Design Caller ~ Selected Spaces

Friday, March 23, 2012

Rustic Elegance, Easy as Pie**

** Recipe Included for a simple, awesome pie

Rustic, elegant, pleasing....

So lovely and relaxing!

An elegant yet humble kitchen:

Saltine Cracker Pie.
This divine meringue pie is magic. The simple recipe has such humble ingredients, you cannot believe the results.

No one would guess that this divine meringue pie comes from such humble beginnings, but the best is usually the simplest, right?

This is my mother-in-law's version. Sinfully delicious:
16 Saltine Crackers, Crumbled
9" Pie Pan, Buttered
3 Egg Whites
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 C Sugar
1/2 C Pecans, Chopped
2 tsp Vanilla
Beat egg whites until foamy
Add cream of tartar and beat egg whites until stiff
Gradually Add sugar to egg whites slowly
Fold the crumbled crackers into the egg whites.
Fold in pecans and vanilla
Pour into the buttered pie pan
Bake at 350º F for 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Top it with whipped cream,throw in pineapple preserves mixed with the whipped cream ,or use chocolate whipped cream, ice cream ...yum!

Simple Ingredients, elegant results.

Have a great day!

Valerie

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Safety Gates

Traditional, sturdy, pleasing safety:

For simpler, modern tastes, Munchkin LOFT Infant Safety Gate:

I include this next one to make a point--

There is no such thing as "ugly" when it comes to child safety:

Nothing particularly stylish here. The beauty is in the safety.

But if you do it, isn't this better?

Don't forget the deck!

If there is the slightest chance that a child can access it,

the pool needs its own safety fence,

even if the backyard is fenced.

You know that, of course.

Perfect for my ShihTzu, but my mother's crazy large dogs could totally jump over this...

... so, we are gertting her this sturdy, tall, attractive solution:

This gorgeous gate is for dogs, not babies.

Safety is Beautiful, and Good Design can
make it fit right in to your home.

Have a happy, safe, secure day!
xo
Valerie

via via via via via via via via

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Romantic, Beautiful, Sexy Bathrooms Part 2

MORE romantic, beautiful, and sexy bathrooms!

You will find clever little ideas in many of them, that

you can try out in your own "Ablutions Center"

>Something as simple as a side table
with a couple of lovely flowers
by the bathtub
So Nice!!!

The view alone would do it for me...

The ladder, the bamboo...

I think the "canopy", and the table across the bathtub in image 1, are great, easy ideas...
Now (note-to-self) all I need is a free-standing tub!
How about you?

Have a sweet day!
xo
Valerie

1-via 2-via 3-via 4-via 5-via 6-via 7-via 8-via 9-via 10-via

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Romantic, Beautiful, Sexy Bathrooms Part I

There are many ways to spice up your life.

Maybe some bathroom design can do the trick?

After a long day, how nice to be able to escape to one of these rooms:

A fireplace and DeGournay wallpaper!!!

The cost of creating one of these special bathrooms can range from reasonable to ridiculous. But no matter what the budget allows, it's do-able -- and an effort you will appreciate.

Have a great day!

Valerie

1-via 2-via 3-via 4-via 5-via 6-via
7-via 8-via 9-via 10-via 11-via 12-via

Monday, March 19, 2012

New Orleans Folklore, Tradition, Style

Just a quick note about St. Joseph's Day in New Orleans...Sicilian Tradition in New Orleans:

Every March in New Orleans, classified ads begin to appear in local papers from devout Catholics inviting the public at large to view their St. Joseph's Day altars.

Altars can be anything from humble affairs, to elaborate arrays worthy of a top-flight caterer. Food from these altars is traditionally given away to the needy.

Every year on March 19, thousands of locals and out-of-towners come to homes in New Orleans to enjoy the St. Joseph’s Day altars.

Altars are displays constructed by Catholics to honor St. Joseph, whom they credit for sending rain to save the starving people of Sicily from a severe drought during the Middle Ages.

According to tradition, Sicily once experienced a failure of all crops other than beans; the beans kept the population from starvation, and thanks were given to Saint Joseph. Broad beans subsequently became traditional on Saint Joseph's Day altars in many Italian communities.

Some people carry a broad bean for good luck; some believe that if one carries a broad bean, one will never be without the essentials of life.

Thankful Sicilians offered their finest crops to feed the poor, a display of food and faith that continues today. Candles, religious figures, cakes, cookies, tarts, breads, memorials...

This delicious and beautiful custom, La Tavola di San Giuseppe, came to New Orleans in the 1800s as immigrants formed what is still the largest Sicilian population in the United States.