Summer Accessories

Spring is most definitely in the air here in Atlanta. The birds are singing, the trees are full of blossom and my thoughts are turning to summer plans which naturally leads me to thinking about what to buy!

It doesn't matter if you have a holiday planned yet or not, there is nothing like a fun summary addition to your closet to make you feel like you are on vacation.

I bought a bamboo bag on cyber Monday last year and it has become my goto bag this Spring. I cannot believe how many people have stopped and asked me where I got it from.

I had been searching for a vintage bag exactly like this and was so surprised to see that Cult Gaia was not only making them but that it was far cheaper. It took me a while to decide which size to get but ultimately I went with the large and could not be happier with it.

Our summer plans usually involve a lot of walking so I am always on the look out for comfortable shoes that can manage to look cute as well as allow me to navigate cobblestone streets without breaking an ankle. I love espadrilles and have several pairs. My favorites at the moment are a flat pair by Rag and Bone, and a wedge pair that I found on Amazon. I also love the ruffle sneakers from Tory Burch and these embroidered ballet flats. I think each of these pairs of shoes would easily handle a day spent exploring in Europe.

I am searching for a new summer bag and so far this is at the top of my list. It is handmade in Portugal and apparently I can always find room in my closet for a new bag (please don't judge me).

 I hope you too are full of the joys of Spring.

Quilted Jackets and Capes

I was recently lucky enough to spend two weeks in London and Paris. I had an amazing time, saw some friends and family, made a dent in my Christmas shopping list and did plenty of sight seeing.

Of course, I also spent a lot of time people watching. I can't help it. It's the best way to spot trends. 

In Paris I saw a lot of women wearing capes. I almost bought this one, but I so rarely need a winter coat that I resisted.

I also liked this one, which is currently on sale.

As gorgeous as I think a cape looks I think I'm going to stick to cashmere cardigans and wraps from Lilly Pulitzer since the winters here are so mild. 

In London, a quilted jacked is IN. Young or old, male or female, it didn't matter, everyone is wearing a quilted jacket.

I love this one:

And this one:

Or this one, for the boys.

If you're looking for a new coat or jacket, consider getting a wrap, cape or quilted jacket. They'll keep your warm this winter, and should you find yourself in London or Paris on a cold day, you'll know just what to wear!

      

Tiramisu

I have been making this for a long time and don't really use a recipe but to the best of my ability here is how I make it:

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2- 8oz containers marscapone cheese at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 bars of good quality milk chocolate

3 cups of cold black coffee

1 pack of ladyfinger cookies 

Baileys (optional)

Make some strong black coffee and set aside to cool

Grate 2 bars of chocolate

Beat cream until stiff peaks form, add powdered sugar and Baileys if you wish, set aside

Beat mascapone cheese and then gently fold in cream mixture. Taste and add more powdered sugar and/or Baileys if desired.

In a trifle dish similar to this one add a dollop of the cream mixture to cover the bottom. Then one at a time soak the ladyfingers in the cold coffee and place on top of the cream to form a layer. Then add a layer of cream, followed by a layer of grated chocolate. Continue to layer cookies, cream and chocolate ending on a chocolate layer. Leave in the refrigerator for 24hrs before serving. 

As you can see I make a drunken tiramisu (!) and also omit the eggs. Traditional recipes call for raw eggs but I stopped using them when I was pregnant and just omitted them from then on. Hope you enjoy it.

      

Instagram Geomap

This is a public service announcement!

I recently started using instagram and I love it. It's so easy to snap a quick picture of what I'm up to and I absolutely love seeing what everyone else is excited about.

However being a newbie I made a very serious mistake, which scared the pants off of me when I discovered it. I checked into a few other accounts and found that I am not alone.

Look at your instagram. Do you see the third icon that looks like a tear drop. Click on that.

This is what you will see on Kate Spade's page.

If you expand the map you can actually see the places at a street level. Not a problem for Kate Spade, but for me, and I'm sure for a few of you, you are unknowingly disclosing where you live to the world.

Don't panic it's a very simple thing to fix. For the locations that are already on geomap you can edit and remove them using the edit option on the top right corner of the screen.

Going forward just slide the "Add to Photo Map" button to no before you share a picture.

#You're Welcome

      

The White Queen

I have been a fan of Phillipa Gregory's novels for a long time and just watched a mini series based on 3 of her books.

The amazon review describes the story as :

Based on Philippa Gregory's series of best-selling novels, "The Cousins War.”

Set against the backdrop of England's Wars of the Roses during the 15th century, the story revolves around women caught up in the ongoing conflict for the throne. They are some of the most ruthless players in history and will stop at nothing to support their own causes and those of the ones they love. “The White Queen” will be told through the stories of three equally driven women -- Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort and Anne Neville -- in their quest for power as they manipulate behind the scenes of history.

I was a bit nervous about watching this but it turns out that it's a BBC production so of course it was wonderful. I hadn't read the books and wasn't that familiar with this period of English history. I knew enough that certain key events were "spoiled" but in no way did it actually spoil things for me. Seeing these three women doing everything in their power to gain control of the English throne is very compelling viewing.

      

Scalloped Details

There is something very feminine about a scallop edge.

Valentino Sunglasses

Anthropologie Skirt

Asos Dress

Still obsessed with this Mulberry bag from a few seasons ago. Should have bought it!

Oscar de la Renta Shoes

Sugar Paper stationary

Happy Shopping!

      

To Do Cards

One of my favorite things about blogging is getting inspired by other peoples ideas. One of the bloggers that I follow had made some business cards with her logo on one side but instead of leaving the back blank she had used the header "To Do" so now she had adorable mini cards for list making.

I loved the idea, but she is a professional blogger and I'm a housewife so I have no need for business cards. I am however constantly needing to write things down so I had some cards made that have "TO DO" on one side and "NOTES" on the other.

I just love them and I think you will too. If you would like to make some yourself, they are from here, and if you use the code ZASF5922NTQZ you can get 15% off your order. I selected the chubby cards in white, and used pale grey for the text.

As part of my craft room makeover I also ordered a monogrammed acrylic pencil cup and the cards fit perfectly. (I must admit that the fact that my monogram isn't centered is driving me nuts!)