Chateau Gabriel

How many homes did Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge own and how many auctions will result from them? Seems Christies will hold a second auction of artwork this November, half of which will be from Chateau Gabriel, their coastal retreat near Deauville, France. The chateau was of course restored with the help of their interior designer Jacques Grange whose opulent interiors were inspired by Marcel Proust and Claude Monet. The property also consists of many out buildings including a Russian dacha which should appeal to it's new Russian owners. And of course what would a chateau be without it's own helipad and hanger. Maybe Jacques was also inspired by the Hamptons! Enjoy!

Photos from Luxury Culture

A Picture And A Quote

"The color of truth is gray"
-Andre Gide

Dress:Dorotheas Closet Vintage
Hat: EBay
Shoes: Very Old Anthropologie
Earrings: Very Old Banana Republic
Hair: Quick Set (brushed away from the face)

Interesting Color Combo: Orange and Merlot

I wanted to start with something that wasn't too crazy, and would be a nice transition from summer to fall. So I started with an adorable grey pleated dress. I think grey is a perfect neutral because it goes with so many colors. I am also not a huge 'brown' person- I don't wear it very often, and I don't have any brown in my home- I tend towards blues, greys, greens, and reds. But I digress- here is the grey dress:


Perfect Grey Dress

To this dress I would then layer a lovely vintage orange sweater:


Vintage Orange Silk Sweater

Add some jewelry,


Vintage Floral Earrings


Autumn Ring


a colorful pair of tights,


Burgundy Tights

a swell pair of shoes,


Merlot Flats

and don't forget this amazing 3-in-1 handbag with an orange lucite handle,


Vintage 3 in 1 Handbag

and you have yourself a fun transitional ensemble in shades of orange and merlot. If you are unsure of the color combo, then omit the orange sweater and just go for the simpler version of grey and merlot- always a classic combo.

More Orange

One of the rooms I was most excited to see at The Hampton Designer Showhouse this year was the den by Carrier and Company. I had seen a few photos online at Vogue.com and of course the burnt orange walls were right up my alley! The room with sitting area and pool table is in the basement and the husband and wife team of Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller did a great job with it. You don't even notice that there are no windows!

Jesse Carrier used to work for Jeffrey Bilhuber and when he left to start his own firm, uber chic client Anna Wintour went with him. Carrier & Company have designed the lobby of the Vogue office at 4 Times Square and have also decorated the apartments some of the Voguettes.

I think we're going to be hearing a lot from this dazzling design duo and I can't wait to see what they do with a room in a future showhouse with windows! I think they deserve to be front and center next time! Oh, and if you haven't had a chance to see the Hampton Designer Showhouse presented by Traditional Home in person yet, you still have until September 6th to check it out!

Photos from Heather Clawson and Carrier and Company

Its Delish! Cooking With The Glamorous Housewife

Portabello Mushroom Fajitas, Beans and Rice

**I think this was supposed to be for Tuesday, but I changed my mind and served it today**

Recipe (serves 2)
Time: 30 minutes (possibly longer on your first try)

1 orange pepper
1 small onion
1-2 cloves garlic
2 large portabello mushrooms
1 can refried beans
1 cup rice
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
splash of beer
3 Tbsp- 1/4 cup bottled salsa
1-2 Tbsp oil
4-5 flour tortillas

To start, pour the tomato sauce into a large measuring cup. I use a 5 cup measuring cup. Then add water so it comes to the 2 cup mark. Pour into a small pot. Then add 1 cup of plain rice and 1/2 tsp cumin. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to very low, cover, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Turn on your oven to 350. Place the tortillas in foil, wrap, and put in oven. As the oven heats it will heat the tortillas.

Cut up the pepper and onions into slivers about 1/4" wide. Dont worry if your slices are not perfect- you are not on tv.


Warm up the pan you will be cooking the fajitas in. When warm, add about 1-2 Tbsp oil. I use vegetable or canola oil. Then add the onions and peppers. I use a high flame here.

While onions and peppers are cooking, scrape the gills out of the mushrooms and slice about 1/4" wide. Also chop the garlic. Once done, add everything to the peppers and onions, mix, add a pinch of salt, and cover for about 7 minutes. This will let the mushrooms let go of their juices and cook down a bit on a medium flame.


After around 7 minutes, take the top off the fajitas and add a splash of beer and the salsa. I just spoon the salsa around so everything gets coated, but not too much or the fajitas will be too wet. I let this cook for about 2 minutes on a high flame.


Once the vegetables are cooked through, push them to the side and let the liquid come to the center of the pan. On a high flame, let this cook down until it will coat the veggies. Be careful not to let the liquid cook down so much that it burns. Then stir the veggies with the sauce. Turn off the heat and let cool.


While fajitas are cooling, turn the rice off and stir. Let it cool for a minute or two. While everything is cooling, warm the beans in a microwave proof dish (I use the gladware disposable containers) in the microwave. I let mine cook one minute and then stir, another minute and then stir. Sometimes it needs one more minute, and then stir.

For this meal I let my husband serve himself off the stove. It just makes it easier that way. Just be sure to take the tortillas out of the oven. Now eat!

Grocery Shopping With The Glamorous Housewife

(via flickr)

When I first started this blog I wanted it to be about the three things I enjoy most: cooking, fashion, and decorating. I used to have posts all the time about cooking, but recently I have had no food posts. This is due to the fact I am completely uninspired at the moment to cook. I still feed my family, but I consider it warming up rather then cooking. But my family is tired of the boring dinners, so I am trying to get my inspiration back up. To that end, I have planned the meals for next week and thought I would post to see if I can inspire anyone else going through a meal rut. As a reminder we are mostly vegetarian (we eat kosher fish occasionally).

So here are the meals as follows:

Sunday: Fake Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwich with Fruit Smoothies (kids eat fake chicken nuggets, salad, and the smoothies)

Monday: Fake Meatball Sandwich with Salad (kids eat plain pasta, fake meatballs, and salad)

Tuesday: Fajitas with Beans and Rice (kids eat the beans and rice and cut up melon)

Wednesday: Mooshu Fake Chicken with Rice (kids eat fake chicken nuggets, rice and veggies)

Thursday: Blue Cheese 'Burgers' with Tator Tots and leftover veggies or fruit (kids eat normal 'burgers')

On Fridays I make a large fancy meal for my extended family and friends while we celebrate Shabbat (the Jewish sabbath). That is a whole other can of worms, and I will try to post the menu on Thursday.

If I have time I will be sure to post each meal, including recipes for the week. They are fantastic for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I can also give hints on how to make each meal for one or two people. So even though pretty much all of you are here to see the fashion, I hope you will also enjoy the cooking.

Andi B. Goode Giveaway!

One of my favorite bloggers Andi B. Goode is having a giveaway to celebrate 100 followers! Don't you love those earrings? They would be perfect with almost any outfit. And the surfboard pin is darling. So please, rush over to Andi and enter the contest.

Theme Of The Week: Interesting Color Combos

(via my vintage vogue)

I had so much fun doing all the 'vintage' hair tutorials last week, but I swear, if I have to look at myself one more time I am going to barf. So this week I wanted to go in a more editorial direction. The inspiration behind the inspiration is the opening of The September Issue- a documentary chronicling Anna Wintour and Vogue magazine as they put together the September Issue.

Here is the movie trailer:



I started reading Vogue when I was about 7 years old and even though I think it is totally unattainable, I enjoy it for the stunning photography, the articles, and the inspiration. However, I have never really connected with Anna Wintour. I guess her 'ice queen' persona keeps me from really feeling anything towards her. I mean I adore Diana Vreeland and have read so many books by her and about her, but I think it is because she had so much personality. Anna Wintour- not so much. I even bought an unauthorized biography of Anna and couldn't even finish it because it was so dreadfully dull. So I am hoping this movie will help me understand the fascination with Anna.

(via my vintage vogue)

So this week I decided to put together a different outfit each day based on some interesting color combinations. I adore color and thought it would be fun to find some hues that you wouldn't think would work together and combine them into one ensemble. I did my best to walk the fine line between editorial and what you could actually wear on the street without looking like you are wearing a costume- something vintage wearers need to look out for. So please enjoy this week's theme: Interesting Color Combinations.









(all photos via my vintage vogue)

Vegan Take-Out Meals to Make at Home

If you love Pizza, why not try...Pissaladière
(Vegetarian Times)
I can't believe how difficult it is to find a vegan pizza recipe online with a pretty picture to match! Thankfully, I finally found this French, lattice-looking pizza made with sweet onions, roasted red peppers and kalamata olives. Even if you want to create a different vegan pizza topping, you'll be pleased to find a quick dough recipe included that 'takes under two minutes to mix and knead'.
View recipe at Vegetarian Times



If you love Fried Rice, why not try...
Vegetable Spiced Rice
(Nadia French, photo by Andrew Young)
Take-away fried rice is often greasy and laden with all the things you don't want, but if you try to keep a supply of this healthy rice in your freezer, you'll always have a tasty meal on hand. It would also be wonderful for a work lunch. There isn't an egg in sight and you can choose to omit the plain yogurt at the end also if you wish.
View recipe at Taste Australia



If you love Thai take-out, why not try...
Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts
(Bon Appetit, Rozanne Gold and photo by Con Poulos)
Spice up your tofu repertoire with this Thai recipe which includes fresh ginger, garlic, lime juice, basil and dried crushed red pepper. Enjoy with jasmine rice or noodles.
View recipe at Epicurious



If you love Indian take-out, why not try...
Curried Red-Lentil Stew with Vegetables
(Gourmet, photo: Romulo Yanes)
Make your own nutritious Indian curry at home with this wonderful recipe. Red lentils and vegetables such as carrots, spinach and peas make this a scrumptious and satisfying main meal served with basmati rice.
View recipe at Epicurious



If you love a Burger, why not try...
Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Veggie Burgers
(Whole Foods Market)
Imagine if you could get fabulously healthy and delicious meat-free burgers such as this at the drive-through! I'm sure you would see more than one Prius in the queue! The combination of portobello mushrooms and pineapples make these burgers super juicy and flavoursome.
View recipe at Whole Foods Market



If you love a burger with fries, why not try...
Garlicky Oven Fries
(Vegetarian Times)
What's a burger without fries? One bite of these garlic, parsley-coated potato wedges and you'll be hooked!
View recipe at Vegetarian Times

A Picture And A Quote

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous"
-Chanel

100 Followers!!!!!

Tales Of A Retro-Modern Housewife now has 100 followers!!! As a collector and narcissist, this makes me very happy. I thank you all for enjoying my little blog and I hope I can continue to inspire you each and every day to be a little more glamorous.

Amazing Finds from Organic Fashion Sales

Ecoganik Little Yellow Sundress
- BTC Elements ($64, was $162)
Made in Southern California / Organic cotton
This buttercup yellow sundress will immediately make you feel like a Californian beach babe once you slip it on. Whether you are off to the weekend farmers market or pottering around the home, it's the perfect dress for wafting and floating about in!



Knit Woven Henley - Stewart + Brown ($38, was $106)
Made in Portugal / Organic pima cotton woven
Shirt style dresses always look so good. This clover colour is lovely and is the perfect shade for us green girls!



Del Forte Eugenia Jean - Ascension (£52.40, was £131)
Made in USA / 99% Organic cotton
Sale time is the prime time to make an organic denim purchase! Del Forte jeans are wonderful, especially this flattering style and price!



The Larkin Dress - Mountains of the Moon ($56, was $104)
Made in USA / Organic cotton
This elegant and classic dress, designed by Melissa Baswell is available in five colours (twilight blue, black, rust, ochre and dark plum) and would work well for work, weekends or any moments you want to feel comfortable yet stylish.



Ecoganik Olive Coat - BTC Elements ($67.20, was $168)
Made in Southern California / Organic cotton
The colour and cut of this coat is gorgeous and ideal for the upcoming chillier weather. The 3/4 length bubble sleeves, large buttons and attached tassle scarf make for a super sweet organic coat.



Mociun Purple Turtle Neck - Beklina ($40, was $94)
Made in Brooklyn / 90% Organic cotton
If you haven't got any organic wardrobe staples yet, you may like this organic purple turtleneck. Long sleeve tops such as this are vital during fall and winter for when you want to work that layered look. As the picture above shows, this top works well with skirts and quirky stockings or wear with jeans and big jewellery for a casual yet creative look.



She-Bible Little Black Scarf Dress
- BTC Elements ($60.20, was $86)
Made in San Francisco / Organic cotton
Here's a little black dress with versatility. The long scarf collar can be worn loose for a cool, undone and relaxed look or wrap scarf around neck or over head as a hood! Either way, each style will look chic and edgy.