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Happy Friday, my friends!

Are you tired of me sharing online shelter magazines?

Really?

Then I promise that this the only one I’ll share… this month.  It’s called est and is all about “relaxed and stylish” decor, which sounds nice but generic.  Thankfully, when it comes to design, images are what speak.  I discovered est via the blanc & noir issue.  Meaning it grabbed me by my achilles heel.  In French, no less.

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This month is Scandinavian Soujourn and I’m prepared to be thrilled.  Lots of bright white, soft grays and pretty pinks.  Possibly my favorite color palette of all time.  Tell me, do you love these mags as much as I do?

xo Sarah

from left to right:

work lunch at Sarah’s: curried lentil soup

My bed stand at night

Muesli by Buck Ellison

Home Dinner: Cauliflower soup with Sqirl preserved meyer lemon and salad

Kaya Toast at Street

Ian Gotler’s famous Cheesecake Cheese Platter

Sticky Toffee Pudding at Lucques

Caviar tasting at work (someone has to do it)

Crispy skin fish over edamame puree with orange glazed beets and carrots

Los Angeles blooms in January

xo,

Lydia

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Happy February, my dears!  Are you suffering from winter-has-gone-on-too-long syndrome?  It’s nothing a pretty Valentine’s card can’t cure.

I’m a big supporter of sending heart cards to friends and family.  It gets you off the hook during the holiday season and comes as a sweet surprise to those who aren’t expecting a valentine.

In Los Angeles, I love card shopping at Soolip and Urbanic.  Online, I have an account at Rifle Paper Co. and I’ve also used Minted, Pinhole Press and Pancake & Franks.

For instant messages, Lydia has turned me on to the Red Stamp app for iPhone which offers an incredible number of stylish, modern cards you can personalize with messages and photos then send via text, email or snail mail.

I’d love to have a few more dependable resources for creative cards.  So tell us, where do you browse pretty papers?

xo Sarah

Journey proud indeed, I’m daydreaming about wandering the colonnade of Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss and brushing up on historical facts on architectural and garden tours. I just read Gone with the Wind so I’m fresh on my civil war history and feeling thankful to Sherman for not burning this beautiful city (darn Yankees).

I love to land in a new city with my research done, a few must see places and eateries to land on,  but then wander the streets with a map to get steeped in the essence of the city.

Have you been to Charleston? Most of our time will be spent celebrating the happy couple so please give me your recommendations of where to eat, drink and wander. I don’t want to miss any gems.

We have a reservation at Husk already, we booked it last year when Bon Appetite named it Best New Restaurant in America. So excited.

But where else?

Sigh. Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

xo,

Lydia

We were invited to a brunch where the hostess made crêpe after crêpe in a 20-year old cast iron pan while we sipped juice from her orange tree and snuck spoonfuls of nutella.  Her crêpes were perfectly round and an even, buttery brown.  We all acted like it was no big deal but inside I was panicking.

The nonchalance, the fruit tree, the ability to flip lacy pancakes while chatting!  All things I lack.  I follow these recipes, make the crepes ahead- they’re easier to flip than pancakes-  and stack them between parchment paper for rolling and reheating.

There you have it.  The secret to making crêpes for a crowd.  Start early and have plenty of parchment on hand.  Sure, no one will be blown away by your epic coolness, but no one will get cranky hungry and double dip in the nutella jar either.

Stuff, roll and reheat in a warm oven or microwave. Freeze leftover crepes for up to a month.

xoxoSarah

Satsuma Bourbon Sour

serves 2

4 oz freshly squeezed Satsuma or tangerine juice

1 oz meyer lemon juice

2 oz Bourbon

splash of Clementine soda

Shake over ice in a martini shaker and serve chilled. Sunset not required.

xo,
Lydia

Drew received this hand carved bowl for a Christmas gift and I was delighted to find this plant box under the tree with my name on it. So impressed by our gifts we set up a family workshop between Christmas brunch and Hanukkah dinner to launch Bob’s career. Mom styled the shots, Buck photographed the pieces and Drew built Bob a website.

Now you can follow his career over at BobEllisonWoodwork.com. If you live in the Bay Area and are looking for custom wood or metal pieces for your home or garden then contact Bob or Wyatt. They also collaborate, like on this blond walnut table top and metal base they made for my mom.

xo,
Lydia

Do you want to buy organic but groan at the price?  Here’s a secret I just learned: you can avoid pesticides without restricting yourself to organic products only.  Where pesticides are concerned, you see, not all produce is created equal. The trick is knowing which purchases give you the most organic bang for your buck.

According to the USDA and The Environmental Working Group the following 12 foods absorb the most pesticide.  Prioritize them on your organic shopping list.

The Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes (not including sweet potatoes, which are part of The Clean Fifteen)
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuces
12. Kale and collard greens (a tie)

We’ve also got the Clean Fifteen: a list of the cleanest non-organic produce.  In other words, foods for which you pay for the label only when you pick organic.  Buying conventional products from this list saves money without negatively impacting your health.

The Clean 15

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapple
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mango
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Surprised by any?  I assumed mushrooms sponge up pesticides and that bananas are among the cleanest fruit.  How about you?

Xo Sarah

Wow, friends, that was quite a hack!  We hope we’re back for good this time.  We’ve missed you!

Let’s get to it.  You saw detail pix from the shower and now it’s time to talk games.  I know I’m not alone when I say I don’t love shower themes.  But once my sister and I chose the games we wanted to play the theme emerged organically and was….the word “baby”.

Game #1.  Don’t Say “Baby”

It’s exactly what it sounds like- Taboo with the word “baby”.  We gave each guest a teething ring to wear as a bracelet.  The objective?  To call out your fellow partiers when they say “baby” and take their ring.  We had a clear winner.  A friend who basically stopped talking once the game began and snatched all but two of the teethers to create a rainbow chainlink necklace.  She walked away with the grand prize which I’ll reveal below.

Game #2. Name that (Baby) Tune

We made a mix of our favorite baby songs and played only the first 5 seconds.  The guest who named the most tunes (without actually saying baby) won Babycakes cookie mix. Or, as the winners called it, Childcakes cooke mix.

Song Ideas:

“Baby One More Time” – Britney Spears
“Baby, Baby” – Amy Grant
“Be My Baby” – The Ronettes
“Baby Love” – The Supremes
“Always Be My Baby” – Mariah Carey
“I’m Your Baby Tonight” – Whitney Houston
“Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” – Barry White
“I Got You Babe” – Sonny and Cher
“It Ain’t Me, Babe” – Johnny Cash
“Don’t Worry Baby” – The Beach Boys

Game #3.  Daddy Knows Best.

You’ve probably played this one.  We sent a list of questions to the dad-to-be and then asked his wife to guess his answers.  Guests estimate the number of questions the future mama guesses right and the one with the number closest wins….Babycakes brownie mix.

This is a fun one to save for when Dad arrives at the end of the party.

Sample Questions:

How many diapers does a baby need each day?
How many hours does a baby sleep each day on average?
At what age does a baby start eating solid food?
Do you think your baby will be born with a lot of hair?
How many kids do you want to have?
Who’ll be the firm parent, and who’ll be the pushover?
Who will be the first to hear the baby cry in the middle of the night?
Who is going to cry more when the baby is born? Mom, dad or baby?  Or a grandparent?
Where would you like your first family vacation to be?
If Dad could choose one trait to pass on to the baby what would it be?
If Mom could choose one trait to pass on to the baby what would it be?
If Dad could choose one trait of his to NOT pass on to the baby what would it be?
If Mom could choose one trait of her to NOT pass on to the baby what would it be?
What was Mom’s nickname as a baby?
What was Dad’s nickname as a baby?
What was Mom’s first word?
What was Dad’s first word?

And the grand prize? It was a DVD.  You may have seen it coming.

Because nobody puts you-know-who in the corner.

Tell us, do you know any good shower games?

xo Sarah

Last week my sister and I hosted a baby shower for our sister-in-law.  The “guestbook” was a thumbprint tree from Bleu de Toi.  There’s even a baby bird snuggled in between the mama and the papa where the parents can stamp the baby’s thumb.  Adorable!

We set the bar with striped straws, snapdragons and baby pictures of the parents-to-be and their mothers.

Fresh tangerine and ruby-red grapefruit juice plus prosecco for making your own mimosas.  We also had iced bottles of French lemonade, sparkling fruit sodas, homemade peach iced tea and sparkling water.  The bar tablecloth was pink and blue because we don’t know yet if the baby will be a boy or a girl.

Recognize those nuts?

My mom made her now-famous crab dip which we served with homemade potato chips.  For lunch we had 4 kinds of quiche: a classic Lorraine, spinach and cheddar, broccoli and cheddar and sweet potato with Swiss chard and goat cheese.

Goodies for the mom-to-be.

Goodies for the guests: mini English toffees my mom smuggled in her suitcase from FoodStuffs, our favorite gourmet foodshop back in Chicago.

Next week, the games and prizes. Hint, the theme was the word “baby.”

Tell us, do you have any experience throwing baby showers?  What worked well and what didn’t?  More importantly, are you an aunt?  I’m getting very excited about that!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo Sarah

xoxo

Thank you for your loyalty and we will be back with fresh ideas tomorrow.

xo,

Lydia & Sarah

Sarah and I had SUPER cute custom place mats made by Mattie Luxe last year as a wedding gift for a dear couple. We designed the mats to match the palette and architecture of their home and they turned out so well. You choose the color, theme, monogram/name and all the details of your design online and then they print and mail you the place mats within a week. Nice quality thick paper place mats with the design on both sides and laminated to stand many, many years of casual meals. You can also have your design made into a lucite tray!

Here are some fun deigns from the Inspiration page…

I think they’re a great gift for a housewarming party or a baby shower. Or as a thank you gift when staying with friends for a weekend. Or for the person you know who has everything…

xo,
Lydia

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Juice them up and make A Communal Table’s Tangerine Gimlet?

Zest them into this Olive Oil Cake with Tangerines, Rosemary & Pine Nuts?

Poached salmon with tangerine-lemon Hollandaise?

Maybe make some Tangerine Sherbet?

They would be great on a beet salad…

Any favorites I’m missing?

xo,
Lydia

All images and many more from FabSugar.com. Which one is inspiring you today?

The kitchen has its own dirty word.  I’m sure you’re familiar with it, have said it or felt it hanging in the air.

Waste.

Please say you are as guilty as I am.  That you’ve tossed a rotting piece of fruit you forgot was in there.  Or shoved wet, wilted greens deep into the trash so you wouldn’t see them and feel bad about not taking the time to saute them.

It’s the greens that get me.  They are so hearty and alive until they just aren’t anymore.

No more. Rescue your greens!  Do it quickly before they turn.   Freeze them or make a quick frittata, green smoothie 1, green smoothie 2 or this basic green soup.  Creator Anna Thomas calls the best tasting medicine in the world.

Forget “eat to live or live to eat.”  Liven it up with a Parmesan snowfall and a drizzle of good olive oil and you’re doing both.  Not to mention keeping  your mouth clean.

Do you have any tips for saving greens?

xoSarah