A sneak peek at our yule tree and my holiday palette—candy pink, snowy white, brown paper, marigold, and evergreen. 

I hope that your week is shaping up nicely.

[1. c. lynn]

A gift guide for the host with the most, who can throw together a wonderful dinner in mere hours and who always welcomes another plate at the table. I particularly looked to find gifts that will add to your friend's entertaining arsenal to be used year after year and that will guarantee you a place at the party for life.

For more host/hostess gifts, check out last year's guide as well as here and here.

1. Cocktail napkins- Pretty napkins for the next soiree. 
2. John Derian round plate- A great little round dish to keep by the foyer to drop keys, spare coins, etc. 
3. Smart candles- Great to have around the house to plop into votives.
4. Spherical ice tray- Larger cubes dissolve more slowly and look great in an old fashioned glass.
5. Astier de Villatte candles- Luxurious scents from the French porcelain company.
6. Vacuum wine stopper- Keeps the last opened bottle of the night good for dinner the next day.
7. Happy goat caramels- For anyone who loves goat cheese.
8. Murray's Cheese pair of the month club- This monthly club takes the work out of guessing which cheese to pair with which accompaniment.
9. Heath bud vase- A classic Heath piece that is perfect for a few small cuttings.
10. Frances Palmer beads rim vase- I adore Frances Palmer's vases for bouquets of anything full and fluffy.
11. Pigeon Toe ceramic wheel ornament- A collectible ornament is a lovely gift that will have a place on the tree year after year.
12. Muscardino party sporks- Utensils that were made for serving little nibbles at parties.
13. Giving thanks table runner- A charming and rustic tablecloth that will adorn the host's table next time you're invited for the holidays.
14. Wooden spreaders- A fun addition to any rustic table.
15. Spruce wreath- A festive gift for a friend's front door.
16. Heath appetizer set- A lovely way to set out snacks for any occasion.

Find the perfect gift for your foodie friends, whether they sift and bake or sizzle and fry. I've pulled together an assortment of wonderful kitchen tools for the cook who has most of the basics. However, if you're shopping for some top quality kitchen essentials, check out the ever-changing inventory at modern artefacts for living—a new amazon.com store filled with my recommendations for cookbooks as well as the tried and true workhorses in my kitchen. I hope that some of these picks will inspire you to whip up something delicious!

1. Metrokane wine rack- Excellent for storing bottles of white wine in the fridge.
2. Royal VKB squeeze bottle- Perfect for shaking up a delicious new dressing or adding a professional touch to plating, allowing you to squeeze a few drops of parsley oil into a bowl of soup or plating a sauce around an entree.
3. Kuhn Rikon can opener- I never knew that a can opener could be this useful. It safely cuts into the side of the lid so that the top of the can never dips into the food product. It also creates a resealable lid for leftovers.
4. Alessi chili crusher- To chop a chili pepper without contaminating your hands with hot chili oils.
5. Alessi 1 by 1- Great for organizing your mis en place.
6. Yanagi bowl and strainer set- I love this set for use as a sifter and bowl set or as a strainer.
7. A beautiful stainless-steel spice rack- Beauty and function with clean lines.

8. Pastry board- Makes rolling out a round of pie crust a snap.
 9. De Buyer pancake/crepe pan- Great for making delicious pancakes with crispy edges, fluffy crepes or a crispy fish fillet.
10. Paella pan- For use on a grill or a stovetop. Be sure to order one that is small enough for the number of people that will be served on a consistent basis.
11. Wooden tongs- A beautiful serving pair.
12. Cruet- It's great to have a bottle of olive oil handy by the stove, and in such an attractive vessel, you will be happy to keep it out on your counter.
13 & 14. Pink Himalayan sea salt and black Hawaiian sea salt- Amp up your plating with a sprinkle of these pretty (and tasty) sea salts.
15. Weck jars- Work well for storage as well as canning.
16. Alessi Mami baking pan- A good-looking roasting pan for a wide range of culinary jobs.
17. Silicone ice cube tray- For freezing large cubes of stock, tomato sauce, pesto, etc.

 

Like last year, I will be pulling together a few gifts guides for the wonderful people in your life including the aspiring chef and the ever-accommodating host(ess). 

I hope that you'll enjoy them!

[1. the late Domino magazine] 

I love these simple wreaths by Emily Thompson in Brooklyn. I may try to recreate something similar for our front door.


[via D*S, 1-2. Emily Thompson Flowers]

Happy Fourth of July! I've been baking all day to prepare for the big reveal of this cake. I hope everyone at the barbecue loves it as much as I do.

[via Jez; 17 and Baking 1., 2. & 3. c. lynn]

Happy Easter!

Make something similar.

[1. Magnolia Bakery via NY Mag]

We're off to Portland, Oregon to visit friends and do some scouting for the holiday and then we'll be in Napa for the new year. Happy holidays!
[Martha Stewart]

Gardeners and nature lovers are a little bit more difficult to shop for—at least they have been for this city dweller. Many gardeners have their trusty set of tools and methods for getting their beds planted and pruned—and I'm just beginning to pick up a couple pointers for when we have a plot of land to work with. So indulge me as I begin to pull together a wishlist of garden design books as well as a good pot brush or two. Toss into the mix a beautiful Japanese garden bell to ring when lunch is prepared or a lovely orange bird feeder, what eco-minded gift recipient wouldn't start writing their thank-yous in their most flowery handwriting for some of these fantastic garden gifts.

Planting; Frances Palmer black water pitcher; Egg bird feeder; Japanese round bell; The New Encyclopedia of Gardening Techniques; Scottish twin hanging bobbin; Japanese spade; Ben Wolff pots; Pot brush; Eena log tote; Felco #2

I love to travel and I've been fortunate enough to have taken more than a few trips across the pond. Whether it's a eye mask that allowed for REM during a trip to the arctic or an AirPort Express which brought peace to our dual laptop-equipped camp, these travel items will ensure a great addition to any traveling arsenal. Plus, as an added bonus, yours will be the face that pops into your recipient's mind when you've provided the perfect tool for the perfect moment--much like assuming the role of Q to your giftee's 007. Gathered by trial and error throughout our travels, I've selected a few favorite items that will help take the edge off the bumpy, unpredictable, and wonderful road that we travelers live for.

Muji travel bottles; Herban Essential wipes; T3 Bespoke Overnight dryer; Kate Spade Heddy; F1 Go Clean Laundry bag; Frederic Fekkai travel brush; Audio Technica sound-canceling headphones; Luxe City Guides; Tumi T-Tech Carry-on; Stainless Steel RFID blocking passport sleeve; Optical micro laptop mouse; Longchamp Veau Loulonne; Retractable ethernet cable; Apple AirPort Express; Senz Umbrella; Lights out sleep mask; Kate Spade Par Avion; Kiehl's Travel starter kit; Barnes & Noble gift card

Gourmands are easy to shop for! There are plenty of specialty foodstuffs to gift them with that can be easily found on offer from their favorite retailers (Dean & Deluca, Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, Crate & Barrel) or you could always gift them with a kitchen staple with a clever twist (a Studiopatró tea towel). My picks for the chef, foodie, and gourmand in your life are sure to please ranging from items they've never seen before (like the grow-your-own-Shitake mushroom log) to others that they've always longed for (Wüstof steak knives).

Eva Solo apple corer; Breville electric citrus press; J.K. Adams Co. cutting boards; Vosges Lunar chocolate of the month club; Round terrine; Boat Street Pickles; Wustof steak knives; Savon de Marseille Extra Pur; Crosscut board; Spice Boy spice grinder; Holmegaard Champagne glasses; Holmegaard hurricane lamp; Brown cupcake liners; French Feasts; Nesting bowls; Shitake mushroom log; Blue Bottle coffee subscription

For everyone recovering from a belly of turkey and pie who wishes to avoid the long lines and traffic this holiday season, I've mapped out some really great online gift guides for some of the gourmands, gardeners, travelers, and hostesses in your life. We'll start with the gourmands and move on to the other three later this week.

[wreath]

I'm starting to think about writing my yuletide greetings and picking the perfect card to say what I feel. There are so many choices, but I'm narrowing my fields. One of my favorite stationers is Mr. Boddington's studio. I love the hand-tucked papers that adorn the envelope and the beautiful strokes of the pen.

This might be the perfect gift for a friend who recently moved away from NYC to pursue her dreams.

Our plans for the December holidays are still up in the air and though it's likely that we'll be away, I'd like to have some sort of a reminder of the season somewhere in the apartment.
My thoughts turned to wreaths. To me, wreaths are far less of a commitment than a full-on tree while still bringing in elements of the outside and celebrating the change of seasons. In my search for something cheery, modern, and unfussy, I came across this sweet paper mistletoe idea and thought I'd share it.

Happy Labor Day!

[1. c_lynn]

We celebrated the holiday with friends in Ogikubo (荻窪), Tokyo. We picked up foie gras pate, a small little chicken, penne gratin with eniko mushroom at the little ex-pat French takeaway shop down the block, and I prepared a big salad with dried blueberries and Japanese sesame dressing.

Happy holidays from Japan!!

We are off to Tokyo to spend our holiday with friends. There are many things on the agenda like picking up a few more special blossoming birthday candles from Kiddyland, trying pretty sugar squares with macha tea, warming up on walks in Yoyogi park with Yuzu hot drinks, cheesy ramen (A’s favorite), Sadaharu Aoki patisserie, Hinoki cedar onsen baths in the natural hot springs, a couple of side trips outside Tokyo with friends to Hakone, Nikko, Nagano, Yudanaka (to see snow monkeys) [Kyoto, and Obama].

Labor Day is here and the fall is on its way, so let's have one more dip in the sea.
Photographer, Massimo Vitali orchestrates beautiful compositions of groups of people.
via Unique Lapin

Photographs from my grandparents' house in Deblin.