Annual Crab Feast + More Photos From Home

One of the greatest 'final hurrahs' of summer vacation last August was a crab feast with friends and family. This year, we decided to do it again, and so a new tradition has officially been born! I have really started to appreciate the Chesapeake Bay crabs because we can't get them up here in New England. The menu was kept pretty simple: steamed crabs, bruschetta, and a new crostini recipe I wanted to try with burrata, thinly sliced fresh figs, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts. I can't wait to experiment with more crostini toppings. They're as fun to make as they are to eat!

Steamed crabs hot and fresh from the waterfront. 

Giving Emily's chocolate chip cookie recipe a whirl for dessert.

Toasted and chopped hazelnuts that topped crostini.

Fresh figs that were sliced and put on top of creamy burrata + drizzled with local honey.

Baguette ready for slicing.

Crostini in the making.

Jackson tried crabs, but really loved the watermelon.

"It's SO juicy!"

Mom prepping flowers for the table.

Wooden utensils from Sprinkles in Georgetown.

Sticky s'mores cupcake.

Cinnamon-sugar cupcake (my favorite!).

Plants and Other Projects

There have been lots of DIYs happening around here. I feel like with summer right around the corner, the porch has been the focal point of my efforts. I started by sprucing it up with a cute iron table and teal chairs set and planted a few pots of fresh herbs. So far, I've managed not to kill basil, mint, and cilantro. They're actually bright green, thriving, and fully edible! I also have a strong affinity for succulents, and have been pinning away creative ideas for terrariums and little displays with them. Over the weekend, I took a cue from the Beautiful Mess blog (so many cute ideas over there!) and prettied up some plain old terra cotta pots for my new succulents. It was a super quick and budget-friendly way to add some fun decor to the porch. Plus, I'm happy to report that M and I have enjoyed dinner al fresco three times this past week. See, there are so many benefits to revamping the porch! Now I'm on the hunt for some fun paper lanterns or little strings of lights for nighttime ambiance.

What have you been up to?

DIY terra cotta pot painting on the porch

acrylic paint + foam craft brush + miniature terra cotta pots

first, add a coat of white paint as a base

then, paint the rest (or part) of the pot a different color; allow to dry completely

fill the pot with some pebbles at the bottom, then top with soil and succulents

the pale yellow pot is my fav!

citrus fruit for fresh squeezed margaritas

bright orange ranunculus from the farmer's market

I love how perfectly symmetrical they were when they began to bloom!

juicy watermelon that went into a salad with feta cheese and mint

leisurely Sunday brunch at the Armsby

trying a bright lipstick for the first time-Spellbound by Cover Girl

Valentine's Day in La Jolla

I can't believe how quickly my week in California passed by! I got back to Providence last night and am definitely still on west coast time. Here are some snapshots from last Tuesday, which was spent exploring la Jolla. I think this was definitely one of my favorite days of the entire vacation. La Jolla is so picturesque and the weather that day was nearly perfect. I enjoyed spending the entire day with M, something that we haven't been able to do in past years.


I started off my morning with a blowout at the Drybar in Del Mar.


The perfect beachy cosmo-tai, which made me feel like a celeb!


We found out what all the hype was about at In-N-Out (so good!).


Lots of pretty Valentine's flowers for sale in La Jolla.


Clear blue skies and an intricate mosaic on the front of a church.


Hearts decorated all of the boutique windows.


Arcade building at sunset.


Gazing out at the Pacific in my favorite scalloped blazer.


La Jolla cove and Torrey Pines in the background.


A breathtaking California sunset and red + pink balloons.

The day could not have been more perfect and relaxing!

Fall Flowers

Pretty Thanksgiving tulips from M's mom.

Bright Blossom

Sunflowers are such a fun, cheery pick-me-up after an especially long Tuesday at work. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be even more trying.
Is it Friday yet?

The Littlest Lilies

Miniature calla lilies in a rainbow of colors are definitely among my favorite flowers. They had such a fun selection at my local Trader Joe's, but I couldn't pass up the long stems of sunflowers to decorate the kitchen and guest room. Do you have a favorite flower?

Weekend Snapshots: Newport

New favorite snack: Trader Joe's organic gummy bears.


Morning mani with Essie's Borrowed + Blue.


Breakfast lately: cinnamon raison Ezekiel toast + fresh blueberries.


Toll booth before crossing into Newport.


Gorgeous sunset over the bay.


Twinkling bridge lights at dusk.


Blood orange margarita at Perro Salado.


My favorite piece of jewelry--a diamond Greek key ring I bought myself eight years ago.


Flower arrangements outside at Asterisk.


Mango Pinkberry, courtesy of Tiane's groupie pass!

This weekend was spent meeting a friend's adorable new baby boy, trying a new Mexican restaurant in Newport, shopping the Nordstrom anniversary sale, and watching more of Gossip Girl (season two). M and I kicked off a week full of his birthday celebrations starting with dinner and drinks outside in Newport. I just have to get through another week and a half of work before a week of vacation, too!

A Few Snapshots From the Weekend

Sailboats on the water in Bristol.


Cones on display at The Daily Scoop.


Hydrangeas in bloom all over the place.


Can you spot the rainbow?


My homemade whole-wheat dark chocolate blueberry cookies.


M's pesto breakfast sandwich. So good!

I had such a fun weekend. We tried a great new restaurant, took advantage of the sunshine by exploring Bristol, shopped for a new blazer for M, and caught up on Gossip Girl (almost done with season 1!). How did you spend your first full weekend of summer?