fancy

Tiny beautiful details really excite me.  Attention to detail in general can be exciting.  It often signals that something special is ahead...or that you are in its midst. A gorgeous lining inside a bag, a delicate monogram or fancy matches.  I have such a soft spot for fancy matches.

These are from a super cute shop in Southern Pines, NC called The Mockingbird.  The owner, Sundi, is adorable and likes to keep things personal and old school (910-692-5338).

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This collection of vintage matchbooks is only part of a larger collection. 

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Have a great day!



coconut, baby

Coconut is on my mind lately; a lot.  And it seems I'm not the only one.  From coconut water to coconut shampoo, coconut is having a great run.  At once old fashioned and hip, I love almost everything coconut.

Nikki's Heathy Cookies come from one of my all-time favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks.  They are so good! 

These are Nikki's Cookie's less healthy older sister.  She's an oldie but a goodie.

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 Summer is a great time to try these.  The "cabana girl" is a limited edition; and in reading about it, I think it might actually be good for you.  



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Have a great weekend!!



My Hero

We eat a lot of sandwiches around here.  I could write endlessly about my favorite sandwiches (the great salami sandwich of '08 anyone?).  In classic American fashion, we will almost literally put anything between 2 slices of some sort of baked good and have at it.  My children have learned to expect sandwiches at any meal.  I dislike cooking every night in the summer and sandwiches are a delicious option.  We especially love a baguette or those little Hawaiian sweet rolls.  Please.  I could probably scribble down a haiku right now about those little sweet rolls. 

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PBS even aired a documentary called "Sandwiches that you will like."  Then entire documentary is available here.  I didn't want to push my luck with you, so an excerpt is below.

Have a great day!



This is a Thing

Turquiose and navy are a thing.  I think they are a thing I love.  The colors look crisp, cute, and very modern in an accessible way.  I've attempted this color combo a little in our family room.  These photos make me want to really go for it.  We have a tiny house, and using basically the same colors throughout would really work for us. 


Designed by one of my most favorite interior designers, Amber Lewis (next 2 photos).

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A little how-to from Lonny.



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Have a great day!

My kid could paint that

Full disclosure: neither one of my kids actually has the patience to finish a paint by numbers painting.  I barely do.  When I first heard about this trend, I'll admit, I was resistent.  But it is growing on me. When I came across the rooms below, I instantly loved them.  Then I looked at them more closely and there they were; PBN paintings.  And they look adorable and chic.  Whether or not I get around to doing this at my own home is another story.  But these rooms have really inspired me.

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Have a great weekend!

I'm the Decider

It's usually around this time of year that I start to notice things about my children.  The summer honeymoon period is just about over.   We are having a blast this summer; for sure.  But some things that I am willing to overlook during the school year really start to wear me down. My older daughter commonly argues with me as though before the supreme court.  Her points are often thoughtful, rational and funny.  I love this about her, but sometimes I just want them to listen.  The first time. 

Pamela Druckerman's book Bringing up Bebe (available here) has really opened my eyes.  Although the book focuses mostly on young children, I've really gotten a lot out of it. First, I cannot believe the beautiful meals the children eat at school in Paris.  This is taken seriously all over France.  There is no such thing as kid food and the children eat (or at least try) everything.  AND...they eat in courses.  One example Druckerman gives is: salad of shreded red cabbage and fromage blanc, followed by white fish in dill sauce and a side of organic potatoes a l'anglaise. The cheese course (yes, cheese course) is a Coulommiers cheese and dessert is a baked organic apple. Whoa.

Gateau au yaourt...we made it with chocolate chips.  Highly recommend for snacktime.

Karen Le Billon has also written about this very thing. You can get her book here.

Feast your eyes on this.



There are so many things that stand out in the book besides food.  For example, French children are expected to behave and the parents are in charge.  The phrase "I'm the decider," has already become my go-to.  It totally works.  Druckerman observes that the French have a completely different view of what a child is and what they are capable of doing.  It is very different from how we treat children here in the U.S. Is it perfect? Probably not, but there is definitely something to learn.

And sidebar; this is a whole thing happening on etsy.  You can get one here from Pamela Fugate designs.

 Have a great day!

Ode to the Bloody

Since our return from St. Louis last week, I have been somewhat on the wagon.  For good reason.  Those people in The Lou know how to make delicious food and celebrate.  We ate at great restaurant after great restaurant.  I've even been researching a dessert I ate that was a very simple yet mysterious creation involving bruleed bananas and bourbon.  I'm hoping to share more on that another day.  My sister knows how I can obsess about certain items made at certain restaurants.  We still talk about 'the sandwich' in Williamsburg, VA. 

This week, though, my thoughts have been on a certain bloody mary.  I had the perfect bloody in New Orleans last fall.  Literally, perfect.  From the spices to the salad.  Perfection.  There's apparently a lot of debate about the best mix (as if), vodka, and the veggies.  I've personally spent countless hours researching this subject. 

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If you want to create a classic bloody, "The Preppy Handbook" recipe (below) is very Muffy.

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Garden and Gun takes it to another level by recommending a bloody mary bar at your next get together.  Things like bacon-infused vodka, pickled okra, and steamed oysters at the bar would be pretty irresistible. The mix is a whole other conversation.  As any bloody lover knows, this is super controversial and like politics and religion, should not be discussed in polite company. However, if you must betray Mrs. T's, try Fat and Juicy or Brandon's Bloody Mary Mix.

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Have a great day!



In the Shed

We need some outdoor storage space.  Desperately.  So...I am researching some shed ideas for our backyard.  Our home is a 1940's cottage and hopefully the shed will blend.  A shed isn't just a shed anymore.  And people have gotten super creative.  We just need plain old storage, but if I ever run away (20 ft away to be exact) one of these would be awesome!

Better Homes and Gardens featured this beautiful shed.

This lady was made from architectural salvage.  Via Canadian House and Home.

Look how happy she looks! That could totally be me!

Kelly over at High Street Market (one of my favorite blogs) posted photos of her gorgeous shed re-do.

This bute is called The Jeffersonian. 

They know how to do it at Modern Shed. 

 With just a few adjustments, this one from Southern Living is perfect! Go here to learn more.



Have a great day!