fruits of labor. first feast of 2011

last night was our first dinner together at home of 2011.

simplicity, homemade and good wine were on the menu. smoked salmon, oysters, cheese, capers and red onion accompanied by homemade irish brown bread and fresh satsuma mandarin and a light but earthy syrah.

after all the holiday travel and eating out it was so nice to finally be home again sharing a meal - this dinner was the perfect way to set off the new year. we make a conscious decision to eat at home as much as possible. We also eat meat only about once a week if that. I have been reading Anthony Bourdain's newest book "Medium Raw: a bloody valentine to the world of food and the people who cook" and while its written in his expectedly brash and sometimes over the top style he raises some interesting points about the importance of featuring meat as the main part of the meal or as the case may be moving away from it as the focal point.

we are lucky enough to live in a part of california that is food-centric and always has an amazing selection of fresh vegg. making it easier to choose an eating style which features more veggies and very little meat. im by no means a vegetarian (though i was earlier in life for about 10yrs) but personally i notice a huge difference in the way i feel physically when i eat less meat and more vegg.

I am going to be more diligent in 2011 about doing more fruits of labor posts and sharing more recipes. I will also be introducing a new weekly column - Wednesday Wine Files look for that to start next week!

find the recipe for the brown bread here.

glasses pictured can be found in the shop

a little time away

no no i was not abducted by design obsessed aliens... though that doesn't sound so bad actually. I have been away visiting with friends and getting in lots of great skiing up at lake tahoe. We had a great week - the snow was spectacular and the company wonderful.

we have been ringing in the new year this way for the last few years and i cant think of a place i would rather be - growing up in new england i love snow and ice and all things winter and this place fills the craving for me each and every time.

powder days for 4 days straight. its the best gift i could get.

isnt the view gorgeous?!!

happy new year!

i wish everyone the best for 2011. i cant wait to see what will happen this year and what new things i will learn and discover.

my new years resolution : read more books. i got a kindle for christmas & im excited to use it.

i also have something things happening in the next few weeks that im so excited to share with you - stay tuned.

xoxo K

hi everyone. i hope you all have had a wonderful holiday and are snug and warm. i spent the holiday on the east coast with my family and lots of childhood friends. it was so wonderful to be surrounded by so much love.

yesterday the east cost was hammered by a wild winter storm and a blizzard has blanketed most of it in feet of snow. my flight was the last flight out of boston before they closed the airport down. it was lucky to make it out and now im home safe and sound. its strange to fly out of a blizzard, but sf is beautiful and im going to bundle up and go for a walk on the beach today. SOS will be home from ireland soon too and we are going to head to tahoe where we will ring in the new year.

what did you all do for the holiday?? hope you had safe and easy travels too.

image courtesy of lisacohenphotography

neest is nice

ive seen neest advertised in the side margins of a few of my favorite blogs, a few days ago i finally clicked on it, much to my delight this little french shop is filled with the loveliest of thing.

lovely and very farmhouse chic, non?

trimmings and trappings, part 3

another installment of my trimmings and trappings series. today is all about the Dala horse

this is perhaps one of my most favorite holiday traditions. the dala horse (or dalecarlian horse) is from the province of dalarna in sweden. traditionally the dala is a small hand carved wooden horse with beautiful folk designs painted over a red or blue background.

my grandmother used to set hers out with a few evergreens around the holidays, thought they are not traditionally associated with christmas, in my mind they are synonymous.

originally carved out of scrap wood for children - a figure of a horse was the obvious choice given its place of value in the logging and farming communities where these figures were first made.

some also believe that the bright folk painting seen in the harness design on the dala horse originates from the elaborate wall paintings seen in the palaces and homes of the wealthy in historic sweden. the bright decoration in the kurbit, or flower patterned saddle, was regularly added to the horse beginning in the 1800s.

i particularly love this matte black horse from swedishness.

Sawkille Collective

im actually sorta at a loss for words - having just stumbled upon the beautiful work being made here at the Sawkille Collective.

tucked away in the catskill mountains a group of artists are working to create some of the most inspired american furniture i have ever seen. I love how it plays off the familiar shaker styles so indicative of this region - simple, functional,beautiful - but with an ultra modern twist.

bravo! i cant wait to visit and oh how honored i would be to have one of these extra lean stools in home

trimmings and trappings, part 2

like many of you i am so excited to decorate for the holidays. even in my teeny tiny apartment a few holiday baubles and such appear here and there.

I also love how most of us have some association with tradition or ritual practiced over and over again at this time of year and often handed down from generation to generation.

In my family one of those things is polishing all of the beautiful brass candlesticks. My mother has quite a collection - I love the way the brass looks mixed in among the greenery here at ACountryFarmhouse. so simple and pretty dont you agree?

start your own collection - these 4 brass candlesticks in the shop are a gorgeous grouping and would make a lovely gift for the tastemaker in your life.

trimmings and trappings

an unconventional christmas tree -

Indie Craft Fundraiser - Sneak Peek

tomorrow is the day! and im so excited to be participating in the Indie Craft Fundraiser with a group of very talented bay area artists and fellow etsiers.

here is a little sneak peak of my table for the event!! hope to see you all there tomorrow DEC 2 from 6-9 at the Hotel Rex

simple sundays

my week has been a crazy one. I worked so many 15hour days in a row that i can barely move - but the wedding looked so beautiful in the end it was worth it.

im also getting ready for the fabulous Indie Craft Fundraiser. my apartment has little grouping of things here and there that im considering bringing to the show.

Im headed back east to see my family for thanksgiving. Im so excited to visit with my gram.

And...im restless. I want to change many things all at the same time but i know i cant so im patiently working one step at a time.

i love this image, though im terrible and cant remember where i found it, the lines of the chair and the simply little conversion of the dresser. so pretty.

Happy Sunday everyone! and cheers for a great new week.

interlude

im off setting up a wedding today. so i though i would just post a few kitchen photos that ive been ogling on my desktop

hope you are enjoying your weekends. Im very excited for my madmen party tonight and to finally wear my outfit.

be back soon!

**my apologies but except for the last photo from sacramento street these images have been on my desktop a while and i dont remember where they are from~

Ikeas greatest hits

went to ikea yesterday. Big mistake. I havent been there for ages and im not sure if it changed or i have but i wanted E.V.E.R.Y.THING!

here is my greatest hits list.

what do you love from this mega store?