This summer I've made a deliberate effort to spend more time reading. Or I should say, reading works outside my normal realm of non-fiction and business/finance books. I've never been one to "let go" and loose myself in the thrill of a fiction novel. I think it's the sensible realist in me always thinking in the back of my mind..."this would never happen in real life". But this year I made a vow to break out of my shell and try some new material and I have to say it's been quite liberating to embrace the art of storytelling. I thought I'd share a few of my finds and hope that you'll leave a comment with some of your recommendations. Please excuse the wide variety here...as I say, fiction is mostly unchartered territory and I'm still learning what appeals to me and for that, I've included a few non-fiction and design related books to even things out.

Our daughter recently graduated from college and we celebrated with a champagne brunch for family and friends and a surprise trip to Brooklyn. She's always wanted to visit NY and it was the perfect Mother/Daughter getaway...lots of shopping, eating and sight-seeing. Here are some highlights from our trip in case you're planning a future visit of your own!

It's hot over here. I'm guessing the temps are high in your neck of the woods as well. Summer has arrived in all her glory and no one in America wants to fire up their stove for fear of adding even a single degree fahrenheit to their kitchen. That's where this salad comes in...just slice cucumbers, add dressing, and keep chilled until you're ready to serve. It's great with steamed rice, pot stickers or grilled barbecue chicken. You could also add it to a Bahn Mi type sandwich with rotisserie chicken and shredded carrots on a baguette. It keeps well and transports easily for picnics and impromptu beach trips. Stay cool my friends! Hope you give this one a try!

So, I was a bit surprised to find that my last post was in January. Why is time flying by at lightning speed? Goodness.

I won't bore you with details of a busy life because I for one, know we all have them. I have a few more weeks of travel for styling projects and then some much needed time at home. There are grand plans to "get things done" as they say. Around the house things like finishing a few window treatments, adding to the still sparse furnishings, building planters for the front porch, and whatever else can be checked off the list. There are also reasons to celebrate...graduations, birthdays and such. Those days that make life extra special.

Who wants to talk about the holidays in January? Yeah...me neither. But one of the most popular gifts I give is my homemade Madagascar Vanilla Extract and it takes a very long time to cure. In fact, I think it should cure a year or more until the depth of flavor borders on decadence. So here I've included everything I use to make mine in hopes that you'll feel Girl Scout prepared for next season!

Hello! First off, I want to say Thank You to those of you who participated in the reader survey and left comments. I loved the conversations we had on that post. It was so kind of you to take the time and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts and results in the near future. In the meantime, here are a few things of note lately: