brunch at The Ivy

Last weekend, my mother and I went to one of our most cherished places, The Ivy restaurant in Beverly Hills.

 

The Ivy is just magical.

We arrived on Saturday morning, bright and early and got a cozy table on the world-famous patio with lovely views of the surroundings.

 

In celebration of my mother’s birthday, we each ordered our favorite brunch item, the Crabcakes Benedict, yum! In addition to this amazing little feast, they also serve their complimentary homemade scones with butter.  

 

As an extra added bonus, today’s post is all about The Ivy’s decor and amazing ambiance that immediately enraptures you within seconds of stepping inside.

 

Here are the cozy elements that we need to take note of…  

  

ü pitchers of beautiful roses everywhere

ü blue and white transfeware plates on the walls

ü bowls fresh lemons, oranges and limes

ü lots of cozy chintz pillows

ü terracotta pots filled with geraniums

ü shabby chic old shutters and wooden elements

ü vintage floral artwork

ü antique French signage

ü gracefully aged white picket fences

ü colorful twinkle lights for alfresco evening dining

ü white tablecloths

ü a backdrop of old brickwork

ü a fabulous patio

I'll say it again...

Every inch of The Ivy is magical.

Here’s the view from our cozy corner table, and you can take a peek at the Crabcakes Benedict. 

I actually found this image on The Ivy’s Instagram page, because with all the excitement, I forgot to take a photo of our own food plates.

 

Every time I visit, I’m just amazed by the quaint decor, accessories and attention to detail.

The Ivy began its life during the 1980’s in a cozy little vintage cottage. Since then it’s been attracting celebrities, locals and visitors from all around the world.

Love these blue transferware plates on the yellow walls.

There are several rooms inside The Ivy, as this was once a little home in the cutest vintage cottage style. 

This room has a glorious display of  majolica plates, baskets, mercury glass and flower pots made from shards of dishes. 

 

Can you believe how many pitchers and vases of roses there are at The Ivy? 

The secret in recreating this look is to buy roses in light pink, dark pink and yellow, with a few coral colored roses thrown in as an accent.

This is the back room, which is filled with dozens and dozens of still life paintings on every wall, as well as some antique French Republic memorabilia.

 

Ooooh, that plate rack and those green cabbage dishes… 

so cute!

 

So French!

 

I recently found three floral still life paintings like this one at a yard sale and have listed them on my eBay shop.

 

This is the view from our table at the iconic front window of The Ivy cottage. And here it is at night time all lit up with colorful lights. 

 

Wouldn’t this be fun to recreate at home for a small patio or outdoor dining area? The colorful lights are here all year long, not just at Christmas time.

 

Another one of my favorite corner tables, that features an open window, filled with colorful geraniums and more art, and a fluttering-breezy-curtain moment.

 

I hope you enjoyed this fun little tour of The Ivy. It’s really inspired my to actually go to more estate sales and yard sales, always looking for those special treasures.

 

Some of my fun vintage finds have just been listed on my eBay Blog Shop, if you’d like to take a look here.

 

Two of the three little floral paintings I just acquired have already sold over the weekend, but I’m always on the hunt for more!

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

vintage finds from antiques cottage

 

Don’t you love discovering new little shops right in your own neighborhood? There’s a sweet little antiques shop called Antiques Cottage right here on 17th Street here in Costa Mesa that I never knew about before.

 

I found some really fun little finds last week when I stopped in, and it just so happened that they were having a sale, so the prices were really reasonable. What more could you ask for?!

Just a few little fun things to add to my collection, and some of them make really cute additions to my tablescapes too.

 

I’ll show you some of these fun finds individually… first up is this darling depression glass double-handled sugar bowl in just the most perfect shade of green.

 

This type of glass is also known as Uranium glass because it has minute traces of this element, and it actually glows brightly under a black light. So cool!

It's just the right size for a little impromptu bouquet of flowers from the garden.

 

I also found this amazing zester with vintage green wooden handle. These vintage kitchen utensils still work great, and I’ve gathered a useful little collection over the years.

 

After a thorough scrubbing, this little beauty is set to create beautiful ribbons of citrus peel for a my next yummy recipe or cocktail.

 

Now how about these cute little piggy napkin rings? I found a larger set, and I’m keeping half and selling the second set of 4 on my eBay store. You can check them out here.   

 

These little guys are so charming, they’d be a fabulous addition to any tablescape, from country to farmhouse to grandmother chic.

I paired them with this bright and festive blue and white check napkin for my 4th of July table. They just add such a fun whimsical touch, don't they? 

One of my favorite finds that day was this beautiful embossed antique creamware pitcher. I listed it on eBay last week, and it sold immediately.

 

Pitchers are one of my favorite ways to display flowers. I don’t know what it is, but flowers always looks so good in a pretty pitcher.

 

These soft purple Downton Abbey rose grows like mad in my garden, and I just love it in this creamware pitcher.

 

Here are some other ones, both large and small, that I have listed on the blog shop. 

This McCoy striped mixing bowl is my absolute favorite find of the day. It’s the perfect size for my big salad. This one has bacon, egg, tomato and is topped with a home-made ranch dressing… super yummy!

 

Here are some similar McCoy bowls for you to check out and if you're interested, here’s a link to my ranch dressing recipe. It whips up in minutes and it's dairy-free, paleo, and full of delicious herbs. 

 

The two matching polychrome transferware bowls I found at Antiques Cottage are just the perfect vessels for going out to the garden, picking fresh veggies like these peas and tomatoes, and bringing them right into the kitchen for a fun and tasty display.

 

These beauties went right into our salad for dinner, and now the bowls are ready for more fresh garden produce. 

What I love most about bowls like this is that they can go straight from the garden to the table, and always look beautiful.

Here’s a pretty eye-spy of vintage kitchen utensils. This is the green handled part of my collection. Can you spy my new little zester?

 

These fun and colorful kitchen gadgets are sometimes spotted at garage sales, thrift stores and on eBay, and best of all, they usually work better that their modern versions.

 

So far I've gathered mostly red and green handled ones utensils, with only a few blue ones to be found in the wild. And of course, blue would be my favorite color.

They add such country charm to the kitchen for a timeless nostalgic look. 

 

I’m telling you this zester works better than any I’ve tried, and the citrus peel becomes very fragrant after being sliced so neatly.

 

My husband also loves vintage kitchen gadgets, and since we both love to cook, it’s one of the things we’re always on the lookout for when we go thrifting together.

 

Here’s my little stash of treasures again. The pudding mold in the back will be used during the holidays to make an old-fashioned Christmas pudding full of spices and fruit that we all love.

The wicker coffee cups are just sooo cute, and I got two sets of 4 that are in the original boxes. 

They're from the1970's just as I suspected. (You can just see Mary Richards and Rhoda using these while gossiping at Mary's kitchen table on the Mary Tyler Moore Show.) 

They'll make adorable options for coffee at brunch or they'd even work great for a hot toddy during the winter months, topped off by a fragrant cinnamon stick, and maybe a twist of orange peel from my new little handy-dandy zester. 

All in all, I'm really pleased with these fun little treasures. What are you collecting these days?

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

 

the newest Cottages and Bungalows

Reading the latest Cottages & Bungalows magazine has got me really inspired for summer. There’s so much included in this little gem, that I have to sit down again this weekend, and take some “me” time to really zero in on every detail to reread this issue again from cover to cover.

 

So today I thought I'd share with all of you some of the beautiful pictures from the homes in this issue that most caught my attention.

Let's start with the welcome letter from Kelly McMaster that includes some of the lovely features in this August/September issue.

I’m really loving all the waterfront homes and coastal inspired décor in this issue. Flipping through the pages is such a pleasure, as there are very few ads, and so many beautiful pictures and articles filled with design ideas and instructional columns.

 

The first home that caught my eye is this pretty little cottage in Hilton Head.

This is a typical 1970’s home style in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In fact, our home in Hilton Head has a very similar roof line and architectural style.

 

I love how they added darling cottage details to the exterior of the house. The charming shutters and the window box really set it apart from the rest of the homes in the neighborhood.

 

Nicknamed “The Grace Cottage”, the inside of this home is also bright and colorful, and so perfect for a vacation home.

 

This amazing beach house pictured above is located in Cap Ferret, France and I’m in love with every single detail here, from the mismatched pendants to the painted blue band that runs around the room. 

This is my kind of room and wait ‘til you the rest of this beach cottage!

 

But wait... as we flip through this issue, we come across another lovely blue and white coastal room. Those painted Chippendale style chairs are so chic. They add that definite “coastal grandmother style” to the whole space.

What catches your attention most about this room?

Cottages & Bungalow’s brand ambassador Kara Williams invites us all to join her very own “Seaside Soiree”, which includes a beautifully set alfresco table, charming coastal décor and the cutest surf and sand cupcakes dressed up with sugared seashells and sand (crumbled graham crackers).

I'm just soaking up every detail of her pretty home and outdoor entertaining area. And who can resist a fun little cupcake like this? I love how she surrounded the cupcake plate with seashells and more crumbled graham cracker sand.

All-in-all, reading this coastal issue of Cottages & Bungalows brings together all the joys of summer décor that I love so much and offers so much inspiration that I can add to my own home.

Seeing these relaxed beach vignettes also allows me to take a deep breath, chill, and take it all in. Isn't this a peaceful view?

 

I especially love the tranquil feeling of this room. It's the neutral colors, the white slipcovers and the natural textures that really draw me in.

 

Did you know that Cottages & Bungalows also has an amazing website and Instagram page? 

Here's a fun little surprise...  

My little vintage toolbox filled with cottage flowers is  highlighted on the “Online Exclusives” page in the magazine. 

C&B’s website is always filled with incredible inspiration and lots of fun recipes too!

 

And if you like to get an early start on planning your Christmas décor, you can’t beat the newest issue of Holiday Décor filled with the festive homes of some of our favorite bloggers and Instagram friends.

 

Best of all, this issue comes out September 17^th, and copies are limited so you can reserve a copy here. 

We get the best of both worlds with these two gorgeous issues of Cottages & Bungalows, pages and pages of glorious summer and winter inspiration!

 

ciao! fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*.