Summer leisure comes in all forms, and lately, it’s been about enjoying our new home: exploring the surrounding neighborhoods, entertaining friends, and chipping away at the zillions of household projects we’ve undertaken.
Coffee and an *excellent* croissant from Boot and Shoe Service (pictured) followed by the Grand Lake Farmer’s Market just may be my new Saturday morning ritual. The stars of the market this week were dry farmed tomatoes, charentais melons, and plums so gorgeous I displayed them under a glass cloche on my dining room table instead of hiding them in the kitchen. Added bonus of visible fruit: my toddler has been asking to snack on plums instead of cheesy bunnies. Winner: everybody.
I was so inspired by all of the “Ikea hacks” I found while sprucing up the Little Lady’s “Tarva” dresser that I decided to hack a “Vittsjo” bookcase for my son’s nursery, too. The curves of his Pottery Barn Kids “Hayden” crib have always reminded me of the Golden Gate Bridge, so the corny sentimentalist in me decided that painting something “International Orange” in his room just felt right. Full details on this project (as well as the rest of my son’s nautical nursery) forthcoming!
We hosted some dear friends for Sunday brunch, something I especially love to do the day after the farmer’s market when I’m still pumped up about my purchases. Prather Ranch uncured maple bacon, a big ole’ fruit plate, and some pastries from Boot and Shoe Service (I have a problem) rounded out a menu starring our brunch standard, the Smitten Kitchen Spinach & Cheese Strata. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: every Smitten Kitchen recipe I’ve tried has been just dreamy. I often hesitate to use recipes from blogs, preferring instead to use bulletproof, tried-and-true sources like America’s Test Kitchen, Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. But Deb has never failed me, and I truly use the recipe archives on her blog like a cookbook.
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