LWD

I hope everyone had a lovely 4th yesterday!  It was too hot to do much of anything here so I spent the day thinking of cool mid-summer wardrobe pick ups. These little white dresses from Gap look simple but pretty and easy to wear (plus, machine washable).   Perfect for hot summer days and possibly cute with a jacket or a colorful scarf for a casual evening.   Going to the store to check them out today!

Recently

Ok, its been awhile, but here is a quick rundown on June!  I don't know how the summer snuck up on me but its hot, sticky and almost the 4th of July!!  

Rhubarb cocktails that match the lovely peach peonies from Green City

 Hickory smoked pulled pork sandwiches

 Dark coral peonies, from Green City- loved these!

 More pork!  Pork chops with apple and peach mostarda, from "Cook Like an Iron Chef" on the Cooking Channel. 

 Yes, that chicken is "sitting" on a beer can on our grill

 Trapeze lessons in Oakland, CA

Homemade pasta with asparagus and morels.  MMMmmmm...

Scenes from Sedona

We spent a wonderful long weekend in Sedona, Arizona, about two and a half hours north of Phoenix for my birthday.  Nothing takes the edge off gaining another year like a trip to a naturally beautiful place and a stay at a fancy resort!  We arrived late at night, so the only scenery we saw the first day were the zillions of stars in the very dark, very clear sky.  When we woke up and looked outside, we discovered that we were in a canyon, surrounded by huge, rugged red rock mountains.  We stayed at the lovely, Southwestern-style Enchantment Resort, the canyon location of which lent itself to enjoying the landscape at every possible moment.   We had a view from our room, our deck, at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner, from the pool- you get the idea.   Even when I was at the spa, there was a full wall of windows so I would not miss another moment of gazing at the surrounding red rocks.   Great hiking in Sedona was close to our resort, easily accessible and again, all about the views.

*all photos courtesy of my husband/photographer except the last one, from Enchantment's website.

Happy weekend!

I will be relaxing and reading this gorgeous new book, Bringing Nature Home.  About arranging flowers in a way that reflects nature, not an overly formal or forced look, the few pages I have leafed through so far are breathtaking.   The featured arrangements are by Nicollette Owen, half of the genius duo behind Brooklyn's Little Flower School.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Let the Games Begin!

Am very excited about the June Vogue cover featuring Hope, Ryan and Serena.  First, because its a nice break from the recent parade of starlets in clothes that make no sense for most occasions.  Second, because its a lovely nod to athletes and a different type of physical ideal than we usually see from a fashion magazine.   True, it does look more like the cover of Shape than the cover of Vogue, but I think that is progress!  (I was a little dissapointed that last year's Olympic issue featured a professional basketball player and Gisele.  What exactly does Gisele have to do with the Olympics?  And why chose someone from a sport that does not need the Olympics for visibility?)  I personally can't wait for the games to start.  Goosebumps.

Happy Mother's Day!

My Mom and I were discussing this week how her mom used to grow and use rhubarb, which inspired me to hit the farmers market yesterday and try making a strawberry rhubarb pie!

Happy Friday

via 79 Ideas.

Mix and match

I have always liked the idea of individual dresses on bridesmaids and especially love this particular mix of neutral colors and the pop of coordinating pattern!  via Pinterest.