ladies of london host midsummer

Any Ladies of London fans out there? This season, the friendships between the women have shifted around a bit, somehow the drama was kept mostly civil, compared to the American housewives. And, they know a thing or two about fashion. 

They ALL have great style, and you can’t beat those fabulous British accents. 

Well, over the past few weeks, we’ve watched them traveled to Scotland, where we got a glimpse of Dundas Castle, they visited Julie Montagu at Mapperton, the Downton Abbey-like home of the Earl of Sandwich, and last week Caroline Fleming hosted a Midsummer party, complete with authentic Scandinavian food, flowy dresses and flower crowns.

Pictured above are Julie Montagu, Juliet Angus and Caroline Fleming. Seeing this gorgeous party makes me want to start celebrating midsummer night! Actually, my husband’s home town of Geneva, Illinois has a fabulous Midsummer celebration called Swedish Days. We’re thinking about visiting this year for this extra special weekend! 

Juliet Angus and Marissa Hermer

Julie Montagu in a lovely ivy and flower crown.

Dancing around the Maypole.

Caroline Fleming, who’s a fabulous cook, catered the whole event herself with authentic Danish and Swedish foods. 

Sophie Stanbury, Adela King and Marissa Hermer

Midsummer, also known as St. John’s day, celebrates the summer solstice and usually takes place around  June 24^th.

Midsummer is considered magical, and anything to do with nature has a special gift. Gathering flowers to weave into wreaths and crowns is a way to capture nature’s magic and assure good health in the coming year.
  

Midsummer has been celebrated since the times of the Vikings, when the tradition started of making large bonfires to ward away evil spirits.

Well, the season finale of Ladies of London airs tonight. It’s sad to see the season end so soon, and I’m not sure about it returning next year. Caroline Stanbury has moved to Dubai with her family and Marissa Hermer is now living here in Los Angeles.  

We’ll have to wait and see. 

Until then, Skål! or Cheers!

ciao! fabiana

lido isle à la française

Here’s a little Monday morning eye candy from right here in Newport Beach. With the feel of a chic French apartment, this Lido Isle home is the epitome of classic chic design.

ciao! fabiana

via Orange Coast magazine

the villas at fashion island

Villas Fashion Island, one of California’s premier luxury apartment communities, has just opened here in Newport Beach. Spanning 16 acres along Santa Cruz Drive and San Joaquin Hills Road within prestigious Newport Center, Villas Fashion Island offers 524 luxury apartment homes ranging in size from one bedroom to two bedroom plus loft. 

Each villa is designed with space and comfort in mind. Large private balconies, elevated ceilings, and walk-in closets are key features in these lofty apartments.

All the finishes are high-end and the island kitchens feature stainless-steel appliances and quartz countertops. I love how they furnished the models!

“The apartment homes reflect a cosmopolitan take on coastal resort living,” said John Jenkins, senior vice president of Design at Irvine Company.

A luxurious hotel vibe is present in each room.

The country club-style Great Room offers residents two lounges, a catering kitchen, several game areas and an large adjoining lawn area. 

Five-star amenities include concierge and spa services, personal shoppers and professional fitness classes. Residents can also enjoy the elegant dining club, five swimming pools, a dog park with dog wash and an on-sight café & juice bar. 

The enormous lawn is perfect for gatherings and the outdoor dining areas are so posh. There’s even a wood burning pizza oven!

This is an amazing resort-style living community!

The Villas Italian-inspired architecture and grounds are reminiscent of a rustic but elegant village on the outskirts of Rome. The Villas also offer complimentary shuttles to Fashion Island (a short stroll away) with its more than 40 restaurants and 100 retail stores. 

For more information on Villas Fashion Island, please visit www.VillasFashionIsland.com.

ciao! fabiana

bob hope's lemon meringue pie

Today was a great day to make a pie! As you know, here southern California, winter is citrus season.  

My lemon tree is just covered in fruit right now. I’ve been using them a lot and sharing with friends and family, and today, I decided to try a recipe that I’ve been saving for quite a while.

This recipe for Bob Hope’s Lemon pie is out of one of my favorite vintage cookbooks, Dinah Shore’s Celebrity Cookbook. It’s pretty easy to make, and all I really needed was a good mixer to beat the eggs just right. There's not that much baking involved. 

I happened to have an extra pie crust in my freezer, so I baked it golden brown in preparation for the filling. I mixed the filling ingredients with the mixer really well and then put the mixture in a sauce pan to cook over medium heat. 

I whisked this mixture on and off for about ten minutes, which is a little longer than the recipe states. I wanted it to thicken up and become bright yellow, which it did thanks to the egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest. Now it was ready to go into the crust.

Next I whipped the egg whites with sugar to create the meringue. This was really easy to do with my Kitchen Aid mixer, which did all the work for me! The next step was to pour the meringue over the pie filling, and spread it evenly. I used the back of a spoon to create peaks in the meringue. It already looks amazing at this point!

I put the pie under the broiler, under a watchful eye for no more than a couple of minutes, just to brown the top nicely. Then I baked it at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes or so. The aroma is divine!   

And guess what? It passed the taste test here in our house. Everyone loved it! So here's the recipe, in case you're in the mood to try it too. I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of meringue pies, but, when it's home made like this one, WOW - it's so good!!  

I will definitely be making this pie again very soon! 

Thanks, Bob!

ciao! fabiana

cozy saturday

Picture the pretty morning sunlight streaming in through the windows while enjoying a cup of coffee with toast, so dreamy! Whether you're relaxing or entertaining, a cozy spot or two in your home will create a warm welcoming space, year-round.

A pedestal table in the kitchen with a bench or banquette is the perfect place to start. Add a variety of pillows and a chair or two. This provides a comfortable place to dine, work or relax.

A nook like this won’t take up much space. If you’re able, transform your kitchen into a welcoming space for yourself, family and friends. Get inspired!

Maybe all you need is a daybed near a tranquil window to cozy up to. The possibilities are endless!

ciao! fabiana

photo credit: 

Orange Coast Magazine

Birmingham Home & Garden

Pinterest

Merriam-Webster

a home tour favorite !

Happy Friday, darlings! It’s a very “dah-ling” sort of a day. It’s a bit gloomy out, so I thought I’d pop in with a little decorating cheer… 

Some of you locals may recognize this home from the 2016 Newport Harbor Home Tour, and it’s just around the corner from my house. This stunning home sits on a fabulously large lot too, with an amazing backyard. (I'm also sharing some of our exclusive home tour photos that highlights the amazing entertainment area out back.) Homeowner and designer Shannon Wilkins is the creative force behind Prairie Home Styling, an interior design/staging company. She’s got a fun, fresh, youthful style that I love! Well, here’s her home from the latest issue of HGTV Magazine.  
      

This article highlights her “secret ingredient”, black paint. You see it on all the doors and window trim and also on the kitchen cabinets. Her shade of choice? It’s “Off-Black” by Farrow & Ball. It’s the perfect choice here in this extra-large kitchen, especially with the contrast of white on the walls and countertops.

The kitchen on home tour day.

Shannon has a fun, funky bohemian style, but it’s streamlined and modern. It doesn’t feel cluttered and overdone. She keeps her spaces open and airy and uses great textural pieces to accent each room.
   

The master bedroom is styled slightly differently on home tour day. I really like the bench in front of the bed instead of the sofa. The carpets are layered for the photo shoot and look perfect! 

Her son’s room is super cute and stylish, too!

Shannon used white hexagonal tiles on the wall, as a departure from the typical subway tile we’re used to seeing. It's fun how it creates an organic honeycomb pattern!

As I said, the outdoor spaces are spectacular and weren’t really featured in the magazine, so I added a few of our own photos from the home tour archive, thanks to our talented photog, Susan Rinek.

The yellow and white vintage-inspired umbrellas are everything!

A few fresh accessories inspired by Shannon's design...

Check out the latest HGTV Magazine for the whole scoop.

ciao! fabiana

For more on Shannon's home,
check out this brand new book: