Ahead of Our Style

            

              Dear Just Off The Presses Vanity Fair Style Issue,
              We couldn't agree more.
              Sincerely, Our Style Inc.

Vertigo by the Northwest Window

Good Day, Mr. Hitchcock

Hello and Good Day. We love movies. We grew up watching movies. We grew up watching old movies. We grew up watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. Hitchcock's movies were full of style. The clothes, the sets, and the details all influenced us. (Who knew what a Mark Cross overnight case was until Rear Window?) We agreed that Rear Window, North by Northwest and Vertigo entertained us visually. And Oh, what a lucky break, they are all in Big Bold Bright Color. (Don't panic, we'll do one on black and white, too!) Whew! Enjoy the show.

 Rear Window
The ultimate.

 Vertigo
God, Donna loves this coat!

North by Northwest
Great red dress, a martini and Cary Grant. Sigh...

Vertigo
Cashmere sweater and an artists' studio apartment
 in San  Francisco.
 P.S. Donna use to have those glasses

Vertigo
Little details, big impact.

North by Northwest
Is there anything more stylish than initialed matchbooks?

Rear Window
YES! A Mark Cross overnight case!

North by Northwest
Who wouldn't want a furry chair?

Vertigo
The studio every artist wants. (the studio and that coat)

The entire set of Rear Window is fabulous but only looking out the rear window. Unless we can redecorate, Jimmy Stewart's apartment is not so much. As a result we offer this video to show the courtyard and the musician's apartment. Then we come around to Grace Kelly. She is at her most fashionable wearing loafers, rolled up jeans and a red shirt. She is one of those women that will always look Crisp (Patty is another, always Crisp). She is Our Style. 

Warning, this is the end of the movie! If you haven't seen it, shame on you and don't watch this clip. Go watch the movie. Thanks ever so. Good evening, Mr. Hitchcock.

Salvage: A Demo

Hello and Good Day...We went fishing in New Bedford, MA last week and our catch of the day was New England Demolition & Salvage on Cove Street. We entered utopia and our mouths fell open but not with chatter. It features everything you would want to Re-build, Re-do, and Re-novate (clever, eh?). New England Demolition & Salvage recycles vintage architectural details and we wanted every one of them. Here are some of the photos from our day, which we post with their permission. 

We said Red tub, not Redrum!

Come on in.

Patty wants to slide these over to her house.

These doors lit our fire.

Someday this will be Donna's shower door.

Oops... wrong wish list.

For those of you with an empty church.

The radiating city.

Stairway to Porcelainland.

Alien light fixtures. Eat your heart out Sarge Weaver!

The weight is still over.

Attack of the claw people!

Sink or swim.

Redrum?

Mission: Lavender

Lavender

Hello and Good Day...

Style comes in all forms. We see it everywhere. That being said, this particular blog isn't about style in the interior design world, it's about style in the culinary world. Our mission is Lavender, not the color, although we enjoy the color, the flower. Flowers are used in baking and cooking more often than one would think. Petals can be candied for cake decoration and buds used as a Rub for lamb, duck or pork. They pair nicely with chocolate and lemon.

Okay... on with the mission.  I (Sarah/Patty) went on a field trip to Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, CT, to meet Kristin Orr and her husband Peter. They are the hosts and farmers of Fort Hill Farms. The Farm has a corn maze, a creamery, a spot to pick your own blueberries and one of the largest lavender displays in New England (enter the purple flower).  As luck would have it, Fort Hill Farms is having a Lavender Festival on Saturday June, 23rd so Kristin asked me to make something. Having cooked with lavender only once or twice I was  hesitant, but up for the challenge. She handed me a container of dried lavender flowers and off I went. Creativity here I come! 

Purple Lemons

Lavender, Honey and Lemon Cupcakes
Butter
Eggs
AP flour
Baking powder
Dried lavender
Salt
Sugar
Honey
Lemon zest
Vanilla
Milk

Frosting
Butter
Confectioners sugar
Lemon juice/zest
Honey

Tart and Fruity

As previously stated Patty's fruit tarts are therapeutically delicious.

"A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart who looks at her watch."
-James Beard

Flea Season

Well...Flea Market Season

It's that time of year we all like to go to yard sales and flea markets because, Yes It's True, one person's trash is another's treasure (we are feminists after all). This Blog is to show you some things that we've found yard sale-ing, flea market-ing, thrift store-ing, and any other ing that may apply. We've  learned to look beyond the surface. Paintings may be damaged, upholstery may be dirty, and furniture the wrong color, it's nothing a little paint and imagination can't fix. As luck would have it, the two of us ooze imagination, which isn't painful at all. The following presentation (with a nod to Darren Stevens, oops, Don Draper) shows what we have found and how it lives with us. Nothing needs to be as it seems...look at us. No, really, look at us, we look good.

A little damage doesn't diminish a beautiful painting.

My favorite yard sale find, tucked in a corner.
(Just added a frame)

Salvation who?

Found this years ago.

Rolled and ripped canvas ... $21.00
End result ... Priceless.

My beautiful Herman Miller. Score.

People let go of the cutest things.

This used to be the ugliest, nastiest piece of crap you could find.
I love it Yellow. (when you don't have a hall closet)

Don't write off these old school chairs... They are unbelievably comfortable.

Spaghetti lamp... yea!

Vintage plexi shade, current fixture.
One variation on a theme.

And another

Sea Legs
Found these crew oars, put them to good use.

The weight is over

One bottle, who cares... many bottles, wicked cool.

We're always looking, we can't help it. If there is something you are looking for, we can help .If you want something, if you think you want something, if you're not sure and want to be talked into getting something, we're here .Let us help. We want Our Style to be Your Style. Inc.

Walls Near Us, Living With Art

Featuring Doris Day

As we promised in our previous post, we'd like to show you how we live with art. There are two of us, as a result there are two different houses.When we see photos of said houses, we are both amazed at how similar they are, even though we are totally different (as said in an earlier Blog, she's short). In this Blog we'd like to show you how similar they are with a photo from each using the same theme. Ok. Ready. Go.
P.S. This tabbouleh is delicious!

Both of us use doors for more than opening.

Art in unexpected places.
Leaves painting near the ceiling by Suzanne Berry

Under the Sea in the stairwell by Patty LittleGood

Brighten a dark corner with a gallery light.

Or with a Fiery Red Head
Painting by John Forrest

Use shelves to showcase art.
Artwork by Shawn Kenney, Anita Brown, and Patty.
 Dog pin from The Doris Day Animal Foundation

Mid- Century pool party by Claire V. Dorst

Give the dog something to look at.
Abstract by Steven Sickles

Painting by Irving Haynes
Crate by Petco

Nudes aren't just for bedrooms.
Drawing of "Sara" by Tracey Padron 

Steven Sickles nude in the dining room. Oh My!

With a nod to the husband. He lives here too.

Better than a husband. He lives here too.

One thing leads to another.
Painting by David Witbeck
Leather Couch by Steven Light

and another

and another.
P.S. I am Doris Day