Patio Days

What I love most about summer are simple weekends on the patio. A patio feels like an entire new, fresh room to your house! Ballard designs has a great site full of amazing decorating ideas. I have a Ballard rug on our covered front porch that has stayed like new through several seasons. Their outdoor collection is just timeless.
 

Another Ballard idea: A simple table is transformed into stunning with the addition of this cloth. Their site has so many amazing entertaining gems!

On a recipe note: I was grilling sliders and crab cakes last night and made a great homemade remoulade sauce. Mixed together: 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard, smoked paprika to taste and a tablespoon of worcestershire. Super easy & yummy!

Summer Reads

I am a huge devoted reader all year round. It seems though...in the summer...I'm always asking around for reading recommendations. Everyone has so many amazing books that they want to talk about....I love that! Ask on Facebook for a good recommendation, and it's terrific to see all the comments on what people are reading and completely loving. I'm nearly done with The Fever and I adored it! I never read any of Megan Abbott's previous work before...now I'm completely thrilled to have a new author on my list of favorites.

Next up, I'm going to start Defending Jacob by William Landay. I have not read a courtroom crime novel in forever. I lean heavily toward historical fiction. However, a friend told me about this novel just recently and now I'm seeing people raving about it everywhere. You can peek at the New York Times review here. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any  favorites to recommend!

I posted the review above....which reminded me how badly I want to order this tee. Saw it on Piperlime and Pinterest. With a long pendant necklace & little cardigan...this is super cute! 

Monday Morning

I spend a huge chunk of my summer evenings on my front porch. I love how cozy it is...how quiet...perfect for reading or knitting. There have been a couple cool nights lately where I've wanted to grab a light scarf to throw over me...nothing heavy...just a tiny, breezy layer to take the chill away.

I love this scarf here that is from an Etsy shop, called Iki Scarves, located in Bulgaria. The scarves offered are so unique and pretty. You can peek at the shop here! This floral scarf is my favorite....great pattern and the perfect weight for warmer months. Plus it would look super cute all wrapped and knotted in the autumn with jeans and boots.

Beautiful Summer

It seems like every summer you cannot help but want to simplify your beauty routine. Stick to a few good products that look fabulous and hold up under the hot summer heat. Everywhere I turn, I hear the praises of RMS...their products are hailed as summer favorites. J.Crew swears by them for their catalog models.

I cannot wait to try both their Buriti Bronzer and their Living Luminizer. They look amazing! Take a peek at the RMS site here!

Buriti Bronze cream bronzer.

Perfect Addition

I don't really buy lots of jewelry. I constantly gravitate toward the same favorite pieces. I'm obsessed lately with druzy....I have a long druzy pendant necklace I wear nearly daily. I'm thinking I could use another...here are some of my favorites I've come across...

Love this shimmery pendant dipped in gold! Found it in the Etsy shop FriedaSophie

The following three necklaces are all from Etsy as well. Came across them in the beautiful shop created by Julianne Blumlo. The artist is located in New York. Her works is brilliant. Peek at her shop here!

Lost In A Book

One summer, so long ago, I had an entire three months to spend my days simply reading. Even as it was happening, it felt like a rich treat. I spent that summer, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, soaking up book after book. The very first day there, I turned a corner, opened a gate.....and suddenly came upon the most beautiful gardens with winding, serpentine walls. It was literally magical....

Every summer since, I think back upon that time and how peaceful and enchanting it was. This summer I'm excited to start reading The Fever by Megan Abbott. It is due to be released tomorrow and my book club chose it as our June selection. Reviews have been amazing. I have not been this excited about a new novel in quite some time!

Sunday Brunch

I got up early this morning to make my daughter an egg, ham and cheese casserole she had asked for. It's been baking for an hour now and smells yummy. A few days ago yarn arrived from the UK that I ordered online a few weeks ago. The brand is Mirasol Api and it's so wonderfully soft. Made in Peru...the colors are just perfect. I grabbed a couple skeins of orange and a few of a warm cocoa. It's a 50/50 blend of highland wool and alpaca. I love the variation in color and the thick/thin contrast. Happy Sunday! xo

Fresh out of the oven: organic eggs, sourdough bread, ham, swiss and cheddar. Topped with crushed cornflakes.