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Summer is always such a kaleidoscope of color. The clothes, the activities, even what we eat.
Summer color is so inspiring to me, it makes me want to get up and do something. I always find myself setting resolutions in summer. I don't actually make New Years Resolutions at the start of the year like seemingly everyone else does, but for some reason summer just spurs me into action. One of them was to finally start a City of Dionne Facebook page, so I finally set one up and would love for you to stop by! I will be posting extra content on there too - like recipes, and tidbits that I like from around the web.
Another thing you all know I love to do in summer is eat outside. In gardens, in parks, in fields - any open space where I can just eat and relax with the people I love. Brian and I like to go to random gardens and nurseries and check out all the gorgeous summer plants that we know we could never take proper care of in our apartment.
A great summer treat that I made last week were some yummy Lemon Lime Bars. They'll go great with any summer menu. I will be posting the recipe up soon on my Facebook page. Come see!
I have three completely unrelated things to talk about today.
1. Summer heat.
Houston is like a big ball of summer. Hot, humid, muggy, it's not for the faint of heart.
Brian and I went to a small amusement park on the water the other day, thinking it would be a fun way to celebrate the summer, but it seems as though the rest of Houston had the same idea and it was PACKED. The normal heat of the season was combined with the heat of thousands of bodies watching a summer concert that day. So we exchanged the amusement park for the air conditioning of a restaurant where we had a cool and relaxing seafood dinner. Do any of you ENJOY humidity?
2. Dogs.
In addition to not being a fan of humidity, I need to make a confession. This might make some of you stop reading my blog, it's THAT earth-shattering. Here it goes. I am not a Dog Person. It's not that I hate dogs, I just don't want to own one. I am completely fine with a dog so long as it belongs to someone else and doesn't lick or bite me, hahahaha. But lately Brian has been contemplating the idea of getting a dog. I know he never will though - although he thinks they are cute and loyal, ultimately the time and attention a dog requires will not work in their favor.
3. Macarons.
Can any of you make successful macarons? I have tried three times and none of them have turned out right. My lovely friend Jenna bought me a macaron cookbook and I tried one recipe in it, and I failed miserably. What am I doing wrong? So since I can't make real macarons, I decided to make some pancake ones for breakfast. Didn't they turn out cute? :)
(PS. Check out my guest post on Dancing Branflakes. Tiffany has one of my favorite blogs, so it was great fun writing over at her place!)
Do you have a whimsical world that you escape to?
I love children's books because they take you to some faraway place that doesn't exist in the crevices of this earth. Books like Alice In Wonderland.
When I think of Whimsical Worlds, I think of magical tea parties, ever-blue skies, and clear streams. And recently I discovered a store that sells the most charming little goodies that take me to these faraway places - La Boom.
Tatiana's gorgeous store is a treasure trove of tiny handmade "worlds". From delightful shadow boxes, to enchanting nightlights, there is something to take any of us back to our favorite childhood stories.
She is inspired by nature, and most especially the sea. From her home in the Greek Islands (I love it there!), she has the optimal view of it every day from her verandah. She is also inspired by animal homes like nests, and also the spectacular - like circuses and carnivals, which is obvious when perusing her store. Other inspirations are the Victorian Era, 1950's childhood, nursery rhymes, toys and games.
Among her favorite colors are black and greys, along with the green of the grass and the dusty pinks and aqua on circus wagons.
Tatiana is generously giving one of her lovely pieces to a lucky reader! To enter, please leave a comment here telling me which of these three (1, 2, 3) you'd like if you won, and please tell me a little bit about the whimsical world you like to escape to every now and then. I will announce the winner next week.
(PS. The winner of the Junie Babie giveaway is Jrsygurl4life - congrats!)
OK, cuff me and take me away to prison - I'm guilty.
Right now I am typing a confession to you, in the midst of committing the crime. I am eating Crème Brûlée Pie for breakfast.
I made some Pavlova and this Crème Brûlée Pie for a 4th of July Party the other day, but made enough crust for two, so I made an extra pie to keep at home. It keeps calling out to me, and it's been quite hard to ignore. I had found a recipe for it on the Food Network website, but didn't have all the necessary ingredients, so I decided to make one on my own. I make regular Crème Brûlée often, so I decided to just make some pie crust to hold my usual Crème Brûlée goodness.
Follow me after the jump for the recipe.
