Happy Weekend.

This 4-day week felt longer than your average 5-er which makes me that much happier to see the weekend. It's been filled with lots of work-work, house-buying legalities and not much else. The next few days should be fun though.

• head out on the town with the girls tonight
• sand/repaint china cabinet (been meaning to do this for awhile now!)
• look for a cool ceiling fan for the master bedroom
• buy a honeymoon shower gift for Kristy
• mail a long overdue birthday box to Kim
• maybe some baking goodness
• and um, laundry

Happy Weekend to you all!

:: photo via ffffound

Artist Crush: Otsutree.

Otsutree - aka graphic artist Theresa 'Tree' - has some amazing wooden panels. I'd love to get my hands on that #4! And check out her clothing and prints while you're visiting!

The Daily Eat: Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes.

When two things that you already love separately come together there's no going wrong. I give to you the Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcake.

:: via Held by Love, Baked by Scratch

Croquet.

When I think of croquet it inevitably reminds me of summers as a kid. My aunt and uncle have the perfect side yard for the game and a wooden croquet set (probably from a garage sale) that our family spent endless hours playing with. This deluxe croquet set is decidedly more Great Gatsby-ish than "family fun," but I love it none the less.

:: via Pretty Little Things

Mad Props: May.

Earring Shrines : BB-Blog

Cribs Blogger Style : Black Eiffel

Poster Programs and Invitations : Create My Event

A Sea of Ink : d.Sharp Journal

Rocks : d.Sharp Journal

Globe Trotter Ltd. : {frolic}

Paper Frames : How About Orange

Invite Rosendahl to Your Breakfast Table : At Home with Kim Vallee

A Pigeonnier of One's Own : Laura Loves

Things We Save - Courtney : Reclaiming Miss Havisham

A Week of Color : The Finer Things

Blog Love: My Polaroid Blog.

Blogger Jen of My Polaroid Blog is brilliant. Brilliant because her entire blog is based around and filled with Polaroids. And brilliant because she even made good of the rejects in an interesting way. Check them out at her flickr stream.



:: via Ruby Press

I.V.

The I.V. is rad. (And FYI - I'm bring back to word rad.) I think my living vs dead plant ratio might increase exponentially with something like this around.

This self-watering plant pot's main feature is a medical drip feed. This unique characteristic allows the plant to be nourished with water and food as it is required.

:: via Josh Spear

The Daily Eat: Jamie's Coconut Cake.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a big fan of the coconut.

Last weekend I made this ridiculously amazing three-layer coconut cake by Paula Deen. I've never tried any of her recipes before, but coconut cake is my mom's favorite and this was for her birthday. Therefore, I was overruled. And I'm glad I was because as I said earlier - it was a-maz-ing. Super moist and not too coconutty (contrary to it being coated in the stuff). In fact, I'm thinking it could be the base for a lot of cake experimentation using the cake recipe as a base...

:: photo and recipe via The Food Network

Silhouettes + Paint Chips.

Behr has the absolute best paint chips. That said, the only way to make them better is obviously to give 'em some of their own medicine and letterpress over their loveliness. Paper Stories did a bang up job and the result is nothing short of fabulous.


:: via Midwest Modern Girl

Starbuck's Spash Stick.

Splash sticks — plastic plugs for sip holes with tops in the shape of the Starbucks siren to keep your beverage from spilling out. Basically a cocktail stirrer for your coffee as well. All in all a good idea in my book, but I can where it might be a bit of pain to have to remove every single time you want to take a sip.

:: via yumsugar

Artist Crush: Studio Mela.

I'm silly. Silly because I've seen this Break the Routine print just about everywhere but my own living room and paid no attention to where it came from. Of course that would be Studio Mela which I'm now absolutely head over heels for.

On the Rocks: Pineapple Martini.

This pineapple martini with a hint of raspberry is not only the yummiest, but the easiest summery cocktail I've seen yet.

Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 1.5 oz. Vodka
- .5 oz. Chambord

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a wedge of pineapple or a pineapple leaf.

:: photo and cocktail recipe via Hostess with the Mostess

The Daily Eat: Zucchini Risotto.

My lunch will actually be mushroom risotto this afternoon (thanks to the company since we've been putting in so many long hours). This Zucchini Risotto's been on my Must Try list for quite some time though. It has less butter than your average risotto and no wine, cutting down on unwanted calories exponentially.

:: photo and recipe via allrecipes

Cat's in Style.

I'm totally digging this Cat's In Style litterbox (cover?) by designer Marly Gommans. I'm also pretty convinced I could make it myself. Not sure how Peanut and Roxy would feel about having to climb in and out of that little opening though since they've never had an enclosed bathroom box before...

:: via Better Living Through Design

The Exchange.

Check out the video for The Exchange by Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti on the J.Crew site. Lovely.

The Daily Eat: BLAT Salad.

Everyone should be able to appreciate a good BLT, but add some avocado and it turns into a BLAT. A BLAT in the form of a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato salad with basil-mayo dressing is perfection.

:: photo and recipe via Vicarious Foodie

Dirty Car Art.

Scott Wade is a different kind of artist - a dirty car artist in fact. Check out his amazing gallery of rear window masterpieces.

Monday Goodness: Strugglin'.

Time to pay for those lovely three days off by getting back to work. And working late for the next few days just to make up for yesterday's freedom. Posting might be a little lighter than usual, but hang in there because I promise to be back to your regularly scheduled blogging as soon as work permits.

PS: Everything worked out and as of July 9th I'll be an official homeowner! I can't decide whether to shout with joy or throw up now...

:: image via ffffound

Happy {Memorial Day} Weekend.

Just working on some last minute projects that need wrapped up before the much needed 3-day Memorial Day weekend. Looks like much of my time will be spent going back and forth making an offer on a house (eek!). I promise to share more information - and excitement - as things begin to unfold. In the meantime keep your fingers (and toes) crossed that it all works out and hopefully I'll have some exciting news to report come Tuesday!

Happy Weekend!

:: photo via ffffound

The Daily Eat: Creamy Key Lime Pie.

I'm not a pie lover with the exception of Key Lime Pie. There's just something about the tart/sweet combination and that strong citrusy lime flavor topped with freshly whipped cream that does it for me. All I know is that I've never met even a one I didn't like and that it screams Summer! to me which is really fitting for this Memorial Day weekend.

:: photo and recipe via Cafe Johnsonia

Circus Scamp.

I'd love for this Circus Scamp print from Etsy seller cursters minions to be mine, all mine. It's a little terrifying, but in a good way.

Cork Board.

Love, love, love these DIY cork boards from blogger sweet jessie! Perfect for tiny areas.

Flax Seed Dog Biscuits.

I desperately want a dog. So much so that I find recipes for treats I would make my ficticious pooch. Like these flax seed dog biscuits for example. I thought maybe someone else - who actually owns a pup - might be able to benefit from my neuroses.

:: photos and recipe via White on Rice Couple

The Daily Eat: Pop Up Pancakes.

Thanks to Scrubs the word "brinner" is now a permanent part of my vocabulary. (Breakfast for dinner = brinner) I think given the option I'd prefer to eat breakfast food for dinner - it just seems to taste better. Or maybe it's just that my tastebuds are awake by then. These Pop Up Pancakes are a great idea - imagine all the possibilities of what you could fill them with.

:: photo and recipe via Make and Takes

Futuro Perpetual Calendar.

Every time I see a new perpetual calendar I can help but think that I need one. They're economical - I'd never have to buy another calendar again in my life. They look like they'd be fun to play with and rearrange every month. And I just all around like how sleek and modern they look. The Futuro Perpetual Wall Calendar is my latest find.

:: via Better Living Through Design

Artist Crush: Peter Callesen.

Peter Callesen is a talented artist specializing in paper cutting. Detailed paper cutting I might add. His themes usually rotate around fairytales and childhood memories. i utterly heart his work and the way Callsen's make-believe worlds spill over into reality.

Coil Rosette Dress.

When it comes to filling my closet I'm all over the place. I don't really have a "go to" store or boutique. My wardrobe is best described as classic with a few trendy pieces thrown in for good measure. Those trendy pieces tend to be lower on the price scale than everything else because I know I'm most likely going to wear them for about a season and then that'll be it. So long and see ya.

I was thrilled this past weekend when I trekked to the local mall for the first time in about three months and found a newly opened Forever 21. Overrated? Yes. But they always seems to have a few cute things that I just have to have and I drool over their cheapie accessories. My favorite purchase? This coil rosette dress. I wore it out to a swanky restaurant Saturday night and loved every minute of it.

Tea Cup.

I really, really want this lovely large tea cup by Etsy seller bailey doesn't bark.

:: via roadside scholar

On the Rocks: Gun Club Punch.

Gun Club Punch just sounds summery from the ingredients, dontcha think? I'd suggest cutting down on the ice a bit to keep the flavor and potency a part of this one, folks.

Ingredients:
- 1½ oz light Puerto Rican rum
- ½ oz 151 Demerara rum
- dash curaçao
- dash simple syrup
- 1½ oz unsweetened grapefruit juice
- juice of 1 lime

Blend with one scoop shaved ice and pour into a glass filled with ice. Decorate with a sprig of mint and a fruit stick.

:: photo and cocktail recipe via Sloshed!

The Daily Eat: Crunchy Shrimp with Ginger Orange Sauce.

I'm majorly wishing this Crunchy Shrimp with Ginger Orange Sauce were my lunch. *sigh*

:: photo and recipe via Family Style Food

Iced Tea Pitcher.

As soon as summer's hot, hot heat rolls around I turn into an iced tea fiend. Nevermind the instant sugar-saturated stuff - I want the real, fresh-brewed thing. I usually settled for Lipton's Cold Brew, which are large tea bags that (duh) brew in cold water. But I really like the idea of this iced tea pitcher that has its own diffuser, too.


:: via Poppytalk