cheers {to the (still) summer weekend}

Now I know a recipe like this would have been better for say... the Fourth of July weekend but... I was busy that weekend and well, I wasn't keeping up with this series at that time.

Anyway, this sounds too good to pass up just becuase I wasn't paying attention.

So, here it is

watermelon slush (because Summer. Isn't. Over. Two more weeks, people.)

Ingredients:

• 
  
  Four cups of pureed watermelon
• 
  
  Halfcup of simple syrup
• 
  
  Half cup of St. Germain (remember this?! Meg loves it too)

Process:

• 
  
  Combine watermelon, simple syrup and st. germain.
• 
  
  Freeze in a baking pan.
• 
  
  Scoop and serve!

yum!

recipe from shape magazine

image source

Alexa Chung for Madewell

(the incredibly stylish) Alexa Chung's collection for Madewell is online - today. I'm sure it won't be for long,  though.

Here's what I (would) want (if i didn't have -$0.31 in my account):



iris blouse



billie shorts



hello sketch tee

cookbook suggestion

Hi!  We are still here..just back in the routine of things (dragging listless kids out of bed, making lunches (endless lunches), living in the car (poor whining teething screaming almost 18 month old)).  But one thing that has made our routine so much easier is this cookbook…

Created by former Cookie editor and writer of this amazing blog: Dinner: A Love Story, this book feels like it was written FOR ME.  A section on what to do with your toddler that has a separate meal from the rest of the family (it keeps us from throwing scraps on the floor for mills to pick up), to throwing together whatever you have in your pantry, to making things “look” better for kids.  Because as we all know, it’s not what is served on the plate necessarily, it’s HOW it is served and presented and oh so carefully approached with a beg of “please take one bite”.  

It’s not just for people with kids, it’s for those of us with not much time on our hands (doesn’t that include all of us?), but who want to make a yummy, wholesome dinner.  It keeps my panic of “what the f are we going to have for dinner tonight” to more of a calming “let me open my new dinner time bible to see what we will have for dinner tonight”.  the children are appreciating the latter phrase :)

I LOVE it..buy it!  You won’t be sorry!

happy eating

It's a Small (art) World

Remember last year when Steve Penley was here (in Albany)? That was cool. So cool.
Well, the other day on facebook (yes, facebook), I saw a picture of him and dove in the rabbit hole followed the attached link. Low and behold, I was led to my neighbor's sister-in-law's blog - she photographed him (and has some amazing pieces of his in her home (see below))!



 He's on her blog and she's on his

Then while I'm strolling through the rest of Shelli's blog, which you should do, by the way - she is great! - I stumble upon a gorgeous home - the link says it belongs to a shop owner and I think I recoconize some art. I shoot a quick email over to the shop, Gramercy Home. The featured owner responds and is from the area (this area)!


Gramercy!

(And I was right about the artist. And they introduced me to another great one - score!)

So - do you have this? - I started on facebook, linked to Penley's site, realized he has a blog, connected to Shelli's blog, discovered Gramercy, (cyber-)met Jenny and learned about new artists - oh yeh, and found another new blog - whew!

I just l♥ve when the great big internet makes the world that much smaller.



photo credit: Shelli Allen Photography, Penley's blog and Gramercy's blog

cheers {to summer's last long weekend}

remember these?! i sort of dropped the ball. but i'm picking it back up. and to (re)start us off, i found this
delectable recipe from what katie ate (adorable, by the way) on this is glamorous. Mark(ster) adapted it to better suit my cocktail-loving ways..

a few weeks ago, i had the most delightful greyhound - ever. it was made with fresh grapefruit juice (as in, squeezed right out of the fruit upon my order) and served in an old fashioned with perfect ice and a wooden stirrer... but i digress. (i wanted to feature it but it seemed to ordinary (for the record though, mark said just combine equal parts grapefruit juice + vodka.

when i came upon this recipe, it remided me of that beloved cocktail but with a perfect-for-hot-days twist.

here it is:

Pink Grapefruit Granita

INGREDIENTS:

• 
  
  2 1/2 cups fresh pink or ruby grapefruit juice, at room temperature

• 1 cup boiling water

• 1/3 cup superfine sugar

• 1 - 1.5 oz. vodka (mixologist recommends Hanger One)

• Mint sprigs, for garnish

 PROCESS:

1. Combine juice, water and sugar in bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Pour liquid into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Freeze until hard, about 3 to 4 hours.

3. To serve, scrape with a fork and spoon the scrapings into small chilled martini glasses or small glass bowls.


4. Mix in as much vodka as the frozen consistency will allow without becoming soupy (1-1.5 oz)


5. Garnish with mint


6. Enjoy Monday!

hold on summer, i'm coming

with just a few weeks of this delicious heat left, I've got to get to the beach.



so I'm heading out after work today.

and i plan to have one up these upon arrival, if you must know ; )

h a p p y
l a b o r
d a y
w e e k e n d
!



image source

get ready {for RUE}

the brainchild of blogger/rockstars: Anne, Crystal, Alaina and Caitlin  premieres this month (on the 16th to be precise)!

The blogosphere has been abuzz for months in anticipation for RUE's debut and now... we are so close!



A few sneak peeks have leaked over the past few weeks and profiles of the founders have made their way around the web as well.

I am intrigued. (they have Max Wanger shooting photos for goodness sake!)

While I still prefer the tangible glossies that magazines (still) are, I am eager to embrace this newest addtion to the digital age ;)

Let the countdown begin...
images via shelter pop, casa sugar