My White Binders

I love magazines and books! Sometimes when I am looking through a magazine and there is a page I want or an idea I will usually try to google it if I don’t want to buy the whole book. Pinterest has been a new thing for me. I have only been on it for about 2 years. I love keeping all my ideas on my boards but sometimes I want physical copies.

I started my “white binders” a few years ago (since 2005). I started collecting magazine clippings and printed sheets to catalog my inspiration. It is a lot like Pinterest only I have a book or binder. For me it’s like creating my very own magazine.

They are full of things I love. I keep my outfit inspirations and my decor ideas. I catalog ideas or items I have bought for the house. They have become my “brain” on review. I love it when my daughter pulls them out and starts looking at them. She begins to ask questions about my ideas or why I love something. It has been wonderful.

I would encourage anyone who loves beautiful things or decor to start a few Pinterest boards, scrapbook or start creating your own binders. It will tell you a lot about yourself and what you like.

My binders at home

My binders


Touring in New York

There is so much to see and do in New York! We were there for about 5 days and there were still things on the list that I wanted to do but maybe next time. Below are some photos we took walking around and driving around New York City. If you ever get a chance to visit I guarantee you will enjoy it!

We drove by the Waldorf Astoria
This hotel always reminds me of Coming to America!



Times Square






The Plaza Hotel. This hotel reminds me of Home Alone 2 Lost in New York.







The world famous Cotton Club




The Charging Bull in Wall Street. 




My view from Rockefeller Center.  You can see Central Park in the middle.
Just gorgeous…





Giants Stadium

My view from the ferry of the Statute of Liberty. 


My view of the Freedom Tower. 

The Brooklyn Bridge. 

A view of Harlem





This was the entryway to a party that was going on in Bryant Park.
I just loved the lit trees. 

Vegetable Centerpieces & Arrangements

I have really become fascinated with vegetable centerpieces lately. I recently saw an asparagus centerpiece on the cover of Ted Kennedy Watson’s book Style and Simplicity. I thought “how beautiful” using vegetables to make arrangements.



The prices of vegetables aren’t bad either. So you can have an interesting and healthy arrangement in your home at a cheap price. I recently had an arrangement that had cabbage in it and I just loved it! It made the arrangement look so rich and vibrant. Below is some inspiration for vegetable centerpieces. I hope they inspire you to try out these wonderful items from the garden. Enjoy!



Photo by Vince Lee on Unsplash



(photo from Ted Kennedy Watson.com)
Ted Kennedy Watson’s book Style and Simplicity
A Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life
I have a copy and it is absolutely wonderful!!!


The Frittata ~ A Simple Breakfast

So as most of you know I purchased Style & Simplicity a few months ago. There is a chapter in the book called “Frittata”. Ted gives you a simple recipe for creating this beautiful breakfast dish. Now I have heard of a frittata from Ina Garten. I record all her shows on Sundays and she made a frittata in one of the episodes.

So once I read this from Ted I thought, “I have to try this”. So I followed the recipe and it turned out great! I loved it! It was so simple and quick. I added some french bread and a glass of o.j. it was a great Sunday breakfast.

So here is the recipe and also here is the blog entry from Ted (see here). I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I did! Enjoy!

1) Break 5 eggs into a bowl, add a splash of milk, a few pinches of salt, a pinch of pepper and whisk together. 
2) Turn on broiler in your oven so it begins to heat up. You will want to use a non-stick skillet that can go in the oven for the frittata. 
3) Turn heat to the lowest setting on the stove top, and add enough butter so the skillet is fully coated and melts completely. 
4) Add the egg mixture to the skillet. Add crumbled bits of smoked salmon and scattered bits of herbed goat cheese around the eggs. 
5) Let the eggs cook just until they have set on the bottom, but are still runny on the top. 
6) Take the skillet and place under the broiler that you turned on earlier. You want to stay with this dish as it cooks. The eggs will start to bubble, brown, and puff up. Once the entire mixture is set, take out from under the broiler, making sure to wear a heat proof cooking glove or use a hearty pot holder. The handle is going to be quite hot. Serve with toast. This also makes a lovely lunch or Summer supper served with a salad and a glass of Chardonnay.






My frittata. I added the 6 eggs, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, turkey bacon & cheese.
It was wonderful!!


The Floral District in New York

The floral district is of course an area in New York where you can buy beautiful blooms for any event in your life. It is located mostly on West 28th Street. There is a variety of stores and booths were owners sell their gorgeous blooms.

My friend Marc took me to visit one of these stores. I was so thrilled! The only thing I dislike is the time-frame. The district only displays their blooms (well I heard the best ones) during the hours of 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. So it’s a very short window. But I was fortunate enough that since Marc knows the city so well he was able to get me to a great florist.

I don’t remember the name of this particular shop but the owner was very nice and she had some of the best blooms that I had seen. I have some photos below of my visit. I have also attached a video from Design Sponge (see here). A New York florist by the name of Amy Merrick shows you how to shop at the Floral District. Lastly, read my blog entry from March about decorating your home with flowers (see here). Enjoy!

Me in the Floral District




The lilies I purchased. I paid only $13! You could smell them all over the home. 



(all photos by me)

The Visit to Columbia University

Now I have to admit I didn’t know much about Columbia University but one thing I can say, it is beautiful! We took a quick tour while vacationing in New York. My friend Marc is an architect and he did some restoration work at the university in the last few years.

We grabbed some lunch in Harlem and headed to the university. Marc took us around the school and showed us some of the work he did. We ended up in the center of the university in front of the library. We sat down like the other students and ate our lunch while Marc talked about the history of the school and the courses. Marc attended Columbia during his college days also.

I was really impressed and at awe at how beautiful the school was. Then I realized that one of the Assistant United States Attorney’s I work with attended college there! I loved sitting there and looking at all the buildings. There was something majestic about those buildings nevertheless we enjoyed it! So, of course are my photos below. Thanks for reading!

Outside on the step looking around and eating lunch

Sitting out front of the Library of Columbia University




Inside the library. Can you see yourself giving a speech that will change lives?




Looking up in the library. Very majestic right?

Okay, this has nothing to do with Columbia but I had to add it.
It’s my photo of the Met Museum in New York.

Organizing the Fridge

I love looking into a clean and organized refrigerator. It makes the whole kitchen feel complete and cooking much more enjoyable. I love cleaning and organizing but for some reason cleaning the fridge seems to be something I don’t enjoy as much. So I do daily cleanings and weekly cleanings to make sure that it does not get out of hand.

 Below is a go to list from Real Simple.com . It is very helpful and has great tips on keeping your fridge in order. It’s that time of year where we tend to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables so keeping your fridge in order is a wonderful thing to do. Enjoy!





Our fridge at home. I love my Samsung!



My favorite stainless steel cleaner. I use it on all my appliances.
Just spray it on your appliances and wipe down with a dry paper towel. 
Fantastic!