macarons

while in london, we made a point to stop by ladurée in covent gardens for some macarons.  my sister bought me this cute book awhile back but I had never made or even tried a macron! and I gotta be honest...they are beautiful, but don't really look like they would actually taste good. boy was I wrong. they are heavenly! the outside is slightly crispy, but when you bite into it, it's super soft & light -almost chewy- with the most refreshing, sweet flavor. they are to-die-for & were totally worth the ridiculous £

the guest room

my mom has great taste. she has this seriously amazing ability to walk into an estate sale or thrift store that is packed to brim with junk and spot the treasures. it's a gift. and she also has a real knack for arranging old pieces in new, modern, creative ways. these are some photos from my parent's "guest room" (my old bedroom, before I left the nest) that I snapped the last time I was over there. 

{old suitcases stacked up make the perfect night stand. I love how she painted the stripe on the curtain to blend with the walls}

{mom's collection of vintage hats on display}

{vintage martini glasses are used to display old jewelry}

the blues

I found a great estate sale in the neighborhood last weekend (thanks, craigslist). the family didn't use a company for the sale, so everything was really reasonably-priced. I got this pretty, low milk glass cake plate for $5. then I spotted these blue glass canisters in the kitchen for $1 each. when I turned them over, they were made in belgium, so I was sold (we just got back from a trip to belgium). and I really like these blue cloth napkins - they will be perfect for eating out on the deck this summer & were only $1. oh, and the scarf is for my sissy. not sure if it's vintage or not, but I just loved that blue & green print!  and all of this for a crisp hamilton (I had to google that). 

blueberry picking

{3 pounds of berries for $9!}

singing in the rain

rainy days in the river are almost more fun than sunny ones.

july cake: brownie flag cake

ok, so this is definitely not an impressive cake. in fact, it's so simple that I'm not sure it's even allowed to count as part of my series. I might decide to make another "july cake" later in the month. but I needed something to take to our friend's annual 4th of july cookout & this was the perfect, festive dessert. happy america day!

happy 4th!

happy july fourth weekend! we're taking it easy & enjoying pool time, riding bikes & doing a little grilling. robert made jamie oliver's cilantro & mint marinated chicken & shrimp zucchini kabobs with baked beans & sweet corn with a rosemary butter. it was fantastic. the perfect start to a long summer weekend.