Putting a Style to a Name

I’ve finally figured out what my style is, and it’s called Hollywood Regency. This is so exciting for me, as I’ve never known exactly what it was before, I just knew I liked Old Hollywood movies and clothes a lot. Two of the designers who have made a lot of different in this period are William ‘Billy’ Haines and Dorothy Draper. This period is supposed to be centered on your furniture being comfortable, luxurious and centred on socialising (amazing).

You can use lots of different things to make your room your own, like luxurious fabrics in velvets and silk, fringed lamps, decorative screens or stunning blinds, really rich colours, thick carpets and laquerered paints. You can make it modern, you can mix it with vintage pieces, and you can always make it inviting for entertaining (which I love). I just know I’m going to be writing a lot Hollywood Regency Style in the future.

Divinely inspired,

Vesta Monroe

[Image of Joan Crawford reproduced with permission from Darwin Bell's photostream on Flikr.com]

Goddess of (faux) FUR

Carole Landis

I’ve been dreaming of plush, lush furs darlings! I want a rug and a few throws. But which ones should I choose? They’re dreamy and luxe. Look at what I’ve found so far… dreamy!

Vesta Monroe

Scarlett Crush Faux Fur

Brown Bear Pelt Faux Fur Rug

Zebra Narrow Stripe Pelt Faux Fur Rug 

Koala Faux Fur with Wild Cat Faux Fur

[Images from: fauxthrow.com, twolia.com, kozykomfortbykaren.net]

If I’m going to have lush fur darling then I need to show it off in style! No point in having this fur and not being able to share it now is there!

A Touch of Glamour

I love watching old movies, and I’ve always wished I could live in a world full of Rita Hayworths and Cary Grants! I was watching Save My Bath, and I had a brainwave!! I really can come up with some ideas sometimes! The family in the show were trying to convert their industrial bath to one that was more Old Hollywood, because they were all actresses. I thought of my spare room and decided that should be my inspiration. It really fits with me! I’m still not sure what I’ll use it for, but I have been getting some photos together to show my other half — here they are so far.

I’m so excited I can’t say!! More updates to come…

Yours,
Vesta Monroe

[images: 1.bp.blogspot.com, flikr.com]

Xinjiang Textiles

My Lovelies!

Here are updates on what I want for my new room. One of the parts that I liked most about watching Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragron were the parts that were shot in the desert when the two lovers (played by Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen) fall in love in the desert.

via ttnmc.com

via allmoviephoto.com

via: myspace.com

Who cares about the passionate young love, look at those textiles! When I watched the movie, I’d never seen colours and fabrics like that before. Look at the colours! I had to find out more. I looked up where that particular part of the film was shot, and it turns out it was shot in Chinese Turkestan, or the Xinjiang province. This province has a lot of Middle Eastern influence because it borders countries like India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajakistan. Just look at the people there, and how they dress in this region of China:

via teamsugar.com

via toranahouse.com

via blogs.princeton.edu

Here are some examples of the beautiful textiles and rugs made in this area of China, which was one of the last stops on the ancient Silk Road:

via cultural-china.com

via jozan.net

via cultural-china.com

via toranahouse.com

Now all I’d need to do would be visit the Xinjiang province, pick a delicious piece, fly back, mix in some faux fur throws (that’s going to be my NEXT post), and my room would be cozy and warm as the lovely desert cave in the movie!

As a slight aside, another area of the world I’ve been looking at recently is the Caribbean. Some of the colours and patterns that originate from there are amazing.

Vesta Monroe <3

Rugs to LIVE For

Hello goddesses,

I am launching a new series in my blog, because hubby gave me the most perfect gift in the whole world for Christmas — my own room! I can do anything I want with it!!!!I want to find the perfect decorations for it, and I am writing about it on my blog.

I’m very excited about this project and I don’t know what I’m going to do with the room just yet! Hopefully this blog will help me to decide the function of the room. I was thinking, it could be a home office, or a dance studio or a lounge with a daybed, or maybe an in-home hair salon, or maybe a big closet… I don’t know yet!

But I do know that I want to use soft colours. I’ll be working from the bottom up, so first step I think will be to find the perfect rug and the perfect finish for my hardwood floor. I was looking around at some great decoration blogs, and here are some rugs with soft colours that I can see in my beautiful new room.

It’s the colour form collection from ABC Carpet, made in the Toros Mountains of Turkey. They take dreamy vintage rugs and neutralise the original colours. Then, the artisans over-dye the rugs to create these soft, modern pieces. I think they are simply stunning.

Vesta Monroe <3

[images: abccarpet.com]

HARRODS’ WINTER SALE

It’s that time of year again bunnies! The yummy yummy Harrod’s Winter Sale! I went and sampled the wares, and look what I’ve found for all my domestic goddesses! Here are the top 5 deals I want to go for myself– hubby, read this post please.

5. Raycop Anti-Bacterial Vaccum Cleaner

I think it’s so important to get your house CLEAN when you clean it! House-guests and children can track in nasty dirt and icky sicknesses, especially when it’s cold outside. This cordless, anti-bacterial vacuum I think is a great idea which will allow people to not only clean but disinfect their homes — so they can entertain more!

4. Double Duvet (9 Tog)
Pure luxury. The best duvets in my opinion are soft, fluffy classic white, and have an insanely high thread count. This ticks all my boxes to the tune of 220 threads per square inch. Soo lush and decadent…

3. Luxury White Towel Collection

Towels are another item which I believe you can’t just get from anywhere. These towels are 100% combed cotton, they’re crisp white and they can be machine washed (SO important). The Harrods logo doesn’t hurt either… (Sometimes I think it’s the most important part??)

2. Riedel Champagne Glass Set

Fine bubbly needs fine glasses. These champagne glasses are made of crystal and lead, and they are dishwasher safe. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two!

1. SKII Facial Treatment Mask

I know this isn’t anything to do with the home, but the SKII Facial treatment mask is like having an ACTUAL facial without leaving the house! I’d love to put on this mask and let it sit while I do my vacuuming, make the bed, set out my towels, and put the dishes away.

Happy shopping!
Vesta Monroe

Yummy Primark Home

Hello bunnies,

I’ve been out at Primark having a lovely time and looking through cheap cheap chic chic homeware.

I am interested in decorating of course, but sometimes hubby doesn’t like how much I spend. I think it’s important to look at expensive things and find a way to make your house look like you want for less. And it’s fun!

Primark don’t have any pictures on their website, I guess because their products change so much. I found a throw that I’ve been wanting to get for a long time though, so I put that picture up at the top. Isn’t it yummy!?

Their homewares are very nice and accessible. The store is also easy to get around. The only thing I don’t like is how it gets so crowded and the lines are so long in front of the cash registers. There have been several times when I thought, I’m not spending much money, I’m not too keen on waiting for half an hour in a line to get to the cash register!

You definitely can’t run in and out of Primark (too much dreamy stuff, and too many yucky long lines)  so I’d recommend going on Tuesday morning like I did, you’ll be so happy you did it!

[image: potterybarn.com]

Oprah Going off the Air

One of the world’s own domestic goddesses is ending a chapter of her legacy. The Oprah Winfrey show is going off the air, after 25 years of inspiring people worldwide to live their best lives. I’m very sad, but I’m looking forward to her channel on the cable channel that’s now Discovery Health called the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). I’m sure it would be difficult for her to manage both at once. I’ve done some research as to what her new channel will be, and here’s what I’ve found out:

• It will begin in Jan 2011
• It will be broadcast from LA
• It will have programs 24 hours a day
• It’s supposed to be a network of people that’s based on the internet as well as on television
• It will encompass the spheres of health, wellness and self transformation– so very similar to the Oprah Show

Those are all the details they’ve given out so far! I think that all the people who have segments on her show now, like Gayle, Dr. Oz, Suze Orman, Lisa Ling and (my favourite!) Nate Berkus will all have their own shows. Also, I hope that there will be lots of interaction with regular people like she has with her audience now.

[image: telegraph.co.uk]

Canapés for your Christmas Party

I love to entertain at the holidays! This year I’m throwing a little gathering for my husband’s colleagues and a few of our close friends. Most people coming to a party in the early evening are a bit peckish but don’t want to eat a whole meal. So I like to make different canapés. There’s a rule of thumb I use when I make my canapes: There’s got to be something classic and savoury, something that vegetarians can eat, something sweet with chocolate in it, and something novel and different. So here’s what I’m making this year.

Classic:  Steak Tartare

Ingredients

• 1 small fillet steak
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 small shallots, finely diced
• 2 medium gherkins, finely diced
• 2 tbsp chopped Parsley
• 3-4 drops Tabasco
• Dashes of Worcestershire sauce to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Gem lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. Cook the steak fillet in your preferred method.
2. Finely chop the fillet.
   
3. Transfer to a bowl and add the shallot Tabasco and, Worcestershire sauces and the gherkins.
   
4. Season with coarsely ground black pepper and salt.
5. Combine the egg yolk with the steak and stir well before adding the chopped parsley. 
6. Use the smaller inside leaves of a baby gem lettuce and fill with the steak tartare mixture.

Vegetarian: Halloumi Dippers with Pineapple Chilli Salsa

Ingredients

• 200g fresh or canned pineapple
• 1 finely chopped red onion
• 1 finely chopped red chilli
• Juice of 1-2 limes
• 250g pack halloumi cheese

Preparation

1. For the salsa, finely dice  pineapple and mix with red onion, red chilli and lime juice to taste.
2. Slice halloumi into chunky strips, thread onto small soaked wooden skewers and grill, turning until crispy.
3. Serve halloumi immediately topped with salsa.

Chocolatey Sweet: Classic Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

• 200g/7oz good quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids, chopped
• 200g/7fl oz whipping cream
• 1-2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature (optional)
• cocoa powder, for dusting
• 250ml/9fl oz good quality dark chocolate, melted (optional)

Preparation

1. Warm a mixing bowl to 37-40C/99-104F (it should feel warm but not hot to the touch). Add the chopped chocolate and set aside.
2. In a pan, gently heat the whipping cream until just boiling, then immediately drizzle a quarter of the heated cream into the centre of the chopped chocolate.
3. Stir the cream and chocolate in a single direction, keeping the spoon at the centre of the mixture, until the chocolate pieces have melted and the mixture is smooth and well combined.
4. Drizzle in the remaining cream a little at a time, stirring the mixture in the same direction, then gradually working the spoon to the edges of the mixture until well combined.
5. Set the mixture aside until its temperature is 37C/99F. Add the butter pieces one at a time and stir until the mixture has the consistency of mayonnaise. (NB: You may not need all the butter.)
6. Set the mixture aside in a cool place, overnight if possible. It should cool to 15C/59F
7. When the truffle mixture has cooled, use a teaspoon to scoop up portions of the truffle mixture. Then, using cool hands, shape each portion into a small ball to form 20 truffles.
8. Dredge the truffles in cocoa powder until completely covered, then serve.

Novelty: Spicy Banana & Bacon Sticks

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 10 rasheres streaky bacon
• Smoked paprika
• Cocktail sticks

Preparation

1. Soak the cocktail sticks in water, to stop them from burning when under the grill.
2. Remove any rind from the bacon and stretch each rasher with the back of a knife before cutting in half.
3. Cut the bananas into bite size chunks and roll in smoked paprika.
4. Wrap a piece of bacon around each banana chunk and skewer with a cocktail stick to secure.
5. Heat the grill to the highest setting.
6. Arrange the banana/bacon sticks seam side down on the grill pan and grill for 2 minutes each side, or until the bacon is crispy.

[image: sublimecanapes.co.uk; recipes: uktv.co.uk, bbcgoodfood.com, bbc.co.uk ]

Find the Domestic Goddess in YOU

I love to read fashion and decoration magazines! There was an article in Stylist magazine that I loved; it is called ‘Are you secretly desperate to be a housewife?’ which I feel really addressed the balance women these days have to face in terms of career, home and family (and yourself!).

I honestly have always wanted to make my life in the home, and I can’t imagine doing anything else, but some other women are torn between the two. Sometimes I wonder if they miss caring for the people they love and allowing themselves to be taken care of. I think that’s why so many movies about women being cherished like Titanic have been so popular.

Think about it. These days, women don’t just have the choice to work, they have to work because the only way you can raise a family is through two incomes. Many women want to work, but many want to have the freedom to choose whether they want to spend time full time with their children.

I’ve made a nifty little poll to find out what my dear readers think. Please respond and we’ll get to the bottom of this!

[image: webair.it]