Dining outdoors is definitely one of my favorite perks of Summer. These shots from this month’s House Beautiful are a gorgeous example of an al fresco dining set-up; how fun is the window bar?
It has been a zillion degrees in my apartment for the past few weeks with this heat wave in Boston, which means I have been quite lazy with making dinners at home. I saw a recipe that required no stove time in this month’s House Beautiful and it finally inspired me to cook something up besides take out. This recipe was a perfect simple summer meal; I added on some grilled corn for a little extra color and flavor, and it turned out delicious!
I’m getting a case of interior boredom. We’re just re-signing the lease on our apartment for another year and lately I’ve been taking a look around and wondering “hmm, maybe I want to paint that” or “gosh, I’m over those curtains.” My biggest areas for interior daydreams are always the things I can’t change though — like the kitchen and bathroom. In the meantime I’ll just have to live vicariously through my Pinterest boards and dream of a bright white kitchen like this one for ‘someday.’
via House Beautiful
Sometimes I think I’m over chevron — but let’s be serious — I just can’t shake it. I love the idea of using wallpaper behind bookshelves; the black and white pattern here is such a graphic balance to the traditional style of the room. Now — where, oh where, can I get some shelves like these in my apartment?
Image via House Beautiful
I was sitting on my porch yesterday flipping through the new House Beautiful and enjoying the warm weather, it felt like such a treat to be outdoors. And just in time for Spring weather, I saw in the magazine this adorable picnic set from Acme Party Box Company. This would be such a cute gift to give a friend for a summer birthday — and the tote is cute enough to use everyday! I’m inspired now to get some picnicking in one weekend this Spring.
Image via House Beautiful
Sometimes I forget that back when I started this blog, it was all about interiors. Now I’m posting about parties and fashion and food and beauty… it’s easy to forget your roots. Until of course, something inspiring comes along and I’m right back to where I began, writing about gorgeous interior design. Two rooms in the past week have made that inspiration light bulb flicker on. One by Nick Olsen for House Beautiful, the other by Tori of Sitting In A Tree Events — both are very different, yet both polished and feminine. Which is your favorite?
Images 1, 2 via House Beautiful, 3, 4 via Glitter Guide
I’m back from Blogfest and am almost fully recovered; chatting with so many amazing bloggers and designers can really wear a girl out! But I have lots to share and thought I would start with first part of conference held at Hearst Tower. The opening lunch hosted by House Beautiful was gorgeous — peonies were the unofficial flower of the event, everyone was taking advantage of their short season. And do you see those giant bags on the chairs? These were the swag bags of all swag — magazines for days and my favorite freebie, a copy of the new book, House Beautiful Blue: 360 Ways To Decorate With Blue. I already started to pick through it on my train ride back and it’s beautiful.
Following the delicious welcome lunch and after making lots of new friends (whose blogs I’ll share later in the week) we listened in on a panel discussion with Hearst editors Newell Turner of House Beautiful, Dara Caponigro of Veranda, and Mark Rozzo of Town & Country. All three were incredibly gracious and very open when talking about magazines’ relationship with blogs, they all agreed that there’s a place for both mediums in the space. In fact, they called on bloggers for being the beat editors that find trends and sources in the places that big magazines don’t have the time or staff to cover. My favorite moment of the day was when Newell Turner proclaimed he maintained a no-diva policy at House Beautiful, he doesn’t waste his time on that — which is probably why the magazine has such a down to earth feel to it.
Then we capped off the day with some champagne before we were whisked off to the ELLE Decor Modern Life Concept House … more on that tomorrow!
