L.A. Lewandowski's Blog: The Culture and Cuisine Club, page 2

Copy This Look: Fall Sideboard

I don’t like everything to look brand new. I suppose that’s why my favorite TV viewing is British shows set in picturesque villages, castles, and Oxford, England. In these dramas, the decor demonstrates a deep respect for family heirlooms and great-grandmother’s china — even if the latter comes complete with a few flea bites. I […]

How to Develop Your Signature Style

How does the average person hone a personal style in their wardrobe, home, garden… lifestyle? I have been blogging about many aspects of style since 2009, but I’m not sure I’ve ever attempted to distill my thoughts on the subject into a few simple, achievable steps. I have become a huge fan of Instagram. My […]

As Ye Sow…

Scene: The side yard of my house. Objective: Trim two gardenia plants that threaten to engulf the house like the thorns in Sleeping Beauty. Result: A gift. You’ve heard it all before — in a Florida summer bugs grow to Jurassic size and the plants are on Miracle Grow. I planned on spending no more than […]

Inspiration: Norma Kamali

I have an unexpected day-off. In fact, I’m also off tomorrow and this is a rare occurrence. So instead of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, cherishing the fact that I didn’t have to move if I didn’t want to, I dragged my not-completely-convinced body out of bed.  After coffee and a quick […]

Planning a Wedding on Pinterest

How do you plan a wedding when you live a thousand miles away from the bride? This was the conundrum my daughter and I faced — she in New Jersey and I in Florida. When she became engaged we had a year and a half to plan what I knew would be an event worthy […]

Enduring the Dog Days of Summer, Rusty Style

Ah, the dog days of summer. As a child in New Jersey I welcomed the summer heat. It meant days spent in the above ground pool my father would install. The humidity would hit you in the face like a wet washcloth, not unlike the current weather we are experiencing in Tampa. When I wasn’t […]

The Mystery: Putting a Name to a Face

Who is this woman? She is, most likely, my husband’s grandmother’s sister who died young. We found the photo in a pile of photos and other papers we had packed after cleaning out my mother-in-law’s home in Lakeland, Florida. Many people throw out these precious family photos, and this breaks my heart. Look at this […]

Mixing It Up: Democratizing My Jewelry

I have always loved jewelry. I remember as a young teenager sitting with fashion magazines and looking at the gorgeous offerings of famed jewelers like Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Graff, Van Cleef and Arpels, De Beers, etc. I drooled over Bulgari watches, fantasized about Patek Philippe. When I wrote my first novel I included as […]

Dining Review: Rooster and the Till

July is a busy month at my place of business, Nordstrom International Plaza. I work a crazy amount of hours and downtime is at a minimum. It was a great idea of my children to send their dad a Father’s Day gift card to one of our favorite restaurants. The manager of the restaurant (who […]

Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Pound Cake

We were having guests for the Fourth of July and I was so excited that I would get to bake a dessert! I found this recipe on Pinterest, a great place to go to peruse recipes that other pinners recommend. This recipe was easy and a wonderful finish to a rather heavy meal. The compote […]