2 steps back…
May 29, 2012
to get you to where you have already been. As I look at this table I can’t help wondering why I am drawn to it’s simple planked design. I then realize that I have used this solution before, in the juxtaposition of three raw pine boards fabricated into a tabletop for a classic Corbusier dining table base. The spaces between the boards were as an important a statement as the unfinished quality of the boards themselves. As seen here, they create an illusion of greater length. There is nothing like a great big table surface…to gather with family and friends or sit down alone to pay a few bills. 
How great would this be here with the C 24’s? https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/c-24/
For starters,
May 26, 2012
I kept this Quinoa salad simple. Feta , tomatoes, Italian parsley and Quinoa tossed with a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice and olive oil with a touch of garlic. Salt and pepper to taste and you’re done. A simple, satisfying lunch or a great side for any summer supper. Then I started thinking of ” add ins”…garbanzos, Persian cucumbers? Maybe oil packed tuna or some grilled chicken? Dill? Basil? This basic recipe will allow you plenty of variations for an entire summer of good eats that are good for ya. 
Nothing easier,really.
May 25, 2012
There is nothing easier for a spring or summer dessert than this. Three ingredients…count them, three…and, really no prep. A trip to the farmer’s market for the strawberries and a reach into the pantry for some brown sugar and sour cream. Plate ’em up, dip and done.
Honor the fallen
May 24, 2012
this Memorial Day by acting responsibly and respectfully as you celebrate this weekend.
Jeans…White T Shirt…
May 21, 2012
and this cap. The perfect summer uniform. Nothing to think about…bad hair days covered. And, you can whip one of these up in a couple of days…just in time for Memorial Day weekend. 
http://nuttyirishmanknits.blogspot.com/2011/11/graham.html
Black and white and…
May 19, 2012
summer all over, horizontally speaking. Nothing amplifies the crisp clear sunny days of summer like black and white stripes. Indoors or out, priced high or low, there is something striped for everyone and every budget. From a Pottery Barn umbrella, custom upholstery in F. Schumacher linen. a rug from Crate & Barrel or a flotilla of paper lanterns from Z Gallerie, these bold bands of black and white will make quite the statement. If black and white is just too bold, try winding it down a bit with Black and Linen or Black and Charcoal for an equally dramatic effect.
All you need now is a tall glass of sweet tea.
http://www.shopterrain.com/house-home-outdoor-furniture/
Planting it modern
May 16, 2012
Spring clean up is done and now it’s time for the finishing touch. But, if your gardening aesthetic leans toward the modern you might find fewer choices. Whether you are lucky enough to possess some vintage cement garden bowls or if you make some inspired new selections like these from Terrain, the next step is determining what to fill them with. My best advice is simplicity. The blue Dune grasses are perennial and add just enough color and interest for my taste all year round without having to resort to the “Coney Island” assault of those annual flats each spring( really, mixed groupings of Impatiens, Geraniums and Marigolds…ugh). Massing one type of product in each container magnifies their effect. The more subtle grasses, the bright chartreuse of Sweet Potato vine or Lysimachia or, if you are ” annual inclined” , masses of the same flowering plant in a single color (even masses of white Wave petunias) can work a modern theme. Memorial Day is approaching, better get on this.
http://www.shopterrain.com/garden-containers/
Call your mother…
May 13, 2012
or take her something lovely. A big bunch of fragrant peonies would be nice. And, some candy.
sicilian potato gratin
May 11, 2012
I’ve adjusted this BonAppetite recipe using new potatoes with the skins on instead of the Russets. This simplifies the prep and gives it a slightly different texture which I love. Plan on serving this with grilled lamb chops and asparagus for the perfect Mother’s Day dinner.
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/03/sicilian_style_potato_gratin
A rough start…
May 8, 2012
for this stone colored cotton cap. I like the Graham pattern by Jennifer Adams so much I decided to cast one on for spring and summer. Using this limestone colored Berocco Weekend, for its nuetrality and ease of care, I was hoping to have it completed in a couple of days. This being the 3rd cast on( can’t I count stitches or what?)…things seem to be back on track. Stay tuned for the finish. https://simplequietmodern.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/smokey/
simplequietmodern 