lake george

OR rather "scenes from my childhood."

Yesterday was a perfect day. The sun was shining and, despite the 84 degree temperature, there was a cool breeze, no humidity, just perfect. My mother and I decided to take a drive up to Lake George for lunch, shopping, and Martha's. This time of year is pretty busy up there, as you can imagine, lots of tourists, so we stayed in the car and were quite content with the windows down, driving around the lake and mountain for a couple of hours. The Adirondacks in the summer hold a very special place in my heart. When I was younger I spent summers at Girl Scout camp in Lake George, or on bike trips around the mountains, or {on very special occasions} day trips to the Great Escape.

No trip the Great Escape was complete without a trip to Martha's after for the best ice cream EVER. Seriously. I have been very vocal about my love for soft serve ice cream and how it should be made, Martha's does it perfectly. It's so creamy and custardy, mmmm. Plus they change their flavors everyday, yesterday they had Mocha twist, which is coffee and chocolate twist, so delicious. I also love their peanut butter and chocolate twist, and mint and chocolate... which they have tomorrow... perhaps another drive is required?

west elm

I'm kind of loving West Elm's fall preview, it's looking a little Anthropologie meets Dwell, but more affordable. Nothing wrong with that.

geronimo balloons/100 layer cake

Every week 100 layer cake does a pop-up shop where they sell wedding merchandise from a small shop at a discount. This week Geronimo! is selling some of their jumbo balloons with pom-poms, perfect for engagement shoots. Aren't they awesome?

home

Warning: posts may be sparse this week.

I'm home in Upstate NY for some much needed family time and relaxation. I plan on spending much of the week sitting in the backyard and enjoying weather under 100 degrees. There will also be trips to the race track and Cooperstown, so I'm sure I'll have much to report later on. I may check in from time to time, but have a great week!

sunday sweets {chocolate pie}

Jacob and I have relatives visiting so it's difficult to sit down at the computer for a prolonged period of time, but I wanted to share this recipe with you guys. On Sunday, we had spent the entire day cleaning the house for our visitors, so when it came time to bake something I really wasn't in the mood. I had seen this recipe in Food & Wine and remembered that it was really quick and easy, perfect.

The pie, despite being incredibly simple, is really good. Better than I expected actually. Add a little {or a lot} homemade whipped cream, and you've got yourself a lovely Sunday dessert.

Ingredients:

1 packaged pie dough crust, such as Pillsbury {you could do homemade pie crust if you're feeling particularly motivated}
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whipped cream, for serving

1. Directions:
2. 1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Ease the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges decoratively. Prick the crust lightly with a fork. Line the crust with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove the foil and weights and bake for about 5 minutes longer, just until the crust is dry but not browned.
3. 2.Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the sugar with the cocoa powder, butter, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt until smooth.
4. 3.Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but a little jiggly in the center. Cover the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely before cutting into wedges. Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

happy {hot} weekend!

{via mrs. lilien}

Yesterday was Jacob's birthday so I tried my best to fill it with his three favorite things: beer, food, and Charleston. We had a fantastic time at all our favorite Charleston stops including FIG. We usually walk away from dinner there discussing the amazing pork trotter appetizer, but last night all we could talk about was their coddled sea island farm egg. Probably one of the most amazing things I've eaten in a while, and so simple, just perfect.

This weekend the weather channel has declared a heat advisory for the area so I think I'll be taking their advice and staying indoors. I'm going home to NY next week and seriously looking forward to some cooler weather, so the heat wave better be over by then.

In the meantime, enjoy these gems from around the web:

1. For the design nerds who can't pull the trigger on a permanent tattoo.

2. Hilarious art prints with some of my all time favorite characters.

3. The world is a pretty big place.

4. DIY chevron blanket!

5. Adorable.

6. Finally, last but not least, my lovely friend Kelsey has just opened an etsy shop. Her illustrations are so whimsical and pretty, please drop by and check them out!

the row and toms collaberation

How amazing is this new line from Toms? They collaborated with The Row {Mary Kate and Ashley's high end fashion line, so right off the bat I'm all for this} and all shoes are made from Italian wool and cashmere. They're a little more pricey than the usual Toms shoe but definitely chic enough to spend a little extra I think.