a long island christmas

getting ready for the holidays with greenery, shells and candlelight...love the simplicity and ease of creating a natural christmas with textures, found objects from walks by the sea and the fragrance of pine trees...all, gifts from nature...tree photos by jeff mcnamara, wreath from martha stewart living 

happy thanksgiving

my family home....

I grew up in an international style house built in the 1930's in New York City for an exhibition on  innovations in residential architecture, which was moved to Long Island by the architect/builder for his own use.  It was a minimalist's dream with interesting design solutions, which were modified as the years went by.  Originally the architect's weekend house, it evolved into a family home with 7 children, assorted pets and a very  casual lifestyle!  It was part of a group of houses in the area which were examples of the newest building trends in modular housing, passive solar heating, and high tech materials for the time.  I was excited to see it featured in Caroline Zaleski's new book on Long Island Modernism.  One day I would like to restore it to its former pure design...in the meantime, I'll enjoy seeing the architect's vision in the pages of her book!

warming up with wool

it feels like fall ...time to pull out all the wool knits  to warm up with... mushroom, bark and fog palette  in blankets and throws seem just right this season ...photos by marili forastieri

sunday supper from the farmstand

this first weekend of fall, the farmstands are still brimming with tomatoes and figs and its a perfect lazy sunday to cook...one of my favorite recipes is ratatouille from alice waters cookbook,  the art of simple food.   I'll make a tart with mozzarella and marinara, have a dry red wine and serve fresh  figs with a drizzle of cream for dessert

recipe for ratatouille:

• 1 medium or 2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
• pinch of dried chile flakes
• 2 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Salt to taste

1. Toss the eggplant cubes with a teaspoon or so of salt. Set the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Pat the eggplant dry, add to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add a bit more oil if the eggplant absorbs all the oil and sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove the eggplant when done and set aside.
3. In the same pot, pour in 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook for about 7 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil bouquet, dried chile flakes, and a bit more salt.
4. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir in peppers. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in summer squash. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in tomatoes.
5. Cook for 10 minutes longer, then stir in eggplant and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are soft. Remove the bouquet of basil, pressing on it to extract all its flavors, and adjust the seasoning with salt.
6. Stir in the chopped basil leaves and more extra virgin olive oil, to taste. Serve warm or cold.

wood serving boards are on our minds...

We have a great collection of cutting boards that we use for everything...love that the Frolic blog mentioned using them as "breakfast boards" for breads, rolls, toast, jam and butter...This morning Remodelista gave a great tip about using one side for cutting and one side for serving...we use some for food prep, some  for chargers in tablesettings, some for serving individual pizzas and quesadillas,  cheeses with honey and biscuits, seasonal fruits, blueberry tarts, homemade cookies, and lots more...these are available at http://thenewgeneralstore.myshopify.com/collections/the-table/products/wood-serving-board

cotton blanket

as the last days of summer get cooler, this cream cotton knit blanket is perfect to warm up with...
from the new general store collection...photo by marili forastieri

summer supper in the studio

After an art show opening in Bellport last week, I hosted a dinner for family and friends of the artist ...perfect summer weather for drinks at the dock and then a buffet of summer salads from the local farmstand: heirloom tomato + mozzarella with basil, penne with mint pesto + walnuts, arugula with yellow figs+ chunks of pecorino, orzo with black olives + sun dried tomatoes, panzanella with yellow tomatoes + herb toasted croutons...grilled peaches for dessert, but the showstopper was a large white pizza on a cutting board cut into small squares for hors d'oeuvres! Rose' and sparkling Prosecco were chilled in large silver punch bowls...the tables were set with simple beige linen cloths and dinnerware, clear glass bottles and cylinders were filled with white wildflowers and candles... 

my paint palette

 I had such a nice time visiting with Jane Dagmi as she interviewed me for her Benjamin Moore blog on color...of course my favorite colors are  mostly in the white  to gray range.... I loved pulling out all my favorites  and sharing them with her!  you can read the interview with lots of shots of my house at http://www.colorchats.com/2012/07/intrinsically-tricia-foley

China Closet - One Kings Lane

Today is the last day of the One Kings Lane Sale ...has been fun reconnecting with old friends and seeing what the favorites are from my collections...so much has sold, and I'm thrilled they are going to good homes, but still lots of china and chairs left! My china closet was featured  a few years ago in the China & Glass book  and is filled with beautiful English creamware and crystal...photograph by Simon Upton

Tastemaker Tag Sale

One more day to go before One Kings Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale...have been going through pieces collected on my travels, props used in photo shoots and my books, and things I no longer need living in the country...it was fun putting together a collection of vintage accessories from Edwardian picnic tea baskets to sake bottles from Kyoto...I realized that I have way too much white china and way too many chairs!    photograph by marili forastieri

pale pink peonies

a straw basketful of peonies is all I need for the color, fragrance, and texture that represent summer...just found out that the man who owned my house almost a hundred years ago grew peonies...I found a few plants in the brambles and have bee nurturing them along and plan to plant lots more for next summer in the palest pink shades..... photo by marili forastieri

hydrangeas that say summer

photograph by jeff mcnamara

summer studio in remodelista!

Loved seeing my summer studio  featured in one of my favorite blogs as a makeover story!  we are getting it ready for the new general store event next weekend and filling it with lavender!
http://remodelista.com/posts/steal-this-look-garage-as-potting-shed   www.thenewgeneralstore.com

on earth day...

lots of lessons to be learned from a recent visit to colonial williamsburg, from the natural lattice for shading, a twig trellis, rainwater barrels, and straw insulation for early plants...can't wait to incorporate some of these time tested ideas in my garden!

charlotte bronte's birthday

I'm heading to england this week to visit friends, and looking forward to a few days in the country...thinking of yorkshire and the bronte sisters....and it's charlotte bronte's birthday today!

lightening up...

time to lighten up with this warm weather,  roll up the rugs, put on the linen sheet and light cotton blankets...photographs by marili forastieri

happy easter!

at this time of year, as I turn my attention to the garden, I think of Beatrix Potter and her contributions to our lives a hundred years later...with commissions from her children's books, and her famous Peter Rabbit illustrations, she purchased farmland in the lake district and gave it to the National Trust to preserve this rural  landscape  for everyone to enjoy...I'm hoping to visit Hill Top Farm on my next trip to England...here are a few photos of her timeless children's china  from my book " At Home With Wedgwood"...

first day of spring...

love having this laundry room one side/flower arranging space other side ...especially in spring, when things are blooming and budding and leafing out... I keep all sizes of glass and milkglass vases and tin containers stored here and its easy and inspirational to pull arrangements together...especially in all shades of white and cream...photograph by eric piasecki for Martha Stewart Living

early morning walk in ireland

at my friends' home in county mayo, an early morning walk by the sea and through the gardens is  heaven...

a rainy weekend is perfect for catching up on laundry...I love my laundry room, so love putting on an old movie and ironing all those linen napkins that pile up! the smell of the dryer and using those perfect Laundress washes make it even better... also finding lots of things popping up in the garden, so filling glass vases with snowdrops and daffodils make it even more enjoyable...photo by eric piasecki for Martha Stewart Living

a visit to colonial williamsburg

I spent a day at one of my favorite places this week, on a sunny day with the gardens sprouting and spring in the air...always inspiring, always welcoming, always so much to see and so little time...here are some of my favorite images...

snowdrops

a sure sign of spring...the snowdrops are blooming!