loving. eating. small. fat radish | nyc

I am heading off to NYC soon for a visit to to my fave city and the inspiration for this little blog. My fiance and I will be visiting with friends and checking out some spots, like the Fat Radish. This place opened up after I had moved and I'm looking forward to checking it out. I love intimate dining spots that offer not just great food but great design. From the photos on their site, Fat Radish seems to deliver both. There are many small space design ideas right in there // white subway tiles, large type, floating shelving and mixed textures. Do you check out design while you're dining? Click here to see more of loving. eating. small.

:: images via Fat Radish ::

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loving. eating. small. summer travel edition

It's been raining like crazy in the east coast lately and I've been staying in and enjoying the cozy vibe of my new small space. I've been checking out and loving some amazing food blogs lately (like this blog, this blog and this blog) and was inspired to share some of my photos from my summer trip to Italy, Stockholm and London. I definitely enjoyed the food and wine on my trip and was turned on to a lot of new and interesting goodies. 

I love how photos evoke such memories and inspiration. I remember shooting one of my Chianti day trips and absolutely loving the faltered wood farm tables - perfectly rustic. It definitely inspired my new farmhouse buffet. Do you have pieces in your home that are inspired from photographs?

location of images from the top //

01. Rome. Window shopping break for coffee.

02. Florence. Rooftop dinner.

03. Stockholm. Lunch in my friend's backyard patio.

04. Florence. Gelato snack.

05. Florence. Breakfast on our rooftop terrace. 

06. Chianti. Winetasting.

07. Chianti. Lunch during winetasting.

08. Chianti. Dessert wine and cookie during winetasting.

09. Chianti. Winetasting.

10. Chianti. Winetasting.
11. London. Flowerpot bread at Borough Market.

12. London. Borough Market lunch.

13. London. Mushrooms snapped during Borough Market walk.

14. London. Notting Hill walk and snack.

15. London. Breakfast.

16. Florence. Best white pizza. Ever.

17. London. Oysters and clams snapped during Borough Market walk.

18. Stockholm. Ferry to Archipelago for Midsummer weekend.

19. Stockholm. Bulle and coffee break.

:: all images snapped by loving. living. small. ::

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loving. eating. small. summer pie + california home & design

I recently returned from my summer adventure to Stockholm, Italy and London - wow - what a trip! I was considering posting as I went but then decided - unplug. It was a really nice break but I am happy to be back and I am so insanely overloaded with design inspiration and style. I'll definitely be sharing some of the goodies that I discovered on my trip so stay tuned. (I took over 3000 photos!)

In the meantime, I am so excited and happy for my friend, Erin, and her amazing July/August issue of California Home + Design that came out a few weeks ago. As the new EIC, she rocked this issue. It's full of design ideas, visual moments and thoughtful lifestyle pieces. And she complemented the print mag with a matching digital issue. I even got to be part of a shoot featuring Matt of Matt Bites. (That's me in the blue/white tanktop with Matt and another friend) Shot at his Long Beach loft/studio, it was a great afternoon full of delicious treats on a stick and I'd-eat-with-my-hands amazing homemade pie. I absolutely loved the mosaic ashtrays that Matt and his partner collect that adorn their cement walls as a featured art gallery. The contrast of textures - matte cement balancing shiny pops of mosaic tile - truly work. I also love the idea of taking an intended item and turning it into your personal style. (Ashtray as art? Yes!) Small spaces really evolve with personal touches and small details. Click here to read the new issue of California Home + Design.

:: tabletop shots snapped by me with my iphone ::

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loving. eating. small. abc kitchen, a 2011 james beard winner for best new restaurant

I am sure it's my love of Manhattan {having lived in Soho for several years} mixed with the Top Chef in me but I love love love NYC restaurants. And what's better than a fabulous dining spot found inside an incredible home decor experience known as ABC Carpet & Home?! ABC Kitchen is just that. Nestled inside the 10-floor vertical home design mecca, this 2011 James Beard award winning restaurant serves "local, organic and original food" and  is full of incredible food and impactful style. Mixing wood, glass and metal textures, the space is so inviting and cozy, it's truly an intimate experience. Small space dwellers can definitely appreciate that one! 

:: images via New York Magazine ::

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loving. eating. small. salts infused with sweetness

The warm weather and blue skies have definitely put me in a sweet mood and I wanted to share a tray that I recently put together to enjoy with friends - strawberries, whipped cream and flavored salt with a touch of sweet.  Lemon twist sea salt, Green Tea Matcha sea salt and Lime Fresco sea salt  - oh la la. Oh and this is a healthier sweet treat when using fat free Cool Whip. I bet the chocolate kind would be delish too - yum!

So much more to come this summer with the launch of SALT GENERAL STORE. 

Click here to follow @SaltGenStore and stay in touch for the launch just a few months away.

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loving. eating. small. fab foods to make in your small space

** See more food finds and 18 other design boards right here **

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loving. eating. small. Ray's & Stark Bar

 

Lately a lot of beautifully designed spots have opened up in Los Angeles and Ray's & Stark Bar at LACMA is one of them.  I popped over there the other night and enjoyed my "Lost in Yonkers" cocktail (pictured above) and a gorgeous evening. Situated in the courtyard of LACMA, the farm-to-table restaurant (Ray's) and the curated cocktail bar (Stark) offer pops of color, infused modern style and, of course, perfectly mixed and shaken cocktails and great food. I loved the small conversation areas and the mix of chairs and tables. If you are into trying a new design element in your small space, consider mixing your styles. I love mixing to add flavor to a space and to create dimension. I also love the red and blue palette - very cool tones. Small space tip - cool colors make a small space appear bigger. Don't we all love that? 

:: images by loving. living. small. ::



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loving eating small go vertical and horizontal

I am sure many of you small space dwellers have reinvented the "dining room" by way of your coffee table. In my apartment, I actually have a dining room (I know, right?! A small space dweller's dream) That being said, I personally knew that I wouldn't use my dining room as, well, a dining room. I am not super formal and, at this point in my life, I need a dedicated home office so the 120 square feet of  became just that.

I prefer to entertain in my main room when I have friends over. We sit around the coffee table and enjoy. Since the surface is a bit small, I have to be creative by either going vertical with a tiered stand or horizontal by sharing plates or trays. I use my cutting boards for all different types of food and the rack to stack plates as well. How do you make space in your small space? 

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loving. eating. small. eveleigh

There are always new spots opening up in Los Angeles and I was excited to check out the rustic and soulful Eveleigh. The photos of their patio completely had me at *hello* and I was thrilled to find the space just as pretty, calm and comfortable as I had thought. The rustic vibe mixed with the curated fabrics, school rock chairs and simple white plateware and sparkling single tea lights works perfectly. Aside from the gorgeous view, the "I feel like I am visiting cool friends at their cool house" tone, the cocktails are pretty spectacular and the colors are as well. (Don't you love the pink and yellow?) I found such neat inspiration here - check out all my photos above and their site right here.

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