A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT GUIDE

My anniversary, birthday and Mother's Day all happen to fall in the same month - MAY! It's like a month long celebration. There will be fish tacos and picnics and walks in the sunshine and pictures and handwritten cards and big hugs from all my girls! I pulled together a Mother's Day gift guide of items I have and love along with a handful of things currently on my wishlist! If you can't get something shipped in time just remember "better late than never"! 😉

Jewelry, from GLDN
Love this jewelry company. Every piece is handmade to order in their Washington studio.

A diffuser, from Vitruvi
Stone diffusers so beautiful they pass as room decor.

Soft, pretty pajamas, from Lake
Made from the softest pima cotton and perfect for weekend brunching or watching the sunset with your toes in the sand.

Flower garden inspiration, from Floret Farm
A dreamy garden guide for every flower lover. (P.S. Floret Farm just released their second book, A Year in Flowers, that looks just as amazing!)

A sisal bath brush, from Anthropologie
Who doesn't love radiant skin? Pair this with your favorite body scrub and you've got a glowing gift.

French wine glasses, from Crate & Barrel
Did I mention they are just like the ones Ina Garten uses. How easy is that?

A facial in a jar, from True Botanicals
The best things come in small packages... (my favorite mask!)

Something to nurture, from Fast Growing Trees
I'm partial to the Meyer lemon trees (I have 2!) but olive trees are trending right now! Shipped straight to your door from their nursery in South Carolina.

Something pretty for her table, from Anthropologie
Love this old-world cake stand. Made in Italy, and perfect for anyone who entertains.

A gorgeous bouquet, from Grace Rose Farm
Organically grown with love in California. A beautiful gift that supports a small business.

Thanks for reading! Now go spoil your mama and buy her something nice! xx

A PLANTING PARTY FOR MADELINE & ROSIE

We celebrated our April birthday babies with a spring planting party last weekend! The girls and I have been reading lots of books about bees, butterflies and flowers and it sparked some interest when I suggested we throw a planting party for Madeline's 1st and Rosie's 3rd birthdays this month. We've planted quite a few shrubs since buying our home, but no flowers. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to fill our beds with blooms and let some eager little hands help us in the process.

Our backyard is partly shaded so I chose flowers that (I am hoping!) will do well in dappled sunlight: Endless Summer hydrangeas, Blue Moon phlox, Jacob's ladder, Bernadine clematis, foxgloves, comfrey (a gift from my mom!), and Birch Hybrid bellflower. I also found a couple of Madison Star Jasmine plants which can grow in full shade or full sun! Rosie received a hummingbird feeder and a butterfly bush for her birthday so we can add hummingbirds and butterflies to our list of backyard visitors now, too! 

I thought my nieces and nephews would enjoy filling the clay pots on my deck steps with herbs and flowers, but they were really only interested in helping Uncle Isaac plant the big stuff in the ground 😂 can't blame them, Uncle Isaac is pretty cool.

I would usually write up an emotional post about my sweet squishy Madeline baby turning one and how bittersweet it is to move from the baby stage to the toddler stage, but I'm really not ready to process all of that right now. Madeline isn't walking yet, in fact she just started standing for a few seconds here and there - so she is still my sweet squishy Madeline baby. She just learned how to clap and it's so cute! She claps and she smiles and she dances!

Rosie told everyone last year she was turning 9 and this year she's been telling everyone she's turning 5. Moving in the right direction! We are starting to see quite a lot of personality from our little Ro-boat. She likes clothes to fit a certain way and if they don't meet her requirements they might as well be packed away for Madeline. Rosie does not like to get dirty but she loves playing outside! We bought her a scooter for her birthday and she was so excited about it she kept sneaking people off to the garage during the party to see it. 😂

A big, big thank you to all the aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents that came out to help us dig and plant Sunday morning! We had so much fun and our little girls felt so special!  I wish I had gotten more pictures during the party, but I just never remember!

Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful spring weather! xx 

SPRING MENU PLANNING

With spring in full swing, I'm changing up my weekly menu to incorporate more seasonal produce and lighter, quicker meals perfect for spring dinners on the deck. If you receive a CSA box you're most likely seeing lots of asparagus, arugula, lettuce, fresh herbs, peas, leeks, strawberries, new potatoes, and radishes! / If you're local to Charlotte and looking for an organic CSA to join check out Wild Hope Farm! I shared about Wild Hope Farm on my Instagram stories a few weeks ago and thanks to you all they have sold out of their spring and summer CSA shares! Fall and winter shares are still available as well as flowers and eggs! /

I've been craving lots of main dish salads, light pasta dishes with herby sauces, loaded quiches and grilled flatbreads piled with greens. Here are some of the recipes making their way onto my menu lately... 

Spring Nicoise Salad, from How Sweet Eats
Is there a salad that sings SPRING more than Salad Nicoise? I think not. I love the addition of the asparagus and radishes in this one. Also a great "salad" for littles who haven't quite mastered leafy greens yet. =)

Lemon Artichoke Hummus, from The Bojon Gourmet
This would make a delicious spring lunch on it's own, or a light spring dinner paired with a pile of falafel on the side!

Socca Pizza with Ricotta & Spring Veggies, from the Kitchen
I made socca a few times right after I got married - looking for budget friendly dinner ideas - and somehow haven't made it since. Time to dig up my bag of chickpea flour and make this beautiful spring pizza! (Kite Hill makes a wonderful dairy free ricotta if you're in the market!)

Asparagus Eggs Gribiche, from Sprouted Kitchen
A quick, light spring meal. Eggs Gribiche will always remind me of a dish my mom made quite a bit during my teens. Don't skimp on the fresh herbs - they make the dish!

The Perfect Picnic Pie, from Green Kitchen Stories
A perfect make ahead meal! This crust is a delicious base for any quiche (or even dessert) and a great way to use up leftover greens hanging out in your fridge.

Vegetarian Meatballs with Soy-Honey Glaze, from Bon Appetit
This is a new recipe I came across that I'm so excited to try.  Fresh ginger, chiles, honey, garlic, scallions, and loads of fresh herbs - is your mouth watering yet??

Baked Herb & Pistachio Falafel, from Sprouted Kitchen
Love a good falafel - they are so kid friendly and easy to wrap up with your favorite toppings. I love this version with pistachios and fresh herbs!

Greek Turkey Burgers, from Foodie Crush
Perhaps not technically a "spring" recipe - I make these turkey burgers year round, but in the spring I like to doctor them up with extra herbs and serve with pickled onions and guacamole!

Ramp, Carrot & Chicken Mini Quiche, from La Tartine Gourmande
Garden party anyone? This recipe is a little fancy with mini tart shells but if you're looking for delicious spring flavors for your next quiche, you've found them! I love the addition of the poppy seeds in the crust.

Springtime Cobb Salad, from How Sweet Eats 

Finishing off this list with one more spring-forward salad: a delicious twist on the classic Cobb. Pour a glass of white and eat this al fresco. I promise it makes it taste better. 😉

Happy cooking and happy eating! Take a deep breath and enjoy this beautiful weather! Sending hugs to you all! 

STUDIO MCGEE x TARGET LAUNCH

Image via Target

I have been following Studio McGee since before they started their online shop / McGee & Co. / and absolutely love everything Shea and her creative team design. You can always count on their spaces to be a perfect blend of neutrals, rich with texture and contrast. They recently launched their collaboration with Target and it sold out in a matter of hours! Thankfully, they will be restocking pieces (you can sign up to be notified on any pieces you're eyeing) AND this is a multi-year contract with Target so there will be more collections to come! Here are my favorite pieces from this collection.

1. Terra Cotta Porch Planter 
2. Wooden Bench
3. Pieced Woven Cotton Pillow
4. Decorative Cube Basket
5. Mercer Rolled Arm Upholstered Chair
6. Artificial Hydrangea & Clematis in Pot
7. Costa Mesa Round Rattan Table 
8. Matted Gallery Frame
9. Belmont Shore Accent Table
10. Framed Canvas
11. Ceramic Textured Bowl
12. Ceramic Table Lamp
13. Ceramic Ribbed Vase
14. Woven Drawer Console Table
15. Terra Cotta Porch Planter
16. Lynwood Square Woven Cube
17. Riverton Hand Woven Striped Rug
18. Open Weave Square Basket

View the entire collection and sign up to receive notifications on re-stocks -here-! Happy shopping!

OUR NEW DECK & MY LANDSCAPE PLAN

Three years ago when we bought our home it had a gravel front yard, a big pile of dirt in the backyard and ivy growing everywhere. The deck was hanging on, but barely. We made it three years with that dilapidated deck and this spring decided it was time to rebuild it.

Our family spends a lot of time outdoors so making the deck bigger this time around was a no brainer. I also decided to add a second set of stairs in the center of the deck to break up the length. I love the way it opens everything up to the backyard. We originally planned to build a pergola over the left side but ended up deciding it was more feasible to do the deck now and add the pergola later if we want.

Image via This Old House

When it came time to choose a railing I knew I wanted to make it a little more interesting than what was there when we moved in, while staying true to the traditional style of our home. I showed this picture (above) to our builder and he said he could do it! I love how it turned out! Classic, with a twist.

^^ A quick reminder of where we started: weird overgrown variety of jasmine that never bloomed, leaning rail that would lose a picket in every storm and deck boards so rotten we had to dodge the holes whenever we came out here! 

We were told to wait a couple of months before painting or staining the deck so the treated wood can dry out a bit. I can't wait! I think I will stain the deck portion and the handrail and then paint the railings white. Something like this...

Image via Pinterest

We're going to tackle enclosing the underside of the deck this week! Our backyard is on a hill so one side of the deck has 6 inches under it and the other side has 6 feet. I think enclosing it is going to make a huge difference. Once that is done the landscaping starts! I did a sketch of our home on my computer so that I could figure out what I wanted to plant and where. I want to incorporate herbs, flowers, and evergreens but need to take into consideration how shaded our backyard is. In this sketch I've incorporated a Nellie Stevens holly, Endless Summer hydrangeas, Yuletide camellias, boxwoods, hostas, lily of the valley, a variety of herbs, and star jasmine growing up the lattice that will enclose the deck. Once I have this foundation planted I would like to plant more flowers. Foxgloves and blue globe thistles are on my list! If you have any shade loving flower recommendations send them my way!

Maybe this fall I can convince Isaac to build a pergola for me so I can hang baskets of flowers from it like this. 😍 Sending you all big hugs! xx

Image via Pinterest