Interior Design Dream Team-The Hampton's Beach House

I've always dreamed of a cottage by the ocean...a place to watch the waves, feel the breeze and the sand between the toes. 

I think my secret ambition is to have a cottage so I can create a space that is more relaxed and beach-like, but still sophisticated, like a place in the Hamptons. A place I can eventually retire to.

These interior spaces are my inspirations for my beach house/cottage, designed by one of my favourite designers, Victoria Hagan.

Lots of architectural details, like the panelled walls
add texture and interest in a neutral space.

Refined use of navy acknowledges the nautical elements
outside the window, without looking too "sailor" like.

I love how the bead board ceilings,  raw wood chairs
and pendant lights add a casual feel to an otherwise upscale kitchen. 

The mix of woven chairs with stark white pedestal
table mix casual and refined style.

This is probably the nicest looking bunk bed I've seen yet.

Elegant carpet, rustic chairs and romantic four poster beds make
this bedroom casual, elegant and resort like.

Can you imagine the kids/grandkids staying in this
treehouse/bunkie?  I'd even sleep here!
(although I'd add a skylight to see the stars...)

{source:  Victoria Hagan Designs}

I can hear the ocean now...

Interior Design Dream Team-The Posh City Residence

I’ve always thought that if I had a posh city residence, I'd like it to be designed by Barbara Barry. There is such refined, old world Hollywood glamour in her work. The colours are always neutral but for some reason, always look fresh and sophisticated, and feels like a throwback to the era of grandeur of the 1940's. 

Fresh colours in neutral tones are Ms. Barry's trademark.  Soft hues
of blue, cream, champagne, grey, with accents of white, black and metals.

Lots of bright light and white with fresh accents.

  

{source: Barbara Barry }

Simply stunning.

Interior Design Dream Team

I love interior design.  If I ever had the chance to hire an interior designer to design each of the many homes I’d own (in the cloud otherwise known as my mind, of course), I would choose: 

Barbara Barry for my city residence 

{ source: Holland Park, UK Property}

Victoria Hagan for my beach house 

{source: Hamptons Beach Property}

Julie Charbonneau for my family residence 

{source: Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles}

In the following week, I will showcase a few beautiful places designed from these amazing designers…and show how they’ve inspired me to create similar spaces.


Enjoy,

Simply Beautiful Now

A Simple Summer Drink

Sometimes when we’ve been to the farmers market, we get carried away with buying too much fresh fruit, and we don’t consume it fast enough (although that is a rarity in our house…usually I can’t keep up)

However, when berries are over-ripened, but hasn’t gone bad yet, I usually just throw it in a ziplock bag (I mix up a variety of berries and fruit in one bag.), then freeze it. When I have a full bag (usually the size of a sandwich bag), I make a quick and simple treat.  It’s amazing how some frozen fruit and a little sugar can make something so natural and simple taste like it’s processed (my kids actually prefer this better than the “Strawberry Julius” you get at the store…). 

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups of frozen fruit (I like the combination of mango, strawberries, blackberries &

raspberries)

½-1 cup milk ( nonfat or lowfat okay)

½ cup water (optional)

¼ cup vanilla sugar*

                         

·     Using a hand blender, blend the fruit into a puree consistency. Add the sugar, blend, then slowly add the milk (add more for thinner consistency)

  

*To make vanilla sugar, store one vanilla bean, sliced open, with 2 cups of sugar in a sealed container for at least 1 month.  

If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can substitute it in this smoothie with ¼ cup sugar plus ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Enjoy.

Simple Repurpose: Measuring Spoon as Cherry Pitter

With cherry picking season starting, comes the arduous task of pitting the cherries for cherry pies.  Without cluttering my kitchen with another kitchen gadget, I like re-purposing things I already have in my house.

Do you ever look at your measuring spoon set, and wonder what possibly can you use the 1/8^th teaspoon spoon for?

Well, I found it is almost the exact size of cherry pitts…and work well with removing the seeds (much like you would do with an avocado).

Now I can start making cherry pie...mmmm....

Happy Canada Day!

Simple Picnic Chicken

In the summer, we like to take advantage of the outdoors as much as possible, and eat "al fresco."  Picnics with the kids, or BBQ’s on the patio is where you’ll find us during the hot months.

Here is a simple recipe for “oven-fried” chicken.   I’ve been told that it tastes similar to commercial fried chicken, but with less grease and oil.  This chicken will keep cold (and taste even better when it’s cold!), but can be served right out of the oven.

Here’s the recipe:

Oven-Fried Chicken

½ cup of flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. pepper

¼ cup of butter, melted

1 pkg of drumsticks or thights (approx. 10 pieces)

1)  Melt the butter in one bowl, and mix the flour, salt, paprika and pepper in another.

2)  Dip the chicken in butter.  Then roll the chicken in the flour mixture.

3)  Arrange on a glass pyrex dish (or cookie sheet). 

4)  Bake, uncovered for 50 minutes at 425 degrees.

Serves approx. 4 people.


{This post linked to 33 Shades of Green}

summer begins

Photographed in Prince Edward Island

Now that the hustle and bustle of school schedules are done...I'm looking forward to the hot summer days ahead...with cool drinks, sprinkler drops on tanned skin, sticky ice cream trails on forearms, and enjoying the beautiful sounds and scents of nature.

Of course, we'll do memory-making activities, keeping busy spending endless days at the park, the pool, at the golf course (the husband), biking at the cottage, and spending time with friends and family.

Hopefully the kids will enjoy simple pleasures, like...

Looking at the world with a different view...

Discovering the world on the road...

Or briefly closing their eyes to the world, 
and simply enjoying quiet moments like this...

May the sun shine brightly this summer!

{Editor's Note:  All artwork above, courtesy of SBN contributing associates, a.k.a "the offspring"}

Amazing Farm House

This past week, I went on a school field trip to the farm with my daughter, and I thought of my friend who dreams of retiring in a beautiful farm house, raising animals, growing fruits and vegetables, and living off the land.  I love visiting farms…picking strawberries, cherries or apples then eating our fresh pickings.  It's a pilgrimage our family takes bi-yearly...but I’m more of a beach girl, so I gravitate towards water and sand.  However, I might re-think that notion if I had a farm house that looked like this (of course, designed by my fave, Barbara Barry)

 { source: Veranda Interiors }

Style Icon Inspired-The Shift Dress

{ sources:  Jackie, Audrey, Grace }

When we think of summer, we usually think of paring down our wardrobe, wearing less when the temperature rises.  I love summer clothes.  No bulk, no fuss. Just pretty simple.  And if you know me, I like to keep things simple...and the shift dress is exactly that.

There seemed to be a common thread amongst my style icons…most particularly their favorite designer, Givenchy (which is not the most readily accessible to most people).  I think Calvin Klein, who designs with simplicity in mind, is like our modern day Givenchy.


Here are a few dresses I've found that are inspired by the ones worn by Jackie, Audrey and Grace.  

These can be found online at: Zappos,  Lord and Taylor

I'll definitely be wearing these dresses this summer...I found these exact dresses at Winners (TJ Maxx/Marshalls in US) in the colours below.  

Found at Winners for less than $60 (as of June 2011)

As usual, I stuck to neutral colours...so these dresses will be fashionable for more than one season.  I also believe, the lighter the colour, say white, the more you should invest in a known name, as clothes that are better made usually have a lining, and will conceal any unmentionables underneath.  The white Calvin Klein dress is nicely lined.

It's amazing how classic and simple never go out of style, and can stand the test of time!