best thing i've made in a good while: chicken + dumpling soup. i used whole grain spelt flour for added health & flavor plus homemade turkey broth gifted from a friend. delish! x

my recipe:

SOUP
8 C stock (i used 4 C turkey broth & 4 C water)
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, minced
1 C chicken, chopped (i used organic free-range chicken thighs)

- heat stock on med-high til almost boiling, turn to med & simmer
- add veg and cook until tender
- add chicken, cook until done (5-8 min for raw)
- make dumplings while veg & chicken cook

DUMPLINGS
4 T butter
2 eggs
1/2 C flour (i used whole grain spelt)
1/4 C parsley, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C minced onion

- cream butter in a bowl with the back of a fork
- beat in eggs (mine never really mixed thoroughly, but that was fine)
- stir in flour + parsley + garlic + onion + s&p
- stir in hot stock (1 T at a time) until soft
- drop in 1 T dumplings, cook until set, approx. 5-10 minutes (scoop batter with a tablespoon, immerse spoon into stock to set batter a bit, then scrape off with another spoon. if your dumplings break up a bit, don't fret.)
- remove cooked dumplings to a plate until ready to serve

TO SERVE
- taste soup, season with s&p
- add dumplings back into soup
- ladel soup in bowl, top with chopped parsley + squeezed fresh lemon + grated parmesan

YUM!

our new curtains & pillow with fabric by caitlin.

i love to go overboard for a good birthday. not pictured? mylar dinosaur balloons, mariachi band, streamer expolosion, party hats... :)

stewed cherries (á la mark bittman) served over vanilla ice cream (!!!), saw some very cool african jewelry and a persian rug at a local antique store, and i love my new $10 karen walker-esque sunglasses from st. marks...


de la + fela.

so-cal inspired ceramic garlands...

sometimes we are so tempted to just pack-up and head to california... a little so-cal inspiration...

images
1. salvation mountain
2-3. the lovely colors & textiles of beatrice valenzuela's home, as seen on apartment therapy
4. hadley holliday & heather levine's artwork, also featured in beatrice's home (and all around the internets. i have admired both of their work for a hot minute.)

+ amazing sunset rays (unfortunately caused by smoke from rampant wild grass fires in our area).

+ today's lunch spread: lettuce & green onion salad w/turkey & toast croutons, hummus, brie, my cousin's homemade spicy dill pickles, and baguette. mmm...

+ sweet little pinch pots. :)

my latest ebay search: rattan chairs.
sadly, most are "local pick-up only", and i'm not local... i see some estate sale hunting in my future.

found this little turkish ditty on ebay last month... just arrived & i love it. :)

we are currently looking for a new home (& have been looking for 3 months now)... so, when the day fades, i tend to dig thru my stuffed-to-the-brim "home ideas" folder. here is the fruit of tonight's digging... a little living room to-be mock-up action. :)
couch, rug & lamp: ikea, table: cb2, chair: fake eames lounge chair, pillows: OUi, curtain: confetti system @ c.o.s. nyc, photo: moi...

every monday, i look forward to seeing jeana sohn's newest entry in her closet visit series. today's post on momoko suzuki is no joke - loads of textile & home inspiration, especially the hanging handmade straw sculpture (pendant? chandelier?) that i'm now slightly obsessing over.
google just taught me that these are himmeli - traditional finnish christmas ornaments, made of straw & string, that ensure a plentiful rye crop for the coming season - the bigger the ornament, the bigger the crop. looks like momoko better make room when the harvest comes in, and i have a new project...
reminds me a bit of the beautiful jewelry by (l-r) hanna sandin & lauren manoogian.

well... we're packing up the apartment. it is very bittersweet. we are leaving brooklyn after living in the same neighborhood (same block, for me!) for 7 1/2 years. although we are excited about the change (& we'll be back in the city for work nearly two months out of the year!), breaking up with new york has proven hard to do...

we are headed to the midwest, and i have a short list of new yorkie things i'd really like to do before we check out of this city for good:

• visit the new creatures of comfort store in noho
• visit printed matter in chelsea
• buy a few small dishes at the muji store
• eat at luke's lobster (this is non-negotiable!!!)
• eat one last really good sushi meal
• see the tim barber "burning bridges" show

so, back to packing. i'll leave you with this pic of me & grant from a sweet wedding we attended last weekend. our friend, noelle (one half of the identical twin duo extraordinaire, hello again girls), married sweet patrick. the wedding featured lots of cute little details (the bride wore a cool braided shrug from etsy!). i'll let you all know when she gets her pics online - it's worth a peek!

until i resurface...

i started to notice lace curtains in my neighborhood a few months ago, mostly in old italian & polish grandmothers' windows. now, they seem to be everywhere i turn. such a pretty & delicate idea... old made new.

baba:
sweetwater tavern:

sel de mer:

an old police station turned condos:

night of joy:

how amazing are these table settings from a le fooding event in (of course) paris??? me and my nesting mind are thinking cool christmas party dec's, no?
via bird blog

i have a date with philip johnson & a 7d tomorrow. i can't wait!

god, i wish i were french... (or french enough to really claim it!)
inspiring parisian decor from ensuite.