tHE gOOD LIFe

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Comeback Kid: fondue parties

Last week, before my flight home from California, I stocked up on girlie magazines at the airport instead of splurging on an onboard cocktail, and while flipping through a classier of the collection, Elle, I came across an article about an Indian-themed dinner party thrown by designer Rebecca Minkoff to celebrate the launch of her new eyewear collection. And the girl knows how to throw a good dinner party! ~~I want to copy her~~. I am inspired, so I decided to cut up my magazine, dig through my closet for the computer cord to my scanner, and blog about it.

Elle Magazine, March 2012

Her party left me wanting to have one of my own because a) it looked hella fun, b) the decor was very pretty and unique, and c) there was fondue.

Who has fondue parties? My parents in the 70's.

Such a great idea.

But before I get to my favorite attraction (cheese! cheese! cheese! chocolate! chocolate! chocolate!), I want to share the details of the party as a whole.

Clockwise: Party guests sporting the new eyewear collection, including one of my fave people, Leandra Medine of The Man Repeller; model Coco Rocha eating a meatball; and white chocolate fondue!!

Amazing.

Obsessed with those blue ikat plates, the napkin placement, and the floral arrangements. Oh and are those yellow cup things candles? Those too.

As much as I love everything about this dinner party, I know trying to accomplish something similar would be totally out of my budget. Taxes are due scarily soon and I've never been one of those lucky people who actually gets money back - quite the opposite. So, what I'm going to take away from this is my favorite part from the very beginning... I'm going to have some friends over for a little fondue party. Cheese! Cheese! Cheese! Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate! And a very simple fondue party, with focus on good food, good wine, good friends and good times. Yes, this is a very cheesy conclusion, pun intended.

And, if, like me, you can't handle reading about fondue and then not having some, here are some recipes off the web and a little fondue shopping guide:

The Recipes

Savory:

Classic cheese fondue

Beer cheese fondue

Hot oil fondue (seafood)

Hot oil fondue (tempura)

Sweet:

Dark chocolate fondue

White chocolate fondue

Caramel fondue

Peanut butter fondue

The Shopping Guide

Vintage Orange Enamelware Fondue Set on Etsy $48

Swissmar 10-pc. Noirmont Fondue at Target $100

Sur La Table Stainless Steel Fondue $90

Le Creuset Fondue at Sur La Table $180

Williams Sonoma Ruffoni Copper Fondue Pot $370

And I'm sorry to say, but by the time you've read this post it's very possible I have already bought that adorable fondue set from Etsy. But don't worry, there are many others almost as cool as that one. :)

Saturday, March 10, 2012

back, back to cali, cali

I finally made my trip to California.

Palm trees. Sandals. Sunny skies. Fresh Seafood. Pacific Ocean. Cold beer. Rollerbladers. Skateboarders. Fish tacos. Reggae. Beach bars. Sunglasses. Neon. I will happily go on and on because I'm still on Cloud 9 from the trip.

Oh and this guy I'm with in all the pictures? He's my brother, NOT my boyfriend. Ew.

Because my younger brother was my driver and he definitely doesn't like wasting his precious gas money driving around town aimlessly looking for places to go shopping, I wasn't able to check out a ton of places for home decor, but I did manage to find a few I'd like to share.

Maison En Provence in Mission Hills

820 Fort Stockton Drive, San Diego, CA 92103

Photo Source

This charming little store left me wanting to take a trip to the south of France more than ever. The shop is filled to the brim with precious linens, fragrant lavender, beautiful pottery, colorful florals, unique French decor and an owner with an enviable accent. It's the right place to look for something that will add a feminine touch to your home or make you feel like you're living the finer (French) life. Crepes anyone?

Nest Vintage in Golden Hill

830 25th Street, San Diego, CA 92102

Photo Source

This was the very first decor store I went into, and I was really impressed by its minimalist, magazine-worthy look. In other words, if you appreciate retro furniture and decor but aren't the type who enjoys rummaging through junk for that perfect wall clock, this is the place for you. All of their stuff, mostly furniture, was nice condition and good quality. And if you go in looking for a sofa, don't be surprised if you come out with a coffee table too; their products are oozing with so much style they are hard to resist!

Bad Madge & Co. in South Park

2205 Fern St., San Diego, CA 92104

Photo Source

When I walked into Bad Madge, I felt like I was walking into Christmas morning. I got butterflies (as you know, this happens to me when it comes to home decor and design) and wished I didn't have to worry about taking anything I bought back on an airplane. After perusing the store and trying on silver Prada sandals, admiring the Mad Men-era barware, and checking out every lamp in sight, I chose to purchase a gold-colored, ornate metal trash can and a lucite vanity mirror. I was in a very girlie mood apparently. This place rocked, and was one of my favorite moments during the trip.

Overall, my much anticipated vacation in San Diego was fantastic. And I'm really glad my brother is graduating from college in May because it gives me a legit excuse to go back really really soon. :)

Friday, March 2, 2012

mirrors on my mind

My cozy, dimly-lit lair has served me well for the past 5 months, as I've cranked up the radiator, fixed mugs of hot cocoa, pulled up the covers, and made my way through ~~all of Dickens' best works~~ the first two seasons of The Sopranos. There's been a nice little hibernation vibe going on. At this point, however, I'm clawing at the walls for some light, some exposure, some hope that winter will just go away so I don't have to scrape ice off of my car in the morning and I can get that 10 extra minutes of precious sleep! Okay, I'm being a little dramatic. The snow doesn't really change my sleeping patterns, but it does mean I'll be desperately trying to hit every green light on the way to work. Still... snow in March is not normal for a place like Portland.

Complaining aside, I'll most likely be stuck with the chilly weather and gloomy skies for at least another few months, so I'm thinking about "opening up" my small studio apartment with some mirrors. Not only do mirrors bring in light, but they create the illusion of depth if a little thought is put into it. And what girl doesn't love a home full of mirrors? So many opportunities to realize you have lipstick all over your teeth (put way too much bronzer on, need to do something about your greasy hair, should just go back to bed, etc. etc.)

Here are the unofficial guidelines:

1. When you hang a mirror directly across from a window, there will be light.

2. Extra large mirrors can make small spaces look much bigger. And I actually love the mirror sitting-on-the-floor look.

3. Make sure that you pay attention to what image is being reflected in the mirror at the position you want to hang it. (You don't want double ugly going on.)

4. If you get a really heavy mirror (many of the old ones are especially heavy) make sure to have a lengthy conversation with the guy at Home Depot about the best way to hang it. If he doesn't seem to know what he's talking about, consult a framing store, or even your landlord. Trust me, you don't want the mirror sliding down to the ground with the nail going right along with it, and you don't want a huge chunk of plaster breaking out of the wall.

Here are some of my favorite spaces with notable mirrors. I'm brainstorming here...