Thursday, July 31

Project Runway: Big City Inspiration

One of the bright spots of summer television is a favorite of mine, Project Runway. I find this show not only entertaining, but also very interesting and this season is proving to be delightful with an eclectic cast of characters er designers. Last night's show was particularly interesting. Tim Gunn took the designers, on a rainy New York night, into the city - their challenge was to design an outfit for a night on the town. He gave them each a digital camera and they had to shoot images that inspired them. It was very interesting to see how each designer approached this challenge and what they found inspirational and the final images they chose to create their design.

I was disppointed, though, that Sacramentan Emily was voted 'out.' Hopefully, Emily learned a valuable lesson - when Tim Gunn offers you some constructive feedback - you had best listen - because the man knows what he is talking about! Sometimes you can get so focused on your vision and believe in what you are doing so much - which is good - that you don't accept feedback from others because you think you know best. But, this is Wrong - that's when you do need to step back and listen to others. Sometimes in the creative process the only thing blocking your sucess is you. Very good message from last night's show.

I didn't agree with the judges; however, on the winning design. I hated Kenley's design. Just didn't get it. I really liked the powerful, strong, yet feminine design of Terri's, but my absolute favorite was from designer Leanne. Her two-piece was timeless and very chic. It should have won and probably would have if Leanne hadn't almost gone home last week with a terrible design choice. That's Project Runway for you though - full of talent and lots of surprises!

Sunday, July 27

Need Help Planning Dinner Tonight?


Look no more - there are menus now available in the food section of marthastewart.com! I don't know about you, but some days I just don't want to have to think about what will go with a salad or what dessert will pair nicely with hamburgers. After a long day at work, I just don't want to deal with it. These menus take the guesswork out of it for you by giving you suggestions for the main dish, sides, and a dessert. Simple, yet delicious menus. Check them out here.

Saturday, July 26

Vintage Labels



I really love the look of these vintage-style labels and tags that you can type in your own text and print them out for your baked goods and homemade gifts. They are available for download at Hewlett Packard's Activity Center. Check out some of their other fun products.

Thursday, July 24

Fabulous Faux Bois


Pottery Barn has this faux bois doormat that I simply must get. The store also has some faux bois wool rugs. They might be a little out of my price range, but I am going to check them out anyway.

Another faux bois sighting is at Bell'occhio in San Francisco. Beautiful faux bois oilcloth at great prices!

Saturday, July 19

Agua Fresca

Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than an ice cold fruit drink. My mother-in-law makes the best Agua Fresca around. You can use fruits that are in season, it is simple to make, and it is better for you than soda. All these are reasons that you should get in the kitchen and make some right now!

We made some Watermelon Agua Fresca. You cut up a watermelon (we used the seedless variety), and trim off the rind. Place the watermelon in a blender with a small amount of water and blend. Put into a pitcher, add some cold water and some sugar to taste. You can also make this out of cantaloupe, melon, and strawberries. If the fruit has seeds, go ahead and blend, but use a strainer before you put it into the pitcher. If you want to give it a little kick, you can also add some gin or vodka, but we like ours without alcohol. Rich in vitamins, this is a healthy and delightful refreshment. Salud!




Saturday, July 12

Ahhhhh....Peaches!


Nothing says summer like fresh peach cobbler. A friend of mine at work gave me some peaches from her family orchard, so I just had to make some cobbler. I have a family recipe that I use, but this time I decided to try a recipe I found from Martha Stewart Living. The recipe is available here. I really like the combination of cornstarch, dark brown sugar and cinnamon that you toss the peaches in.



Add a little vanilla ice cream, or we also like it with a little bit of milk. Uhmm. Delicious!