Simple Pleasures

Candles — instant atmosphere. Their soft warm glow makes even the most modest occasion a special one.

(photo by house number 15 via pinterest)

Atelier: Snug Studio

Today I'm admiring the lovely work of Etsy shop Snug Studio. Based in Hannover, Germany, its beautiful minimalist aesthetic translates perfectly to prints, home ware and jewelry. More here.

Good Cheer: My Paradissi

For the first Good Cheer guest post, Eleni of the gorgeous blog My Paradissi shares a delicious traditional Greek holiday recipe that's sure to become a favourite. Enjoy.

Hello automatism readers! This is Eleni from My Paradissi and I'm honored to be invited by Lori to participate in her 'Good Cheer' series. I'd like to share with you one of the most famous Christmas cookie recipes we have in Greece. It's called Melomakarona and actually means Honey Dipped Cookies. I can't begin to tell you how good they are but I can still give you the recipe my mum follows all these years and makes our holidays a tad more sweeter. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS 

3 cups olive oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup cognac or brandy

1 cup finely crushed toasted almonds

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 kg all purpose flour, or as needed

For topping:

1 1/2 cup finely crushed walnuts

1/2 cup finely crushed toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the syrup:

1 cup honey

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

STEPS

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Dissolve the baking soda in the orange juice.
3. Combine the oil, sugar, cognac, orange juice in a bowl and beat until the sugar is dissolved.
4. Combine the flour, crushed almonds and baking powder in another bowl.
5. Slowly bring the flour mix into the liquids and mix until a very soft oily dough forms.
6. Take small pieces of the dough (approx. the size of a small egg) and form them into small oval shaped cookies. Place them on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. 
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until they just start to get a brown color.
8. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.
9. In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Stir the mix until the sugar is dissolved and then add the honey. Reduce the heat to low just to keep the syrup warm.
10. Dip the cooled cookies inside the warm syrup and let them stay for approx. 1 minute. Once soaked place them on a rack to drip off the excess syrup and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
11. Enjoy in dozens (kidding =)

Monday

A delicate seasonal still life to start your week. Have a lovely one.

(photo via sköna hem)

Good Vibrations

The Paris home of Iranian architect Alireza Razavi mixes pop art, startling trompe l'oeil patterned walls, classic mid century pieces and bright natural light — all set against the background of a classic Haussmann apartment. And it all works — it's a space that's full of personality and life. Love. More here on Côté Maison.

(photography by nicolas millet)

Weekend

Happy weekend! Hope it's a lovely one. It's been a busy past few days for us here, so we're looking forward to a little down time. How about you?

(photo by anna kern)

Loft Love

When I spotted this lovely minimalist loft on Remodelista recently, I loved it so much I had to share it with you here. Located in Philadelphia in a former windows factory, it's the home of artist Diita Hoeber and her historian/writer husband Frank. Just perfect. Read more about it here on Remodelista.

(photography by todd mason)

Smile

Love this. Would make a great gift, too. Available here from Human.

Sweetness and Light

We're going to see The Nutcracker ballet, performed this year by The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. I am so excited — this is when Christmas really begins for me.

(photo by mark olich)

Buffet

This week's links. Enjoy.

New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2013
Great wide ranging list of fiction, poetry and nonfiction — perfect for inspiring ideas for gift giving (either for others or for yourself) for the holidays.

Scents and Sensibility

Intelligent Life magazine invited six writers to imagine how they thought various literary characters would smell — all for charity. This intro to the project gives a few tantalizing hints of what the final results will be. 

Once a Movie Theatre, Now a Gym
This is amazing — the NY Scout website recently discovered a stunning 1920s movie theatre palace in Brooklyn that was converted into a gym. Wow.

The Junk Drawer Project
A fascinating exercise in urban archeology, The Junk Drawer Project features photographs people's junk drawers, accompanied by a short interview with them about it. Great idea.

The World's Most Exquisite Libraries
And while we're looking at beautiful public architecture, have a look at this slide show of gorgeous libraries from all over the world. A bibliophile's dream.

Neanderthals Organized Their Homes
Interesting — a recent dig in Italy has turned up evidence that Neanderthals organized their living spaces into distinct areas, just like their supposedly more sophisticated human cousins. Via Archaeology.

12 Great Music Docs
Nice round up of 12 music documentaries that are a must see for serious music fans. Friends of mine have recommended the docs Looking for Sugar Man and Sound City in particular as well worth seeing.

Pear Recipes
One of my absolute favourite fruits — I definitely indulge in a lot of pears at this time of year. Check out this lovely selection of sweet and savoury pear recipes over at Martha Stewart, including Pear Tart Tatin, Watercress Pear and Cashew Salad, Cranberry Pear Crisp and Roasted Pears and Sweet Potatoes.

(photo via the style files)

Handmade Holidays

No room for a tree? A few evergreen branches in pretty vases are just as festive — and easy to decorate, too.

(photo via enjoy your home)

Moments of Beauty

Vintage romantic style — a lovely atmospheric shot by photographer Friedmann Hauss for the October 1994 issue of Elle France. 

(via pinterest)

Hand Made Home

Marion and Casper moved with their young family from the Netherlands to Sweden seven years ago, attracted by a country that, unlike their own, had lots of space and untouched nature. Experienced renovators after doing up three previous homes, they looked for another one to do but eventually decided to buy land and build their own after an unsuccessful search. It involved a lot of backbreaking hours of work, but they're thrilled with the beautiful results. Love this one. More here on Hus and Hem.

(photography by lina östling)

Simple Pleasures

The first snowfall — this is what we woke up to a few days ago. So beautiful.

(photo by me on instagram)

Atelier: Michael Verheyden

Belgian designer Michael Verheyden's elegant objects combine geometric forms and elemental materials, resulting in sculptural shapes that have a serene and almost meditative quality. The home he shares with his wife Saartje Vereecke is the perfect backdrop for his beautiful designs. More here on T Magazine.

(photography by alexandre guirkinger)