Friday, February 28, 2014

New York New York~ Inspiration Abounds



I just spent a decadent day and a half in New York City and talk about refueling on inspiration...this is the place to do it!  One would think that with the focus of design that we do here at Life's Patina being mostly objects that reflect the past, how could that be so? How could a woman with a barn filled with old chippy rusty things that sits at the end of a  country like tree lined lane be inspired by New York City?  Aren't they to far removed to coincide? Isn't New York City a modern trendy city that is an urban oasis of all that is hip and at the cutting edge?  Fashion and design seems to start in Europe and then immigrate it's way across the ocean to reach New York city first. It is the mecca for the avant garde, the ultimate melting pot of  past designs and influences merging with the present to create an ever evolving style and atmosphere that is undeniably and uniquely... New York City.



Who could not be influenced and inspired by the sights, sounds and feelings that New York City invokes? From the blur of faces that pass you by as one hustles down the street, to the smell of roasting chestnuts on the street corner, to the hum of the city punctuated by the horns of the "impatient" New York taxi as they try to snake their way through the crowded streets, to the lights of neon signs boasting of the cities must see eateries and attractions, blinking "come inside."The "alive-ness" of the city is palpable and exciting.
The  feast for the eyes, is what inspires me the most, for I am a true visual.
The visuals here are much sharper and vivid than what I normally see and am attracted to but they make one feel alive. Their beauty reflects the talents of millions who have made their stamp on this city and continue to do so.
The colors of the facades of the buildings and the textures, the varying heights and building materials all  based on the time period by which they were constructed in. Blending in seamlessly with each other.


Inspiration is found everywhere!
From the the historical and beautifully elegant architecture of days gone by.




To the billboards of arousing and thought provoking live entertainment that make one wonder, how can there be so many talented passionate people that come together to entertain and bring people to their feet cheering wildly or crying secretly right alongside?



 The taping of a live show causes uncontrollable laughter brought on by the witty comedy created by a team of talented writers and one heck of a great comedian and presenter.



A jaunt through Grand Central Market makes one want to stop and take pictures of the beautifully arranged and plentiful varieties of food. Why does food not look like this where I live?






Design inspiration is everywhere.


A jaunt through a well designed retail store, makes one stop and take pictures (this particular one, might not be the norm for most people).



Anyone notice a trend to what "this one" is drawn to?
Blue glorious blue...

Coming full circle, if you need a good laugh, a good cry, a jolt of energy to your senses, a feast for the eyes, a dose of inspiration, pay a visit to  New York City. 
I think you will find what you are looking for!
If you make your visit with a group of great girl friends, your inspiration will overflow...for aren't we all inspired by an immersion in the lives of our friends and by each other? Come on, think back to your sleepover days. Weren't they the best? Thank you for inspiring me as well...my sleep over friends!

With sincere wishes for you to fill up your inspirational cup~
Meg







  




Thursday, February 13, 2014

Valentine Treats

As promised, here are some of my favorite Valentine treats to make. I have my tried and true favorites, but every year I try to add on another find and take one or two away. Since today was yet another snow day, I spent it making goodies and I found a delicious Low-Fat Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe, as attested by my 15 year old son who ate five of them.


Don't they look cute on these adorable cup cake stands that we will have at our spring Sale? We just unpacked these pastel mixing bowls and fell in love with them as well!


Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


Chocolate Chip Scones

These are my Go-To breakfast sweets
I make these several times a year and served with lemon curd, raspberry jam or just butter...they are delish! 


Add a cup of tea and it makes a perfect snack for a snow day!!


Square butter pretzels with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows or M & M's

Another Go-To recipe for any holiday...


as well as my tried and true Hot Chocolate Mix. Prettily packaged, homemade food items make great gifts. I love to use canning jars but found these adorable jars with a hole in the lid and a straw that can be used later for a drinking cup at TJ Maxx. What is your beverage of choice?


Brown paper lunch bags make wonderful packages as well. Use a hole punch and bakers twine to attach a heart doily and it looks so much prettier than a brown paper bag, doesn't it?


Of course you cannot forget the paper Valentine. 
Love 
these vintage styled Valentines from Punch Studios! You can often find them at Barnes and Noble.


This year, I found copies of Kelly Corrigan's We Will Transcend, as a special Valentine to friends who I will transcend with in this life. You can watch Kelly read Transcend, an essay about woman, their strength and friendships over the course of a lifetime...incredibly "on the mark," and moving. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q


I hope that you can find an idea or two to share with your Valentines!


RECIPES


CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES
Scones:
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4-1 1/3 cups whipping cream


Topping:
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2.Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in bowl.
3. Add the chocolate chips.
4. Stir in the cream with a fork until the dough holds together in a sticky mass. (You may need to add a tablespoon or two more of cream until dough holds together.)
5. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board. Knead the dough several times. (Do not handle too much or the scones get very hard.)
6. Pat dough into a 10" circle. Cut circle into 8 wedges (or use a round glass or cookie cutter to make shapes.)
7. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2" apart.
8. Brush scones with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
9. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.




BUTTER PRETZELS WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND M & M'S

1.Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Spread out Butter Snap Pretzels on cookie trays in rows. 
3. Top each pretzel with 3 chocolate chips (you can place a chocolate melt on each one instead of the chips but I have found that they do not stay on as well, once dry.) 
4. Place in the oven and let chocolate melt slightly, approx. 4-5 minutes. 
5. Take out of oven and top each one with an M & M. Let dry.

FLAVORED COCOA MIX
Yields about 19-20 cups of cocoa mix 



1 box ( 1 lb. 10 oz) nonfat dry milk (8 cups)
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
2 jars (8 oz each) of your favorite flavored nondairy creamer. (Past flavors have been Belgian chocolate toffee, gingerbread, peppermint, vanilla hazelnut... anything will do that you like.)
1 jar nondairy creamer (11 oz)
1 box chocolate milk mix (1 pound, more if you like it really chocolatey!)
1/2 teaspoon salt


In a very large pot, combine all ingredients; stir until well blended. Store in an airtight container. Package up with serving instructions


To serve: Stir 3 heaping tablespoons into 6 ounces hot water. Stir.


LOW-FAT OATMEAL BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

3 large bananas, mashed
1/2 unrefined sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour (whole wheat preferred)
1/2 cup rolled oats (instant is fine)
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 chocolate chips

1. Add sugar to mashed bananas and mix.
2. Add beaten egg and mix.
3. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients.
4. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and mix well.
5. Mix in applesauce.
6. Add chocolate chips and stir.
7. Spoon into medium size muffin tins ( use paper liners so they do not stick) and fill 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 20-25 mins. at 350
9. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!!
Meg
 
















Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Week that ALMOST Brought Us Mommas to Our Knees...Almost

The chant was everywhere...on Facebook, at whatever grocery store you could find that was open, at the YMCA's that had power and were housing warm showers and sanity saving work outs, at the Barnes and Noble who had power but no internet, where people were forlornly sitting on the floors based around an outlet to charge whatever device they had in hand...all around you the chant could be heard..."When will the schools be open again so the kids can go back?" Mom's were scarred everywhere, not by the lack of power but by the lack of school being in session. 

It all started as a thing of beauty and to be frankly honest with you, a God send in our house, where we all had stayed up way too late watching a lackluster Super Bowl Game. Gorging on food that our bellies don't typically see, we all felt a little sluggish the next morn. To be treated to a snow storm, snow day and beautiful vistas the next day was a welcome sight indeed.




Things started to go slowly downhill from there. That beautiful carpet of snow was the heaviest in memory and thus caused the gate to only open partially at the end of the driveway which caused one of the girls who board their horse here to get stuck...which caused Chris to get stuck as we drove down to open the gate manually with a the key...which snapped in half upon trying. With the persistence of our son Christopher, he got it open and with a box of cat litter, a bale of straw and some brute strength, we get both cars pushed out and on their way. We headed back down the drive to tuck ourselves back in again with the gate left open so as to not trap some other wary traveler.


Notice trees are already heavy with snow and the fact that we left gate open.


Local moms breathed a sigh of relief that the three day weekend ended with a two hour delay on Tuesday for most of the area. Roads were treacherous, at best getting Cameron to his bus stop a little after 7 am. Poor kid did not have the two hour delay and what typically takes ten minutes top, took thirty. The rest of the day, much is accomplished as we go to town unpacking merchandise in the barn. Snow pants and ski jackets work wonders up there in this weather!  Women all over, get much accomplished in their worlds as the kids are in school. As we picked up kids at the end of the day, rumors began to swirl of more snow and then ice and then all of it turning into rain.

My mind gets diverted from the thought of bad weather overnight as a kind barn sale goer drove down the driveway to tell me that the horses just galloped out onto North Valley Road from our driveway. North Valley Road??? How could they have??? The gate...the gate, which we left open...which is why it was installed, to keep the animals off of North Valley Road!!  If you live around here, you know that North Valley is quite a busy road and at rush hour...I panic, yell for Chris to head out in the car with me and drive to the barn to hurriedly gather halters and lead lines. How the heck am I going to get them?  As I am gathering everything up, Christopher yells to me that they are galloping back down the driveway!!! I run outside and they honesty look like a Clydesdale commercial. Straight into the barn they run. They were followed by the police who were checking in to see who had let the crazy horses gallop up and down North Valley Road. 

They had checked out the scenery and said," whoa...what the heck were we doing breaking down a door and heading out into that mess?"
They were not kidding and as that day finally ended and the weather reports were spouting on about the snow turning to ice and then to rain, the sentiment of, " please let there be no heavy rain," reiterated in my mind. Where would heavy rain go with the snowpack covering all of the drains?


Snow, nor heavy rain was the issue...ice was the enemy.
The entire Northeastern quadrant of Pennsylvania woke up Wednesday morning to an ice covered winter nightmare. The heavy snow laden trees were now covered in a thick layer of ice that while beautiful, was entirely deceptive in its appearance. By sunrise the trees and electricity poles began to give, bearing their burden and destruction ensued. 






Our ancient Willow down by the pond 







IF you could get out of your driveway, roads were closed everywhere and power was lost in our county for over eighty percent of its residents. Schools were shut down as well as businesses. 

What to do with the kids with no power? It was not like they could go and play in the dangerous conditions. As you stood outside you could hear branches cracking and see them falling. That is, IF you could stand outside for the ice covered surfaces. No... sledding or building a snowman was not in the cards. Neither was warming up with a hot cup of hot chocolate or coffee. The idyllic vision of a snow day faded into obscurity as the buzz of chain saws cut the air and transformers created fireworks where there should not have been.

We were one of the lucky ones. We did not loose power...right away, not until after I felt that we could empty all the water filled sinks and tubs that we had prepared. It was not until I posted this adorable picture of Whitebeard who was sitting up on the couch waiting for the Winter Olympics to begin, that the house went dark AND after I received a text from a good friend telling me that the thermostat on her house was reading 38 degrees and I had just asked her to bring her family and sleep over.


As I said, we were one of the lucky ones. We were only without power for 72 hours. Some 10,000 electric customers are still without power, a full five days since the storm in below freezing temps. Lucky again, for we had finally caved in and purchased a generator this past summer after our basement took in more water than the creek behind us could hold after Hurricane Sandy. Living in an old house, the pipes, nor anything else is insulated as it should be, so the generator was put into use keeping heat on so the pipes would not freeze. Whose idea was it to put it underneath our bedroom window? Have you ever heard your neighbors generator before? Or your neighbors neighbors generator? Or the generator in the next neighborhood? They produce enough noise to let someone know that they are still in the land of the living. And that is what we all are in...still in the land of the living, fortunate and blessed as to not loose any lives in this disastrous event. Yes, we were inconvenienced and yes, some still are and yes, many suffered and lost income either by their businesses being closed or lost work days. Some have incurred extensive damages to their property but there is a silver lining to every cloud. The kindness of people came to the forefront, helping each other out. People borrowed generators, milk, bread, chain saws. They checked on their neighbors and provided goods to those who could not get out and do so themselves. Those with power had those without power come and shower or get warm or sleepover. We survived together, commiserated together and kept each other warm together. Yes, the winter of 2014 will go do in infamy but so will the kindness of human kind.

Look on the bright side. We have much to be thankful for...there is school tomorrow...our kids survived without their electronic devices for extended periods of time, as did we and our fortitude has been strengthened...we know we can do it again if we have to...I hope we do not have to!



In the belief of the kindness of our fellow man and woman...
Meg








  














Monday, February 3, 2014

Double Happiness!


Showers of happiness were bestowed upon Lauren and Marco this past Saturday as Life's Patina helped Lauren's mom put on a beautiful and warm shower for the special couple. 


Working with Barbara was a delight in and of itself for she and I were on exactly the same page as to what we wanted the day to look like and how we wanted the guests to feel...like they were in the comfy living room of a home.






I hung one of our Two Girls In Avignon hand painted panels to screen the kitchen work area where Loraine was whipping up some goodies to delight the taste buds.


Beet and Tangerine Shooters

Shrimp and Avocado in Wonton Cups and Beef Carpaccio 




Mixed Grains with Grilled Vegetables  



Arugula and Spring Mix Salad with Pears, dried cranberries and a Cinnamon Reduction Balsamic Vinaigrette



Salmon Provencal and Chicken Breasts stuffed with spinach and sun dried tomatoes rounded out the offerings.



The whole design motif was  simple elegance. The scrumptious cake embodied that.




 I used these precious egg cups that we just ordered while in Atlanta to house a bit of moss and a baby blue robins egg...blue being the color of the day!


 Silver candlesticks added to the sparkle when lit before lunch.



The silver tea and coffee samovars juxtaposed the simplicity of the barrels and antique windows behind the tea service.


Antique silver spoons inserted into styrofoam covered in moss hold menu cards as the painted white pots kept them grounded.


We used an antique crib to hold the gracious gifts.



Barbara found the Prosesco that I had showed her that had the perfect blue label on the bottle to coordinate. Lining a garden urn with a silver bowl and ice did the trick to keep them chilled. Perfect for Mimosas!


The guests left with a split of Moet Champagne that Barbara searched for and found. The perfect compliment to a gathering of family and friends who came together to celebrate the start of something special...two times over!




Thank you Barbara, Lauren and Marco for letting us help kick off your upcoming adventure!

Twice as much to love, two blessings from above.
Meg