book review: container gardens

I had the chance to preview the brand new Container Gardens book this week. It’s filled with stunning photos and is a great step-by-step guide for creating and maintaining beautiful container gardens all year long. With our warm climate here in southern California, I’m always looking for great ways to keep my home and yard looking their best.

Container Gardens offers great ideas for cozying up a studio apartment or brightening up a front porch.  There are so many gorgeous ways to adorn your home with flowers and foliage, and they have some amazing ideas. Here’s a sneak peek…

Creating colorful mixes of flowers and foliage has never been easier with the help of this book. I highly recommend it, and since it’s put together by the expert garden editors at Southern Living, this savvy and stunning guide is the must-have tool for anyone who wants to cultivate a little oasis of their own.

One of my favorite parts of this book is that it helps me design monochromatic flower combinations with their beautiful flower color wheel inspiration photos. 

Container Gardens is available on March 7, 2017 and offers more than 200 fresh ideas for indoor and outdoor plants no matter the size of your space. I know I'll be referring to this book a lot, especially in the next few weeks, when I start doing my Spring plantings. 

ciao! fabiana

Excerpted from Container Gardens by the Editors of Southern Living. Copyright© 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, adivision of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

la valencia in la jolla

Continuing from my Tuesday post on La Jolla, just up the street from the Brockton Villa and the La Jolla Cave shop was our next stop, La Valencia hotel. Also known as the Pink Lady, La Valencia has always been one of my favorite places to visit for lunch, and this time, we actually got to stay here for two nights!

La Valencia was opened in 1926 and has the most amazing location overlooking the beach in the area known as La Jolla Cove. It even became a great getaway for Hollywood stars during the 1940’s and 50’s.

As you walk into the lobby, your eye is drawn to the gorgeous view straight back out of the shapely picture window of the “living room”. The living room is the coziest space ever and the vintage 1920’s details are spectacular. 

Here’s a shot of the ceiling, looking straight up.

  

And right outside the living room is the luxurious dining patio. Look at the views! It sits right above the pool area too.

It’s so fun to explore all the nooks and crannies of La Valencia. Hand-painted tiles and cheery pink geraniums are around every corner of the outdoor spaces!

The restaurants are really good too. We had breakfast each morning at The Med, where the ambiance is calm, the views are breathtaking and the food is soooo good! 

They serve the best cappuccinos and blueberry muffins! I loved sipping my coffee while watching the waves break on the shore and all sea gulls and pelicans drifting about. This is a view of the patio adjacent to the street, and the other side, of the great room has the amazing views of the pool and ocean.

The rooms are quite comfortable.

Here’s where we spent quite a bit of time, poolside.

Until tomorrow...

ciao! fabiana

beach house love

What are your favorite aspects of beach house décor? Is it a beach inspired color palette of blues and sand? Maybe it’s lots of natural textures and a clean white palette. Even if you don’t live by the sea, you can infuse a little bit of your favorite seaside looks into your home. 

I like to keep it subtle and use lots of textures mixed with favorite pieces that have sentimental value or things I just love. Little treasures that were found mixed in with new things is a great way to get an eclectic look. 

Here are some of my 

favorite 

coastal rooms 

that I recently spotted…  

ciao! fabiana



For more home tour inspiration like this,

check out this brand new book:

photo credits: Traditional Home,

Coastal Living, Blackband Design, Veranda

first stop in la jolla

Last week my family and I spent a few days in one of my favorite little California cites, La Jolla. (Pronounced "La Hoya") Our first stop for breakfast or lunch when we get into town is the Brockton Villa. It's a charming little cottage restaurant right across from the water and has amazing food!  

As you go up the front steps, you’ll notice the amazing masonry wall that has inset abalone shells at the front of the restaurant. So pretty! 

The seating indoors and out is equally as fabulous. The views are great just about anywhere in the place.

As you can see, the location is right across for the blue Pacific, and just down the hill from the famous La Jolla Cave!

The clam chowder and the ‘Coast Toast’ are two of their most popular menu items. We had both! What makes the chowder so good is a little hint of saffron that turns it a pale yellow. 

Here’s a shot of the ‘Coast Toast’ and the recipe. Please try this at home, if you don’t get a chance to try it at the Brockton Villa! It's crispy on the outside and a little custardy on the inside. A delicious take on traditional french toast... really yummy!

Brockton Villa’s Famous Coast Toast

Ingredients

One loaf of soft French bread (sliced)

One quart of whipping cream

10 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup of sugar

A pinch of salt

2 tbs. vanilla

2 tbs. orange flavoring

Instructions

1.   Combine liquid ingredients and pour over bread slices.

2.   Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

3.   Remove bread and discard liquid.

4.   Spread butter on flat grill.

5.   Cook bread until golden brown, then bake at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until bread is puffed up like a soufflé.

6.   Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Serves: 6 people

The inside space is darling, and you can’t miss the amazing abalone shell fireplace. It’s perfect for when there’s a little chill in the air. 

Here’s a little Hollywood fact. Gregory Peck was born and raised in La Jolla and started the renown La Jolla Playhouse. Here he is sitting right near where the Brockton Villa is, in the area known as La Jolla Cove.  

There's so much history in this little town!

Brockton’s location is amazing!

And right across the street you'll find a few of these little guys!

La Jolla is very close to San Diego, 

so if you're in the area, make sure you stop by! 

ciao! fabiana