Little Bits of Happiness

(Dried billy buttons - or balls of sunshine, as I like to call them)

Sometimes life moves so fast, especially living in New York. I feel like you are always looking for the next best thing.  It is always important to stop and enjoy the little things in life, even as trite as that might be, it's true!  Here are a few things that are making me happy right now. 

(Colorful ikat bowls with gold trim at C Wonder)

(A perfect summer salad - sweet corn, tomatoes, avocado and smoked chicken)

(Reading the September issues on the terrace while sipping coffee)

(Eating16 Handles Frozen yogurt with my boyfriend on a hot summer night)

(Strolling down a picturesque Brooklyn Heights street without another soul in sight)

(Splitting fish tacos from Pinche Taqueria in Soho with my boyfriend)

(A beautiful vignette at Anthropologie featuring vintage packaging)

(Our dog Mickey, whose face I cannot resist)

Spiced Zucchini Bread

 As the days slowly begin to get shorter, I am beginning to think about fall baking - pumpkin bread, warm drinks filled with seasonal spices and a plethora of apple desserts.  A great prelude into fall baking is zucchini bread, as it incorporates many of the same ingredients that are used in fall recipes.  Growing up I was never a fan of zucchini that was grown in our garden, but when my mom made a batch of zucchini bread, my tune slowly changed to actually liking this green vegetable.  I opted to make spiced zucchini bread, an intensely flavorful treat thanks to an array of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.  I paired this bread with vibrant billy buttons, or as I refer to them as balls of sunshine.  When you look at them, don't they just make you happy?

*All photographs by Alison

Color Palette: Peach & White

I have many favorite color combinations, but one of my favorite has to be peach and white.  It was a Stella McCartney runway show that made me want to purchase every peach blazer that I came across, especially if it had a reinforced shoulder.  I think that duo makes for an ultra-chic combination, and if you add a touch of gold, well that is just amazing.  

Images from here / here / here / here

I Love This Look: Classic Black Dress & Leather

Nothing is quite as easy as a simple black dress.  It is a great starting point of which you can layer either with jewelry, a blazer or a leather jacket.  I must admit I love colored leather - rich burgundy, deep navy or forest green as shown in this look.  One of my favorite possessions is my burgundy leather jacket that I found years ago at Beacon's Closet in Williamsburg, I have gotten so much wear out of it that it has practically molded to my body.  It is my staple that leads me into the cooler months.  

dress / jacket / sunglasses / heels / bag

Image from here

Happy Weekend

I am going to really try to soak up the last bit of summer this weekend. I have not decided exactly what that entails, but I am pretty sure it involves heading to the farmers market for zucchini, making zucchini bread and possibly going to the beach if the weather calls for it, if not, I think I'll wander around Soho.  Happy weekend everyone!

Image from here

A Tuscan Picnic

Open-air dining is one of the highlights of summer.  Lingering over meals that extend into the evening are definitely a favorite past time. Dining al fresco with the rolling hills of Tuscany surrounding you, is for me, the ultimate idea of a perect dining location.  These images come from just one of my favorite food blogs, Jul's Kitchen. Her photography is stunning and the Italian food that she prepares makes my mouth water.    Hop over to check it out!

All images from here

Inspiring Interiors: A Dose of Eclectic

All photos from here

Ice Cream Parfait with Cherry Compote & Oatmeal Crumble

I love layered desserts. There is something great about sinking your teeth into a new layer with each bite.  I had been wanting to incorporate cherries into a dessert all summer, so I decided to make cherry compote, layer it between vanilla ice cream and top it off with oatmeal crumble.  This tasted like a cherry pie, but without the crust, it was delicious.  

A Few Things: The cherry compote also pairs perfectly with Greek yogurt.  Another idea is to top the yogurt with some granola for a healthy breakfast.  

*All photographs by Alison

Color Palette - Peach & Mint

One of my favorite things about spring/summer this year was the amount of pretty pastels everywhere. In my opinion, these colors breath new life into an outfit, an interior and makes for the prettiest of desserts.  As the sun slowly begins to tuck behind the clouds earlier each day, I just wanted to take a minute to remember a highlight of the season.  

Images from here, here, here, here

I Love This Look: Camouflage and White

Are you loving the resurgence of camouflage in the fashion world as much as me?  I love how it brings a sort of adventurous/chic element to an outfit. I love how camo is incorporated here, paired with a loose white blouse and strappy sandals.

Pants / Blouse / Sandal / Bag / Sunglasses

Image from here

The Dinner Table: A Greek Salad

 Oftentimes when I really want to remember the delicious food that we ate while in the Greek islands, I close my eyes, feel the breeze of the Aegean Sea and specifically remember biting into the juiciest, most amazing tomato that I had ever tasted, all while the sunset overhead.  

Prior to visiting Greece, I had quite a different idea in my head of what a Greek salad consisted of, oftentimes it was mixed greens (or even worse iceburg lettuce), crumbled feta, sliced black olives, and tomato. There was definitely something lost in translation when this salad started appearing on the menu in the United States.  The Greeks incorporate thickly sliced cucumber, sweet cherry tomatoes, diced feta, thinly sliced red onion, capers and Kalamata olives.  They then season it with a drizzling of olive oil and dried or fresh oregano.  Greek salad according to the Greeks, in my opinion is how salad should be; they combine the freshest ingredients and flavors that visitors will dream about and try to recreate for the rest of their life.  Continue for recipe...