Autumn Leaves

On this third day of autumn, I woke up to a very chilly house and would have loved to spend another hour in bed:


I love the cozy, yet elegant feel of this room. Anyone know who designed it?


But....

certain members of the houshold were having none of that!

Happy Autumn!

A Look Inside The Genius of Gary World

The man behind Gary World

Restoration Hardware Chairman and Co-CEO, Gary Friedman
(Oops! Amend that to former)

There is a new logo. It's called...

Or in blog world, Really? Hardly.

Gary has invented black. Black must be the new Belgian.

I'm upset with Gary,  again.  He's taking credit for inventing black.
Recently I proposed to one of my client's that she ebonize, or at least paint black, some of her existing furniture pieces. She thought I was a genius. I hope she doesn't cancel the date for the furniture refinisher to pick up the pieces next week when she finds out it was not an original idea. And, at least she can now get the dining room chairs I proposed. There is now an alternate choice of stain for the legs. She won't have to settle for faux Belgian. Gary invented that too.

And, according to Gary... 

Words from a genius.



In Gary World, going green means...

The upside to this? Hold the books, all 3 volumes, and step on the scale. Now drop them to the floor.
That's right, you can now wear your skinny jeans and have ice cream. Thanks Gary, you are a genius.

never having to say you're sorry for sending out 5.6 LBS of PEFC-certified forest paper to hundreds of thousands of people.  Afterall, it's only twice per year. And as consumers, we are responsible for stopping it. I mean, requested to ask to be removed from the list of...irresponsible people who get this in the mail.  

Gary's picture had to be cropped this year.
 But only because he had a lot to say, this political season, on the topics of fearlessness
and hopelessness. But to the latter topic, he's optimistic...


But seriously Gary, for my effort to be responsible in both my trip to the curb and time on my computer, couldn't you at least  put on a different shirt and jacket while you mug for the camera? But, if you do buy a new outfit for next years photo, please recycle responsibly and cover a stool with that leather jacket.

Tuesday Tip

Share some sweet basil with friends. For many, our summer gardens especially those in containers, are fading fast.

Lemon-Basil Butter Cookies-bet you can't eat just one!

Why not give the gift of herbs in the form of a cookie? This is a super easy receipe and has just 6 ingredients, that you likely already have on hand. Place a bunch in a pretty bag and drop them off to friends and neighbors. Don't worry, this receipe yields dozens, so you'll have plenty of leftovers to put in your freezer!

Wish I could send a bag of these to all my blog friends and readers!

Lemon-Basil Butter Cookies
Southern Living May 2001

Recipe:
1 cup fresh lemon-basil leaves*
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 pound of butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
6 cups all-purpose flour

Process basil and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (I use my mini-chop) until blended.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, beating well. Add lemon juice and egg, beating until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Flatten with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
Yield 6 1/2 dozen
*Plain fresh basil leaves may be substituted for lemon-basil leaves (I use regular)

Enjoy!!!

Dear Summer,

Goodbye. Yes, it may be your unofficial end, but I think it's reason enough for celebration. You behaved badly this year. You were too hot, too dry, too buggy, too muggy -just too long. I hope the garden gate hits you hard on the way out. Please go away, as fast as you can. I'm waiting for autumn, with open arms.

So pretty, I love a charming garden gate!



An amazing backyard fountain from a recent house tour!

I can't remember a single summer in my life that I was more ready to see end. Maybe it was the temperatures, maybe it was the lack of time spent having fun, maybe it was work, the lack of blogging? Or maybe, it was the house hunting? We started the search in early spring, just dipped a toe in. We jumped in with both feet this summer. Do you know how hard it is to find a great house, in a city that you love, that has everything on your wish list and will likely be the last house you ever buy? Crazy hard...and exhausting!