Boy am I pushover for colorful, clean images on monochromatic backgrounds! That’s probably why I stood at the wooden bin for ten minutes in Frontier on my recent trip to Athens, just looking through the folded notecards of B Designs.
What beautiful, simple cards! Check out their selection:
I love their Christmas cards! So pretty!
There are also initial notecards that are so elegant.
And, check out these cute caddies!
I spent the day in Athens, Georgia on Friday, and it was a wonderfully nostalgic trip. JD and I lived in Athens the first three years of our marriage while he was in law school at UGA. I worked for the best hospital in Athens and made several friends there along the way. I was back in town on Friday to celebrate the impending arrival of my good friend Misty’s new baby Hayden, and I enjoyed catching up on all the sites and stops that I had not seen in over two and a half years.
I stopped by Helix and Frontier, my two favorite downtown shops (sorry that I missed you, Toula’s and Homeplace)and documented a few items I wanted to research more. I’ll detail that in later posts this week, but I don’t feel like I can kickoff Athens’ finds without talking about r. wood studio ceramics first.
While an Athens resident, I had the chance to take a tour through the shop and studio. The work produced there is so great: simple colors, beautifully unique shapes, and a thin but sturdy weight. The bowls, plates and platters are peaceful… I don’t think that makes sense at all, but, to me, that describes them perfectly!
The collections are huge. Here’s a sampling of her work (click each picture to follow the link to their page):
I know the studio has received a lot of acclaim: she has been featured in the Sundance catalog and twice in Design*Sponge (early in the blog’s existence and recently in Rebecca Wood’s home for a “Sneak Peek”). When I found a platter and some bowls at Frontier, it was strange to see them again since I hadn’t located them in Nashville yet.
Also a great feature on the website is the wedding registry. Boy! If I had known about this before I registered for our wedding in 2004…
Regardless, I was glad to stumble on pieces from the collection again and wanted to share it with you. Keep an eye out the rest of the week for more Athens’ finds!
In a sudden burst of energy, I finally finished a project that I’m particularly proud of. Yes, it may be a whole foot lower than it should be, but I think it looks quite nice.
As you probably remember from this February post, I didn’t really know what to do with a huge chunk of space above our kitchen table. I wasn’t really satisified with any of the choices that I had picked out in that previous post, mostly because they were way too expensive for my budget at the time.
Plus, I’ve always really liked clusters and “clumps” of pictures, like this example from Design*Sponge.
Also, in the meantime, I had gathered a series of pictures from different places (here, here, here and here) and I wanted a nice way to display them. So, I took THIS space….
and hung these pictures to make it look much better:
I used a great selection of muted, mostly black-and-white pieces. This one is the first run of my mom’s “Smoker” print.
The others are a random selection, framed in an assortment of frames I’ve collected and bought over the years.
This picture below is an old piece of paper I found stashed away in my grandmother’s pantry. It’s the “Dolly Parton Diet” and it’s a ridiculous list of foods to eat each day. It’s really silly and makes me laugh!
Finally, the below picture is a funny one I found of my grandmother and grandfather from 1969. My Maw Maw is the one smiling, and my Paw Paw is the one looking back at her. It just captures a moment and makes me smile.
It is a fun grouping of pictures and a great test to my patience for measuring and arranging them in such a way!
Note: no Friday Feast tomorrow! I’m taking a break because I’m heading to Athens to see my old friend!
Lots of hype has been out and about on the blogs about Stella McCartney’s new line of kids clothes. I have mixed emotions about them, but overall, I think I like it. The muted hues, the subtle details, the classic styles… I bet I’d buy them!
It’s a little-person trench ($78) and tuxedo jacket ($78) for girls! So cute.
Check out these boots! So adorable (Duck Boots $58)
A little man’s graphic tee ($24.50)
Sweet little corduroy ruffle top ($34)… love those pockets.
L-o-v-e these flair jeans ($58)
I’m not wild about this unisex Sgt. Pepper’s coat that keeps appearing in the promo ads, though. Yikes.
So, what do other mommies currently with little tots think? Would you buy these clothes?
Figs and Ginger first caught my eye after this post from blogger Dooce. Then recently, my new favorite blogger/commenter-on-Schmate Jen from JenLovesKev was wearing her Figs and Ginger necklace over the weekend.
I love these necklaces… I see them in different places: all over the blogs and even in a few stores while shopping in Chicago. I really like the simple appeal and the emphasis on the family.
Family Necklace ($60)
Tree Necklace ($65)
Cuddle Bunny Earrings ($20)
Well, Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, but I had to share this with you. My mom took a cake-decorating workshop at her Art Station a few weeks ago, and she made a witch cake. It did fall a little after she made it (and before she took pictures!), but I think her first attempt at fondant was quite a success!
On Sunday, my very best bud Mary turns 28. She is an awesome cook, a great teacher (I wish I could see her in action!) and an even better friend. She passed along this chili recipe to me, and it’s too good not to share. It takes some time, but it is completely worth it!
Mary’s Chili-Con-Carne (from Liz Taylor)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cook time: beans: overnight; chili: hour thirty-five
Cleanup time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
½ pound dry pinto beans
3 28-oz cans tomatoes
1-1/2 tablespoons salad oil
3 chopped green peppers
2 large chopped onions (1.5 pounds)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup snipped parsley
2 ½ pounds ground beef chuck
1 pound lean ground pork
¼ cup chili powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seed
Oh so good! And spicy!
Does anyone else have the Sundance Channel? If so, have you seen the Sundance Channel original series, “Man Shops Globe”?
First of all, I never watch the Sundance Channel. I have no idea why. But thanks to JD’s excellent negotiation skills with DirecTV, we have it (as well as the ability to record it while we’re not at home).
Secondly, I love Anthropologie. Yes, it is a tad expensive, but I love the eclectic mix of items. I have a dress, a necklace, file folders and housewares from there. I can’t say that about any other store (except maybe Target). I was thrilled when Nashville got their own Anthro.
So, I had seen somewhere on a blog (maybe Design*Sponge?) that this cool show, “Man Shops Globe,” was recommended. This weekend, I watched an episode that was previously recorded where Keith Johnson (aka: “Man” from the show’s title) shops around South Africa, looking for items for Anthropologie.
What an amazing job! He finds small street vendors or little mom-and-pop shops and looks at their stuff to find his favorites. If he (and Anthropologie) find a vendor’s work fascinating, their business could sky-rocket! Imagine living in a small barn, making furniture with your family, and Keith comes along, takes a look at your benches, and asks you for a sample. A few months later, he orders 200 more. I think it’s so neat that Anthropologie sends out their guru to do research, and we get to see how he thinks!
Anyway, I love the show and if you happen to have the Sundance Channel, I would highly recommend watching it. I have “Man Shops Globe: Turkey” in my recorded queue, and I can’t wait to get a free moment to watch it. Caution: husbands may not be as impressed with the show as you are.
The state of affairs in the Stuart household are a little… wobbly.
Somebody was having too much fun making quick turns in the yard during the beautiful fall Nashville evening, and this little somebody ended up getting a fingernail torn off.
Lucy will have a cone/guard up for about a week or so. Poor thing!
I had some of my closest girlfriends (and Schmate readers) over to the house on Monday night, and I made a big bowl of chili, a salad, and these herb and Gruyere scones that I found the recipe for on Design*Sponge.
They turned out wonderfully, and my favorite part was getting to use my awesome KitchenAid Mixer that I got from my mother-in-law back in 2004.
Gruyere and Herb Scones, adapted from The Cheese Board: Collective Works
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Cleanup time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ pound Gruyere cheese, grated
½ cup chopped herbs (I like thyme and chives)
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
These little guys were awesome and very flavorful (I think it was due to the Gruyere). I recommend them if you have some time, an awesome mixer, and a bland main course. They are also great with soup or chili (like I served) so you can dip them in.
You guys know how much I love old utensils, especially old spoons, so it’s no surprise that I’m introducing you to this artist who photographs neat silverware (among other things). I mean, check out how cool shop owner Kari Herer captures these items through her photography:
Silverware No 1658 ($20)
Silverware No 1657 ($20)
Protea with Spoon Mini Print ($10)
Spoonful mini print ($10)
She has some other great shots too, but I really like this series. What do you think? For more info, here’s her website.
I haven’t forgotten about you, dear Schmate readers. I’m just in the middle of a few projects that really need my attention. So, quickly, here’s a very fun Etsy shop that I came upon today: Inkblok. The shop has nice, affordable prints and cards that are so clean and fresh looking. Here’s a few from the selection:
Teacup print ($25)
Lovebird print ($25)
Leaf print ($25)
Grow print ($25)
This is perhaps the greatest Friday Feast Schmate has ever had, and I didn’t even cook it! Let me give you some background.
Last Christmas, JD and I decided not to spend any money on giving gifts to each other, so my creative whipper-snapper of a husband instead gave me four coupons entitling me to various chores performed by or events done with him. For example, he would go on a run with me (without complaining), or he would do the laundry from start to finish (the laundry is a family effort around the Stuart household!). Well, one coupon was for cooking a whole meal by himself. I am absolutely the cook between the two of us, so I was shocked and thrilled at this particular idea.
I’m not sure why it took me over nine months to redeem this dinner coupon — perhaps fear of the unknown? – but when I finally did, boy, was it awesome. My September and October are very busy at work, so I decided to redeem the dinner coupon for one night where I was working pretty late. I gave JD enough advance notice, and last week, I walked in to the most amazing smelling house and a full meal ready for me!
When preparing for the meal, JD thought to himself, “What do I know how to make?” and the first — only? — thing he could think of was: sandwiches. So after a special, unaccompanied trip to the grocery store, research online and a few preliminary questions about where certain kitchen utensils and ingredients were, JD whipped up an awesome French Dip Panini. I’m so proud of my husband, and I’m not even exaggerating. It was a great meal! Even better, he took pictures and documented everything. (Isn’t he awesome?) Here’s the recipe:
French Dip Panini
Preparation Time: 15 minutes (Kate time), 30 minutes (JD time)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cleanup Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, softened (5 tablespoons in JD’s recipe)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups beef broth
1 pound sliced roast beef (JD used Boar’s Head Cajun Roast Beef)
1 baguette, split lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 4 sections
4 ounces sliced pepper Jack cheese
And voila!
I was so impressed, to say the least. I really loved the meal, and especially the guy who made it!
Tomorrow is National Boss Day, but since it’s Reunion/Homecoming this weekend and all of our office bosses will be very busy at board meetings, my coworkers and I decided to thank them the day before. Since everyone is so busy with all the events of the weekend, I volunteered to make the thank you gifts. And since some of you out there may not have remembered that it’s National Boss Day tomorrow, here’s a quick tutorial of what I did using things you probably already have at your desk … and it’s easier than an expense report!
Supplies
Colored paper
Kabob sticks or popsicle sticks (pencils or a ruler could also be a cute variation)
Marker
Tape
Scissors
Food or goody bag
My cool friend and unofficial Schmate correspondent Jessica sent me some super neat notecards from Green Paper Company, and I had to share them with you.
Green Paper Company is the “first bulk paper company to offer a one stop reliable source for post-consumer recycled stationery.” The ink is made of soy, and the paper is 100% post-consumer recycled paper. As they say on the back of the card: “No new trees were used to create this card.”
Here’s their blog and how you can buy it if you’re interested in more.
How nice of it was Jessica to send it to me? But, she’s known to do sweet things like that for me…!
