Sweet!

Eddie Ross has an EASY recipe for Summer Sangria in the July issue of Country Living! Must try this cocktail this weekend...








Delightful, no?



*UPDATE: Eddie says to use 1 bottle of wine for every 3 cans of Fresca!

all images from Eddie's website.

4th of July Party!

Two days down, two to go! Do you have plans for the 4th of July holiday? I am excited for the fireworks and extra day off from work... might have to do a little shopping beforehand at J.Crew.




My lastest installment of 4th of July related blog posts includes patriotic crafts... I'm not really that crafty (relatively speaking), but these seem easy enough! And, if you are hosting a party on the 4th, why not try a couple! All of these are from the Martha Stewart website, of course.


get the "How To" on Martha's Fireworks Tablesetting HERE.



learn how to make your Striped Picnic table HERE.



get the "How To" on these sweet little Drink Parasols HERE.



learn how to make your Red, White & Blue Garland HERE.

Red, White, & Blue!

I can't wait for the 3-day weekend. I'm in count-down mode (one work day down, three to go). My plans include going to upstate New York, relaxing by a beautiful lake, soaking up sun, watching fireworks, and eating crab cakes (I will share this amazing recipe later). So, I have decided that all of my blog posts this week will be related to this fabulous summer holiday.

Flags are graphic and colorful. Why don't we frame them and hang them on the wall? American flags, the Union Jack, and even vintage yachting flags can be found on ebay, or at flea markets. Try this.

Summer Stylin' and Tim Clarke

When I lived in Santa Monica, I very often would walk past the store and office of interior designer, Tim Clarke, off of Main Street. I loved seeing the pendant lights hang in the window. Never actually went into the store, by the way. And as I write this, I wonder why? Maybe I never went past during their open hours (hmmm, weird now that I think about it). Anyway, Tim Clarke has a uniquely "beachy" feel to his interiors and since I am wishing myself out of the office on this officially summer day, I thought I would share a bit from his gorgeous portfolio.




this room sort of reminds me of my trip to Thomas Edison's Florida Estate...



























And, Tim Clarke, I've got to say, I like your old website. This new fancy format... with the lifestyle shots mixed with interiors? Not sure if it's user friendly. That's all I'm sayin'.

And, by the way, where are all the old shots with the gorgeous painted Mexican tiles? Need to find those...


*UPDATE: found one.

Garden Party!

I paid a (long overdue) visit to Martha Stewart's website this week, and found a whole slew of ideas for garden-themed entertaining... Now, I do not have a garden (I only have a very very small deck. Very small.) but I would love to host a party like this with fresh flowers and beautiful linens, and a fizzy cocktail, of course.


"bing cherry mojitos" ...yummy.



make your own "flower votive display"



make your own "paper lantern vase"



"leaf coasters"? ...I think this is where Martha may have crossed the line.


Love this modern garden party featured in Country Living...







A few more favorites from my files...