Why I want to spend more time in my bathroom

For the past few months, we've been working with our friends at ChromaLab to spruce up some of the nooks and crannies in our small condo. First, they helped us refinish and refresh some small furniture pieces, which you can see on their blog here.

While I was stoked to get those projects done, I had something even bigger in mind as well. For years, I've been dissatisfied with our back hallway and bathroom. We spent so much time working on the main parts of the apartment (bedroom, kitchen, dining room, and living room) that those smaller spaces were left completely neglected. I had some ideas about what I wanted to do, but couldn't quite make any final decisions. When I found out that, in addition to furniture, our Chroma friends also do custom wall treatments, with our compatible style and color taste, it was like a match made in heaven. The first project we tackled was the hallway. I had been thinking about a deep purple for the hallway, to complement the yellow kitchen and green bedroom. I'd recently gotten into wallpaper and had a floral pattern that I liked in mind. So when Tony mentioned that he could paint a pattern directly onto the wall, I totally dug it.


Next we started in on the bathroom. When we first conceived of that project, I imagined painting the bathroom another color entirely. We discussed a few options, including a turquoise and a purple similar to the one in the hallway, with a raindrop motif that Tony uses in a lot of his artwork. But for those of you who have seen our place, every room is painted a different color. I was worried that it would look overdone, but I still wanted that combination of graphic and modern, but whimsical at the same time. I was especially inspired by this photo of Cynthia Rowley's bathroom below, which was recently featured in Elle Decor.


So Tony went back to the drawing board and brought us a few more neutral samples to look at. In the end, we decided to stick with a neutral white backdrop for the bathroom, but to add a little interest, Tony suggested a burlap, waffle-like texture underneath the paint. And to give it that whimsy and use the colors I oh so love, we went with a black and dark gray raindrop motif, intermixed with various other colors.


We were so happy with the idea and our previous experiences with Tony and Alicia, that, after a couple of color and design consultations, we went away on vacation knowing that we were leaving our bathroom in capable hands. Here's a snap of how it turned out.


Next up for the bathroom: re-doing the floors.

Escaping the New England Winter

One of the only things that makes New England winters semi-bearable for me is planning tropical vacations to escape them, even for a little bit. This year, we decided to spend a week in January in St. Lucia, a small island in the West Indies, just south of Martinique and north of the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago. St. Lucia is a very small island - 15 miles wide and 27 miles long - created out of volcanic rock. It has an interesting history, having been established by the Arawak Indians, but colonized and battled over by the French and British for hundreds of years. It only recently gained its independence from the British in the late 1970s. The country's official language is English, but most citizens also speak a French patois.



One of the reasons we chose St. Lucia is that it is one of the less-traveled-to islands in the Caribbean, and is therefore less-developed in the tourist sense. Even then, there are lots of big resorts like the Hilton, Sandals, etc. located in certain areas. We chose to stay away from all that and rented a two-bedroom apartment in Marigot Bay at Villa Pomme D'Amour.

There is both lots to do and nothing to do in St. Lucia depending on what you're looking for. With the help of our hosts, Josee and Pierre, we mapped out day trips to the beach, with plenty of good snorkelling, as well as short hikes in the rainforest. One of the things St. Lucia is best known for is its live volcano, located in Soufriere. It's a collapsed volcano, like Yellowstone, which means you can walk right into the caldera. Since it's live, but not active (yet!), you can safely take a tour through the volcano and see the sulphur bubbling up in the crater.



The other well-known feature of the island are its two Pitons - two sharp peaks formed by volcanic rock - that tower over the Caribbean. You can hire a guide to lead you on the five-hour hike to the top and back, if you so choose. Tempting, but we sat that one out this time, and kept our focus on relaxing on the pristine beaches and exploring different towns around the island.



Another wonderful highlight for me was our visit to the local market in Castries, where we found freshly caught tuna and lots of local fruits and vegetables, including the biggest avocados I have ever seen. For local food, rotis and meats with creole sauces were super tasty. There is lots of fresh seafood on the island and it's worth trying the many different kinds of sauces. But if you're vegetarian, be warned - not tons of variety if you are going out to eat. Cooking at home was another story - there are plenty of great options and the markets to choose from and we concocted a bunch of great dishes at home.

If you go: 1. Rent a car! The roads are windy and you have to drive on the left side, but it's worth it so you can see the island at your own pace. 2. Save time to explore as many beaches and coves and bring snorkel gear wherever you go - we saw lots of great sea life, including turtles, clownfish, squid, and many different corals. 3. Be sure to check out the towns of Soufriere and Castries - they are really different from one another, but appealing in their own ways. In Soufriere, you see mountains, beaches, and volcanoes all at once. In Castries, the capital of St. Lucia, you can get a flavor for local city life and like I said, the market is a must. Hope to see you there someday!

The Mole Derby

In the mood for a fun, wintry pre-New Year's eve cocktail, tonight we started experimenting with a bottle of Bitterman's mole bitters that I bought this afternoon. For those of you who don't know, mole bitters are bitters that have a distinct, but subtle chocolate spice taste to them. Riffing on a cocktail devised by Tom of Craigie on Main, which featured aged dark rum and double the Cynar, the drink below has just the right amount of sweetness and heat from the bourbon, balanced by the bitterness of the Cynar and the bittersweet rhubarb/orange notes of the Aperol. The mole bitters drift in with a hint of floral chocolate in the finish. Yum!

The Mole Derby

1 1/2 oz. Kentucky bourbon
1/4 oz. Cynar
1/2 oz. Aperol
3/4 oz. Punt e Mes
1-2 dashes mole bitters

Stir over ice. Lemon oil rubbed on the rim of the glass.

Spotted in Manhattan

A pile of bikes!

Pies galore!

Every winter, bakerbiker and I, along with our good friends L and G, host a pie party. The idea's pretty straightforward: everyone brings a pie of their choice and we gorge ourselves. bakerbiker and I made a blueberry crostada, using organic Maine blueberries we picked one summer and have been saving just for winter treats like this.



This year's pie selections were, in our humble opinion, out of this world. Highlights included a buttermilk pie - sweet, but not too sweet and very light tasting - and a cranberry cherry pie - an amazing combination of sweet and tart which was a perfect endnote to the key lime, lemon merengue, pumpkin, pecan, and nutmeg maple cream pies in between. What's your favorite kind of pie?

Cheese, Mushrooms, and Fresh Fish Oh My!

Okay, I know that's not the most appealing combination. But these were the food themes of our most recent trip to Portland, Oregon, home of some of the best food and shopping I've ever experienced.

Day 1 was spent walking around the Pearl District, an up and coming neighborhood full of trendy little boutiques. My favorite: Cargo, which is a basically a warehouse of interesting kitsch from all over the world. You could find practically anything here from matches and candles to hanging lanterns to slippers to living room furniture. For dinner, we hit Navarre, known for excellent tapas featuring dishes from Southern France and Northern Spain. With a daily rotating menu, you're in for a surprise every time you go, which makes for a lot of regulars. All of the food was amazing, but the standout dish for me here was a salad studded with candied fennel and grilled chanterelles. What an amazing combination of woody, sweet, and salty at the same time. And this is not something you can just make at home easily, which was a bonus for us!

Day 2 featured a walking tour of Nob Hill, where we found a mix of national chain stores (i.e., Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and the Gap) as well as smaller funky, locally-owned shops. Our faves were a home store called Manor which sells unique whimsical but tasteful home furnishings and a tiny place aptly named a little box of jewels, a storefront featuring the wares of a local jewelry designer and metalsmith who specializes in classic-but-edgy-at-the-same-time one of a kind pieces, including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. For dinner in Nob Hill, we checked out Paley's Place, well-known for its use of local, organic foods. Located in an old mansion, Paley's has a very homey, comfortable feel. Dishes were again classic European. Dinner was great, but bakerbiker and I were both in love with our dessert - a course of 3 cheeses: an Italian sheep's milk tartufo (Il Boschetto) that tasted like creamy, smoky truffles, a local Oregon goat cheese wrapped in maple leaves, also smoky but a great complement to the Italian sheep, and Rogue's Blue Cheese, a very tasty, pungent local cow's milk cheese. These were all accompanied by a homemade quince compote, candied nuts, and small toasts. AMAZING.

On Day 3, we hit Hawthorne Blvd, an edgy, hip neighborhood full of vintage shops. Our favorite: Vintage Pink which was just crammed full of vintage wares from every era. Can't wait to go back! For dinner, we went to Simpatica Dining Club. A BIG shoutout goes to our friend Sarah who recommended it, for we would never have found it if it weren't for her. And boy was it worth it. Simpatica is located in what feels like a church basement. From the outside, you would never know the amazing food that is being turned out by this place. Simpatica is a catering company and started offering prix fixe dinners on Friday and Saturday nights a few years ago as well as a reputedly amazing Sunday brunch (Food & Wine just named their fried chicken and waffles breakfast one of the best dishes under $12 of 2009). We started with a Provencal Crab Bisque with Rouille and Crusty Bread - out of this world. The chef explained that the crabs are handpicked and cooked with the fats so that you get a real meaty crab taste. And he wasn't lying! Next course was a fresh palate cleanser - Bibb Lettuce with Tarragon Dressing and Breakfast Radish. Now, I usually don't like for restaurants to dress my salads for me because they are so often overdressed. But this was one of the most perfectly dressed salads I've ever had. Dressing was creamy but not overpowering and the radishes added a nice little kick. The main dish of the evening was a Pan Roasted Halibut with Olive Oil Poached Potatoes, Grilled Artichokes and Sauce Vierge. All we can say is: WOW. First of all, the potatoes were poached in a ton of olive oil for a long period of time. This allowed them to retain moisture and take on the flavor of the oil really nicely. The halibut was cooked perfectly, but for me, the sauce was the winner - it was a parsley and olive oil sauce that was light but full of flavor. And for dessert: a Warm Persimmon Cake with Apple Quince Confiture, which was the perfect end to a four-course meal - not too sweet, but just sweet enough. Wonderful meal. Then we all rolled home to bed.

Day 4: we hit NE Portland, another recommendation from our friend Sarah who described it as "Brooklyn-y." And was she right! More fun little shops and boutiques. For lunch, we went to Por Que No, a great little taqueria. My faves: fish and shrimp ceviche with spicy cucumbers and chips, fish tacos, and an out-of-this world fresh hibiscus tea.

For dinner, we drove out to Pok Pok, which features street foods from Southeast Asia. I found the best lime soda I've had outside of India here. Try it if you go! The food here is atomically spicy, which was great for me (not so great for everyone at the table, though!). But our adventurous group was game to try everything. Our favorite by consensus: Khanom Jiin Kaeng Kiaw Waan Leuk Chin Plaa which is a green curry with homemade fish balls, vermicelli, fried dry anchovies, salted eggs, pickled garlic, Thai eggplant, and Holy Basil. Holy cow - this was amazing. It had a lot of flavor and depth without being overwhelming. A great crowd pleaser.

Overall a great trip, but we can't wait to go back because there were so many more places we were dying to try. Thanks, Portland!

Color us proud

Some of you might know that I absolutely love bold, bright color. bakerbiker and I have spent years perfecting the colors and decor in our place (after many, many mistakes!). Our work finally paid off, with our place featured in Apartment Therapy's November house tour, courtesy of Kyle Freeman, one of AT's Boston Bloggers. Check it out!.