Win bright wooden dinnerware in our Late

Win bright wooden dinnerware in our Late Summer Giveaway! Come to our website and click on the “Win Something” tab! http://finburyandstanley.com/

Gifts fit for your own royal baby! http:

Gifts fit for your own royal baby! http://ow.ly/nk6Ex

Inaugural Cheese Crawl + Roast Chicken

My friend Olivia calls me the anxious chef, so when I decided I had to try the delicious sounding roast chicken recipe Samantha Lowe shared with us in the last post, I knew I would need moral support. So I asked Elina to come over and help me cook, then we started talking about cheese wrapping paper, you know, like people do, and I had the brain wave to go on our very first Cambridge Cheese Crawl before dinner!

We started at Formaggio Kitchen in Huron Village, where we picked up some Camembert Fermier, made with cow milk in Ile de France. We also got some fresh green almonds, which are an awesome alternative to grapes on a  cheese platter. They are crisp and refreshing like the grapes, but astringent rather than sweet. Plus it is fun to eat things that are fuzzy. We reluctantly passed up some wild boar salami, which looked delectable. If you have not been to Formaggio, you must go. We wandered around dazedly for a while, and if they hadn’t been closing, we would have stayed forever. Everything is delicious-looking. Meat, veg, amazing mushrooms. And of course so.much.cheese. We also purchased the cheese wrapping paper that was the inspiration for this whole trip. I shopped around a little bit, and decided to get it at Formaggio because they sell 25 sheets for only $2.50. What a steal! You can also buy it in their online store for a teeny bit extra: $2.95.

Here is Elina enjoying the flowers. Did I mention they sell fresh flowers?

Our next stop was at my beloved Central Bottle, which has an amazing selection of wine, cheese and specialty foods and also an awesome wine bar every Thursday, where you get delicious snacks, and find out about great wines. There we got a recommendation on a great rose, which you see hear partially consumed (and those are the fresh almonds on the right, in a beautiful little jug made by Olivia Herschensohn).

And, of course, cheese…we were directed to a deliciously ashy goat cheese to complement our wine. It was a St. Maure de Tourane, from this town in the Loire, and it was $15 for a huge magnificent baton. We were there not only for food, though. We were also there to buy a nifty wooden box they sell that helps your cheese stay at just the right level of humidity in the fridge, so it doesn’t dry out and go bad.

At Central Bottle you can also buy a different type of cheese wrapper. The product they sell is also available online at Formaticum. The Formaticum paper is $9 for 15 sheets, and it comes with 30 sticky labels. There is a fee of $5.70 if you ship it directly from the retailer to Massachusetts. You can also get it for only $8 at Central Bottle, and no shipping!

Our final stop was at the Whole Foods conveniently/fiendishly located directly next to my house. They have a fantastic cheese selection, and we got a yummy cheddar, for my SO, who has mixed feelings about soft cheese. We also got the ingredients for the recipe.

Now, I know this is hard to believe, but, then we ACTUALLY made the chicken! The recipe was quick because I got a tiny little chicken, incredibly simple, and beyond delicious. The only snag we ran into was that I chose a kosher chicken, which was of an excellent quality, but still had a few little feathers that took a second or two to pluck.

Here are some before and after shots of our little chicken. He got a little bath, while Elina chopped up some herbs, then we stuffed him with tasty things, roasted him until he was golden brown, and then gave thanks for his deliciousness. The baking dish is the best thing ever, by the way. The shop carried it from Ginori, and it was part of my registry (Thank you, Auntie!). The pattern is fun little swatches of paint, with the Pantone number doodled on, and the material is this incredible industrial grade porcelain that is safe for the oven, the microwave and even open flame. It also cleans up beautifully.

And here is Yan enjoying some cheese for breakfast, in the foreground is that cheese box we got at Central Bottle. Yan is skillfully plying a pewter cheese knife we carry in the shop. I believe Bravo is on in the background, but that’s just an educated guess.

How you do you store your cheese? Tell me in the comments!

Introducing: Samantha J. Lowe!

We are very excited to announce that we are going to be carrying beautiful votives made by Samantha J. Lowe in the shop!

These striking images, originally published from the 1600’s to the 1800’s, are hand-dyed and lovingly decoupaged. Here is Samantha at work on a darling little mammoth. Or elephant?

The decoupage process gives them a wonderfully subtle texture, and a subtle glimmer when they are lit from within. It is difficult to convey in a photograph, but the artist herself has done a lovely job of showing the effect here:

Coincidentally, this picture has two of oh-so-favorites, the evil kitty and the jaunty octopus. I see a collection coming on…just look at all these designs! Don’t you want to collect them all? I know I do.

The multi-talented Samantha also takes beautiful photographs, and all those you see here are courtesy of the artist herself. We appreciate her sharing with us, so that we can show you a little of her process.

We also chatted with Samantha over email, to find out a little more about her, and her work.

1) What inspires you?

People keep me inspired – I am endlessly fascinated by them!

2) Why decoupage?

I like the finish that I can achieve with decoupage, it’s so versatile with the end result looking and feeling like a ceramic piece.

3) Are you working on anything new?

Yes! I have lots of new ideas in the works and some exciting collaborations that should see 2013 to be a very busy year.

4) You have taken some beautiful photographs, have you taken a new photograph recently that you would be willing to share with us?

This photo was taken on my most recent trip to India.  I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days with a group of girls that were learning to apply makeup for the traditional Indian wedding celebration.  The end result is the bride completely bejeweled from head to toe with elaborate makeup and costume.  I have very fond memories of my time spent with these beautiful girls

5) What is your favorite thing to cook? Could you share the recipe with us?

A Sunday Roast Chicken is definitely one of my most favorite dishes to cook and it never fails to please my guests!  I first followed the recipe from Jamie Oliver’s The Naked Chief cookbook and have tweaked it since.  Firstly, purchase an organic chemical free chicken, I like to think that the chicken was a happy chicken. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry. Chop up a couple of handfuls of herbs; marjoram, thyme and basil.  Carefully separate the outer breast skin from the breast to make a pouch, drizzle some oil in the pouch and add a pinch of maldon salt – fill with the chopped herbs – these flavors’ will infuse into the meat. Cut up a lemon into quarters and fill the cavity of the chicken along with fresh rosemary and garlic cloves. I close the cavity by using a coupe of toothpicks.  Slice a cut into the thighs and rub in the left over chopped herbs.  Rub oil over the entire chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook time varies on the size of the chicken.  For the vegetables, I parboil the potatoes and cook until crispy, along with sweet potato and carrot.  I always use rosemary and plenty of garlic cloves in the veggie pan.

6) What is your favorite local place to hang out, for a meal a drink, or maybe just a pretty place to get back to nature?

At the moment I am living in the East Village in NYC.  There is a plethora of choice when it comes to eating out and I love to discover new places.  I live a few blocks from the East River and walk along the promenade most mornings, growing up in Sydney Australia I like to be near the water.  Spring is gorgeous in NYC with everything coming into bloom. Here is picture from a morning walk

Thank you Samantha, for spending some time with Finbury & Stanley, and showing us so much for your amazing work!

I plan to try the Sunday Roast Chicken recipe tonight, even though it’s only Saturday, I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. Yum. I’ll keep you all updated on that.

Tell me in the comments which is YOUR favorite design! Oh and P.S. Samantha can do custom votive designs, for an incredible luxe individualized look on a celebratory table, or a very very special wedding favor that your guests will treasure forever!

Seaside Wedding Show at the Crane Estate

We are happy to announce that the Seaside Wedding Show was a total blast! It was chilly but brilliant day on Sunday, and the views from Castle Hill were stunning. The engaged couples and their families were beaming as they circulated through the lovely gracious rooms and explored the amazing grounds, sipping wine and sampling treats from the fabulous vendors. The Washington Calvo Duo played beautiful music to match the elegant setting.

Hmm, was that the best I could do? Apparently. That’s the side of the tent you can see on the right. A big thank-you to Seacoast Tent Rentals for keeping us all toasty and warm inside the big beautiful pavilion.

Here is a peek at our table. Doesn’t it look pretty? I’m sure it looks even better in the pictures that David Tucker took. I’ll share those when I get them!

I don’t know why I do this to myself (where is that curl on the side oh my face going?), but here I am talking with two delightful ladies, Linda G. and Nancy, from the delicious Tables of Content catering, who stopped by and buoyed my spirits with their enthusiasm pre-show. Linda D. also dropped by to say “hi.”

Here you see delicious herb crepes with Boursin, asparagus and roasted peppers from Capers Catering.

And here is Meg from Vinwood Caterers, who kept us well fed on delicious tidbits all day (pro tip: try the squash ravioli!).

Check out these delish soul food options from Swartz Catering Company!

Here is the lovely display from Peterson Party Center, where you can rent all the beautiful accoutrements for your big day.

We also ate a few too many of the crab cakes from Timothy S. Hopkins Catering, and topped it off with some moist, delectable and oh-so-lovely cake from Cakes for Occasions.

How stunning is that cameo?

We also admired the beautiful flowers of Les Fleurs in Andover, and these fresh florets below from Roses and Thistles in Marblehead. Sorry it’s so blurry!

We also had a wonderful time talking to Deb of Greetings by Design, Sheila of Dingo Creative, Gina of Boston Shuttle, and Tracy and Taylor of super-cool Tangorra Wedding Planning.

Most of all we want to thank the Trustees of Reservations, who maintain Castle Hill, and Laura Daly, Private Event Department Manager, who made the show possible!

And to cap off this fabulous day, I stopped on the way home at the Trustees of Reservations Dairy Store, and got some fresh, amazing yogurt, cheese and honey from local beasties! Don’t they look fabulous? Trust me, they are!

 

 

Dream Registry: Emma + Mr. Knightley Edition

Okay, so this is not “of-the-moment” in any way, but I caught searched for and selected Emma on Netflix the other day, and had to do a quick registry for Emma and Mr. Knightley. Of course they wouldn’t really have had a registry, I’m sure Emma’s trousseau had “a dozen dozen” of everything a large household needs, but let’s pretend!

A lovely fluted jug for cream, so the loving couple can have their tea just how the like it.

 

 

This hand-painted china is elegant but understated.

 

A beautiful wedding gift from Mr. K to Emma?

 

These hand-stitched linen napkins would be perfect for a party on the lawn!

 

I know Emma wouldn’t really have baked much, but don’t you think she might have slipped into the kitchen to make a tart for Mr. Knightley with her own hands every once in a while? If she did I’m sure she’d use a classic turned rolling pin like this.

Tell me in the comments if there’s anything you think Emma should register for!

(All items available from Finbury & Stanley, inquire as to availability at amelia@finburyandstanley.com)

 

 

Yay, our first-ever contest!

Go to http://finburyandstanley.com/giveaway and enter to win a gorgeous hand-moded Tina Frey bunny ear cake stand (the one on the left) from Finbury & Stanley!

http://ow.ly/jbFdt Enter to win this gor

http://ow.ly/jbFdt Enter to win this gorgeous Tina Frey bunny-rabbit cake stand from Finbury & Stanley (it’s the big one on the left!)

Dream Registry: Jessa + Thomas-John Edition

Now all Girls fans know that Jessa would  never plan far enough in advance to register, but let’s just suspend disbelief for a moment and channel her luxe bohemian vibe for a few delicious minutes, and look at some things she might have registered for. I’ve combined some gorgeous things from the store and a few brilliant things from around the web. Please join in in the comments, I’d love to see your suggestions, so link away!

Are you a Jessa bride? Call us at (978) 744-7100 and let us help you build a registry that is as relaxed and glamorous as you are.

Finbury & Stanley Dream Registry: Jessa + Thomas-John Edition by mousewhoroars on Polyvore

From The Deep Dinnerware
anthropologie.com

Fenton Art Glass Sale on Vases – www.CollectiblesRome.com
collectiblesrome.com

Glassware
finburyandstanley.com

Barware
finburyandstanley.com

Tableware
finburyandstanley.com

Retro To Go: Peacock table runner by Habitat
retrotogo.com

Uskolliset-satiinipussilakanasetti – Finlayson verkkokauppa
finlayson.fi

Upcoming Events, Come Meet Us!

Where is Finbury&Stanley going next? We have some exciting trips coming up around New England, let us know if you’ll be there, too!

New York International Gift Show: we will be there Tuesday, January 29th shopping ’till we drop to bring you the very finest in gorgeous home goods and gifts. If you will be there, let us know and we will stop by your booth.

The 11th Annual Newport Bridal Show: on Saturday, February 16th, stop by our table for a fun free gift! We are at gorgeous Rosecliff, table #29.

Boston Gift Show: deets tbd

Philadelphia Craft Show: deets tbd