summer heat, parto dos

The other good thing about this late summer heat is that our garden seems to be loving it...even though I'm hating watering the garden right now.

We ended up having to pick some of those green tomatoes.  They weighed so much that they snapped the branches on which they were growing.  It's the perfect excuse to make fried green tomatoes. (And force Dan to watch the movie with me??)

Oh, and that morning glory in the top picture? There's a story, or really a lack of a story behind it.  I really, I mean really, really wanted morning glories.  I wanted them to go around the sign post for the b&b.  I have a soft spot for morning glories.  Unfortunately, they need a lot of direct morning sunlight, which that sign just does. not. get.  I wanted morning glories so badly, I debated whether or not to chop down the tree in the front yard, just so the sign could get more sun.  Obviously, I decided against that and figured I would just forgo morning glories.  There will be future gardens with more sun, I told myself.

Lo and behold, in the back yard, a vine started to grow one day.  And it kept growing and growing.  I couldn't really tell where it was coming from; it didn't match my other plants.  But since I have a hard time distinguishing weeds from plants, I just let it keep going.  Until one day, to my wonder and delight, it bloomed.  And it's a morning glory!  I didn't plant it.  Dan didn't plant it. My mom didn't plant it.  Nobody knows how it got there.  It just magically grew.  It's my favorite of all the plants. I love seeing its beautiful, mysterious blooms every morning when I look out the kitchen window.

september heat, parto uno

The past few days have been recording-breakingly hot.  The heat brought us to the beach:

Camden's beach isn't the greatest, but somehow, when it's 97 degrees outside and you've just spent 5 hours melting in your non-air conditioned house, Camden's beach seems to magically turn itself into a glorious Caribbean vacation destination.  I think the heat was maybe getting to me more than I realized...Regardless, the ocean felt unbelievable.  We went swimming! I can cross it off my list of things to do.  (Phew!)  We also found lots and lots of sea glass! I guess there is an upside to all of this heat.

EmersonMade

Alright, alright, I know she's been posted all over blog-land already.  But I just can't get enough of her!  On a regular basis, I find myself searching for that picture of her pantry that was posted on Design*Sponge.  Seriously. Like I've done it twice in the past five days.  And since, geographically speaking, I can't force you all to sit down with me and look at the glory that is this pantry, well, I am going to make you look at it now.

Ahhhh.  Isn't that just...beautiful?  I love it.  L. O. V. E.  All of the beautiful rows of jars, filled with mysterious and delicious things.  Don't you just want to know what's in them?  I could never imagine having that many pantry items, but if I could have a pantry like this, you'd better believe that I'd buy every bean and flour and spice I could find to fill these jars! I get giddy just thinking about organizing it all.  

If I had this pantry, I honestly don't know that I would ever leave it.  I would probably just sit on that floor staring up at the pretty jars filled with pretty colors.  The rest of the house would have to be pretty amazing to lure me away from this sight.  Let's take a look:

Alright.  Where to begin.  I love those little chairs, although I don't think they look very comfortable.  I love the texture of the rug.  I love the table runner (which is made by Emerson and can be bought on her website).  I love the vintage map on the mantle.  It's of the coast from New York to Maine (they moved from NYC to Portsmouth, NH, so this symbolizes their trip and looks pretty). 

Beautiful.  I love the sink and the open shelves and the butcher block counter top.  And most of all I love how they stuck the knife and scissors into it! I want to do that. 

French! French! Honestly, would it be possible for me to want this house any more?? J'adore.  Oh, and that chenille bedspread? Yup. Love that too.  I actually asked my dad the other day if we still have these chenille bedspreads that belonged to his parents.  The answer was no.  Alas. I have been meaning to do a post on blankets, but it's just been too hot here to think about extra layers.

Oh, another blanket that would have been will be featured in my blanket post. I'm not positive that that's a Hudson Bay blanket, but if not, it looks pretty darn close.  And a Hudson Bay blanket is on my lifetime "to buy" list.  Can you have one of those? I just made that up.  But I think it's a good idea. 

I think this laundry room miiiiiight, just might, even making doing laundry fun...Well, also, if I had clothes like this, it would be fun.  Also, if I had clothes like this, I'd probably take them to the dry cleaner's:

Oh, speaking of clothes, Emerson designs them.  Thought she was just phenomenal at decorating her home? Nope.  Turns out she's a jill of many trades.

Aren't her clothes gorgeous? I would love to own that tweed blazer.  Who are we kidding? I would love to own any of this.  She started out making those little fabric flowers and has blown up into an entire line.  Oh and p.s. just when you thought she couldn't get any more amazing?? That's her modeling the clothes.  Geesh. 

house photos from Design*Sponge and clothing photos from EmersonMade

john derian for target

Many bloggers posted about John Derian's latest Target line in mid-August.  Somehow, perhaps because of this sweltering heat, that seems like so long ago that I almost forgot about it.   But guess what? It  comes out September 5th!  That's only a few days away.  So get ready to raid your local Target store when it opens Sunday morning!

 

All images from L.A. at Home

first of september

Happy First of September! It certainly doesn't feel like September up here. It's already in the 80s and is expected to reach the mid-90s today.  I'm hoping to swim in the ocean today.  It's something on my list of things to do this summer and I haven't had the chance yet.

Also, Dan and I are officially heading to NYC and Boston next week/weekend!  We figured it will be a bit slower in B&B world and we should get a trip in while we can.  Dan has only ever been to NYC once before and only for 24 hours at that.  Aside from visiting friends and family (and trying our darndest to find the Cash Cab), does anyone have a recommendation of things for Dan (and me) to see? Preferably inexpensive things?