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Necessary Luxury

Necessary Luxury: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Jeni... Oh, How We Love You!

Ahhh, Memorial Day… The unofficial start to summer. For some, this weekend means dusting off the white jeans and flip flops (you know who you are!) and for others, it means outdoor entertaining and visits to the local ice cream parlor!

Food & Wine Loves Her, Too

We love to combine the best of both worlds and serve our guests handmade gelati and sorbets, but we’re hopeless when it comes to actually making it ourselves. That’s why we love Jeni Britton Bauer and her carefully crafted American ice creams.

By the Cone or By the Pint

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams start with whole cream from a local dairy, Snowville Creamery. Then, Jeni, a trained French pastry chef, adds fresh ingredients grown in the Ohio countryside, responsibly-raised exotics from around the world and delightful delicacies (pralines, meringues, marshmallows – you name it!) made from scratch in her production kitchen. The result – heavenly ice creams and sorbets that are less sweet and more flavorful.

Fresh Strawberries from Ohio

Ice Cream and Meringues

And the best part… Jeni ships her creations nationwide! For those of you who are more intrepid in the kitchen than we, Jeni has just come out with a cookbook with over 100 “Addictively Good Artisanal Recipes.” With flavors as fabulous as Backyard Mint, Riesling Poached Pear and Wildberry Lavender, you can delight yourself and your guests all summer long… We know we will!

Jeni's Book

P.S. For more information or to order online, please vist Jeni here. Be sure to check out her delicious blog, Salty Caramel, too!

Photos via Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and Food & Wine

May 27, 2011

Fabulous Finds, Necessary Luxury, Special Offers

Necessary Luxury: Mustardseed & Moonshine

Floral Ramekins

Named after two delightful sprites in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mustardseed & Moonshine creates hand-made porcelain tableware as unique as it is beautiful. Made by hand in a small Cape Town studio under the discerning eye of founder and designer Kate Carlyle, these true-to-nature botanical designs turn any table into Monet’s garden.

Delphinium Plates and Bowls

When setting a springtime table, we love adding an element of charm and whimsy – a Mustardseed & Moonshine charger, plate or ramekin is a necessary luxury to complete the look (see our post on Diane’s table setting at Neiman Marcus last month). Each hand-made and hand-painted petal, stamen, stem and leaf is based on a real flower and each piece takes 17 artisans over 15 days to create. Though delicate in appearance, these beauties are dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe.

Rock Rose Collection

The more we learned about this company, the more we loved their story. Not only do the employees consider themselves as “family”, most are women with school-aged children without previous artistic experience, who have been trained in this company’s unique methods and are given a lifelong skill. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with a special giveaway this week of Mustardseed & Moonshine’s exquisite tulip dipping set – perfect for springtime entertaining!

Tulip Chip and Dip

All you need to do is send your name and address to TheBuzz.Giveaway@gmail.com and write “M&M Tulip” in the subject line. Only one entry per giveaway is allowed and all entries must be received by 11:59 pm EST on Saturday, May 8th, 2010. The winner will be announced on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9th, 2010. And please don’t worry, we will not share your address with any other parties or use it for any other purpose but to send you your prize!

Tulip Plates, Cups and Bowls

A big thank you to Diane Seidle, who launched Mustardseed & Moonshine in the US five years ago, for bringing such beauty to our tables! See Diane’s interview from The New York International Gift Fair here and see how the artisans create their wonderful wares here. For more information about where to find Mustardseed & Moonshine or to buy online, please visit their website here.

Photos from Mustardseed & Moonshine

May 3, 2010

Inspirations, Necessary Luxury

Necessary Luxury: Campo de’ Fiori Planters

Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains is a most delightful store with beautiful gardens and the corporate headquarters of Campo de’ Fiori. When it comes to designs that reflect the authentic, timeless aesthetic created by Mother Nature herself, nothing comes close to this necessary luxury.

Campo de' Fiori - Wild and Tamed Gardens

Named after the small piazza in Rome where owner Robin Norris’ mother used to buy fresh flowers and vegetables, Campo de’ Fiori (Italian for “Field of Flowers”) combines Robin’s classical eye for design (he is a Renaissance man in every sense of the word!) and his wife Barbara’s inspirational plantings (she is a highly respected horticulturalist) to create a magical place where civilization and wild woods meet, filled with chiseled stone animals, bronze garden trellises and bird stakes, and botanically-themed naturally mossed terra cotta planters.

Campo de' Fiori - Stone Bench and Trojan Planter

According to Robin, Camp de’ Fiori’s collection of products is the result of “plain ol’ hard work. The hands of the artisans who fashion our goods are deft, yet elegantly cracked and twisted from years of dedication.” And these talented hands turn clay into the most wonderful planters in shapes ranging from classic urns and bowls, to whimsical artichokes and poppy pods.

Campo de' Fioro - Talented Hands

Campo de' Fiori - Pine Cone Planters

Should you find yourself driving on Route 7 north through Sheffield, Massachusetts, a visit to Campo de’ Fiori is a memorable treat. The people there are as lovely as their products. Take time to browse in the shop and reflect in the gardens, and don’t forget to pick up a perfect planter for your spring flowers – a necessary luxury for March!

Campo de' Fiori - Inspired Plantings

‘Tis in the garden that Time slackens its pace, beckons us to rest. All the languages of the world are spoken here, in soft whispers. ‘Tis here that geometry, texture, beauty and elegance gather, and summon us to dream.
– Robin Norris

Campo de' Fiori - Wonderfully Odd Homes

Campo de' Fiori Store in Sheffield, MA

Campo de' Fiori - Spring Gardens

All photos from Campo de’ Fiori. For more information and directions, please visit their website!

March 1, 2010

Fabulous Finds, Necessary Luxury

Necessary Luxury: Snow & Graham Calendars

Next to breakfast in bed and a lazy day reading by the fire, one of our favorite ways to start the new year is by filling in the pages of a pretty calendar. This year, we think Snow & Graham‘s designs are a perfect way to keep track of special dates and daily appointments. Since 1998, Ebony Snow Chafey, owner of this Chicago-based letterpress company, has created modern yet whimsical paper novelties.

Snow & Graham's Paper Novelties

Recently profiled in the “Inspire Me” column of Tradional Home for their cheerful wrapping paper, Snow & Graham also creates memorable note cards and stationery. The company’s signature style of combining contemporary designs with supple papers and the fine art of letterpress printing is wonderfully feminine yet bold.

Snow & Graham in Traditional Home

But it’s their calendars we love and we can’t wait to use them throughout the year…

Snow & Graham's Mini Calendar

Snow & Graham's Desk Calendar

Snow & Graham's Calendar Patterns

Snow & Graham's Wall Calendar

Happy 2010!

All photos from Snow & Graham

January 1, 2010

Necessary Luxury

October’s Necessary Luxury – White Flower Farm

Up Route 7 just an hour or so north of us is White Flower Farm, a charming nursery that caters to the most ardent horticulturalists and even some “black thumbs”, too! The company was founded in 1950 by William Harris and Jane Grant, both writers from New York City, who fell in love with the outdoors and gardening when they bought their “little place in the country” twenty years prior.

White Flower Farm - Litchfield, CT

The couple initially decided to sell only white flowered plants (hence the name), a unique concept yet not very appealing a broader gardening audience. With the zeal and natural curiosity of journalists, Harris and Grant plunged into the world of exclusive plants, becoming the upscale purveyors of rare plants such as the variegated Clivia – only 45 plants existed – which they offered for sale at $950 each.

LLoyd Border

The company was sold in 1976 to its current owner, Eliot Wadsworth, who continues the tradition of offering a beautiful range of flowers from around the world at, fortunately, affordable prices. We think planting White Flower Farm bulbs that will bloom throughout the year is a Necessary Luxury – don’t you?

Crocus Collection - Lavender Shades

Allium Collection - Garden Globes

Reblooming Iris - Mother Earth

Pink Narcissus Collection - First Blush

Tulip Collection - A Touch of Perfume

Photos from White Flower Farm, This is CT and Irene Jeruss

October 1, 2009

Necessary Luxury

September’s Necessary Luxury – Pylones

Every time we walk through Grand Central Station, we have to stop by the Pylones(pronounces pee-lone) shop to see what’s new. We discovered this whimsical store when living in Paris and often shopped for groovy gifts on Rue du Bac.

Grand Central Station Store

Since 1985, this French company has redesigned the everyday object adding a colorful twist, innovative shapes and a sense of humor. Who knew that desk accessories and kitchen gadgets could be so fun! This September, add a little Pylones to your day and go back to school in style…

Butterfly Clip

Eyeglass Case

Desk Lamp

Mouse Pad and Mouse

Thermos

Photos from Pylones

September 4, 2009

Necessary Luxury

August’s Necessary Luxury – Couleur Nature

We first met Gaura Tibbitts, CEO of Couleur Nature, as he was setting up (or rather building!) his stunning booth at the New York Gift Show just across the aisle from ours. Wall by wall, shelf by shelf, a French barn emerged from the numerous crates, replete with horseshoes and chandeliers. But it was the gorgeous linens inspired by the rich traditions of Provence and its beautiful countryside that caught our attention.

Cherry Table Linens

Fig Table Linens

Twenty years ago, Paris based designer Bruno Lamy was introduced to the age-old technique of hand-block printing while traveling through Rajasthan, India, and was so inspired by this ancient art form that he created his first collection of linens using this intricate process. Thus was born Couleur Nature, now sold throughout Europe and North America in the finest department stores, boutiques and catalogues like Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table.

Tutti Frutti Napkins

Produced in Jaipur, India, a region known for its mystical climate and royal heritage, Couleur Nature linens are printed by hand using carved teakwood blocks which apply a range of designs and vibrant colors with more than 100 studied movements for each cloth. The cloth is washed and dried after each new layer of color is applied and once the design is complete, the cloth is cut and stitched accordingly.

Vineyard Apron

From tablecloths to napkins, placemats and runners, each Couleur Nature design embraces the beauty of Provincial floral, fruit and fauna prints with a touch of whimsy. We use our linens for casual and formal table settings year-round and think they are a necessary luxury for every home. So chic, so stylish and oh… so French!

Treetop Napkins

To learn more about this wonderful company and shop online, visit Couleur Nature.

Photos from Couleur Nature and Touch of Europe

August 4, 2009

Necessary Luxury

July’s Necessary Luxury – Flowers Chardonnay

Nothing says “summer” like a crisp linen dress, sand between the toes, entertaining under the stars and a glass of chilled chardonnay. One of our favorite vineyards and wineries happens to be Flowers, high above the Pacific Ocean on the northern Sonoma Coast.

As nursery owners in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Walt and Joan Flowers had long dreamed of combining their love of wine with their passion for agriculture. In 1990, the Flowers purchased 321 acres, a “warm site in a cool climate” uniquely suited to growing their favorite Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals. By 2004, the property grew to include an additional 327 acres on which 47 acres of Pinot Noir vines were planted.

flowers-vines

We love Matt Kramer‘s description of the property in his book New California Wine: “To see Flowers Vineyard and Winery is to realize just how exceptional an area Sonoma Coast West really is. You’re just a mile or two from the Pacific Ocean as the seagull flies. Yet the elevation puts you way above the fog line. You’re surrounded by forests. Almost like monasteries in the Middle Ages, you can see only a few other outposts of civilization in the form of vineyards… The sense of isolation is genuine and strongly felt.”

flowers-coast1

Today, Flowers Winery produces 15,000 cases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from its two estate properties, Camp Meeting Ridge and Flowers Ranch, which are sold to retailers and fine restaurants in the US and overseas. We are looking forward to tasting the 2007 Chardonnay vintage with its layers of lemon drop, apricot and pear this weekend at our annual Fourth of July clambake. Cheers!

flowers-chardonnay-grapes1

Photos from Flowers Vineyard and Winery

July 1, 2009

Necessary Luxury

June’s Necessary Luxury – Marye-Kelley

Delight your guests this summer with a beautiful bedroom or powder room decorated with Marye-Kelley Decoupage accessories. From picture frames and coasters, to tissue box covers and wastepaper baskets, each piece is made by hand in Houston, TX and shipped from the Marye-Kelley home studio.

Pink Peony & Butterfly Wastepaper Basket

While the company has grown since Melinda Marye made her first set of decoupage plates as Christmas gifts seventeen years ago, you can still find her and husband, Bill Kelley, selling their designs at the Block Island Farmers Market in the summer.

Blue Hydrangea Tissue Box

Marye-Kelley’s designs range from the floral and garden to animals and antique maps – each transforming an every day item into a work of art. We think every room (and guest!) deserves a Marye-Kelley… don’t you?

Japanese Peony Coaster

Photos from Marye-Kelley Decoupage

June 2, 2009

Necessary Luxury

May’s Necessary Luxury – Felix Doolittle Cards

Why send your mom an email, IM or tweet on Mother’s Day when you can write a loving note on one of Felix Doolittle‘s beautiful cards instead?

fd-snc

Charming and whimsical, Felix Fu’s images capture the joy of life and each piece is like a miniature work of art. While his designs range from the nautical and the natural to the architectural and the arts, we absolutely love his floral cards which translate simple bouquets into keepsake watercolors.

fd-gardencut1 fd-iloveroses fd-sunkissedyellow

fd-ceblossoms

Felix Doolittle cards aren’t sold in any stores but you can buy them online at Felix Doolittle – by the piece or by the box and with so many designs, we hope this Necessary Luxury will have you writing in style!

May 1, 2009

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