Fall At Home

Timeless Preppy

I love a little bit of preppy in any room. It feels timeless, cozy, and oh so comfortable. Natural finishes, lots of texture, and rich earth tones keep these interiors grounded and timeless.

If I had a summer cottage...

I would love for it to look something like this. I love the fun color and playful textiles, however the rich antiques and accessories ground it and give it a more sophisticated feel. I love some fun colors, but sometimes I find myself looking at rooms loaded full of vibrant hues and think, "Wow this is cool, but.... would I not be sick of it in a few months?". I think these pictures illustrate a perfect example on how to have fun using color, without it being trendy or too juvenile.

Now if only I had a little cottage in Savannah... wouldn't that be perfect!

images from House and Garden via Fullhouse

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

I love myself some buffalo chicken, whether boneless or wings, ranch or bleu cheese, it is just plain good! So when browsing on Rachel Ray's website, I came across, "Buffalo Chicken and BlueCheese Cornbread Casserole". It is soooooooo good! Really, I want to make it again already... so if you like buffalo chicken I think you should definitely try this...

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 stalks celery, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 cloves garlic, grated

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup hot sauce (add more if you want more of a kick!)

1 box cornbread mix, such as Jiffy brand

1 egg

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped chicken chunks, season with salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and reserve on a plate.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add another turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 5-6 minutes.

When the veggies are tender, push them all to the edge of the pan and add the butter to the skillet. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock and hot sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Bring up to a bubble, add the chicken back to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and simmer the sauce until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, in a medium-size mixing bowl, prepare the cornbread according to package directions, using water as the liquid and folding in the blue cheese crumbles.

Transfer the buffalo chicken mixture to a casserole dish and drop the blue cheese cornbread batter on top in spoonfuls. Pop the casserole into the oven and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

***recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

image from cghub

NO. 8

from weheartit.com

If I could...

Go on a major shopping spree... I would definitely be heading to the local J.Crew. Whats not to love? They have everything you would need, from casual to work, from wedding to beach, they have it all! I encourage you to check out their website, here.

all images from J.Crew

Happy Mothers Day

Wishing you a special day Mom!

Love you

wisconsin

what I miss most...

family and true friends

uncluttered, beautiful spacious country land

architectural charm

antique stores

midwest hospitality

day trips to artsy little cities where there is so much to discover

the simpler life

HAPPY Monday

images: desire to inspire, we heart it

pick me up wednesday

images courtesy: katie baum photography, we heart it

Beauty of Orange

Orange can be a tricky color, better to be used in smaller doses unless you are using a variation such as terra cotta, peach, or a more complex shade or tint. Psychological effects are similar to red however to a slightly reduced effect. (exciting, stimulating, cheerful, lively, energetic)

The sociological effect: orange is a declassifier. Think of the chain 7-11 or Big Lots... you think quick and cheap.

Orange used right can be beautiful, sophisticated, and can add that extra punch of excitement in a room. Think of the orange Hermes boxes that represent ultimate luxury. Orange put with chocolate brown can instantly look add a feeling of quality and luxury!

images courtesy: miss pickles press, ritzy bee, jeffrey bilhuber, decor pad, palmer weiss, suzanne kasler,we heart it, paloma 81

Lonny Elephant

The Lonny magazine is now live for January/February. One of my favorite articles is "Vintage Nouveau". Designer Hillary Thomas creatively outfitted a Pacific Palisades home with fun, timeless vintage objects. The coolest thing for me is, they did most of their shopping on Dixie Hwy in Palm Beach, right up the road from me! I have driven by the lined up shops, however, have not ventured in for myself yet.

I love this shot, the stark white walls against the dark wood floor. Perfect back drop for the built-in bookshelf filled with a collected assortment of books and objects. By the way, I also LOVE the table you see to the left. I am always on the lookout for one myself!

Take a close look at the items on the shelf and you might just spot a fun, quirky elephant! Want one for your own collected shelf?

I have 2 available in my shop at the current moment. Sold separately or as a pair, you choose.

See details HERE

HUE: Deep Teal and Blood Orange

photos via: we heart it, Canadian House and Home, Sara Gilbane, sfgirlbybay, kitschicagoan,martha stewart via ritzy bee