Scenes from the weekend

cilantro lime butter

Put this on your corn right away. you will not be sorry.

Cilantro Lime Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put the butter in a mixing bowl and, using a rubber spatula, mix in the cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, salt and cayenne. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Yield: 3/4 cup

You can roast the corn in foil with the butter (in oven at 400F, 25 minutes). From Food Network. We just grilled it and buttered it.

recently...

The Shedd aquarium hosts "Jazzin at the Shedd" on Wednesday evenings after close. Nice to be able to stroll the aquarium with a cocktail in hand. And who can resist a penguin cookie?

We were gifted some nice jalapenos straight from our friend's vegetable garden so fajita night was in order. Finally, gorgeous weather made for a great visit to the farmers market. The purples were very purple.

Summer BBQ at the cottage

I am so in love with this fabulous dinner party thrown as the kick-off to my friend Missy's weekend-long family celebration in Mattapoisett, Mass. The family came in from all over to celebrate the baptism of Missy's sister's youngest daughter and, wow, did these parents put on a beautiful party! The menus and invites were printed on maplewood which coordinated back to wood plates and utensils as well as the maplewood smoked meats that were served for dinner. The chic long table has a great natural sea-inspired feel with an abundance of organic materials and pretty, muted water colors. Missy's sister arranged the blue hydrangeas from the garden in clay pots herself. The food was prepared by a chef friend, Wayne Gibson, from South Coast Local in Mattapoisett. And to top it all off, handmade milkshakes and fireworks! Ahhhh, this is what summer looks like. Congratulations to Ivy and her parents on her baptism and a perfect weekend.

Food: South Coast Local, (508) 450-9539, Mattapoisett MA

Party Design: Canestri Design, Sonoma CA

Linens: La Tavola Linens, Napa CA

Beach blues

Its hot and I would seriously like to be hitting the beach in some cool blues. Hat and scarf/wrap, Calypso, Bikini at anthropologie, tote at Gap, umbrellas at Pottery Barn.

Today's perfect outfit

The sun is shining, its pleasantly warm and I would like to be wearing this tunic/shorts combo.

Outdoor dining

One of the best things about summer is eating outside. image via elle decor.

Good morning!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! We made good use of our time off here with some cooking, projects, shopping, farmer's market, general clean up, working out and during yesterday's crazy thunderstorm, some crafting! I got my flower boxes planted, finally. Also, happy anniversaries to my parents and the Fishers!

Firefly jar invites

How cute is this invitation suite for a casual summer evening wedding?! Sweet, nostalgic and I like the way the fireflies add some sparkle. There's a matching save the date. From Minted.

St. Germain

Just in case you are thirsty or have been searching for the perfect summer cocktail- fret no more! We've seen this liquor popping up on cocktail menus all over the city and had to give it a try. Not too sweet but faintly floral. We like. Try this recipe. Sip. Repeat. Ahhhhhhhh.

2 SHOTS Champagne* or Dry White Wine 1 ½ SHOTS St-Germain 2 SHOTS Sparkling Water or Club Soda
METHOD: Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist. VARIATION: Think of Sartre circa 1947. Be the lemon twist. * Or Sparkling Wine, Prosecco or Cava