The Magic of Halloween

 

I love Halloween…. I love everything about it from decorations to costumes, it’s just super  fun no matter what age! I love that it doesn’t matter if your decor is elegant or tacky—the creepier the better! I love decorating both the inside and the outside of my house, and I love driving and looking at homes decorated outside even though there aren’t many where I live!

I used to go all out but lately I just haven’t had the time to pull it all together…. but what’s great about Halloween is that there’s no expectation that everything has to be a certain way.  I think Halloween might just be the most flexible holiday of the whole year! It doesn’t matter whether your decorating style is going all out with some floating ghosts and lazy skeletons or keeping it simple with just some carved pumpkins and fairy lights, it’ll look great either way!

Another thing I love about Halloween is all the little things we do every year, stuff that’s unique to my family. Nothing we do is fancy, or elaborate. But it feels unique to us and feels that its our own tradition! We love watching the peanut gang halloween special every year together as a family with the coziest blankets and the yummiest treats! My youngest has been dressing up as a black cat nearly every year… its not halloween for us if she isn’t a cute black cat!!!

I have put up some pictures from Pottery Barn I just love their Halloween decorations.. They are my go to place when it comes to Halloween decorations every year .. I am in love with their cushions this year and can’t wait to get some of those glass pumpkins to put on my coffee table in my family room… will stick some fairy lights in them. They’ll look perfect with some popcorn and candy for our peanut gang halloween special night this year!

 

 

Friday Quote

 

Book of The Week: Dior

In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the house of Dior
Assoline has puplished a series devoted to each designer of the couture house.  The book above is the first of series. Its Dior by Christian Dior it is just beautiful and has pictures of the most iconic haute couture designs conceived by Christian Dior. Each book in this series is devoted to a designer of a couture house. The gowns have been carefully conserved in museums and institutions around the world, they have been photographed and exclusively compiled for this indispensable book collection.

I just cant wait to get my hands on this collection… I can imagine my self being lost for hours going through the details of each look with my eldest daughter!

 

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Idris Khan’s Spaghetti Arrabbiata

I found this recipe for Spaghetti Arrabbiata by the renowned artist Idris Khan and thought that I’d give it a try

Ingredients (serves 4-5)

Extra virgin olive oil
Half a red onion, finely chopped
1tbs balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 red chillies, chopped, seeds left in (depending on how hot you want it)
2 tins cherry tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
basil leaves
rind of the Parmesan block (optional)
a little sugar (optional)
one packet of spaghetti
loads of grated Parmesan cheese

Method
Heat 3tbs extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and stir around a few times to cover with oil.

Add the balsamic vinegar and stir, then add the red wine and reduce down until the onion is nicely caramelised.

Add the garlic and chilli and stir to coat everything in the red wine reduction. After a couple of minutes add the tomatoes and their juice, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and add ten basil leaves (never chop them, just rip them up in your hands).

If you have the rind off the bottom of the Parmesan block, chop this off and add to the sauce. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and cook, stirring from time to time and breaking up the tomatoes, until you have a thick sauce; this will take around 20 to 30 mins. Sometimes the tinned tomatoes may not be sweet enough, so I add a sprinkle of sugar to lift the sauce.

Add black pepper to taste. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente (I always take two minutes off the time on the packet), drain and add to the sauce, stirring it through until every piece if the spaghetti is covered with tomato.

Serve with a few ripped basil leaves on top and a big bowl of grated Parmesan to sprinkle over.

via wallpaper magazine

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Phenomenal Woman

BY MAYA ANGELOU
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY TO ALL YOU PHENOMENAL WOMEN OUT THERE

Book of the week: To kill a Mockingbird

Haper Lee, the reclusive author of two books – both amongst the most controversial of their time – has passed away on Friday at the age of 89. For an author who only published two books in her life, Lee’s place in literary history is assured by the quality of the two and the effect they had on American society.

1961’s To Kill a Mockingbird is considered to be the greatest American novel. It introduced the world to Atticus Finch, a principled lawyer who defended a black man against a rape charge in rural Alabama. Most American schools today mandate Mockingbird as required reading.

The book was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. Here Harper Lee is pictured with Gregory Peck, who starred in the movie and won an academy award for best actor for his role as Atticus Finch.

Friday Quote

A Chic Nursery

 

I love the way Kathy Kuo designed her daughter’s nursery in her NYC home!… She designed the nursery in away that her daughter has lots of room to grow and last till her teen years! I like how she mixed the patterns but stayed within the color scheme… The room looks so chic, not too themey, and yet very child friendly and cozy! I love it.

Super stylish home office secrets from IKEA

 

One of the trends that have been around a lot lately is using one room for more than one activity. And who better than IKEA to show us how it’s done! I really like what they did to this studio/office… They shared 3 helpful tips to help make this stylish workspace in any home:

1. Stick to a color palette
   Here they chose, black and white colors with natural materials like wood to give a classic, established look. By sticking to strong basics you get a much longer lasting style too.
2.  Show off your work history
   Don’t hide your work away, display it! Even if you’re not working with vintage drafting tools and antique cameras, take some inspiration from your profession’s glory days to create a display that shows off your work and sense of style. A good way to work on displays is to make a backdrop on the wall behind using pictures of different sizes, then, stack books and boxes in front to make some height with smaller signature pieces sitting on top, like a camera for example.
3. Make your desk a feature
   Put a big table right in the middle of the room. That way it becomes a centerpiece. You can use it as your desk when working and you can use it for other things too, like maybe mixing drinks or a dessert buffet!

A Turkish Delight!

This apartment belongs to Sefar Caglar, owner of an interior design and architectural firm called Autoban and his wife Merve Caglar, Executive Director of an association that supports contemporary art in Turkey SAHA.

I just love this apartment…it’s decorated in true contemporary style, combining modern design with classic materials. Walls and partitions have been demolished to give a feel of a loft bathed in the beautiful light of Istanbul.

Sefer likes to describe his home as a”contemporary house gallery” and I agree!…You can find a carefully curated art collection and some iconic modern pieces mixed with handmade pieces!… There is so much personality in this place and you sort of read their story when you walk into this home… Sefer and Caglar show us how it’s done… how a house can reflect the personality and lifestyle of the people who live in it without compromising in either style or comfort!