Halfway Home
September 24, 2012
Summer, looking back
September 21, 2012
OK, now it’s official…the solstice is upon us and we are moving into Fall. I tried to stretch this summer out as long as I could , so that I could enjoy more simple pleasures and not forget some special simple moments. As I look back I am grateful for each juicy bite, each bright ray, each conversation, each quiet walk, each project…each gentle nudge and nuzzle. I will welcome Fall differently now…more simply, more quietly. Let’s see what it brings.
It’s simple. It’s soup.
September 18, 2012
Like my “Five Easy Pieces” formula for designing a room…these five simple ingredients will keep you warm and satisfied at mealtime during the cooler months ahead. I wanted to incorpoate my favorite superfood, Arugula, into a simple hot dish that could be made on the quick…like soup. After scouting several recipes, editing,tweaking and adjusting.., my Potato White Bean and Arugula soup is the result. In less than an hour you can turn this out and feed a group with minimal effort using 5 items you most likely have on hand; chicken stock, white beans, potatoes, garlic and arugula. Ok, you might need to run out for the greens, but they go in last, so you have the opportunity to pick up a great loaf of bread and some figs for dessert to round out your meal while the soup is simmering. After a bowl of this you’ll be wondering why you don’t make soup more often.
This soup could only be better served up in this simplequietmodern soup plate from the Chez Pannise collection produced by Heath Ceramics….don’t you think?
http://www.heathceramics.com/cook-dine.html?heath_collection=226
WTC
September 11, 2012
The ultimate in simplequietmodern. I loved these two towers. The simplicity, the pairing, the scale. Even as a kid I knew that their presence would shape my design sensibility…and they did. Today in their footprint are the memorial fountains…a different simplequietmodern. Who could ever have known? I remember that morning as if it was yesterday…sunny, clear, crisp. Now, I will never forget all of those lives lost…in NY, PA and DC. Take a moment today to remember them… and this place.
zzzz…zzzz…zzzzzzzz….
September 7, 2012
Good sleeping weather aside, there is nothing like a simple, quiet place to catch some Z’s and refresh yourself in preparation for tomorrow’s adventures. This simplequietmodern bedroom has all that I need. From its calming palette to its simplicity of design, it welcomes you to curl up with a chapter or 2 before nodding off. Again, my “Five Easy Pieces” is all that is needed to make this plan work for you; 1) the headboard 2) the lighting 3) mattress and simple linens 4) night table and 5) a blanket, coverlet or quilt. Any of these elements can be adjusted to more perfectly suit your individual style as long as you keep in mind the part each plays in the overall design. Replacing the Moroccan table with a more organic slice of tree trunk or changing out the quilt with something solid or a pattern more suited to your taste can be done ,when approached carefully, without compromising the original design statement as illustrated here. The table is still round, playing up the low angularity of the headboard, and the hand-knit blanket adds a complimentary texture while it injects a jolt of color to the deeper neutrals. Get started now and by the time Fall officially arrives you’ll be ready to…well..call it a ….zzzzzzzz.
http://www.youaretheriver.com/search/label/design?updated-max=2012-05-11T11:19:00-07:00&max-results=20&start=20&by-date=false
To be interesting…
September 4, 2012
one must first be interested. Really, it’s that simple.
Not So Fast
September 1, 2012
Here in the northern mid-west we wait patiently for Summer through every type of brutal Winter force. Yet, once it’s here, people are ready to slip into Fall way ahead of schedule. The Autumn solstice does not occur until September 21…which means, quite simply, that there are three more weeks of Summer still to enjoy. Sure, the days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler and afternoon shadows are longer. But, hey, Summer is Summer. You can plan ahead to Fall all you’d like but don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the last days of Summer while they’re here. Three more weeks…that’s a lot of Summer fun left to be had. Now…how bout a picnic?