Inspiration Junky #4 // Fashion Week + Tahoe

January 31, 2013

This week was a short work week for me since I'm off to Tahoe today for some quality time with friends and the ski slopes! In 3 days, I managed to obsess over my favorite dumpling restaurant in the city, Vanessa's (seriously amazing and cheapest meal in the city - 4 dumplings for $1!), and ogle over the beautiful fashion that will soon be on display for Fashion Week!

I've been really impressed with J.Crew's fashion week shows recently and am excited to see what comes next in the world of silky fabrics and tailored patterns.

Wishing everyone a happy weekend!
Corbin


hump day home makeover / the nursery files #1

January 30, 2013

It's another week of Hump Day Home Makeover, and I've got big news. I'm so excited to say that my sister is pregnant, and I could not be more excited to become an Aunt! My sister and I are five years apart, polar opposites, but extremely close despite her move to Charlottesville, VA and mine to NYC. We talk on the phone on a regular basis and found out we are actually only a 6 hour train ride away!

She and her husband recently bought a new house and now with the news of the baby, she is in some serious need of interior design help. Woohoo - this is where I come in! 

What was the last item you knew on the spot you had to have?

January 29, 2013

It's been a long time since I let myself make an impulse buy, but I will say I highly recommend it.

Today was one of those days where you crank through a few cups of coffee, scarf your lunch in 5 mins, and then all of the sudden it's 7PM and you're asking where did today go?? On these days, I say - online shop (as if you need another excuse).



I saw this camo jacket on Pinterest, and immediately called the 5th Ave Free People store to see if I could pick it up tonight. Am I a marketer's dream or what!?! Check, they had it in stock and on hold before it even hit their floor = instant mood booster.

And as my co-worked would say "forget chicken soup for the soul, fashion for the soul."

GET THE LOOK:


Lauren Elan Jewelry Collection

January 28, 2013

Lauren Elan "Olivia" Necklace - White

Last Spring, I discovered Toronto jewelry designer, Lauren Elan, and her beautiful statement pieces in a bit of a funny, haha, I'm shocked and definitely, pleasantly surprised kind of way.

Inspiration Junky #3 // Fashion, Design & DIY

January 26, 2013

So far this weekend, I have discovered there are 48 tissues in a tissue box . . .  the hard way. I am sick, but the good news is there's plenty of time for blogging and neglected TV shows.

In this week's Inspiration Junky, I am still stuck on DIY terrariums. I called six Urban's looking for my terrarium's new home today. No luck. Also this week, I found out that microbeads are made of plastic and are not biodegradable. Tossing that face wash and feeling good about it - I don't think it really did anything special in the first place. 

Hope everyone else is having a great weekend!


Hump Day Home Makeover // Lovely Office Spaces

January 23, 2013

This week, Hump Day Home Makeover is back (I know you missed it), and what better way to kick it off this week's office edition than by featuring jewelry designer, Jennifer Fisher's, office space spotlighted in Matchbook Mag this month.



Isn't her space amazing? I love the eclectic mix of fashion and art work on her inspiration wall and muted walls mixed with the contrast of the black chair and white desk.

One of the reasons I love home decorating so much is because I've definitely noticed how much different spaces affect your mood, energy and even motivation. Keeping that in mind, your office decoration is EXTREMELY important whether your writing thank you notes (which I still need to do) or doing your job from a home office. My ideal office space is a mix of vintage, modern and traditional accents. 

Get the look:

Chinese Chippendale Chair (Wisteria) | Vintage Oak Card Catalog (Etsy) | Inspiration Board (Jennifer Fisher) | Hazy Skies Paint (Benjamin Moore)Lamp, Black (Lulu & Georgia) | Office Storage Boxes (Container Store) | Beverly Large Desk, White (High Fashion Home)  | Sven Leather Dining Chair (Dwell Studio) | Domino: The Book of Decorating (Anthropologie) | Rope What Indoor, Outdoor (Dash & Albert)

More office space inspiration:




Turkey Chili Recipe

January 22, 2013

Many of you might know that this is my first winter in NYC. After growing up spending a majority of winters in Atlanta with a few in Ohio during college, I am NOT prepared for this. My weather app this morning told me it is a daunting 19 degrees outside. Nineteen . . . and I was complaining about 30 degrees just the other day. So in light of this bone chilling weather, I thought it was the perfect time to share this easy and quick turkey chili recipe I discovered the other week.


I have been continuing my New Years Resolution of cooking *more* (keyword) at home, and discovered this recipe when I was trying to use all of the turkey and kidney beans I had bought for burgers and salads. Ground turkey and kidney beans automatically made me think chili, so I picked up a few more ingredients and came up with this. It is surprising delicious and easy, so I had to share.

Servings: 2

Ingredients
.8 lbs ground turkey (half of a 1.3 lb pack)
1 can tomato soup with tomato chunks
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup black beans
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Pour a teaspoon of olive oil in a medium sized skillet and place over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to chop up the turkey. Add cumin and chili powder to the turkey. Continue to mix and chop turkey for about 5-7 minutes or until pink is no longer showing.

Heat tomato soup, kidney beans and black beans over medium heat in a sauce pan. Stir in tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper and heat for 10 mins (do not boil yet). Add cooked ground turkey to mixture and allow to boil. Once boiling, cover the saucepan and turn off the heat. Let stand.

Have any go-to recipes for cold weather?? Please share!

Inspiration Junky // Style & Design #2

January 22, 2013











My favorite thing on this week's inspiration junky is definitely the creative plant holders. I have got to pull this off for my next DIY project. I love the life and vibe they bring to home decorations. The garden photos are from this awesome market around the corner from my office in Tribeca, All Good Things, so if anyone has seen this done as a DIY project I'd love the tips! 

Let Them Eat Cake

January 16, 2013

You may remember that I am a huge fan of Domino Magazine. When I discovered Domino in 2005, it was the first home design magazine that I had ever really identified with and the idea of working for a publication like that quickly became my dream job. The images and articles were different than the ones in the magazines that adorned my mom’s coffee table growing up. The modern and varietal collection of home décor pictures and DIY tips and tricks were fun and inspiring, and yet felt attainable.


So, when it came back in 2012, after a 3 year hiatus, I was quick to buy the $10.99 special edition - Quick Fixes, and just as quick to buy the Fall/Winter 2012 special edition – Best Rooms. In the Best Rooms edition, I discovered Amy Kehoe, and was inspired by a wood block print from Mark Milroy.


Turns out Mark Milroy and his wife, Kelly, actually own a limited edition print shop called Moody Road Studios in northeast Pennsylvania. The prints are hand-carved into blocks of clear pine, and are absolutely beautiful. Mark and Kelly were nice enough to send me a print, and I’m so excited to feature it on Decor-Eat today.


I've styled my limited edition "Let Them Eat Cake" print on my bar, and love its versatility and character.



I also love that the prints are created keeping nature in mind. Moody Road Studios uses sustainable cotton paper, non-toxic ink, and a hand-crank press to keep its footprint small.



See more of the Moody Road Studio collection here.



Pesto Turkey Burgers With Feta Cheese Recipe

January 15, 2013

Next up in the Fuel Your New Years Resolution series is one of my go-to recipes - Pesto Turkey Burgers with Feta Cheese. 

I normally make this recipe with panko bread crumbs, but since the theme of this recipe series is to help inspire healthy eating I left them out and really didn't miss them. The trick to eating healthy is really to watch your serving size. Serve with a kale salad and some sauteed mushrooms for vitamin A, fiber and antioxidants. 

Ingredients
.8 lbs ground turkey (round to 1 lb for 4 burgers)
1 tbsp pesto
1/4 cup feta cheese
salt & pepper
olive oil

Mix turkey, pesto and feta cheese together. Shape mixture into 3-4, 1/2 inch thick patties. Make sure to mix well before creating the patties so the pesto and feta cheese is mixed throughout.
Coat skillet with olive oil or cooking spray, and make sure the entire bottom of the skillet is coated so the patties do not burn or stick to the pan. Cook over medium-high for about 5 minutes a side or until they are no longer pink in the center. I usually cut mine in half to make sure it's not pink in the middle. If they are taking longer than you expected to cook cover the pan with a lid and check back every minute or so.

Inspiration Junky // Style & Design #1

January 13, 2013



Olivia Palermo: I've been seeing Olivia Palermo's style influence pop up more and more in my daily web browsing or even shopping. After winning a giftcard from Piperlime the other month, I discovered Olivia's picks within their store. Turns out we have the same taste, because everything I liked happen to have a note that it was on her list.

Lamp: I am obsessed with the combination of white and gold. They are such a great complement to each other, and I love the mix of textures in this lamp. It's definitely made it to my wish list.

Shoes: I saw these shoes on Anthropologie's website the other day, and even though the thought of what these would look like after a few minutes on the NY sidewalk or subway, I had to share. The cutout heel detail is amazing.

Journal: This journal is my dream journal. For any of you journal writers, you will know what I'm talking about when I say this one of those journals that just feels good to write in (and if not, please refer to my earlier nerd reference).

Quote: I had to include this, because it's really something I always try to keep in mind and think to myself in any unpleasant situations.

Bag: Rag & Bone is my current favorite designer that I can't afford, but I had to share this bag because I love it's look and functionality. The fully open top makes it super easy to find things.

Matchstick Bangles: I've seen spoons, animal heads, snakes and more turned into bracelets, but I liked this clever idea of mixing gold and black to depict matchsticks.

Please feel free to share anything that inspires you in the comments!

Fuel Your New Years Resolution // 4 Vegan Foods That Will Surprise You

January 10, 2013

One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to cook more. As much as I love restaurant going (and Seamless), New York is expensive, and cooking at home saves a lot of money. Plus, it's fun and rewarding to share recipes when you find something really good...like vegan food. 

For my non-vegan readers - try to ignore the "wait, whats" sounding off in your head and keep reading. 

I am serious. Vegan food is amazing. To make my point, I am not a vegan, and probably won't ever be.  I am a HUGE sucker for cheese. Cheese dip, cheesecakes, cheese plates, but this list of vegan foods surprisingly includes some cheesy (and chocolate) dishes that are to die for and of course dairy free. 


1 - Vegan Cheese on a Veggie California Burger from BareBurger (NYC)
2 - Daiya Vegan Cheddar 
3 - Raw Vegan Cheesecake - Recipe Here
4 - Vegan Coconut Cacao Kale Chips
5 - Vegan Dark Chocolate

It's hard to pick a favorite from the list above, but I think it's a close tie between the raw vegan cheesecake and kale chips. They are both on my list to make and share the recipes, but in the meantime - for those of you in Atlanta - you HAVE to go to Cafe Sunflower and get their vegan cheesecake. It's where I discovered this amazing desert and I promise it's worth the trip.  The New York Naturals are made in Brooklyn, but they have an online ordering system as well.



Faux Fur Frenzy

January 08, 2013

It is finally here! My new faux fur throw from Restoration Hardware, and I could not be more excited. The heat in my building has been super iffy this winter, and to say I've been FREEZING is an understatement. Restoration Hardware is one of my favorite retail decor stores, and one I really wish I could afford to outfit my whole room with its inventory. (If you haven't seen their lithograph maps, you have to check them out!)



I trekked this sucker from Tribeca to Gramercy for a Bachelor/National Championship detour to the East Village with a box of Christmas goodies just to get this sucker home. Two sore arms and what I consider a NY work out later, and its comfy and cozy in my room. Slowly but surely my bedroom makeover is coming together although changing directions constantly. I've been eyeing this new addition to my room for quite some time and was able to snag it during a holiday sale.

Next up on the room docket - are a duvet and pillows. My inspiration? A few rooms from some very talented designers. Clearly. I love this first one, and it has served as some great inspiration for my room with my headboard and faux fur throw coming close to the design. Now only if I could paint my walls...

source
This next one has a great mix of neutrals, pink and brass. I'm still on the look out for a new pair of pink pillows to do the trick since the paintbrush set I had my eyes on sold out at Lulu & Georgia. Any recommendations?

Photographer: Simon Upton for Elle Decor
Last on my inspiration list is another room with a wall color to envy. Again with the wishing I could paint my walls, I love the deep blue/gray mixed with the gold and fur throw. You may be seeing a curtain and picture frame solve for this one - coming soon.

ryan korban

Fuel Your New Year's Resolution // Shaved Asparagus + Pistachio Mâche Salad

January 06, 2013

Next up in the Fuel Your New Year's Resolution series is one of my favorites from Ruth Reichl's "The Gourmet Cookbook." I love this salad because it's so different from my usual goat cheese and dijon vinaigrette go-to or any salad I see on restaurant's menus.
Ingredients
mâche (lamb's lettuce)
jumbo asparagus spears
shaved parmigiano reggiano
shelled pistachios nuts chopped

Dressing Ingredients * Add a little bit of lemon juice to the dressing - the citrus is a great complement to the asparagus and parmesan.*
champagne vinegar  
extra virgin olive oil 
salt and pepper


Enjoy
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