Oprah Meets Ralph Lauren at his CO Ranch

Thank-You Oprah for interviewing Ralph Lauren today on his beautiful Colorado ranch. Enjoyed thoroughly!!! Ralph just never gets old! (Well he is getting old but he still looks dang good! And so does Ricky!)

RL Ranch Again!

Occupying some 16,000 acres beneath the snowcapped San Juan Mountains is the Double RL Ranch, the Colorado getaway of fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky.
Yesterday we were all visiting about the movie "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" which is a great movie-thanks D'Ann. Anyway I thought I would post one of my favorite issues of Architectural Digest (Nov. 2002) Ralph Lauren The Designer’s Sprawling Double RL Ranch in Colorado. Oh what a wonderful place-to be Ralph!
-D'Ann I hope you get to see the teepee at the bottom!
The ranch includes a main lodge, three guest tepees, beyond, and several outbuildings.

Main Lodge

The living room of the fourbedroom primary structure. Pieces from the Ralph Lauren Home collection, such as the suede sofa and club chair, fill the compound’s interiors. A work by Fritz Scholder is above the fireplace. The cowboy hat on the table in the foreground once belonged to John Wayne.

Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, concho belts and an Indian chief blanket with an American flag motif, both 1880s, hang on a ledge holding an Apache olla basket, at right. The 19th-century breastplate with mirror, at left, is believed to have come from the Blackfoot Indian tribe.

Saloon/Screening Room

Art Nouveau-style lamps illuminate a living area that lies alongside a bar and dining area. On the mantel is a photogravure, left, by Edward S. Curtis, a chronicler of Native American culture. The canoe hanging above is a Canadian birchbark. Stickley wood chairs.

Saloon/Screening Room

Leather armchairs provide comfortable seating when the couple and their guests watch movies. “Although the ranch is a work in progress, there’s a real feeling of heritage here,” says Ralph Lauren. “Everything is authentic to me—and pleasing to my eye.”

Cookhouse

The couple often use the space to serve breakfast to family, including their three children, and the cowboys working at the ranch.

Cookhouse

The terrace faces the tack house. “After 20 years here, I still notice new things, depending on the time of day,” says Ralph Lauren.

Little Bear Cabin

The interior of the cabin, which is named after two curious bear cubs that frequented the area during construction, is lined with logs from an 1880s Montana barn. An Edward S. Curtis photogravure rests on the rock fireplace’s wood mantel.

Little Bear Cabin

The mudroom serves as a storage area for leather chaps, riatas, stirrups, early snowshoes from Taos and Native American-made fishing accessories.

Little Bear Cabin

Like most of the dwellings on the property, the space is equipped with accommodations for as many as eight visitors. Before the rock wall is a 19th-century painted stepback cupboard that was found in the South. On the table is a Santo Domingo dough bowl.A 14-foot-long Airstream, which was completely refurbished by Ralph Lauren, is one of four unique theme trailers previously auctioned for charity on the polo.com website. Under a pine ceiling stands a pullout peeled-log dining table. The floor is made from salvaged barnwood. (May 2001)

Guesthouse A pair of 1960s-style butterfly chairs flank the entrance to the 1960s silver Airstream trailer the couple offer to their guests. “The interiors are redesigned in an Army-surplus style,” the designer says. A canopy over the wood-plank platform protects visitors from the elements.

Tepee A collection of Indian blankets warms the inside of one of three guest tepees, which measures 28 feet in diameter. Since they have no heating or cooling systems, the structures are used in the milder months.

Tower of Herbs

Don't miss out on fresh herbs (or pay a lot for them at the market) just because you don't have a big yard. Situate this compact herb garden in a sunny spot near the kitchen door for easy snipping.

Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas

Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas
A rotisserie chicken helps make short work of this classic Mexican entrée. Luscious? Absolutely. In fact, we guarantee your family will clamor for seconds.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken


• 2/3 cup Onion-and-Garlic Mixture


• 2 (4-oz.) cans chopped green chiles


• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro


• 3 (10-oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided


• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend, divided


• 8 (9-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas

Click Here For Recipe

9 Quick-Fixes with Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut for recipes that call for chicken. Pick one up at your grocery deli today and make one of these easy meals tonight.

This wonderful fudgy cherry brownie recipe will put a smile on your face any day! It is featured in our Spring postcard and one special ingredient is the Stone Kitchen Sour Cherry Jam. Please stop by to pick up your jar for this tasty recipe!

Fudgy Cherry Brownies

A moist and gooey brownie- sure to be a favorite!

ingredients

• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate


• 1 cup unsalted butter


• 1 1/4 cups white sugar


• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 4 eggs, room temperature


• 1 teaspoon vanilla


• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 1 13 ounce jar Stonewall Kitchen Sour Cherry Jam


• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9 inch by 13 inch pan.


2. Melt butter and chocolate together in a medium saucepan.


3. Whisk in sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla, stirring two to three minutes. Fold in chocolate chunks.


4. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and Sour Cherry Jam.


5. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until they just begin to pull away from the side of the pan.


6. For ease of serving, let brownies cool completely before cutting.

Click Here To Print Recipe

Spring Postcard 2011

This is my precious baby girl Madeline that will only be featured once on the card. Have you ever heard the saying "Every old crow thinks hers are the blackest."? These old vintage grocery scales from the 1950's are sitting in the middle of my kitchen on a butcher block my brother brought back to me from California. It took about 40-50 shots to get this one-precious! She wasn't too sure what I was trying to do!

If you would like to be added to our seasonal mailer please give us a shout....they are filled with inspiring ideas and talk about what's new at the store.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad

A festive basket made from refrigerated breadstick dough turns this simple-to-fix salad into a showstopping centerpiece.

Ingredients

• 4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves


• Raspberry Vinaigrette, divided


• 8 cups mixed salad greens


• 1 quart strawberries, sliced


• 2 pears, sliced


• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced


• 1/2 small sweet onion, diced


• 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

Click Here To Print Recipe

Springin' Up Your Kitchen

This ancient old butcher block has seen and heard it all-and they add great personality to a kitchen especially as an island! Love the wire cloche and head of lettuce sitting on top of it...

This custom-made linen table topper is just beautiful for Spring-let us help you design one! What a fresh and pretty vignette to look at each day...

Hangin' Plates....

Never underestimate the beauty of plates especially transferware of all kinds...One of our customers loved collecting it and so what better way to appreciate then on your dining room wall! Here is her blue & white collection...another nail please....

Love her Spode brown and white transferware collection here....especially on these chocolate walls. Just beautiful!

Navigating Round Top: A Texas-Style Antiques Hunt

"Come for the antiques; stay for the atmosphere" is a motto that rings true at Round Top—the now-legendary antiques and collectibles event that takes place for nearly two weeks each spring and fall throughout the Texas countryside of Fayette County. After forty-two years in the making, the show's magnitude is something that must be experienced in order to be believed. Amidst miles of open fields and along the roadsides surrounding Round Top, a multitude of dealers display their wares for throngs of enthusiasts who come with hopes of uncovering the hidden treasures here. Devoted followers who scour venues such as Marburger Farm and Rifle Hall can go home with a host of coveted finds that includes high-end period furniture, European textiles, architectural salvage, and an unbelievable cache of eclectic decorative accessories. To view some of Round Top’s must-not-miss venues, click the links below: http://www.roundtop.org/antique_show_info.php http://www.roundtop-marburger.com/ http://ralphwillard.com/ http://www.antiqueweekend.com/N-shows.htm http://www.showdaily.us/Warrenton.cfm?location=ClutterShow&head=Clutter+Show http://countrygardenantique.blogspot.com/ http://www.alstonsantiques.homestead.com/

To learn more about Round Top, see "Treasure Hunting in Texas," on page 66 of the July/August 2010 issue of Victoria magazine.

Greet Guests with Flowers

"Flowers always make a home seem more welcoming. Adorn your entrance with assorted annuals and perrenials to keep color year long. Petunia, Snapdragon, Lily-of-the-Nile, and 'Gertrude Jekyl' roses are great additions. If you have a small space beetween your house and the street, try putting a low fence in front. It gives the illusion that your house is farther from the street than it really is, and it also makes for a great space for planting flowers and vines." -Southern Living 10 Tips for a Beautiful Yard

Bright & Colorful Spring Pillows

These bright hot pink & orange embroidered shams will spiff up any drab chair or sofa! Would be fantastic in a bedroom as well! The detail on them makes them unusual!