last of the peonies...

Bellport: Summer, 1900

I was honored to be asked to guest curate the annual show at the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society,  Bellport: Summer, 1900. I've been time-traveling for the past few months, going through files of old photos, letters, newspaper articles and diaries from  Bellport 1895-1915 putting together an exhibition on the style of this period from sailing to suffrage, picket fences and porches, and work of the artists and writers.  I loved finding material on the suffrage movement and the leaders in Bellport and discovered an amazing woman photographer of this period named Frances H. Toms whose work is timeless. Reading about the first library, cultural events, and community issues from the last turn of the century bring us back to this period and the visual materials bring it to life. The exhibition will be on through the end of July, and we're thinking of a catalog/book as it is so rich in visual material and Long Island history.

a visit to brooklyn

this time of year, its great to go exploring and visit my favorite shops in Brooklyn...here's my list!

 

Moon River Chattel

Emporium chock full of  home furnishings, old and new

lots of great hardware, lighting, linens, books

62 Grand St

Williamsburg

Two Jakes

320 Wythe Ave + Grand

Mid-century modern, vintage +industrial furniture 

from Knoll and Saarinen to file cabinets

Williamsburg

Brook Farm General Store

New home product, from pencils to frying pans

more storage, kitchen items

75 South 6th + Berry

Williamsburg

Marlow + Sons

81 Broadway + Berry
Williamsburg

store front grocery with Bklyn artisanal food

(Mast chocolates, breads, coffee)

great little restaurant/bar tucked in back with small menu, great food

Roberta's Pizza

261 Moore + Bogart

Emily Thompson Flowers

57 Jay Street

lovely, unusual flower arrangements 

Mrs. Robertson

vintage home collection - urns, glass, textiles

 88 South Portland

Fort Greene

*** near weekend flea market

Bellocq Tea Atelier
tiny shop with exquisitely packaged teas

104 West Street

Greenpoint

english spring pea soup

the perfect spring soup made with english peas, basil, a dollop of creme fraiche...

snow day

another snow day on long island...time to make a pot of tea, put a fire on and settle in with paperwork... all white, inside and out, today!

sunday lunch at stone barns

on a cold winter's day, lunch at stone barns restaurant is such a treat ...with a welcoming fire, tasting menu of seasonal produce and freshly baked breads, and attentive service, it is a wonderful way to spend a sunday with family and friends...the january menu included artichoke gnocchi, roasted rutabaga, tiny carrots and radishes to nibble on, and golden beet salads...dessert was a cinnamon apple theme and  disappeared in a minute!

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