I am the sort of cook that tends to never write anything down or stick with a recipe, IF i follow one. I have a vague idea of what I'm making, but I sort of cook off the cuff, so to speak. My mother has an array of delicious dishes that I grew up with, and I tend to long for those homemade favorites, especially when the weather is colder. I guess I get more nostalgic in a colder climate, because I have been nagging my mother to get me her notebook of recipes. She happily obliged, and she handed over this tattered folder chock full of her family recipes, dating back to who knows when in her family. The notebook has cooking stains, and the pages are starting to turn to yellow, and crinkle a little around the edges from age and use. My mom is old school. So old school, that she rocks a punch key typewriter, Betamax and a turntable with a huge assortment of vintage vinyl. She isn't a hipster, they bit HER style, and if she's the trendsetter in all things retro, you might spy those cool coffee shop jockeys rockin' some cotton stirrup pants, kitten embroidered sweatshirts with a coordinating dickie sewn in. She recently got her very first computer, a mac laptop, and has decided to leave her comfort zone of 19th century technology and blaze headfirst into the 21st century. Since she's becoming a thoroughly modern mother, I thought it might be nice to take all her recipes and put them into a custom printed, modern cookbook for her. Part of me wishes I had thought of this in time for the holidays, but what the heck, I'll throw caution to the wind and get her this little present just because.
Doing what I do, I could easily lay out a fully custom book, have it printed and have it be a one-of-a-kind original. But, I'm busy, and a tad lazy when it comes to typesetting a whole cookbook along with the entire overall design, so, I went to
Tastebook and had them lend me a hand. Tastebook is so easy. Ridiculously easy, and I can attest that many online publication services are frustrating and difficult. What's cool about Tastebook, is that they also have recipes you can use from sites like Epicurious and Bon Appetit. They have easy to use templates and provide you with space for a story or introduction, pictures and more. And the result is a real live cookbook! I noticed a few days ago that one of my favorite bloggers, Mac & Cheese, also found Tastebook and wrote about it, which is really cool. Hopefully, Tastebook is a trend that catches on, and helps many of us modern peeps repackage our childhood nostalgia into a professional quality heirloom to pass on to our children, or give back to our parents.
Wrapping up my month-long series of color theme posts could be a controversial topic for some of you-is white a color, or the absence of color. Either way, there is nothing missing with these inspiring images.
Even though gray might "technically" be a shade of black, it's such a hot color right now that I thought it deserved it's own post!
images in order Tyler Nixon, Dan Harrod, C2Photo, Jarvie, Heather Waraksa, Anna Kuperberg
It's by far one of the most popular colors in weddings, interior design and fashion. It's the color of dirt and chocolate, many a girls natural hair color, and in all it's shades of glory, I have to say, brown is a color I never tire of...so please, enjoy my ode to the color brown.
Images courtesy of Michelle Rago, Brides, Country Living, Benjamin Moore, Martha Stewart, J.Crew, The Knot, Toast and Tables , BCBG, Jubilee Photography
Orange was never one of my favorite colors, but in recent years, I have developed an affinity for the color named for one of my all time favorite fruits. Orange is the accent color in my home office-it adds a burst of color and it's fun and playful. Orange, in all it's citrusy goodness has been hiding itself amoung popular wedding colors for years-peach, salmon, persimmon, pumpkin, squash, rust. Whatever you call it, orange is a great way to make a splash at any style wedding.
When you think Pink, does it conjure up all sorts of colorful, girly imagery in your mind-like Blush and Bashful, Julie Roberts wedding colors in Steel Magnolias? I love pink, and think that pink is more than a princess color, with so many incarnations, it can be chic and sassy, or soft and elegant. I have guy friends who aren't afraid to wear pink, and my husband turns pink in the sun, or if he's embarrassed. Pink is all around us, and there is more to this color than meets the eye. After all, you know the saying we're all pink on the inside? What shade of pink are you?
images courtesy of Martha Stewart, InStyle, Brides, Katy Elliott, Snippet and Ink, Preston Baily, Marie Labbancz
Ah purple, in all your marvelous shades, from aubergine to plum, lilac to lavender, no wonder you have long been the color of royalty. Sit back, relax and drink in the color purple.
Images courtesy of Martha Stewart, Brides, The Knot, Anthropologie, Punam Bean, Vera Wang, InStyle, Tiffany, Benjamin Moore, Basia Zarzycka, J.Crew
You know the saying..Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue. The color blue and weddings are like Peanut Butter and Jelly. A Tiffany engagement ring, one of the most coveted items on any besotted ladies list comes in a little blue box. Blue is such a great wedding color, namely because there are so many versatile shades, but also because it can stand alone as the star of the show (behind the bride of course) or it can blend well as a supporting character among just about any other color. I could go all Bubba on you naming all the colors that work well with blue, but I won't bore you or make you read it. Just enjoy the eye candy and have a blue day!
Images courtesy of Mi Belle, Marie Labbancz, Jose Villa, Snippet and Ink, Martha Stewart,
Aren't my nephews the cutest boys EVER? I took these over the Holidays-the boys finally fit into the overalls Nic and I bought them, and they were so adorable, I had to stop taking pictures and squish their little bellies! Gotta love babies....
Ethan making his famous "Stay Puffed" face
Ethan, the one with the biggest 'tude, looking like he's gonna punch me in the face. He didn't, but he always has his hand clenched in a teeny tiny fist!
I am the sort of cook that tends to never write anything down or stick with a recipe, IF i follow one. I have a vague idea of what I'm making, but I sort of cook off the cuff, so to speak. My mother has an array of delicious dishes that I grew up with, and I tend to long for those homemade favorites, especially when the weather is colder. I guess I get more nostalgic in a colder climate, because I have been nagging my mother to get me her notebook of recipes. She happily obliged, and she handed over this tattered folder chock full of her family recipes, dating back to who knows when in her family. The notebook has cooking stains, and the pages are starting to turn to yellow, and crinkle a little around the edges from age and use. My mom is old school. So old school, that she rocks a punch key typewriter, Betamax and a turntable with a huge assortment of vintage vinyl. She isn't a hipster, they bit HER style, and if she's the trendsetter in all things retro, you might spy those cool coffee shop jockeys rockin' some cotton stirrup pants, kitten embroidered sweatshirts with a coordinating dickie sewn in. She recently got her very first computer, a mac laptop, and has decided to leave her comfort zone of 19th century technology and blaze headfirst into the 21st century. Since she's becoming a thoroughly modern mother, I thought it might be nice to take all her recipes and put them into a custom printed, modern cookbook for her. Part of me wishes I had thought of this in time for the holidays, but what the heck, I'll throw caution to the wind and get her this little present just because.
