Happy autumn!

Our store is abuzz with new items for fall! We always get excited for this time of year - the days are warm and sunny and the evenings are crisp and cool. The Holiday season has begun to take over our store. Halloween is in full swing here at Room At The Beach with glittery spiders and witchy hats already finding happy new homes! In preparation for Thanksgiving, we have plenty of dinnerware and napkins to get the perfect Thanksgiving feast set.

We have all that a hostess-extraordinaire will need, from glasses to plates to tablecloths, our team at Room At The Beach can bring California beach style to any Holiday function. One way that we stand out amongst the rest is that we work with your individual needs – is your table a custom size? Is it an unusual shape? Do you desire just the right type of fabric – say Belgium linen or casual crisp cotton? Do you want your items personalized with a family name or a meaningful saying or poem? Room At The Beach can do all of the above and more, making sure that your Holiday is a time of laughter and bonding, rather than stress and unease.

Stop by the shop this Holiday season to put all your decorating needs in the hands of caring professionals!

The warm days of summer are behind us. Although it's still warm during the day here in Malibu, it's crisp and cool in the evenings. The perfect time to invite friends over to celebrate Autumn. I don't know about you, but our family and friends (practically family) have so many birthdays in the fall. An easy way to celebrate is to make some warming soup. Soup you say? Not so special? Ahh but this one is... Tortilla Soup topped with fresh cilantro and avocado. Easy and so yummy!

Easy Tortilla Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 can drained black beans
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced uncooked chicken
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo
• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mild cheddar)
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Cut tortillas in half, and then cut the halves into 1/4-inch wide strips. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 3-quart pot. Working in three batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove the tortilla strips from the pan and let drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the chopped onions to the pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the chicken and sauté for a few minutes until golden brown. Add the drained black beans. Add the broth, tomatoes, and salt. Increase the heat to high, heat until the soup begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

To serve: Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with Pico de gallo, sliced avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

One of my best new finds is La Brea Bakery half cooked Ciabatta loaves. You can freeze it or bake it fresh. The smell of hot bread is so wonderful. It doesn't really matter what else you make. Light a fire (make sure you have lots of wood) and if you can, move your table near the fire. My fireplace is in the family room - I just shove back the soda to the walls and drag in my round table and chairs. It changes up the whole house!

You will enjoy the ease of the preparations and your friends will enjoy your company and your home will glow with the colors of Autumn.

The best part of summer to me (besides not getting up for kids school) is having friends over for spontaneous casual dinners. I love to sit outside in the evening, not rushing, enjoying the lasting daylight.

So how to make a great dinner with no fuss? The answer is your pantry, freezer and farmer's market.

You know what you love to eat and most likely your friends will love it too. So start there and then stretch your vision a bit. Surely you have seen some of those great cooking shows. Giada De Laurentiis and The Barefoot Contessa are two of my favorites. I also am signed up to get emails from Bon Appétit. Great ideas at your finger tips. Use them for inspiration when thinking of what to stock up on. Buy something you normally wouldn’t like mushrooms or hearts of palm and think of things you already have in your pantry. And stock up on some fun drinks -- like wine and beer and some great lemonade.

Get the basics that freeze well -- shrimp, scallops, sausage and chicken. Make sure you have rice, pasta, potatoes -- those keep well. One of my best secrets is the partially baked bread that you can freeze and put in the oven or grill. Fantastic! Then to the farmer's market…herbs, tomatoes and corn. What a great way to say summer. My farmer’s market has a delicious Greek pita, spinach bread that freezes well.

Now you are armed and ready -- make some plans. Turn on the grill, pour some drinks and let friends help make a salad. The key to a great time is no stress. Tin foil is your friend for a light cleanup. Veggies sliced, with salt and pepper are easy to grill and so delicious. One of my friends showed me if you peel the outside of a zucchini in strips the inside has more grilled flavor -- yum.
Californians love our veggies so mix some of those into your plans. Grilled Portobello mushrooms with a drizzle of olive oil is one of my faves -- add some of those great summer tomatoes, a bit of provolone cheese and you have a healthy alternative to a burger for summer dinner. Kids love them too.

Scallops and shrimp in a rice dish is also a great last minute dish. Prepare some Basmati or Arborio rice. Substitute ½ parts vegetable broth and white wine for the water. While steaming rice, cut scallops in half, peel shrimp. Add to rice, salt and pepper and voila the perfect quick dinner with a salad.

Enjoy the evening and let kids make s’mores on the grill.

Happy summer!

 Elizabeth Lamont is also a guest blogger at http://www.mariashriver.com/

As the warm spring days start showing up in Southern California, I am drawn to the idea of opening up my house to create that so loved indoor outdoor feeling that I have here, living in Malibu. I want to Spring clean and rearrange my house. There are lots of birthdays in our lives just now and so it is also the perfect time to start celebrating family and friends. What better way to do this than entertaining?

I want to share with you how to bring our amazing California Lifestyle into your own home. Let’s go…

Firstly-Throw open the doors and windows and let drops of sunshine blow away the long winter dullness. Experience the smells and scents of spring.

When I walk out my door the scents of orange blossoms and jasmine are intoxicating. I love to leave the windows open and have those scents fill my rooms. If you don’t have sweet scents outdoors yet,create a window box with lavender and rosemary that scents the air as the wind passes by.

California has an abundance of hiking trails and beaches and I am never at a loss to fill my home with flowers, branches all pilfered from nature.  Walk down to the beach, lake, creek or wherever you can find a bit of nature and bring it back indoors. Fill hurricanes with some sand, moss and layer with rocks, shells. Put a pillar in the hurricane and you have begun your transformation to spring.

Next... Change up your pillows and throws-put away (after cleaning) those wintery rust, greens, and browns and add some great soft greens and blues. Let the colors of the sky and blossoming leaves be your guide. Large graphic prints look current and the entire room will pop with color by just changing a few details.

Now that the windows are cleaned ,(please no more rain) and the rooms have been freshened, let’s get to those parties.  Every April we get a flurry of friends from back East who have to come  to the sunshine of California. Small dinner parties are my favorite and especially Friday night ones.

I am always working so the meal has to be simple, relaxing and fun. I put my guests to work. They mostly are foodies too ,so that is not too much of a problem. They chop for salads while I get to the main course. Fish is easy and the best when fresh and simply grilled. A quick cous-cous and the dinner is practically done.  Let’s get to the table because that’s where my passion lies…

Layering and  special details are what make a great table. I love a simple white plate which always shows off  food the best. But what’s around it is what counts. Napkin rings are my weakness so I always pull out something fun, but anything to add just another layer of interest is great. I f you don’t have  some rings on hand that you love, use what’s around you. Put a piece of fruit on the plate to act as a place card.”You, my dear, are the lemon tonight!” what fun to look at your friends like fruit!

What’s the mood? Still a bit chilly to eat outside, so what says California more than bringing in out and vice versa? I love the organic and rustic mixed with fine dinnerware-or again vice versa. The key is to mix up your things. I have recently been in love with burlap on the table. You can get it at any fabric store but I have some runners that I made for the store that are bit more polished with a detailed edge. The colors of brown and blue set the color theme and off we go.

California says ease and that’s what I want you to embrace in your own homes-casual with style- that sums up my look. Till next time…Hope You will be California dreamin’