fresh, local, delicious

In celebration of Cinco De Mayo - one of my favorite holidays (it's up there with Christmas) I thought it very fitting to share with you the story behind Senora Dixie Salsa.  The yummiest salsa you'll ever put in your mouth!  This locally made salsa is home-made using fresh, local, all-natural ingredients, absolutely no preservatives and with the same love and tradition that Dioxana's "Dixie" mother used when she was growing up in Honduras.  The family had a jar on the table at every meal.  You can meet the lovely Dixie personally every Saturday at the North Hills Farmers Market from 8AM-12PM.  She is wonderful ~ always smiling ~ and always has plenty of samples.  Tempt your taste buds with mild, medium and hot varieties and decide for yourself which one you and your family will enjoy the most.  I would highly encourage the purchase of at least 2 or 3 jars - it's addicting and it goes fast...really fast!  If you can't make it to the North Hills Farmer's Market on Saturday you can find Senora Dixie Salsa at NOFO and Harmony Farms in Raleigh as well as A Southern Season in Chapel Hill.  Dixie is also working on product placement at Whole Foods & Harris Teeter so be on the lookout in your grocer's refrigerated section - or better yet put in a request at their customer service desk.
You can also order online - simply click the rooster below:
 

 

senora dixie - fresh, all natural salsa

Tortilla a la Diabla (Devil's Tortilla) is one of Dixie's favorite family recipes:

Senora Dixie Salsa
3 eggs
12 tortillas cut into strips

Tortilla a la Diabla (Devil's Tortilla)

2 tsp. olive oil
8 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili pepper
Salt + Pepper to taste

Place tortilla strips in a frying pan
Toss with olive oil
Stir until golden brown
Add scallions, tomatoes & fresh cilantro
Stir occasionally for 3 minutes
Add eggs, garlic powder, chili pepper, salt + pepper
Stir until everything is bended and eggs are cooked

This recipe is perfect for breakfast or breakfast for dinner with sour cream - YUM!

city to seaside with marie-chantal

OK - last reference regarding princesses and royalty, for a while, I promise!  But I couldn't resist posting these gorgeous photos of the exquisite, mother of five, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece.  I have long followed and loved her sense of style.  Her children's clothing line - marie-chantal - focuses on classic and timeless designs for girls and boys.  Below are a few pictures of MC, some of her picks from her s/s 2011 collection as well as a Q&A from Caroline Stanbury of London's Gift-Library.com - a luxury online shop for women, men, baby, home, beauty & indulgence - http://www.gift-library.com/

What was the best gift you ever received?

For the birth of my babies my husband always gave me a beautiful piece of jewellery. I have a lovely collection now.

What is the most romantic gift you have ever received?

A weekend in Florence.

What would be your perfect dinner party gift?

A bag full of beauty essentials...

Do you have a staple gift for friends?

The Children's Diary by me of course!

What is your favourite Gift-Library item?

I love Dylan’s Candy Bar products.

What would be top of your Gift-Library wish list? 

I adore all the Kara Ross bags. 

As someone who is always on the move how would Gift-Library complement your life?

Web shopping for presents is a breeze in a hectic life!

princess marie-chantal of greece at the royal wedding of prince william & kate middleton

princess marie-chantal of greece & her husband prince pavlos during royal wedding festivities in london

princess marie-chantal of greece and zac posen

 





i love this photograph - beautiful!

princess marie-chantal and her children

marie-chantal spring/summer 2011

graphic t - octopus

boy's herringbone cargo short - gray mud

boy's new language jumper - gray mud/citrus

boy's striped polo - stone/citrus

herringbone cargo - available in off-white & gray

mc's pick

 

mc's pick - frill sleeve top in mc pastel flower

mc's pick - bermuda short in kaki

mc's pick - metallic sandal in gold

                              

Pick 3

A great pair of flats, a comfortable wedge and a dressy heel, if you buy wisely that's all you should need, for shoes, to carry you fashionably and comfortably through the season (seasons for shoppers like me) I tend to buy season-less items that can, for the most part, be worn all-year-round.  That will justify a more expensive item for me.
The Balenciaga button flat pictured below is classic!  Pair them with a black cigarette pant, jodhpurs or your favorite skinny jeans and you'll be looking fantastic all year long.  It's high price tag could be justified if you wear them for the next several seasons.
What can I say?  I have always been a sucker for anything leopard.  In my opinion, it's a classic print that never goes out of style.  And finally, a pale, metallic, goes with everything, heel for your dressier occasions. The Via Spiga Fantastic reminds me of Michelle Pfeiffer a la Scarface 1983...HOT!
Isn't the back detail of the Louboutin wedge fantastic?  It reminds me of another fashion detail that I have yet to tire of - the exposed zipper.   The shoes below would be considered high end but there are obviously countless options in all price ranges.  Why not wish for the best!

balenciaga button flat
http://www.barneys.com/Button-Ballet-Flat/500674615,default,pd.html

christian louboutin - peanut
http://www.barneys.com/Peanut/500181629,default,pd.html

christian louboutin: back detail

via spiga - fantastic
http://www.viaspiga.com/content.aspx?contentID=99099_shop#key=fantastic

something for the gentleman

With the Royal Wedding still on the brain (and some sacred quiet time while my daughter is napping) I thought something for the fellas would be appropriate.  I was completely unaware of the history of the tuxedo and during my research discovered the story behind its creation from London's bespoke tailor Henry Poole. 

In 1860, Henry Poole made a short evening or smoking jacket for the Prince of Wales to wear at informal dinner parties at Sandringham. In 1886, a Mr. James Potter of Tuxedo Park, New York visited London and subsequently was invited by the Prince to spend a weekend at Sandringham. He was also advised that he could have a smoking jacket made by the Prince’s tailors, Henry Poole & Co.
When the Potters returned to New York, Mr. Potter proudly wore his new smoking jacket at the Tuxedo Park Club and fellow members soon started having copies made for themselves which they adopted as their informal uniform for club “stag” dinners. As a result, the dinner jacket became known as the Tuxedo.  http://www.henrypoole.com/

Henry Poole



What dreams are made of

Although the official wedding picture will not be released until tomorrow, as promised, here are a few pictures of the stunning Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, on her wedding day.

The dress:  Kate chose British designer Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen to design her wedding dress and according to style reports she couldn't have made a better choice.  I couldn't agree more!  Kate looked simply stunning!

Kate's dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar.  The skirt mimics an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats.  The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, is reflective of the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs.  The lace applique for the bodice and skirt was handmade and included hand cut English lace and French Chantilly lace.  This created a unique and organic design which incorporated the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.  Kate's veil is made of layers of soft, ivory tulle with a trim of hand embroidered flowers which was held perfectly in place by a Cartier tiara.  Source: Hilary Moss, Style News Editor at The Huffington Post
 
The jewels: Kate's jewelry was also simple and stunning.  Brilliantly and seamlessly combining old and new.

The Cartier "Halo" diamond tiara was made in 1936 and was purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI)  for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) just three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King.  Princess Elizabeth received the tiara from her mother on her 18th birthday.  Kate's earrings, custom made by Robinson Pelham, were a gift from her parents and were inspired by her family's new coat of arms.  Catherine's traditional wedding band is made by Wartski and is purely Welsh gold.   Source: Hilary Moss, Style News Editor at The Huffington Post

The bouquet:  A long lover of flowers and their symbolism I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include the details of Kate's bouquet which included Lily-of-the-Valley = return of happiness; Sweet William = Gallantry; Hyacinth = Constancy of Love; Ivy = fidelity, marriage, wedded love, friendship & affection and Myrtle which is the emblem of marriage and love.  A sprig of myrtle has been used in the bouquets of all royal brides since Queen Victoria.  The sprigs for the bouquets come from the same myrtle bush she planted on the Isle of Wight in 1845.     

 

Goldbug Studio

If you can manage to pull yourself away from Royal Wedding TV coverage tomorrow Goldbug Studio's FOLLYSTORE begins their annual sale at 11:00 am.  The production studios warehouse space opens only once a year to the public.  Goldbug Studio + FOLLYSTORE are located in Raleigh's Five Points  - 518 Pershing Road.  If you can't make it on Friday, don't panic, the sale will continue through the end of May.
FOLLYSTORE hours through May 31 are: Monday-Friday 11-4 and Saturdays 11-6. 

http://www.goldbugstudio.com/

Goldbug Studio designs have been featured in Barneys NY and have also been spotted in the office of Jenna Lyons, creative director of J.Crew.  Don't miss this unique opportunity-it only happens once a year.
Below are a few of my favorites and some of Goldbug Studios bestselling pieces.

embellished animal masks

 Alphabet City Series Crown of J's as seen in Jenna Lyons office at right

Jenna Lyons - creative director of J.Crew

glass glitter birds

golden swan place card holders

glitter snowflake

i heart

In 2007 Claiborne Swanson moved from San Francisco to New York where she worked as Anna Wintour’s assistant. After getting married in 2009, she left Vogue and began pursuing her love of photography.  Frank's photography exhibition "Indigo Light" features an installation of 29 portraits - all of women closest to Claiborne, like her sisters Veronica Beard and Alexis Trania.

“Fashion has always had a strong presence in my photography,” "it is not meant to dominate the portrait but instead add dimension –  My goal is to find something that takes your breath away… I dream to shoot my vision of spirit and soul.  I set out to take portraits that capture women in their greatest beauty and truth, whatever that may be.”

The photographs below immediately struck and inspired me...even taking me back to my own college days when I was studying photography.  My 1998 photography exhibition was part of my final graduation project and these photographs remind me in many ways of the fashion images I photographed, developed and installed over ten years ago.  

On a second note if you are not familiar with Claiborne's sister's label, Veronica Beard, be sure to check out the line which is based on the concept of the tailored men’s blazer with interchangeable sweaters that zip in and out. The sweaters are sleeveless so the bulky arm problem is eliminated.  Perfect for easing into spring and, upon summers end, taking you seamlessly into fall and keeping you looking your best through winter.  You can find the line locally at VERMILLION in Raleigh's North Hills or online www.vermillionstyle.com & www.veronicabeard.com

Be sure to check the end of this post for a few favorites!

self portrait, claiborne swanson frank

veronica beard by claiborne swanson frank

alexis trania by claiborne swanson frank

sophia pera by claiborne swanson frank

serena nikkah by claiborne swanson frank

boho dress

scarlett jacket

dickies

linen blazer