Happy Friday, Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! We're down at the beach for Labor Day at it feels so nice to relax! We've had a really nice summer with lots of little trips, but this is actually our first real family vacation. We've been enjoying crab cake dinners, quite walks on the beach, the kick off to football season, and today we're welcoming a handful of friends that will enjoy the rest of the long weekend with us.

The weekend's agenda includes a Fish Taco feast with guac tonight to celebrate our friends who are joining us from Texas, burgers on the grill tomorrow night, and a Sunday night Shrimp Boil.  Our typical routine is to set up a giant tent on the beach and spend the entire day outside just relaxing by the ocean. Our evening routine includes happy hour drinks on the dock, dinner almost always at home (usually with wet hair and no make up!) and watching the boys play rounds and rounds of croquet and corn hole!

If you're looking for Labor Day plans, it's not too late to plan a fun outdoor movie night.  This one looks perfect, and the weather has been surprisingly cool enough for an outdoor movie!

Wishing you all a wondering Labor Day!
~Mary Keller & Heath

Image of Pawley's Island

A Relaxing Weekend Away

This weekend we're headed to Litchfield, SC for a long weekend at the beach with family and a few friends. I plan to partake in absolutely NO labor this weekend and I hope you're able to do the same. My goal for the weekend is to relax!! Here's what that means to me…

Lots of walks on the beach and a few games of bocce, corn hole and croquet.

Early evening cocktails on the dock.

 

Opening weekend of college football!

 

Catching up on some reading, because i'm always somehow behind :(

And last but certainly not least, waking up to coffee and the bright morning sun!

What's your idea of a relaxing weekend?

- Heath

Turkish Towel via Dot & Bo, Language of Flowers, Neutrogena Sunscreen and Chapstick via Amazon, Jack Rogers Sandals and Kate Spade Sunglasses

My Look, Her Look, Mom's Look

 Right when I saw these pants on sale at J.Crew and fell in love. I'm currently on a spending hiatus while I prioritize for fall/winter but I think these may just make the list. The drawstring gives them a more casual feel while the material and deep blue color keep them dressy. And bonus they aren't nearly as slouchy as I thought they'd be, I haven't bought into the pajamas pant look yet! They're basically a comfortable dress pant, who knew it existed? It's a real dream come true for someone who works in a conservative office all day, me! 

Nixon watch, Banana Republic and A-Thread Crystal Quartz necklaces, Swell Alia top,  Joe's black pumps and Joie bag

 I really love a navy and black combination so I played it up big time here. This look is a bit edgier than I usually favor but I love how delicate necklaces and cream bag soften the harsh black pumps. I picture this combination being worn out to dinner or drinks but you could easily throw on that black top with more conservative black pumps for the office too.

Victoria Beckham sunglasses, Kendra Scott earrings, Tinley Road necklace, Zara top, flats and handbag

I'm loving what I pulled together for MK a lot more than I expected! I think the jewel tones would look great with her coloring and the leather bag and tassel on the flats make the floral blouse seem a bit more modern. I threw in some oversized sunglasses for her because I think she may be losing sleep in the near future with a little one taking all of her energy!

Gap blouse, Kate Spade bracelet, Coin necklace via Etsy,  basic pearl earrings, Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag, JCrew flats

This is what I would call the traditional route in styling these pants. A classic red silk blouse, pearl earrings, nude flats and a basic tan bag. May sound a bit boring, but paired with an interesting gold necklace and a kitchy bracelet I think this option would be perfect for mom! And honestly perfect for me to the wear the office and not feel too mundane.

It's somewhat hard to see the details on these pants in the photo above but they really are gorgeous pants! They're a little more than I like to spend but I'm going to watch for the sales and try to add these to my closet becuase I absolutely love the versatility in each of these combinations. They'd also look great with a really crisp white shirt and super high nude heels. Simple and clean, one of my favorite looks! 

What would you wear with these pants? 

- Heath

Book Club

What's everyone reading this month? We're going on vacation this week for Labor Day and I'd love to pick up something new. Our Book Club is currently reading The Language of Flowers, and I'm excited to get started this weekend at the beach!

A few books have caught my eye lately. I've heard really great things about Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. It has a Gatsby like setting, but I've heard the story is really even better. I love all things Jazz Age, "upper echelon of New York society" so this may be my next pick.

I love reading cookbooks maybe even more than I like reading books. It's no secret that I love Jenny Rosenstrach's blog Dinner a Love Story.  I link to it all the time! Her blog is all about the importance of family dinner, but really it's more than that.  I love her simple, easy weeknight recipes, her thoughts of family tradition and rituals, and her general attitude of viewing cooking as a pleasure with your family.  Even though I don't have a family with multiple kiddos that I cook for every evening, I love her message of bringing people together to share simple food. Her cookbook, Dinner a Love Story is out and I've heard that it's so so good, reading more like a novel or memoir than a book.  I think with my first baby on the way this fall, it's time to add this one to the collection!

For a good design/coffee table book, Thom Filicia's American Beauty shows off the renovation and decoration of his fixer upper lake house. Thom Filicia's work is always so relaxed and perfectly detailed that I can't imagine how beautiful his lake house would be. Seems like the perfect book to flip through over a lazy Labor Day weekend.

Our Book Club is getting together this week to socialize and decide on our upcoming picks. (We've been a bit slack lately if you can't tell. We'll blame it on summer's crazy schedules!)  If anyone has any good recommendations for must reads, please let us know! We'd love to hear them.

~Mary Keller

Summer Steaks

On Friday Andy and I hosted one last summer Steak Club. When we set the date for this last weekend in August I knew I wanted to serve summer sides and keep everything bright and simple.

I set the table with a mix of fun glasses(a trick if you don't have enough of each type of glassware, like me!) and used wicker chargers to keep my china from looking too formal.

We served Moscow Mules as pre dinner cocktails and they were a big hit. Perfect refreshing cocktail to celebrate the end of summer.

We served olive tapenade, basil pesto and gorgonzola and artichoke dip with grilled crostinis as appetizers. We purchased all the dips from a local Italian market to keep minimize our prep work and everything was perfect. I highly recommend grilled bread with a simple dip as an easy and delicious appetizer.

For dinner we kept it super simple with a platter of fresh tomatoes sprinkled with a few herbs and corn on the cob, all from our local farmers market. I sadly didn't get a picture of my steak or any corn, but I'm sure you can picture how summery the plates looked!

 

And for dessert we surprised MK's birthday with her favorite coconut cupcakes from my favorite bakery in Charlotte.

It was such a fun night! All in all a super easy and summery meal, perfect for a late August evening with friends.

- Heath

Impromptu Summer Cocktails

A few weeks ago I spied the new John Derian Invitation Collection for Paperless Post on a favorite blog, I Suwanee. I love John Derian and I LOVE Paperless Post's email invitation collection. They cost pennies to send and I think they instantly make a casual little get together or impromptu party feel more special.

All of these charming summery invites make me want to have friends for super casual late summer cocktails!  It's almost Friday so I think cocktails sound just about right!  (In my case, I'll still be enjoying my lime and sparkling water for a few more weeks!)

For an earthy look, we'll go with the Darling Darcy Fern Invite, and pair it with an herby Lillet Basil Cocktail.  (Martha knows how to make a good cocktail - Gin, Tonic, Basil, Cucumber and Cinnamon sounds perfect and not too sweet.)

To celebrate the last of peach season, send out the Large Peach Invite and keep things super simple with a Peach and Prosecco Ice.  Blend sliced frozen peaches, stir in simple syrup and then just add your prosecco!

For a girls night, we'll use the pink Derian Poppies Invite and mix up Glitter Guide's Boozy Raspberry Lemonade.  I love drinks like this mixed with beer because they are super simple and a little booze goes a long way - mix raspberry lemonade, raspberries, a few Coronas and vodka.  This drink sounds a little like something that I tried in college that may be a little too good! :)

The Blueberry Invite sets the tone for a classy summer evening and pairs perfectly with Giada's Blueberry Limoncello Coolers.  Combine Limoncello liquor, sparkling water, fresh mint and blueberries and you're set.  Sounds super simple and fresh.

Anyone entertaining these last few weeks of summer?  If not, go ahead and send an evite and get something on the calendar!

~Mary Keller

All invitation images via John Derian Collection for Paperless Post;  Lillet Basil Cocktail by Martha Stewart; Peach and Prosecco Ice by Epicurious; Boozy Raspberry Lemonade via Glitter Guide;  Peach Blueberry Limoncello Cooler

Watch time

If you know me or have been following for a while, it's no secret I love watches! I wear one every day. I'm not going to lie and tell you its ALL about telling time but i do favor a watch that's easy to read and therefore actually useful. I'm a big fan of being on time or early (nerd!). So when a friend recently asked me to do a watch roundup I happily obliged.

Clockwise from top left: Peugeot, Juicy Couture, Nixon, DKNY, Bulova and Michael Kors

A classic gold, silver or two tone metal watch will never go out of style. I have a gold bracelet watch I wear constantly but have been thinking about adding a more casual everyday gold watch to my little collection as well. I love the green face of the Michael Kors watch above, there's a menswear vibe about it that's kind of calling my name. 

Clockwise from top left: Jack Spade, Kate Spade, Nixon, Kate Spade, Komono, Michael Kors and Timex

There are endless options in this category! I particularly love the the simple orange Timex above that of course gives the option of replacing the band. Sounds kind of cheesy but I love the classic face mixed with fun colored bands. I think it would be the perfect watch to mix with other bracelets too. Oh and I'm not usually a pink person but that neon pink Kate Spade is so good! 

Clockwise from top left: La Mer,  Marc by Marc Jacobs, Stuhrling, Asos, La Mer, Stuhrling and Jack Spade

I have a major soft spot for this category. I LOVE leather. I pretty much think a good leather accessory is all that is necessary to make an outfit complete. I am yet to see any of the La Mer options above in person but when I do i'll let you know about the quality because the prices and styles are so great they're hard to pass up. 

I gathered a wide range of watches because depending on you style and occasion there is a wide variety of options available. The prices vary too but I have mostly included reasonably priced ones. You won't find the famous Cartier Tank watch in this collection. While its absolutely gorgeous there is just no chance i'm ever going to own one and I honestly don't need to either. Watches are great because there are perfectly nice options at a lower price point available.

Anything you guys like? Do you guys wear a watch?

- Heath

Happy Birthday MK!

A young MK loving her little sister

Today is Mary Keller's 30th birthday. She is probably not over the moon about me putting this (especially her age) on the internet but I think it's worth celebrating! I know that she isn't going to make this birthday a big deal at all, so i'm going to do that for her. This birthday has turned out to be very different than anticipated since she's expecting a sweet little girl in about 6 weeks now. Words cannot express how excited I am for her to begin this stage of her life!

Most people would tell you that of the two of us I was the maternal one, I was the one who was going to have lots of babies! I love children, I’ve babysat and been a nanny my whole life. While MK did a little here and there, that just wasn’t her thing. She’s a “planner” and has been for a while. She’s been planning her life for as long as I can remember and kids were always the NEXT step. So it’s easy to think I’m the motherly one but I’m here to tell you that’s the wrong assumption.

After college I moved to Charlotte for a job.  Lucky for me about a year later my sister and brother in law came to Charlotte as well. It had been a long time since we lived in the same city since we’re two years apart and went to different colleges. But I was excited and didn’t really know what to expect. Over the past 4 years I’ve learned a lot about my sister. First and foremost I learned that she was never into mothering others because she was busy mothering ME. Next to my mother, I’ve never seen anyone care more for my well being and my life and want everything to be perfect for me other than my sister. I’m sure JD would agree. She would do anything for me! I saw this first hand last year when I got married. Nothing was going to stand in the way of Mary Keller making our wedding the perfect day. Seeing her do anything she could to make things perfect for her little sister meant the world to me! I wasn’t into the wedding planning so I was beyond thankful for all of her (and my mom’s and grandmother’s) hard work to pull it off. But what really meant the most was seeing how much she cares for me!

Making sure everything is perfect on my wedding day

I’m so excited to meet my sweet little niece when she arrives, but I’m REALLY excited for my sister to be a mother. She doesn’t know it but she’s ready for what’s to come more than she’ll ever realize because she’s been practicing on me for years now! I hope she'll look back on this birthday and really cherish how special this one really is. 

The best sister anyone could ask for

I love you MK! I’m so excited for what’s in store for you and I’m thankful you’re my sister. Thanks for always looking out for me. Happy birthday!

- Heath 

Both wedding images by Melissa Schollaert 

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm super excited that the weekend is here.  This has been a quick week!  Last weekend I went home for a wonderful baby shower that my parents' friends threw me and J.D.  It was a wonderful evening cookout on the lake, a beautiful view, beautiful flowers and way too many gifts for our sweet baby girl!  We're so thankful and feel very spoiled.  This weekend I'm heading to Charleston for a Bachelorette Party!  I'm so excited to be reunited with a huge group of girls from college!  Heath's heading to brunch with girl friends this weekend!  What is everyone else up to?

Before I go, a few things I enjoyed this week!

Did everyone see that Caroline Ceramics (we posted about these beauties here!) has a new website!  Congratulations Caroline!  I'm already adding one to my Christmas list. :)

I'm studying the kitchen accessories in Jamie's latest design featured in HGTV Magazine!  I'm wanting to add a few new accessories to my kitchen now too.

Love this Modern Tea Party idea on Oh Happy Day!

How beautiful is this Garden Party for Matchbook Magazine?  This party (along with everything on Olivia's blog) makes me pretty excited to be heading to Charleston!

Enjoy your weekend!
~Mary Keller

Image via Forbes Travel Guide

Brunch with Girlfriends

This weekend let's do brunch!

I'm looking forward to brunching this saturday with some girlfriends. I love the idea of brunch but somehow never seem to actually make it happen. So I'm pretty excited! We're going to a local a favorite, Nolen Kitchen but if you're more in the mood to stay home here are a few things that i've flagged for the future.

Savory Monkey Bread with Dill Butter sounds amazing but I know me and I'd probably always choose the original.

A Giant Frittata is a delicious and easy option that can made in advance.

This Yogurt Panna Cotta recipe sounds like dessert to me but Deb from Smitten Kitchen says its breakfast so I won't argue with the expert!

Huevos Rancheros are a favorite in our house even for dinner.

Oh and as always a good brunch cocktail is key!

- Heath

Table setting image of Ann Spiro's home via Cush and Nooks, Sunglasses via Marc by Marc Jacobs via ShopBop, Mimosa via The kitchn and clutch Kayu 

Summer Squeeze!

I know it's super cliché to say that this summer is flying by too quickly.  It really is, but I'm actually kind of looking forward to fall!  I think summer doesn't technically end until September 21st, but mentally summer ends for me after Labor Day.  (Once football begins, I'm thinking fall!)  So, to really squeeze the most out of this last month of summer Heath and I each made a list of our top 3 things we'd really like to do this month to feel like we've properly enjoyed this season!

Mary Keller's Top 3:

Enjoy a Low Country Boil - I really feel like my summer is incomplete without a good old fashioned casual shrimp boil!  We still haven't taken our annual beach vacation this year and are planning to have a fun shrimp boil while we're at the beach for Labor Day. 

Eat Lots of Fresh Tomatoes - with our kitchen being out of commission for half of the summer, we really haven't taken advantage of the delicious tomatoes (or corn!) that come with summer.  We definitely plan to change that these next few weeks.  (Lot's of tomato recipe ideas here.)

Make a Peach Cobbler - I really hate to think that I could go all summer without homemade peach cobbler.  I'm thinking we may need to try this recipe with blackberries asap!

Heath's Top 3:

Make Homemade Popsicles or Ice Cream - Before the season ends Heath's hoping to make some type of homemade cool treat to enjoy on these last few hot weeks!  These Watermelon Mojito Popsicles look really yummy, and so does this Ultimate Peach Ice Cream recipe.  Smitten Kitchen's also been showing off some really fancy popsicles!

Make Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches - this one may sound tricky, but the fish monger at our local fish market swears these are super easy and sooo amazing!  (If you're local to Charlotte, Clean Catch often has crabs on special.)  This Food&Wine recipe looks really good, and I think Gwyneth Paltrow's first cookbook (my favorite) also has a really good looking crab sandwich recipe. 

Drink More Rose' - as Heath says, this one is self explanatory!  Perfect wine for summer evenings!

Don't you love how all of our remaining summer plans are food related! :)  What does everyone else really want to do these last few weeks of summer?

~ Mary Keller

Images:  Low Country Boil via Coastal Living; Tomatos via Martha Stewart; Peach Cobbler via SundayMorningBananaPancakes; Watermelon Mojito Popsicles via Endless Simmer;  Soft Shell Crab Sandwich via Food & Wine; Rose image by Michael Bullock via Camille Styles



Perfect This Recipe | Fish Taco Winner

Last week MK and I spent the evenings Perfecting our Fish Taco recipe. Today we have results. That delicious photo above is this Blackened Baja Taco recipe and it was the winner! We'll go into a few more details next but let me just tell you they were awesome and super easy.

We made each taco with a few different sauces, slaws and topping but were sure to test the fish alone to make sure knew which one stood on its own as the best. The Blackened Baja Taco recipe could not have been easier. Mix a few spices, rub your fish of choice down and you're ready to cook. For this recipe we made the jalapeno onion slaw included in the recipe and it was perfect. The onions gave each taco a good crunch, the sour cream, cilantro and lime were cool and fresh and the jalapeno and spices gave it heat. Prep for the entire meal took about 10 minutes total. We're also talking about making a larger batch of the spice mixture to keep on hand for making fish tacos even faster in the future.

Next on our list was Katie Lee's Fish Tacos. They were similar in flavor to us but just didnt quite have enough oomph. We also made her chipotle sauce which was included with the recipe and topped the tacos with her Black Bean, Avocado and Mango Salsa. To me it was just too much but I may just prefer a more simple taco. I will say the salsa was a great change from the regular ole Pica de Gallo though!

If we're being honest the next three just weren't that great, nothing to write about really. Now we are obviosuly not professional food critics but the rest just weren't worth making again in our opinion.

Did anyone else test recipes and have good results? Like I mentioned earlier we're definitely making these again. They are the perfect easy weeknight meal and pretty healthy too. I'm planning to mix the "taco seasoning" this week to keep on hand already mixed and ready for fish tacos.

Hope you guys found a go to recipe!

- Heath

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday team! Hope you guys had a good week. We had a pretty slow week which you can tell from the photos above. Andy and I celebrated a small work thing earlier this week with charcuterie and wine, my favorite! I started a few mornings off with my favorite mug. I love how one small thing can have such a large impact on my day. We went for a nice walk around the neighborhood last night since its been cooling down some in the evenings and I treated myself to a few girl scout cookies and ice cream! 

I'm pretty excited for what's in store for us this weekend. We're staying home tonight and finishing up our fish taco tasting and making my favorite margarita too! Tomorrow we're heading to Columbia for the night to celebrate MK, JD and their new addition with friends out on the lake. And here are a few fun things I found online… 

Loving this Mezcal Tasting!

Just discovered this Henry and Belle's line of Denim out of Chicago and I think I may have to stop by on my trip in September. (via The Everygirl) 

After seeing Naomi's pictures of their family trip home to Moab, Utah I have officially put this on my places to visit list. Those red rocks are ridiculous! 

Just discovered this vintage jewelry site and I'm loving everything. 

After seeing MK and Joanna write about Pinhole Press recently I think its time to get focused and make a wedding album. 

Hope you guys have a good weekend! 

-Heath

Salsas, Sauces and Slaws oh my!

Since we're perfecting our fish taco recipe this week it's the perfect time to talk about taco toppings and garnishes. Our go to is usually guacamole (quickly mixed in a mortar and pestle), grated cheese, lime wedges and whatever salsa we have on hand. But in the name of testing this week we're branching out and plan to try a few different things. Take a look.

We've been making something similar to this Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salsa for a while now. It's super simple to make with fresh ingredients, you just chop and combine! And even easier to make if you just throw together your favorite store bought salsa with sliced avocado, a can of corn and black beans. The short cut version won't be as light as the fresh version but if you're super short on time and have those items on hand it can work in a pinch. I'm looking forward to trying this Black Bean, Avocado and Mango Salsa with Katie Lee's tacos. Mango isn't usually my first choice but i'm curious to give it another try. Sounds yummy and definitely different than our typical toppings. I usually go for a standard salsa over the tomatillo when given the option but this recipe has me reconsidering. I bet this cool Tomatillo Pico de Gallo would be delicious paired with a spicy piece of fish. And you could always add a red tomato too for color.

This Cilantro Lime Crema is so easy there is no reason not to mix it up to top all your tacos. If you like a smoother sauce, throw all your ingredients in a food processor for a silky texture. If you have a few extra minutes though, I think the added flavor that this Roasted Jalapeno Crema has would be amazing on pretty much anything. We're also testing this Creamy Chipotle Sauce from Katie Lee's tacos this week. We don't usually cook with chipotle peppers so I'm anxious to see the difference in flavors. Since these peppers are canned you could add these to your staple pantry list too so it's easy to whip up at any time. Note - we keep plain yogurt (low fat if you'd like) in the refrigerator at all times and it's the perfect ingredient to stand in for sour cream and mayonnaise in these recipes.

Slaws are the toppings we usually skip at home. I think its because they seem to be time consuming but I also think they make the biggest difference in the cool and crunch factor of a taco. We're going to try the Creamy Lemon Slaw with Cup of Jo's tacos but we picked up red cabbage for color. If you like fruity toppings you may try this Cilantro Jalapeno Pineapple Slaw. Seems like it has a good balance of spicy and sweet. And this Margarita Slaw sounds like a great staple to know!

And nothing beats a few sprigs of cilantro, lime wedges, diced tomatoes and grated cheese!

Any toppings and garnishes we missed? What are your favorites?

- Heath

Images top to bottom: Cooking Classy, Closet Cooking, Bon Appetit, and Jess Dang via Cup of Jo

Book Club!

Our book club has been slack this month we still haven't selected an August book!  Does anyone have a really good suggestion?  I threw out the idea of The Great Gatsby (it's been years since I read it and I still haven't seen the movie) but most the group yawned at that idea.  What good books are out there right now that we're missing?  Below are a few I've seen floating around internet.

I just heard about The Telling Room on the blog Dinner a Love Story.  It looks really good but I'm afraid it's going to make me crave specialty cheese and a trip to Spain after reading it!

I've been seeing lots of buzz about the book Wild around the internet.  It doesn't sound like something I would typically enjoy (I'm not that into hiking or the wilderness!) but all the buzz makes me think we should give it a consideration.

I first heard about the novel The Language of Flowers on Katiedid's beautiful blog.  Loved her recap of her beautiful table, menu and bookclub selection when her book club enjoyed this book a long time ago!  Lately I've been seeing this book everywhere so it must be pretty good?

Does anyone have any great reads that we should know about?  We'd love any suggestions!

~Mary Keller

The Language of Flowers image via GoodReads; all other images via Amazon

Perfect This Recipe | Fish Tacos

Now that my kitchen is almost back together, I'm ready to get back to cooking!  When Heath and I first came up with the idea of "Perfecting a Recipe" we put together a list of favorite meals that we wanted to really master.  Classic dishes that we wanted to be able to whip up with little thought.  (First we tried pizza dough, and there was a clear winner!)  Next up is a summer favorite: Fish Tacos!  A really good taco, homemade guacamole and a not-too-sweet Margarita is really one of my all time favorite meals.  This week we'll be testing out lots of different Fish Taco recipes to decide which version we personally like best.

Here's our line up:

A Cup of Jo's Best Fish Tacos You'll Ever Have (With Panko!) - this recipe is baked with panko, looks like it may be a healthy alternative to a fried taco!

Cooking Light's Baked Fish Taco - add a few spices to the fish and pop them in the oven, looks very easy, and perfect for a weeknight!

Smitten Kitchen's Fish Tacos, learned straight from Playa Del Carmen, Mexico - looks like a classic, simple version without much fuss.

Cooking Light's Blackened Baja Tacos - looks quick and easy in a cast iron pan, and the blackened crust is a little different!

Katie Lee's Fish Tacos - marinated and then simply sautéed.

Grocery List:

Lots of Tilapia, Mahi Mahi or Preferred White Fish

Egg & Panko

Lots of limes & Cilantro

Onion, & Red Pepper

Tortillas (corn or flour)

Pantry items: Paprika, Thyme, Oregano, Cayenne Pepper/Red Pepper, Brown Sugar, Garlic Power, Cumin, Coriander, Salt, Black Pepper and Oil

Garnish Ideas:

Cilantro Leaves, thinly sliced cabbage, thinly sliced onion, roasted corn, sliced avocado, jalapenos, hot sauce, tomatillo salsa, sour cream

Above is the main grocery list and recipes if you'd like to test these recipes along with us.  (The grocery list is really for the items to cook the fish, not for all of the cream sauces that are listed with some of these recipes.  For the purposes are our experiment, we really wanted to figure out what spices and method of cooking we like best for the fish!)  We'll be posting some fun garnish, topping and salsa ideas on Wednesday if you'd like to try those too, and then we'll report back next Monday on which combination and recipe we like best!  Let us know if you have an awesome recipe we should try too.

~Mary Keller

Image via Aggie's Kitchen

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone!  I'm so excited that the weekend is here!  This week has mainly consisted of work and checking things off my random to-do list.  I picked up the Michelle Armas print for the baby's nursery, I'm rethinking and considering a different rug solution, and things are starting to little better in the baby's room.  I also finally finished a Pinhole Press Photo Book from my vacation with J.D. last year.  I seriously love these little mini photo books.  They're pricey, but J.D. and I are trying to make one for all major vacations so we'll have a little collection over time.

This weekend Heath and I are taking a day trip home to do a major closet purge on my mom's closet.  It should be fun!!  And then I'm attending a baby shower for a good friend from high school while we're in town.  I'm so excited to see friends I haven't seen in such a long time.

A few things that caught my eye this week:

Love Simple Lovely's post on Holding Out For The Right One.  So much easier said than done.  It's so tempting to fill empty spots in your wardrobe, home, etc., especially in our consumer driven world.

I want to make Smitten Kitchen's Banana, Nutella and Salted Pistachio Popsicles.  I LOVE pistachios.

Enjoyed Meg Biram's post of 5 Easy Healthy Habits, even though they all aren't practical to me.  It's perfect motivation for me to keep moving and staying active these last 2 months of my pregnancy!

Last thing, if you missed it yesterday, Heath's on a handbag hunt, and that means trouble for Andy because Heath takes handbags very seriously! :)  I too am in need of a new bag, but I haven't quite figured out how to work the diaper bag/purse combination. 

Hope everyone has a relaxing weekend!  Do something summery because Football season is just about here!  J.D. emailed me today about going to the Panther's preseason game next weekend!  :)
~Mary Keller

Handbag Hunt

I've been on the lookout lately for a new handbag. I am not a habitual bag changer so I spend a lot of time and effort really sorting through, picking out and finally purchasing a bag for myself. Its a big decision, not to mention cost. I'm currently sporting a navy Clare Vivier Messenger bag (seen above in black) with the camel foldover clutch I mentioned here inside. To say I like this duo is an understatement. I like it so much that I have not changed handbags (besides the easy transition from one to the other - see below) since I bought this messenger bag last September. And the only reason I'm in the market for a new bag is to help save my two favorite bags. It's just not the best for bags to be worn and worn so i'm hoping to introduce something new to my arm for a little while to give those guys a much needed break.

I want to do something similar next because the transition from day to night with this duo is so seamless. I keep all my essentials right inside the clutch and keep unnecessary things like my planner, prescriptions sunglasses etc. in the larger handbag. That way in the evening or whenever I'm feeling like ditching my large bag I can just grab my clutch and go. No thought required. So here's what I've come up with…

Clockwise from top left: Kate Spade Westward Satchel, ONE by Meli Melo Thela Bag, Clare Vivier La Tropezienne, Rachel Nasvik Phoebe, Madewell Kensington Satchel, Fossil Erin Satchel

Clockwise from top left: J. Crew Tartine Satchel, Kate Spade Cobble Hill Mink, Clare Vivier Duffel, Annabel Ingall Isabella Tote,  J.Crew Brompton Hobo, Cole Haan Zoe Structured Satchel

I've sorted through a ton the last few weeks and have narrowed it down to these. I'll be honest with you, some of these are out of my price range (a lot of them actually :( ) so i'd have to watch for them on sale but I like to go ahead and identify what i'm watching for in advance. My criteria was a medium to large bag that isn't overly stiff, leather, gold hardware and preferably cognac, camel or gray color families.  I've included a few other colors here but you can tell the theme is a super simple leather bag.

The prices of these guys are pretty much all over the board. None are what I would consider cheap but I didn't expect that considering I wanted leather. What do you guys think? Do you love or hate any of these? Any stores or brands I should try?

- Heath

Top image via Chelsea Wears