Door to Door Organics

Yumm!!!!

We received our first box from 'Door to Door Organics' (click on title above to go to their website) and had such a great weekend eating and cooking with the fresh produce. Some highlights include.... a flavorful hash with the carrots, strawberries and yogurt for b-fast, and 2 loaves of zucchini bread. Tonight it will be either stuffed/baked acorn squash or a cauliflower cheesy casserole, yummm! What did you make/bake this weekend?

Composition

Today over lunch at the new downtown eatery "Organixx" (very yummy), the Mr. and I read about this store in Belmar called 'Composition,' (click on the title above to be directed to their online store and website) and so we decided since it was a snow day, we had the time to pop on over and check it out. They had a great selection of bags and jewelry, stationary by artists like 'Paper + Cup,' and also a great selection of design books. Here are my 2 favorite.
Check out their blog '3191,' soooo inspiring


This will be my gardening bible this spring/summer.

Check it out....

Hey Ladies, go to Anthropologie's website to see the goods. Cheers!

Tea Time

I love tea! In fact, I drink it every morning and find it such a welcoming way to start my day. Here is a little history on tea that I thought to share with you.


Images from Domino

The world’s most widely consumed beverage, all tea comes from the tropical plant known as Camellia Senensis. The tea plant grows best in a warm climate with long sunlit days, cool nights and an abundance of rainfall. Tea plants grow at altitudes ranging from sea level to 7,000 feet and on latitudes as far north as Turkey and as far south as Argentina. The best tea grows at higher altitudes and many bushes can be cultivated for over 100 years. Tea bushes cover about six million acres of the earth and are harvested every week during the almost year-long growing season. The following information provides further information on the colorful history of this fascinating drink.

The Origins and History of Tea

The tea story started in China around 2750 BC. During this time, the tea plant was found to have a number of medicinal properties. Legend says that an Emperor by the name of Shen Nung was sitting in the shade of a wild tea tree, boiling some drinking water, when a breeze blew a few leaves from the tree into the pot and gave the water a flavor that he found delicious. He experimented further and found it to have medicinal properties, as well as a pleasing flavor. He urged the Chinese people to cultivate the plant for the benefit of the entire nation. Over time, he has become the Legendary Father of Tea. In the early days of tea consumption, the leaves were picked and boiled in water to produce a rather bitter brew. The leaves were used primarily as a medicine and secondly as a pleasurable drink. It took over 3000 years for tea to become a popular drink throughout the Chinese empire. During the Tang Dynasty (600-900 AD), the popularity of tea was recognized by the imposition of a tax. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), steamed and dried loose tea leaves became popular; however, this style of green tea did not keep or travel well outside of China. In order to protect their crop, Chinese merchants started to roast their leaves in order to prevent them from rotting. The leaves that were left in the air to oxidize produced black tea (or red, as the Chinese call it). This tea was manufactured mainly for export, and the Chinese, even today, continue to drink the native green tea. The Dutch were the first to drink tea in Europe, shipping it in 1610, with the introduction to Britain around 1650. It arrived a few years after coffee had reached England. It was through the coffeehouses that the new drink spread to the people. In 1657, Thomas Garway, an English proprietor, had the idea of offering tea to the public, and it quickly became the drink of choice, far outpacing wines and liquors. Unfortunately for the government, Britain soon began to lose all the taxes accompanied with the sale of liquor. They quickly remedied the situation, however, by imposing a tax on tea. Nonetheless, it was not until the early part of the next century that it became a common beverage for the upper and middle classes. When the coffee shops became too disreputable for respectable people, it was in the pleasure gardens of London that royalty, aristocrats and ordinary working people took tea. In 1772, the tea tax was causing problems in Great Britain’s colonies in America. While many other taxes on goods bound for America had been repealed, the three pence per pound of tea remained firm. It was in place to offset the bankrupt British East India Company. Over a five-year period, the colonies paid duty on almost 2 million pounds of tea. Enraged by the tea tax and other shipping restrictions, The Sons of Liberty attempted to block the shipments of tea from arriving in Philadelphia and New York. On December 16, 1773, The Sons of Liberty let two ships sail into Boston Harbor. Disguised as Native American Indians, they emptied 342 large chests of tea into the harbor. This later came to be known as the Boston Tea Party. These actions by the colonists led the Parliament to pass a series of laws known as the “Intolerable Acts”. They limited the political freedom of the citizens and ultimately led to the Revolutionary War. In many ways, tea helped provide a cause for American independence. During the 19th century, tea drinking became an essential part of British social life. Tea parties and events were organized for all possible occasions, including family teas, picnic teas, tennis teas and elegant afternoon teas. Over the years, housekeeping manuals and cookbooks gave clear instructions about teatime invitations, etiquette, methods of brewing and serving, dress and table wares. The tea party was the very symbol of elegance and prosperity. Although the first tea was discovered in China, several other areas of the world now contribute to the overall tea harvest. The first tea used in England originated in China, and it wasn’t until the 19th century that tea growing spread to Formosa and that indigenous tea was discovered in Assam. In 1839, the first Indian tea was sold in London. The first tea in Africa was planted in the Cape in 1687, but did not progress until the latter part of the 19th century. The 20th century has seen the spread of tea in Africa, notably in Kenya. The history of tea dates back almost 5,000 years and tea itself now has more than 3,000 different variations. The most widely consumed beverage in the world has both a historical and cultural importance that cannot be rivaled. *Information from marktwendell.com

Piled Up!

This is how I am feeling at work right now..... I will be back to the blog in a few days, in the meantime have a great week. xo

Happy Weekend!!

This image sums up me and my husband so well! Scott always wears converse and so when my niece was about 3yrs. old she saw me wearing MY converse and she looked at me and said "why are you wearing Scott's shoes?" Too funny, and SMART!!! Have a great weekend, I'm going to be spending some quality time with my honey. XO

Photo taken from snippetandink.blogspot.com

Looking for something to do this weekend.....

The New Eighteenth-Century Style

Part I

On a rather lonely business trip to NYC 2 yrs. ago, I found myself spending the evening wondering the 'Anthropologie' at Rockefeller Plaza.... and there I discovered this book "The New Eighteenth Century Style: Rediscovering a French Decor." I bought it immediately just based on the cover and without even opening it up! Since then, it has been a true and constant source of design inspiration, I absolutely love it! Because there are so many great images, I decided to start from the front and work my way back. Here are a few images to begin with, enjoy!

Photographs by Gilles Trillard

Snippet and Ink

It's that time again....when we start receiving the first May/June wedding invitations in the mail. Wedding season is fastly approaching, and I must say I LOVE weddings! Even after my own wedding in Sept. 2006 I was still reading and BUYING wedding magazines, and my husband would look at me and say "why are you buying that, we already had OUR wedding." Needless to say, I am also totally addicted to wedding blogs, and my all time favorite is snippet and ink, click on the title above and check out her gorgeous website. Here are a few of her inspiration boards that I love most, note in my fave colors black and white!!!

I was so inspired, I decided to create my own inspiration board from my wedding, now it is not nearly as chic and lovely as 'snippet's'.....but I like it!

First three boards from snippet and ink, my wedding photography by Klea McKenna with Quiet Eye Photography

Domino Dogs

I loved viewing this gallery on Domino's website. Also, very fitting with today's earlier post. Enjoy!

All photos from Domino Magazine

Animal Read

I just finished reading a string of books that surprisingly were all themed around animals. The first one, 'Heart of Horses' was a Christmas gift from my husband and told the tale of an independent pioneer woman who essentially is a 'horse whisperer.' The book was enjoyable and certainly attached to the notion of landscape, but something about the character development left me wanting more.

The 2nd book was also a gift from my adorable husband, and was one I had heard about for awhile, "The Art of Racing in the Rain." I LOVED this book, and could not get through a chapter without crying. The story is narrated from the dogs' perspective and begins on the eve of the dogs death and tells the story of his life with his family. Such a wonderfully tender, heart-felt book!

The last book, which I just finished over the weekend was "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle." This is a novel that is very much an 'American Classic.' It tells the story of Edgar, a young boy who cannot speak and is raised on his family's farm where they breed dogs. It is everything you hope a great work of fiction to be.... When I was home in bed with a fever for 6 days this winter I had a chance to catch up on my Oprah, and she announced on her show that she will be producing this book into a movie. So read it now and then see how the movie compares!

Next on my list.... finally a book about a cat! I saw this book in the Nashville airport bookstore and it captured my heart right away. A local librarian in Iowa rescues a kitten one night who was dumped in the book drop/return slot and keeps him as the library's pet for 20yrs. I know this one will be a real tear-jerker as I just lost my little feline 'Larry' a month ago.

ngoc minh ngo

Hello Friends, hope everyone had a great weekend! I am recovering from my performance, just sore and tired! I was glad to have stumbled across this wonderful photographer today, Ngoc Minh Ngo, check out her website, enjoy!

Until next time.....

Have a great weekend!


Photo From: http://snippetandink.blogspot.com, by Ellen Kooi via Girl Meets NYC

A Romantic Tale...

I loved this feature in the Vogue Living Spring/Summer 2008 issue. The photo's by Annie Leibovitz are so gorgeous. I could definitely see myself as a literary woman living in the 19th century, entertaining my circle of girlfriends in these private quarters. The 'unfettered feminity and romanticism' is captivating! Photos from: Vogue Living Spring/Summer 2008, by Annie Leibovitz

A day in the life of a lovely lady....

Ever since I saw Australia, I have been anticipating Spring so I can channel Nicole Kidman as 'Lady Sarah Ashley' and dress like her, or well... a more casual, inspired version of her. Seems like YSL was inspired too, love those looks for Spring, black and white and belted, high-waists....LOVE IT! Anyone who sees me around Denver knows I love a high-waist skirt or pant!

Looking for something to do....

You are cordially invited to attend the second season of “NeXus,” a dance concert weaving together and showcasing the choreographic talent of the professional dance community artists and student artists of CU’s dance division.

The “NeXus” mission is to provide an opportunity for the artistic interaction between the University and the surrounding community characterized by choreographic diversity and innovation. Solos, duets, group works and dance for the camera are all part of this unique concert. Choreographers selected for the 2009 “NeXus” performance include CU students Nicole Dagesse, Stephanie Kobes, Josselyn Levinson, Tara Rynders and Abigail Wallace, and community artists KC Chun-Manning, Jennifer Golonka, Hannah Kahn, Matt Lindstrom, Kim Olson, Mary Wohl Haan and Lynda White.

“NeXus” promises an unforgettable performance from a cross-section of selected community and university-based choreographers. This is a diverse performance you won’t want to miss!!


*I'm performing in the work of Jennifer Golonka and Lynda White, come see me dance!

Hello Spring!

We are all gearing up for Spring right about now, especially here in Denver where the past few weeks the weather has been gorgeous. I am loving having all the windows open and going for afternoon bicycle rides. In preparation, I wanted to share some of my favorite Spring home 'vignettes' with you, both focusing on the garden outside and bringing some of the outdoors in. Enjoy!
Photos from: (In order) Elle Decor, Country Living, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Country Living

Spring Cleaning!

I am always a total clean freak, but when Spring comes.....well let's just say my husband gets annoyed. When cleaning the house I only use natural, toxic free cleaning products. Some of my favorites are posted below, but my all time tried and true staple is mixing in a spray bottle, half-part vinegar, half-part water, and adding a few drops of lavender essential oil and tea tree oil. Tea tree is a natural anti-bacterial and the lavender helps reduce the vinegary smell! I also use this concoction (minus the vinegar) on my dog in the late spring/summer as a preventative from bug bites, itches, etc.... She smells so good too!

I love, love Mrs. Meyers 'geranium' scent, but just bought the lavender one and love, love that one too!

Anything by Method is fabulous! And, you can't beat the price point and availability!

I first discovered 'Caldrea' when I worked for Anthropologie a few years back, and love their unique scents, especially when they had 'rose tobacco'.....sigh. The linen spray is the best!

Polly in spring time!