Ahhhh.....

This past week I spent gazing out onto this view, basking in sunlight and enjoying the slow pace of island time. Ahhhh, it's good to recharge.
Tomorrow, I'm off to a new destination! See you in a week, and don't forget to enjoy Charles' posts as he and Penny continue their adventure.

Susana's Away... Charles will PLAY

...with PENNY!! Susana is on vacation in Jamaica this week, so I'm on vaca but in Jamaica Plain. Penny and I are now official members of the 7am Jamaica Pond Walkers Club, because that is the very earliest she can get me out the door. She then decides that I am doing a horrible job at holding the leash while texting and decides that she will walk herself. After that we spend a great deal of time looking at the ducks. Then Penny met her new buddy Bamm-Bamm and it was all over, they are instantly best friends!!

Just taking myself on a stroll.

The ducks.

Charles & Penny spotted. ** photo credit Nathaniel

Our new friend BAMM-BAMM!

Until Tomorrow. 

Dining room make over.

A few months ago I inherited this beautiful dining table and chairs from my great friend Rebecca. It needed a little TLC. The wood laminate was delaminating and the chair cushions needed an update. But I fell in love with it's beautiful curved legs and vintage lines.

 Kat was having fun playing in the fabric as I reupholster the chair seat in this gorgeous blue canvas.

The base of the table got a good coat of primer and then sprayed with this perfect color that is somewhere between gray and brown.

What do you think? I know I am looking forward to dinner parties!

Goodbye store-bought crackers!

I love cheese!
The kind you can eat, of course. Stinky, soft, hard, goat, cow, sheep, anything goes. But it's not just about the cheese. It's critical that it is paired with the perfect cracker. From my experience, most store-bought crackers leave a lot to be desired. Some are too thick, some too thin. Others just try too hard.
So my latest obsession has been to make my own "crackers" or in the case of yesterday's adventure, a crispy flat bread that, turns out, is better than any store-bought cracker I've ever had.
Trust me, this is so easy, anyone can do it. You won't be disappointed...and you will never want a regular old cellophane wrapped cracker again.

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
Adapted from Epicurious.com


1 2/3   C. All-purpose Flour
1Tbl    Chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp    Baking Powder
1tsp     Kosher salt
1/2 C   Water
1/3 C   Olive Oil
Sea Salt and additional Rosemary

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. 

Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. 

Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). 

Break into pieces.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

A concrete knee wall is born.

There are few things more exciting than the process of construction. Yes, the design process is, for me, the source of most of my joy. But, truth be told, when a project leaps from the page to the physical world, it's like a  dream become reality. I was never one for dwelling on the, "It only matters when it's built.". But I do love me a good concrete pour! And today I got just that!
Trillium Brewing Company, a project I have been working on for over a year is being built. Yes, brick and mortar, or in today's case, concrete and rebar, BUILT!
It is just a little knee wall, drawn to accurate detail on paper. And today it was made real, and out of concrete! Exhilarating!!

NOTE: Concrete is the substance that most people refer to as cement.
TRICK OF THE TRADE: Cement is a component in concrete, along with sand and water...if you want to be in-the-know about construction, always refer to it as concrete...and never, ever as cement!
Horay concrete!!

Dinner with the students.

Dinner with a Professor was such fun! The students were attentive and most importantly, laughed at all my jokes...in short, it was wonderful!

Thank you all who came.

Spring Revamp

We are having a blast here at the studio making videos! Spring is here and the Arnold Arboretum was the perfect setting for our latest one. It's on MAKEGOODstudio.com so you must check it out!

...and don't miss our new lookbook pages. CLICK HERE TO SEE!!!

Today: Dinner with a Professor (ME!)

I'm honored and thrilled to have been asked by the architecture student's at Wentworth to give a talk about my life and career. Yesterday, as Charles and I had lunch (amazing turkey and brie sandwiches from City Feed and Supply!) we collected images spanning my five years of education and subsequent 12 years of professional work. When I was done, I scrolled through my presentation, meant to capture what I have accomplished these last years, and I had a realization. I have done a lot.
I am one of those people that always feels like there is more to do, more to explore, more to learn. But for that moment I felt like standing still just for a second to enjoy it.

So this evening after studio at 5:30 I hope to see you there! Here is a peak at what I'll be talking about.