It's Delish! Cooking With The Glamorous Housewife: Peanut Butter Cookies

The other day I came across this post and decided to make some peanut butter cookies. I had a jar of peanut butter that was a different brand then I usually use, and I didn't like it as much as my regular pb, so I figured this would be a good way to use it up. And you know what? I was right! The kids loved them, and I sent some home with a boy that was over for a play date. I even sprinkled some crushed puffed peanut balls on top which added to the crunch factor. You should all try these delish cookies.

Hampton Designer Showhouse: Plans

The Hamptons aren't like any other place in the country. The houses are not only bigger and more expensive but even the ones not actually on the beach are expensive! I thought before I moved onto to any other rooms, you might want to see the actual house and it's plans. For those who aren't familiar with showhouses, all of them are put together to benefit a charity. The Hamptons Designer Showhouse this year benefits the Southampton Hospital. They are also always staged in a house that is for sale. In this case, it is a 8,500 SF spec house that was designed by Farrel Building Company. Oh, it can also be yours for $8,450,000.

Joe Farrell had always dreamed of building homes and in 1995 he left his lucrative position on the New York Mercantile Exchange to start Farrell Building Company. They are committed to superior craftsmanship and it definitely shows in this house. This house on Davids Lane in Water Mill is slightly smaller than the Hamptons house I worked on last summer but this one is much better thought out and has much more reasonably sized rooms that actually feel cozy. We all agreed that they did a great job with the bathrooms too.

Just wait until you see inside the two floor pool house that was completely designed by Lilian August!

The pool is a little small but I could make due with it! You might notice that the house abuts a corn field. A lot of the farmers sell their land to developers for more than they would ever make farming.

The first floor has a great entrance that allows you to see straight through the house when you enter. It does have the screened in porch but no other covered porch areas which would have been nice.

The second floor is made up of a master bedroom suite and four bedrooms. When I post the rooms from the Showhouse, I will try to match them up to the bedrooms on the plan. There is also a finished basement with another six rooms. Sigh. The rich sure do have it nice! I wonder if they noticed if I moved in for the rest of the summer!

The Glamorous Housewife Goes Mad!

Mad Men that is! I was reading one of my favorite blogs Chronically Vintage, and she had gone to the Mad Men site and gotten a virtual character! It sounded like so much fun I rushed over and created this:



How brilliant is that? You can do the same for yourself
here. I expect to see all of my blogging buddie's characters by the end of the day today!

Destination: Beside The Point, Harbour Island Bahamas

This is the most amazing rental home I have ever seen.I saw those turquoise shutters and I was hooked! This home,Beside The Point is the vacation spot of a New York fashion designer, and her creativity can be seen throughout this amazing cottage. It is available to rent throughout the year! Wouldn't you just love to stay here! I picture myself sipping midori sours by the pool, riding a pink bicycle with a woven basket on the beach, playing in the surf with my family, and eating to my hearts content. Didn't you know the calories don't count in the Bahamas?









Wouldn't that be awesome if that man came with the house! LOL! Did you see the shell sinks? They remind me of the Swiss Family Robinson tree house at Disneyland. I saw this house in an issue of Coastal Living and was smitten. It immediately went to the top of my 'To Visit' list. Once the kids get a smidge older (it would be a pretty rough flight) I totally want to stay here. Here is a link where you can find out more about Harbour Island and the Bahamas.

Hampton Designer Showhouse: Screened Porch by Brad Ford

This year's Hampton Designer Showhouse was very impressive and inspiring! We kept declaring each room we visited our favorite and the screened porch designed by my friend and fellow blogger and designer Brad Ford was declared a favorite by everyone who has seen it according to the ladies in charge. I spoke to Brad and he said that when they were walking through the house looking at the rooms before they were assigned, he knew right away that he wanted the screened porch since it reminded him of his home in Arkansas. He said, "I've always been influenced by nature and natural resources and the room really resonated with me."

After he officially had the room, he began to think about what classic ideas are associated with a porch and his first thought was a porch swing. But of course since it was not only for a showhouse but a showhouse in the Hamptons, he had to take it to the next level. He custom designed the upholstered swings and even though the concept is very strong, it's also very simple and elegant. Brad also said, "I didn't want to take away from the amazing view." The soothing neutral colors definitely don't interfere with the view outside and along with the gentle movement of the swings, they make the room very relaxing. Exactly how you want a house in the Hamptons to feel!

The second idea that came to Brad's mind when he was thinking about a summer porch was wind chimes. And again, not just any old wind chimes, they needed to make a statement! He remembered an artist, Jennifer Prichard, who worked in porcelain and contacted her to see if she would be interested in working on his idea and she immediately jumped on board. She agreed to make about 800-1000 cones that would be hung from simple twine. If you visit the house and look at Brad's original concept in the program, he designed the wind chimes to hang from the ceiling but once the swings were in place, he didn't want to take away from them so he decided to move the chimes to the back wall. They were to be assembled on site so it was easy to make the switch although it took them a day and a half to actually install them all. They look like a fabulous art installation and do actually chime if the wind blows.

Brad added a lot of thoughtful details throughout the room that he said really came together at the end. The mirror which is wrapped with rope was designed by Christian Astuguvielle and is available through Holly Hunt and the sea grass area rug add more natural elements, as do the wooden tables from Tucker Robbins. He had also seen the photo of the Tribesman (below) at the Clic Gallery in New York and knew he wanted it for his room. The photo and the Tucker Robbins tables that were made in Africa, started to lend a primitive feel to the room but all of the elements work perfectly together. A couple of other designers have African pieces and great art in their rooms so this year's house has a really great flow and I can't wait to post more of the rooms!

Brad Ford is not only a wonderful designer but a really wonderful person who has stayed true to his Southern upbringing and he will also be featured in the September issue of Country Living! Look for it on newsstands soon and please stop by the Hampton Designer Showhouse and see his beautiful room!

Hampton Designer Showhouse

179 David's Lane

Water Mill, NY

July 26- September 6, 2009

11:00am - 5:00pm daily

Photos by Heather Clawson

I Am So Excited!

I was watching Tori and Dean and a t-shirt from my old company was on Liam! I am so excited!



How cool is that!

Thrift Shop Goodies

I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked thrifting in Austin, but here is what I ended up getting:

A lovely little headvase- I keep my make-up brushes in it. I know she is old and damaged, but I thought she was so pretty so I just had to have her. (and I predict a post about headvases in the near future)

A notepad holder. But look- it matches my car!

A vintage book about flower arranging.

Another vintage book with funny little crafts and games to play.

A metal tray

I also found a nice new dress with apples all over it! I will be sure to post when I wear it.