Pretty Inspirational: Outdoor Rooms

3.21.2012

Spring is Here!!!

I'm loving the recent weather in Maryland. I had my first dinner party outside this past weekend. We didn't sit down to eat till 8 so everyone got a blanket just in case they got a little chilly. It was a great time with good friends, good food and good wine! I tried a new Paella recipe that you make on the grill with lobster. It had the most amazing flavor and I highly recommend you try it! Click here and scroll down to the Paella recipe. Below in the lower left corner you can see a picture of the dish...

Wall Street Journal

For desert I made dark chocolate mousse from the Bouchon cookbook. I've never been to Napa Valley, but when I go, I will definitely be eating at Bouchon Bistro. I love everything I've tried in their cook book. Years ago I even bought the lidded pot de creme molds to serve mousse. We like mousse so much it was worth the splurge.

Bouchon

Below are pretty spring pictures...Here's to enjoying the outside!

Canadian House and Home

House Beautiful

Canadian House and Home

This Old House

1.31.2011

Ready for Warmer Weather Yet?

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Some of it crazy good and some of it crazy bad. The good stuff includes hosting a dinner party for 25 (12 of them kids) in honor of a good friend and her family who are moving out of state. These were high school friends I've known for over 20 years! There's always lots of laughs when we get together. Plus somehow we've convinced ourselves that we look as good today as we did the day we met! The husbands are smart enough to just smile and nod.

Also on a good note my family and I just celebrated by mom's 65th birthday by spending the weekend in western Maryland cross country skiing with her and her good friends. My mom and her friends are amazing. They are so much fun to be around and so passionate about life. They eat well, travel well, have lively discussions about everything under the sun and love the outdoors. Plus they politely listened to my 6 year old tell over 100 jokes in one evening (this is not an exaggeration!). They truly are an inspiration!

On the flip side, the whole family came down with the stomach flu. And on top of that they are calling for more bad weather in Maryland! We're not getting the nice snow you can ski on or sled on or build snowmen with. No, we're getting more ice which means no power for many and no school for most which will put me further behind on client projects! Ugh!

So in an effort to bring up my spirits this picture is now my screen saver...

This picture was taken last summer on a family vacation in Anguilla. We took a boat to a very tiny island (I'm guessing about 1/2 acre long) surrounded by the clearest bluest water you've ever seen. The only thing on the island was one hut with some hammocks and 2 cooks that served grilled spinney lobster. It took them forever to cook our lunch (I think they actually had to catch the lobster first) but we didn't mind a bit. It was like our very own slice of paradise that I will never forget.

We're not going to the Caribbean this year (still paying off the renovation I've mentioned in previous posts) but we do plan on having lots of summer fun in our own home which will include having more get togethers during the warmer months. When I look back at some of our happiest moments in life they mostly have to do with getting together with family and friends. So naturally I've been thinking about creating a really pretty outdoor space that will be inviting and comfortable to hang out in. Here are my inspiration pictures that will help you think of the warmer weather to come! Enjoy!

I love the lantern style light, chinese garden stools and fun fabrics...