Old, Gently Used & Awesome

I am a huge fan of well designed, vintage and modern home decor and when I am lucky I come across great items at flea/antique markets (or snuffel markt as it is called here in the Netherlands) or consignment shops. My typical luck usually runs the route of the the good pieces are picked up well before I arrive or alternatively I decide it's more then I want to spend and then keep thinking about the item that got away for years and saying why I just didn't fork over the money then, because of course now it's sold. Well now I can take my quest for the perfect unique item for the home on the internet at Chairish.

I randomly came across Chairish when I was searching for a pair of antique Hollywood Regency Pineapple lamps and while I didn't end up picking those up at Chairish, I did spend the next few hours on the site looking at stuff I didn't even know I needed wanted. Simply put, Chairish, is an online consignment company that allows people who have great furniture (either like new or "great bones") to reach a larger audience and it allows the buyer a treasure trove of items. The prices are reasonable for the quality and product AND they even have a 48 hour return policy if it's not exactly what you want. The biggest downside would be the shipping, but if it's an item that you have been searching for forever, it's completely worth the cost. It's totally worth a look or two if you are in the market for unique, interesting and fun.

Must

Earlier this week the BF and I went to dinner with some friends in Venlo, NL at Chez Philippe. The restaurant was filled with an assortment of odds and ends that the chef (Philippe) had acquired over the years, including a small carousel that was scattered throughout the restaurant. It's too bad it was so dark in there or I would have pictures to try and explain how odd and yet totally appropriate it was.

Chef Philippe is a French man living in the Netherlands for many years and running a restaurant the way he thinks it should be done. Which means you come in, sit down, chat with him and the staff and eat what he wants to serve you that evening. If you must have something off the a la carte menu, they will easily oblige, but the set menu for the evening is the only way to go. Oh my, the four course meal was fantastic and the service was top notch. If you ever find your way anywhere near Venlo, this little restaurant is worth stopping for and enjoying a few hours full of food and wine.

Have a great weekend.



Read - Think of Oyster like Netflix for books. For $10 a month you can sign up and get access to all you can read. With a selection of over 100,000 books I am sure there is something that you haven't read yet. It's only in the beginning stages, but sign up now and hopefully you will score that invite in the mail shortly.

Drink - It's fall and it's time to bust out the fig infused bourbon to make a fig manhattan. Don't have fig infused bourbon, check out everything you need to do to have to make it at Boozed and Infused. It's the perfect welcome to fall drink.

                

Image via A Subtle Revelry

Make - 5 different breads that are perfect to make for fall care of A Subtle Revelry. I am dying to make the sweet potato one. It sounds delicious!

Image via HuffingtonPost.UK & Getty

Investigate - Could the Jack the Ripper case finally be solved? Interesting information in this century (plus) old serial murder mystery that has never been solved. Check out this HuffPost article and judge for yourself.

Full Tray

I have been trying for weeks to find the perfect wood tray for my newly furnished living room and it is proving harder then I thought or perhaps I am way pickier then I need to be. I don't know what it is about the small details that drive me to spend hours searching for a particular item only to change my mind half way through and start all over, but it makes it difficult to make a decision.

You may be asking yourself why I would need a wooden tray, but it is simply because they are incredibly useful. They can be used on the coffee table, serving, cocktails, snacks, etc. and I think it would be a great decorative addition, if I could just pick one. The problem now is that I found a whole slew of fantastic one and now can't decide which one I like best. I will decide, eventually, but until then here are my top contenders of fantastic wood trays from across the web.

Travelz

Things always get a little crazy on weeks I travel abroad and for some reason I just can seem to post or sleep. Lately though I have had a huge lack of things to write or talk about regardless of my travels. Perhaps I am just losing inspiration or work is getting busy or maybe I just need a little more sleep each and every day. I am hoping the latter and plan on getting some much needed rest this coming week and hopefully get everything reset.

So while I get everything sorted and come up with some truly great posts, here are a few life hack articles that I think are handy to have:

Nail Hacks DIY

50 Life Hacks (there are some really good ideas in this one!)

Extend your phones battery

Crafty Hacks

You can't say I didn't try to teach you anything.

And just for fun 22 Things you probably didn't know about Mean Girls. 

Things that make you go hmmm

With the BF out of town it allows me some free time to think about the really important things in life. You know the weird, the crazy and totally odd things that run through my head pretty much everyday but are usually kept inside simply because he won't debate these things with me anymore.  I finally decided I need to write these down to see if I am the only one. I willing to bet that at least one of you has thought about something on this list at least once and maybe even twice.

1. If I were to turn into a vampire would I still have bags under my eyes like Edward Cullen?
2. How is it that Ryan Seacrest still looks about the same age that he was when Idol started?
3. Speaking of Idol, does anyone other that me ever wonder happened to to Brian Dunkleman?
4. What is the cost of eyelash extensions for the cast of Pretty Little Liars? It's got to be pretty high, there are so many of them.
5. Is there anything left that's original on Joan Rivers?
6. If there truly was a Zombie menace/apocalypse what are the chances you would survive the first wave?
7. Most people think that Stephen Kings novel the Shining is the scariest one, but the novel It is the scariest and weirdest book I have ever read, so is just more people have read the other or is a haunting scarier then a murderous creepy clown and a mythical old turtle?
8. What are the chances that Keeping up with the Kardashian's will get cancelled? Is it too early to get my hopes up?
9. I don't like Jennifer Aniston as an actress and she appears to be kind of a whiner.
10. Seriously, It the novel, is a completely creeped out book. Also, don't watch the movie. It is ridiculously stupid.

And those are just the things off the top of my head. Imagine what happens when I have all weekend to think about these types of things!

Linking up is fun

Must - Eight Legs

I am afraid of spiders.

There I said it. They creep me out because they have eight legs and are not cute. I usually freak out when I see them and in fact I was almost in tears thinking about having to breakdown my shelves in the dining room (for the new buffet/wine cabinet) that are pretty deep and I knew were housing spiders, like it was their own personal condo. The next day though I found my big girl pants, put on some kitchen gloves (that covered me up to my elbows), had two vacuums, multi-purpose cleaner and decided to just get it done. After a few breaks and a frantic chase with the vacuum to get the offender, I prevailed, made it through and had a drink. This however does not mean I am ok with spiders now, it just means that I can do it if I want...and most of the time I don't.

Also, you can keep your lies comments about how harmless they are and how I am bigger, etc., etc.. I know all this and I am perfectly aware of how ridiculous this is. Just roll with it and have a fantastic weekend.

image via Macys.com

Want - I have been lusting after these shoes for two weeks now, but just can't justify the purchase right now. We had our vacation last month and just bought a new couch (and a few accessory pieces) so I am keeping the wallet in check. Oh how lovely these are though. I am really into the orange, purple and khaki mix though, so who knows what will happen if the right sale happens.

Image via Amazon

Read - If you are looking for a new book, Daughter of Empire: Life as a Mountbatten sounds fascinating. I found it through this article on Vanity Fair that is worth a read . This woman has seen a lot.

Image via AquaFarm

Need - One of the downsides of traveling is that I have the hardest time keeping plants (mainly herbs) alive. Leaving for a weeks to a month at a time make it difficult to keep the water flowing and a plant nurse doesn't have enough water for that length of time. This AquaFarm however might be the key to keeping fresh herbs growing with or without me.

Watch - Just do it. It's an actual product (that you kinda wish you had invented) and a brilliant ad. It will give you a laugh.

image via AMC

Learn - The University of California, Irvine is offering a free online course called Society, Science, Survival: Lessons from AMC's The Walking Dead. It's an eight week course that will include topics such as the spread of disease, the science behind decay, math (that is not so awesome) that is used to model population and epidemic dynamics, post apocalyptic nutrition and much more. You can sign up here to get your zHD and by now I am sure you know I have already signed up.

Sweet Tooth

I have mentioned before that I have been eliminating sugar, dairy, meat and processed foods from my kitchen, which is not to say that I am giving up on them all the time, just most of the time. I have done this for a few reason, but mainly because I simply wasn't feeling well and I couldn't figure out why. To get to the bottom of the problem I started eliminating some things from my diet and realized that I was feeling better. The biggest hurdle for me is that I like a little sweet now and then and even though currently the end of summer fruits satisfy my sweet tooth, I am looking ahead to the fall and winter when these are not optimal options.

While I know everyone gave GP a lot of crap for her book, It's All Good, I prefer to find out for myself how ridiculous or not something is and it's a good thing I did. I love this book. It addresses all of my needs (tasty, fresh, non-processed and easy to find products) and I can only surmise that those who were panning the book had not tried any of the recipes. I will be sharing some of my favorite dishes over the next few months from the book and I really think you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy and flavorful most of these recipes are to prepare. Anyway, as I was saying I need some sweets, but don't want the sugar, butter and waistline, so I turned to the back of GP's book and found the Almond Butter Cookies with Maldon Sea Salt, which sounded like the perfect solution (also I had everything in the house to make these). Gluten free, vegan and frankly pretty darn tasty these cookies make the afternoon just a little bit better.

Get your arm ready. It's a mixing fiesta.

Spoonfuls of yum.

You can make them more perfect and round (and thinner for a crispy cookie),
but I like them a little uneven.

Note: I am way more into cake like cookies then crispy so I tend to make my cookies a little thicker to get that almond butter gooey texture. Both ways are fantastic though, just depends on your likes.

Almond Butter Cookies with Maldon Sea Salt

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (if the flour doesn't include xanthan gum, add 3/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup natural almond butter
1 cup good-quality maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, fine sea salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Thoroughly combine the wet and dry ingredients. Using 2 spoons, form the cookies into small balls (each about 1 generous tablespoon) and space them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans. Wet your fingertips and press down on each cookie, smoothing the edges so each is a nice little disk. Sprinkle each cookie with just a bit of the Maldon salt.

Bake until the air is fragrant and the cookies are just firm, 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool on a rack before serving.

Makes about 2 dozen

Fresh out of the oven. They smell so good.