Le weekend est arrivé!

It's been a super busy, fly-by week here.  One highlight was seeing the excellent documentary The Square, which I'll tell you more about next week. (Bottom line: See it as soon as you can.)  What will the weekend hold for you?  I hope it's a good one! xox

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I really loved this Newshour piece featuring poet Naomi Shihab Nye.

Hand-etched wooden spoons would make a great cold-weather craft or holiday gift.  I can just imagine them sticking out of the tops of stockings at my house.

A kind of awesome foray into green lipstick, including tips for wearing an emerald pucker.

Gorge metallic leather coasters, maybe as a hostess gift?  Or house-warming?  Or for yourself, just because?

Have you ever made potato roasties?  This Middle East-inspired recipe calls for the addition of tart sumac.

Nicholas Nixon's beautiful series of annual photos capturing four sisters over nearly forty years. 

This Facebook status generator is hilariously accurate. 

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!  Taste it tonight at the Embassy of France.

Kitties and cute men together are as great as you think they will be.

A list of D.C. bars and restaurants with fireplaces.  They left out the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton lobby, which serves s'mores on weekend evenings around 6. 

(Image via Design Sponge; lipstick link via The Cut; Beaujolais tip via Eater DC.)

Not a Gravy Boat

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you may be settling on your menu.  Since part of meal planning (especially this level of meal planning) is figuring out how to deliver all that food to your guests' plates, you also may be settling on which serving bowls, platters, and utensils to implement on the day of.

Which brings me to an all-important question: How do you plan to serve your gravy?

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

How was your week?  Mine was busy and good.  I continued on my bluegrass/country music kick, and ended up falling further in love with Blake Shelton.  Yes, I know that he's taken.  But, with songs like this one, he can't help but make me swoon.  My goodness gracious. 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!  I'll see you back here next week.  xox

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Ten D.C. delivery and take-out pizzas to try.  I can vouch for Pete's (Sit on their patio in Friendship Heights if the weather's nice.) and Angelico.  And jumbo slice.  :)

Mystery-flavored Dum Dum lollipops, demystified.

Swiss artist and scientist Fabian Oefner uses gravitational forces to manipulate paint, then takes high-speed photographs to capture the result.  See his process here.

These gold leafed shell salt cellars (a mouthful!) would make pretty gifts for the holidays.

The annual Cheap Art Sale D.C., offering pieces for less than $50, is happening this Saturday in Mount Pleasant.

Oh!  And there's a phenomenal concert happening next weekend at the Kennedy Center.  The American Voices Concert will feature Renée Fleming, Alison Krauss (!), Josh Groban, and other national treasures.  Unfortunately, only the fanciest tickets are available at this point, but if you have two hundred bucks kicking around and an open dance card for Saturday, November 23, then I think that I just helped you nail down some plans.  :)

(Image by Serge Leblon for Elle, via Fashion Bomb Daily.  Lollipop link via Cup of Jo; Fabian Oefner link via Laughing Squid; Cheap Art tip via B.)

Have a Happy Weekend!

Hi, friends.  What will you be up to this weekend?  I am taking the opportunity to enjoy a little staycation, relaxing at home and maybe enjoying a dinner with friends.  Hope that you have a lovely few days ahead.  xox

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I walked by Barcelona, a new tapas restaurant on 14th Street, last weekend.  It is gorgeous.  Like, I might want to move in.  Strong Yelp reviews, too.

Alternatively, if you are in Madrid (Some of you are!), you may like to check out Marta Argüelles's exhibit at La Portegna's store in el Barrio de Salamanca next Thursday.  Find details on La Portegna's Facebook page.

Not Martha's hilariously suspenseful Kinder Egg A Day series.

Products to keep your winter boots and shoes looking new.

What to expect from Game of Thrones's fourth season.  Gulp.

I have been listening to this throwback on repeat since hearing Alison Krauss's CMAs performance the other night.

The robin's egg color of this sweater is refreshing. 

Why isn't there a filtering water pitcher (Looking at you, Brita.) as pretty as this carafe?

I'll play my Native Southerner card and say that D.C. still needs good barbecue.  Here's hoping that DCity Smokehouse delivers.

A whole lot of delicious uses for cinnamon.

(Image is Urbano 12 by Marta Argüelles.)

Have a Spooky Weekend!

Switching gears a bit: Halloween, OMG.  I'm going to a party this weekend.  I figured out my costume, which took a 180 from the idea I was planning on when I updated you last week.  If I muster up the courage, I may share a snapshot or two next week.  :) 

What are your plans for the weekend?  Will you be dressing up and going out, or staying toasty at home?  In any case, I hope you have lots of reasons to smile this weekend.  Here are a few bits and pieces from the web that I thought you'd enjoy.  xo E.

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One hint as to my costume: it involves this lipstick, which is the perfect strong red (more orange/brown than blue in the undertone department) and very emollient.  I never really have been one for bright lip color, but am kind of excited about this.

If you have a pug to dress up for Halloween, here are a few hysterical ideas.

If you still need to figure out what to wear, these are some imaginative ideas.

Here are a bunch of DIY fall craft ideas that will keep your creative juices flowing post-crazy costume.  Start collecting those fallen leaves now!

I made a variation of this thyme-roasted sweet potato recipe last week, and yum.

Cleveland Park eatery Palena will transform its current café space into a coffee shop concept, serving coffee and fresh baked goods in the morning and moving into lunchtime fare at midday.  It's not clear whether the café will continue to offer dinner service, but let's hope it does.

Google Maps now show D.C. Metro lines.  Cool, huh?  The quirks mentioned in the link seem to have been fixed.

Here is a smooth, sexy tune from Spanish crooner Pablo Alborán.  If you like what you hear, try this one, too (The video gives a glimpse of my old stomping ground in downtown Madrid.).  And this one.  The sentimental lyrics brought a lump to my throat.

(Image from Apartment Therapy via House Beautiful; Palena tip via Eater; craft ideas via swissmiss.)

Arrival of Fall

Quick little note to wish you a great week.  Fall weather is upon us in D.C., and the pumpkins and gourds are coming out! After a summer dedicated to bar exam study (i.e., LOTS of time indoors, missing out on summer sun and heat), I felt a little cheated by the fall season's quick approach.  But I had forgotten how lovely a brisk chill, and the accompanying opportunity to cook up a storm of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, can be.  After spending a great Sunday afternoon in Georgetown yesterday, I'm ready to welcome fall with open arms.

Apartment Gardens

I've been thinking a lot lately about how to bring some more of the outdoors inside, despite the constraints of my apartment. At the moment, there's one healthy (though possibly lonely) houseplant on the coffee table.  It's lush, in a green-glazed pot, but otherwise pretty non-descript.

For several years, I've had a crush on kumquat trees. There's something so whimsical and fresh about an indoor citrus tree, whether kept in a trim topiary style or as a fuller shrub.

Lovely potted kumquat tree.

The variety of possibilities for apartment-friendly container gardening is also inspirational. Tiny pots, bottles, and cans make plants mobile, enabling maximum access to suitable light and temperature conditions.

Herb garden in tea cans.

Vertical pallet garden via Apartment Therapy.

Plastic bottle planters.

Herbs and vegetables grown in a shoe organizer via Apartment Therapy.

Tiny window sill garden.

DIY Ikea planter re-do.

I have my eye on the weathered tea cans. Mismatched thrifted tea cups, kettles, or pitchers would also be sweet.  And the vertical planters could do nicely on an indoor wall or the narrowest of balconies.

Which of these ideas would work best for your space? What do you do to bring a bit of the outdoors into your home?

Gospel Brunch at The Hamilton

A highlight in a weekend of many highlights (including the D.C. Pride Parade. Wow. Moving and exhilarating on many levels.) was the excellent gospel brunch at The Hamilton. We were lucky to catch one of the last shows of the D.C. Jazz Fest, with the brilliant Anthony Walker on piano, plus other gifted musicians and vocalists. And the Southern-style fare hit the spot. In a town replete with weekend brunch options, many of which feature a side of jazz, this one is absolutely a must, whether you're a D.C. local or visiting from out of town.

On the way out, I couldn't help but appreciate the décor's whimsical avian motifs.

Mural-sized paintings of tropical birds, by Hunt Slonem, line the main dining room walls

Swan in flight. And, the glass ceiling! So pretty I couldn't bear to crop it out.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend, too. Do you have any favorite brunch spots where you are?

Notebooks

Gosh, how pretty are these? Perfect for just about any reason you might have to jot down a few thoughts or to sketch something that catches your eye (or comes to your mind), if I do say so myself.

Lovely sherbet- and gold-hued notebooks by Brown Paper via Oh Joy!

Sassy Liberty print notebooks at Paper Source.

Design Inspiration: A Refurbished Lebanese Home

Pinterest is a veritable treasure trove of interior design ideas, and all sorts of ideas, really. For example, I find the deep, moody blue and purple hues in this living room enchanting.

Blueprint Modern via Jody McKee's Pinterest

But, after scanning tons of interiors, some gorgeous, some totally over-done, and most at least a little on the busy side for my taste, I yearn for something simpler and more sincere. This refurbished Lebanese home in Batroun, documented by the New York Times in 2010, gets it just right. Fresh, bright, and a bit styled, yet welcoming and livable, don't you think?

Bryan Denton for the New York Times

Bryan Denton for the New York Times

Bryan Denton for the New York Times

Bryan Denton for the New York Times

Bryan Denton for the New York Times

How have you decorated your home? Does form or function reign, or do you strike a balance between the two? And where do you find design influences?