Happy Friday!



Happy Friday everyone!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  I'm looking forward to a weekend that is part productive - finalizing our new kitchen counters and backsplash! - and part relaxing - enjoying dinner with friends on Saturday night!  The weather in Charlotte has been beautiful this week, and I'm really hoping the weather is perfect for us to enjoy dinner outside!  Have a relaxing weekend, and we'll see you Monday!

~Mary Keller

Image via Design Sponge

Setting the Table like Ina Garten

It's no secret that I love all things Ina Garten!  Second to my mom, Ina's cooking and style has probably had the most influence on how I dream of entertaining.  I've noticed that Ina's signature table settings are different from most of the things typically seen on Pinterest.  So many ideas floating around are so elaborate and over the top.  Ina's table are the opposite.  They're beautiful but simple and not overly complicated.  They're elegant without being pretentious or fussy.  (I don't think guests want to sit down to a pretentious "fancy" table.)



A few things I've noticed about "Ina" tables:

Pick ONE TYPE OF FLOWER, and use that one flower in masses.

WHITE PLATES are great starting point for any table.  Smaller dessert plates can add color and pattern, but food shows best on simple white plates!

Try to LIMIT YOUR COLOR PALETTE to one or two colors overall.  One color in large doses adds more impact.  (Think linens or drinking glasses.)

Balance "fancy" items with earthy items.  When Ina uses her finest silver or fine china, she pairs these with simple woven rattan placemats.  Try not to use all of your expensive wedding gifts at once!

We're having friends over this weekend for Steak Night (one last party before the kitchen demolition begins!) and I'm going to try to keep these simple tricks in mind when I set the table.  I'll pull out my white plates (my favorite white plates are from Walmart) and look at Trader Joes for a single flower to use on the table.  I'll let you know what I come up with!

~ Mary Keller

Top image via Marianne Simon Design; second image via Scribd; third image via Apartment Therapy;  fourth and fifth image via Visual Vamp

Summer's IT Item

At the beginning of every season I try to take note of what i'm seeing a lot of to determine what seems to be the "must have" or "it" item of the season. From what I see this summer seems to be all about shorts! Shorts of all colors, materials and patterns, they are everywhere right now! I've never been a shorts lover, I think they are tricky to find the perfect pair, but this summer I'm determined! The best part about shorts being all the rage this season is there are SO many options available. With all these options I think we can all surely find a pair or two.

Clockwise from left Denimology, Ksubi, Citizens of Humanity, Denimology, Gap and center, Christopher Kane via the Outnet

Denim is my all time favorite. I tend dress on the casual side and find I'm most comfortable and confident in a good pair of jeans so naturally I am drawn to denim shorts. I think you can dress them up with fun wedges or keep it casual with a strappy sandal for day time.

Clockwise from left Grasie Mercedes, Diane Von Furstenburg, Stockholm Street Style, Thakoon, TopShop and center, Mango

The feminine details in the shorts above remind me a lot of MK. I can totally see her in the those lace shorts or soft billowy mint striped shorts. The best part about the details in the shorts above is you can throw on a basic tee and ballet flats and still look polished and put together. Or pair these with heels and a dressier shirt for a night out with the girls! I'm thinking those gold ones may have the perfect amount of feminine for me.

Clockwise from left unknown, Markus Lupfer, Ted Baker, See Jane, Sheridan French and center, Zara

I really like the versatility in these shorts. I think they can transform from classic with a simple top to girly with a flirty blouse and even be casual thrown over a swim suit in the summer with a basic tee. I'm loving the silk material in a lot of the drawstring shorts I am seeing today. And I am totally ordering those splatter paint shorts immediately. How cute are they!?

Clockwise from top left Vince, Rebecca Taylor, Classy Girls Wear Pearls, J. Crew, Acne and Lucky Magazine

Solid shorts can seen boring at first but paired with the right accessories they can be really fun and easy to wear. The neon chinos above would be perfect for a beach getaway and the pleated red shorts would look great with a silky white blouse tucked in with an interesting belt and heels. And I'm still loving the look of leather shorts, I passed some up a few months ago at Zara and i'm thinking that may have been a mistake.

What kind of shorts are you wearing this summer? I'd love to hear.
- Heath

Top Image via Sartorialist 

Memorial Day Festivities

Yesterday we had a few friends over to celebrate Memorial Day. Nothing big, just a few friends, beers, burgers and hot dogs.  Andy and I made burgers and dogs, MK brought over homemade blue cheese cole slaw and another friend brought fruit salad with yogurt dip. It was the perfect simple start to summer.

Oh and of course a strawberry shortcake for dessert!

Hope you had a nice long weekend. And thank you to all of those who are currently serving or have served in the armed forces, we are forever grateful for your service!

- Heath

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a nice week. I'm really looking forward to this long weekend! We're heading to Knoxville, Tennessee this afternoon to visit Andy's family. While it's always a good time visiting family I'm especially excited about this trip because there has been mention of hiking in the Smokey Mountains. I've been to Knoxville and the Tennessee mountains plenty of times but somehow never managed to go hiking so I'm packing my tennis shoes and my camera and hoping for some good photos. 

Anyone have big plans for the holiday weekend? Hope you enjoy this long weekend! 

-Heath 

Image via alltrails.com

Purge Alert

A friend recently asked me to help with a closet clean out. She's the cute brunette with long hair seen here. I happily obliged as organizing and cleaning out closets is one of my favorite tasks, sad I know! We had been planning this for a while and I'm glad we finally made it happen because it's WAY too easy to put off. Mom - I'm coming for you next! I think this little exercise should be done about twice a year and the best part is the more often you do it the quicker it is.

So let's get down to the details. The essentials of a good closet purge are a few honest friends, labelled piles (donate, alter, consign) and a notepad to jot down items to be replaced. And maybe a cocktail or two to keep things entertaining.

I don't necessarily abide by hard and fast rules like "toss it if you haven't worn it in X years/months" but I do believe that everything that stays in your closet should get approval from those in attendance, ideally it should be tried on. Every single piece of clothing. While this may sound absurd its the most important step in my opinion. It not only ensures you only keep items that are in good condition and will be worn but that you keep items that fit you well. I'm sure we can all agree that there are plenty of items in our closet that need a small nip or a tuck from our local alteration shop and there is no reason for these items to be in the closet if they don't fit. 

The final step in a good closet purge is evaluating the organization of the remaining items. The biggest piece of advice is make sure all items used on a regular basis are easily accessible. Keep bulky items and items worn less often at the tip top of your closet or in under bed boxes if you lack closet space. I also highly recommend organization by type of clothing (i.e. pants, shirts, skirts etc) and color coordination within each type. It makes picking out an outfit quick and easy knowing where everything is.

We still have a little work to do on this little lady's closet but we have a plan to reconvene and finish up next week. Let me know if you want some assistance or company in your next closet purge. I'm happy to help!

- Heath

Top image via Domino Magazine

Memorial Day Outfit Inspiration

What are you guys up to for Memorial Day? We have no definite plans yet but I feel like Memorial day is kind of a kick off to the summer (where did spring go?) so I'm thinking about embracing some summer staples like sandals, shorts or tank tops to get summer started in style. How cute would a bold colored maxi skirt be? And super comfortable with flat sandals and a white t-shirt. Try this one from Banana Republic or this one is super cheap and I love the two tone!

White jeans are a always one of my favorite options and I particularly love how these are styled with a cool white collared shirt to keep it casual. Sally is wearing these jeans and this top, both from Old Navy.

If its warm wherever you are, it could be the perfect weekend to break out your shorts. And no better time than now because there seem to be fun shorts everywhere right now! These neon shorts are so fun and these floral ones would make even a white button up shirt look feminine.

A casual cotton dress is always easy to throw on but still look completely put together and festive in red and white! This green floral one from Zara is would be perfect or this one could even transition from day to night.

What are you planning to throw on for your your memorial day festivities?

- Heath

 Image 1 unknown;Image 2 via A Piece of Toast:Image 3 via Lovely Pepa; Image 4 via Classy Girls Wear Pearls

Dream Vacation - Treebones Resort, Big Sur



Joanna has linked to a handful of yurts on her blog a time or two, and ever since I've really wanted to go on a cool vacation to a yurt for a long weekend.  Treebones Resort in Big Sur looks so peaceful and magical.  Two people are allowed per yurt, maximum, making it perfect for a little romantic getaway.  Showers and restrooms are located a short walk away from the yurts, so I think this is as close to "roughing it" or camping as I ever want to get!

~Mary Keller

Images via Treebones Resort

Perfert Memorial Day Desserts

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming Memorial Day long weekend!  We'll be staying in town this year, but I'm excited to have three days to see friends and eat yummy food!  I love a classic Memorial Day menu (burgers, ribs, cole slaw, etc.) but this weekend's surplus of strawberries at the farmers market makes we want to pick the perfect strawberry dessert to serve at the end of the meal.  I'm thinking either classic homemade strawberry shortcakes, or something from the delicious looking line up of berry desserts below.  Buckets of beer plus a seasonal cocktail are definites at the bar!

Watermelon Strawberry Mojito

Rustic Strawberry Galette

Strawberry Meringue



White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberries

Berry Parfaits

Boozy Popsicles



Watermelon Strawberry Mojito by What Katie Ate; Rustic Strawberry Galette by Country Living;  Strawberry Meringue by Paris, Prada, Pearls, Perfume;  White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberries by Kwestia Smaku;  Berry Parfaits by Cooking Light;  Boozy Popsicles by Not Martha

Happy Friday!

 



Happy Friday everyone!  I hope that everyone has a beautiful spring weekend filled with cookouts, porch parties and yard games.  This weekend we're hoping to make some decisions for the upcoming kitchen renovation and make progress on the new baby's nursery.  Best Wishes to our friends Kelsey and Matt who are getting married this weekend.  We can't wait to see pictures of your beautiful wedding!

~Mary Keller

Image via Design Darling Blog

Porch Party

This past weekend some friends, including MK, hosted a progressive cocktail party throughout our neighborhood. It turned out to be a perfect day for outdoor games, cocktails and front/backyard festivities!

We had four stops on our agenda and enjoyed appetizers, beverages and lots of lawn games at each stop. First stop provided the orange jello shots above - how cute are they? I'm already thinking about knocking these guys off with this recipe from Joanna. Hint from the host, make them weak so people can enjoy the actual flavor instead of the booze!

We ended the night with a classic cookout including hot dogs and hamburgers at our last stop. There may or may not have been a dance party too, such a fun night!

- Heath

Kitchen Inspiration (and renovation plans!)

My husband and I have always had plans to give our kitchen a little face lift.  In our current kitchen there is a wall that separates the breakfast room with the rest of the kitchen, and we've always wanted that wall removed.  With our little one coming this fall, this project has been moved up on the list and our goal is to get the kitchen completely renovated by mid-summer!  I've been saving this kitchen as inspiration for years, long before Pinterest was around.  I pretty much want to knock this kitchen off as much as I possibly can! :)

There are a few things about the kitchen that I won't exactly "copy."  The slate tile floors in this kitchen are beautiful, but to save money we will be sticking with our existing hard woods.  (I'm considering painting the existing hardwoods with a similar herringbone pattern when it's all said and done.)  We also hope to use unlacquered brass hardware instead of chrome, if we can find an affordable source.  We will definitely be painting our new French doors, the pantry door, and the window sills black and keeping our eye out for beautiful white/gray stone countertops.  If anyone has a good suggestion other than Carrera Marble, please let me know. 

Before we get started, below are a few before shots:

 The wall between the breakfast nook and kitchen that we would like removed.

The original butler's pantry that we will keep!

The overall view of the kitchen.

The ovens are from the 1960s but I've still been spoiled having two of them!

The stove with window above.  We would like to add French doors instead of a window to this wall.

The existing door that leads from the kitchen to the back yard.  This door and window will be removed.

 

~Mary Keller

If anyone has a source for the top kitchen images, please let me know.  I would love to give credit for these images.  Thank you! 

Summer Swimmies

It's about to be that time of year - swimsuit season. I'm sure we all have mixed feelings about this season but regardless of our thoughts, we can't avoid it so it's best to just find one or more suits that work for you and embrace it. There are so many options available for swimwear now that it's almost daunting in my opinion. Not to mention the act of standing in a dressing room half naked with your untanned skin glowing, eek! I usually opt for online shopping for that reason, I'd much rather do this in the comfort of my own home. Going to College of Charleston, I regularly wore swimsuits three to four times a week so I kept lots of suits on hand. But now I only wear a suit a few times a year and opt for a much more conservative style, funny how things change. I pulled together a round up of options with various trends, styles, and categories. Which are you favorites?

I love a classic solid swimsuit and the options in this category seem to be endless these days. The detailing on the two black swimsuits is gorgeous and I think the blue ruffles are so fun! I'm thinking MK should invest in that little peach number for this summer to keep her little belly looking cute. 

Florals and prints are everywhere right now! I think this category has come a long way. I don't recall having these options when I was wearing swimsuits everyday in college. I would have totally worn the ikat suit at the top! And I'm really wishing I wore a different cup size and could get myself into that strapless watercolor one piece in the center. 

I dont think I have to tell you that color blocking and and tone on tone is all the rage these days. I'm not sure I have quite the guts to wear the cutout one piece at the top but wouldn't it be so fun for a super stylish lady? I think the gingham two piece is a classic pretty and feminine look while the blue and and black paneled bikini seems current and a little modern.

Which do you like?

- Heath

PS notice that teeny tiny pink ruffled number? MK is having a girl! Needless to say Andy is already worried our budget will be blown with this lady's entrance into our lives, and it's not even our child!

Top images clockwise from left: Marysia, Mui Mui via Net-a-Porter, Lauren by Ralph Lauren via Everything But Water, Gap, Zimmermann, Asos. Middle images clockwise from left: Kushcush, Insight via Asos, Gap, Zimmerman(center), Nanette Lepore, Freya. Bottom images clockwise from left: Karla Colleto, Carine Gilson, Miss Mandalay, Magicsuit by Miraclesuit, Marysia, River Island

May Book Club



 

Is anyone reading anything good this month?  Heath and I are part of a monthly book club with some friends.  Sometimes the books get read.  Other times life is busy and the book never even gets purchased.  I do love to read a good book though, and I love reading cookbooks and design books regularly too.

 

I just picked up Gwyneth Paltrow's latest cookbook It's All Good.  I absolutely LOVE Gwyneth's first cookbook My Father's Daughter.  Her White Bean and Kale Soup, Best Ever Stir Fry Chicken, and Chicken and Dumplings are some of the favorites in rotation at our house.  So far, It's All Good looks like a great addition to a kitchen, but it is MUCH healthier than her first cookbook.  Healthy is a good thing, but I'm talking no dairy (no cheese!) or sugar in the entire book.  I'm glad to have healthy inspiration, and I'm excited to try her Crazy Good Fish Tacos and lots of fresh salad combinations.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

 

My "real life" book club's May pick is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.  I've heard so many good things about this book and can't wait to get started.  The book follows Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley Richardson in their newlywed years building a life together in 1920s Jazz Age Paris.  I love the Jazz Age, plus Paris, so this should be a fun pick. 

 

Last pick of the month is Ben Pentreath's English Decoration.  I LOVE the timeless style of English Décor.  To me, old English homes really nail that lived in, effortless style that looks chic but still comfortable and inviting.  I'd love to flip through this book for fresh ideas, getting a peak inside these old beautiful English estates.  Plus, I of course loved the pleated pattern lampshade on the cover! :)

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you guys had a good week. We have literally nothing on our agenda this weekend and I couldn't be happier! We haven't been to our local Farmers Market since it opened in April and this weekend seems like the perfect weekend to make a visit. We're hoping to bring home some local fruits and vegetables to try some new recipes this weekend. I'm also dying to pick up the peonies I spotted at the flower shop next to my office, fingers crossed they are still there tomorrow! So basically this weekend i'm filling my house with all sorts of things that make me happy; local fruits, veggies, flowers, coffee and a big Saturday morning breakfast. It's going to be amazing!

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

- Heath

Image via Flickr

Sailor Shirt Round Up



The Sailor Shirt is a classic wardrobe staple that has been really popular the past few years.  This Spring I'm still seeing new options so I don't think they're going anywhere anytime soon.  I think that they're the perfect thing to layer over for work (add a white blazer and necklace on top) or just throw on with white jeans on the weekend.  They also work for any age or personal style.  Below are a few classic favorites!



~Mary Keller

Top images: first image black and white stripe top via Sart(re)orial; second image via Corrine Dougnac-Bedaw Pinterest;  third image Audrey Hepburn via FullyChic.blog.com

Sailor Shirts:  1) Saint James Minquier via Ann Mashburn; 2) Stitchwork Stripe Top via JCrew; 3)  Classic T Shirt via Chance;  4)Side Seam Sailor Top via JCrew;