Christmas List: Accessories

Now that the holidays are in full swing, I’ve been collecting Christmas gifts. Accessories are at the top of the list, with everything from home to beauty. I love the sophisticated feel of these Crate & Barrel champagne flutes. And for perfect personalization, an iPhone case or stamp gift set are lovely options.

~Crate & Barrel: Edge Flute

~Fresh: Sugar Lip Duo

~J Crew: Refined Silk-Cashmere Wrap

~Paper Source: Custom Stamp Gift Set

~Plum Street Prints: Custom iPhone Case

~Sweet Letterpress: Poinsettia Holiday Cards

~Zara: Leather Gloves

Holiday Windows

The holiday windows at Printemps in Paris provided a good opportunity for lèche-vitrines {window-shopping} this past weekend. Dozens of animated mini Karl Lagerfeld marionettes designed by Jean-Claude Dehix were photographing, drawing, and directing. Entitled Noël: Rêves d’Évasion {Christmas: Dreams of Far Away}, 11 windows encapsulated Chanel's fashion inspiration drawn from Los Angeles, London, Paris, New York, the Byzantium, Biarritz, Moscow, Venice, Shanghai, Tokyo, and the Cap d’Antibes.

Bonne Journée

Baguettes at Gosselin

I'm heading to Paris this weekend. I'll be hunting for Christmas gifts. Be back next week with lots of sweets.

Fall Classics

I'll take a classic low boot, trench, or sweater any day. Lately, I've been wearing this Sandro white crew neck sweater. Who doesn't need a bow tie?

~Claudie Pierlot: Blue Wool Coat

~Comptoir des Cotonniers: Low Boot

~J Crew: Shimmer Bow Sweater

~Maje: Angora Dress

~Sandro: Crew Neck Sweater with Bow Brooch

Happy Halloween

Frightful Fête

To finish the Halloween treats table for a party this evening, I tested a few new recipes. The devils food cupcakes were my favorite~dense chocolate cake with a tangy hint of sour cream and fluffy vanilla buttercream. Plus, the fleur de lis chocolates are available at almost every German grocery store. With so many lovely sweets, decorations {glitter pumpkins and skulls along with a DIY paper doily runner} were simple.

~Spiderweb almond cookies

~Brownie coffins

~Salted nut truffles

~Ladyfingers with almond nails

~Devil's food cupcakes with vanilla buttercream

~Ghost petits fours {made with David Lebovitz's almond cake}

~Pumpkin whoopie pies

~White chocolate pumpkins

~Black licorice

~Ghost marshmallow peeps

Trick or Treat

There are no tricks with the sweets table I'm preparing for Halloween {unless you count the ladyfingers with almond nails}. Here's a sneak peak.

Bold Geometrics and Pretty Florals

Photo from Caitlin Wilson Textiles

I've been a fan of Caitlin Wilson's smart eye for interior design, and now she's created a beautiful of line of fabrics and pillows inspired by her international travels. My favorite is the coral tall chevron fabric. Now, which fabric to chose...

Photo from Caitlin Wilson Textiles

Spooky Silhouettes

Although I'm always up for projects, I like to keep Halloween decorations simple {I'm more excited about Christmas}. So, I made silhouettes cut from black paper and anatomical artwork. For the skulls, I combined grainy black and white anatomical images with text. The hanging bats were stenciled using a cookie cutter. And the caged crow and witch silhouettes were inspired by these cupcakes. Add a few black crows, black glitter pumpkins, and silver skulls, and Halloween is sleek without being kitschy.

Stuttgart

Calwer Strasse

Part urban metropolis, part Swabian culture center, Stuttgart is a beautiful city in southern Germany. It’s easy to take in all the sights near the historic core, catch a ballet at the State Theater, taste wine at the summer festival, or just wander down the pedestrian streets.

Markthalle

Domkirche St. Eberhard

Sights

Altes Schloss: Old Palace

Neues Schloss: New Palace

Staatstheater: State Theater

Staatsgalerie: State Gallery

Shops

Breuninger: department store, Marktstrasse 1-3

Klettpassage: underground shops, Arnulf-Klett-Platz

Markthalle: covered food market, Dorotheenstraße 4

Eats and Sweets

Confiserie Selbach: Amadei chocolate, candies, Dorotheenstrasse 2

Hafendorfer: cakes, pastries, Werastrasse 141

Feinkost Böhm: gourmet food store, Kronprinzstrasse 6

Schlemmermeyer: gourmet deli, Konigstrasse 4

Gold Mine

It's only mid-October, but it's already in the 40s in Germany. I'll take some gold accents to warm up my wardrobe {and some scarves}. A grey sweater with gold leather elbow patches looks like an easy project to spice up a plain piece. Now to order some metallic leather.

~Asos: Metallic Envelope Clutch

~Dannijo: Sophie Necklace

~Miu Miu: Glitter-Finish Leather Pumps

~Robert Rodriguez Fringed Mini Skirt

~Zadig & Voltaire: Cici Cashmere Pull

Salted Nut Truffles

These truffles, filled with peanut butter and marshmallow creme are deliciously simple. With a coating of white chocolate and a dusting of chopped peanuts, they look elegant in mini paper cups.

Salted Nut Truffle Recipe

1/2 jar marshmallow creme

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup peanuts, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. shortening

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

In a medium bowl, add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir in powdered sugar, peanuts, and corn syrup. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Shape mixture into 18 balls. In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips and shortening on 50% power in 30-second intervals until white chocolate chips are softened (about 2 minutes). Place truffle on a fork, and dip into white chocolate, letting excess drip off. Place on waxed paper, and sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. Let stand until chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes. Makes 18.

Schloss Linderhof

On the way back from Garmisch, we stopped at the Linderhof Palace. Modeled after Versailles, of course I was in love with the formal gardens, gold fountains, and expansive views. The other highlight was the Venus Grotto, constructed to mimic the blue grotto in Capri. Afterwards, the benches facing the ornate fountain were the perfect spot for a late afternoon picnic.

Blouse: vintage

Skinny jeans: J Brand

Ballet flats: Repetto

Handbag: Chloe

Brownie Coffins

These brownies are divine on their own, but I dressed them up for Halloween with some buttercream frosting. Along with the spiderweb almond cookies, they’ll be accompanying some other sweets on my Halloween dessert table. More next week.

Brownie Recipe

{Adapted from The Farm of Beverly Hills}

3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. cake flour

1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C). Line a 9”x9” square baking pan with foil on the bottom and up the sides. In a small bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and heat for 30-second intervals until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in eggs. Let stand 2-3 minutes, then whisk again. Batter will be glossy and thick. Mix in sugar and salt. Then add flour and cocoa powder. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan. Remove foil. Cut with coffin cookie cutter. Decorate with buttercream or royal icing using a piping bag and small tip. Makes 8.

On Guard

When jewelry mixes the line between accessory and armor, it creates a stunning focal point. I'm all for adding a little bit of edge to a polished outfit. I spent the weekend in Strasbourg, a beautiful Alsatian town just inside the border of France {eating fondue and French sweets, of course}. While a lot of time was spent lèche-vitrines {French for window shopping, but the literal translation is better...window licking}, I picked up a vintage collar necklace along with some leather-accented pieces for fall.

~Asos: Metal Collar Necklace

~Dannijo: Stella Necklace

~Giles & Brother: Gold Nara Bracelet

~TomTom: Studder Rings

Spiderweb Almond Cookies

This Halloween, I'm putting together a table full of sweets. These spiderweb almond cookies are a mix of buttery shortbread and tender sugar cookie. And I love anything with almond flavor {I used the almond flour I picked up at G.Detou for French macarons}. Finish them with royal icing and a swirling spiderweb pattern, and they're the perfect ghoulish glam treat.

Almond Cookie Recipe

{adapted from Better Homes & Gardens}

3/4 cup almond flour

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat until fully combined. Add flours and salt in two additions. Mix on low until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (170 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Place 1" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9 minutes until light brown on edges. Cool on cookie sheet.

For the royal icing, mix powdered sugar and water until thick, about the consistency of toothpaste. Using a small tip, pipe the cookie border in white. Then, thin the icing, and "flood" the interior of the cookie using a toothpick, one at a time. Before it dries, using a small tip, pipe a swirl pattern with the melted chocolate starting at the center of the cookie. Using a toothpick, drag the point from the center to each of the outside corners of the spiderweb. Makes 20.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Munich is always a spectacular event, with a sea of people wearing lederhosen and dirndls filled in tents, a traditional German band playing while hundreds of people sing, and of course, liters of beer. We arrived early and found a table in the Augustiner tent {packed with 6,000 people}. How could we not have good time.

Follow The Lines

After seeing this stenciled rug project on Ikea Hackers, I've been working on my own. In the meantime, I'm hypnotized by the geometric stencils from Cutting Edge Stencils.

Pop Leather

~Chloe: Knit Dress with Leather Yolk

~Zadig & Voltaire: Leather-Paneled Sweater Dress

~Joseph: Leather Cap Sleeve Dress

Whether it's panels, trim, pockets, or collars, leather-accented dresses are in play for fall. Leather adds an interesting detail while keeping a monochromatic look. Add some opaque tights and low boots, and you're set. Simple. I'll be searching for this Sandro number {I love anything with a peter pan collar}.

~Sandro: Black Leather Collar Dress

~Tibi: Boatneck Dress with Leather Pockets

~Etoile Isabel Marant: Leather Trim Dress

Jewel Box

Blouse: Sandro

Pants: Sandro

Ballet Flats: Coach

Sunglasses: Barton Perreira

Handbag: Chloé

The weekend was refreshingly warm, so it was the perfect time to pair a light silk blouse with these jewel-toned pants. Sapphire blue, kelly green, and ruby red are all stand-out colors for fall. Plus, it’s an easy way to add a bit of lux to your day. White ballet with black trim and a leather carryall anchor the rich color.

Pumpkin Festivals

Photo from here

From September to October, towns in Germany hold pumpkin festivals with a dizzying array of pumpkins. The idyllic markets also offer specialties such as pumpkin seed oil, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup, and even pumpkin strudel. Here are some of the best festivals.

Ludwigsburg Kürbisausstellung

Amazingly, there are even boat races using giant hollowed-out pumpkins.

Altendorf Kürbisfest

Rows of pumpkins, gourds and squash.