HEMLOCK HALL

In celebration of our two year anniversary, Justin and I took a 24 hour jaunt up to the Adirondacks and stayed in a little cabin on Blue Mountain Lake. In classic Darbie and Justin style, we made these plans sometime around 7 o'clock Sunday evening, packed, and left the next morning.

We stayed at Hemlock Hall...which we found after sifting through random google results and Adirondack hotel reviews on trip advisor. We knew we wanted to be in the woods...in a cabin...on a lake...with a fireplace. Hemlock Hall seemed to fit the bill. We also came across some unbelievably grand, picture-perfect places like The Point and The Lake Placid Lodge. But they were WAY out of our price range. I stress WAY.

Luckily, the budget vacation gods were shining down on us...and besides being incredibly affordable, Hemlock Hall turned out to be EXACTLY what we were looking for. The main lodge is a big old Victorian beauty built in 1890 (same year as our house!). It's got all of the rustic charm you expect from an Adirondack hotel. Beautiful old pine and cedar paneling, impressive stone fireplaces, and a wraparound porch with incredible views.

We stayed in a sweet one bedroom cabin, tucked in the pines on a hill overlooking the lake.

We went canoeing in the afternoon.

And spent the evening in the cabin listening to records, hanging by the fireplace, and toasting our anniversary.

The next morning we stopped by Buttermilk Falls on our way out of town. A perfect end to our Adirindack adventure.

RECIPE: CARROT GINGER SOUP

My new favorite food? Carrot ginger soup. It's all I crave anymore. Seriously. Justin and I have made two giant batches in the past couple weeks and I'm already starting to panic because I finished the last of it about an hour ago.

We didn't follow any one recipe. We kinda just winged it. I'm sure you could use the same ingredients in different proportions and it would probably still taste good. And I'm sure you could use this same technique with other vegetables to make all kinds of velvety pureed deliciousness.

Here's what we did:

Ingredients:

2 lbs carrots sliced

1-2 onions diced

1-2 potatoes diced

2 tbsp fresh ginger grated

1/2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cups stock

salt and pepper to taste

You're gonna need a big pot for this. Preferably one with a thick bottom that cooks nice and evenly. We used our Le Cruset French oven (yay for wedding registries). First you are going to saute the vegetables. Justin and I like to add a little bit of salt as we go. Coat the bottom of the pot with the olive oil and add the onions. Cook them until they are golden. Add the potatoes and cook them for a few minutes until they start to soften up a little bit. Then add the carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Next add the 6 cups of stock, the ginger, and the cumin. Cover partially and bring to a boil. Then bring the heat down and simmer until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork. About 15 minutes maybe?

Next you are going to puree all of this in a blender. This obviously has to be done in batches. Unless you have a REALLY big blender. Put it back into the pot and salt and pepper to taste. YUM.

This recipe makes a lot of soup...but it makes awesome leftovers. I swear it gets even spicier and more delicious.

And I don't want to overload you with recipes here...but I've been super into frying up breaded goat cheese medallions and throwing them onto an arugula salad. It tastes pretty darn good with the soup...and it's a super easy way to class up some greens. Here's the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa.

THE CAT SCAN

My new favorite place on the internet? thecatscan.tumblr.com

It's a collection of photos of cats on flatbed scanners...and it is seriously fascinating.

And look! My beautiful boys were featured.

Steve...

And Julian...

So, clearly, if you have a cat...go scan it! And if you don't have a cat...get one! They're awesome.

NEW THINGS

Justin and I spent last weekend in Brooklyn and we ended up coming home with more than a few new things.

For instance, my NEW HAIRCUT!

This might not seem that dramatic because I had been wearing it up in a bun so much...but it was CRAZY long. Like, down to my butt long. Remember this post? That was last November...and I hadn't cut it since then. It was pretty impressive. But not that cute. And I was definitely ready for a change. Sometimes you need a total look overhaul to keep things interesting. You know?

I felt like my new hairdo was demanding a new hemline. Not maxi. Not mini. But something mid-calf. So I got this cute vintage number from Antoinette...

And these leopard print flats from Mini Mini Market...

And Justin and I couldn't resist this old-school Wurlitzer combo organ from Main Drag...which just so happens to match my new skirt perfectly...

And we obviously NEEDED this adorable futuristic pocket piano...which also kinda matches my new stuff...

And then I found this scripty gold D ring at Artists and Fleas...

And Justin got these sweet boots from In God We Trust...

Quite a haul for a mere two days! And then we had to cart all of this stuff on the train back home. Which was kinda ridiculous...but TOTALLY worth it.

FIELD TRIP: ROUND TOP, NY

At 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon Justin and I decided it would be fun to take an impromptu overnight field trip. By 4 o'clock the car was packed and we were on our way to Round Top, NY, a forgotten oasis just 45 minutes north of Kingston. The whole town is basically a big old-school German Catskills resort area. So...you know...there is a lot of this going on...

And this...

Basically, the whole place is like a portal to some awesome 1960s vacationland.

We ended up staying at the Winter Clove Inn which looks more 1860s than 1960s...but I'm pretty sure it has the nicest accommodations in town.

The rooms have a vaguely Victorian thing going on. Vintage floral wallpaper, dark wood four post-bed, lacy curtains. A little on the granny side...but the original wide board floors are pretty amazing and so is the view out the windows.

And you don't feel like you are on the set of Vacancy. Which is nice.

But don't worry...It also has a rec hall with wood panelling, a ping pong table, a juke box...and this...

Yes, that is indeed a straight-up vintage bowling alley. Paper score cards and all. So the Winter Clove is pretty much bringing 19th and 20th century awesomeness to the table.

And it's perched right at the foot of a state forrest...

So there is a lot of sweet wilderness to explore...including a postcard-worthy swimming hole with a waterfall AND a covered bridge.

So all of this is pretty awesome...right? And I haven't even told you about the best part! The Mountain Brauhaus.

As far as I'm concerned this is Round Top's shining gem. I mean...look at it...

I LOVE it! Deer heads and paint-by-numbers hung without a hint of irony! And as if this place could get any more amazing...just wait until the regulars start showing up. Unfortunately I was too busy drinking delicious hefeweissens and getting dance lessons from little old German men to take pictures of it in full swing. But trust me. It's the beer hall of your dreams.

STAINED GLASS TERRARIUM

My love for terrariums runs deep...but lately I've been a little terrariumed out. Don't get me wrong. Plants under glass always look magical...but once everyone and their mom jumped on the bandwagon it was all terrariums all the time. Plants in jars...plants under domes...plants in hanging orbs. There's only so much a girl can take!

But my love has been reignited. When I spotted this vintage stained glass terrarium at the Saugerties Antique Center I knew it had to come home with me.

I'm super into all things geometric and faceted right now (water prisms, anyone?)...so this cut glass version is really speaking to my interests. And it's a welcome change from all of the blown glass varieties I see all over the place.

I got this sweet little potted succulent arrangement to put in it...

And here's the terrarium in its new home above the desk in my studio...