S+S chow: portobello fries with basil aioli

It is getting to be that time of the year where we are DEFINITELY craving savory dishes. Hello Fall! Today we are sharing a recipe with you that can be used as a side or as an appetizer. These are divine! You will not be disappointed. If you are not jazzed on the aioli, substitute with homemade ranch dressing. Nom. Nom. S+S is taking a little three day weekend, so we shall meet again Monday morning. Have a fabulous weekend lovelies!

{a cozy kitchen}

For Portobello Fries:
1/2 cup of bread crumbs 
2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese or Pecarino
Pinch of red crushed pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon of oregano
Salt and Pepper
2 portobellos
2 large eggs, beaten


For Basil Aioli:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup packed basil leaves
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
Pinch of salt
½ cup mayonnaise

Directions for Portobello Fries:

Preheat oven to 425˙F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.  On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, red crushed pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.  In a small to medium bowl, beat the two large eggs.

Cut the portobello mushrooms into 1/8″ slices.  One by one, dip the portobello slices in the beaten eggs and transfer to the place with the bread crumb mixture, being sure to coat the mushrooms thoroughly.  Place the bread crumb covered mushrooms on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking on them after 10 and flipping them to ensure thorough baking.

Directions for Basil Aioli:

In the jar of a blender (or a small food processor), combine the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth like pesto, pausing every now and then to scrape down the side of the blender jar with a small spatula or knife.

Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl. Add the basil mixture, and stir well to mix.

Pretty Smitten Giveaway Reminder!

Ladies, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT miss out on this fab iPhone case from Pretty Smitten. Here is how you can enter...

To enter:

Go to the original post, here...Follow S+S {if you already do, thanks! If not, just click the little follow button over near the top right column} Visit Pretty Smitten and come back here to comment and let us know what your favorite piece of Elizabeth's is!!

For additional entries you can:

• Like Pretty Smitten on Facebook
• Follow Pretty Smitten on her fabulous blog
• Like Sadie + Stella on Facebook
• Follow Sadie + Stella on Twitter
• Tell your Facebook friends about the giveaway and link to this post
• Blog about the giveaway and link back to this post 
• You can also tweet about the giveaway, mentioning @sadieandstella and link to this post in your tweet!

 *Be sure to leave a comment each time you do one of the above! 

This giveaway ends tomorrow, Thursday, September 15th at midnight.

Favorite Room Feature: Mint Love Social Club

We first happened upon Natalie's blog because of her unique entertaining ideas, not to mention her one of a kind cocktail recipes. Natalie is insanely creative and we love everything that she does. She is a super fashionista and now we have realized, a closet interior  designer. Wait until you see her space! Take it away Natalie! 

Hi Sadie & Stella readers!  I am visiting today from Mint Love Social Club to share with you my favorite room.  My fiance and I moved into our loft in downtown Los Angeles back in February.  There aren't many defined living spaces in our loft, so I will be sharing a part of the open living space that we have made into our living and dining room.

First up, lets check out our "dining room." We went on a bit of a furniture shopping spree before moving here and the dining room contains some of my favorite shopping finds including our huge table.  The table has a solid wood top and colonial style legs that were painted to look distressed, but not in a good way.  We took the table to Pepe's in Silverlake and had him sand it down and re-paint it in a high-gloss black.  We absolutely love to entertain and the table comfortably fits 6 to 8, but we have definitely stretched it to 10 on occasion.  The chairs are from Ikea and were actually a lucky Craigslist find.  The best thing about the chairs is that the slipcovers can be removed and washed or switched out for other colors/patterns Ikea makes.

Along with loving to entertain, we also love making classic cocktails which made finding a great bar a big priority for this space.  We found our "bar" at Pepe's as well, it is a beautiful solid wood credenza with great built in shelving and slide out drawers.  It was originally a deep cognac wood color, but we also had it professionally painted.  You can read more about the accoutrements that make up our bar in this post.

If I am not spending time out on our deck, the next place you will find me is in our "living room."  This room is a mix of vintage decor, family furniture hand-me-downs, Ikea pieces, and Craigslist finds.  Our couches are from an interior designer we found on Craigslist who originally had the sofas custom made for her own home but was going in a different direction with her design.  Because of how open the space was, we were having a hard time finding a coffee table that was large enough for both couches to use.  So we simply purchased two of the same ikea "tv stands" and pushed them together.  Our wood armchairs were sourced from the trash (yes, the trash) and we gave them a face lift with some new cushions and a bit of stain (you can see the before/after post  here).

One of my main goals was to make the large loft space feel like a home.  As we always have people over, I never want to create a space where people don't feel like they can relax and put their feet up.  I really love every aspect of our living/dining room and poured my heart into finding the perfect pieces to fit both our style and the large space. 


We hope you enjoyed looking into Natalie's space. We know we did! Have a fabulous day lovelies!

S+S E-design: Saved by Suzy

We are currently working on an E-design with the fabulous Saved by Suzy who won our E-design giveaway back in August. Suzy chose to revamp her living room, which already had fabulous pieces. She has been an absolute dream to work with! We are going to walk you through the existing space and let you in on your planned design...

Suzy's space, semi-currently:

Let's start with the furniture. Obviously you can see in the board our vision of the seating in the living room but we wanted to talk through all of the existing pieces. Suzy wanted to ditch her current couch and get something new. She wasn't set on a sectional...SO! We found a super ah-mazing deal at CB on upholstered furniture AND we included our favorite tufted chairs, The Cute as a Button Chair from WM. Two of course to create an intimate seating area. We chose a neutral couch so it can stay with their fam for years! To liven it up, colorful patterned pillows of course. Luckily we love coral just like Suzy does. She makes our job so easy!

We absolutely love Suzy's current coffee table! To fit into the scheme of the room, we were thinking they would paint the legs coral, to make it pop. We are totally feeling the natural wood surface and want that to stay! We adore her lattice rug and will love the look of it layered over an oversized jute rug. On the coral coffee table, we are including different sized white washed lanterns on the corner and possibly a tray to hold remotes, etc. 

Looking through Suzy's current pieces, we LOVED her white credenza that she currently has opposite her couch. We were thinking that could become the new TV credenza, with the addition of some mercury glass knobs on the piece to give it an updated look. A fun addition to that credenza would be a unique lamp and maybe off center the TV. As far as the blueish credenza, we were thinking we could put that behind the couch in the place that the white cabinet is currently. Flip flop. 

On to art. The arrangement of the 4 bronze bubble mirrors over the fireplace will be divine. It will give an interesting feel to that space. The print that we included on the board can really go on any free wall space that she currently has. We were thinking perhaps on that corner wall behind the existing couch or even in the open soffit above the TV. Our suggestion to Suzy was to paint a large canvas as a backdrop in that soffit and then start layering with accessories to add dimension in that space.  

Accessories! We are thinking the quatrefoil urn or maybe some lilac candlesticks would be a fun addition to the mantle. The driftwood horse is intended for the soffit above the TV or even possibly the mantle. He has yet to find a permanent home. We have included some greek trim ribbon to add to her existing drapes. We think they are a great basic and could be zhushed up with a little patterned trim. It would be a quick and easy project. 

Look at this adorbs piano area styled by Suzy! Like she needs our help! We told her to keep this space in tact. We love it all. Our only suggestion was possibly some trim around the lampshade and also, painting the piano. Suzy was totally open to this idea!  We chose a more neutral shade of paint that we think would look phenomenal on the piano. 

Suzy has been such a blast to work with and we CANNOT WAIT to see the end result! 

Monday Musings: Tantalizing Trim

Happy Monday morning lovelies. We don't know about you all, but we could have used an extra day on this weekend. They never seem to be quite long enough. Anyhow...we are ADORING adornment. Redundant you might say? Possibly. But tis true. We are loving all kinds of trim on furniture, accessories, walls, fabric, Christmas trees. Well I guess not Christmas trees...YET. Everything in between though. We have narrowed the world wide trim (WWT) down to just a few favorites: Nailhead, greek key, ribbon AND piping. 

Trim adds major style to any accessory or space. For instance, I have an overstuffed chair that I have had FOREVER. It is so comfy and super cute, it just was boring me. So! How might we change this? You guessed it. I got a million upholstery nails and went to town. This thing went from blah to ah-mazing! It looks super custom and gave a new and improved look on a tired piece. This can be done with any item in your house. Let's trim it up. 

To start this off right we are beginning with nailhead. The nailhead trend has been around for a bit but we still cannot get enough. For example, this fabric table adorned with nailhead? Loves. We love the feminine print of the fabric paired with the hard edgy nailhead. Such an amazing opposition. Styled perfectly as well. 

{the lennox}

Hopefully you all can see the detail in this space. I spy nailhead trim around the cabinetry. This is a new one for us. We haven't seen this executed before and we desperately hope we get to see this again. This is absolutely unique and gorg. Again, such a classic and clean space coupled with the edge. Juxtaposition is our fave. 

{elizabeth kimberly design}

Beautifully romantic space. We love the usage of mixed metals and creamy organic fabrics. Not to mention the gorgy nailhead trim on the couch. 

{decor pad}

On to the patterned trim...greek key to be exact. These window treatments look super luxe in this glam space. The greek key adds interest to the solid cream draperies. We think it is the perfect amount of umph to jazz up the windows. 

{bhg}

Greek key trimmed headboard?!?! Yes folks. It exists. Who else is obsessed with the usage of pattern in this room? Most of us would be scared to take such a risk, but this totally wins with a glamorous eclectic flair. Winning. 

{pinterest}

Oh Lonny, how we love thee. We talked awhile back about table skirts and this one fits the bill. Gorgeous linen trimmed with a gorg navy ribbon and gold embellishments. We think this would be a solid DIY for you crafters out there. We also love the mixture of blues in this space. Monochromatic love. 

{lonny mag}

Holy Elle Woods. Ok. So we know this would not be a typical shared space with a man, BUT we do love the piping on the sofa. Talk about tailored. Piping on furniture gives such a chic and custom look on any piece. Especially when they are conflicting colors. 

{pinterest}

Again, fabulously piped love seat. We love green. We love sitting. We love piping. What isn't there to love about this space? Nothing! That is what. 

{bhg}

Glam. O. Rous. Now this is a super traditional space, however, we have to give props where props are due. The incorporation of the piping and nailhead trim on those slipper chairs is out of control. Also, they are leopard. Leopard, green, magenta, nailhead trim, piping, and knotty wood legs, oh my. Stealing. Those. 

{houzz}

We have a big announcement to share with you all this week! We cannot wait to spill. Also, do not forget to enter in the fab Pretty Smitten giveaway. You will NOT be sorry. 

Pretty Smitten giveaway!

We are so excited to announce the start of another giveaway folks! Elizabeth at Pretty Smitten is so generous and is giving away an iPhone case, of choice,  to one, very lucky S+S reader!

Check out some of the gorgeous options...

Alright, let's get down to business.

To enter:

Follow S+S {if you already do, thanks! If not, just click the little follow button over near the top right column} Visit Pretty Smitten and come back here to comment and let us know what your favorite piece of Elizabeth's is!!

For additional entries you can:

• Like Pretty Smitten on Facebook
• Follow Pretty Smitten on her fabulous blog
• Like Sadie + Stella on Facebook
• Follow Sadie + Stella on Twitter
• Tell your Facebook friends about the giveaway and link to this post
• Blog about the giveaway and link back to this post 
• You can also tweet about the giveaway, mentioning @sadieandstella and link to this post in your tweet!

 *Be sure to leave a comment each time you do one of the above! 

This giveaway ends Thursday, September 15th at midnight.

ALSO look at some of the other goodies Elizabeth offers in her shop! 

S+S at home: dining room

This summer I was itching to spruce up my dining room. We have shown bits and pieces of this space in other posts but I wanted to show you the whole shabang. Before I share, I need you all to know something, we rent. And while I adore our little home, there are many things I would change if we owned the place. First and foremost, the dining room walls. Wood paneling. Not. My. Fave. Let me tell you this though, those wood planks are the real deal. It's gorgeous wood, just not for the walls. I think It'd be fun to whitewash them or use the planks for some other purpose. Alright, moving on...

I adore my buffet. I found this beaut last year on MAJOR clearance at a local furniture store {oh the joys of living in the furniture capital of the world}. The drawers offer the perfect space to hide things I don't want out and the open shelves allow me to display some of my china as the room is not large enough to house a full china cabinet. The hubs spied those window panes in a trash pile! I love how they break up the wood walls and create the perfect canvas for styling. 

I purchased the horse head lamp at Homegoods for a whopping $25 and spruced up the shade with a little navy trim. The sketch is of, Ye Olde Pink House in Savannah. It's begging to be matted in pink and framed but I haven't decided on an exact shade of pink yet! 

My chandelier has been a project since we moved in. I purchased it from my local Habitat for Humanity store for $5. It was heinous originally but had a beautiful shape, nothing a can of spray paint couldn't fix! I wish I had before pics so you could see the total transformation but of course I can't find any. I painted it gray and added the linen shades. I loved it but it still needed a little umph! This summer I added crystals, trim to the shade and the ceiling medallion. I'm so pleased with how it turned out!

A little detail shot... 

I also picked up two Ikea chairs this summer to flank the ends of our table. I love the sophistication they brought to the room. While small, the table is very special to me because it was the table my parents used when they were first married. Now Ross and I get to enjoy it AND it fits perfectly in the space! With a table much bigger, you wouldn't be able to move around the room!

Here is what the room looked like back in December... 

And here it is currently... 

I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my home. Happy Thursday lovelies! Be on the lookout for the start of a giveaway this afternoon! 

Favorite Room Feature: Gus and Lula

We started following Britt's blog Gus and Lula not long ago, and ever since, we have been HOOKED! Britt is insanely talented, not only with interior design and DIY's, but she also makes beautiful graphic art. Not to mention she is busy with her twin babies (boy and girl). We. Don't. Know. How. She. Does. It. All. We bow down to you Britt. We can't wait for you to show our readers your favorite space. Thanks for being here! 

Hi! I am Britt from Gus and Lula and I am honored to have the opportunity to share one of my favorite rooms: the nursery that now belongs to my babies, Gus and Lula.  

My husband, Keith, and I decorated the room as we waited to bring our babies home from Ethiopia.  Preparing the space for them was therapeutic as we struggled through the long months of waiting and paperwork.  Here's how it started: 

{It did have carpet by the time we moved in, but otherwise, this was about it - a blank slate.}

The room sat empty and neglected for months and months, but as soon as we signed those first adoption papers and knew that there were two babies waiting for us halfway around the world, there was no time to lose.  We got started painting, sewing, and building right away.  

Though we hoped we would be matched to both a boy and a girl, we couldn't know for sure until we received our referral (the photos and information that comes when an adoptive family is matched to their children).  We had to plan for any scenario, so an over-the-top girly or boyish nursery was out.  This photo of a corner of a Ruthie Sommers room became the inspiration for the gender-neutral color scheme:

We painted the walls a cheery blue and added in pops of yellow and green.  After we got our referral in December 2010 for a little boy and a little girl, we were able to add some pink as well.  My mom and sister helped make the sweet bunting blankets for the cribs, and matching wall bunting, wall art, and homemade pinwheel mobiles rounded out the new color scheme.

One of the coolest pieces in the room is this dresser that we found thrifting and painted bright yellow:

We found the lucite hardware at a yard sale of all places, and knew that it was perfect for this piece.


All of the artwork in the room was created by me, like the canvas above.  Jeremiah 29:11 was a very important verse to us throughout the adoption process, and we have a very subtle pear theme in the room (for our pair of babies - genius, I know), so I combined the two to create the painting.

Some rain gutter shelves made by my handy husband added some much-needed book storage.  

One of the biggest splurges, but also one of my favorite pieces in the whole room, is the vintage tole chandelier.

It was originally gold, but a quick coat of paint made it fit with the color scheme of the room.  You just can't find new lighting with that much personality.    

One of our biggest ah-ha! moments in the room was when we rediscovered something we already had: the vintage green velvet sofa.  We had used it in the living room of our previous house and didn't know quite what to do with it.  It just happened to fit in with the color scheme of the room, and it fit perfectly in the window niche.  It's been great for reading stories to Gus and Lula at bedtime and for getting them dressed in the morning - much more functional than a rocking chair for a nursery for two.

We hope that as Gus and Lula grow up, they will be able to look back on their first room and see the love and excited anticipation that we felt as we decorated and waited for them to come home.


Thanks so much, Lindsay and Lindsay for letting me share!

S+S at home: floor art addition

So, as you all know, we were musing over persian rugs used in kitchens a few Monday's ago. Well, our musings became a reality. I bit the bullet and bought a persian runner for my kitchen. Please excuse the poor photography here. The kitchen has minimal lighting so it is impossible to achieve the real feel here. 

An angle on the horizontal. We love the character it brings it this space. It is definitely one of a kind rug. You definitely will not find your neighbor having the exact same rug! 

An attempt at photography with the flash. Again people, please excuse. I am not trying to do freelance or anything here, as you can tell. Cut me a break.  

So I found this amazing rug at a place called ESale Rugs. This place is amazeballs people. All unique and authentic persian rugs. They do not have more than one of each design. So....if you find something, buy it. They also have free 2 day shipping for these fabulous pieces. Basically, they are the Zappos in the persian rug market. Eat your heart out!


We have compiled some other options for you all. Some of these were on my list...one of you BETTER pick one of these beauties up. Otherwise, I might be making a trip back to the Esale Rugs website. 

{Hamedan}

{Ferdos}

{Zanjan}

{Hamedan}

{Shiraz}