Thats right folks, I’ll be teaching my Expanding Your Audience class for a second time come August 13th at 11am PST! Learn tips and tricks for increasing your readership and growing your blog’s community for only $15. Sign up right here before it sells out, and check out the rest of August’s Alt Channel classes too!
Posted In shameless plug
This post is brought to you by the new Samsung 4-Door Sparkling Water Refrigerator. Still or sparkling? Now get both straight from your refrigerator door! Store up to 31 bags of groceries with 31 cu. ft. capacity and keep fruits and vegetable fresher longer with Twin Cooling Plus®.
Click here to learn more about the Samsung 4-Door Sparkling Water Refrigerator.
Blueberry-Strawberry Jicama Salsa // Brass Tic Tac Toe Game // Moon Dominoes // Melted Chocolate Fleur de Sel Bruschetta // Ceramic Speakers // Foosball // BLT Pizza with Grilled Corn + Crumbled Feta // 4 Ingredient Strawberry Lemonade // Backgammon & Checkers Box Set // Handmade Ceramic Growler
Sometimes a good old fashioned game night is just what the doctor ordered. It’s the perfect still activity for every age, and it’s also one of the easiest to pull together at a moment’s notice. Grab a few games out of your closet and ask guests to bring along their favorites from home. The games I chose above have simple designs that are super appealing to the eye even when not in use, and the growler and speaker follow suit with their clean lines. Whip up a few easy things to nosh while playing – simple flavor combinations that are equal parts childhood and summer. Then put together a playlist full of warm weather classics to set the mood for fun, and you’re all set!
Porcelain Ice Cream Pint Holder // Walnut Serving Trays and Platters // Matte Ceramic Cups // Geo Bowls // Ice Cream Cake Ball Bombes // Brown Sugar Bacon Ice Cream Sandwiches // Gold Dipped Porcelain Spoon Set // Black and White Peanut Bar Ice Cream Cake // Sorbet Watermelon Wedges
Nothing says summer like an ice cream social! Kick up this low-key activity a notch by showcasing ice cream outside of the carton in mouthwatering cakes, sandwiches, etc. Display your cool creations on pretty platters like these walnut pieces and set out your toppings in fun containers. Use eye-catching dinnerware and utensils to serve guests, then grab a seat on the couch and dive into all of that juicy neighborhood gossip as you relax the night away.
Playa Throw // Italian Cherry Doughnuts // Peak Decorative Pillow // Chipotle Popcorn Chicken // Linen Handtack Cushions // DIY Outdoor Bar Cart // Watermelon-Fontina Melts with Dill // Lavender + Cucumber Soda // Safari Chair
A backyard movie night is pretty much the be-all-end-all of sparkling outdoor summer entertaining – can you say Hollywood?! Hang a white sheet on the fence and load up your backyard with lots of blankets and pillows to settle down and cozy up on. An upgraded “concession stand” full of sweet and savory bite-sized finger foods will be sure to make it a delicious evening to remember. Adding an outdoor bar cart to the mix makes guests feel welcome to help themselves and frees up some time for you to enjoy the film yourself.
Peach Cornbread Cake // Goat Cheese and Heirloom Tomato Tart // Glitz Lunch Plates // Overseas Connection Market Basket
There’s something to be said about taking advantage of the afternoon. Voyaging to a park or hidden spot for a fancy picnic can feel like a mini getaway if you do it right. Prep the food you’ll be taking along that morning, dishes that can be put on ice and eaten cold or at room temperature are best. Grab a pretty basket, a luxe blanket, and a few chairs if you want to go all out! Splurge even further by packing real dishes and classes instead of paper and plastic. A tip for the wise: a few beers or a bottle of bubbly could be the icing on the cake for your sparkling picnic soiree!
Summer was made for entertaining, wouldn’t you agree? Here’s where the fun comes in for you – do you prefer a “sparkling” over the top event or a low-key “still” activity? Submit an Instagram photo showing us and tag it with either #SamsungStill or #SamsungSparkling to let us know your style and be entered to win a new Samsung 4-door Sparkling Water Refrigerator! See complete rules here.
Click here to learn more about the Samsung 4-Door Sparkling Water Refrigerator.
01/ See-through architectural shells for hermit crabs. Lucky things.
02/ This interpretation of NYC’s subway map is sort of genius.
03/ Miami Houses, the best looking lifeguard shacks ever.
04/ If you want to understand me, here you go. How to Live With Introverts.
05/ Six Sochi Olympians will win gold medals with meteorite fragments!
06/ When books collide with ice cream.
07/ Crazy landscapes formed by human bodies.
08/ Photos of people calmly falling through space.
09/ An adult fitness playground opens in L.A.!
10/ Makes me wonder what my own Wheel of Worry might look like.
This week on Design Crush:
The Fifty United Plates
Avo Bocce
Kerrie Yeung Jewelry
Euro Edge
Bindle
InstaJuly
Well-Read Women
Soapbox
Tangy + Sweet Lentil Orzo Salad
The last thing I’ve wanted to do all summer is turn on the stove. It hasn’t even been especially scorching, only a few triple digit days here and there, but I just can’t even stand the idea of it. Everything I want to eat has been coming out of the refrigerator, dishes that are cool on the palate and light on the stomach. This Tangy + Sweet Lentil Orzo Salad is my latest go-to creation. It has everything you need for a good meal – plenty of color, fresh produce, and protein. It also makes a great side or main dish and can be prepared ahead of time, definite bonus points.
Tangy + Sweet Lentil Orzo Salad
• 1 box orzo
• 1 C black beluga lentils
• 8 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1/3 C red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cucumber
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 nectarine (or peach)
• 1 red onion
• 1 C feta
Prepare orzo according to box. Once finished mix in 2 Tbsp olive oil and place in refrigerator to cool. While that’s happening get the lentils ready, I really like the kind that can be steamed in the microwave. Place these in the refrigerator until cool. In the meantime, prep your produce. Half the grape tomatoes. Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, then remove the seeds and slice into small pieces. Julienne the nectarine. Chop the onion up small. Once everything is nice and chilly prep the dressing by whisking together the remaining 6 Tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, and minced garlic in a small bowl. In a large bowl combine orzo, lentils, tomatoes, cucumber, nectarine, and onion. Toss to combine with dressing then top with feta.
Posted In recipes
Soapbox is a versatile line of furniture that’s available in a range of woods, colored hardware, and leg lengths that I’m currently drooling over. Each piece is designed to be what you need, where you need it. Quality furniture that you put together without tools that is going to last. In a big box world that’s rather refreshing.
One overcast afternoon last week I crawled under a blanket and poured through Samantha Hahn’s Well-Read Women: Portraits of Fiction’s Most Beloved Heroines
