Tuesday Food Day

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Pan-seared Scallops

4 large dry scallops
salt
pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white wine
"Pat the scallops dry with towel or paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the scallops (both sides). Heat olive oil in a frying pan (don’t use non-stick) over high heat. When oil is hot, place the scallops in the pan with at least one or two inches between them (so they don’t crowd and steam one another). After two minutes, the base should be browned nicely. Flip the scallops and cook for another minute or until base is browned. Remove from heat and set on serving dish(es). While still on high heat, drop a pat of butter into the pan. Move the pat around the pan until melted completely. Pour in the wine and use a whisk or spoon to scrape the fond from the pan and stir it into the liquid. Leave the heat on high and let the sauce boil until it reduces to desired consistency. Immediately remove from heat and serve with scallops."

recipe via use real butter

Are you drooling yet?  This is what I cooked one night for supper last week and it turned out just like this.
 Ha, what a joke!
 I will say these scallops were absolutely delicious but I burned the hell out of the sauce. She mentions putting your pan under a ginormous flame-meaning crank it as high as it would go. Lets just say don't do that with a cast iron skillet.   3 smoke alarms alerted us the house must be on fire due to all the smoke.  So as you can imagine, we ended up with a "burnt butter sauce".   I ditched that and started over on a lower heat.  Not quite like the one above but it was delicious nonetheless! 

 I served them on a bed of  grilled zucchini and yummo!!!

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Grilled Zucchini Salad
serves one

2 small zucchini
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I used basil, mint, tarragon, and cilantro)
salt and pepper
lemon juice

"Using a mandoline (or a steady hand and sharp knife) very thinly slice the zucchini.
Toss the zucchini in olive oil and salt and pepper.
On a hot grill pan or indoor grill, sear the zucchini until dark marks appear, about 30 seconds. Flip over and repeat on the other side.
Toss the grilled zucchini in a bowl with the fresh herbs and a hefty squeeze of lemon. Taste and add more salt if needed."

recipe via Not Without Salt

I will definitely give both these recipes a whirl again!
So what have you been cooking lately?  I want to hear!
 Is it just me or has everyone ditched their cookbooks for recipes on Pinterest (that's where I found both of these)???!!!

Bits & Pieces

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  We most definitely did!  Spent two evenings on the boat, went crabbing, worked around the house, watched a really good/saddest movie ever (The Descendants), went to a good friend's baby shower (with babygirl attending-came  a little earlier than expected but all is well and the party still happened!!!), gave the boys both haircuts, ate lots and lots of boiled peanuts, and finished our gallery wall!!  Wish I had taken more pictures to document all of our events but jut didn't happen.

I know you have all seen the July/August issue of House Beautiful by now but the one article that stuck out to me most was the "Five Rooms in One."  Did y'all see this?  Wow.  Crazy this space is only 425 square feet!  The designer, Zach Motl, features his own Brooklyn studio and it is bachelor pad perfection in my eyes.  

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This daybed jumped off the page at me.  What a statement piece. 

 Crazy of all crazies is it is an IKEA Malm twin bed! 

I know.  

It really is.  

They took the headboard from a second twin frame to replace the footboard of the other twin.  Love this idea and how economical.  

And that chair and the broad check throw folded in the seat.  Love it all in it's masculine glory!

On a completely different note, (and in no way comparing) another idea for using IKEA beds in a different way.  

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Do you remember our daybeds in the playroom?  We used two Odda frames and put them together to create one long "sofa bed."  

 I am planning to get a bunch of pillows to line the back of the frames so it will be squishy and comfy for the boys.  And yes, I still have yet to put the mattress ticking spreads on the beds...still waiting on Little R's new spreads to come.

Back to Work

  Coming off a week and a half vacation, Monday was freak out day!  My list of "to dos" was a mile long because I had totally checked out over the past ten days.   I don't think I have worked this hard all year!!! 

Here are a few pieces I have been working on this week...

Commissioned piece:

Brothers 

 A series of 3 paintings for Little Stuart's room.

The sweetest and funniest little guy you will ever meet.  And you must check out his super talented mom's ETSY site here.  We grew up together, went to college together and married best buds-how lucky and weird is that??!!!

On to a few abstracts I have been working on.   

Note to self-bring my nice camera to work next time.  The Iphone takes great pictures overall but when it comes to artwork, I really need a good camera with a great lens!

 Abstract 1

Abstract 2

Abstract 3

Abstract 4

I'm not sure how I feel about this last one.  I think it needs to be framed and it may speak to me more then.  All of these paintings are painted on 16"X16" watercolor paper with acrylic paint.

Now changing gears here.  I cannot tell you how proud I am of my little R!!!  He had his first tennis lesson day before yesterday and he was a NATURAL!!!!  His dad is a huge tennis player and I grew up playing all my life until I hit college-ha!  Needless to say we were both hopeful that the little guy would take a liking to the sport.  So far so good and he actually has pretty good form.  

To end our badgers night the other night, they had story time with "DaaDeee." What a precious moment.  They love getting all "snugged up" as Big R says and reading books.  

(I know, so pitiful that I still jam Mr. Big into a baby sleepsack.  He is clearly to big and old to be in one but he loves it so.  Have I told you he has kicked a huge hole out the bottom because it is too small for him.  He wiggles his foot out and touches my leg every night when going to bed.  Can y'all see it below?  My sweet baby:))

Bookshelf + Wall Styling

I know I promised pictures of my gallery wall and bookshelves earlier this week.  Well, they aren't complete...STILL.  But I thought I would show you what I have so far.  I got a great idea from Young House Love on how to go about making a gallery wall.  

Lay out your pictures on the floor

I used computer paper because I couldn't find our newspaper to make templates of each piece of art

Taped the paper together to make the right size.

This is where I got impatient and hasty with my work.  I literally eyeballed the paintings that were laying on the floor and just taped the coordinating piece of paper to the wall wherever I thought it looked right.

Once again, eyeballed where I thought the nail should go and marked it with an "X."

The you just hammer a nail into each "X" and rip the paper away.  Then hang your art.  Really pretty easy but I could have been more diligent with my measuring.

This is how I first hung them...

This is how I changed it up slightly. I can't reach the top templates to put a nail in the wall so waiting on the hubs to help me.  I have a few more paintings to add...some below and some to the side so there will be another post with the finished wall to come!

On to the bookshelves.

These really turned out pretty grainy with the IPhone but you get the idea.  I am not loving these and will probably change them around again but for now.....

Still have artwork laying against the wall above the shelves and the bottom shelves need attention!

Not sure if I have shared this piece framed yet?  

It's for sale...any takers????

$100

(The one above on the right is $125)

And while we are on the subject of framed art...I hung a few pieces in Little R's room

His walls are not symmetrical on either side of the window, but I hung the art like they were.

Jut ordered new spreads for him and I'm going to pick up his campaign chest/side table so there will for sure be more updated pics of his room to come!

Swiffer Vac

This post is going to be short and sweet.

This Swiffer Vac is a game changer!  Anyone with dark hardwood floors knows how easy it is to spot dust bunnies, dog hair, crumbs, etc...this is the answer to your prayers!  Seriously, if you don't have one, you need one.  It has all the important components wrapped into one cordless body!  Vacuum and a Swiffer in one!!!  

Enough said.  

Summer Loves

Loving this new to me color by Essie. 

"Poppy Art Pink"

I went crazy at the Walgreens at the beach and bought all kinds of unnecessary junk.  

This was by far my best purchase along with this...

"No Chips Ahead"

I have never been one to pull off the painted fingernail look.  It doesn't make much sense for me seeing that I always have paint all over my hands-permanently and I keep my fingernails too short.  They look so silly painted, I think!  So this clear polish is the perfect answer for my nails.  Adds the perfect natural glossy look!

Having serious addiction problems with this beverage and every flavor they have to offer.  Anyone else having this problem this summer?  I do not love drinking water, but these I can take down in a second flat!  Have you tried the grapefruit or the lemon flavors??!!!  So refreshing on a hot Southern day!!

Another serious problem for me are ripe peaches!  

Can't get enough.  

And the color.  

My goodness, just gorgeous!!!

John Robshaw textiles are pretty awesome too, don't you think? 

 Love this design and the color combo.

Novel. has a stamp and now a Tumblr account.  

Come follow along and see what we're are up too!!!

Trunk Show + The Fourth

Where did I leave off?  I think we were heading to St. Simons for our Novel. trunk show.  Well, we made it in case you were wondering since you haven't heard from me since!  Our friend Julie owns Petite Maison and what a fabulous shop!!!  You can see from the sign that they carry home decor, antiques and gifts.  Such a great spot and look at how darn cute the shop is!!  Doesn't it look like someone lives here?  We had such an awesome time and ran into a few old friends who stopped in to say hello!

blue chickadee 

large canvas tote

$27

paintings

$75-$125

blue chickadee 

hand painted hand towels

$22 each

Girls night out on the town!!  Lauren, on the far left, owns Library-vintage clothes and accessories.  Julie, in the purple dress, owns Petite Maison.  Liza is next to me in the pink , she owns Bon Vivant and I am on the far right.  We were missing our fourth wheel, Miss Jane Pope Cooper of Balboa and Jane Pope Collection, because she is due any day to have a little mini Coop!!!  Fun times and hope we will get back to Sea Island/St. Simons again soon!

While I was away, Little R went to Camp Perri (our awesome friend/sitter who puts on camps all summer for the little ones)!!!  You may have seen photos from the camp on Facebook here.  She is such an amazing person and super creative!  She had all the campers bring their bikes to camp and decorate them for the Fourth of July!!!  And the tie-dyed their shirts!!!

Another surprise, but this time for the hubby!  Big R's real estate company has a photographer who came to our house and took a few photos of the kiddos and me.  He has heard him complain one too many times about how he had nothing on the walls of his office, so to surprise him, he came and took pictures of us and blew them up to 12"X24" and framed them for his office.  How nice is that!!!  I'm not sure how I feel about myself being blown up so large but I think it's adorable of the boys!!

Now on the the week of the Fourth-hence my absence from the blogging world!  We headed up to Pawleys Island to visit my family for the week. 

 This is what I'm going to miss the most-the uninterrupted view!!!

Parade day at Pawleys

Dad aka "Rabbit" with Little R

The cousins

Mr. Big aka "Terror"-both such nice nicknames my mom has dubbed our child!!!

Little R

 One of my favorites.

High Tide on the dock

So hopefully I can keep up this week with regular posting!!!  I have been working on my bookshelves and gallery wall finally so hope to share some photos of both this week!!!