About Molly Wizenberg and Delancy for Pizza

I have been a fan of Molly Wizenberg for several years, ever since I discovered her blog, Orangettte.  Molly's blog, started in 2004, as a creative outlet for her passion of food, markets, cooking and recipes.  Orangette garnered awards and gained an international following.   

Here is a link to the Orangette recipe index.

Following the success of the blog, Molly wrote A Homemade Life, a delightful book of stories centered food memories and a recipe.  While the recipes are excellent and make you want to start cooking, it is the charming stories of family, friends and events that have you captivated.  

So, all of this to say that I just experienced Delancy, the restaurant enterprise of Molly and her husband, Brandon Pettit, located in the Ballard section of Seattle.  I read about Delancy in Molly's blog and a NY Times review and I was very excited to be able to enjoy the restaurant first hand.  

The restaurant is a casual pizza place with a hip vibe.  The menu includes several salad made from the freshest ingredients as well as killer desserts.  The focus, however, is pizza.  This is not just any pizza.  Brandon spent two years perfecting the pizza dough to rival the New York style pizza he loves.  The pizzas are topped with the the freshest vegetables, delectable cheeses and flavorful meats, herbs and oils and then baked in a wood-fired oven.  The result is a lovely chewy thin crust with a bit of a sourdough taste.  

Most pizza offerings are classic combinations.  I ordered the white pie with homemade ricotta, fresh and aged mozzarella, grana and garlic.  A dining companion ordered the crimini mushroom with fresh mozzarella, thyme and olive oil.  Another pie I sampled was the fennel sausage pizza.  My dinner partners and I ordered 3 pies with the intent of taking slices home for the next day.  That never happened.  The pizza was too good to not eat on the spot.  Click here to view the menu.  

If you can't get to Seattle, check out Molly's blog or book.  

Blog Spotting

I spotted some noteworthy posts on blogs Tuesday that I wanted to share.  Enjoy!

Pink skirt, Milan   The Sartorialist

                                         

                                         Source: everythingbutwater.com via Deborah on Pinterest

Food stylist, "Sweet Paul" created cocktails to coordinate with swimsuits for an Everything But Water photo shoot.

Wicker and White from {this is glamorous}

Quote from architect, Bill Ingram.  Posted by Anna Spiro on her blog, Absolutely Beautiful Things.

Have a beautiful and inspired day.

The Lifestyle Maven

A few months ago I started following the blog, lifestyle maven.

Blog author, Cailen Asher, is an interior designer, lifestyle designer and book author.  Her engaging blog offers video tutorials on mixing drinks, date-night ideas, recipes as well as decorating ideas and self improvement tips.  

My favorite recipe from lifestyle maven...

is these egg cups which have become our new favorite weekend breakfast meal.

lifestyle maven is having a giveaway this week.  Since I am the first sponsor of the blog, Cailen is sponsoring a giveaway of a pair of my earrings.

If you'd like a chance to win a pair of these earrings, click here to check out lifestyle maven and enter to win.  Bonne chance!

Thank you, thank you very much

I am honored to say that I have be awarded the Stylish Blogger Award

ta da!

My blogging friend, Angela Q at 365 {small details}  bestowed this lovely honor on me yesterday.  Please stop by and visit Angela's very stylish blog.  Now, I have responsibilities involved with the acceptance of this award.  I must:

• link back to the person who presented me with the award...just did.
• share 7 things about myself
• award recently discovered great bloggers
• contact the bloggers and let them know about the award

7 things about me

1. I like vanilla better than chocolate
2. I'm usually in my bathrobe by 8 pm during the winter months
3. My favorite accessory is a scarf
4. I lived in Japan for a year
5. Kickboxing is my favorite way to exercise
6. I always have an audio book in the car and another in my studio and a book on my Kindle.  
7. I get my haircut every 3 weeks and drive an hour to get to my salon.  

And the award goes to:

• designing Mazorie
• Topped off with a Red Hat
• Barely Vogue
• ElleSees

Congratulations to these 4 fantastic bloggers.  I'm going to let them know they are winners.  Please check out their fun blogs by clicking on the names above.  

Have an award winning day everybody.  

Guest Blog and Holiday Idea

I was guest blogger on Barely Vogue today.  You can view the post by clicking here.  My blogging friend, Sahi, asked me to to do a guest post and I was delighted.  She will return the favor for me next week.   Check out Barely Vogue for Sahi's great style inspiration and guidance.  

This is my first holiday decor project.  Just an empty wine bottle filled with a strand of white mini lights.  So the project was not drinking the wine to have an empty bottle, it was finding a strand of lights that did not have a connecting end.  The connecting end is too big to fit inside the bottle opening.  I found a strand that did not have an end to end connection at a garden shop.  I only bought one and had to order more.  You can find them and order online by clicking here.  Wouldn't it make a cute gift to give someone a bottle of wine AND a strand of the lights to go inside the empty bottle?

Happy weekend everyone and see you on Monday.

Meet Paul, Sweet Paul

I have a huge stack of magazines that I haven't touched.  I feel so behind.  But I want to let you know about the new online issue of Sweet Paul Magazine.  Paul is a food and prop stylist  and crafter transplanted to Brooklyn from Oslo.  He's got a blog called, what else but Sweet Paul.  The blog is filled with beautifully styled images, mouthwatering recipes and simple craft ideas.  The magazine is a more elaborate example of the blog, in magazine form...online.  In the latest issue my favorites are the Louis Vuitton pumpkin in the craft article, an Apple a Day for the rustic apple tarts and the stunning styling of Let Me Entertain You.  Check it out here.

Blogging Your Way: Online Class

This blog post is not about pears.  It is an example of my homework.  

I am taking an online class to hone my blogging skills, or as I am finding out, lack of skills.  Last week we learned about styling photos.  I set up a very basic photo studio and have practiced styling.  So rather than just snapping away, I set up vignettes and shoot about 25 photos and then edit them.  I think the images posted will determine wether or not readers will take the time to read the post.  So "stay tuned" and see if my images improve.  I'd love some feedback.  

If you are interested in the blogging class, click here for the website.  

Holly Becker is one of the instructors and her blog is decor8

The other instructor is Leslie of a creative mint 

Mandalyzing: Featured on Today's Post

What a nice honor to be featured on the blog, MANDALYZING 

Amanda recently purchase some of my hammered silver bangles and blogged about them today.  You can check it out here.  Thanks Amanda!

Meet Amanda, Blogger and Stylist

I'm on vacation in Australia and my blogging friend, Amanda Lalique has graciously agreed to guest blog on Spiral Style tomorrow.  Today I want to introduce you to Amanda and her blog, Mandalyzing.  

Amanda, (bending over on the right) a stylist at work on a photo shoot.

Amanda began her blog, Mandalyzing, in November of 2009.  She has a great approach to blogging with lots of photos and a great combo of celebrity style, practical styling tips and her ever-evolving list she calls Currently Loving.  You can even email her for styling advice.  Click here to view Mandalyzing.

I asked Amanda to tell us a little about herself.

My name is Amanda Lalique and I am originally from New York.  I have been married for three years to a wonderful man that I originally met in college.   I love to blog, hang out with my hubby and family, blog, cook, travel, and try new restaurants.   I have loved fashion ever since I was little and I love putting things together and helping others find their own signature styles.  I believe that true style is about how you put pieces together and that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have great style. 

I have have been styling for the past couple years professionally but I have personal shopped for friends and family for years and years.  I have freelanced on different shows, commercials, and fashion editorials while also working in retail.   I have a strong retail background which has really prepared me for styling even more.  Working in retail has also made me realize how much I enjoy putting looks together for clients that I wanted to do it outside of retail.

Fashion editorials are my favorite jobs.  My favorite job this year was dressing sports host Jenn Brown for AT & T U-Verse Buzz... I was referred on the job when another stylist couldn't make it and I picked two outfits for her to wear.... luckily she liked them both.

Who gets it right?  Kate Beckinsale, Zoe Saldana, Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Sarah Jessica Parker,  Cameron Diaz  (all have different styles but all rock their own style well)                                                  

Kate Beckinsale

Click here for for great tips Amanda learned from styling.

I actually printed this list and put it in my closet for inspiration!

Tip # 11  Add a scarf

Don't miss Amanda's post tomorrow!

Giveaway on Made in Canarias

 

 My blogging friend, Ave, is hosting a giveaway on her blog featuring my Etsy shop, DFJewelry.  Click on her logo above to view her blog and be eligible for the giveaway.  Ave's blog, Made in Canarias, just passed the 400 follower mark!!!  Congratulations, Ave!