French Crumble Apple Pie

by Guest Blogger, Rebecca Mudrick

I love eating homemade apple pie, but when it comes to making a beautiful pie, well ... I'm just not good at it. My pies taste fabulous, but they look terrible. And after spending years trying to figure out - unsuccessfully, mind you - how to roll out, place and flute a top crust I finally cried uncle and gave up. Instead, I make a french apple pie which is perfect for those who are crust-challenged like myself. I can hide an ugly (but perfectly flaky!) bottom crust under cinnamon-sweet apples and a buttery crumb topping. Are you salivating yet? If so, here's the recipe:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup ice-cold water
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp cider or wine vinegar

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender cut shortening and butter until the mixture is the consistency of course bread crumbs. Do not over blend. In a small bowl or cup, mix ice water, egg yolk and vinegar. Gradually add water mixture to flour mixture just until the dough clumps together (the dough should be moist but not wet or crumbly). Gather up the dough into a disk and wrap in wax paper and refrigerate while preparing the apples and crumb topping. Roll out dough until it is approximately 13 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Carefully fold the dough into quarters and transfer to pie dish and flute edges.

Apple Filling:
4 to 5 cups crisp, tart apples
3/4 - 1 cup sugar*
1 to 2 tablespoons flour*
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix ingredients in large bowl and pour into prepared pie crust.

*Amounts vary depending on the type of apple you are using for your pie. Use more sugar if your apples are especially tart, or more flour if they are really juicy.

French Crumb Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into small cubes

Cut butter into sugar and flour with a pastry cutter (or in a food processor) until well blended. Spread topping evenly over apple filling.

Bake assembled pie at 375 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes. Enjoy!

p.s. a special thank you to my mother-in-law for helping me make, photograph, and eat my french apple pie today!

Rebecca also blogs at Overexposed and Darling Art.

image by Rebecca Mudrick

Road Trip Survival Tips

by Guest Blogger, Rebecca Mudrick

I'm a bit of a restless soul and love to travel. But with 4 monkeys in tow and a tight budget, travel for our family typically means hitting the road rather then flying. My monkeys may complain about road trips, but ask them how many states they've visited and they won't hesitate to tell you about the places we've been and the things we've seen. At ages 5, 8 & 10 my 3 oldest have already traveled through 44 states and I love that we can provide them with memorable experiences that don't break the bank.

Here are a few tips/tricks we've learned as we've logged many miles on the road:

- careful planning is essential for lengthy road trips. I try to plan a route that breaks up the driving with stops that are active and kid friendly. We may try to drive 4 - 6 hours in the morning, spend 4 - 5 hours in the afternoon hiking around a national park, eat dinner, and then log another 2 - 4 hours in the evening before we stop at a motel for the night. Substantial breaks from the car make the road trip feel like less of a drive and more like a vacation. Also, careful planning means that you can book your hotel in advance, which saves about $20/night than if you make a same-day reservation.

- reduce car clutter. We invested in a Thule car top carrier and only pack essentials in the back of our car. Keeping the car neat and clean keeps this Mommy in a much better mood as we drive, and keeping the boys organized means they are less likely to complain about having nothing to do. We keep healthy snacks and drinks in the back and move up only enough to tide us over until our next stop. Trash bags get emptied with every stop.

- unplug the kids. No one feels good when they zone out in front of a screen all day, and there are lots of road trip activities that will keep both kids and adults entertained and happy. We love listening to books on cd and have found quite a few that we can all enjoy (Roald Dahl books are definite favorites). I put together an activity bag for each monkey with a sketch book, map of our route, books, stickers, markers, mad libs, etc. For a special treat, I'll wrap a cheap toy/gift for each child to open every day we are on the road, which provides excitement and entertainment as they play with something new. And of course there are classic road trip games: I spy, 20 questions, the alphabet game, the license plate game, etc.

-reduce the nightly schlep and streamline the morning hustle. I hate dragging sleepy kids and loads of luggage into a motel late at night. To ease the nightly schlep, I pack a complete set of clothes for each member of our family into individual bags (usually a plastic shopping bag) and stuff those bags into a large duffel we keep in the trunk. Toiletries and pj's for mom and dad go into a separate bag. When we stop to sleep, I grab one set of clothes out of the duffel, the bag of toiletries, and leave the rest of our stuff in the car. The monkeys shower and sleep in their clothes for the next day, which means in the morning all we have to do is eat breakfast and jump back in the car and it's so. much. easier.

- if you're going to sit, do it in the car. I've learned (the hard way) that my kids don't behave well at a sit-down restaurant when they've been sitting in the car all day. So now we pack food to eat in the car or hit a drive thru (sometimes they're a necessary evil) so we can log miles while we eat, and stop where we can run around. This doesn't work as well for multi-day trips, when you simply can't avoid stopping to eat. In this case, we do our best to run the monkeys around outside while we wait for our food, etc.

- make unexpected stops. One of the best things about road trips are the surprises along the way: the rodeo in Arizona, field of flowers in Arkansas, train museum in Tennessee, corn field in Kansas, 5-legged cow in Kansas, etc. These stops often mean driving a bit later then planned, but they're authentic, crazy and fun.

- make love, not war. About 10 years ago my husband and I heard the best road trip tip ever: make love, not war. Huh? A woman called in to an NPR travel show to share how she and her husband would help their kids behave on road trips: if the kids were fighting, this couple would pull over and start kissing. Their kids would - as expected - gross out and agree to do anything just to make it stop. Does "anything" include getting along with each other? Definitely. My monkeys are just getting to the age where this might work, and I can't wait to test it out. ;)

Rebecca also blogs at Overexposed and Darling Art.

School Lunches: Going Trash Free

by Guest Blogger Rebecca Mudrick

Moving to a trash-free school (or work) lunch is a simple and effective way to reduce our environmental impact. My monkeys bring lunch to school, and we decided to move to a trash-free lunch before the 2009 - 2010 school year. Like most changes, the switch from ziploc baggies wasn't without a challenge or two. Here are some resources to look into, if you also decide to go the trash-free route:

Laptop Lunches: I bought a set of laptop lunch bento boxes for each of my boys. These boxes are BPA-free, super sturdy and seem to work well for a lot of people. I found it a challenge to fit the food in the containers each day (our sandwiches never seem to fit well) and also a struggle to wash everything each night. My friends who have made these work have two sets of bento boxes for each child so that one is always clean each day.

Snack Taxi: Snack Taxi makes reusable bags for snacks and sandwiches and are not only easy and convenient, but come in awesome fabrics. My boys each have an insulated lunch bag and a combination of snack taxi bags and BPA-free plastic containers seem to be working well for us. If we used a snack taxi bag for crackers/pretzles then I'll simply shake it out before I refill it. Sandwich bags get machine washed between each use - especially if they housed a sandwich with meat or cheese.

Water bottles: This year, I looked in to the small sized stainless steel water bottles by Klean Kanteen - they are the perfect size for packing in a lunch. But the price point was high, so we opted for the slightly cheaper Camelbak Kids BPA-free bottles. They're too big to fit in our lunch boxes, but my monkeys love them. I'm curious to see how the bite-valve holds up ...

Waxed paper bags: in the event that we don't have clean containers ready, I keep a box of waxed paper bags on hand. I buy mine at Whole Foods, but you can also buy them on Amazon. It's nice to know that if I do need to bag something in a pinch, I can use something that won't take 500 years to decompose in a landfill.

Other noteworthy resources:

Lock & Lock: my friend Jamie (who is the Queen of fun, healthy kid lunches) uses these containers and they look like a great option - the price point is awesome!

Pottery Barn Kids: Pottery Barn Kids makes a great BPA-free one piece bento box. My monkeys would die and go to heaven if I paired this box with the Star Wars lunch bag.

Goodbyn: Our local Whole Foods carries Goodbyn Lunchboxes and they look awesome. My boys would love decorating the boxes with the provided stickers and I lolve that you can recycle your Goodbyn box when you're done with it.

Do you pack a trash-free lunch each day? What has/has not worked for you? Do you have any favorite products to recommend?

Rebecca also blogs at Overexposed and Darling Art.

image by Rebecca Mudrick

Decadent Chocolate Cake with Toasted Hazelnuts + Berries

I consider it a fine moment in baking when I stumble upon a made-from-scratch cake recipe that is just as moist as a preservative-laden cake from a box. And folks, we are having one of those moments right now. This decadent chocolate cake not only tastes delicious, but definitely boasts that "wow" factor one seeks when making a layered dessert from scratch. Consider it time well spent, even though it doesn't take that much time to make at all!

So...if the words, "chocolate", "toasted hazelnuts" and "raspberries" all sound up your alley, click here for the recipes and links...I'm sharing them over at Zupas today.

image by Stephanie Brubaker

How to Photograph a Newborn Baby

by Guest Blogger, Rebecca Mudrick:

Photographing your newborn baby is no easy feat: as a new mama you're likely exhausted, overwhelmed, and may have other children clamoring for attention. But setting aside a few minutes to photograph your sweet new baby is a very worthwhile way to spend precious time (that shower can wait a few more hours anyway, right?) Here are a few tips to help you in your efforts:

- a full belly, warm room, and white noise work wonders for keeping baby calm and happy. Shut the door so siblings can't disrupt your picture time and run a loud fan or white noise machine to drown out any sounds that might cause the baby to startle.

- turn off your flash, and find a window with bright - but not direct - light. If you notice your pictures are blurry when you photograph without your flash, find a brighter spot or put your camera on a stable surface (like a side table or dresser) to avoid camera shake.

- simplify. Clear out any elements within the frame of the picture that might cause visual distraction. Swaddle the baby neat and tight with a plain blanket if he keeps startling awake. For a sibling shot dress your kids in simple clothes and similar colors - I love girls in white tank tops and with boys in plain white t's or no shirts.

- play! play! play! Try different angles. See how close up you can get with your camera before the images goes blurry. Show how tiny your baby's hands are by showing them with Dad's hands. Contrast your baby's smooth, perfect skin with the aged and marked hands of a grandparent. And don't forget to pass the camera to dad or grandma and have them photograph the baby in your arms. The possibilities are endless and the results are as unique and precious as your new baby.

Rebecca also blogs at Overexposed and Darling Art.

all images by Rebecca Mudrick

Welcome Guest Blogger, Rebecca Mudrick

This week marks a milestone for my blog...I am hosting my very first guest blogger! Her name is Rebecca Mudrick and she is not only the best child photographer I know, but she is also my dear friend. While Rebecca writes her own blog (well, two actually--one here and one here), I thought it would be fun to give her a chance to talk about subjects other than photography (although I'm having her slip in a little of that too). You will love her witty tone, her beautiful images and interesting posts. Without further adieu, here is a little more background on Rebecca in her own words:

Eleven years ago I moved from Utah to the east coast to marry my college sweetheart and start a career in public relations and event planning. One year later I gave birth to the first of four monkeys and made an enormous career change from PR exec to stay-at-home mom. In need of a creative outlet, I dug my husband's ancient film camera out of a closet, learned to use it, and soon began taking paid commissions for my photography. Eventually we moved from Baltimore to Boston (glorious Boston!) and then to Chapel Hill where I spend my days keeping my monkeys out of trouble, refining my work, listening to NPR and eating chocolate. I maintain two blogs: Overexposed (my personal blog) and {Hello, Darling!}, (my child portrait work).

So how did I end up here?

Steph and I met on a study abroad after our freshman year of college and quickly became friends. We spent the remainder of our college years attending cooking classes together, crafting, eating (Steph may be tiny, but the girl can pack it in!), studying, road tripping, helping each other through boyfriend woes, and then planning our weddings. Since then, it's been amazing watching Steph's creativity and style grow through all of her professional endeavors - I'm so proud of my friend. I'm also excited to be a very small part of her beautiful blog this week. Thanks Steph, for having me as a guest blogger!

p.s. I'll be posting intermittently throughout the week as well so you'll be getting a double dose this week. I hope you enjoy all the great content. xoxo

image by Jefra Starr Linn

Katie's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Last night felt like Fall--the air was chilly and crisp. I relished in this third day of Fall by heading out onto my deck in my pajamas before taking in the moon, the mountains, and this new season (my favorite one btw).

To celebrate, I'd like to try my hand at Katie's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls here pretty quick. I haven't baked in forever (okay...so it's only been a month, but it feels like forever), and I have one can of organic pumpkin puree in my pantry just begging to be used in something scrumptious. I think I've found the perfect recipe.

image by Katie Goodman

Welcome Sponsor: Jeni Gochnour's Folk Art Gourds

Today, I'd like to introduce you to a new holiday sponsor--Jeni Gochnour's Autumn Gift Show--it's a local thing :) When we moved to Utah from Boston five years ago, I noticed an interesting phenomenon about my new home state...the plethora of gift shows that take place throughout the year, but particularly during the holidays (and often even in people's own homes if you can believe it!).

One such show I've attended on many occasions over the last five years is the Jeni Gochnour Autumn Art Show. Her one-of-a-kind folk art gourds are famous around here and are only available two times a year. But they aren't the only lovable crafts and works of art at the Autumn Art Show...you'll find handmade jewelry, clothing, art, accessories and even food. If you're local, be sure to check it out next week.

Find all the details, directions, hours, dates and more images here.

images by Stephanie Brubaker

Combating Negativity

I recently stumbled upon a post that sounded interesting initially, but actually grew quite ugly as it went on...and then there were the comments. This experience made me ponder the subject of negativity, and why we can be so down on others at times. Since when did anyone feel better after putting down others? One of the characteristics I most admire about a person is his or her ability to be happy for others...always...despite what is going on in their own life. It's so admirable, so noble, to be in a place where you constantly think of others and are happy for their successes.

What about you? What is the quality you admire the most in a person? What do you do to combat negativity in the blog world?

Update/Caveat: I am by no means insinuating that it's bad to never be grouchy or to have a bad day. This morning, in fact, I felt quite cranky after my sleepless night with our newborn. Sometimes you just have those kinds of days! The negativity I am referring to above dealt with people who left comments on a post that were personally attacking. Style preferences, blog management, parenting methods, and even people's religious faith were targeted. The kinds of comments left were those you think adults have already risen above.

image via Sundance

Liberty of London Fans: Pronk is Having a Sale

My friend Susannah, an amazingly talented designer, is heading off to Paris with her family; and to celebrate her extended rendevous she is hosting a sale this week! Expect deep, deep discounts on designer clothing and gorgeous Liberty of London fabrics. Talk about one-of-a-kind pieces. I'm dying over the chance to snatch up a $220 dress for just $50. Now that's a deal, no?

You can view Pronk's lovely blouses, skirts, dresses and trousers here.

Vegetarian Meal Ideas

After watching Food, Inc. a couple of times (a must-see!), we decided to change a few things about the way we shop for/cook/prepare food for my family. First, we started purchasing grass-fed and organic meat; and to curb the cost we simply cut our intake in half. For example, if a recipe called for 1.5 pounds of meat, I added just 3/4 pound. As a result, our grocery bill stayed the same, and our meals tasted better. Second, I added a couple of vegetarian meals to our weekly menu. It took me awhile to find recipes that were delicious and hearty, even without meat, but I finally have a little collection of vegetarian recipes that I really enjoy.

Today I am sharing my recommendations over at the Zupas blog. Feel free to pass along your own vegetarian meal ideas. I'd love to hear them!

image 1 by Annabelle Breakey for Sunset Magazine; image 2 via House Beautiful

Robin's Egg Blue for the Kitchen

queen anne's lace tea towel / spatula / stockpot / tea towel / colander / egg crate

(also cute, but not pictured above are birdie cabinet knobs and cutting boards)

And not-to-be-missed are gorgeous blue kitchens from Wide Open Spaces - so much kitchen eye candy here it's not even funny!

J.Crew Outlet Goes Online

Well, look what popped in my inbox...an email sharing some very good news indeed. The J.Crew Factory Store/Outlet is now online! Three cheers for not having to live near one of their fantastic outlet locations to take advantage of the excellent deals. I am loving this. Loving! Even if it's only open on weekends...

Take a peek here.

Dreamy White Kitchen

Oohh...this kitchen boasts everything I love about a kitchen...warm hardwood floors, stainless appliances, marble countertops and natural light. One thing different about this kitchen, versus other white kitchens I've seen, are the framed photographs hanging on the walls and propped on the countertops. What a lovely addition!

The Husband and I just discussed how much fun (and work) it would be to save up and complete a renovation again...this time on American soil (heaven knows we've learned a few things). Then, perhaps, I could have a shot at the white kitchen of my dreams. "Perhaps" being the key word here :)

Quick question for those of you with open shelving in your kitchen...do you love it? Does the dust bother you? Would you do it again or opt for closed cabinets?

images via House Beautiful

German Juice Jars

I'd love a collection of these pretty, glass juice jars from Germany. A whole bunch of 'em lined up in a cabinet would be a lovely sight. The price point is quite reasonable too.

Today's Freebies + Great Deals

Persimmon & Pink is offering it's famous 3-4-2 sale. As in, order two prints and you receive a third print of your choice for free. This is the perfect time to stock up on future birthday or Christmas presents. Plan ahead baby.

Justin Hackworth is offering a Fall Family Portrait special in the following cities: Salt Lake, Provo, Seattle, Denver and San Francisco. Think gorgeous autumnal colors and Christmas cards. You can view our pre-pregnant-with-Gray family portrait here.

Locals, head to the stylish Koo de Ker boutique in the 9th and 9th district and receive 15% off your entire purchase on Saturday, September 18. Kyong's Fall Collection has arrived so here's your chance to get first dibs.

70% off Restaurant.com gift certificates through tonight! Here's your chance to snatch up $25 gift certificates for only $3. Awesome. We took advantage of this deal last year and have been dining budget-friendly for some time now! Enter SPORK at checkout to cash in.

Alice Lane Home is hosting a sale beginning tomorrow, Thursday, September 16th and ending Saturday at close. Take 10% off any item in the store. If you're worried the store isn't budget-friendly, keep in mind there is something for every price range available. I spotted a handful of adorable accessories under $15 during my last visit.

Old Town Imports is offering many beautiful pieces at a significant discount. If you love to entertain, it's nice to have a few classic pieces on hand. I use mine all the time! Also, free shipping on orders over $75.

image by Lesley Colvin for OTI

Military-Inspired

I love the classic military look--it's never dated and it always looks stylish. If you buy the right piece, a truly classic, well-made piece, you'll still be able to wear it several years later (this is my opinion at least). Here are some of my favorite versions this Fall:

Going clockwise from top left: image 1 / 2 / 3 /4

Word Up: ASOS is launching a US website this month!

Caramelized Fig Ice Cream + other Delicious Ways to Use Figs

We tackled beets last week, and now it's time to focus on another intimidating fresh ingredient--figs! Now that fresh figs are in season (look for the common Black Mission fig at your local grocery store), it seems only fair to give them a little spotlight of their own.

Today over at Zupas, I am sharing some suggestions for simple and delicious ways to use figs --both sweet and savory. You'll enjoy adding one of these recipes to your repertoire--they make the perfect appetizers!

image by Stephanie Brubaker

Creative Ways to Use Japanese Masking Tape

This week I bought a Japanese book about ways to use Japanese masking tape, per the recommendation of A Spoonful of Sugar. The above image of little houses is an excerpt from the book and when I spotted it, I knew then and there it was a must-have! How adorable are those? Can't wait to receive it in the mail in a couple of weeks!

I'm also enjoying Holly's quick frame spruce-up featured on decor8 awhile back as well as these fun images from Etsy vendor Studio Koizumi. And we can't forget this lovely piece at Project Wedding that I would use for a dinner party or shower instead. So, so cute.

image 1 - How to Use Masking Tape / image 2 - Holly Becker for decor8 / image 3 - Studio Koizumi

A Quiet Corner

Recovering from surgery has definitely made my life a little on the quiet side this week. Instead of being frustrated with my inability to accomplish simple household tasks and to drive my children around, I am trying to enjoy the quiet. Today seems like the perfect day to sit down in a light-filled corner like this one, with a stack of thank you notes and a good pen. My heart is so full of gratitude for all of the thoughtful people that have extended themselves to us this week.

What are you up to this weekend? Is it going to be a high-powered-accomplish-a-lot-kind-of-weekend for you or are you planning on laying low? If I were up and about, I would be hitting the farmer's market downtown tomorrow and enjoying the local peaches and tomatoes that only recently hit farm stands. I'm telling you, it still feels like summer despite the fact that kids are in school and Fall collections are all the rage. I'm not ready to let go just yet...

image via Campagne Decoration

Meet Our Newest Addition

Naming this lad has proven most difficult! Between not knowing the sex of the baby ahead of time and then having baby 2.5 weeks early, we were at quite a standstill for days. Literally. But thanks to all of your suggestions, the wheels started turning and the creative juices began flowing. We dug up family names, regularly consulted our favorite baby name book, and of course frequently checked your comments and suggestions. Many, many thanks dear readers for taking the time to share your thoughts! And yes, we did choose a name within those suggestions. Without further adieu...

Friends, meet Gray Thomas Brubaker.

Gray, meet all the lovely people who graciously contributed to your naming.

Gray = the only name in the universe we could both agree on. I'm not joking. As an added bonus it even has significance in French.

Thomas = a meaningful family name, which is what we like middle names to be. Plus, it sounds great with Gray :)

And now we all have one heckuva list of baby boy names, now don't we? Fabulous. If our family weren't complete, I'd bookmark that post and save it for future reference. What good taste you all have!

Pie-Shaped Packages No.2

Last year I created a few pie-shaped packages for friends, except I didn't put a piece of pie inside...rather a wedge of rich, chocolate cake. No one seemed to mind :) However, this time around I opted for the real deal...a homemade piece of pie. I chose a berry-toned paper as a taste of Triple Berry Pie awaited devouring.

images by Stephanie Brubaker

How to Roast Beets

While walking through a farmer's market recently with a friend (or maybe it was more like waddling?!), she asked me about the preparation of beets. I agreed they can be an intimidating vegetable with all those fronds and fuzzies. Well, I have a simple roasting method to share with you today over at Zupas--you'll have those delicious, beautiful beets from farm to table in 5 minutes! I'm really into these 5-minute specials lately, can you tell? Oh, and I'll also pass along my favorite salad recipe with roasted beets too. You'll definitely want to keep this recipe on hand for a nice meal.

Find all this goodness here.

Project Wedding

It's wonderful to have a wedding-related sponsor on board, especially one as fabulous as Project Wedding. I've been glued to all their little projects and ideas for quite some time now--those by Chelsea and Jordan being amongst my favorites. And the best thing about Project Wedding is that you don't need to be getting married to enjoy the site. Their ideas could easily be used for a wedding shower, baby shower, birthday party, or even a dinner party with a few friends.

My favorite sections of the site include:

Favors - who needs a wedding to create darling favors? I'm thinking Christmas presents or birthday party favors.

Budget Ideas - saving money? yes, please.

DIY - lots of treasures in this section; a lovely reminder that creating beautiful things yourself is more fun and less expensive than hiring out.

And looking for some comedic relief on your wedding day? There is a hilarious community article on PW about going to the bathroom while donning your wedding gown :) Hilarious...but quite practical!

all images via Project Wedding

The Name Game

Care to join in? We are at a standstill right now naming this little BOY! I'd love to hear your top 3 boy names...

Also, some thoughts and stats:

1. I am so deeply happy to have another little boy. Simply elated! When I look at my children, I've always felt a little boy missing and finally having him here is most joyous.

2. He weighs 7 lbs. 4 ounces and is 19 1/2 inches "tall" :) Not bad for 2 1/2 weeks early!

3. Did you know as soon as he came out of my body, all that nausea instantly disappeared? Even drugged up I could tell the difference right away. Looking forward to eating real food again, even hospital food!

4. Are you enjoying all these sentences ending with exclamation points?! :)

So about those boy names...

90210

We thought not finding out the sex of our baby was going to be the big surprise this pregnancy. Well, it looks like #4 is a mischeivous little one! And it's coming today at 11:30 a.m. via c-section (two and a half weeks early), thanks to some complications. I joked with my good friend Rachel that our babies must be good friends--they insisted on coming to Earth on the very same day :)

So here goes nothin'! Pictures and an update forthcoming!

p.s. boy? girl? any guesses?

Hindsvik Vintage Home

Amazing presentation in this Canadian vintage home decor shop...probably the best I've ever spotted on Etsy! It's so much easier to imagine vintage pieces in your living space when they are photographed in such a simple, solitary manner.