Habitat Design Holiday Pop Up Shop
Looking for some great holiday gifts??? If you’re in Sonoma or just feel like being there, come join us for our 1st Pop Up Shop of the holiday Season. BIG SAVINGS – we promise:)
- WHERE: 514 Donald Drive, Sonoma, CA. Map it
- WHEN: This Friday and Saturday (Dec 7th & 8th, 2012)
- TIMES: 10AM- 5PM (NO early birds, puleassse)
Fun Things to Do After Thanksgiving
After you’re done with the Turkey stuffing (I’m not talking bread-stuff), there are some fun things happening around the Bay Area:
- Photo via http://mag.amazing-kids.org
Holiday Traditions @ Filoli: Check out Filoli’s annual ‘magical showcase of holiday decorations, holiday merchandise, gifts and exceptional personal and household items. Kicking off this 9 day event is the Premier Access Shopping Evening. Enjoy a leisurely stroll and see the decorations while listening to music, drinking wine and eating hors d’oeuvres. There’s good shopping too!!!
For more info, go to http://www.filoli.org/holiday-traditions/
- Photo via http://floragrubb.com
Succulent Gardens – Make & Give: Choose from one of three dates to participate in this free session, hosted by one of our favorite nurseries – Flora Grubb in San Francisco. They have lots of free ongoing workshops and this one looks cool. Their garden design specialist, Patrick Lannan, teaches you how to create a beautiful succulent garden. And he even teaches you how to take care of them!
For more info, check out http://floragrubb.com/florasblog/?p=5171&cat=51
Bonnie’s Picks: Fun Fall and Halloween Home Accents
Judging by the falling leaves, the smell of fireplace smoke in the air and the crisp evenings, I would say fall is in full swing! Time to bring out the Halloween and harvest-inspired home accents.
Here are some of my favorite this season:
Skull Place Mats
I love that these place mats by Belle Banquet feature black and white engravings from Dr. Prichard’s “Natural History of Man,” published in London in 1855. They’re what I call spooky-chic. Plus, they’re made of recycled paper and have a high-quality, water-resistant coating. Get yours here >
Branchy Bowl
Available in our online store, the Branchy Bowl is creepy and elegant at the same time. It’s perfect for holding your trick-or-treat candy, some small decorative pumpkins and more — the options are endless! And it’s made of cast iron so you know it’ll last. Get yours here >
Mums Hand Woven Coconut Fiber Doormat
This doormat features my favorite fall colors in a modern, friendly way. I love the floral design and the fact that it’s been printed on all-natural coconut fiber. Get yours here >
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Picks: Bold Garden Accents for Fall
Fall is the perfect time of the year to bring out your bold home and garden accents — or buy new! Here are some of my favorites this season:
The Hanging Sphere by Gainey Ceramics
Recently featured on Fab.com, this hanging sphere has a mid-century modern vibe that I just love! It’s made of ceramic and can be hung indoors or out. Fill with three 4″ plants and you have an instant bold accent! Plus, these make great gifts. Get yours here >
- Photo via polart.com.mx
Outdoor Armchair by PolArt
I first spotted this incredible outdoor furniture (yes, these are all plastic) at the Las Vegas Gift Show and fell in love. Truly unique outdoor furniture, PolArt has a whole collection of hollow plastic outdoor chairs, tables and loungers in a variety of bright colors. Get yours here >
- Photo via yliving.com
PODs Table Top Planter Half Skirt
Design by Eli Alexander & Thomas Robertson, the PODs Table Top Planters add a lively accent to a desk or table top. The 7″ width holds smaller plantings like succulents, herbs and potted flowers, and its rubber feet protect display surfaces. They’re made of aluminum and have a powdercoat finish, so they’re perfect for outdoors! Get yours here >
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Pick: The Orla Kiely line of garden tools
Orla Kiely — London-based designer known for her retro, colorful patterns — has just expanded her line to garden tools!
Out Sept. 15th of this year, her garden line features a trowel and garden fork (#3 above), 3 pots of different colors & sizes (1), and a thermos (2) for when you get thirsty!
What I love about her garden products are the fun (but not too distracting) patterns that would work in virtually any style garden. Plus, you can mix and match different colors and everything will still look great together.
And if you’re thinking ahead, you might purchase one or a few of her items as a gift for a garden-loving friend or loved one!
Shop Orla Kiely products here >
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Garden-Inspired Labor Day Recipes
Every Labor Day when I was a kid, my grandmother would make Rib Eye steaks with a plethora of side dishes utilizing fresh fruits and veggies from her garden. My favorite of her side dishes was her Potato, Onion, Bacon & Tomato Gratin — which she made often during tomato season (a.k.a now!)
- Gazpacho Bloody Mary. Photo via kitchenartistry.com
Potato, Onion, Bacon and Tomato Gratin
3 pounds baking potatoes — peeled and thinly sliced
3 large white onions, thinly sliced
3 pounds tomatoes, thinly sliced
½ lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp. basil or rosemary
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
½ cup olive oil
1 ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Coat the bottom and sides of a large oval glass or ceramic dish with olive oil.
- Arrange a layer of thinly sliced potatoes in the dish. Toss a few bacon pieces on top. Add the fresh herbs.
- Top with ½ of the onions, then ½ of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of the salt & pepper. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the process to use the remaining ingredients.
- Bake 1 ¼ hour or until golden and bubbly. Serve hot.
- Great as a side dish to compliment many meat dishes. It’s quick and easy!
* * * * *
Now, my grandmother didn’t actually make the next recipe but I imagine she would have loved it! (Especially with her fresh tomatoes.)
Gazpacho Bloody Mary
- Puree 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, 1 seeded and pealed cucumber, 1/3 red bell pepper, 1 cup of your favorite vodka, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. minced garlic and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces to taste.
- Garnish with a cucumber stick and enjoy! Serves 4.
* * * * *
We didn’t have Feta cheese in the Ohio countryside when I was a kid, but we did chow down on watermelon with mint. The next recipe is super refreshing on a hot day. Note: I recommend making it about an hour before eating it to let the juices soak in.
Watermelon Feta Salad with Mint
1 7-8 lb. seedless watermelon, chilled
½ cup EVVO
3 limes, juiced
1 ½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. black pepper
¾ – 1 cup fresh chopped mint leaves
1 ½ cups good quality crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Cut the rind from the melon and chunk into 1 ½ ” cubes. Drain in a colander as you chop.
- In a small bowl whisk the olive oil, lime juice, salt and black pepper to create a dressing. Mix well.
- Place the watermelon in a large bowl. Stir gently and add the feta cheese and mint.
Do you have a garden-inspired Labor Day recipe? Do share!
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Picks: 3 Recycled Edible Garden Projects
While looking for inspiration for my edible container garden, I came across 3 different DIY solutions for growing veggies and herbs in your garden. (I know, my Picks are normally products you can purchase online, but I’ve been in a crafty mood lately!)
The recycled burning barrels above – used for burning garbage, and also known as an “Urban drums” — show all the possibilities of kitchen gardening, even in the inner city. These painted oil drums double as veggie planters and as cover-ups for the spray-painted fence behind them.
Putting many barrels in a row can also serve as a barrier between you and your neighbors’ connected lawns, or as a way to create an outdoor “room” that is segregated from other parts of your garden.
As an an effort to recycle and reuse, I love the use of pallets for different home and garden projects. A great example of that are these raised palette beds. The worn wood look works perfectly in a European or cottage style garden — but I bet if you painted them a bright color, they’d look great in a modern garden, too!
Finally, these metal olive oil drums with the spiral twists were spotted at “Gaspatio Andaluz,” a festival garden inspired by the colors of Spain.
These cool containers were made completely out of olive oil drums — the drum serving as the veggie bed, and the metal top being cut into ribbons to form the twisted support for tomatoes and squash. I love this clever idea, and it’s just perfect for a contemporary garden.
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Pick: Ipanema Accent Tables
Although I’ve never been to Brazil, these handcrafted tables sure make me feel like I’m there!
Both styles feature inverted shapes and an open weave bamboo structure. In fact, since the glass top is removable, I’ve thought about putting corks, seashells or even dog toys in mine!
Also — since they both kind of look like upside down drinking vessels, these tables would be just perfect in your man (or lady) cave!
Did I mention they’re available in our online store?
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Pick: The EcoQue Outdoor Wood-Fired Pizza Oven & Smoker
I’ll have to agree with the EcoQue website about my pick this week: the EcoQue Pizza Oven & Smoker really is “the most versatile outdoor Artisan Cooking Center you’ll ever own.”
- Photo via cheapturkeyfryer.com
I love so many things about this product. First of all, the EcoQue company believes in cooking with as little impact on the environment as possible. Their grills and other outdoor “cooking centers” are made out of renewable or recycled materials, and they use up to 75% less energy to cook a meal than a normal grill.
The Pizza Oven is especially cool because it doesn’t look like your average outdoor pizza oven. It’s made of durable metal and is designed for optimum energy efficiency. The oven can actually handle any task your indoor oven could handle, with the added bonus of the authentic smokey flavor we all love.
>> See a real-life demonstration of the EcoQue Pizza Oven & Smoker at the 2012 Sunset Idea House in Healdsburg, CA this summer.
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
Bonnie’s Picks: Dog-friendly Garden Accents
On Tuesday, Jessy talked discussed 4 ways to create a dog-friendly small garden and let me tell you — she knows what she’s talking about. As I watch my own two doggies romp around the yard that she designed, I realize what a great job she really did.
- Photo via slackstack.com
Two years ago my husband and I moved from 13 acres in the Wine Country to 2 acres on the SF Peninsula; our dogs went from free-range to short-range. This has made me realize what’s really important to our dogs — no matter how big the area: they love a sheltered area, a good viewing spot and a good drink. Basically — they’re just like their owners!
Here are some of my favorite dog-friendly garden accents that satisfy all those needs:
1. The Modern Cabana Dog House
- Photo via moderncabana.com
This is a great multi-functional dog house. Made using non-toxic paints and finishes, your dog will enjoy resting below — or jumping on the living roof for a great view! (I say this because Kimmie is a jumper — see below.) If your dog isn’t a “jumper,” use the living roof to plant herbs and other shallow-rooted plants! Get yours now >
- Kimmie on our deck table! She likes the view… and her tennis ball.
2. The Pet Peek
- Photo via intash.com
Now, this is an interesting one. If your dogs are like mine, they just love knowing what’s going on with the 4 dogs and 8 chickens next door (the grass is always greener, right?). The Pet Peek will satisfy their curiosity. Get yours now >
3. Smorgasboard water bowls
- Photo via docapet.com
Now — the serious summer heat warning!: The most important thing to do for your pet outdoors is to always provide a drink of water. These cool “Smorgasboard” bowls by Doca Pet are stylish but will provide your pooch the satisfying drink that they need when they’re hot. Plus, there are multiple heights to make drinking easier for any sized dog. Get yours now >
This article was written by Bonnie Gemmell, co-founder & Style Curator of Habitat Design. Habitat Design provides full-service online landscape design planning for small and mid-sized gardens, & an online store of unique garden & home furnishings — all at an affordable price. Bonnie believes that beautiful gardens should be accessible & affordable for everyone. Check out Habitat Design >
