flavor of the week

image via: design sponge

end of summer...

these photos remind me of august 2004 when me and 3 of my best girlfriends lived in a big house in chilmark, massachusettes that sat on 55 acres of waterfront property. although there were 4 bedrooms, we all bunked together in the kid's room, where we would talk and laugh until we fell asleep. it was such a special summer that i often think about. lucky for me, i get to see one of those ladies tomorrow!






photos via: remodelista

sweet ginger

i found this recipe for homemade ginger ale in Imbibe Magazine (possibly one of the best places to find tasty drinks with exciting ingredients). the actual recipe is non-alcoholic but i really prefer it with booze, so, i add stoli vanilla vodka to make it more delicious.



Ingredients:
2 cups unpealed, washed, fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 cups sugar
6 cups water
8 cups of chilled sparkling water

After chopping ginger, put into a food processor until finely chopped.
Place into a large stock pot. Add sugar and water and stir. Bring to
a boil and then reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for
about 1 hour until a syrup is created. Strain the syrup twice through
cheese cloth or sieve into a large jar. Set aside to cool then place in
fridge. Once chilled, fill you glass with ice, add a shot (or 2) with
stoli vanilla, add your ginger syrup and top off with sparkling water.

I like to add a lime or another piece of fruit to the glass to make it
pretty.

i'd rather be partying...

hard.






image via: dylan forsberg

flavor of the week

I like Emily Henson's interiors A LOT. she is a prop stylist/interior decorator and has worked with anthropologie which makes her job extra cool.

good find

after 3 hours of scouring the long beach antique market on sunday, i bought these vintage highball glasses for $18. there were also matching black lowball glasses, which, in hindsight i probably should have purchased as well. i really hoped to leave the market with more than glasses...i guess i'll just have to hit the rose bowl flea market extra hard next month.

uniform

a few variations of what i've been sporting all summer long







1. carrera $120 2. alc $485 3. abercrombie & fitch $29.89 4. essie $8 5. dolce vita $39.90

flavor of the week

how easy?! i'm pretty sure i saw all of these pieces at the long beach flea market this past weekend.

pickle time

i've been making big batches of these zucchini pickles for the past couple of summers. they're real crowd pleasers. they taste like bread and butters but better. i've been eating them on burgers, as a side on cheese plates and just straight out of the jar.



Makes about 6 cups

2 1/2 pounds zucchini, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 cups Champagne vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

Toss first 3 ingredients in large colander. Place in sink and let drain 2 hours. Rinse vegetables; drain. Transfer to kitchen towels. Gentle squeeze vegetables to dry. Place in 8-cup glass measuring cup or large bowl.

Bring vinegar and all remaining ingredients to boil in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes. Pour vinegar mixture over zucchini mixture, pressing on vegetables to submerge. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill overnight. Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep pickles chilled.

gonzo

hells angels. hunter s. thompson. read it.





images via: life magazine and filmdrunk

new england vintage

i can't even begin to express how excited i was when i found this flickriver site! this guy's love of volkswagons, connecticut and all things vintage is right up my alley. i spent over an hour looking at these photos and had so many favorites, it was so hard to pick my fave 5...







images via: 63vwdriver

flavor of the week

love chloe sevigny's hallyway which is covered in kelly wearstler' s imperial trellis wallpaper

madness

what the weekend has in store...


huntington beach us open

ta da!

my new beach bag has arrived and it is perfect aside from the rope color. red? really? i would have much preferred natural or a contrasting blue, but whatever...



this bag, which is the product of a recent roxy/cynthia rowley collaboration fits all my daily beach needs: multiple mags, a book, water bottle, an array of spf and even my big vietnamese blanket!




roxy daybreak bag $56.99

wish list

month of august necessities:








1. 3.1 pillip lim $250 2. current elliott $150 3. DVF $129 4. Vanessa Bruno Athé $175 5. tylie malibu $198

herbs

i am in the early stages of imagining how my back deck will be decorated. before i even begin with the chairs and table and a possible outdoor rug, i want to focus on the set-up of my herbs. unlike my planters back in portland, i want something interesting and original to plant my little greens in. the problem is, i'm really tired of everything i've seen. here are 2 of the best bets:







images via: purplearea, martha stewart living

flavor of the week

the only thing i'd change are the curtains