Home for the Holidays | Part I

Holiday decorations and I have a bit of a love hate relationship. I absolutely love how they look and the way they make our home feel especially warm and cozy but let's be honest, they are a lot of work! Growing up we were not allowed to decorate for Christmas. My sister and I are Jewish as is our father and my mom is Catholic. My father would not allow my mom to have a stitch of Christmas in the house! We couldn't even put white lights on our house and it wasn't until I was 18 years old that my sister and I put our feet down and insisted that our mom have Christmas tree that I really started decorating for Christmas! 

Fast forward a few years and then some and we now fully decorate our home for Christmas; complete with two Christmas trees, my husband's holiday village from his childhood and other meaningful objects that we've collected along our journey together. It's really important to me that our home feel festive for my husband, our friends and family. For as much work as the decorations require the amount of joy that they bring, especially to my husband, and the memories that we make during the holiday season make it all beyond worth while. 

My goal for this weekend was to at least get our trees up and some of the inside decorations done. The eight foot tree in our living room fits beautifully into our large bay window and the only piece of furniture we have to move is small side table! The eight foot tree in our great room is an entirely different story! More on that later possibly? Needless to say we managed to get both trees up, and lit this morning and in between giving our two Saint Bernards baths and other some other errands I also managed to get some of the more prominent decorations up. 

I've mentioned how important it is to incorporate meaningful objects into any design and one of the things that I love to do is to use objects in ways that perhaps they weren't designed for. For example I have this coaster by Ben's Garden near our front door that I use as a small decorative piece. I have several of these with different sayings on them and change them out throughout the year. 

Last week while I was popping into Whole Foods I came across these adorable petite Rosemary trees. I added some miniature ornaments and a festive bow. Its the perfect size and it smells wonderful, and after the holidays I'll transplant it to our garden and have additional fresh rosemary for cooking. Full disclosure the Rudoplph the Red Nosed Reindeer towel that is placed in our guest bathroom is probably the kitschiest piece of our holiday collection, but it wouldn't be the holidays in our home without him! 

Let's just say there aren't many Hannukkah decorations and I'm not one for clutter so over the years I've found a few special Menorah's. This one is my favorite. I love the symbology of the tree and family and this one is made from iron with a particularly beautiful patina.

 I am hoping that tomorrow I will be able to get the ornaments on our trees and the remaining decorations up! 

Cheers, 

Molly 

The Great Bathtub Debate

To stand or to build, that is the question? In the past several years freestanding bathtubs have made an extraordinary comeback. There are many variations and designs, they range from extraordinary simple to incredibly ornate. The tubs themselves, as well as the plumbing fixtures that accompany them, can be stunning and are often designed to become statement architectural features. While there is no doubt that some of these freestanding tubs are works of art, I don't find them to be very practical.  

First and foremost there is no where to set anything! Part of the allure and stunning aesthetic  of a freestanding bathtub is exactly what the name says, it's freestanding and therefore intended to stand alone, This poses a challenge if part of taking a bath is the experience of taking a bath. For me this includes bubble bath, or bath salts with essential oils, a candle, my book and maybe a glass of champagne!  With only a small lip to most freestanding tubs there is simply nowhere to place anything.

Don't get us wrong, a freestanding tub can be stunning when centered in a large window or even in the middle of a beautiful bathroom but seldomly are the tubs themselves located in close proximity to a towel rack. Nothing is worse than getting out of the warm bath and having to walk more than a step or two to get your towel or tracking water across your floors!  Some people are okay with freestanding towel racks and don't mind having something else out on their bathroom floor. My personal preference is to have towels elevated and away from the floor, it makes cleaning the floors themselves easier and also helps to keep towels clean and fresh. 

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a fan of the 1980's enormous built-in tub with a deck the size of an aircraft carrier, but I do prefer a built in tub to a freestanding tub, especially if you plan on using your bath tub more than a few times a year.  There are so many beautiful materials that now come in slabs that the built-in tubs bathtubs of today have the ability to be sleek, elegant, and practical. Pictured below is one of our favorite built-in tubs from the former Foster Residence located in Malibu, California. 

In order to be practical freestanding tubs require accessories such as a thoughtful accent table or stool and well placed towel bars. If one realizes the additional requirements from the very beginning of the design process and accounts for said needs then we think a freestanding tub can be a jaw dropping element of a bathroom. However,  if a design is created to look pretty and lacks practicality then to us it's more of a vision than design. As with any good design it's all in the details, so whatever your preference may be there's a thoughtful way to make it as beautiful as it will be functional. 

Cheers, 

Molly

Pumpkin & Spice

This past weekend my husband and I hosted one of our favorite annual events, our wine dinner. More on that in an upcoming post! Given that it's officially Fall and we've had a few days here and there where it's actually felt like Fall is in the air it's gotten me in the mood for some seasonal treats! When I do cook or bake which isn't too often I like to keep things simple and healthy. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Bread online years ago and it has become my go to. I decided to make mini loaves as part of the favors to give our guests at the end of the evening. 

The recipe was pretty healthy to begin with and uses egg whites and yogurt, however it called for oil which I substituted with apple sauce. I like to add chocolate chips for a little sweet treat. 

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large egg whites

1 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 canola oil *substitute with apple sauce

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt * I used non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 3/4 cup chocolate chips = sweet treat!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray metal loaf pan with nonstick spray

Mix brown sugar, egg whites, pumpkin, apple sauce, yogurt and vanilla

Add flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda

Stir until combined

Pour batter into pan and bake 45-50 minutes

Let cool 10 minutes

I wrapped the loaves and tied them with a simple bow and note that said, "A Sweet Ending to a Wonderful Evening!" 

Cheers!

Molly

Happily Ever After | Designed by Love!

“Design and its integration into our daily lives extends far beyond our homes, it’s the style and manner in which we live our lives.”

This weekend my husband and I had the privilege of attending the wedding of some of our dearest friends. We have attended many beautiful weddings over the years but this one is truly one we will never forget!

To begin with, this particular couple is one of the kindest and most thoughtful pairings of two people one could ever hope to meet. Truly beautiful souls both inside and out they are the embodiment of creativity, originality and authenticity of self. Their wedding was an unforgettable evening, designed by love and brought to life by meaningful details. The entire event was a testament to the incredible heart and soul of our dear sweet friends.

Located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the wedding was hosted by the bride’s family on the estate and farm of the groom’s family. The setting was picturesque, and the love and personal touches could be seen and felt from the moment we entered the property. The groom is a skilled woodworker and created beautiful handmade signs that both greeted and directed guests for the evening.

One of our favorite details was the “family tree.” A towering tree marked by a handmade sign and adorned with family photographs created a stunning work of art and told the story of the couple and their families. A gentle babbling brook ran along the backside of the tree while guests walked past the tree on the path that gently meandered to the ceremony site. 

The ceremony was stunning. True to the style of the bride and groom it was simple, sophisticated, and yet elegant. The bride’s brother officiated the ceremony as they stood beneath an arbor of wood and greenery with the property’s fairytale like lake as the backdrop. It was magical!

Following the ceremony the bride and groom took what are certain to be some beautiful photos while all of the guests enjoyed cocktails and hours devours on a vista overlooking the property.  

Before we knew it we were seated at our tables overlooking the lake at sunset. Each place was set with a beautiful linen napkin sewn by the groom’s mother, delicate china and a small sachet of lavender grown on the farm with a note of thanks from the bride and groom. Not a single detail was overlooked!

In place of a typical guest book, guests were asked to sign and write messages for and to the bride and groom on a beautiful piece of raw wood. Following the wedding the groom will transform it into a bench for their home. I couldn’t think of a more fitting way for our friends to remember their special day!

From the handmade signs, to the “Family Tree,” the homegrown lavender and the personalized bench you can see the creativity, originality and authenticity of self that we spoke to before! All of these unique and special details made for a truly unforgettable and extraordinary event!

At the end of the day it’s how you thoughtfully bring together and curate meaningful objects and personal details that transform any design or event from ordinary into extraordinary. 

Cheers!

Molly

EATNSMK | A Smokin' Hot Design

Bond Daws Design is all about design! Our perpetual curiosity, love of details and intrigue about all different types of designs has us always on the lookout. A friend recently stopped by with a custom built BBQ smoker and we have to admit, while we are sure that it turns out some incredible BBQ we were captivated by it's design and details. 

Built by David Mazaika and fashioned out of an old air compressor tank, not a detail has been overlooked. Practicality, function, engineering  and a stunning design are just a few of the elements that have been joined together to create this incredible BBQ smoker. The smoker itself has been raised above the trailer and sits atop the wood box where logs are stored to fuel the smoker.  The wood box can easily be accessed from either the other side of the trailer or from rear of the trailer.

The construction of the smoker is incredible. The symmetry of the wheels and rivets on the smoker doors are what first caught our attention, not to mention the fire engine red color. The thoughtfulness and level of detail invested in this project is amazing. The welding alone that was done to transform this from what it once was to this beautiful and practical design is phenomenal! 

Either side of the trailer has Butcher Block platforms, lit by lights that have been built-in to the overhead frame of the trailer. The Butcher Block on the back side even has a built-in brass cup holder for the beverage of your choice. There's also a beautiful wood door with sturdy hardware that leads to the storage compartment where all the essentials are kept. From rolls of paper towels, to spices, aluminum foil and silverware this rig is fully outfitted with everything you might possible need for one incredible BBQ. There's even a pop up flag pole to display whatever flag might be appropriate for the venue.

We love the rustic look of the wood and heavy duty hardware that have been used to create the primary storage for the smoker. Even the storage compartment is lit with a beautifully fitted flush mount light. The door to the firebox even has a horseshoe from the family's ranch affixed to it. On the side of the storage box is a bottle opener and Coca Cola catch bin to collect the bottle caps. Details, details, details...oh how we love them! 

If the lights, flagpole, dual cooking platforms, multi-level smoker, detailed firebox and custom drink holder weren't enough how about these jaw dropping shiny dual exhaust pipes. It's hard not to just stop and stare. This rig is pretty remarkable, even it's license plate has been customized. You can feel the heart and soul that has been invested in creating this beautiful smoker. It's easy to imagine the stories that will be told and the laughter that will be shared as friends and family gather around. We're so grateful that we had the opportunity to see this beautiful design. 

Putting her to the test, our good friend and local firefighter Shawn Anderson brought the smoker to a BBQ memorial to honor one of his firefighting brothers who was recently and tragically killed. We believe that the best designs are meaningful designs that enhance your life + style and we think this is one fine design! 

Cheers, 

Molly