Canvass

Saturday, January 8, 2011

darkroom!

london based design collective DARKROOM.

i was just introduced to their collection on a recent trip to Bon Marche.

patterns, colors, luxury materials.

Friday, January 7, 2011

new york new york its a hell of a town

so proud of my town, and my sis-in-law who shot this amazing video

On Melancholy Hill - NYC Lights from Chateau Bezerra on Vimeo.

on another note, i'm feeling so inspired by the new year and can't wait to sink my teeth into some creative projects. i'm ready to make some art, cook some amazing meals, and work on things that aren't "work". anyone with me?

Thursday, January 6, 2011

All ready for Spring 2011

The first image from new Fendi spring ad campaign is a stunner. It's the third collaboration with model Anja Rubik and Karl Lagerfeld behind the lense and for me it's perfection, a true piece of art, and I can't wait to see more.

If you didn't see the Fall 2010 campaign, you should. It's so simple yet poignant. And the color palette and textures are inspiring. It's an Edward Hopper come to life.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Esther Williams

Three Looks for 2011

After all the holiday madness and a friend's NYE wedding extravaganza, I feel like I'm finally back in the real world and thinking about a brand new year. Here are three looks I'd like to work into my 2011 sched....

The smudgy gold and seriously lined eye makeup from the L'Wren Scott Spring 2011 show

The awesomely crimped and French braided hair from the Romeo Pires Spring 2011 show

(so 80s!)

And, the nude nails and bright lips from the Isaac Mizrahi Spring 2011 show

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Obsessed: Smitten Kitchen

On cold wintry January days, all I want to do is stay inside and cook. Recently, most of my favorite dishes are found on the food blog, Smitten Kitchen. From a beautifully lit kitchen in Brooklyn, Deb turns out hit after hit accompanied by gorgeous photographs. Enjoy while I get started on her chard and white bean stew. Yum!

Recipe follows:
1 pound Swiss chard (can also swap kale, spinach or another green), ribs and stems removed and cleaned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots
1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped shallots, about 4 medium
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth
1 cup pureed tomatoes (from a can/carton/your jarred summer supply)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Toasted bread slices, poached eggs (tutorial), chopped herbs such as tarragon, parsley or chives or grated Parmesan or Romano to serve (optional)

Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook chard (or any heavier green; no need to precook baby spinach) for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop chard.

Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Barber warns not to brown them but I didn’t mind a light golden color on them. Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.