the gallery {amy whitehouse paintings}

this post is my braggity-braggy post about my mother-in-law’s fabulous art.  not that i am taking any bragging credit for her art…but i sure can brag about the fact that our house is home to many of her lovely pieces!  we are so honored and blessed to have such beautiful and original works of art in our home.  doesn’t nice art just make you feel all cultured and fancy?  you know that feeling that you get when you are wandering around a museum or gallery…you feel kinda posh and smarter for just being in the presence of such genius.  even if you know absolutely nothing about the complexities or history of art, you can still absorb it enjoy the beauty.

well, we get to live in a gallery of sorts.  our walls happily display some very nice pieces.  and, sometimes when we are over at the whitehouse home just having dinner, we get to go shopping for fresh pieces in amy’s studio.  so cool.  she is always creating something new and allowing herself to be inspired by her environment and the creativity of others.  i love that she responds to God’s creation in such lovely ways.

unfortunately for you, her studio isn’t open for free take-out like it is for us {smiley face} BUT amy has recently taken a few of her vibrant and signature pieces and turned them into gorgeous print reproductions!  now, amy whitehouse creations are accessible for everyone!  if you are looking for something pretty to brighten up your walls…may i suggest that you pick up one of these beauties instead of just buying something mass-produced or generic.  i was able to watch her sign and number each one of these limited editions.  and they are just waiting to be snatched up and given a new home.

sunflower

favorite sunflower

trees

palms at sunset

flowers

sunflower in vase

want to see more?

http://amywhitehousepaintings.blogspot.com/

want to make one of these your own?

amy.whitehouse@me.com

oui s’il vous plaît

lately, i have been feeling all things french.  simple and lovely decor with a hint of opulence.  interesting patterns.  classic style.  soft and sweet scents.  a petit and bold espresso to start the morning.  a nice glass of red at the end of the day.  simple and sophisticated recipes…with lots of herbs and vegetables and of course, butter.  and did i mention pastries and bread and cheese?  yum.

so imagine my happiness when i was able to feed my desire for french frou frou by participating in a french cooking class with a few gals this past weekend.  complete with mother sauce and tarte tatin.  scrumptious.  recipes and plate snapshots will be shared here soon.  {my hubby is kind of dying to taste all the dishes so i need to get on that}  and i am thinking that i will serve these little guys as the perfect opening number…

radishes

image and recipe from the delightful and brilliant erin gleeson and the forest feast blog.

simple and delicious.  quintessential french.  and butter.  oh, the butter. 

nouilles au fromage

mac and cheese

alan dye photograph by jose luis martinez

check out this foodie interview and yummy recipe for fancy pants mac and cheese.

any recipe that begins with popping the cork on some bubbly {you know, just for sipping while cooking} is a winner in my cookbook.

oui s’il vous plaît

the gallery

this gallery is dedicated to the fall/winter 2012 collection of chinti and parker

i am thinking that a great post-baby gift would be this entire collection.

any takers?  hint. hint. 

is it just me or are these separates practically perfect in every way?  what fun it would be to walk into my closet on a cool, crisp day and mix-and-match these quirky and coordinated classics.  seriously,  i would like all of it.  they are ideal pieces for effortless style.

and i am pretty sure that miss elinor deserves to be held by a mama that is dressed in these super amazing clothes…just sayin’.

snaps & snippets & blurbs

okay, did anyone else think that this weekend went by much too fast?  we were having such a fun time but then poof!  it was sunday night.  not cool, weekend, not cool.  [sigh]  in spite of the seemingly short duration, we did manage to have ourselves a grand old time.  and now, we are easing ourselves into a new week.

heading out for a fun-filled saturday + lunch at jersey mike’s…mmm…subs + looking stylish in our 3d glasses on a double-date with my parents [and yes, we saw titanic 3d] + wok quinoa with crispy shrimp + a breakfast of delicious eggs, melted cheese, and spicy salsa infused corn chip sprinkle + the buddies enjoying a lounge-y afternoon on a cool day.  they love to curl up on our laps, burrow into the blankets, and nuzzle + keeping one eye on mr. charles who likes to perch on the arm of our couch and pounce on us when we least expect it…he LOVES attention

happy monday!

windsor

one of our favorite little nooks is windsor.  this place has great people, great atmosphere, and great food.  it is a swanky yet breezy pub-like place with a killer patio and plush boothes. leather everywhere and plaid bar chairs!  amazing.  it is the kind of place where we could sit for hours just sipping beverages and nibbling on super good grub.  so cool and yet so comfy.  love.

this trip, ben and i invited my sister and her man to come with us on a little double-date.  it was fabulous.  we shared a big ol’ booth and sat for a couple of hours just chatting and enjoying some really tasty plates.  alas, i failed miserably in the picture-taking department since i was too excited to dig in to pause and snap a pic.  sorry about that.  [i guess we'll just have to go back again...] we are talking really good stuff here, folks.  cheddar fondue.  crab cake blt.  brown bag chicken sandwich [pulled chicken salad with oven dried tomatoes, toasted hazelnuts & herbs topped with avocado, watercress & green goddess goat cheese].  porkwich [pulled pork, tenderbelly braised ham & smoked bacon layered with gold sauce & crunchy coleslaw on a buttermilk bun].  plus, sides of mac and cheese!  wow.

the casablancas at blanco

ben & rachel whitehouse took a little trip to blanco tacos + tequila.  it is another favorite of ours.  bustling atmosphere.  perfect chips and salsa (not too much cilantro!  cilantro, yuck).  clean and flavorful food.  this place is so good.  plus, because we live in a lovely climate, the front of the restaurant has these garage doors that roll up and stay open about 95% of the year.  this makes for a breezy and al fresco-esque dining experience.  so nice. and boy oh boy, did we munch on some tasty grub.

driving to date night…so happy to spend time with my hubby enjoying some modern mexican fare in this casual-chic setting + ahhh…there she is + super cool decor with the most fantastic mosaic tile wall! + my handsome hubby + eagerly awaiting our entrees + the menu + oh-so-good chips and salsa [bottomless!] + baja chicken tacos with grilled onions and peppers, shredded cabbage, and cotija cheese…with a side of black beans and buttered rice

it was a good night.  i love dates.

a splash of suzani

Source: spicerandbank.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

have you seen this stuff?  wow.  suzani is a type of embroidered and decorative tribal textile.  suzani is from the persian suzan which means “needle”.  suzanis usually have a cotton [sometimes silk] fabric base which is embroidered in silk or cotton thread.  detailed stitching with vibrant threads produces exquisite pieces.  i am thinking that we might need to invest in one of these to add a splash to our bed.

i heart…polyvore

Springtime Casual

J Crew long shirt
$98 - jcrew.com

Vanessa Bruno mini skirt
$480 - net-a-porter.com

Mel leather shoes
$64 - topshop.com

Chloé leather handbag
$2,095 - mytheresa.com

Assad Mounser gold plated bangle
$300 - net-a-porter.com

Isharya gem ring
£165 - austique.co.uk

J Crew enamel jewelry
$28 - jcrew.com

Tri color jewelry
$13 - delias.com

Alexander mcqueen scarve
£324 - farfetch.com

Ray-Ban ray ban sunglasses
$155 - parkandbond.com

J Crew braided belt
$50 - jcrew.com
… 
are you on polyvore?  it is fabulous!  the ultimate way to window shop and dream…
check it out!

snaps & snippets & blurbs

ahhh…what a perfect little long weekend.  although, long weekends are never quite long enough for me…there is always was too much fun to be had!  as you can tell by the large collection of snaps to follow, we had a full weekend.  music and food and lounging and british theater and shopping and smiling…and more food.  we even enjoyed an impromtu dessert double date with friends!  i love when fun little surprises pop up!  what an adventure.

headed out for date night + the lovely arizona scenery +  walking side by side, hand in hand + valentines dinner at our favorite spot…you guessed it…citizen public house + the bustling atmosphere + hubby’s favorite cocktail + fondue for two + happy faces + alexander mcqueen brass knuckles clutches that hubby and i spotted while wandering through nordstrom. yes please! + the decadent and unique chocolate truffles from vosages…we saved a box for our weekend valentines celebration.  they are so good. + downton abbey.  our latest obsession.  it is like the posh version of soap operas.  so addicting.  [watching this just reminded me that we need to start planning a trip to england.  very soon] + sassy faces + hubby practicing his violin for his sunday offertory at church + our cool find at whole foods…vibrant and bizarre-o broccoli + more happy faces + a cute little coco face + more sassy faces + attending an orchestra concert for the finest youth musicians in the district + ben’s sister faith and her cello + having fun recapping the music + a post-concert stop at bosa donuts + a very happy hubby.  that smiling face is because he is holding two bags to go [those donuts are unreal] + a highlight of our downtime…those two cute faces from mr. charles and hubby staring back at me