erin wasson.

I find myself continuously coming back to these photos of inside Erin Wasson's East Village apartment. Her style stands out from the boring repetitive stuff you see on most interior design blogs. She manages to combine different eras of second hand furniture in a seamless fashion. True bohemian, chic style. See more at:
http://www.theselby.com/7_30_08_erin_wasson/index.html
[sourced and photo cred: The Selby]

plant a seed.

And for the grand finale – this was dinner party five of five!

Concept:

Ever heard the expression "taste of victory"? Well growing your own vegetables enables you to do so. Satisfaction comes from hard work and dedication, its hard not to appreciate great quality food let alone when you have grown it yourself from a seed.  

Action:

The inspiration for this setting stemmed from the modern day boutique grocery store. Vegetables themselves are perfectly designed by nature; therefore there was no need for additional elements in the decoration. Vibrant colours of freshly picked produce, boasted a positive energy. The bright hues of green, red and yellow contrast against the wood grain of the tables, made the produce seem just that little bit more wholesome.

Menu:

+ Pumpkin and Goat Feta Salad

+ Grilled Lamb Backstrap with Honey Glazed Baby Carrots

+ Frozen Chocolate Mousse

short and sweet.

I apologise for my lack of posting. You would think being such an avid Mac supporter that i should be rewarded with a smooth sailing user experience when it comes to technology... well at least i thought so. Here is dinner party four of five, although I like to call it high tea.

Concept:

For those people who enjoy guilty pleasures—it is still possible to maintain a sustainable diet and eat your cake too. Rather then buy processed snacks for 'on the go’; bake some organic treats using ingredients from the local growers market, to indulge upon when feeling peckish.

Action:

Preparation time, and the resources required to cook a sustainable meal are equally as important as the ingredients themselves. Therefore the sweet treats baked for the high tea were collectively in the oven for a maximum time of 30 minutes. (The oven was filled to reduce energy consumption).

A bold and vibrant colour scheme complimented the garden stetting, which drew you into the surroundings and embodied the feeling of spring. A combination of vintage crockery and textiles were used to create a nostalgic and comfortable surrounding. Retro serving platters boasted the confectionary to be indulged upon, whilst the large palette cushion created from left over scraps of fabric provided the perfect place to relax.

Menu:

+ Fresh Fruit Tarts

+ Baklava

+ Scones

+ Cucumber Sandwiches

from the source.

Dinner party three of five. Have you ever seen a sexier pear? I don't think so. 

Concept: 

It's important to know where your food comes from. When buying fresh from farmers markets, generally the produce has made a short journey [usually within 48 hours], from nature to the plate. This means that no harmful pesticides or preservatives are used, and the produce can be transported once fully rippened. Fresh ingredients give any meal  more flavour so why would you want it any other way?

Action:

An eclectic combination of found objects, antiques and heirlooms were gathered from around the house and used to style the dinner party. Intended as a metaphor, each item has a story, therefore reinforcing the theme of the night. To ensure that guests understood where their meals had come from, the information for the three key ingredients were provided on cards at each table setting. 

Menu:

+ Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

+ Chicken Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives 

+ Poached Pear Pie with Raspberry Coulis

branch out.

This second dinner party was probably my favourite. Amazing food, good people and an intimate setting.

Concept:

Eating a fruit or vegetable whilst in its peak can often change a person's outlook on past judgements. Tasting food that is freshly picked and simply prepared so that flavours are preserved, can often alter peoples preconceptions. This branching out can broaden taste horizons. 

Action:

Three seasonal ingredients; squash, spinach and rhubarb were each used to create a menu of unusual dishes. The chosen ingredients were not commonly eaten by party guests, therefore they were presented with the challenge to branch out. To add to the experience, the setting involved elements of natural tree branches, candlelight, reused green glass and the contrasting burst of bright yellow from the squash [which was later used in the soup].

Menu: 

+ Yellow (Crookneck) Squash Soup 

+ Roast Capsicum, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Lasagne

+ Rhubarb and Apple Crumble

All three meals were incredible! [i gathered this by the six empty plates i collected after each course. If anyone would like the recipes let me know via the comment box!  

start small.

So this was the first of five 'sustainable dinner parties' that i held as part of a uni assignment last semester. All shared a common aim to raise awareness about ones eco-footprint. Each dinner party menu used seasonal local produce, and as for the decoration - materials and furniture used were either pre-loved, found around the house, or recycled. 

Concept:

Changing everything all at once never works. The same goes for bombarding people with information. It's always better to start small when establishing any new habit. 

Action:

Guests were shown how to reduce their eco-footrpint by substituting store bought groceries with organic fresh produce. As for the venue setup, i wanted to use a neutral colour palette to show off the natural qualities of the furniture and decorations. 

Menu:

+ Bruschetta with caramelised balsamic and avocado.

+ Chicken with fettuccine in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce.

+ Kiwifruit sorbet.

Just quietly, that cardboard chandelier was a nightmare to make - next time ill have a central support system. 

andrew john.

I caught up with my pal Andrew John yesterday. There isn’t too much I can say without ruining the surprise of what’s to come, but an awesome brain-jamming session was held over cappuccinos and vanilla lattes. Needless to say, I left inspired.  Check out his stills at http://andrewjohnphoto.blogspot.com/

[photo: Andrew John]