color inspiration: delft blue

Does the color blue make you happy or sad? In the English language, blue often represents the human emotion of sadness. Think of the musical genre of the blues that’s filled with melancholy and soul searching. Well for me blue represents happy times, summer skies and the serene movement of the ocean.

Delft blue is definitely a happy blue. This lovely family of colors ranges from soft cobalt to rich ultramarine. In décor, delft blue is fresh, vibrant and cheerful! Use it on your front door to project a youthful and fun vibe to everyone who visits. 

Inside the home delft blue can help create a coastal vibe. Use a little or a lot. Fabrics and pillows are a great way to introduce a little delft into a room.

  

And it looks particularly amazing set against bright white. How can a house not look bright and airy with this color combination?

Remember to keep things uncluttered. Only display things that you truly love and put away everything else.

Need a little drama? 

Go tone-on-tone with this lovely hue.  

A kitchen can instantly be updated with a few blue accessories in the right shade of blue.

Look at how easy this is to achieve.

Take away the bar stools and the casserole dish 

and what do you have?

A basic neutral kitchen.

A table set with lovely shades of delft blue always catches my attention! Blue china and napkins contrast nicely with burlap and gold cutlery.

And don’t forget about your outdoor rooms. Treat you porch, patio, balcony, and deck with the same attention to detail as the rest of your home. I love the pretty view of my backyard from the kitchen and family room, so I always try to “make it nice!"  

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

1 BH&G, 2 Good Housekeeping, 3 House Beautiful, 4, 5 Skout

6 Tumblr, 7 Pinterest, 8 HGTV Magazine, 9 Grey Likes Weddings

10 Good Housekeeping

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lido marina village

Looking for a fun destination this weekend? Lido Marina Village is Newport Beach at its best... casual, comfortable and chic, with amazing views of Newport Harbor. Most of the restaurants offer alfresco dining on the water. You're sure to find a lovely spot to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

And I love the hip group of shops and restaurants that recently opened up like Nobu, Serena & Lily, and Jenni Kayne. At every turn you’ll discover creative details, pretty views and stylish shops. If you’re in southern California, come on down and check it out!

Jenni Kayne

Juice Served Here Cafe

Alchemy Works Harbor House

Alchemy Works Harbor House

Bailey 44

Bixby & Ball

Lido Village Books

Lido Bottle Works

Zinque

Zinque

Marine Layer

Sugar Paper

Zinque

Serena & Lily

Serena & Lily

Jenni Kayne

Jenni Kayne

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

Lido Marina Village

Rue Magazine

And now the official cookbook 
is available from Malibu Farms!

farmhouse at roger's gardens recipes

the Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens

Great news! You’ve been invited to a summer pot luck gathering, but now have to decide what to bring. Do you have a special go-to dish that you make for occasions like this? For me, this is the perfect opportunity to try a new and exciting recipe. 

Well, today I have two such recipes to share with you, and they sound like the perfect side dishes for any summer party. Chef Rich Mead of the Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens has shared two of his popular side dishes so we can have a crack at preparing them at home.

The first recipe is for Summer Succotash. Succotash has its origins in early colonial America, when members of the Algonquin tribe shared their technique for combining corn kernels and beans along with other fresh ingredients to create a yummy and healthy dish. Succotash is fresh, crunchy and is such a great alternative for summer noshing. One of the perks of succotash is it won't wilt like a green salad, so it can sit on the picnic table and retain its flavors beautifully.

And who doesn’t love potatoes? Well, the next recipe combines the perfect ingredients to complement the trusty potato, like bacon, onions and blue cheese. Add a little grilled flavor from the potato and you’re all set to wow your friends! 

CORN SUCCOTASH

 

INGREDIENTS:

12 ears of summer corn (white or yellow), shucked and cleaned

1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 ½ cup red tomato, small dice

1 ½ cup red bell pepper, small dice

1 cup of blanched green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 cup of zucchini, small dice

¾ to 1 cup of honey lime vinaigrette

Salt and pepper

1.   Grill ears of corn on an open flame grill until well charred and cooked.

2.   Cut kernels off the cob to get roughly 6 cups of charred corn kernels.

3.   Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, toss well.

4.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.

HONEY LIME VINAIGRETTE:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup olive oil

Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

1.   In a blender, add everything except the oil and mix until combined

2.   With the blender running, add the oil in a thin stream through the hole in the lid

3.   Blend until well-mixed

GRILLED POTATO SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. baby red potatoes

½ cup celery, thinly sliced

½ cup red onion, thinly sliced

½ lb. good quality bacon

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup Dijon mustard

2 tbs. sugar

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1.   Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy and separate from rendered fat and set aside.

2.   In boiling, salted water, par cook the potatoes until soft but still a bit firm.

3.   Add the olive oil, salt and pepper to the reserved bacon fat and use this mixture to toss the potatoes in.

4.   Grill the potatoes on a hot grill until they get nice marks and the potatoes are soft.

5.   In a large bowl – whisk together mustard, mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

6.   Once potatoes are cool, add all ingredients together and toss lightly.

7.   Chill before serving.

I’d love to know if you try one of these recipes!

Let me know what you think…

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

Roger's Gardens