Missoni for Target

One of the major reasons I love Target is its design collaborations. From fashion to interior design, they have partnered with big names such as Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Zac Posen, and John Derian, making high-end design affordable for everyone. Its latest partnership is with luxury design legend Missoni, and it will be the biggest designer collaboration Target has ever launched (more than 400 items!). Encompassing everything from clothes to furniture to homewares to a bike!, the Missoni for Target collection has the design industry in fervent anticipation. I have to admit that I am extremely extremely excited as well and can't wait until September 13th (when the line launches in stores and online). Even hubby liked a few things from the collection, so we are definitely going to make some major purchases. Here's a sneak peek at the things we loved the most!

Missoni is known for its prints, colors, textures and specially its famous Chevron pattern. All the items will carry this aesthetic, but I think nowhere is it more obvious than in the clothes. While this style is not for everyone, I think individually all the pieces are quite beautiful. 

I am in specially love with the rain boots! There will be several prints available, including this same chevron pattern in shades of gray and a flowery print in purples and greens.

Gorgeous scarves!! How chic do these look?

Weekenders, train cases, cosmetics bags... I'm trying really hard to come up with a reason why I need one of each.

Some scarves from the men's collection (there will also be children and baby collections!). Hubby loved these and I have to say I even liked them for myself, specially the blue one. The men's collection has a more earthy, neutral palette. If you're a woman looking for something a bit more understated, you could totally choose some items from the men's.

And now my favorite part of the Missoni collection: Homewares and Decor! Above, one of the bedding options. 

Pretty cushions! These are very colorful, but there are some neutral tones like gold and brown as well. 

Love that shower curtain! And why have boring solid towels when you can have these? 

The first time we saw this espresso set, hubby and I were like: We are totally going to buy it! Until we remembered we don't actually drink coffee. Not even decaff. We don't even like coffee ice cream. Maybe we could get it for when we have guests! We'll serve them coffee and just enjoy looking at them while they use our fabulous tiny cups.

These vases are probably our favorite pieces from the entire collection. They are stunning. Kind of take your breath away, don't they?

The final piece de resistance is this 4 piece patio furniture set. Beautiful! You can take a look at the rest of the collection (including prices) in their Look Book. And check out this new video they just launched promoting Missoni for Target. What do you think of the collection? Which pieces are your favorite? I'd love to hear from you!

Designer Quote

Never look back, except for an occasional glance, look ahead and plan for the future. Success is not built on past laurels, but rather on a continuous activity. Keep busy searching out new ideas and, experimentally, keep ahead of the times, or at least up with them.

Dorothy Draper

Photo: The lobby of the Greenbrier Hotel, designed by Dorothy Draper

Pasta with Sausage and Black Olives

I like Italian food. Who doesn't, right? While pasta is not my absolute favorite food, I love its versatility and the easiness it takes to whip up an amazing dish. A couple of weeks ago, while trying to come up with recipes to make for dinner, I decided to make a dish using our favorite pizza toppings: sausage and black olives. We rarely order anything else atop our pizza, so it seemed a fitting choice for our noodles as well. The results were better than I imagined! Seriously, I could eat this everyday.

This is a simple recipe, but extremely flavorful! I basically combined two recipes, one of which is my go-to pasta dish. We liked it so much I made it again last Sunday and remembered to take a picture just in time... before it was gone forever. I love that it's simple enough for a weekday dinner, yet it's the perfect dish to serve if you have company over. Just serve it with a salad and some crusty garlic bread! Here's the recipe. Make it. You won't regret it.

Pasta with Sausage and Black Olives

• 1 lb. dry pasta (penne, rigatoni, fusilli, etc.)
• 5 tablespoons of Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of Garlic paste
• 1/2 can of black olives (about 8 oz.), chopped
• 3 Italian sausage links, cut into rounds about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oregano
• Basil
• Parmesan cheese
• 6 cups of water (for boiling the pasta)

1. In a medium sized pot, boil 6 cups of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook it for however long the package indicates, usually about 10-11 minutes.

2. Sauté the sausages in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Move them around often so they don't burn. You can use any kind of sausage, but I like Johnsonville's chicken sausage with Chipotle peppers and Monterey Jack cheese. Yum! When the sausages are almost ready, add the chopped black olives to the pan.

3. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the rest of the olive oil, garlic paste, salt and pepper to taste. (This is a fabulous dish right here. Just serve with a bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and you're done. This is what I usually make when I cook pasta. Pretty healthy too!)

4. Add the sausages and black olives and mix it well. Pour the pasta into a deep bowl. Cover with the heated tomato sauce* and serve. Then, sprinkle some dry basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese over each dish. Enjoy!

* Note: I tend to have issues with store bought tomato sauce. They're always way too acidic for my taste, so I always fix them up a bit. Right in the jar, I add a couple of tablespoons of sugar, a bit of salt, basil and oregano. It makes a huge difference! Trust me!

Kitchen of the Year 2011

Take a look at House Beautiful's Kitchen of the Year 2011! Designed by Lori Yeomans and chef Tyler Florence, it's a gorgeous mix of rustic and elegance. If you live in or around NYC, you can check it out in person at Rockefeller Center. Take the pictorial tour right HERE.

Pics from here

Sofa Roundup

As you guys know, living room furniture has been on my mind these past few days. Obsessively so. As in, if we do not buy a sofa soon, I am seriously going to have a meltdown. Dining chairs were not meant to be sat in for long periods of time and I'm not the kind of person who can sit in bed during the day. I feel lazy, even if I'm working on my laptop. So buying a couch is priority number one right now. Hubby would say it's buying our car, but then, men are very practical creatures.

In my quest to find the perfect sofa, I have seen so many great options that I thought it would be a good idea to make a roundup of my favorites. The most important criteria when selecting a sofa must be: Comfort + Design. You want it to feel soft and comfortable, and yet have a distinctive look. So here they are. Some of these we can't afford just yet, but hopefully I'll be back to claim one of them very soon...

Let's start with this gorgeous specimen named Cara by the kings of stylish comfort, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. I am completely in love with its sleek lines and versatile design. It will look as amazing in a contemporary interior, as well as in a more traditional one. All in such a perfect shade of gray. (You'll notice that the choices I'm presenting today all run in neutral colors, just because it's more or less the shades that I'm looking for our sofa.)

If I could run out and buy one sofa right now, whichever one I wanted, I would choose this one right here. Appropriately named Chester, this Chesterfield style sofa by MG + BW has all the elegance of classic English design but with a modern lightness, a far cry from the heavy, leather originals. With its gracefully turned legs and button-tufted back and armrests, I just want to curl up with a good book and a warm throw and never move again. I'm a Classics girl.

Influenced by English design as well, the Essex sofa from Crate and Barrel may just be their comfiest looking one yet. Love the contrasting tailor finish in linen with the extra deep cushions. It manages to look sophisticated enough, while still looking like the perfect movie night crash pad.

A decidedly more modern version of the Chesterfield, with tapered legs, curved back and tufted design minus the buttons. It looks very inviting, doesn't it? Azure from Crate and Barrel.

I love contradictions in design. Like this sofa from CB2, Bolla. Its structure looks firm and upright, yet it conveys such a strong feeling of softness and comfort. It occurs to me that it also looks a bit indestructible. Perfect for a home with kids and pets!

When it comes to affordable sofas, I can't not mention Ikea. Stockholm is my favorite one. It almost doesn't look like it's from the biggest dorm furniture supplier in the country. It has a certain elegance and simplicity which I really like. Plus, it looks good in any color.

From Home Decorators Collection comes the Rockford Sofa, which you can see above and below. Traditional design meets edgy. Love the nailhead trim, it totally transforms it. But what I love most is that it comes in tons of different colors, and they send you the fabric swatches for free before you buy it. How great is that?

And finally, the Martha Stewart Living Ingrid Sofa, also from HDC. Casually chic, with graceful lines and distinctive accents such as the turned legs and small nailhead trim. And... it's on sale!

I hope you enjoyed the roundup! Have a great weekend everyone. See ya on Monday!

A Visit to the Salvation Army

This morning, running some errands brought me next to a Salvation Army store so I took the opportunity to go in and have a look. I'd never had the chance to visit a thrift store before. Buying used things is just not part of our culture back in the DR, but I've seen designers blog about the incredible finds they have scored in Goodwills, flea markets, and SA stores, so I was really excited to finally get to do it too. Who knows what hidden gems I would find buried in all the junk?

Well, I did find some interesting stuff. In the furniture department I saw some china cabinets and a few tables that would look amazing with a bit of handiwork. One upholstered bench in particular caught my eye. It had a pretty chevron fabric in soft colors and the shape was so beautiful. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures, but can you believe it was only like US $35? I didn't go home empty-handed though. I found this small desk with tapered legs and a central drawer in excellent condition which I will strip down and paint in some fabulous color. It was exactly what I was looking for. Not only did find something I needed, I felt good that my purchase was going to a worthy cause. The Salvation Army does amazing good all over the world, you can read some more on their efforts right here.

Can't wait to show you the makeover!

pic from here