Bolt House Textiles

I am so ready for summer.  And ready to decorate my beach house.  Oh yeah, I don't have one...yet.  But, if I did, I would put lots of Bolthouse textiles in there!  This company is so cool - you can mix and match the fabrics and colors to make your own whatever...bolts of fabric, pillows, custom light fixtures, etc.  I'm in love with their photography.  Doesn't it just make you crave going to the beach?!

Roasted Carrots with Yogurt and Chive Sauce

Yummy side dish to go with lots of good summer grilled foods.  Toss chopped carrots in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with fresh chopped chives.  Serve over the carrots.

Best Pasta Salad

I ate this twice in one week. It's that good. I saw the recipe on Pinterest but it originally came from here. Make it...now!  You can thank me later.

Tuesday Tip: 5 Uses for Vodka I bet you never thought of!

This one is courtesy of my pops.

Goo Remover: Got a price tag, sticker or label that just won't peel off? Bring on the vodka. Simply saturate a sponge (or paper towel) with the strong stuff, apply to the sticker and wait about a minute. The paper (and tacky residue) will come right off.
Chrome "shiner": Restore the beauty of chrome fixtures in seconds with this easy trick. Just moisten a soft cloth with vodka, then rub down the fixture. Good as new. (This will also work on porcelain and glass!)
Room Deodorizer: Since air fresheners can often leave a room smelling worse, try this no-odor fix. Fill a spritzer bottle with a 1:1 ratio of water to vodka (this is a good time for the cheap stuff) and mist the air. Surprisingly, the room won't smell like a vodka martini.
Bouquet Preserver: Bacteria growth can make a pretty bouquet fade fast. To prevent this, add a few drops of vodka to every time you change the water. The flowers will stay lovelier longer.
Shower Cleaner: The moist, humid environment inside a bathroom can often lead to mold. To clean AND prevent it from happening again, spritz the shower, curtain liner and all, with vodka. Chemical-free and effective.

Image and info from here.

Fabulous Mr. Fox

I finished him just in the nick of time for my dear friend Alice's baby shower.  Can't wait until the little guy is here and able to play with Mr. Fox!

A Book Club Baby Shower for Alice

Book club knows food as exemplified by Alice's Baby Shower food display!

Book club also got crafty.  We got motivated from Pinterest and made these "Ready to Pop" favors.  Each bag is filled with 1/4 cup of popcorn and you can pop it in the microwave directly in the brown bag.  A healthy snack!

PS I am obsessed with this chevron ribbon!

Sheridan French

Surprisingly I'm nowhere near over ikat.  I still can't get enough.  I've been wanting a swim coverup/tunic thingy in ikat but wasn't able to find one before I went to Aruba.  Of course I found one now:

The designer is Sheridan French.  As I've said a few times on this blog over the course of the years, I am not one to be taking fashion advice from.  That said, how cute are some of her other dresses and clothes?

Don't forget your purse!

And because this is, after all, a blog mostly about home and design, Sheridan French even has accents for the home...all in my beloved ikat.

As if you need another reason to love Sheridan French?  A children's line is coming soon!!

Outdoor Shower Love

One of my favorite things about going to the beach in the summer is using the outdoor shower.  I don't know why it is so fun to me.  It is mid-April and it was 40 some degrees outside.  When I was wishing it was warmer, I started thinking about the beach and outdoor showers came to mind.  Here are some good ones.  Filing away for inspiration for my beach house one day!  :)

source unknown

via Apartment Therapy

via Marie's Marche

via Design on Fire

via Econesting

via Multiply

via pinterest

via pinterest

via Seaglass

via TSJ photography