Monday 30 September 2013

Luxembourg in autumn



I never get tired of this view. This is the old part of Luxembourg City called Grund and to me these houses look more like doll's houses when seen from above. The last time I shared photos of it on the blog it was wintertime. I snapped this one on Saturday when taking friends visiting from Iceland for a walk down into the Pétrusse Valley. They were of course in awe of the view and the scenery. It was a beautiful and warm autumn day; the Valley was at its best.

I hope your week is starting off well!

photo credit:
Lisa Hjalt

Friday 27 September 2013

Bon week-end



As an avid reader, this photo resonated with me the minute I saw it. There is something about sitting at a café, wrapped in a pashmina (or a blanket) and reading that makes my heart tick.

It is a rare sight to see people with books these days. Just this morning at the train station in the city my teenage daughter said to me that everyone was either on the phone or listening to music on the phone. Everyone had the head buried in their phone and no one seemed to be looking up. People even walked without looking up from their phone. An interesting observation by a teenager, I have to say. At cafés and on the train my head is often buried in a book or a magazine. I like the noise and distraction by something going on in my surroundings; I don’t want to block out the environment completely. When I walk I walk with my app-free phone in the bag, if I remember to bring it with me. I guess I'm not much of a phone person. I like looking straight ahead when walking.

Have a wonderful weekend!

photo credit:
Dmitry Kutuzov Photography, discovered via Tumblr

Thursday 26 September 2013

Autumn in my corner | k&a soup recipe



It is a beautiful and sunny autumn day in my corner of the world. There are hardly any visible autumn colours yet but I'm guessing nature will soon get busy. I know I have already mentioned this soup twice this week but now I have added the recipe of sweet potato soup with toasted pumpkin seeds to my kitchen & aroma food blog.


Last Friday I was telling you about two books that I have now finished reading. I have to say that Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann is one of the best novels I have read in years. It's a book I will be reading again one day. I enjoyed the story Louise Erdrich tells in her The Master Butchers Singing Club and the characters grew well on me, but there were a few things in the narrative that I would have liked to see her weave differently. There was nothing that annoyed me but it sometimes felt as if the author was maybe telling too many stories in one. I also got the feeling that she had decided on the title before finishing the story in her mind. The title hadn't really much to do with the essence of the book.

It doesn't mean that I'm giving up on Erdrich because I'm currently reading her first novel, Love Medicine, and I have borrowed The Plague of Doves, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for fiction back in 2009. I also borrowed Home by Marilynne Robinson, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2005 for Gilead. As I held these books in my hands at the library, I wondered if I was the first borrower. I honestly don't think these copies have ever been read. Have people stopped using libraries?


Wednesday 25 September 2013

Space: a dining room in an old boathouse



The arrival of autumn always makes me recipe-crazier than usual (if you saw my stack you would understand why I use the word crazy). I find myself viewing endless recipes, especially soups. Pies too. I also find myself more drawn to rustic countryside homes that look both homey and stylish. My eyes go straight to the photos of the kitchen and dining area, and I get particularly happy if the table has been set. The dining room in the photo is in an old boathouse, which has been renovated and is used as a summer house. I like that they keep cushions on the benches and blankets to keep warm. It looks so snug.

I have to tell you that for dinner yesterday I made the Sweet Potato Soup (it contains carrots as well) that I mentioned in my yesterday's post. I used Greek yoghurt instead of heavy cream and I added fresh ginger and I loved it. It reminded me of this Zanzibar Carrot and Coconut Soup that I like serving when the weather gets colder.

photo credit:
Lina Ikse Bergman for Country life #1, 2011 via Sköna hem

Tuesday 24 September 2013

brighter shade than pale 15 - autumn

Autumn has officially arrived and even though we are still enjoying wonderful weather, I find myself embracing the new season. In fact, for years I haven't been as excited about the arrival of autumn as I am now (the plums in our garden are definitely helping ... trust me, that plum pie was delicious). There is something in the air, not only the crispness that greets me when I head out the door in the morning, something else that I cannot quite put my finger on. Maybe I'm just waiting to see the autumn colours slowly appearing. I'm also excited about making this Sweet Potato Soup later today.

photo credit:
1: Rebecca Arthurs Photography via Seasonal Love / 2: Mark Roper for Country Style / 3: M. Reichel via The Fuller View / 4: Hanna Skoog of Moodboard / 5: Lisa Hjalt / 6: Garance Doré

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Monday 23 September 2013

Notes à la mode 37



Today I'm taking you back to the year 2006 and to the streets of Paris (Audrey was spot on, Paris is always a good idea). These first three images are part of an old Zara ad campaign, featuring model Anja Rubik. The one below has been in my files for a long time and it wasn't until I began viewing the others better that I fell flat for the one above, taken in a narrow street called Rue de Bourbon le Château in the 6th district (an Isabel Marant boutique is close by). I still remember this street; it was close to my hotel when I visited Paris last year.

A beautiful street in Paris and a coat with 3/4 sleeves - now, that is something to make my heart beat a little faster!


In my NOTES À LA MODE 36 I was in the mood for some herringbone and I still am. This autumn my wardrobe is craving a herringbone piece. I'm feeling these two Calvin Klein trousers, part of the autumn 2006 collection.



photo credit:
1-3: Zara Autumn 2006 ad campaign via Fashion Ad Explorer | models: Anja Rubik + Will Chalker / 4-5: Marcio Madeira via Vogue US | Calvin Klein Collection Autumn 2006

Friday 20 September 2013

Bon week-end



This novel, Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, is keeping me company on the train these days and I'm now on the last pages. I love its style. A book that tells many stories in one. This one is set in New York and it's Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the Twin Towers back in 1974 that ties the stories together. It was Mary Jo who recommended it to me and also a book called The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich, which I got at the library yesterday. Just felt it was right to share these recommendations with all the book lovers out there.

When I got back home the postman had brought me the October issue of Harper's Bazaar UK to add to my weekend reading. It's been a busy week and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I just have to run out the door one more time and afterwards it's relaxation and Friday-pizza time.

For those interested in architecture and interior design, today I'm a guest blogger at Igor's Happy Interior Blog, sharing a stylish home on the Greek island Mykonos.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday 19 September 2013

drawing with light 26

Grand Canal, Venice.

photo credit:
Neil Cherry

Wednesday 18 September 2013

The old quarter of Grund



I am having a busy week; going into the city a lot. It seemed fitting today to post this old travel poster of the oldest part of Luxembourg before I head out again.

Have a wonderful day!

photo credit:
Los Angeles Public Library

Monday 16 September 2013

the plum season

We have entered the plum season and, unlike last year, it is literally raining plums in our garden. Yesterday I went out with a bucket to pick some and I made a crumble with almonds and maple syrup, served with whipped cream. It was oh so delicious!

When we are done eating all the plums we will have had our fair share of potassium and vitamins A and C. For those of you who are so unfortunate to be dealing with depression, I read somewhere that plums contain something, which I no longer remember the name of, that helps the brain to produce serotonin.

In the garden there are also mirabelles (Mirabelle de Nancy), as my neighbour calls them, and they are more yellowish. She uses them to make jam and we allowed her to pick as many as she needed. The rest has already started falling down higher from the tree and I would need a big ladder to reach them. Maybe I should just let our son climb up there; put his climbing skills to good use!

photo credit:
Lisa Hjalt

Sunday 15 September 2013

My Sunday moment


My Sunday moment · Lisa Stefan
© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte         
Please visit Books & Latte to read more.


Friday 13 September 2013

The White Cliffs of Dover


The White Cliffs of Dover · Lisa Stefan
© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte
Please visit Books & Latte to read more.


Wednesday 11 September 2013

drawing with light 25



The morning light coming through our bedroom window in the West Midlands cottage we stayed at. I don't even know if the photo does it justice. I was in awe the first morning when I woke up.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

styling: herbs and rustic elements

Yesterday I gave you a sneak peek of the place we stayed at during our road trip to England last week and I showed you the lavender in the courtyard. While I'm still sorting through my own photos I wanted to borrow a few from this photo shoot that I came across on Style Me Pretty. A beautiful table setting always speaks to my heart, and more so when it has that natural look, where organic products are used to create something special. I love the idea of decorating a table with herbs, especially twine-wrapped herbs placed on top of eco-friendly napkins. It's perfect for this farmhouse style venue; the rustic wood adds more depth to the setting.

photo credit:
Kristyn Hogan via Style Me Pretty | styling: Cedarwood Weddings

Monday 9 September 2013

lavender in a peaceful West Midlands courtyard



We spent last week in the English countryside, in the West Midlands. We stayed in a renovated cottage that belongs to a farmhouse, which dates back to the 14th century (see our entrance in the background of the photo below). It had this beautiful private courtyard filled with lavender and all kinds of trees and flowers. It was such a peaceful and wonderful place. During the day we explored the surrounding area and we also drove into Warwickshire - Shakespeare's Country.


The initial plan was to rent a cottage in the northern part of the Cotswolds but it didn't work out and afterwards we were glad; this was the perfect place for us. The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm, and the only reminder of the arrival of autumn was the lavender that had slowly begun to lose its colour.


photo credit:
Lisa Hjalt

Monday 2 September 2013

Book: My Greek Island Home by Claire Lloyd


Book: My Greek Island Home by Claire Lloyd · Lisa Stefan
© Lisa Stefan | Books & Latte
Please visit Books & Latte to read an interview with the book's author, Claire Lloyd.