below is Band of Outsiders.  I'm always crushing on their quirky boy meets girl aesthetic.  I adore the prints and sweater pieces too!

Lastly, we have Belstaff- one of my all-time favey labels!  Belstaff has a rich heritage and strong brand identity.  I look at Belstaff for design inspiration super duper often.  Their sharp, chic, utility edge always makes me fashion envious!

 

Attack of the Monday

It's Monday.  I'm not feelin' it.  Negative nanny on the loose.  I'm sneaking glimpses of pretty flowers to feel better.

Arrangement by Nicolette Owen.  Check out her book too, pretty floral therapy!

Four for Friday

Have a great weekend blogger buddies!  I'm really getting into the spirit this weekend; heading over to NYAA's "Deck The Walls" party after work, checking out the Vegan Holiday Pop-Up Shop in Bushwick tomorrow and watching ABT's The Nutcracker on Saturday night at BAM!  Should be fun.  See you next week!

- Great DIY holiday decorating ideas over at 100 Layer Cake.  So much crafty inspiration!

- I've totally fallen in love with all of Erin Jang's designs!  Found via Design Sponge.

- Homewood house in London has my dream office.  The rest of the pad is pretty gorgeous too.

- Genius gift baskets at New York Mouth .  (Pssst, get me this one!)  Thanks Joanna for the link!

Lasagna, My Love

I'm feeling inspired to take on this kitchen challenge: Sarah's Butternut Squash Lasagna!  Whilst being a super delicious comfort dish, there's no guilt.  It's vegan, gluten free, and completely void of processed junk!  ( Dunno about you, but I'm trying to "behave" so that the Christmas holidays can be full of indulgence!!!)  Seems like the perfect home cooked meal for one of these chilly upcoming weekends.

Photo by Sarah of My New Roots

DIY with Yellow Owl

Love this DIY stamp kit from Yellow Owl Workshop!  It would make a great gift- or buy it now and use it for the holidays.  Just think... home-made stamp gift tags, place cards, wrapping paper, the list could go on and on!

Stumped?

I'm building an eclectic gift guide over on Pinterest.  If you're at a loss and need some shopping inspiration head over to my board!  Maybe you'll find a treat or two for your holiday wishlist as well.  Pictured here are my faves, clockwise from top left: red panda print, portable turntable, ink blot test, cardboard radio and wall clock.

Four for Friday

Greeting m'dears!  Happy Friday!  This post is holiday shopping themed.  (Gift giving is at the forefront of my mind, and likely yours too!)  I've got a weekend of gift hunting planned.  Hope you have a lovely first weekend of December.  See you make here on Monday, chickens!

- Brooklynites!  Buy local products from By Brooklyn in Caroll Gardens.  Cutey, cute, cute goodies.  If you're not a local, no worries!  They have an online shop too.

- Give all natural with Burts Bees!  (Their products are definitely on my list!)  Trial sizes makes great stocking stuffers.  Or go for a gift set!

- Purchase art from Print Aid and all proceeds go to help victims of hurricane Sandy.  Read more about this amazing program here.

- Ginormous sale at Net-a-Porter!  Hurry over and get up to 50% off.  (Score-ville!!!)

Quattria

My interior design spirit found a new place to call home, the Quattria shop.  Quattria supports young designers around the world, bringing their pieces to fruition.  Production is local and predominately handcrafted.  I particular love the Marc table/magazine rack from Gauzak's line.

Disovered via Raney Town

To Name, Or Not?

The BF and I picked out a fluffy little Christmas tree on Saturday evening.  We bought it from Nelly's, the cute mom & pop nursery/florist shop.  We plucked the 3-footer out from under the tracks (Nelly's is on Broadway below the J/M/Z lines) and took it for a little trip on the G train.  Once home, my BF and I named her Charlotte Douglas.  Do you name your tree?  What about your car?  Home appliances?  We have Steamy (the steamer), Little Four Cup (the food processor), and Frenchie (the French press).

Check out our decorating video!!!

Tree poster by Bowlgraphics

Happy Thanksgiving

Whew!  The work week is nearly kaput.  Almost time to do battle at Wholefoods for some organic produce.  Wish me luck.  Everyone enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Image by Charmaine Olivia, available on Art.com.

By Nord

I love these pine cone and acorn ornaments from By Nord.  Their collection of bone china and metal animals is super cute too.  By Nord has lots of other stylish home wear.  Wander around, shop for someone special, (or splurge on yourself- I won't judge)! 

Giving Thanks

I'm checking out absolutely, every single one of the links on Heidi's Thanksgiving Ideas post.  She shares a dozen of her favorite vegetarian dishes, a handful of other chef's recipes and some Thanks' themed articles.  Are you getting into the spirit?  Planning?  Shopping?  Cleaning?

Photo by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks

Four for Friday

Happy Friday blog-land buddies. Are you as psyched about the weekend as I am? Yeah, I bet you are! And Thanksgiving is almost here too. Nutz-o!!! Time flies by.

I have a very dear friend visiting this weekend; we've known each other for 17 years!!! Talk about time flying by. She's technically here for a work event on Sunday but we're going to have lots of fun! Gallery openings and drinks, and dinners and drinks, and brunches and drinks, plus shopping (of course)! I'm going to crash at her hotel too, so we can talk into the early morning like we used to in the good ol' LA college days.

See you back here on Monday!

- Suvi Sur Le Vif is a repeat feature here on FfF. I love the new autumnal posts. Check out the new blog spin-off too.

- I'm a sucker for collage; Erin Case's figure meets landscape work is up my alley.

- This is the most incredible date idea. I'm definitely going to rope the BF into a magic show!!!

- I want the flowers from this Fall wedding inspiration shoot all around my apartment, all autumn long! They are just too beautiful.

Joy's Contest/ Imm Living

Hey guys, head over to Oh Joy! and comment to win an assortment of adorable Imm Living products.  I love, love, love these animal trays.  So cute, right?  Imm Living has great stuff, perfect for gifting too!   (Winkwink)  I'm smitten with these antler mugs and flower topped glass jars too.

Left photo from Oh Joy!
Right photo from Imm Living

Fairisle is a Foot

Isn't "foot" a weird word?!!!  My title completely de-railed me for 10 seconds...  Sorry.  I'm really not here to talk about a foot (or feet).  No, no, it's fairisle!  I've come to believe that fairisle is something people either love or hate.  And hate is in italics there cuz we are talking serious pattern detest.  Peeps, I work in fashion.  I've seen fairisle hate and it ain't pretty. 

I think you probably already figured as much... but I'm am a fairisle lover.  Fairisle.  It sounds like some magical land.  It conjures images of falling snow and dogsleds.  And I love that it's not universal.  Hey, if everybody loved it then it wouldn't be quite so special, right?  That said, fairisle has been living out quite a revival for the past few winters.  I'm loving these modern iterations that are springing up now; the fierce colors and non-traditional pattern elements.  I mean... how many reindeer pullovers do you need?

Clockwise from top left:  Asos, J Crew, Madewell and J Crew

Floral Floor Fancy

Anthropologie floral rug.  So petal-pretty I can hardly stand it!  Wishlist-ed it.  Pinned it.  Blogged it.

My Monday Spree

I was supposed to be pre-shop gift researching yesterday.  Instead I found a handful of necessary separates... for myself.  And a coat.  Just a few easy, statement making pieces to revamp my wardrobe.  And since they're all cheapies I don't feel too bad : ) 

Top row: Surplus-Green Merino Sweater,  Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt and Metallic Color-blocked Sweater
Bottom row: Tribal Printed Leggings, Faux Leather Skinnies and Camo 5-pocket Trousers

The Amy Merrick Effect

Ugh.  Had to share these photos by Amy Merrick.  Because they are beautiful.  And because they are seasonal.  And because they are inspiring me to shop for botanical prints (and pomegranates).  Seriously!

Happy Monday!

Yes, happy Monday!  They are setting up the holiday market in Union Square and installing street garlands.  I'm ordering an LL Bean wreath and pre-shop gift brainstorming.  To kick off the season, here is a cute video from Oh Joy!  It might give you an idea or two about decorating.

Four for Friday

Hello weekend!  I'm so happy you're here!  It's been a pain-in-the-backside type of week.  Cinni Snail, I'm suffering from dounut withdrawls! (But you're rockstars for serving free grub to badly hit areas!!!)  L train, thank you soooo much for coming back to life.  The M train is my nemesis.  Nor'easter, you almost broke my ankle.  Thanks for reminding me that my ducks are essential for snow-stormy weather. 

And now it's Friday!  And I'm fantasizing about my 6:45pm return flight to New York.  And it can't  happen soon enough!

- Digging Amy Moore's designs.

- The most beautiful veggie burger I've ever laid eyes upon!

- The cutest queries about a serious winter essential: the woolen hat.

- Obsessed with matches and trays.  They're cute.  I'm random.

Jetting Off (For a Day)

Good morning!  I'm traveling around the north east today, on a manic coat-fitting mission.  I'll be back later with a FfF though!

Image by Ezra Stoller, on the Design Observer

First Snow

Yesterday we had our Nor'easter mini-blizzard.  Central Park had 5" of sparkling white powder.  It's all melty now.  But it been a sharp reminder- time to bundle up!  I'm taking layering cues from all the cuties above.  Photos from the Sartorialist archives.

Etsy Love/ LiLuni

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday.  More yucky weather has descended upon New York.  Freeeeeezing rain is grossy.  On the bright side, the heat is back on at work and I'm nice and toasty.  Also, I'm going to a comedy show this evening.  Have any mid-week plans?  Celebrating a presidential victory maybe?!!!  Go Obama!  That's the extent of my political discourse here : )

Now... let's talk about LeLuni. 

Leluni makes the most adorable clocks.  They're marketed for kids but I think they're perfect for anyone with a youthful spirit. This scarf wearing bunny is without a doubt, my favorite!  The big red bear and pink piggy are pretty cute too.  Want a sweet furry thing in a color that's not listed?  Check out LeLuni's web page for the full clock selection.  The designer John will even work with you on custom clocks!  So cool! 

Discovered via Avie Designs

11/6

Did you vote?

Photo of Frances Bean Cobain by Heidi Slimane

Chillin' Out

Back at work today!  And holy brrrrrrrrjesus it's cold in here!  We've got electricity, working restrooms and functioning technology but no heat.  If I had remembered gloves today then I'd be wearing them.  But I didn't.  So I'm making due, wearing my wool coat and closely monitoring the grey/blue shade that's overtaking my finger tips.  For serious.

Ribbon yarn mittens from Asos

Tofu Benny

Make it this weekend!  So sinfully delicious.  If you're heart set on making it helthier, add some spinach and call it dame Florence.  I myself, much much prefer basic Benny.   But to each his own.  I used Kate's recipe for mock-hollandaise.  I wholeheartedly recommend!  The only other thing I'll add is get Soy Boy Smoked Tofu if possible.  This tofu is incredible.  It's got a great smoky flavor and saves you the time of draining and marinating the basic stuff.  For the faux ham I used Tofurky brand, but I think it's safe to use anything or nothing.  I adore tempe bacon and might try that next time!





Tofu Benny
(makes 4)

Hollandaise Ingredients (please visit Kate's site for sauce directions)
- 3 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- Pinch of turmeric
- 1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk
- big pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- The juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 Tablespoon vegan mayo
- Salt and pepper to taste

The Basics
- 4 vegan English muffins
- One package Soy Boy Smoked Tofu
- One package Tofurkey Ham

- Whip up the hollandaise
- Slice each tofu pattie in half (they will be about 2"x2"x 1/4")
- Heat tofu in a skillet and toast the English muffins
- When tofu and muffins are ready, quickly heat up your "ham"or mock meat.
- Assemble muffin, tofu and "ham"
- Liberally add holldanaise
- Fin!


   

Four for Friday

Hey chickens!  It's Friday!  Yikes... I can't believe it's been a whole week since I was at work.  Crazy.  Sandy was way worse than we expected.  Word on the 'net is that all power will be restored to lower Manhattan by tomorrow evening.  So, it sounds like Monday will be sort of back to regularly scheduled programming.

Enjoy your weekend!  I'm drafting a recipe for later today.  Check back for the vegan twist on an ultimate brunch classic.  Any guesses?  Hint: friends call him Benny!

- Pamela & Eric's mod wedding is totally up my minimalistic alley.  Love the lucite table cards!

- Sincerely Kinsey is bursting with cute craftiness!  Love this T-shirt and those boots!

- Honey of a Thousand Flowers is a FfF veteran.  Sooooo worth sharing again though; fall flowers make me melt!

- Funky Time just stole my heart.  Adore this ombre punk'in!