Friday, June 29, 2012

Yard Sale Treasures.

Vintage Crown Staffordshire gold rimmed tea set. 


Every Friday night I scour the North Fork local paper looking for yard sales to attend early Saturday morning.  There is something so exciting about getting up at the crack of dawn (grabbing iced coffee) and perusing rows and rows of junk looking for that proverbial diamond.  I have already shared some of my favorite pieces I have picked up, but this past weekend I found myself at the home of a retired antique shop owner and found some stunning pieces.  I am thoroughly thrilled by what I swiped up, and I can't wait to find places for them in my new apartment!

Bronze bowl.

Mirror set from Morocco. 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.


 Vanilla ice cream has the uncanny ability to be phenomenal by itself, yet pair well with almost anything.  As a result, I think it's really important to have a recipe for truly great vanilla ice cream in your arsenal to accompany whatever dessert you might decide to serve on a summer evening (it went wonderfully with these).  This recipe fit the bill perfectly.   The ice cream itself had a rich custard taste, and I cannot wait to try out other recipes.





Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A Weekend in Photos.

Dinner at The Lobster Roll. 

Adorable bowl for salt.

Sunsets and sprinklers.

Newest additions to my book collection.

Freshly painted toes in Essie's clam bake. 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Shopping Safari.


I rarely go to the mall, and I never go without a clear idea as to what I need.  However, yesterday class was canceled, and I was not in the mood to watch a movie, so my sister and I decided to give it a try.  While a mall outing might seem trivial, we ended up having a blast (complete with frozen yogurt), and discovered a store that is definitely going to become my new go to source for accessories and home decor!




 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Strawberries and Cream Cookies.


This week I ran into a problem of monumental proportions.  While that may be a teeny bit of over reacting on my part, I still had over a quart of berries left and no way to eat them all (cue: gasp).  Enter this recipe.  I was not in the mood for scones (and truthfully I did not have baking powder), so I did a bit of recipe tweaking, and the concept for strawberry cookies was born.  I added double the amount of strawberries to add more liquid to the batter, and the result were crispy cookies with an unbelievably moist center.  The strawberries provided a bit of a tart edge to the otherwise sinfully sweet cookies, and they made for a delicious late night snack.





Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Picnic Packing.


One of my favorite things to do during the summer is have a picnic.  Whether it be on a beach, or in my back yard, nothing is better than sitting indian style eating a sandwich and taking in the great weather.   Here are my essentials for the perfect picnic.

Monday, June 18, 2012

A Weekend in Photos.

[Greenport Art & Design bowl I now use to hold jewelry.]

[The view for most of the weekend.]

[My roommate.]

[Evening bike rides ending with this view.]

[Boat adventures.]

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

June Gloom.


Everyone in LA talks about the "June Gloom" that descends upon the city for almost the entire month.  Although I have never noticed it in New York, I now wholeheartedly believe that the weather this month is about as rainy and dreary as it gets.  Despite the rain forecast for the day, Olivia (one half of the beautiful duo behind the blog In Mint Condition), and I are not ones to let a little rain interfere with our plans.  As scheduled we braved the crowds at Chelsea Market, and Olivia (the seasoned pro) helped me navigate the dozens of stores and restaurants until we nesteled ourselves in a corner of Friedman's Lunch.  After grabbing some delicious gelato at L'arte de Gelato, we braved the elements as we walked the High Line, which is something I have been dying to do.






Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Strawberry Fields.



I was running errands on Sunday afternoon, and while headed past Cutchogue Village Farms I noticed they were open for strawberry picking.  On a whim (and in the interest of getting a head start on my summer to do list seen here) I pulled over and picked 3 quarts of berries. It was a great way to enjoy the sunshine, and although my fingers were stained for hours, the strawberries were the best I've had all season.  I can't wait to make a great dessert with the extras that I am undoubtably going to have!











Monday, June 11, 2012

A Weekend in Photos.

[the teensiest strawberry I found while berry picking.]

[scallop shells in a row.]

[a family of ducks joined us for dining al fresco.]

[vintage bronze tray I picked up at a yard sale.]

[it's officially popsicle season.]

Thursday, June 7, 2012

To Do List.


Every summer, I come up with a list of things that I want to do so that I never fall into the pattern of sitting around with nothing to do.  This year, I have compiled a list of 10 things that have to be done by summer's end.

1. Go berry picking
2. Bike to Shelter Island
3. Complete a pretty craft project
4. Finalize the furniture for my new apartment
5. Make my own iced-tea lemonade
6. Pack a picnic
7. Walk the high line in New York
8. Make a pretty dessert
9. Stargaze at the Custer Institute in Southold, NY
10. Host a backyard dinner party



Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Snack Time.


After working 13 hour days, there is nothing better than sitting down at 11 PM with a late night snack and a DVR with a full queue of this season's Mad Men. I stopped at Wickham's farm stand on the way home from the North Fork and bought the prettiest imperfect strawberries, and a few mini rhubarb tarts.  Together with a glass of milk, though not exactly diet friendly, I found myself as happy as one could be after working over half the day.

Monday, June 4, 2012

A Weekend in Photos.


[lazy rainy saturday morning spent in bed.]
[chocolate covered marshmallows - with flavors like maple and vanilla.]
[card making project.]
[homemade peach iced tea.]
[fresh garden picked peonies.]