Happy Friday!


Happy Good Friday to everyone!  I hope everyone has a few fun things planned to celebrate Easter this weekend.  Tonight we're biking to a new "spot" for food trucks to congregate in Charlotte.  We've never been so I'm really excited for a food truck dinner.  Tomorrow, we'll all head out of town for a quick trip to see our grandparents for Easter.  I don't think I'll be particpating in any egg hunts this weekend, but if I was, I sure would love to be at an Easter Egg hunt under the Eiffel Tower like Design Mom put together for her kids!  And if the weather does finally feel like spring this weekend, Mrs. Lilien's Teriffic Picnic would make for a fun weekend plan!  Happy Easter everyone!
 
- Mary Keller

Image above via Design Mom



Spring Must Haves


A neutral sandal or wedge is my number one spring must have. They make your legs look so long and can be worn with everything in your closet. Jack Rogers were my staple for a while but lately i've been wearing these and something similar to these more.


There's something great about throwing on a dress and not having to think about anything else. I love having easy dresses on hand to wear around town on the weekends. It's the perfect wearable outfit that can be transitioned from day to night and changed drastically by a simple change in accessory. I tend to gravitate towards solids but maybe this year i'll add a stripe or print to my repertoire.



A white shirt and jeans is my go to outfit year round but I really think there's nothing better than throwing on an easy white t-shirt or button down in the spring. The color keeps the look clean and simple but still seems light and airy enough for warmer weather. I've been wearing this Everlane tee a lot lately and I'm still on the lookout for the perfect white button up. Let me know if you have a favorite.


By now I'm sure you know I have a serious love for denim. I wear all types of denim year round (I see no reason for denim to be seasonal) but the spring is the perfect weather for a bright color, pattern or crisp white jeans. The heat in the south makes it tricky to wear jeans in the summer so I get a lot of wear out these white cropped jeans this time of year. And I've had my eye on these lately too.


Some people put away their scarves when the weather starts to warm up but don't! It's the perfect time of year to ditch your sweater or coat and layer on a scarf. I may be partial to this look because its another one of my favorites. But I think scarves add color and pattern to outfits in a way that jewelry and shoes and just cant. I think you can never have too many scarves, they are one of the only things in my closer I genuinely wear year round.

I've been getting my closet ready for spring lately, hoping the weather will catch on soon. In doing so I started thinking of my spring must haves. I think each person's will be slightly different but for the most part everyone should and probably does own some variation of these items for spring.

- Heath

Image 1 via Cupcakes and Cashmere and Hot Beauty Health; Image 2 via Gal Meets Glam and The Sartorialist; Image 3 via Sheridan French, Classiq and South Molton Style; Image 4 via 9 to 5 Chic and Elle Bow Room; Image 5 via My Daily, Belighter and Week Fifty Two

Perfect Picnic



I'm really anxious for beautiful warm weather to get here and when it does, I really want to spend a relaxing day or evening outside with the perfect picnic.  Joslyn's description of the picnic basket that her friend Sam put together sounds exactly like something I want to recreate.  This seems like the perfect way to entertain on an evening after work to enjoy longer summer days with friends.  There is very minimal cooking (or no cooking if you pick everything up!) and just about no clean up!

- Mary Keller

Image via Love and Cupcakes

Mother Denim

I had a blast in Austin this weekend.  It's such a great city.  I'll have a full recap of my weekend later, but first I want to discuss a new brand I found while shopping on 2nd Street in downtown Austin. I may be late to the game, but this was my first time trying on Mother Denim. The name may get you thinking of gross mom jeans but my experience was the exact opposite. I tried on a bootcut pair and they felt like butter. I'm not kidding, these jeans were as soft as cashmere and as comfortable as my pajamas! I didn't purchase them but my friend did and she hasn't stopped raving about them since.

I've been thinking about a pair of high waisted flare or wide leg jeans and those seem to be one of their specialties. 

- Heath

Image via The Fashion Drop

Easter Inspiration: Rip+Tan



I love the blog Simple Lovely.  Joslyn's aesthetic is different from mine, but I really love her taste.  She recently turned me on to the new to me blog Rip + Tan and I have LOVED pouring through it.  These gorgeous Easter Baskets and this beautiful Easter Brunch have me wishing I had planned a beautiful table setting and meal to celebrate Easter this Sunday.  I'll bookmark these for next year!

~Mary Keller

Happy Friday!

 
We made it to Friday!  I hope everyone had a good week!  The forecast in Charlotte this weekend doesn't look quite as springy as the image above, but I'm looking forward to relaxing during this rainy, chilly weekend!  I'm jealous of Heath heading to Austin this weekend.  She's celebrating her best friend's recent marriage to a Texas boy and Heath's promised to take lots of pictures!  Hope you all have a fun weekend as well! 
 
- Mary Keller
 
Image of Giverny, Monet's house and garden in France via Glitter Guide's Pinterest


Style Guide


 
I have a love/hate relationship with the J.Crew Style Guide. I love coming home to find it in my mail box. I love flipping through the pages and folding down the ones I want to return to. The hate part comes in when I realize I have dog eared about every other page and I can only afford to buy a few, if any, items. While I cannot afford the entire style guide it gives me fresh ideas and sparks my interest in new styles and colors that I may not have otherwise been drawn to. I try to pay close attention to the styling too because sometimes I find new ways to wear old favorites in my closet.

These items caught my eye today while flipping through. Do you guys get the style guide? Did anything spark your interest?

- Heath

All Images via J.Crew

Totally Toile


Do you love or hate toile?  If I had to bet, I'd guess Heath's in the hate it camp!  I love it as long as it's used in a modern, an unexpected way or if it's used in excess.  I'm an old fashioned kind of girl so I really love it just about any way, but notice in the images above that almost the entire room is covered in toile.  Most of the spaces are small and tight.  The singular pattern makes the room feel cozy and actually larger, rather than boring and tiny.  Most of these images would never date themselves either.

- Mary Keller

Top image Tori Mellot's Kitchen originally from Dominio Magazine via The Decorista; Second image via Alessandra Branca Interior Design; Third image via Lonny Magazine; Fourth images source unknown - please let us know if you know the source of this image. 




Classic Trenches





Left - Francoise Hardy; Right - Jackie O



I've been seeing trench coats everywhere lately. I love some of the colors I'm seeing and black looks super sleek, but I think I'm going to stick with the classic tan. Year after year trench coats are in style.  My grandmother owns a tan trench very similar in style to those being sold by all the popular brands today.  That's the true sign of a classic piece to me!  I'm thinking this year may be the year for me to invest.

And if you're looking for even more trench inspiration check out the Burberry's Art of the Trench.

-Heath

Top Images Unknown; Second Image by Rasberry and Red via Teen Vogue; Third Image via Food Fashion and Fun; Bottom, Image 1 via Habitually Chic; Image 2 via Reading in Heels; Image 3 via Marie Claire

Loving Splatter Paint



  
I'm seeing splatter paint popping up everywhere!  I think I'm loving it in small doses!  I really love the idea of mixing blue and white splatter paint dinnerware with more traditional blue and white china patterns.  That may be my next dinner party table setting idea!

-Mary Keller

Top image via Lonny Magazine; Middle Image 1) Jamie Euro Sham via Biscuit; 2) Tyler Ramsey Hand Painted Splatters via Toms; 3) Blue and White Splatter Bowl via Furbish; 4) Pillow via Furbish; 5) Kate Spade Saturday Mug via House Beautiful; 6) Splatter Paint Bathroom via Ocean Interior Design; Bottom Image Jackson Pollock  via abstractartist.org

Perfect This Recipe | Jamie Oliver's Pizza Dough


Margherita pizza on Jamie Oliver's dough
In the past week I have become a pizza expert. I can say that with confidence after eating pizza for almost two meals a day for 5 days, but hey I’m not complaining! Andy and I make pizza a good bit; it’s one of our favorite meals to enjoy making and eating together. Up until now we’ve attempted to make one homemade dough that didn’t turn out too well and just reverted back to using Trader Joe’s dough. This experiment has definitely changed our view of pizza dough.  Check out our thoughts below as well as what worked with our oven and a few tricks too! 
Jamie Oliver's Recipe was by far the best pizza dough we've ever had at home. We were blown away! It makes 4 balls of dough too which I appreciated. If I take the time to make dough it's even better if it makes enough to freeze for later. We did use some semolina flour mixed with the Tipo "OO" flour and it was the perfect flavor and texture, as close as it gets to the pizza we had on our honeymoon in Italy! The biggest surprise for me on this dough was how it formed a raised crust. I learned when you toss the dough (like a true Neapolitan dough maker) you are using gravity and centrifugal force to create a thicker edge therefore forming this crust. I can tell you we did not toss our dough, only rolled, and somehow it created the perfect crust. Side note - it supposedly takes a year to master the task of properly tossing pizza dough. 
We made the remaining doughs using the dough hook on our KitchenAid Mixer. I think you could probably do this with all the recipes as I couldn't tell a difference. Next time I will try Jamie Oliver's with a mixer as well. I used this version of Smitten Kitchen's recipe and it was just OK. The You Tube recipe was our second favorite but didn't come close to Jamie Oliver's. I don't think we realized what we were getting into with the Basic Neapolitan dough recipe. It took 4 days and was good but not worth it. Trader Joe's was fine as usual but after tasting Jamie's Oliver's I think we'll be making batches of this dough to freeze and use in the future. 
While we're rolling out our dough we preheat our oven to 525 (the highest setting our oven will go) with a pizza stone on the bottom rack. We then use a lightly floured pizza peel to place the dough on  the pizza stone to pre-bake for 1 minute. Don't worry, bubbles may form just pop them and move on. Once the dough is par-baked we brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle a little salt and garlic powder. We recently started doing this and it makes a huge difference! Next we add toppings and pop it back in the oven. We bake between 6 and 8 minutes, but keep our eye on it because it doesn't take long to overcook.

Which dough did you guys enjoy? Did you figure out what process works for you? I hope so!

- Heath

Classic Outdoor Spaces


With Spring right around the corner, I've got my eye on classic outdoor spaces.  We have a great little porch on the front of our house, but it's currently filled with bare Craigslist pieces.  I'm dreaming of a few additions that would give our porch more presence.  I love the classic look of Rattan with Blue and White, or my true favorite, Black and White cushions with classic greenery to add color.

- Mary Keller

1. Black and White Stripe Pillow via Mazizmuse Etsy  2. Marble Bowl via Terrain  3. Solid Stripes Arm Chair via Terrain  4. Arches Laterns via Pottery Barn  5. Hampton Bay Patio Set via Home Depot  6. Chippendale Planters via Chinoiserie Chic

Transitioning to Spring

I love a classic coat and lots of layers in the winter, but this weather has me anxious to ditch it all for spring. Unfortunately, my budget doesn’t allow me to have a fresh new wardrobe perfect for each season; so here are a few things I do during this transition time.

I love to roll my jeans and let my ankles get a little fresh air since they’ve been cooped up all winter. I tend to get a lot of wear out of my booties this time of year too - I love the cropped jean and booties combination. I almost always wear a scarf, but I think they're especially great for cool evening this time of year.

What are your tricks to transitioning? 

- Heath

Image 1 via Atlantic Pacific: Image 2 via Instyle: Image 3 via Stockholm Streetstyle: Image 4 via Could I have that

Loving Lonny


The March issue of Lonny is up and as always, this issue is packed full.  I love the spread on Nicky Haslam's amazing English retreat.  "I tend to just throw anything together that I like, disregarding the dreaded 'coordination' theory, while keeping a vague color palette in mind" says Haslam.  So much easier said than done!

- Mary Keller

All image via March Issue of Lonny Magazine

Patterned Lampshades


I love the look of a beautiful patterned lampshade.  I think that they can totally change the look of a lamp and add interest to a boring corner of a room.  Anna Spiro of Black and Spiro, Ben Pentreath and Kit Kemp are all designers that execute patterned lampshades well.  There are many Etsy sellers that will create custom lampshades in the custom drum shape, but does anyone know where to find a patterned Pleat shade?  I'd love to know if so!

- Mary Keller

Left and Center images Black and Spiro via Absolutely Beautiful Things; Right image Ben Pentreath via English Decoration

Happy Friday!



I'm taking it easy this weekend and catching up from our vacation last week. I'll also be doing a little spring cleaning and getting ready to embrace the new season. Next week we'll be posting some spring transition ideas for your wardrobe and house. I'm excited about the thought of warmer weather and most of all dining al fresco. Our forecast in Charlotte this weekend is perfect for transitioning to spring. I hope yours is similar!

-Heath

Image by Thomas O'Brien via Habitually Chic 

Favorite Pizza Toppings



Since we'll be testing pizza dough recipes every night next week, we'll be switching up our toppings every night to keep dinner from getting too boring.  These are some of our favorite easy topping combinations!  What favorite toppings are we forgetting?

- Mary Keller

Image via Sunday Suppers

Perfecting a Recipe - Pizza Dough




There are a handful of recipes that we'd love to be able to whip out, good classic recipes that we wish we could make without thinking.   In the past when we've compared recipes, too much time has passed and we forget what we did and didn't like about each recipe.  We decided to spend a week focusing on one single recipe.  That way we will hopefully "master it" - we'll memorize it and hopefully know our oven's quirks and our own personal likes and dislikes. 

Next week we're perfecting homemade pizza dough!  That means we get to have thin, crusty homemade Italian pizza every night for dinner.  We will be trying out a different dough recipe every night for dinner.  We'll make notes, compare cooking times, ingredients, etc., and decide which one is perfect for us. 

First, we'll try Jamie Oliver's Classic Pizza Dough.  It looks like his secret is Italian "00" Flour.  Next we'll try Smitten Kitchen's Rushed Pizza Dough (recipe listed here) because if possible it would be nice to avoid the normal hour+ that dough usually takes to rise.  We will test this delicious looking homemade Margherita Pizza Recipe from Italy on You Tube.  We'll try this Basic Neapolitan Pizza Dough too, and lastly because I'm curious, we'll try Trader Joe's Dough.  I'm curious to see if we'll see any difference!

While I'm partial to thin crust pizzas, this is a great site for a handful of other types of pizza dough if anyone is interested!

- Mary Keller

Image by Buff Strickland via Camille Styles

Designer Kit Kemp


My mother-in-law gave me Kit Kemp's A Living Space over the holidays and I've been flipping through it most evenings ever since.  If you're a design lover, you'll love Kemp's portfolio.  Her work is colorful and quirky, my favorite type of design.  Her designs are rooted in tradition, but are imperfect and don't take themselves too seriously.  She has an eye for detail.  Look at those beautiful black and white frames and the crewel work on the headboard and curtains.  Every detail is spot on.  You can purchase the book here

- Mary Keller

Image 1 via Lindajane Keefer Pinterest; Images 2 & 3 via Elle Decor; Image 4 via Lady Chatterley's Affair

Photo Diary | Park City

Downtown Park City
We fell into vacation mode and obviously got behind on posting but here is a little recap of our trip last week in Park City, UT. One of the many great things about Park City is it's within 15 minutes of three resorts; Canyons, Deer Valley and Park City.