Archives for May 2017

05/26/2017

Ultimate Surf Shacks

Surf shacks bring to mind homes filled with beach finds a crusty sea captain would favor. Surf Shack//Laid Back Living by the Water by Nina Freudenberger proves the contrary. While the coastal-inspired homes do feature sandy spaces and dwellers with salt streaked hair in cut offs, they are also personal and curated.

A sunroom porch is styled with such beach staples as striped pillows and fouta throw. Blue ceiling are thought to ward off spirits but the dweller simply loves the look.

Freudenberger takes an anthropological interest in surf culture. She connects to profiles who are disengaged from mornings draining lidded coffees in pursuit of a 9:00 a.m. meeting, a dichotomy intimately understood from experiencing an east (Manhattan) to west (Venice) relocation. There is an admiration of a surfer’s daily incentive to get to the waves and not the office, cultivating a life central to that ambition. “A surf shack is not built around what you think you need, so much as it is about an understanding of all the things you don’t,” says Freudenberger.

A handprinted surfboard is at one with the artful design.

The spaces welcome imperfection–a style set around loved items over monied design. Call it relaxed authenticity. They traverse territories, ranging from California, Australia, Japan and New York. Residents are a mix of young families, creative people and entrepreneurs of a no-tie variety.

Eco-friendly fabric swatches from the Eskayel line seamlessly pair with a colorful surfboard in the Williamsburg, Brooklyn home of the Eskayel line’s owners.

5 Characteristics of Surf Shack Style

Whether you are 500 steps or 500 miles from the swell, design has a connection to the outdoors through natural elements like plants and abundant sunlight.
Room will always be made for personal collections and local art.
Layer the look through textiles, color and materials.
Impromptu guests are welcomed.
Surfboards are part of the decor.

Posted By jdemontravel

05/20/2017

Ultimate “Healthy” Ice Cream Social

Ice cream. Forget yoga chants or preaching motivational snippets in the mirror, just say ice cream and you’re instantly grounded, squeezing back into your little kid self where life’s punches could be soothed from one lick of the frosty sweet pleasure. Eating ice cream has the ability to lighten a mood. Experiencing marital discord? Go out for ice cream. The kids are not getting along? Ice cream. Inter-office conflicts? You get it.

Creative flavors abound with natural ingredients you can read from Halo Top.

Though the fine print killjoy of an ice cream obsession includes weight gain, high blood pressure and other health offenders. There is a solution. Taste your way through all natural, low sugar varieties, which is a great option if you are a pint eater like myself.

Phin & Phebes offers innovative flavors with natural ingredients that don’t scrimp on taste.

Ice Cream + real ingredients = happy

Ellen McCormick, Phin and Phebes head of business development, enjoys a good bowl of artisnal ice cream in such flavors as Vanilla Cinnamon and Toasted Green Tea churned with real ingredients. Says McCormick, “I generally prefer to eat things made with simple ingredients, and a lot of the so-called ‘healthy’ ice cream out there is loaded with a lot of ingredients I can’t even pronounce. I’d rather eat something that has more calories but is made with simple ingredients than something that’s low calorie and made with ingredients that make me wonder just how healthy it actually is.”

Take this sensual exercise further by hosting an ice cream tasters party where guests can sample their way through assorted flavors and espouse informed notes on their findings. To create your event, simply serve ice cream by the pint, whipped cream, and enough toppings to rival your local ice cream parlor. Pull in those soda fountain details to seal the theme.

: Authentic ice cream bowls from Duralex paired with French Bull melamine spoons.

: Serve a variety of flavors.

: Needed tools.

: Kid friendly scoops.

: A crispy and colorful topping choice.

: Berry version.

: Whipped cream option.

: And a raspberry on top.

: Arctic Zero, another guilt-free ice cream brand.

: Eat the pint.

: Fun Pops, a healthy dessert candy spoon to serve and give as favors.

: A good moment.

Toppings:

Berries
Candy
Chia seeds
Cinnamon
Crushed peppermint
Coffee
Cereal
Chocolate sauce
Coconut
Cookie crumbs
Dried fruit
Flavored seltzer
Fruit
Fudge
Granola
Graham crackers
Gummy bears
Jam
Honey
Marshmallows
Nuts
Nut butter
Pie crumbs
Pretzels
Sprinkles

Resources:

Halo Top ice cream: https://www.halotop.com
Phin and Phebes ice cream: http://phinandphebes.com
Ice cream bowls: https://www.duralexusa.com/tableware/Gigogne-Ice-Cream-Cups-cat28.html
Viva dessert spoons: https://www.frenchbull.com/collections/colorful-scoop-dessert-spoons/products/viva-dessert-spoon-set-of-6
Wooden paddle spoon: https://hardwood-stix.com/popsicle-sticks-craft-sticks/ice-cream-sticks-and-spoons/3.6-wood-taster-spoon
Paper napkins: www.caspari.com
Red cloth tea towel: www.Robertarollerrabbit.com
SaveSave

Posted By jdemontravel

05/13/2017

Bee Aware – Shop the Bumblebee Look

Napoleon anointed the bee icon as a symbol of power. Winnie the Pooh * perpetually warded off bees in his quest for a honey fix. Bees are a timeless motif. While they are as complex as a femme fatal, they are an essential part of the food chain. Who doesn’t love warm toast smeared with the golden nectar?

Keep the bee in flight.

Sadly bees have been put on the endangered list for the first time. Certain pesticides and diminishing natural food sources are some offenders, making awareness increasingly important. Beekeeper Andrew Coté of Andrew’s Honey not only operates a family honey business but founded Bees Without Borders, where he roams the world to educate poverty stricken communities on the trade. Increase the buzz by adding bee beauty to the everyday.

: 1. Bumblebees Print by Catherine Pape

: 2. Nature Nate’s Honey Tins

: 3. Little Bee Cards

: 4. Queen Bee Soap

: 5. Bumblebee Sealing Stamp

: 6. Little Bee Ring

: 7. Bedazzled Wine Charmers

: 8. Andrew’s “Local” Honey

: 9. Honey Bees Flour Sack Tea Towel Set

: 10. Tattoos

: 11. Farrow & Ball Wallpaper

: 12. Michael Healy Brass Door Knocker

: 13. Bee Cushion Cover

: 14. Susquehanna Carafe Set

Bee print 2. Honey tin 3. Stationery 4. 5. Sealing stamp 6. Ring 7. Wine charmers 8. Honey 9. Tea towel 10. Tattoos 11. Wallpaper 12. Door knocker 13. Cushion cover 14. Carafe set

* For more information on supporting the honey bee and to download the ‘bee-friendly’ guide inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh and friends visit www.friendsofthehoneybee.com

Other ways to help the honey bee:

1. Plant a window box

2. Buy local honey

3. Build a bee habitat

Posted By jdemontravel

05/05/2017

A New Orleans’ Home Exterior Gets a Bright Makeover

A compact house in the Marginy district of New Orleans is so bright, visitors don’t need a house number to find it. Formerly in shades of green, an offbeat scheme to compensate for its lackluster, was reinvented into a sparkly gem thanks to a redesign by Julie A. Babin, Partner and Architect with studioWTA.

Babin first appraised the home as awkward and space-challenged, which she transformed into an inspired design with some clever manipulations. For the exterior the selection of festive colors is a nod to Jazzfest and the city’s exuberance, which is why the homeowner’s chose the city as their second residence.

The outdoor space’s completed redesign.

“This particular renovation was challenging because the site was extremely

small. The existing house was a one bedroom, one bathroom house,” says Babin.

The home’s exterior has an inviting color pairing of butter yellow with bleached turquoise.

Babin reconfigured the kitchen and bath to include a second bedroom and detached office. They kept the existing pool in tact but removed a Jacuzzi to allot for the office at the end of the property. “We positioned both the master bedroom and office to overlook the pool creating a backyard oasis within a tight site and urban neighborhood,” says Babin.

: Before shots of the home.

She selected a Caribbean inspired palette for an instant awakening. “We decided to choose colors that would reflect the vibrancy of New Orleans,” she says.

While color is often viewed as a space offender, here the shades add dimension. The dramatic wall colors visually open up the pool area to provide a visually exciting contrast. The open sky and accent lighting offer more illumination and add to the effect. “Choosing the right lighting is key,” says Babin. “For the exterior lighting of the renovation and new office we selected a wall sconce that provides a soft illumination and glow, similar to the lighting cast from the traditional gas lamps found in New Orleans and on the front of the home.”

The infusion of alteration, color and light have created a sort of Coachella in design, where the artistic mix creates a departure from the everyday. The tiny plot is treated as an advantage, cleverly contoured so all footage is utilized, with a resort appeal that captures the romance of staying in a grand-a-night island cabana.

Photography by Jeff Johnson