Do you prefer neutrals or brights?

I read this great article in the Wall Street Journal this weekend which makes a case against using color in the home. There were even quotes from Miles Redd, the man that knows how to work color, stating that he had a client recently who wanted a calm home. He instead focused on shapes, paint and textures to make the home come together. Even Celerie Kemble's soon-to-be-released book, Black and White, was mentioned. Did you know that it may be easier to find your interior design style by cutting back on color?

As I read the article I began to think about how I am drawn to more neutral interiors, especially in my own home. Although I love dreaming about grand rooms with many hues that marry together in the perfect way, I prefer warmer colors with lots of texture. It's taken me almost a year to decide this one little truth which has made decorating my home quite a task. Here are some of the inspiration shots I return to again and again when I keep thinking about putting my home together.

Source: eclecticrevisited.wordpress.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Emily on Pinterest

Source: None via Emily on Pinterest

Source: sohautestyle.com via Emily on Pinterest

This isn't to say I've given up on color altogether. I think I have fall weather to blame for this right now since I find all of these spaces so cozy just as the weather begins to get cooler. So tell me, do you prefer a room with few colors and lots of texture, or all out brights?

I'll take two please

Just came across this fabulous necklace from Sollis. I'll take one in each color please.

Cleaning never looked so fun

I was browsing the Waterworks site to check out the new Studio Collection after reading about it in Elle Decor. These new fixtures run about half the price of their regular line and it also includes tile! Hurry over to check it out because these fixtures are just waiting for a home.  I noticed that Waterworks has a blog while on the site and stumbled upon this beauty. Imagine doing laundry here? This is a small picture but I bet this dark sink is the shiny gem in the room.

I'll take those tiles while I'm at it. Perfection!

Quinoa, it's what's for dinner

One of the good things about living in the D.C. area are the farmers markets. Every Saturday I awake with excitement to get to the market and buy up the produce for the week. So many things look so good, I usually end up buying too much and then have to decide how many things I can make. One of my favorite markets is in Falls Church, VA. Every week they have a restaurant tent that makes samples for everyone and we happened to get lucky and show up when the quinoa cakes were being made. I almost died and went to heaven when I tasted these, so thank goodness the recipe was available to take. Yesterday, I made these for dinner dinner and I am ready to make again because they were THAT good.

Being a vegetarian, I make meatless burgers often. The large ones often fall apart and crumble so now I make mini-versions and use mini-buns without fail.  These were served with some homemade sweet potato fries and a bit of mayo, seasoned with lemon juice, pepper and garlic powder!

Quinoa Cakes with Kale and Sweet Potato Fries

Quinoa Cakes

1 C quinoa (here I used red, since it's all I had on hand)

1 1/2 C water

1/2 C goat cheese

2 egg yolks

1/2 C panko bread crumbs

2 TBS chopped scallion

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and add to pan. Add water and bring to boil. Once the majority of the water is gone, cover and remove from heat.  Let stand until tender.  In a mixing bowl, combine goat cheese and egg yolks and stir with fork until well combined (this will look like mustard when ready).  Once quinoa is ready and somewhat cooled, add to goat cheese/egg mixture along with remaining ingredients until well combined. Form into small patties and chill at least 30 minutes.  

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a non-stick pan and heat to medium-high (until small bubbles appear). Add chilled patties and let brown on each side until done. 

Kale Salad

1 bunch kale, cleaned and dried

zest of one lemon

4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt to taste

Directions:

Cut vein from kale and chop into small pieces. Place in a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients (I went light on the oil, probably 2-3 TBS). Cover and refridgerate for one hour, at least. Season to taste.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 LBS sweet potato (I had one very large one from the market)

a few TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice sweet potato in half and into thin, long slices.  In mixing bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add fries to a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Cook for approximately 30 minutes, tossing the fries about halfway through.

These were so yummy, I even had my meat-loving husband say he'd eat them again! A quick and easy recipe for the meat and non-meat eaters out there.

Adapted from recipe at Willow Restaurant. Excuse the messy photos, it was dark when I was finally done!

The past summer...

This summer was fabulous, filled with hot, humid days that included work, reading, cooking and some exploring. Admittedly, our home looks almost identical as when we moved in and I have had a very difficult time making decisions. There are big and small jobs on the list and I have made a few decisions so far, the first being a  new sofa that will be delivered in the next few weeks. More to come on the house in future posts!

Here are a few snapshots of what I've been up to, including baking a blueberry custard pie (the number of pies and fruit tarts I made this summer will go unsaid. the husband enjoyed them but they are not all healthy, despite the fruit!)

 Celebrating a summer weekend with a trip to St. Michael's, MD for some crabs and delicious drinks.

 Hitting up some local farmers markets which may be my very favorite thing about this area. Really, they are spectacular!

We also visited this winery which was spectacular, along with Middlebury, VA which to me, is what Virginia always looked like in my mind. Gorgeous lands (it's horse country out here) and super cute boutiques like Creme de la Creme. Seriously, I need to forget my wallet next time I go here.  The pottery was stunning.

Finally, I did a LOT of reading. Cookbooks, magazines and of course books, littered my coffee table. Some of my favorites included:

1) The Red Tent - Amazing read and I have recommended this to anyone that asks me for a new book to read.
2) A Thousand Splendid Suns - Could not read fast enough....nuff said.
3) The Happiness Project - Very uplifting read about making the most of each day, which led me to
4) Saint Therese of Lisieux - Beautiful autobiography about a girl that passed away at 24 years old, only to become a saint 28 years later.

That's it for now!

A day to remember

I have been off the blogging bandwagon for some time now. Although almost a year into this move, the transition to a new town, new office and new people has been a difficult one for me. I have a busy fall but this summer I tried to enjoy things a bit. I'd say I succeeded too. Lately I've been thinking a lot about this little ole' blog and I have a few things scheduled for this week!

The attacks on 9/11 occurred while I was studying abroad in London. Having not been in the U.S. was very difficult at the time, almost causing me to leave and come back home. I have been reflecting all weekend about that day, the same thing you have all probably done.  I will never forget that day and thinking about it this weekend has brought me not only emotion but sheer gratitude for all family, friends and opportunities I have had thus far.

More light posts to come but a huge thank you to all my readers out there!