fall favorites: anna

ceramic utensils
I love anything mini and these are super cute and functional—they’re great for parties with lots of apps/dips/cheeses!
stout coffee table
I love the rich stain—it helps add warmth—and the shape is classic
yet so modern… it’s all about the details… the beveled edges and rounded legs.
groove flute
when you’re drinking bubbly I think it’s important to be drinking it out of something pretty—these are perfect—does this make me sound like a Newlywed?

Thanks to anna, assistant buyer, for this submission.

georgetown cupcake

Inspired by their grandmother—and following their passion—sisters Katherine and Sophie founded Georgetown Cupcake in 2008, in Georgetown.

Recent expansion plans include locations in Bethesda, Boston and Soho—which is the first outside the DC metro area.

Located near CB2 Soho on Mercer Street, all goods are baked on site daily—using stellar ingredients like Madagascar Bourbon vanilla and Valhrona Cocoa powder.

Stars of the TLC series DC Cupcakes, watch for their new book Sweet Celebrations which is scheduled for release in October.

Thanks to cory and ben at CB2 soho—who love their cupcakes!—for this submission and photos.

out magazine office renovation

Months ago, Aaron Hicklin, editor of Out Magazine, contacted CB2 to partner with them to work on David Bromstad’s design of the new offices they were moving to in Brooklyn.

An older apartment—about 110 square feet—located in Carroll Gardens, it’s on a tree-lined residential street with decades old mom and pop shops mixed with new hip joints within walking distance.

Built-in cabinetry had been spared over the years and many previous tenants—and the dark original stain was a rich contrast to glass, chrome, gold and brass accents. Architecturally detailed white walls also contrasted elegantly with sleek modern furniture.

Sticking with the this-is-not-a-small-space concept, a draught dining table became their home base meeting table which was paired with comfortable—for long meetings—horqueta and pony chairs.

Old fluorescent lighting fixtures were (thankfully!) scrapped for three cage brass pendant lamps which added a bit of glitz to the room—along with the conversation starter gold pig bookends.

Did we mention location? The building faces a neighborhood park and is graced with large windows which let in loads of natural sunlight and natural scenery—in a comparable vein, glass-topped
tesso desks allow the sunshine to continue through the space while minimizing visual clutter.

For the work spaces, tps file cabinets fit perfectly under the desks and the arched back of the
bubble chairs offer a bit of ergonomic support for long days at a laptop. Completing the look—and function—an ernest bar cart and astilla glasses were at the ready for post-production celebrations.

The October issue of the magazine features before and after pics, as well as design hints from David—check it Out!

Thanks to vance, senior visual merchant east, for being on location during the installation and for contributions to this submission.

recipe: samosa hand pies

For the dough:


2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

8 oz cold cream cheese, cut into pieces

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

For the filling:
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
1 tblsp canola oil
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 onion, peeled and cut into 1/2” pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
salt and pepper, to taste

For the egg wash:

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

For serving on the side:
creamy yogurt dip or spicy chutney

Directions:
1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cold butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together.

2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.

3. Place diced potatoes in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil and cook until tender—about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

4. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a saute pan over med-high heat and cook all remaining filling ingredients until the onions are soft—about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and mix with cooked potatoes.

5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to just over 1/8″ thick. Cut the dough with 4.5″ cookie or biscuit cutter—and keep cut pieces covered. Continue rolling the scraps until all the dough is used—this recipe will yield 20-24 circles.

6. Make the egg wash by mixing eggs and water in a small bowl and set it aside.

7. To fill the hand pies, take a circle of dough and place the filling in the center—about 1 tablespoon—and be careful, don’t overfill. Brush the edges with egg wash and fold over to close the hand pie. Dip a fork into flour so that it doesn’t stick and use it to crimp the edges closed. Set the filled hand pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and continue to fill and fold the remaining pies. Refrigerate the filled pies for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.

8. Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Remove the pies from the refrigerator, brush with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and serve warm with dipping sauces on the side.

Adam’s hints:
—the filling can be pre-made the night before.
—short on time? store bought pie dough can be used instead of scratch.
—in case of leftovers, the filling makes a fantastic breakfast side dish…Indian spiced skillet potatoes!

fall favorites: tracy

oasis bedding
love the color, the girlyness rouching to add a little softness to my bedroom—which has had nothing but grey bedding for about a year now—and it’ll go nicely with the dark teal of my wall. My boyfriend might disagree
but hey… dogs pillow
each dog in its own has something my dog Marty has… so i kinda want to get it for him so he can have it in his dog bed or crate… they’re adorable and one looks a little
like him. industrial metal wall mounted bookcase
i’m eyeing this for my kitchen to put above my stove to hold spices, olive oils, utensils, a couple cookbooks, special measuring cups antiques—silly things like that so it’ll kind of be like a little pantry.

Thanks to tracy, senior visual merchant, central, for this submission.