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This was the kind of weekend that ended with pasta. A late night, two lazy days, a bit of Christmas shopping, a lung-challenging moment with some hot peppers…and by Sunday at 7pm, I was ready for a bowl of comforting spaghetti, or rotini.

Of course this is not all that surprising, given that I could eat pasta for dinner every night! There’s no other meal I find so satisfying on a daily basis, and I love how some of the best pastas actually have the shortest ingredient lists—like this creamy blue cheese number.

I shared this with Cup of Jo readers last month, but it’s one of those recipes that’s really more like a formula than a recipe, so I wanted to make sure you guy didn’t miss it over here.

I’ve always loved making mac ‘n cheese for weeknight dinners, but it wasn’t until I took a cooking course on Italian pasta during college that I discovered this formula for making a creamy and cheesy noodle dish with fewer ingredients and a simpler process than my beloved mac. Basically, you heat garlic in a little bit of olive oil, just until it’s fragrant (don’t let it brown!), then you pour in half and half and keep it warm while you boil the pasta til it’s al dente. The cream reduces, becoming saucy, without any extra thickeners. And then just before the pasta is done, you melt in some fragrant blue cheese. Voila. Done.

By throwing the cooked pasta (and spinach—so you get your greens!) right into the sauce, you allow the flavors to combine wholeheartedly, the sauce getting into all those nooks in the rotini. The whole dinner takes under 20 minutes to make, but it tastes much fancier than that.

One note about the cheese: though the dish is best when you use a blue cheese that’s really delicious, one you’d feel fine setting out on a cheese plate, the dinner will still be good with some crumbled blue from the supermarket. It’s really up to you!

**Recipe**

Rotini with Blue Cheese & Spinach
Serves 2

Goat cheese works beautifully here if you’re not a blue cheese person.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup half and half
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ pound blue cheese, crumbled (a heaping ½ cup), plus a little extra for garnish
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
1/2 pound dry rotini

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot large enough to fit the pasta, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, just til the garlic is fragrant, not golden at all. Add the half and half, ½ teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the cream thickens, stirring occasionally. Add the blue cheese to the sauce and stir to dissolve it. It’s okay if there are a few lumps.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook to al dente according to the directions on the package, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach when there’s 1 minute left. Reserve ½ cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta and greens in a colander. Don’t shake out the pasta—you actually want some of the water to stick to it.

Immediately add the pasta to the pot with the sauce. Toss together, then cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if the sauce seems dry. Transfer to two bowls and eat, garnished with a little extra blue cheese if you like.

Name: Kim Knoll and Kyle Eertmoed, graphic designers at Knoed Creative
Location: Ravenswood Manor; Chicago, Illinois
Size: 800 square feet
Years lived in: 7 years; Owned

Kim and Kyle know a thing or two about space. As graphic designers who started their own company, Knoed Creative, they spend endless hours thinking about how forms and language communicate across visual dimension. They've put just as much effort into their crisp and cozy home, creating a unified aesthetic that offers them a place to relax, unwind, and connect as a couple after a day at the office.

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The sweet Heathcote weekender of Paula Kilpatrick and Antony Elliott – bedroom detail.  Treasured Tara Badcock embroidered rosette on the wall. Chair from Kabinett Vintage in Kyneton. Though very practical for the chilly winter nights, the ugg boots are ‘strictly farm use only’ says Paula! ‘Antony is not a fan of the ugg boots and I worry the sheep find them confronting….ba ha ha!’ Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Master bedroom.  Wallpaper – the Catherine Martin range from Porters Paints, casually stuck to the wall rather than permanently attached!  Bed linen by Shannon Fricke. Gilded tin light fitting on bedside table is from Izzi and Popo. Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Cosy living room with no shortage of reading material!  ’We made the bookshelves from ladders found at Market Import, and long shelves’ says Paula. ‘As well as books they house many precious bits and pieces – old button tins, my grandfathers clock and a special collection of naughty little boy figurines bought back from China’. Photo – Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Paula’s ‘very squishy and energy zapping’ red velvet couch! ‘It’s very easy to lose a day over winter reading a book, drinking tea and lying around here snoozing’ she explains. Dachshund photograph by Kathryn McCool. Vintage bird sketches previously belonged to Antony’s parents.  Rugs from Dhoku at the grand bazaar in Istanbul.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Today’s sweet little weekender in Heathcote is a hidden gem, tucked off the beaten track in Victoria’s picturesque Macedon Ranges region, around 90 minutes from Melbourne.  Affectionately known as ‘Tuppenny Farm’, this quaint little cottage and surrounding property belongs to landscape designer Paula Kilpatrick and her partner Antony Elliot, and their sweet little newborn bub Nellie Elliot, who arrived just a few weeks after we photographed this story, on Novembr 27th!  (CONGRATS guys!).

Paula and Antony have been here two years ‘part time’ – they live in Richmond during the week, and spend every weekend they can at the farm.  They share the property with a menagerie of four-legged friends - Nelson the poodle, Suzi and Lennie the miniature dachshunds, Willow, Jess, Ruffy and Rolly the miniature goats, a few sheep, and George and Dash the security guard alpacas!

What is most endearing about this sweet country home is the genuine spirit of ‘make do and mend’ at play here.  Paula has delighted in sourcing much of what you see from salvage yards and ebay – everything from doors to bathroom fixtures to the kitchen sink has been salvaged in some way.  Cosmetic improvements have been undertaken in a charmingly ad-hoc way – ‘the first weekend we had possession of the house we ripped out the existing kitchen, so there was no turning back!’ says Paula.  ’All the walls remain in the same location, however no surface remains untouched by the paint brush!’ (And that includes the floor!).

Paula and Antony worked with a local builder, Andrew Evely Homes based in Bendigo, who assisted with a few tasks too big for the pair to manage themselves, such as installing second hand French doors in the living space and bedroom, updating the bathroom and building the back deck.  ’Pretty much everything else Antony did!’ says Paula. ‘We would return to work every Monday morning in pain and in desperate need of a physio from ripping up layers of Lino and carpet, and removing nails individually.’

For Paula, who works in Melbourne’s CBD during the week, Tuppenny Farm presents a welcome escape from busy city life.  ’As a friend recently said, it is a grown-up’s cubby house’ she says.  ’It’s a bit cosy grandma-ish with tablecloths, cups of tea and we tend to eat lots of scones. We love being here with friends and cooking up a storm, drinking fabulous local wine.  It is very low fi, so no tv and phone, and internet reception can be sketchy’.  With no distractions and nothing but birdsong to interrupt your train of thought, there is certainly a distinct sense of calm here. ‘I just love sitting outside with all the space and blue sky’ says Paula.  ’I also love seeing our urban dogs get their country dog on – bounding around after rabbits and swimming in the creek behind the house!’

HUGE THANKS to Paul and Antony for sharing there home with us today!  I should also mention that when not in use, Paula has made Tuppenny Farm available for short term rentals through Air bnb!

View from the bedroom outside to the farm. The chair is a WW2 officers campaign chair, bought in Castlemaine. The doors from the bedroom to the deck are always open over summer, allowing cool breezes to move through the house over night. Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Master bedroom.  Dressing table left behind by the home’s previous owners. ‘We had a wonderful day before we took ownership of this house, where we met Bill and Monnie, the previous owners, and ate Boston bun and talked about their 30+ years of owning the property. It made it really special for us to hear all these gorgeous family memories before we even moved in.I love that some of the furniture belongs to the house’s history and not just ours’ says Paula.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen – old benches sourced through ebay, lab sink from Richmond Second Hand Building Materials on Swan Street.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen detail.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen – old benches sourced through ebay, lab sink from Richmond Second Hand Building Materials on Swan Street. ‘This place is a treasure trove of stuff – there are sheds and sheds of old doors, fireplaces etc out the back’ says Paula.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Antique dining table handed down from Antony’s parents – ‘Antony grew up eating dinner and talking about the days events around this table, it houses many happy memories’.  Stained glass cabinet and wicker chair from Paula’s grandparents house.  Hand drawn ship cushion by Millie Fairhall.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bathroom.  Old desk, sink, taps and mirrors all from ebay!  Turkish towels picked up from a trip to Turkey, and and the Nepalese goat bells are from Red Ramia Trading in Myrtleford.  Photo - Eve Wilson, production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Oh, yes I did. Two of my favorite things: architecture+pasta united!

The Leaning Tower of Pasta by Black+Blum is a storage container that makes you rethink historical architecture. Made of ceramic and cork, this storage jar is inspired by the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, which happens to be the ideal shape for storing spaghetti. Coincidence? I think not!

With a cork lid to seal your pasta inside, this cute little jar, unlike its original, will not eventually tip over.

The world famous and iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa has the perfect association with Italy and, as luck would have it, is the ideal shape for storing spaghetti. The cork lid will not only keep your spaghetti dry, but also ingeniously help you measure that all-elusive portion size.

It will launch at Home, the UK’s definitive homewares and accessories buying event, from January 12-14, at Earls Court.

i love the look of this eclectic kitchen and dining space. a artful mix of re-purposed vintage elements create a surprising modern look in this classically european space designed by berlin-based gisbert Pöppler. i wouldn’t necessarily envision mixing these teal green cabinets with brass knobs and utensil railing; nor would i have imagined adding the ornate looking display cabinet, but this kitchen has that rare unexpected vibe that really works well together. that cabinet is actually an antique farmhouse wardrobe reinvented as china cabinet, and the travertine marble dining table was once a display counter rescued from a now defunct German department store. add a sky blue ceiling and that gorgeous pendant lamp and it’s all quite genius together!

• photography by Wolfgang Stahr.

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Name: Jessica, Scott and Bryan Davis
Location: Millburn, New Jersey
Size: 2,100 square feet, including basement (1,400 square feet above ground)
Years lived in: 1 year

Jessica, Scott and Bryan relocated from sunny California to Millburn, New Jersey last fall. Their home has quickly been transformed into an inviting and cozy dwelling.

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If you didn't see his press conference midday, John Boehner let it rip against outside conservative/tea party groups -- even more so than he had earlier in the week. Watch. (Also, epic Boehner face.)

January

Los Angeles-based photographer Lara Jo Regan makes many a dog’s day—and ours—in her recent series Dogs in Cars, which she has made into a 2014 calendar. We’ve all witnessed the pure joy that a dog experiences on a car ride; ears flapping, nose sniffing, tongue flying in the wind, that certain wide-eyed appreciation and enthusiasm for the world at hand. Inspired to capture that delightful doggy delirium, Regan started the project using her own three dogs and friends’ dogs, eventually moving on to Craigslist where she placed ads for breeds she thought would work well in the series. Shooting the dogs naturally proved to be an adventure; most often Regan would hang out whichever window yielded the best shot, once finding herself strapped onto the roof of a car. Most shots were a three person effort—Regan, a driver, and someone to make sure the animals were safely secured.

A serious documentary and fine art photographer, Regan manages a nice balance between projects with her animal work. With much success from Mr. Winkle, Regan’s rescue pup-turned-Internet animal sensation that continues to celebrate viral attention, Regan says her more lighthearted projects not only fuel her love for animals and allow for a nice reprieve, but they also help fund her less commercial projects.

Snag a 2014 calendar on Regan’s official Dogs in Cars website, and enjoy 12 months of cruising canines.

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

If you're looking for speakers that sound great, don't take up a ton of space AND harken back to a simpler time, we've found five great new alternatives. The best part? They're all bluetooth compatible.

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Name: Dan, Jill, Grey and Taavi Ritacco and their dog Apple
Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years lived in: almost 3 years; owned

Written in chalk above the bathroom door are the words, “Artistry + Function + Simplicity = This Home.” It’s a fitting mission statement for Jill and Dan Ritacco’s small Rhode Island cape, which was gutted and revitalized by the couple themselves. From the drywall to the furnishings, Dan and Jill have built most of what you see in their 1200-square-foot home. Jill, an artist who studied printmaking and painting, and Dan, a wooden boat builder, aptly call their personal style “we can make anything.”

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Name: Amy Desmond
Location: Andersonville, Chicago, Illinois
Size: 700 sq ft.
Years lived in: 4

There are charming apartments and then there's Amy's apartment, which is so charming it should come in locket form. Amy's above-shop apartment overlooks the always-hopping shops and restaurants of Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, and beyond the storefront exterior is a wonderfully vintage, light-filled space where Amy has combined a love of history, nature, and style to create a treasure of a home.

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To everyone who has asked where our House Crashing posts have been lately, we’re sorry for the hold up and we’re excited to share this one! It’s a well overdue tour full of inspiration, affordable finds, and a really unique style perspective. Plus it’s full of transformation photos because Lindsay and her husband started with such a rough “before” of a house (they totally saw a diamond in the rough). So let’s poke around and see what they’ve done, shall we? Here’s Lindsay now. She lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and her Great Dane, Gracie – and was so gracious to virtually invite us all over.

This is what the living room looked like before Lindsay and her husband got their mitts on it…

… and here’s that same wall after they worked their magic. They removed the old laundry closet from the living room (you can see that above in the before picture) and built bookshelves in its place.

The lights over the bookshelves are outdoor lights from The Home Depot that sell for $20, and the colorful patterned rug was a $19 thrift store find that was all pastel (Lindsay painted it with fabric paint to brighten up the colors). The mid-century coffee table was a $10 thrift find and the tufted leather couch came from Craigslist. Lindsay also covered a leather ottoman with $2 rag rugs to bring in some color and texture.

Here’s the old kitchen, which was in a really small and awkward corner of the house… so they MOVED IT (into an old garage!) and turned the old kitchen into…

… an awesome dining area.

Are you as in love with the buffalo art and that awesome dark woven chandelier as I am? Speaking of that chandelier, it was actually a Home Goods lamp that Lindsay found on clearance. So she flipped it upside down and paint dipped it. The entire mix of this house gets me like you wouldn’t believe. It looks so casual, layered, and charming. Check out all the different chairs at the table, and yet they all seem to work together seamlessly. And that rug was a clearance find at Garden Ridge for $25.

That picture above also shows off their amazing secondhand find of a hutch (it was just $60 at a thrift store!), and the dining table was made by Lindsay’s husband for their very first Christmas using plans from Ana White. Lindsay also had an image of buffaloes that she wanted blown up, so she took it into Staples on a flash drive and left with this 3 x 5′ black and white beauty for $6.99. She wanted it back-mounted onto lucite, so she bought a 3 x 5′ sheet of plexi-glass from Home Depot for $50 and used double-sided tape to attach the art to the wall. Then she screwed the plexi-glass into the wall on all four corners to finish things off.

Here’s a before shot of the room that became the kitchen (it was an old garage back in the day, and had been poorly converted into a bedroom – carpet straight over the cement floors and all).

Now it looks like this, complete with casual (and budget-friendly) open shelving and a fun colorful island. I love that Lindsay uses white liberally, but also adds color, texture, and pattern to liven things up (in things like rugs, collected accents around the room, and that bold island color). The open shelving and hood are from Ikea and nearly all the dishes and accessories are thrift store or yard sale finds (for example, the set of vintage brass and copper canisters came from a yard sale for $20) and the kilim rug is a 100 year old Turkish rug from eBay.

Detail shot. Eating it up. All of it. I love the subtle texture of the beadboard walls paired with the farmhouse sink and the warm touches of copper and wood throughout the room.

This is a before shot of the casual sitting room that they call the lounge.

And here’s that same room, with a charming mix of textures and homey touches. I love that sweet disco-ball-topped tree – and the mantel is still so great even without an actual firebox.

Aren’t those colorful candles and garlands along with the stacked suitcases in front of the mantel so charming? But the rug is Lindsay’s favorite score of all. She and her husband were exploring The Longest Yard Sale and she spotted it in the bottom of someone’s trailer. It was 6 x 8′ and she loved the navajo print, so she asked if it was for sale and they said they weren’t sure. They talked about it for a minute and then asked if she would pay $5 because it was dirty. She paid them and ran away with it as quick as she could with a big old smile on her face.

I also was so smitten with this little mudroom area full of rustic old wood, a shiny silver clock, and a pretty mix of textiles for that layered and lived in feeling. So cozy.

Lindsay and her husband didn’t just confine their makeover to the inside of their house, they also created a really sweet patio area in the backyard. When they moved in, the whole backyard was just basically dirt, so they added a crushed granite patio (because it was one of the most budget friendly solutions) – and they ended up loving the casual feel of it.

There’s a gathering area with a free secondhand wicker sofa, a chiminea, and and low pallet-esque coffee table on over-sized casters (it’s actually any old factory cart coffee table they found at an Antique Yard).

But my favorite part is the eclectic outdoor dining area, complete with a ton of different chairs that all charm me to no end. Lindsay’s husband made the picnic table and each chair was a thrift store find for $5 (except for the modern white ones). Once again, she really is a mix-master. Lindsay is like that girl who layers ten items of clothing and it all looks amazing and effortless, as if she didn’t even try. And I’m the creepy girl next to her wearing a red bodysuit and high-waisted jeans (true story, that was my favorite sixth grade combination) who’s taking notes.

So a big thanks goes out to Lindsay and her sweet husband (and Gracie the dog, holla!) for so thoughtfully allowing us to peek in on their lovely little world. You can also see more and follow Lindsay over on her blog. But first let’s play the favorite part game. I’m going to call that lamp-turned-chandelier in the dining room and those boss built-ins in the living room. And John’s calling dibs on the chunky and colorful kitchen island along with the dining room hutch. Your turn.

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Beep.

It wakes you up in the middle of the night. Beep. Did you hear that? Beep. Where’s it coming from… Listen for it… Beep. Beep. It’s one of your pesky smoke alarms letting you know it’s time for a battery change. Fumble around in the dark from room to room trying to figure out which alarm it’s coming from! Why does it always decide to start beeping at 3 AM? Just take the battery out and replace it another time… right? But then you forget, and that leaves you at risk.

Well, Nest, makers of that amazingly beautiful and easy-to-use smart thermostat, decided that someone needed to do away with that pesky beeping and the ugliness that comes along with it. Back in October, they released a smoke alarm. But not just any smoke alarm: a beautiful piece of smart technology that’s a carbon monoxide detector, too—and now it’s available for purchase.

There are a few really great features to this alarm beyond its sleek appearance. First, it does away with annoying beeping by integrating with your mobile device and messaging you when it needs to be changed. You will also get heads up and emergency alarm alerts so you know what’s going on when you’re away. In an emergency, the What to Do feature will remind you of recommended actions and give you one-button access to an emergency phone number. Plus, you can use your existing Nest account if you already have the thermostat, so you can monitor everything in one place.

It also gives you a little warning before the piercing alarm sounds, so you have time to wave your hand in front of it and let it know everything is OK. No more swinging towels at it!

“Safety shouldn’t be annoying,” said Matt Rogers, Nest founder and vice president of engineering. We’d like to add that it shouldn’t be ugly either. Nice move, Nest.

Pantone has announced PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid is the new color of the year for 2014, replacing the 2013 color, Emerald.

It’s a fun, magical color full of mystery and I can see it working really well with today’s trends of brass, copper, alchemy and color blocking. As much as I hate purple, I actually don’t mind this color too much. It’s less bold than your deep, jewel tone purples and it has a pinkish, gray undertone that appeals to me. I have really been into peaches and grays lately and paired with Radiant Orchid, I think it’s a perfect color trifecta.

“While the 2013 color of the year, PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald, served as a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity, Radiant Orchid reaches across the color wheel to intrigue the eye and spark the imagination,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

In more exciting news, Pantone and Valspar Paint also announced the addition of PANTONE® Radiant Orchid, the 2014 Color of the Year, to the PANTONE UNIVERSE™ Paint Collection by Valspar available exclusively at Lowe’s stores nationwide. Have fun painting the town purple—er—orchid!

The Panamby Apartment by Diego Revollo is a light and airy home that reflects the personality of its owners.

With a size of 170 square meters (~1830 square feet) and located in Panamby, a premium neighborhood in São Paulo, Brazil, the apartment houses a young modern family and two kids. Originally, there was a balcony off the living room but because of the lovely São Paulo weather, Revollo suggested that it become additional living space. Enclosing the balcony with glass and creating a giant window allowed the home owners to take better advantage of their outdoor space and maximizing the view, all while keeping the kids safe. Plus, talk about natural light!

Choosing a neutral travertine floor and wall color adds to the lightness as well, but this place is far from boring beige. The impactful elements are in the furnishings, the details and the artwork. Additionally, built-in areas with warm oak and gold accents bring in more lightness and warmth, plus add a rich element to the neutrality of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Panic Room

By building the space with my personal, psychological experiences in everyday life, I try to visualize my inner world of which the meanings cannot be value-judged. My work, in essence, records my concerns and process of growing up. It narrates and dramatizes my life stories.—JeeYoung Lee

Artist JeeYoung Lee’s work Stage of Mind is a series of images constructed in her tiny, room-sized studio in Seoul, South Korea. Since 2007, she has been transforming the space into wildly colorful and ephemeral dreamscapes, each scene painstakingly created by hand and without digital manipulation. Handicraft and skill aside, Lee’s work is permeated with complex layers imbued with personal meaning and symbolism. A mixture of childhood hopes and adult fears, Lee navigates her constructed landscapes as a wondering and apprehensive protagonist. Referencing everything from Korean folktales to the Bible, Stage of Mind is a blend of cultures and a psychological exploration of what it means to grow up. The surreal magic and underlying fear creates a world both strange and familiar, transforming a simple room into otherworldly spectacles of imagination.

Lee’s Stage of Mind opens at OPIOM Gallery on February 14th and will remain on view until March 15th, 2014.

Last Supper

Resurrection

My Chemical Romance

Black Birds

Broken Heart

Food Chain

Gamer

Flu

Monsoon Season

Neverending Race

Nightscape

Raw

Reaching for the Stars

Toxic Boy

Treasure Hunt

This post was contributed by photographer and Feature Shoot Editorial Assistant Jenna Garrett.

One IKEA in northwest London decided to set 100 cats loose in their massive store as an “experiment”. The result is a delightful montage of furry faces running, leaping, poking and snugging through the many home decor items. Using the family pet as an embodiment of the word “home”, IKEA has the kitties do all the shopping before the owners get there, just to make certain everything is nice and comfy.

Behind the scenes:

via Gizmodo