Category Archives: Cabin State of Mind

Christmas Wishlist

With shopping and the holidays well underway, I’ve seen some really great items that I’m pretty sure I just can’t make it to spring without:

1. Estwing Camping Hatchet, $43, 2. Stanley Flask, $15, 3. Riedell 117 Red Ribbon Ice Skates, $102, 4. Mackinaw Cap, $50, 5. Bulleit Frontier Bourbon, $32, 6. Anonymous Ism Deer Socks, $28, 7. Staghorn Steak Knives, $198.

Living in TOAST

TOAST is a British-based company that purveys clothing and goods for the home that have a distinctively rustic-bohemian spirit. Their lookbooks are filled with landscapes, details, buildings, and textures that engulf the senses and evoke a strong desire to adopt the environment and lifestyle of its pages. It makes you actually yearn for cabin fever.

Here are a few of my favorite images from their Autumn and Winter catalogues. Sadly, they do not ship to the US, but you can download the lookbooks and check out their Christmas book here. All I can say is baggy sweaters and pajamas never looked so good!

Now, if they’d only ship to the US…

Quilts

Recently, I’ve had a fetish for quilts; though I can’t say I like very many of the patterns, and must add that there are more garish color palettes out there than otherwise! Quilts, when done right, can bring an instant extra cozy to a room, but when not carefully selected can look too country–to walk this fine line, I think you need to keep the pattern simple and the color palette sophisticated.

My two favorite quilt patterns happen to be the two that I own. Both are traditional North American patterns, and both are vintage examples bought on Etsy.

The first is Log Cabin:

I love the rich, earthy color palette of this quilt and its fabulous use of scraps from clothing. This quilt is in need of some TLC, but I’m looking forward to making the repairs it needs this winter.

My second quilt is in the Flying Geese pattern:

 

 

some other beautiful quilts, these ones from the Semiologie Collection, can be found here at Felt & Honey.

I’ve been away…in the hills of the Blue Ridge

I’ve been away for a while, its true. My apologies! Life-work balance is not always so easy to achieve…

Last weekend we went back to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia for a five-year college reunion. It was weird to be back, and with nearly half the class of 450 returning, full of friends and familiar-nearly-forgotten faces. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, we drove the famous Skyline Drive that winds its way through the National Park along the ridge-line of the Blue Ridge Mountains on our way to town. We crossed the Appalachian trail many times and felt glad to be back in hill country and privileged to see the beautiful aerial views of an early autumn in the mountains.

Recently, Garden & Gun featured a recommended trip for the Blue Ridge Parkway with the top 20 stops to make along this historic and breathtaking stretch of national scenic by-way that meanders along the mountains between Virginia and North Carolina, some of the most beautiful gentle, wild landscape this country has to offer. This stretch of road was our honeymoon destination, which we drove in a 1963 red Buick Skylark convertible (a rental!), staying in boutique bed and breakfasts, hiking, wining and dining for two weeks. It was relaxing, beautiful, casual, and romantic.

If you like fresh air, Southern food, and mountain views, I cannot recommend this trip to you enough.

Read about G&G’s recommended stops in their article Head for the Hills , book your own classic car rental here, and feel welcome to contact me for other recommendations, too!

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Leonard Baskin, printmaker

Things have been crazy at work as we gear up for our fall art auction. I’ve been meaning to post on the artist Leonard Baskin for a while now, and as I am otherwise up to my eyes in all things art and business, why not carry it over a bit here…While we don’t have any of Baskin’s work in this sale, I’ve got my eye out for some of his Native American series. Baskin is one of those artists who is widely known and recognized as highly talented, but remains an attainable artist for the collector of more modest means. His work is often available at galleries which sell mostly very successful established artists whose work command very strong prices. Adding his work to your collection might not make you richer down the road, but it may draw your eyes and heart in each encounter, and gain you respect amongst the print collector and general fine art community!

Summer Tomato Pie

I recently made a delicious savory pie, simple, fresh and delicious:

TOMATO PIE WITH SUMMER SQUASH

Ingredients:
4 Roma tomatoes or dryer meat heirloom tomatoes (avoid hothouse, they’re too wet)
1 small summer squash
1 small zucchini
2-4 garlic cloves
1/2 pound feta cheese
1 bunch fresh basil
1 pastry pie crust sheet

  1. Preheat oven to 350; set out the refrigerated pastry crust to warm to room temperature
  2. Slice tomatoes and trim seeded interiors to remove some of the moisture; salt lightly and set aside to drain in a colander for 10 minutes
  3. Slice zucchini and squash cross-wise; Crumble feta into a bowl; chop basil leaves
  4. Use a garlic press or mince 2-4 garlic cloves (I really love garlic and probably used 6 cloves for a very garlicy pie)
  5. Unroll the pie crust into pie plate
  6. Spread first layer of feta and garlic
  7. Arrange a layer of zucchini and squash; then a layer of tomatoes on top; sprinkle with ground black pepper and chopped basil
  8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 two more times, ending with a layer of tomatoes
  9. Place in oven and cook 30 minutes; sprinkle some basil on top and bake 10 more minutes
  10. Allow to cool 10 minutes and Eat!

Wandawega!

We’ve just returned from an amazing fun weekend at Camp Wandawega near Elkhorn, Wisconsin. While there, under gorgeous blue skies and the continuous (and Olympic) flow of refreshments, I met three awesome ladies with keen eyes for design, style and vintage detail as well as strong senses of fun and humor. All fellow residents of Chicago, each has her own distinctive interests and great blogs to match!

I sincerely encourage you to check out the work of each talented woman:

Hillary Schuster

Emily Berman

Lindsay Tyler

Looking forward to seeing you again soon (and the chance to hang with you guys at Wandawega Holiday Craft Camp in November)!

More pictures from the weekend:

Recipe Share: Deviled Eggs

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I LOVE deviled eggs! And I was so disappointed this year when my family didn’t serve them at Easter brunch, that I’ve been craving them ever since. Deviled eggs are quick and easy and served chilled, are a great summertime snack.

I saw this recipe the other day and have finally decided to address my unrequited craving. Let’s face it–anything with mustard and bacon is right up my alley.

Here’s the recipe from Design*Sponge:

Deviled Eggs
Makes 10 pieces

Please use these measurements as a general guideline, and feel free to vary them to fit your palate. You may prefer a different consistency, or more of one ingredient and less of another.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs
  • 4 tablespoons plain yogurt (use non-fat if you like)
  • 1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard
  • 1.5 teaspoons of capers, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 rashers of bacon, fried until crispy
  • 1 tablespoon of chives, cleaned and chopped

Preparation

1. Cover the eggs with cold water in a pan, bring them to a boil, then remove them from the heat, cover and leave them for 15 minutes. (Thanks Christine!)

2. Drain the water from the pan, and run the eggs under cold water for a few seconds.

3. Peel the eggs, slice in half and carefully scoop out the centers into one bowl with the yogurt, mustard and capers.

4. Mix until the yolks are creamy and uniform. With a small spoon or a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the corner cut off), fill each egg with the yolks mixture.

5. Sprinkle with bacon and chives.

6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Have a great weekend!