Readers:
Happy Holidays all! The Picket Fence Blog will not be posting for the next week. I plan to take a nice relaxing holiday with my family. I will return on Monday January 4th. Until then, have a great holiday! And enjoy this inspiration/holiday wish!
Monica Rich Kosann is an artist whose talents spread across multiple artistic genres. She is a museum and gallery-exhibited fine art photographer specializing in black and white portraiture. Monica still uses dark room techniques for developing traditional film and it makes her a unique artist in a field dominated by the digital. She is also the founder of the Monica Rich Kosann jewelry, home decor, and accessory company. From the first time we saw her work, we knew that we had to add it to our lines and The Picket Fence is absolutely blessed to have her beautiful artwork in our store.
Monica studied photography at the International Academy for Art in Salzburg, Austria, at the Sorbonne in Paris, and at the International Center of Photography in New York. This extensive training combined with her natural eye and talent for photography has translated into a very successful career. Monica’s work is displayed all over the world. Her work has been in the Albright Knox Museum in Buffalo, the Delaware Art Museum, the HBO Gallery in New York City, and there are permanent collections of her work in the Royal Photographic Society in the United Kingdom, the Center of Photography at Woodstock, the Hallmark Fine Art Collection, and the Farnsworth Museum in Maine.
Her photography has also been featured in the New York Times, Town and Country Magazine, The Today Show, and Martha Stewart. She has also published three books: Treasured from Heaven, The Gift of Children, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls.
From her origins as a photographer, Monica has branched out into the field of jewelry design. This began in 2002 when Kosann started designing photograph frames and with her talent it quickly became a new profession. Each piece is crafted from sterling silver, gold, calfskin leather, or glass fired enamel. The line was launched in 2003, and styled after vintage cigarette cases, power compacts, lockets, and other various items collected at flea markets and antique shops. Each piece is designed as a keepsake to be worn or preserved and then passed on as a family heirloom. She has designed jewelry for many celebrities, and her work is featured in stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Barney’s, and of course The Picket Fence.
Monica is a truly gifted artist in all of the mediums in which she works and we are thrilled to have her work in the store. If you are in the Sun Valley area we are having a Trunk Show of her work on December 28th and 29th. It will be a great opportunity to see all of her beautiful lines.
You can also see some of her current work in our store. Just click this link.
Have a happy holiday!!! Christmas is almost here! 
And here is your moment of inspiration.
With Christmas is just around the corner and New Years coming up quickly, I am sure many of you have big parties for which to prepare. The host and hostess of these parties will no doubt go to a great deal of trouble to put them on and simple gifts are a great way to show you appreciate the effort they put forth to make the holidays a great experience for you, your family, and your friends.
Here are a few simple gift ideas for your host and hostess.
What can you bring?
This is the first thing you should ask before you go to buy a gift for your host/hostess. What can you bring to the party? Sometimes it will be drinks, or maybe just a salad or veggie plate. The host/hostess may specifically tell you that you do not need to bring anything, but it is always polite to at least ask ahead of time. If they do ask you to bring something, it is not necessary to bring them a gift as well. Of course, if you would really like to express your appreciation you are always welcome to bring a gift.
Flowers.
Flowers are an easy, no-brainier. They smell nice, and will go well with the holiday decor. Because this is Christmas time, ask a local florist what flowers would be perfect for the occasion. Or if your supermarket has a floral section, I am sure the bouquets there will be decorated to match the holidays, so those would be a great fit as well.
Wine.
This is a great gift to bring if you know the host/hostess well. If you are unsure if they allow drinking in their home or not, you may want to ask someone who knows them well, or skip this gift idea all together. If they do drink wine, a good price range is anything from $10-$20 dollars. With the help of the employees at the store you can get some great wines in this price range and there is no need to buy anything more expensive for a simple thank you present.
Candy.
Candy or chocolate is a perfect gift. It is simple, says thank you, and is a treat all can enjoy. I suggest buying candy without nuts. This will avoid any awkwardness if the host/hostess has an allergy and not all people like nuts and chocolate! (I for one dislike nuts in my chocolate)
Coffee.
Another great gift is coffee. If you know what the host/hostess likes, like Starbucks, make sure to pick them up a bag. Also, after dinner, remind the host/hostess of the coffee and see if they will make some for the guests! It will be a hit.
Dessert.
If you are going to a dinner party, why not bring a dessert? The host will most likely have dessert ready, but at the same time if you bake, why not bring over a homemade pie or two? It will add variety to the party and also show your appreciation.
Candles, diffusers, and incense.
These are also great gifts. If you know of a fragrance the host/hostess likes, pick it up for them. If you are unsure pick something you love, maybe they will use them while you are there?
Some other great ideas:
Gourmet olives.
Flavored vinegar or oil.
Coffee table books.
Christmas ornaments.
Napkins.
Picture frames.
Tea.
Would you like this room in your house? I would.
I know that I publish the weekly recipes on Monday, but every now and then it is ok to break the rules, especially during the holidays! So with that said, I found a delicious cookie recipe that I just HAVE to share with you.
Today we are making the Butterscotch Gingerbread People
Makes about 12
What you need:
1. Preheat the over to 350. While this heats, mix the pudding mix, butter, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat in the egg. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
2. Roll out on a floured board and cut people with cookie cutters. Add candy buttons, cinnamon candy hears or other decorations.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes and cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
4. Decorate with icing.
This chair was created from the letters “chair.” I think this is very neat and original.
While we focus on home décor here at The Picket Fence Blog, every once in a while a story comes along that falls outside of this focus, but is so meaningful that we are compelled to bring it to you.
Local Sun Valley resident, Stephanie Freid-Perenchio along with her childhood friend, Jennifer Walton, recently completed an immensely powerful book, SEAL: The Unspoken Sacrifice, that offers a rare look into the lives of US Navy SEALs and their families. The lives of these men are shrouded in mystery and myth, and as this book offers a glimpse into this community of soldiers and their families it evokes powerful emotions as you see the trials that they face as families and soldiers.
This book is much more than a compilation of pictures, but pictures are at the heart of the work and this book is filled with amazing photographs that consistently demonstrate the author’s unique talent for capturing the essence of a scene in a way that also encapsulates the emotions of those involved. Everyone that opens this book will no doubt be affected in some manner by the photos and stories within.
After reading this book I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with Stephanie about the project and her insights and comments brought up many very interesting issues and offered some fascinating insights into the project. I will be sharing excerpts from the interview with you in the next week, but today I wanted to share this video with you in case any of our local followers were interested in coming to the book signing this afternoon at our Sun Valley storefront.
Please watch a video about this book here:
Today’s recipe is a very special one! We have an amazing homemade and delicious coffee cake for you. This recipe comes from a Twitter friend, @ABCDDesigns.
Please have a look at the ABCD Design blog. Her web page is full of goodness.
If you make this for the holidays please let us know! We would be delighted to hear how much you enjoyed it.
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The recipe is adapted from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. No matter what twist I put on this tasty coffee cake -mmmmmnnnnnnnnn! It’s perfect, every time.
My suggestion, if you plan to make this recipe for Christmas or New Year’s morning, start on it the day before. It only takes a few moments to mix up the dough, but it needs to rest in the fridge for 2-24 hours. It is nice to have that step out of the way before the holiday morning!
The Swedish Tea Ring (Vetekrans):
Ingredients
Dough:
Filling:
Glaze:
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the hot water. Let stand for five minutes during which time you melt the butter. Stir in the 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup sugar, the eggs, salt, cardamom and 4-4.5 cups of all purpose flour. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. It will be puffed up like the photo below when it comes out of the fridge.
Turn the dough out onto a floured counter top. Roll the dough out until it is about 20-24 inches square.
Spread the softened butter over the entire surface. Mix the 1 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon and sprinkle over the butter, taking care to get the mixture all the way to the edges. This is also where you will sprinkle either raisins or the almonds over the surface of the dough.
Roll up the dough as to make a jelly roll. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. tuck the loose edges under one another.
Set aside on a warm surface, covered with a dish towel. The stove top works well while the oven is warming up, on top of the fridge or anywhere it isn’t too chilly. With scissors cut into the ring every half inch *cut almost through to the center of the ring* turning the dough to expose the filling. Let rise until it has almost doubled in size.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Mix up your glaze and brush the tea ring with it while the cake is piping hot.
ENJOY!!! YUM!!!
Happy Friday. Enjoy the moment of inspiration.
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