Love this pull out office in a roll a way steamer trunk...

Elementary, my dear watson, elementary.

via Better Living through Design

I think it would look smashing in the corner of this room:

blueberry tart.

Your tummy will THANK YOU for this little blueberry ditty, its a sweet summer treat... trust me. :)
{recipe via REAL Simple}

Ingredients:
flour for the work surface
1 8-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 cups blueberries

Directions:
- Heat oven to 375° F. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheet of pastry and roll it into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using the tip of a knife, score a 1-inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through. Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake until golden and puffed, 18 to 22 minutes.
- Using the tip of a knife, rescore the border of the cooked pastry without cutting all the way through. Gently press down on the center of the pastry sheet to flatten it. Let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly within the borders of the pastry.
- Arrange the blueberries in a single layer over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar.
Serves 8

Enjoy!

change.

Sweet Katie's post has begun to get me excited for fall... the smell of fire, pumpkin recipes, apple pies, chili, wearing boots, football season, cider, brisk walks, and the fair.

My grandma Mimi used to always say that the Lord always prepares us for new seasons, and always at just the right time. It just seems like perfect timing when we begin to anxiously await a change... when we really feel ready for the turnover of events. Change from summer to fall, from winter to spring, from graduation to the real world, from career to career or promotion, from singleness to marriage, and one day, from a couple to parents.

I always said that I would never get married until I could wait no longer and every bone in my body I was ready. I wanted to get engaged and be ready the next day to walk down the aisle. I didn't want to have to make myself anxious, I wanted to already be anxious for the next season. When Ry proposed I know that there was not one single ounce of my being that could have waited any longer. That's my answer when people ask how I knew if it was the right timing... I was ready, prepared, and giddy for a new season. I'm so happy to be in this season with him and soaking it up... we are where we are supposed to be, right now.

I think it is so appropriate we are blessed with an "anxious" period before the shift; a giddy, planning period before the vicissitude; and a time of preparation before the transformation.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...a time to plant and a time to uproot...a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain... a time to keep and a time to throw away..." Ecc. 3

I am ready, delighted and eager for fall and still wanting to soak up the last rays of summer and prepare for change... Can't wait for the chili, as I still sip on my mojitos...

gray.

Last weekend, we painted our back guest room a slate gray & did a few much wanted/needed updates to the house. I have found I have an obsession with gray walls and the calming, neutral, and cozy atmosphere it creates, yet still seems to maintain a modern & sophisticated ambiance. I have been warned to now not paint the whole house gray... but I just can't get over the color. It pairs so nicely with clean, crisp whites, and plays nicely with browns AND blacks. Pretty sure I would love to have it as my nursery's color... but I am not going to get ahead of myself. For now our guest rooms are sitting pretty in grey... and the entry way and office might be creeping that way soon, too... :)

{images via house beautiful & coutry living.}

::::::

"Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. The greatest pain comes from leaving. When the child leaves home, when the husband or wife leaves for a long period of time or for good, when the beloved friend departs to another country or dies ... the pain of the leaving can tear us apart. Still, if we want to avoid the suffering of leaving, we will never experience the joy of loving. And love is stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope stronger than despair. We have to trust that the risk of loving is always worth taking." - Henri Nouwen

{image via Sabino.}

the crew.

I went on a little researching quest to dissect and educate myself more on Miss Jenna Lyon's, the creative director of J. Crew and the genius visionary

who has shot J. Crew's recent sales through the roof and elevated their name to a status symbol, as of late. This little discovery trip began promptly after literally drooling over the new fall merchandise in their recently released August catalog. The styling, selection, buy, and texture combinations are fabulous. Jenna is a little creative force that cannot be reckoned with. She is also quickly becoming my hero :). She came in to shake things up and give J. Crew a much needed face lift... and succeeded in an economy that likes to stick true to what it knows right now. Kuddos to you Jenna!

Click here to read her intriguing and inspiring interview at the Huffington Post... my favorite quote from Jenna in this convo:

"There is always something borrowed from the boys and always something borrowed from grandma..."

I love this concept of pairing a more structured, rugged, and loose look with a more sweet, feminine, and soft appeal.

P.S. - If someone would like to buy me the entire Fall 2009 Collection, I wouldn't complain. Just saying. (Now I can't wait to see what they come up with for Resort 2010...)

Enjoy!

monday.

Looking -slash- feeling like this today... for the mere sheer fact that its another insane Monday...

and wishing I looked -slash- felt like this... for the sheer fact that its another beautiful Monday that needs to be played in. Abby, this play day pic reminds me of you...

Have a happy day... even if you aren't doing back flips about it. :)

{images via perma}

its baaack...

After a year long legal debate, a move from New York to LA, and a switch of networks, Project Runway, Season 6, is at it again! All the drama, glitz, glam, clever construction, detailing, production, nail biting, and downright genius creativity will be on Lifetime this season. I know what I will be doing tonight... with a bubbly glass of champange... seriously. This calls for a celebration. I. cannot. wait.

a few quick things:

1) Sort of obsessed with this installation from Pieke Bergmans... genius, pure genius... its already printed out & staring at me in my office to drool over.

2) I am also sort of obsessed with this girl, who now, finally, has a blog... {Da Da, I am going to proudly take a wee bit of credit for forcing you get going on your blog...} This little lady is one of my dearest and most talented friends... she likes good beats and tasty eats, and when she puts her mind to something, there's no stopping her... here comes the da[na]

3) Wouldn't you love to attend this costume party? Yes please. {I'll take the cake, too.} Images by the talented Kate Ryan.

the weekend.

Played at the lake with friends....

made homemade pizza, twice...

woke up and leisurely drank our coffee & downed some chocolate waffles...

taught Senga to dance...

learned how to play speed scrabble at the lake, {thank you Haks} and played a few times too many on our own...

Swam with Senga...

and cleaned up this mess she made... along with a much needed deep clean.

All in all, we chalked it up to a great weekend. :)

Rules for Speed Scrabble here, dorky I know, but highly recommended.

Not too many summer weekends left, soak them up...

stairway to heaven.

Found some more of awesome staircases to escape with... the rope, I am quite positive, is what makes me swoon....

featuring...

An old friend from when I worked at Hole in the Roof, Keith Young, had his talented & fabulous work featured on A Cup of Jo today! Congrats! You can check out his work here.

today.

I would like to crawl up these beautiful stairs...{by interior designers retrouvius}

Sit, relax, ponder & read my current book indulgence... {image via youarebonbon}

and enjoy a little ditty of ice cream & a refreshing glass of Sangria. {ole:)'s flickr.}

Now thats the ticket ...
For your records, here a Yummy Sangria Recipe: {that the Fraziers make all to often}
1 Bottle of red wine
1 Lemon sliced
1 Orange sliced
1 Lime sliced
1/2 cupish of sugar {after making, I typical add more}
1 cupish of orange juice or lemonade
1 cupish triple sec (optional)
1 small can of crushed pineapples {optional}
4 Cupsish ginger ale or Sprite

Serve chilled... and keep adding & tasting till it floats your boat... I never, ever make it exact or does it ever taste exactly the same.... but it never fails to always be delish. :)

kids these days...

The Laptop Club... so revealing of kids born in the late 90's, and 2000's. I love the creativity & check out some of the buttons... "design pet," "imediet buy," & "math button." Pop culture defined in kids at it's finest...

I wonder what we would have drawn as kids?

{be sure to scroll through the whole gallery, some are just downright genius.}

boots.

O how I wish it were boot season... about another month & a half and I am busting my boots out of thier storage bags and into the sunshine. Boots are my guilty pleasure, without a doubt. I have a few too many and wear them, I admit, all too often. I do have a mild obsession with a great boot's versatility and leathery goodness... always have, always will. Check out Frye's latest Fall 09 collection, and of course, Prada, never ceases to amaze.

image via Prada.

RIP JH.

John Hughes, who pretty much made the 80's worthwhile by directing "Home Alone," "The Breakfast Club," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Sixteen Candles," "National Lampoon's Vacation," "Pretty in Pink," "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" and "Uncle Buck," passed away this morning. I think there is no doubt in my mind that we all owe this creative genious a moment of silence...

Portable iPod PA System

I don't usually shop at Urban Outfitters... I think they have some great stuff, it just isn't really fully my style, however... thier home products have been blowing me away lately. So creative and innovative... how fun would this be to tote around?