janet leigh's old-fashioned yellow cake

Another weekend, another fun recipe to try! This one is Janet Leigh’s Gateau Dore or just old-fashioned vanilla cake. The recipe originally comes from the Dinah Shore Celebrity Cookbook, a really fun one to check out! Janet Leigh is best remembered for her performance as Marion Crane in the movie Psycho (1960). 

She was married actor Tony Curtis, and they had two children together, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis. During their high-profile union, the couple starred in five films together, my favorite being Houdini. It’s a great one to watch on Halloween! 

Anyways, this yummy cake can be baked for any occasion and can be dressed up with different frostings and fruits, to suit your mood. 

Of course, paired with ice cream, it's a classic. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Here’s our cake decorated with a few white pansies and ferns from my garden. I just used an easy recipe for vanilla buttercream frosting. This is so perfect for a simple gathering of friends and family!

ciao! fabiana

rooms that feel like autumn

Indoors or outdoors, we want to feel cozy once the weather starts to cool. Today I am sharing a few seasonal pics that I spotted in different magazines that add a little autumn vibe to mix. Notice the bouquets of colorful fall leaves. These easy to gather leaves bring instant fall flair into your home. Natural wood finishes feel comfy, and a pretty throw hung on a chair will always comes in handy and looks great as an accent!  

ciao! fabiana

photos  1  |  2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  

johnny depp's historic l.a. penthouse

Johnny Depp’s historic downtown Los Angeles 

penthouse  is all that you thought it would be and more! 

A little leopard, a little tiger. 

It all fits in with this boho chic, sexy Parisian vibe!

The ultra tall 14 foot ceilings are amazing!

The bistro-style kitchen of the main penthouse loft features gorgeous art deco light fixtures and a very vintage French style in all the décor. 

Look up, and you discover that industrial loft look floating above your head.

I would lounge here morning noon and night, starting with coffee and ending with dinner!

The colorful master bedroom.

Another one of his penthouse suites (he owns all five!) has a different vibe in the kitchen, a little more modern and edgy, a boulangerie moderne!

How about this for a super creative conference room?

And all these incredible rooms are found at the top of the historic Eastern Columbia Building in downtown Los Angeles. 

This iconic art deco building was built in 1930 and is easily recognized by its turquoise terra cotta tiles and amazing four sided clock.

via Curbed

ciao! fabiana

p.s. Do you remember the tv series Moonlighting? It was the best show! Anyways, the very first episode featured the Eastern Columbia Building in the finale. 

Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) and David (Bruce Willis) end up at the top of the building and Maddie somehow winds up dangling from the huge clock! 
     

You can watch the entire episode here:

ciao!

beautiful pumpkin clusters

Every October, beautiful vibrant pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. 

Closer to the end of the month, these huge orange fruits carved with ghoulish faces and lit by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. 

Carving pumpkins 

into Halloween jack-o’-lanterns 

is a way of life here in America, 

but this tradition originated 

hundreds of years ago in Ireland. 

Back then, however, Ireland had no pumpkins, 

so jack-o’-lanterns were made out of turnips or potatoes. 

The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns” 

comes from an Irish folktale 

about a man named Stingy Jack.

Ancient Celtic cultures in Ireland carved turnips 

on All Hallow's Eve, and placed an ember in them, 

to keep evil spirits away.

When Irish immigrants first arrived in America, 

they discovered pumpkins and 

a new Halloween tradition was born!

P.S. Did you know pumpkins are rich in Vitamin A and potassium and are also high in fiber? And, they were once recommended as a cure for freckles!

ciao! fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.

photo credit:  Southern Living, Town & Country,
Louis Rub Stylist, Pinterest

halloween party drinks and more

Three fun (and adorable) Halloween party recipes from Martha Stewart:

Blood-Moon Punch

·    4 cups orange juice

·    4 cups water

·    8 cups Concord-grape juice

·    4 1/2 cups (3 cans) ginger soda

·    3 cups (2 cans) seltzer

·    1/4 cup fresh lime juice

·    Candy bats (optional)

DIRECTIONS

For the ice moon, freeze a mixture of orange juice and water in a bowl that's 8 inches in diameter. In a large punch bowl, gently stir together Concord-grape juice, ginger soda, seltzer, and fresh lime juice. 

To release the moon, dip the bottom of the frozen bowl in hot water until the ice starts to melt at the edges. Remove the bowl from the water and turn it onto a plate. Place the moon in the punch, flat-side up, and if desired, arrange candy bats on top. Makes 15 cups of punch.

Werewolf Paws

·    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

·    1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water

·    1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

·    1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

·    Pinch of salt

·    1 pound best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

·    Vanilla Madeleines

·    1/3 cup toasted almond slivers (5 per paw)

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the frosting: Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. 

Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. 

If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

2. Use a butter knife to spread 2 tablespoons of chocolate frosting over a madeleine cookie, leaving it a bit thicker at the back. Drag the knife forward and pull up at the end to create a "furry" texture, then press 5 toasted almond slivers ("claws") into the tip. Makes 32. 

Apple Pie Spiced Cider

1 1/4 quarts apple cider

3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar

7 whole cinnamon sticks, (6 sticks for garnish)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Ground cloves

Freshly grated nutmeg

Salt

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cider, sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; pour in brandy, if desired. Strain into a pitcher; discard solids. Serve in mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks.  Serves 6.

ciao! fabiana

meg ryan's manhattan loft

Meg Ryan shows off her newly renovated Manhattan loft for Architectural Digest, and are we in for a treat! Meg has a great love for interior design and architecture, so she collaborated with architect Joel Barkley and designer Monique Gibson to create this gorgeous home for herself and her family. 

Layers of treasured items that have been collected over the years come together and are unified in her new home. The loft was broken down into smaller spaces that are more cozy and intimate, and my favorite room is this amazing kitchen! 

White marble, weathered wood surfaces, high ceilings and vintage pieces make up my favorite elements for a kitchen, and it’s all here! The décor in the whole loft is kept to a neutral palette of mostly black and white, with natural wood tones, soft fabrics and timeless metallic finishes. Thanks for the peek into your home, Meg!

Industrial lights from an antique shop in Maine light the kitchen table.

Classic white shaker style cabinets are by Fine Woodwork.

Grapefruit fills a porcelain bowl on the plank-top table.

Ryan wears a vintage Alaïa dress with Jill Stuart shoes.

Silver Windsor chair from Wyeth.

A black and white collection of treasured items

are displayed on the kitchen’s marble shelving.

Bentwood chairs surround the dining room’s custom-made bronze table.

Salvaged lantern and mantel from United House Wrecking.

A to-and-fro view of the living room.

A pendant light from Olde Good Things and wool bed curtains

hang in the master bedroom and compliment the

Arts and Crafts chairs by George Henry Walton.

A vintage-inspired soaking tub anchors the master bath, while

the dual vanities are customized with Grigio Carnico marble tops.

 

ciao! fabiana

via Architectural Digest