Like lightning striking twice,
October 13, 2022
in the best possible way. Following on the heels of his brother Buddy, this guy had some big shoes to fill. And, he did in spades. So much nonstop love and laughter… for me and everyone he met. No one was immune from his magic. As I start this day without him and our daily “touching hearts” I can’t help but wonder, how did I get so lucky? Good bye Jaxon, my happy, happy boy.
Into The Darkness
October 10, 2022
As we move into Fall the shadows grow longer and the days get shorter. Preparing for the long descent into Winter I find myself thinking about things I can’t do without. And, when there is a choice to be made, I most always go to black. Ticks all the right boxes. Done and done.
Top to bottom:
My ” go to”…any day or everyday… a black cashmere crew neck. photo: Naadam
Looking ahead to next Spring when a new paintjob on the house is in order. While it’s already dark, I think I’d go even darker. Photo via Remash Tumblr
I can’t get this table by Chiara Ferrari outta my head. Perfect. If you know who took this pic let me know.
Celebrating his tenth year just like simplequietmodern, Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000. The best assistant ever. photo: gp
My first generation Aeron chair just got a tune up and is ready to take me forward in absolute comfort. Photo: Herman Miller
Just what you need to take you through a long cold Winter of soups and stews, this Crane cast iron Dutch oven. Photo: Heath Ceramics
Keeping everyone in barefoot comfort well after Labor Day has passed, Gobi II. The perfect take on my favorite Chukka. Photo: Vivobarefoot
My first flatware purchase was Ward Bennett’s GAP pattern in stainless, and I’ve been using it for longer than I’d care to say. If I do move onto something new, this will be it. Photo: Heath
With the holidays approaching I might suggest this upgrade to your apron wardrobe. You can’t go wrong with black linen. And, if you’re carrying in, dust it with a pinch of flour and hide the takeout containers.
Anyone who knows me can tell you that this Saarinen table is my favorite table ever. Any size , and until now, always in white. This recent introduction in black has a firm grip on me though. Equally stunning, the two In my mind are running neck and neck. Photo: Knoll
It’s Been 10 Years
December 6, 2021
Yep, hard to believe, but this month marks the end of 10 years since the start of simplequietmodern. Ten years has brought a lot of posts, ideas and pictures. Let’s look back at December 2012 and see what we were up to, shall we? Here are a few favorites of yours…. a few of mine.
Top to bottom:
A makeshift tree of fallen birch from the yard decorated in simple contrast with a collection of vintage glass ornaments in pink.
A tray of Ina Garten’s Gougere straight from the oven. A chilled bottle of champagne can’t be more than an arm’s length away.
Vintage Christmas ornaments… edited to this group of all silver and pink.
Fresh quince waiting to be cooked down into quince paste, or Membrillo. A welcome addition to any holiday charcuterie board.
While I could make them all year round I limit my favorite Espresso Hazelnut Cookies to Christmastime.
And, lastly… but most importantly, the arrival of my partner in crime, Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000. Quite simply the best.
photos: gp Revisit all the posts here. https://simplequietmodern.com/2012/12/
Thanks, Jax
August 27, 2020
Thanks for keeping me laughing and taking care of me. It’s been some year so far, hasn’t it? And, with very little good news until today, your birthday. Eight years has shot by like a bullet. So let’s have a cozy celebration just you and me, a super fun day and plenty of treats.
photos:gp
We’ll See
February 9, 2020
We go through this often…the prediction of an early Spring followed immediately by snow, cold and yes, more snow. It’s Winter. In reality, the official start of Spring is still weeks away…plenty of time to prepare for it’s arrival, get inspired or simply switch things up to ward off cabin fever.
top to bottom:
Last year’s garden addition under this years last “dusting”
Forcing an armful of flowering branches definitely speaks to the promise of Spring.
Get super proactive and start now to plan a trip to the New Mexican desert next Winter and paying a visit to the Georgia O’Keefe residence and museum in Abiquiu. photo: https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/
Get on it and shake things up with this Alexander McQueen inspired velvet from Knoll Textiles. If not a chair then perhaps just a pillow will do the trick. Photo: https://www.knoll.com/knolltextileproductdetail/Arezzo
You could always spend more quality time with your favorite sidekick. Yes, even knee deep snow can be fun with this guy.
Now is a great time to revisit, reconsider and actually finish a stalled project. While these balls of newsprint yarn were created during snow days of Winters past, they still sit waiting to be transformed. Now’s as good a time as any.
Pull out that Sharpie and a clean pad. Start sketching and editing and committing some new ideas for your Spring garden projects to paper for when the weather finally breaks.
A little sustenance. The simplest recipe ever…Labneh. This Mediterranean dip and spread is basically Greek yogurt with a good pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon stirred in, placed into a cheesecloth lined strainer and left to drain out the whey over 24 hours. Serve up with a drizzle of good olive oil and a healthy dusting of Za’atar to spread on a variety of breads and vegetables.
Photos except where noted: gp
Could it be?
September 4, 2019
Where does the time go? Yep, seven years old. And, like his Dad, still doesn’t like to have his picture taken. I did manage to catch a few on the fly, dirty face and all. Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000…Happy Birthday to you.
photos: gp
Guess Who’s Five ?
August 28, 2017
It seems only fitting that for Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000’s fifth birthday we’d all celebrate with his favorite…cookies. There will be mixed berry treats from Nutro for him and big festive sprinkled cookies from my local Latin market for everyone else. Simple.
Photos: gp
Already?
August 26, 2016
Yep, it’s hard to believe, but Jaxon is turning four. And, If you thought I might finally get a picture to commemorate the occasion, think again. It’s like trying to ask a tornado to sit still and look at the camera. While he knows exactly what he’s doing…he thinks it’s pretty funny putting me through the motions. And, it is. Good picture or not, there will definitely be treats. Biscuits for him and Brown Sugar Pavlova for everyone else. Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000…Happy Birthday to you.
Photo and recipe:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/three-layer-berry-and-brown-sugar-pavlova-354211 I’ve made a couple of adjustments to this recipe to simplify things. As abundant as berries have been I used a combination of them all; raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. When making the meringue layers you might find it easier to pipe or spread them directly onto parchment and simply peel the parchment from the bottoms when they’re cooled rather than using the suggested pan technique. It’s a bit difficult getting those layers out of the pan, even with the parchment. The end result will be much more attractive. You may want to keep this as a “go to” celebration cake, it’s that good.
For your four legged family members, why not knock out a batch of these Buddy Biscuits? There have been no complaints here either…ever. https://simplequietmodern.com/2012/01/30/ruff-ruff/
Photos of Jax ( such as they are ) : gp
C’mon Jax
August 26, 2015
Is it too much to ask? Just a quick pic to chronicle his birthday. Yep…Baby Hambone Jaxon 3000 is three years old. It might be easier if he wasn’t so black…or, if you were better able to distinguish one end from the other. Maybe if he stopped spinning like the Tasmanian Devil…or at the most basic, if he’d just look at the camera. Then it dawned on me. It was that Puli sense of humor at work, playing me like a Strad.
It goes without saying…
January 5, 2015
there’s gonna be cake.What celebration would be complete without it? And today, on the occasion of simplequietmodern completing its third year, this Walnut Variation, found on Food 52, seems to be the perfect combination of cake and dacquoise. A toast to you today as well…my readers, followers and friends…who take the time to stop by, get inspired, leave a comment and inspire me. I’m always surprised by what articles or photographs have been the most popular and favored by you each year. In 2014 it looks like you’ve surprised me again with black fences, quinoa kale and pear salad and baby Jaxon. So with a pop of the cork let’s see what year four has in store.
Walnut Variation: A Cake : photo and recipe via Food52 http://food52.com/recipes/28118-the-walnut-variation-a-cake
Black Fences photo: via Gardenista. revisit the post here:https://simplequietmodern.com/?s=black+fences
Quinoa , Kale and Pear Salad photo: gp Revisit the recipe here:https://simplequietmodern.com/?s=pear+and+quinoa+salad
baby Jaxon photo: gp
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