25 June 2010

TGIF

gluttony...

has commenced.
the parents have arrived, and we certainly aren't famished.
we had dinner last night in an intimate, gourmet little restaurant who's charm abodes on quaint little corner of town (Hominy Grill....where there is ALWAYS a line reaching around the teenie little building at 9 a.m. when they open for brunch).
i ordered a pecan encrusted pork chop with spicy peach glaze. i did not regret my choice.
the parentals had shrimp and grits...a must in Charleston.
the Mr. had some amazing rice concoction with shrimp and chicken wings.
and there was wine. plenty of wine. oh, and a fudge brownie decked with homemade ice cream.
so that was night #1 of our great food and wine brigade. can't wait to ensue with night #2.
like i said...gluttony. pure gluttony. 



24 June 2010

h.i.m.

or, what makes me happy in the morning:

bright, happy....and textured.
i'm rather obsessed with that skirt and those shoes, thanks to Loeffler Randall.
they're also entirely out of my price range. wish i could sew--i feel like i could conjure a pretty fab replicate of that navy, citron, zippered dream.
the watch, though, i think i can do :)

hope your morning...and day...are just as bright and happy. although maybe not textured. not sure how that would pan out in the real world.




23 June 2010

h.i.m.

happy, this morning, due in part to:
(the other part is my steamy cup of coffee & the warm sunshine pouring in my kitchen windows. no i am not blogging in the kitchen, although that would well-suit with how much i like food--i can simply see those windows, thank you very much <3 )





happy HAPPY morning...day...week...weekend.

22 June 2010

i like: photography.


love the work of this flickr find i came across.
makes me want to grab my camera (well...charge it first) and head out into the world to capture its beauty. i've kind of lost interest in my camera at the moment. mostly because i can't figure it out. i took a photography course in college and fell in love. it was with film, though. i still can't grasp manual mode on my DSLR. hopefully one day i will have the time and the patience to figure it out. til then...i can gaze at the photos i wish i had taken.

also: i apologize for my lack of posting. scrambling to meet a few personal-biz deadlines and get ready for a busy, enjoyable weekend with the fam. time, i guess, really is of the essence and somehow i am always lacking in it. :)

21 June 2010

h.i.m...monday.

today is a good monday.
i'm gearing up for the very first visit from my parents since we moved here (they arrive on Thursday for a long weekend) and can't wait to show them around our charming city. so looking forward to sharing our amazing new restaurant finds with them and cherishing the conversations we'll have over 5-star meals and generous glasses of red wine.

anyway...i'm pretty ecstatic. i miss them. if only my brother was tagging along. i am so absolutely and entirely in love with Charles and the lifestyle it has to offer--the Mr. and I get SO. EXCITED. to host visitors. it will finally feel like home when my parents get a peek into our new apartment, our new hobbies and our new circles of friendship.

so i am happy, this morning, and loving this kitchen below:

{door sixteen; source unknown, toast}

i wouldn't exactly say i'm a modern girl. well, i wouldn't exactly relegate my tastes to any one style...because they vary, and quite widely, if you haven't noticed. but i love the clean lines of this kitchen, the warm and alluring contrast between the gray and white cabinets (totally doing this when we actually own a kitchen) and how they draw your eye in and make you want to stand directly in front of them with a spatula in hand and a delicious concoction in the oven. and how the simple, modern pedestal table (i want one!) beckons a steamy cup of joe and the newest issue of your favorite magazine.

like i said...making me happy, this morning.

18 June 2010

weekend! + en la cocina: recap

so excited for the weekend.
mostly because we have a friend coming in to spend a few quality hours in Charles.
and because i made my deadline.
and because i live near the beach.
and because i'm so very, more than ready for our weekly friday happy hour with friends.






oh, and...you should cook this recipe this weekend. and make margaritas. and guacamole. and invite some friends over. and sit outside under some paper lanterns, with candles all around, and laugh and eat and enjoy because they really are so good you need to EAT THEM RIGHT NOW.

mmm.....






h.i.m.

happy in the morning, today = creativity by hand.

{source unknown}


i used to draw. i used to paint. i used to love doing it.
now i feel like the only creativity i really practice is on the computer.
these made me happy...and inspired me to buy some paper and a water color tin and 
carve some time this weekend to create by hand.

17 June 2010

hip...ster.


so we went to a bar Tuesday night.
a new bar.
to hear a DJ our friends are friends with.
and it was so fun. i say DJ...but what i really mean is a guy with a cult following that plays the most amazing/ dance-worthy mixes. think aretha franklin mixed in with MIA. it was such a dive. we walked through this sketchy alley and up a secretive flight of stairs and right into the 80s. the first person i laid eyes on had an awesomely bad mustache, was wearing a polyester golf shirt, short shorts and rockin' the most amazing, flowy haircut. oh how i wish i could take you right to this hipster joint. think the entire staff of U.O. congregating in one bar: that's pretty much exactly what it was. 
and i loved it.
so fun.
and exactly why i love charleston. no pink and green in sight unless it was on a pair of neon aviators.
anyway...can't wait to take sis-in-law and bro there. they, too, will have so much fun.

en la cocina: pasta with roasted red pepper sauce (uhh..yumm!)


























{via the pioneer woman}

go immediately to her website and view this recipe.

you will revel in the fact that you did.
it is so so so SO so good.
i know...i say that a lot...but really, i only post my most favorite recipes.
and i cook...a lot...and feel like i've developed a pretty good palette for deliciousness :)
so, yes, cook the pioneer woman's pasta and give her thanks for being fabulous.

note: i left out the pine nuts (they're expensive and i am cheap). 



h.i.m.

so sorry for the lack of posting yesterday.
i have a big deadline for the magazine that involves painting.
lots and lots and lots of painting.
will be months (mag doesn't ship til end of August), but i really can't wait to
show you the finished product.


anyway,
this morning i'm made happy by:


hope you have a particularly happy morning & that you're inspired as i am :)

15 June 2010

have you seen?

Madewell.
A sister company to JCrew...and an awesome one at that.


I love their relaxed, casual style...their clothing just screams "take me to the beach."
And, like J Crew, their website invites you in with amazing collages of their products and an incredibly well-styled (short, but certainly sweet) lookbook.
Best of all? MW's prices are on the reasonable side.
Definitely worth a little perusing, if you haven't yet had the chance.

14 June 2010

nine west

has done it again.
they've my wallet look very empty.

le hair.

okay.
so here it is.
my testament to drugstore hair highlighting.
i was reluctant...i hate posting pics of me...alone (so akward)...but i simply had to prove my DIY success.


so there you have it. my golden strands. (and a blurry Poppy dog).
proof that complete hair-styling-embasols can, in fact, highlight their own.

refer to this post if you haven't yet read about my experience.

h.i.m.

i have the travel bug.
i've been bitten.


i want to go to europe.
and by want, i mean i'm dying inside to go to europe.
i went when i was 18. im so glad i went....but i was 18. i did everything wrong. i bought clothes and shoes that i no longer own because they were ridiculous. i didn't care about the history. i didn't even like wine. or food, really. oh, i want to go to europe.

i had a brilliant idea, quite frankly. i told the Mr. and he laughed. but i think it's very smart of me. you know the whole idea of swapping houses? well, Charleston is a pretty desirable destination...much more so than when we lived in Kentucky. so, all we have to do is purchase a super cool home in an awesome part of town and renovate it to the nines and then someone equally as cool in the south of france will be filling up my inbox with craigslist emails begging us to swap homes for a month. (yes, these are the jaded realities that play out in my head.) now--all we need is like $2 million to get started. and, i guess if we had that, we'd have no problem affording a month in the south of france. ok, ok. bad idea. sheesh.

ohhh...i want to go to there.

11 June 2010

in no particular order:

how fantastic is this photo from the lovely and talented creature comforts?
she never fails to inspire, and in today's case, has helped me orient my whole day.
yes, i'll be on a mission to enjoy everything about my day, all because of this one photo.

have a lovely friday and an even better weekend.
xoxo.

h.i.m.

love the hair.
love the bag.
love the clothes she's sorting through.
love the apples.
love the chalkboard.
love everything about this morning's happiness.

10 June 2010

i did it.

yes, it's done.
after years and years and years and YEARS (ok, i'm not that old...but still...) of having my hair professionally colored and hilited...
i did it.
well, we did it.
yes, the Mr. and i hilited my very own hair.

i was terrified...but also sequestered by a determination to save money. not to mention time. so there we sat, on the floor of Rite Aid, for what seemed like forever, searching and comparing and wondering and questioning and reading all about hair color. it was intimidating--there were SO. MANY. OPTIONS. but we finally decided upon Revlon Frost & Glow's Honey Highlighting Kit (horrible name...i know. i mean frost? did they really have to throw that in there?). honey being the operative word, as i wanted golden, sun-kissed strands incorporated into my natural color (dark blonde/ light brown).

so, we bought her. we took her home. i took one look at the cap and threw it in the trash. it was way too complicated and seemed a bit...errr...inaccurate? so i decided to do it myself...with a gloved hand. corey helped. it was hilarity...i definitely owe him one. we stood in front of the mirror and isolated strands that looked like they'd be good to highlight and did just that. i only did a few, and i only kept it on for 15 minutes (as opposed to an hour). i wanted the effect to be natural--and it worked. i LOVE the results. love love LOVE the results.

and it cost me $9 and 30 minutes of my time.
as opposed to $120 and 3 hours of my time.

so, i never thought i'd say this, but i am a huge advocate of DIY highlights. not color. highlights. yes--there's a huge difference. but, nonetheless, i am proud to say i'm an at-home hair-highligher, and 100% satisfied with the process and the results. so much that i can't wait for six more weeks to roll around...when i get to do it again.

h.i.m.

this morning i am entirely and completely made happy by:

ivy style33 and her home...and photography.
amazing, i tell you, and happy.

book design.

i'm such an admirer of doorsixteen.
i've always been a regular browser of her blog, but i recently stumbled upon her flickr page, where i (lucky for me) happened across some of her graphic design work. in short, she designs books.
amazing ones, at that.


anyway, i was particularly intrigued by the varying covers she designed for the above book. i'm not entirely sure which was chosen by the author + publisher, but i do know that she should be commended for such exceptionally inspiring work. i love these! so unique. so simple. truly...ingenious!

i love finding inspiration in the most uncanny of places.

09 June 2010

h.i.m.

happy, in the morning:

okay. well, mid-morning:

en la cocina: basic berry cobbler.










this is a basic recipe, which means that it's incredibly simple--but also delicious.  it's the first that i've made, and truly, you can't mess it up. i've found a few other recipes and even had one sent in by a friend, so i'll be spending much of my summer buying fresh blackberries at the market and whisking them into different variations of my favorite warm-weather dish. i'll let you know which i decide upon to be the best, but for now, you should give this one a try.

for the fruit, you'll need:

2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (you could up the ante to 3 if you feel compelled)
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp grated lemon zest

and, for the dough:

1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2/3 C heavy cream or 1/2 C milk (c'mon...it's a treat...go for the cream!!)

wash and dry the berries.
toss with the above "fruit" ingredients.
spread evenly into an unbuttered baking dish, such as an 8x8 or an oval gratin. you can even use a glass pie dish if you so wish.

preheat the oven to 350.
prepare the dough:

whisk together first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
add the cream.
mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and is evenly moist.
gently knead the dough in the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough.
dust the top and the bottom of the dough with a little flour and roll/pat the dough into the shape of the top of the baking dish you've chosen til it's between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
cut the dough into circles or squares, whatever your preference, and lay them on top of the fruit til it's entirely covered.
brush top of dough with 1 to 2 tablespoons of leftover cream or milk and pop into the oven.
bake 30-40 minutes, til top is golden brown and insides are bubbling.
serve plain, or, for a real summer treat, with whipped cream (can make with leftover cream) or vanilla ice cream.

so so so so SO good.

08 June 2010

h.i.m.



in case you're a little unclear, i'm a fan of color (what?!)
especially, though, when it's unexpected.
i wish i had a dresser that amazing, and i wish the hubs liked the color purple. because i would paint it just that hue display it oh-so-proudly. in the entry, for all to see.

anyway, that's what's made me happy this morning. hope it does the same for you.

off to a photo shoot! (umm...yay?!)

my yesterday.

so i spent my yesterday beached...in a chair...on the sand...with my legs dangling in the cool, salty water.
it was bliss. my aunt was in hilton head, so the Mr. and i drove south to sit in a chair...on the sand...with our legs in the water :) it was worth the traffic we fought to get there.

04 June 2010

it's friday.

therefore, you should:

bake something yummy.

shop the local market.

run to the beach.


photograph your shoes.


and make a collage.


can't wait to wander the market myself and whip up some yummy fare from the local goodies i bring home. then head to the beach for some rays of sunshine. and eat lots of cherries, of course.

and, on a very different note,





i'm thinking of dying my own hair over the weekend...which may in fact be a terrible idea.
maybe dye is the wrong word...although it does involve what could be a rather permanent change.
i'm really just wanting to throw a few hilites in around my face and in my roots to lighten my natural dark blonde to more of a golden, sun-kissed hue. it's my (maybe foolish) attempt to save some mulah.

so...anyone attempted this DIY hair-altering venture at home?
if so...advice please!!
what product did you use? any tips that i need to know/ life altering do's and dont's?
i really don't want a "bleached" hilite look...going for a much more natural look-- like hair painting, if you've heard the term?

oh, this could be bad...

h.i.m.

inspired and happy, this morning, by:

'
yes, i certainly will take that amazing, blue-washed antique dresser for my bare bedroom wall.
so generous of you to offer.
do the flowers come with?

03 June 2010

have you seen?

okay, i don't know which is more embarrassing:
admitting that The City is my guilty pleasure, or that I'm an admirer of Olivia Palermo.
Ok--wait...admirer of her style. the girl is ice cold, but she can dress.

so for the month of April Vogue documented every outfit O.P. wore into work each day.
talk about pressure at the closet.
anyway, fun to see. thought you might think so as well.

h.i.m.

happy, in the morning, this morning:

things my camera sees.

my morning cup of jo.

a sunny patio chair in the backyard.

 the blackberry cobbler i made...which we ate...immediately.

my apron collection, hanging in the kitchen.