Here’s to a Delicious 2012

Image property of art.com

I have never been one for New Year’s resolutions.  Being from the Midwest, January first is inevitably cold, dreary, and bleak, just outside of the shortest day of the year, and frankly the worst time to dig up the motivation that real change needs in order to be realized.  Perhaps a throw-back to when I was facing a new school year, but I always thought September as being the natural time to resolve, to reinvent and to renew. 

But, 2012 came at the exact time I felt that some change was in order.  Not in the sense of the traditional, “eat more leafy greens, less cake” variety but to resolve to lead a more inspiring, more engaging 2012.  So that means doing things like taking some workshop courses at the University of Illinois and taking a long weekend to go away to a yoga retreat.

How about you?  Do you make New Year’s resolutions? 

J Brand Announces Sportswear Collection

Photo credit and story details:  WWD

Summer is not over, yet I am already looking forward to Spring 2012 when J. Brand launches their new 140 piece sportswear line.  As reported on WWD this morning, the collection includes leather jackets, tops, pants, and skirts.  Donald Oliver, new design director, is heading the operation.  “From day one, we wanted her [the customer] to be easygoing, uncomplicated, subtly sophisticated," said Oliver. "We wanted her to feel relevant, not trendy, not like she’s trying too hard, which is why I think the garments have an ease about them.”

I have always considered Vince to be my favorite band when it comes to timeless sportswear that always feels right.  However, the J., Brand launch will be challenging that come 2012, based on the preview looks and my fanatical obsession with their jeans.

What about you?  Are you a J Brand fan?

Barbie Needs a Pool Boy

The closest I come to collecting anything is when I curate items to hang in my closet.  But these Barbie® dolls available today on Gilt made me smile.  The Palm Beach ones are my favorite.  Can't you just imagine them at an evening soiree with the gossip flying over gin gimlets? 

Salad Days of Summer

Last Summer, I decided to do myself a favor and have one go-to dish that I could whip up for all those barbeques and last minute backyard picnics that pop up once the weather turns warm.  That idea served me so well; I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Orzo Salad with Feta

Ingredients

One cup of orzo

Half pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half

Half of a seedless cucumber, peeled (I leave little ribbons of the skin on for added color) and rough chopped)

3-4 ounces crumbled feta (I use the Whole Foods brand, comes in a 6 ounce tub)

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons chopped basil (if you love basil like me, you can add more)

1 and ½ teaspoons of  red wine vinegar (lemon juice also works really well, but increase it to 2 Tablespoons)

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons kalmata olives, rough chop, if desired.

(If you happen to have fresh mint on hand, a couple of  leaves very finely chopped adds a nice flavor element.  No need to make a purchase just for this)

Execution

Cook the orzo in well salted water according to package instructions.

While the orzo cooks, whisk the vinegar and oil in a bowl.  Taste and adjust as desired, add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the orzo is done, toss in the vinaigrette (the warm orzo will absorb the flavors perfectly) sprinkle the chopped fresh herbs, toss again.  Next add the vegetables and olives if using.  Lastly, add the feta and gently toss (you do not want to completely break up all the crumbles of feta, it’s nice to have some little bits running throughout and some bigger pieces).

Enjoy!  This is one of those dishes that really is fool proof.  Love feta?  Add more.  Do not have cucumber on hand?  Use the entire pint of tomatoes. 

Make it a meal

And fresh cooked shrimp or cubes of grilled chicken to make a one dish summer meal, perfect for packing up in a picnic basket.

On the Fringe



Anthropologie fringed basket bag, $238



When I first spotted Anthropologie’s fringed basket bag in a catalog, I was smitten.  It seemed like the perfect thing to wear with this designer I love.  But after looking at it online, now I can’t make up my mind.  And, since I am planning on getting these which I know I will live in it seems like, with the bag, it will just be overkill.  What do you think? 

Adoration for Adore Home Magazine

Image property of Adore Home Magazine

Adore Home Magazine just released their April/May edition and it is full of inspiring rooms and great decorating tips.  This online publication comes to us from Australia and is my go-to source for new ideas when it comes to decorating. 

Everything they showcase looks refined but comfortable, unique but welcoming.  Scroll down to see some of my favorite looks from their new magazine.  Take a look for yourself and see how Adore does Spring.  See anything you like?








Image property of Adore Home Magazine




Image property of Adore Home Magazine



Ryann Rose Designs

With Spring ushering in such strong changes to fashion’s silhouettes, the time is perfect not only to refresh what’s hanging in your closet, but also to take a look at updating your jewelry box too.  Ryann Rose Designs is a new Etsy shop filled with the kind of pieces I want to wear right now.  The beaded bracelets will look perfect with wide leg jeans, chunky platforms and airy tops.  Or, pick up one of the statement rings.  These rings manage to be striking while still having that casual bohemian vibe so they work equally well for day or evening. 

In addition to the Etsy store, where prices range from $15 - $40, Ryann Rose Designs also takes custom orders.  I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my triple beaded bracelet in red bamboo coral.

What about you?  What is your favorite in her shop?

Disclosure: Delicious is related to the Ryann Rose designer by marriage, however this is not a sponsored post.

J. Crew Launches Blog

Because you love “Jenna’s Picks”, because if J. Crew had an offical season it would certainly be Spring, because you already read this month’s Vogue, because you can’t think of one reason not to click here and read J. Crew’s new blog.

And oh, Happy Friday.  What you up to this weekend?

The Perfect Chair

Images property of Herman Miller

After I bought my first loft in downtown Chicago, I spent any lunch hour I could sneak out of the office shopping for it.  On my wish list was this molded plywood chair by Charles and Ray Eames.  Originating in 1946, it’s still a timeless classic today.  In fact in 1999 it made Time magazine’s “Best of the Century” list for design, beating out the Swatch watch, which was a runner up.  Alas, I sold my loft before I ever acquired the chair.  I wanted it in cherry red back then, but I think I am leaning towards walnut now.  How about you?  What color would you pick?

Available at www.hermanmiller.com and other fine retailers.

A Fashion Favorite Returns

Images Property of Haute Hippie

We here at Delicious are breathing a big sigh of relief.  Haute Hippie’s website is back online.  Taken down for a few months to re-tool, the new site includes the Spring look book and Haute Hippie’s look books are always a delight to flip through.

I discovered Haute Hippie about two years ago, stumbling upon their website while I was shopping online (when I should have been catching up on emails, no doubt).  I was instantly drawn to the uniqueness of their designs and timeless, wanderlust feel to them. I remember seeking out a shop in Chicago to go see their wares in person, concerned that the look book may not represent as well in real life. Has that happened to you?  You fall in love online only to be let down when you meet the real thing?  Not the case here.  The care Haute Hippie puts into the design of their fashion is carried right through to the details of execution.  Back then, they were a few people working out of an apartment in New York.  But it is nice to see they have managed to grow without losing touch with what made them so wonderful in the first place: truly unique pieces created with an eye for detail and a care for craftsmanship.

So often when you hear the words “timeless classic” in fashion you think of ballet flats, little black dresses and Chanel-inspired jackets.  For me Haute Hippie is a fashion timeless classic for very different reasons.  Haute Hippie has the bohemian, jet -set feel of a one of a kind frock you score in a flea market overseas.  You know, that dress, bag or belt that is yours and yours alone?  So take a look at how Haute Hippie does Spring. I guarantee you, the wide leg jeans you are snatching up right now will eventually take a backseat in your closet, but you will reach for your Haute Hippie year after year.

Haute Hippie is available in a number department stores including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.  Shopbop.com is where I typically get mine.

So, what did you think of their look book?

C/FAN Fan

Chicago designer Christina Fan's C/FAN 2011 Spring/Summer look book, is just one more reason we are so happy that Spring is finally here.  Her designs capture a sense of movement and have an effortless feel about them.  While plenty of designers are showing ballet-inspired looks for Spring, unlike some, Fan manages to keep the look from turning into a costume.  With pieces that range from dresses to tunics to shorts, you will have a hard time picking just one.  I am already on a waiting list at one Chicago boutique for the caftan, to start with.

For availability, click here.

Little Miss Hits the Marc

Miss Marc by Marc Jacobs USB key chain, $38, ShopBop

Office girls of the 50s knew to always have a mini sewing kit, nail file and extra stockings on hand.  I’d say that list still holds, with the addition of a USB jump drive.  USB drives have saved me many times, like when the wireless connection went down minutes before a big presentation or when I needed to do a quick print job in a hotel’s business center.

This Miss Marc by Marc Jacobs USB key chain will make sure I am never without a trusty drive.  Miss Marc has popped up on everything from t-shirts to totes over the years.  While I like her quirky-cute look, at thirty-ahem-something years of age, donning a shirt with her on it never seemed quite right.  But this key chain fits the bill perfectly and I won’t have to worry about anyone at my office walking off with my drive.

What about you?  Do you always have a USB drive on hand?

Love, the Second Time Around

Do you ever contemplate a purchase, decide against it, and regret doing do ever since?  Oh, I have been positively haunted by some of the things that I let get away.  But with Google, I find myself on occasion typing in the lost item with the hopes it pops up on eBay or elsewhere.  

About four years back, I was putting my husband through a University of Michigan graduate school program and watching every penny.  So despite the fact that a certain resin Marc Jacobs white guitar pendant watch necklace was at a “last call” price in my Neiman Marcus shopping cart, I let it go.  I was drawn to the ease and playfulness of it.  It seemed like just the thing I would throw on with one of the grey t shirts I live in and my Supergas, say to take in the Dinosaur Jr. concert that was paying down the street.  Or some for some other occasion where I could, ironically, care less about the time.   

With thanks to eBay, I will soon know if love really is sweeter the second time around.  And, even better, my necklace will be here just in time for me to throw it on with a grey t shirt to watch the Old 97’s play down the street.

So, how about you?  Anything you have let languish in your shopping cart only to regret it later?

Funny Valentine

Photo is property of Mattia Biagi

I have always loved Mattia Biagi’s tar teddy bear.  Perhaps a little sinister to some, I like the way it takes an innocent form, the common teddy bear, and makes you look at it in a completely different perspective.  The tar drips give the bear a sense of movement before it becomes frozen in time. What does it make you think of?  Does it conjure emotions of the innocence of childhood morphing into something else? 

TGIF

Photograph by Romulo Yanes

How happy are we that it is Friday?  I am not sure what was going on around the blog o’sphere this week but it seems like everyone was anxiously waiting for this day to arrive, me included.  So now that it is here, what are you planning to do this weekend?  I am using dog sitting as a great excuse to stay in and cook the entire weekend.  First up, Saturday breakfast:

One perfectly puffed, golden apple pancake

One Illy cappuccino

Have a Delicious weekend!

I Scream, You Scream

Years back, I headed to Cincinnati, OH for a press check.  Despite broken print presses, sleeping in the print shop lounge, and one very difficult client, the whole trip was worth it because I got introduced to Graeter’s ice cream.  Established in 1870, Graeter's uses the French pot process which incorporates much less air in the ice cream than other methods, resulting in the thickest, creamiest ice cream I have ever tasted. 

They ship all over the country, so one Father’s Day I sent my Dad several pints.   He could barely stop eating long enough to call to tell me how amazing it was.  Prices range from $60 to $80 for 6 pints, and $90 to $120 for 12 pints, depending on the shipping area.  Greater’s would make a sweet Valentine’s Day gift.  If an endorsement from Delicious does not have you convinced, according to the February edition of Vogue, Graeter’s is just what Jeanna Lyons is giving this year.

I am curious, do you eat ice cream in the winter or is it just a warm weather treat?

City in a Box



Paris in a Box, London in a Box, New York in a Box

I always like to buy travel-themed gifts for my nieces, and these wooden cityscapes from Muji  are just perfect.  In fact, I think I might have to get the Paris one for my home office.  Which city is your favorite?   



Target’s Latest Designer Collaboration Flies Under the Radar

Linea Pelle for Target Studded Hobo in Black $34.99
Available February–June

Since the first Michael Graves whistling teakettle, Target has been known for “bringing design to all.” Their fashion collaborations are usually advertised in glossies and on TV.  Video on Target.com would showcase designers speaking about the collection and the experience of partnering with Target. Editorial coverage ranged from the Wall Street Journal to Vogue.

So it’s surprising that their current collaboration with Linea Pelle has been available in stores since February 2, with barely a mention.  I spotted the handbags, make-up bags and accessories completely by accident while running errands. 

Admittedly some of Target’s handbag collections have left me cold, such as the recent Mulberry one.  Making a quality faux leather is tricky but the Linea Pelle line is worth a look.  There is a cornflower blue top handle bag that would be perfect for Spring and the black one pictured here will hold you over until then.  The line is part of Target’s Spring 2011 Trend Accessories Collection and prices range from $4.99 to $49.99 for handbags, scarves, jewelry, hats and shoes.  While select items from the collection are availible online, the Linea Pelle items are not (as of press time). 

I am curious, would you have made a trip to Target just to check out the line had you known about it?  Will you go now?

Vanilla Vixen Cakes

Saturday, I met up with friends at one of our favorite bars in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Bar on Buena.  When the waitress overheard that I had celebrated my birthday the previous evening, she came out with large piece of chocolate cake for all of us to share.  One bite and I knew I had to tell you all about it and how to get it. 

Now, I have had cakes from many of Chicago’s popular bakeries, but this is one of the finest chocolates cakes I have ever had in the city.  This cake had rich chocolate flavor that was the perfect balance between sweet and bittersweet.  The frosting was creamy perfection, chocolate as well but not too much to overpower the cake.  There was also a hint of shredded coconut that added an element of sweet surprise, but what really won me over was the flavor of the chocolate and how light and fluffy the cake was.  Everyone at the table agreed, even my best guy friend who doesn’t even consider himself that much of a chocolate person.

Then, I came to learn that our waitress’s generosity was not the only thing behind the surprise dessert.  She baked it herself!  Heather Reardon of Vanilla Vixen Cakes supplies local restaurants with her confections and also takes custom orders.  My advice this Valentine’s Day, skip the whole prix fixe menu ordeal, stay in, and order one of her cakes to celebrate. 

Besides being delicious, don't you just love her company's name?

For more information or to place an order contact: heather@vanillavixencakes.com

Shake it Up

From Design Milk,

Reverse Salt and Pepper, $32, Chiasso

I have needed new salt and pepper shakers for, oh I’d say about a year now.  What’s the hold up in getting on that, you ask?  Why the opportunity at stake, of course.  I can’t make up my mind.  Do I go with something whimsical and colorful from Alessi? Or something understated, like these brushed nickel ones from Calvin Klein?

Helping, and at the same time delaying, my decision is Design Milk’s round up of salt and pepper shakers.  A long-time follower of Design Milk, I nearly fell off my chair when I read their Facebook post, “Behind Design Milk there is just a girl who loves design.” “A” girl runs this blog?  The features are so diverse; the coverage is so in-depth; the design so lovely, I assumed it was a team of people. 

So please, visit Design Milk and tell me what you think.  And, oh, back to the task at hand.  What salt and pepper shakers would you buy if you were me?