Mid-Summer at…
July 31, 2014
Gray Gardens. If you would have followed my lead you would be relaxing in a modern garden space that is surprisingly cooling in the heat of Mid-Summer. Anchored by the soft crunch of weed discouraging pea gravel or bluestone paving, the simplequietmodern plant selections play their shades and textures against the tight architectural placement to optimum effect. Not missing those geraniums now, are ya?
top to bottom: photo 1 & 2, Foras Studio via Gardenista…photo 3, GP…last photo, Deborah Nevins via Gardenista
Shhhhhhhhhh…
July 27, 2014
I’m praying. Praying that I might absorb every bit of creative inspiration that I can from this amazing space. Stone, wood, air, light, quiet…what else is needed? The Atelier Brancusi in Paris as photographed by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic. And, if the opportunity to visit wasn’t enough…admission is free. Can I hear an Amen?
All photos courtesy of Heather Clawson. You can continue her tour here http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2014/07/chic-in-paris-atelier-brancusi.html
Sidetracked
July 24, 2014
I thought I was zeroing in on the beginning of something big when I was sidetracked taking a shortcut through the garden center at Home Depot. Could a simple ball of sisal twine slam on the creative breaks and start me turning in another direction. Apparently it can…I’m a sucker for any type of natural cord. You name it…jute, sisal, hemp…I like them all. It wasn’t long before a test swatch was produced and then another…first on its own, then knit together with my homespun newsprint yarn. Stay tuned.
Mc Wha?
July 19, 2014
OK…Maybe a Mc “don’t ask don’t tell”. It’s one way to dress my Black Bean and Quinoa burger. A homemade veggie patty never tasted this good. Some mushrooms, red pepper, a little cooked quinoa and black beans are the base with an egg, a little bread crumb and some parm…spooned into patties and sautéed in some olive oil. Add some “special” sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion and a sesame seed bun and you’ve gone Mc Meatless.
They say a watched pot…
July 16, 2014
never boils. The same can be applied to getting your orchid plants to bloom . There is plenty of information out there…if you can Google, you can drown in it. Or, you can do what I do and extract the few simple points that are pertinent and don’t over complicate things. Some good indirect light, a light watering using the ice-cube technique once a week, some cooler nighttime temperatures, a bit of air movement and patience…that’s it. And when you least expect it…the best surprise ever. I’m serious. It doesn’t get any more simplequietmodern than that.
Look Up
July 13, 2014
So, you’re lazing around at the shore and someone brings up a project that you have been meaning to tackle for some time now. It could be your Master Bedroom…it could be your uninviting Entry…it doesn’t matter. You need to start somewhere and you need to start taking action now because the winter holidays will be here before you know it. Look up… the sky might provide some needed inspiration. Dark clouds rolling in over the water with bits of clear blue peaking through or, maybe a glance down to the piece of driftwood underfoot will trigger something. Enter oomph…specifically their Easton Chest. A traditional three drawer chest pared down to its simplequietmodern essence in one of the new wood finishes like Storm or Slate. You’re almost done. The tassel pulls shown in sky blue add a fresh note, but I might reel it back to the gray, keeping it tonal. So there you have it…project started.
Easton chest photo (shown in Storm) via: http://www.oomphonline.com/easton-chest-large.html
Quality, clean simplicity, function…and, made in the USA. Does it get better than that?
Dog Days
July 10, 2014
The dog days are upon us and there is nothing like this kind of simplequietmodern reward after a productive day working in the yard…or, maybe just rinsing off a full day of Summer fun. Can it be that a bit of sun, a gentle breeze, some water and a bar of soap can be transformative? I think it can.
shower photo via:http://remash.tumblr.com/
Add in a bar of Neutrogena Original Formula Transparent and Trader Joe’s Ginger Almond Oatmeal Exfoliant and you’re covered head-to-toe.
Blurring the Lines
July 6, 2014
With Summer here our natural inclination is to spend as much time as we can outdoors, bringing the indoors out with us for the duration of the season. In a slight reversal I like to blur the lines a little and bring some of what’s going on outside… in. Plucked straight from the pond, I float a few clusters of Water Hyacinths in large glass cylinder vases filled to the brim. Their other-worldly shapes and delicate roots show themselves off more as organic sculpture than water garden staple when presented in this simplequietmodern manner. If you’re lucky, with the right amount of light, they might even grace you with a bloom or two.
“…that among these are
July 4, 2014
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” *
*the Declaration of Independence 1776
No need to choose,
July 1, 2014
because you’ll need them all. Rasperries, strawberries,blackberries and blueberries…what would a Summer Pudding be without them? Add a loaf of white bread and some sugar and you are on your way to an impressive ending to any summer meal. The hardest part to this seasonal classic is waiting for it to rest overnight, so plan accordingly.
I used this simple recipe from Merrill Stubbs at Food52. As recipes go it could not have been more simplequietmodern. http://food52.com/recipes/13392-berry-summer-pudding
simplequietmodern 