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Food & Recipes

Recipe: Sweet Summer Strawberry Lemonade

 

This past weekend it was incredibly hot outside which had me craving a glass of cool, refreshing strawberry lemonade! I made a pitcher on Saturday and it was delicious. The ingredients are simple. All you need are lemons, strawberries, sugar and water. The recipe is super simple too.

Nicole’s Sweet Summer Strawberry Lemonade

5-6 large lemons

1 lb strawberries

5 cups cold water (approx)

A concoction of simple syrup made from 1 1/2 cups sugar dissolved into 1 cup of warm water.

Note: The pitcher I use holds approx 80 oz so you can adjust the recipe based on …

Entertaining Essentials

New Tabletop Collection from DwellStudio

I’m obsessed with DwellStudio’s stylish new tabletop collection! The recently launched line includes placemats, dinner napkins, runners, coasters, cocktail napkins and aprons (the latter three are new introductions). The pieces are all 100% linen with the exception of the placemats and runners which are a linen/cotton blend. All of the items were made using eco-friendly dyes and feature, modern, graphic prints in sophisticated colors that would blend well in any interior setting. The prints and patters were designed with mixing and matching in mind. Above, the Chionoiserie placemats (my favorite!) are paired with the Gate napkins in java…a super chic…
Gifting & Ettiquette

The Smythson Guide to Everyday Stationery




A couple of years ago I picked up a copy of The Smythson Guide to Everyday Stationery, a useful reference book on the art of correspondence by Smythson of Bond Street. I originally purchased my pink leather bound edition shown above as a gift for someone else but loved it so much I ended up keeping it for myself!

The book mainly focuses on etiquette and style but is also is a primer on stationery in general, covering such topics as watermarks, paper textures, typefaces and the appropriate paper weights for various types of correspondence.

There’s also a short …

Entertaining Essentials

JA Design Studio

I absolutely love beautiful, hand printed textiles and was thrilled to discover the work of JA Design Studio. The Miami based company offers an assortmet of luxury textiles including table linens, throw pillows, custom bedding, drapery panels and more. They also have a line fabrics by the yard called Plumwich, which is available exclusively to the trade via showrooms around the country. Each design is screen printed by hand, mostly on fine Belgian linen but also on cottons, silks and velvets. The products are beautifully finished and possess an antique like quality that only adds to their appeal. The…
Food & Recipes

Yum Yum Chefs


Photo: Bill Brady/Uptown

I’m always inspired when I hear about people who took a leap of faith and quit the corporate grind to follow their passions. Such is the case with two friends of mine, Vanessa Cantave and Gracia Walker who run a cutting edge food services company called Yum Yum Chefs which is based in DUMBO Brooklyn.


Photo: Bill Brady/Uptown

In 2005 Vanessa left her job in the advertising and marketing industry to explore her passion for cooking at the renowned French Culinary Institute. While in school she apprenticed under famed chef Daniel Boulud and after graduating at the …