Successful Saturday

Snow? I wasn't prepared. Snow? A startling reminder I donated my winter coat and boots last spring with no thought to buying replacements.

However, no amount of sleet or snow gets in the way of my successful Saturday :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Happy Halloween!
k.o




{photo via nydailynews}

The Picasso of Pumpkins

All of a sudden, my triangle eyed, square nosed and crooked mouthed pumpkin looks pretty pathetic.

Pumpkin Artist Ray Villafane has mad artistic skills. He not only sculpts pumpkins, but is an artist in all things from toys to sandsculpting.

Have a great Halloween weekend!
k.o

Vintage Halloween Decorations

I used to love decorating for holidays while I was growing up. My Mom used to store all our decorations in a crawl space and I was more that willing to slither through the marked boxes of memories to get to the appropriate seasonal box.

Years of use and scotch tape may have weathered them, but these are still my favorite.

I hope everyone has plans to make Halloween memories this weekend!
k.o






{photo via etsy}

Wednesday Wisdom

Just a little reminder...


{photo via insidetheloop}

Halloween in the City

I will be honest. I love pumpkins and watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown more than I love Halloween.

"You don't believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting"
Linus - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

Much love,
k.o



{photo via modvintagelife}

Pumpkin Waffles

There is something about crisp fall mornings that hold warmly in my heart. These type of mornings bring hunger of pancakes or waffles or whatever stackable breakfasts available.

Pumpkin Waffles? Yes, please.





Find the full recipe here.

Pumpkin Waffles
Adapted from several sources

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil for brushing waffle iron or cooking spray

Sucessful Saturday

Denmark. I have been anxiously awaiting Saturday, October 22nd for one reason: New Nordic Cookout. This cookout was to be a taste of Denmark and hosted at the Greenmarket in Union Square.

There were more blondes in the crowd than normal, more knit sweaters and more hunger for all things salmon. Also, more Royals in attendance.

AEbleskriver (are the Danish version of the traditional American pancakes)



Garnished with marinated rose petals and capers



Adams Aamanns, the owner of one of the most famous Smørrebrød restaurants in Copenhagen explaining Smorrebread.



Danish tapas: Sendives with juniper cured salmon, purée of cauliflower and browned butter and marzipan cake (mazarinkage) with raspberries and vanilla yogurt on top.


{photos via spanishhipster}

It was a great new experience for my heart, tongue and head. I hope everyone had a spectacular weekend.
k.o

The Original Soupman

I used to love Seinfeld. Wait. What am I saying? I still love Seinfeld. Every time a rerun comes on, I still laugh along with the laugh track.

So, when my friend Lauren mentioned going to The Original Soupman for lunch and a Living Social instant deal occurred in the same week , I had no choice but to go. It was fate. It was time for: soup for me.

It was a short walk from work, I got severely confused with the immediate left departure, ordered the Butternut Squash, and was pleasantly surprised with the Lindt's chocolate, bread, and plum that accompanied this delicious soup.



{photo via tasteeuphoria}

The only problem? I'm addicted.

I hope everyone has a great Friday and has wonderful plans warming up this weekend!
k.o

Far From What I Once Was

This made me feel good today.


{photo via muchdeto}

Funky Furniture

I think this would be very handy in NYC studios.



Explore without leaving the couch.



I didn't know furniture could have split personalities.



Clock? I'd waste so much time just trying to figure out the time.


{yourdecoratinghotline}

Regardless. I love the innovation.

How is eveyones week? I'm feeling a tad overloaded with events, but I can't complain.

The very best today.
k.o

Wednesday Wisdom

Just a little reminder...

Duck Boots

Maybe it's the farm girl in me, but I love duck boots.



8" Bean Boots ($89); Asos lace-up duck boot ($101); Lands' End duck boot ($70); L.L. Bean Signature waxed canvas Maine hunting shoe ($139); Bass Hadwin duck boot ($80); Tretorn Klipporone boots ($140).

{photo via Tomboy Style}

Not Nutter Butters

When I think of Nutter Butters, I always think of my Great Aunt & Uncle. When they would pull up in their motor home for the summer, fresh from California, I was always excited for the unknown (and the Nutter Butters I knew were tucked in their snack cabinet.)

I think this is why I was excited to find this new recipe and possibly put it on the 2011 Christmas Cookie list.
k.o




Not Nutter Butters (Find the full recipe here)

Cookies:

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, divided
1 vanilla bean
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup natural , chunky-style unsalted peanut butter, excess oil poured off and discarded
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Successful Saturday

It's all about snap shots. I always love this time of year and find myself bouncing from one place to the next.

This successful Saturday had me in the East Village for Dirty Martini's, Battery Park for an event and Brooklyn for late night.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend full of random, fun and beautiful surprises. You never know when that special snap shot will happen.

xoxo
k.o

Be Wild, Crazy and Gloriously Free. Be You.

I was trying to find inspiration for this weekend. By gosh, I think I found it.


{photo via heyamberrae}

Have a wonderful weekend!
k.o

Spiral Staircase

I have a thing for spiral staircases. I always thought they lead to someplace magical; much different from the standard.

This modern and minimalist spiral staircase is located in a Singapore’s house designed by Ong & Ong.




Produced by Edilco this cement staircase is a great decorative solution for any modern interior. It consists of prefabricated elements that usually are assembled on the site.



This translucent stair tower knits together two floors of the Floating Home on Lake Union designed by Vandeventer + Carlander Architects.



A true interior centerpiece, this staircase is designed by Patrick Jouin. The combination of wooden steps and steel railings produces a truly beautiful and unique look.



Its getting dark earlier now which is throwing me off a bit! I hope everyone has a great day and finds some light in the early dark.
k.o

Wednesday Wisdom

Just a little reminder...

Extra Pretty

I came across this cute and true tip on how to look extra pretty on a first date:

"The absolutely positively most nerve-wracking moment of a date? Right before you see each other. Answering the front door or walking into the restaurant...eeks! Just writing this paragraph gives me butterflies.

So how do you look extra gorgeous for the big moment? My #1 random trick from my single days: Pinch your cheeks. Honestly, whenever I'd walk into a date, I'd pinch the apples of my cheeks, then gently rub them to "even" it out. Your rosy cheeks will make it look like you just walked in from the cold, and the color will suit your face perfectly since it's your natural color"

.

A trick I use in all seasons of life is I bend over and touch my toes. It rushes the blood to my head, gives me color and energizes me.

Here's to a great first impression!
k.o

The Most Interesting Breakfasts

Bon Appetit outlines what they think are some of the most interesting breakfasts across the country. Here are a few of my favs:

Shrimp and Grits- Peels, NYC



Chicken Biscuits - Big Bad Breakfast, Oxford MS



Sweet Potato -Pork Belly Hash - Longman & Eagle, Chicago IL



Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes - Gjelina, Venice CA



My apple and cappuccino breakfast seems pretty lame now :)
k.o

Columbus Day

I couldn't resist.



If you are ever in NYC or Washington, D.C, visit the American Indian Museum. It's beautiful.

Successful Saturday

This successful Saturday was beautiful. Unfortunately, a nice, consistent cold decided to become best friends with me.

This successful Saturday was made possible by things that helped me through the stuff and sneezes:

Burt's Bees Throat Drops- I've always been a fan of Burt's Bees. These are soothing and perfect.



Everything Beautiful Began After- Every good cold needs a good book. My favorite line so far "in the shadow of imperfection is beauty."



Law & Order SVU - There is nothing that Detective Benson and Stabler can't do. With Netflix streaming all seasons, it was a must cuddle up marathon watch.



And the grand-daddy of them all: Kleenex Tissues. I don't know what I would of done without them this weekend. I was excited to find a box with Hydrangeas (flower crush.) Did you know you could design your own Kleenex box? Um, awesome!



Regardless of this bugger cold, I'm happy with the weekend. I hope everyone had a great weekend and found success in unconventional things.

Much love,
k.o