Random Things

A bit of eye candy and fun for a Friday. Happy Weekend!



Michelle Armas at Anthropologie

Seaside Striped Vases at West Elm

Trina Turk Beach Towel at Horchow

Colorblock-stripe Henley at Jcrew

"The Fair" by Helen Sewell at Serena & Lily

Chevron Throws at Horchow

Melamine Plates at West Elm

Designer Crush

 I adore the style and aesthetic of designer Diane Bergeron. All the blues, fresh and happy spaces, I just love every image.



Dressing a Mantel

These days, decorating a mantel involves thinking out side the box as we have to work around flat screen tv's. Which makes me think of my lovely client who happens to have a wide mantel with a tv at one end and a need for color, height and personality. Nothing like a blog post to drum up more ideas, right?

Plant life, art, candles, ceramics, doo-dads...how are you dressing your mantel these days?



Image via Lonny Mag

Image via House Beautiful

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Image via Lonny Mag

Image via Lonny Mag

Image via House Beautiful

Image via DIY Network

Image via Lonny Mag

Image via Lonny Mag

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

Springy Tops

I shopped around this weekend for some spring things...tops are on my mind. Loose and flowy of course ~ lots of summery colors and pretty prints.

 

RD Style Racer Back Top

Pim + Larkin Cross Back Printed Tank



Michael Kors Peasant Top

Tinley Road Color Block Tank

Daniel Rainn Silk Blouse

Collective Concepts Tab Sleeve Top

Hive & Honey Striped Tunic

Monrow Dip Dye Basic Tank

Banana Republic Henley Tank

Yumi Kim Lizzie top

Outdoor Looks

I spent the last few weeks dwelling over outdoor looks as Pat and I were trying to decide on patio furniture. There are so many different styles, but ultimately I had to think about the practicality and maintenance of materials.

These are images I loved.

Image via Coastal Living

Image via Southern Accents

Image via Coastal Living

Image via Coastal Living

Image via Coastal Living

We finally decided on the Carmel Collection from Restoration Hardware. Made up of rustproof metal, I felt that this would be easy to clean and maintain. I like the elegant looking "X" on the back of the furniture and the arm detailing.






For cushions I selected a natural/off white color for the sofa and arm chairs. With the fabric below I plan to have dining seat cushions and throw pillows made to vamp up the color and style. Here are the fabrics I am leaning towards {although I've changed it almost every day...}

Pretty Packaging

My sister called me from the grocery store the other day to tell me that Lilly Pulitzer has teamed up with Barnum's Animal Crackers for special edition boxes. How adorable. Not only do I love clever branding and packaging, but these tastey crackers are a great treat, esepecially these days since I've been craving sweets.

Have you bumped in to these? I would love to find a few boxes!  



On another Lilly Pulitzer note, my friend had this fabulous top on the other day and it is such a great wardrobe staple. It comes in several bright colors, great for spring/summer.

Monday Inspiration

Simple, yet bold. 

Image via Decor Pad



A Delicious Dish

I have been trying to incorporate "meat free" nights for dinner, so what better then to try egg plant Parmesan? I got the recipe here at Allrecipes.com and tweaked a few things, but found over all it was a delicious meal -- and my husband was a happy camper!

What you need:

*3 eggplant, peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch pieces (I only used 2)

*2 eggs, beaten

*4 cups of Italian bread crumbs (I only used 2)

*6 cups of spaghetti sauce

*1 16 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a fresh ball of mozzarella and sliced it up in small pieces)

*1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

*1/2 teaspoon dried basil (I used fresh basil)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I did 375 so the eggplant would be a little more crisp)

2. Sprinkle slices of eggplant with salt and let them sit for 30 minutes. Then rinse off salt and pat dry.

3. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Place on greased baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes on each side.

4. In a baking dish - any size works, spread a layer of spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Top with basil.

5. Bake in oven for 30 minutes - or until bubbly and browned.

ENJOY!



I toasted italian bread and made penne to go with this dish...yum yum!

Maybe I'm still in the "newlywed" phase, but I still get excited about setting the table each night for my husband and I. I'm sure that will wear off once I'm sleep deprived and have kids running wild, but for now it's a bit of a "house proud" moment as Nate Berkus would say.