Our pooch and kitty section at our First & Spring shop grows and grows. Where would we be without our four-legged friends? From books to calendars to artwork to salt and pepper shakers and a whole lot in between, it is an ever evolving display. The ‘I Wish I Could Text My Dog’ mug a personal favorite. It is an area in the store where I always see folks smiling and looking supremely happy.
Summer out on the island can be pretty heavenly, and we love to share the experience with our friends. Sunday is when we entertain primarily at WestWard. Folks arrive by ferry at 2. Drinks when they arrive along with an assortment of nibbles. It is a lovely way to catch up and relax all at the same time. If the tide is out, a beach walk might happen too. A toast to Bastille Day was in order. The red, white and blue that is the color story at the house right on the mark in honor of the day.
Then Mister Sive heads to the grill to begin preparing the meal. This past Sunday he made fresh pesto before guests arrived. Then he grilled shrimp, salmon and sausages to have atop pesto pasta. I sliced up a big platter of tomatoes, salted them to bring out their juices, then they received a generous amount of aged balsamic. Then right before we sat for the meal I crumbled tons of fresh made on the island goat feta atop the whole thing. The bowls of Rainier cherries on the table could be enjoyed throughout the meal. Dessert was a browned butter olive oil cake our friend Erika had made.
Take time to dream. At any age, it is good for the soul to set a goal and see where the road to achieving it takes you. It might be right to your intended destination, or not. But the journey will teach you so much all along the way.
We have begun work on our new shop website. Incredibly exciting and a tad stressful as it is a busy task filled road until it launches by November 1st. My goal is to have 2500+ goods on the site. This week I began shooting said goods. Here are My Favorite Things Today.
Happy Flower Friday all! The flower stalls at the Pike Place Market are brimming with tons of divinely scented lilies at the moment. Always tough to decide which to bring home. Sending you love and a happy July week-end!
My brother-in-law Walter snapped and sent me this pic awhile back when he was out & about doing errands. Made my day! I love seeing our reusable WK shopping tote out in the wilds seeing the world. If you are ever out and see one, take a picture and send it to me. Or if you are loving yours and want to show me your bag in situ, I would love that too. Initially created in honor of our 20th anniversary last November, we decided to keep it in the mix as folks have liked it so much. Sturdy as all get out, they just need a wipe down every once in awhile to look brand spanking new.
This Wine & Dine Wednesday is Mister Sive walking you through his crazy yummy coffee cake. Above is a blueberry version he made a few weeks ago. Below a cherry concoction he made the other evening, which we have been enjoying since. Morning, noon or night, this coffee cake is sure to please. Take it away TPS!
My mother encouraged us kids to cook from a very young age. I remember the first “adult” dish I cooked was a paella, I think in 7th grade, and in high school I cooked one dinner a week. Like many households in the 70’s, The Joy of Cooking was a key reference, and inspired the following recipe. Ted and I have Mom’s old copy, with her notes on the sides of which of us five kids liked which dishes. I’m not sure, though, that Mom would approve of the importance of Breakfast Dessert in the Watson Sive Household… Maybe I’m old enough now to ask her on my next visit.
This coffee cake uses a pastry dough and has a marvelous caramelized top. I bake it in a 9” springform pan, which makes the flipping-over-after-baking-and-keeping-it-all-together a bit easier.
Grease that pan with a good 2 tablespoons of butter, to be sure the cake slips out easily. Mix together ½ cup lightly chopped walnuts and ½ cup dark brown sugar and spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
For the dough, stir with a fork: 2 ¼ cup flour, 1 cup of white sugar, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, a tiny pinch of salt, and ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Then, cut 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of cold butter into ¼ inch cubes, and cut into the flour mixture. Everyone has their own favorite method; mine is with a quick, light touch by fingers. As always with pastry dough, less is more.
Whisk together: 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, ¾ cup of whole milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour this over the pastry mixture, and stir lightly, maybe ½ way to fully mixed. Then, add 2 cups of fruit in small bite sizes (perhaps whole blueberries, half cherries, or cubed peaches) and lightly fold, until just mixed.
Spoon the wet dough over the sugar and nuts, and spread evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 55 minutes, until it springs back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer to a cooling rack, run a knife along the side, and immediately release the side of the springform pan. Let cool a few minutes, and then carefully flip the cake and peel off the bottom layer of the pan.
Serve while warm and you’ll be someone’s favorite person for the day.
Just In, a new scent from London based Molton Brown, Geranium Nefertum. Available in both bath & shower gel along with body lotion, it is a summery duo that will be enjoyed year round. You know I am crazy for anything with geranium in it–this fits the bill through and through. I put a few healthy dollops in the bathtub before I take my shower in the morning. The whole bathroom a symphony of geranium goodness when I get ready to step in. The exquisite packaging makes for a lovely gift too.
To spice things up when wanting to set a creative table, chose one color and run with it. From the flowers to the dinnerware to the linens, use the hue in many forms. Have fun with playing with it all!
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
You must check out this store the next time you are in Seattle. One of the best curated stores in the country, hands down.
I follow your blog and just really enjoy it, it is so interesting and very well written, please keep it up, I feel like a guest in your home when I read it.
You are a Seattle treasure, just like your amazing stores.
It’s a dream of a book and one that will be as relevant in 5, 10 and 20 years, as much as it is today. A true testament to style and simplicity and your impeccable and thoughtful eye.
It’s all in the presentation, Ted you’re a genius. Thanks for sharing such a place where I can run away from the world and dream.
Your book is fabulous! I’m enjoying every page and have been talking about it non-stop.
Watson Kennedy has become a Seattle staple in my book. Whenever I’m stumped for a gift or in need of inspiration, this is the store I head to.
Watson Kennedy is a preview of heaven.
How divine. I’m always in awe of the way you live, and enjoy, life.
Just a note to say how much I genuinely enjoy your blog and look forward to it each day. It’s right there with the London Daily Mail on my agenda.
It’s true, I bounce out of bed to see what Ted’s up to today… Thanks for being part of my day.
You are an artist and a poet, a true Renaissance man.
Watson Kennedy has won all sorts of awards for artful store displays, which makes absolute sense.
Last July my husband and I moved from Seattle to New Zealand and every day I read your blog. I feel like I needed to let you know that your blog is a bright point in my day…
A wonderful shop in Seattle called Watson Kennedy.
How lovely your posts are! I received your book for Mother’s Day. It’s fabulous. A true gift!
I used your “Style & Simplicity” Dempsey & Carroll notecards. They’re gorgeous!
A virtual powerhouse of design expertise.
Each word of the book is so lovingly spoken and your voice exudes such warmth and kindness. You are so genuine with your readers. And so interested in teaching them how to love… Love art…. Love nature… Love small things… Love friends… Love family… And love life.
Ted’s ‘Style & Simplicity’ is absolutely Lovely (with a capital L)! It’s also charming, fun to read, and full of wonderful advice.
Ted Kennedy Watson has a most refined sense of aesthetics…and he shares some of his best secrets, for which I am so grateful!
Ted, and his namesake fine good emporiums Watson Kennedy are legendary in this town. What he does brilliantly is quality over trend, substance over vapid style.
If you’ve ever wanted to walk through a stylized photo in a magazine this shop is a phenomenal fix for that as the merchandising is crazy delicious to feast your eyes upon.
I feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I walk in the door.
I ordered ‘Style & Simplicity’ and it was delivered to my home in Hermanus, South Africa. What a delightful book and inspiration!
The Seattle tastemaker behind Watson Kennedy: a personally curated store with the absolute best gifts, treasures, home goods, and hand-selected music.
#genius #book @watsonkennedy #brilliant #perfect #gift
Truly a visual feast for the eyes and palate.
Thank you for sharing your abundance of “everything good”.
We customers are transported to shopping heaven while in your store(s) and website.
We’ve long been fans of Seattle retailer Ted Kennedy Watson and his first title certainly lives up to it’s stylish name. The lavish A to Z guide is bursting with tips on how to create a cozy, chic and inviting home.
