The Garden Grows

Sean is in London this week for business, so I decided I'd spend the day working on the garden. After a delicious breakfast at Taste of Thyme in Salem, I cleaned and planted in between shooing the dog away. They love to trample plants!

Here's Baxter getting in trouble
While I didn't plant this grapevine, it's a welcome addition to the garden

Mixed greens, basil and chives. My basil looks like ants or some other creature have been munching on it.

The green beans have really taken off and the cucumbers look like they're growing too. Unfortunately, none of the eggplants made it, so I planted some more and the peppers were slow to take off so I added lots more of those as well.

I have so many tomatoes left over. If anyone wants tomato plants, let me know!

White Flower Farmhouse

A couple other blogs I read have picked up on this great little home and garden store in New York. While not located on the North Shore, They would certainly fit right in.

It's called White Flower Farmhouse and they feature tons of nautical and beach inspired home decor. I'm loving this farm table. It would look so chic in a whitewashed, airy beach house:

These nautical flag pillows would make a great accent on a big chair.

They offer lots of fun things for home and garden. You can order online, too!

Historical Renovations

This month's Traditional Home magazine did a great spread on a historical home in Maryland. I love these tall, floor to ceiling windows and long airy hallway.

Salem's Farmer's Market returns!

The farmer's market in Salem has returned. My grandfather and his parents participated in the farmer's market starting in the 1940s. He would drive into Boston to Haymarket each Saturday to pick up produce and transport it back to Salem to sell. There is a great picture of them at their cart
hanging in my aunt's restaurant.

Salem Main Streets has been working to renew the tradition and now it's a reality! The market operates Thursday evenings from 4:00-7:00pm in Derby Square, right near Old Town Hall.

Visit their website for more information.

Summer Lighting

I don't know where I would put these Potter Barn lights in my house now, but I'm in love with them and wish I had a mudroom or front hall so I can buy them. They have a old fashioned, nautical feel that is light and airy.

These on the other hand I can buy. They would look great on our patio. If I had a big tree, I'd hang them from the tree to light up my backyard. Pottery Barn Lanterns

Chanel Stairs... better than regular stairs

I love this Chanel ad with the black and white stairs. I have expressed my love of dark floors, right? :)

Open Houses

We made the rounds yesterday to a couple open houses. Some were very interesting, like the one with a gorgeous kitchen but only one bath that Sean couldn't stand up in. One was to die for, because of its wonderful potential.
When I picture my dream house, it has a center staircase with a long hallway that exits right out back, so that the hall is just filled with light. Kinda like the house in "Sweet Home Alabama." Like a big open farmhouse style.

It may not look like much, but it would make such a cool house with a little work.

33 Franklin

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about a house we walk past on our Saturday strolls that was being completely renovated. Well, turns out it's for sale now that they've finished. Sean and I went to the open house yesterday because I'm so in love with the location. It was absolutly gorgeous and has stunning views from all the rooms.

The sales price? A mere $1.195 million. It's out of our range for now, but if you have a spare mil or two, I'd highly recommend taking a peek:

33 Franklin, Marblehead

Upholstery for the Dining Room

My grandmother gave us her dining room table and it we picked it up this past weekend. It fit pretty well in our small dining space. The question is now- what do reupholster the chairs in? My grandmother's colors are pink, green and ivory. Ours are more tan, red and ivory.

I've heard Zimman's in Lynn is a great place to go. My aunt, who owns Strega in Salem, used fabric from Zimman's for all her restaurant furniture.

I'm sort of thinking stripes? I want it to be classic but not stuffy. It also has to be durable.

I love the fabric from this website, even though I don't think they'd fit too well with the current style of our house. Not to say that won't change someday.

http://www.galbraithandpaul.com/textiles-index.php

Champagne Mojitos.. yum!

I have slight obsession with champagne mojitos since I discovered them on the Soma menu last year. Their mojitos are fantastic. When summer comes around they do a house infused mojitos, where they infuse some type of fruit with rum and then drain it into your drink!

I just found this recipe from Food and Wine so you can enjoy them at home. Happy Friday!

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 cups packed mint leaves, plus 12 mint sprigs, for garnish

6 limes, cut into wedges

2 cups light rum

Cracked ice

3 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

DirectionsIn a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over high heat just until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges and muddle well with a wooden spoon. Add the rum and stir well. Strain the drink into another pitcher. Fill tall glasses with cracked ice and pour in the drink, filling them about two-thirds full. Top with Champagne, garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

Beans and Arugula

They're in the ground, but let's see if they last. The dogs have already trampled them. The other plants are starting to look desperate to move to a larger space. They haven't grown in days.

Beans
Arugula


Strawberries

Just like Gram

The green house I posted about the other day has gone under agreement and I feel a little sad. While we had no real chance of buying it, I was attached to dreaming about buying it. Now it's someone else's dream. It remind me of my grandmother, who I swear, almost bought every house in Salem. Driving around town she would off handley say, "oh we almost ought that house. But it was too expensive." Now expensive probably means $10,000. But back then it was obviously "too expensive."

Now that didn't stop my grandparents from living in no less than 8 houses around Salem just in my dad's lifetime. While I can barely remember it (I was like 3), the second to last house they owned was a brick Georgian Colonial in the historic district right off of the famous Chestnut Street.

There are a couple Chestnut Street houses for sale right now:

4 Chestnut

15 Chestnut

37 Chestnut
Maybe someday! I can dream right? While I think I have inherited my grandmother's love a real estate, I am also inheriting her gorgeous mahogany dining room set, which Sean and I hope to pick up this weekend. My grandmother is unfortunately moving into a nursing home, thus the giving away of her things. But I'm so honored to have something that she owned that I'll be able to pass down to my children and grandchildren. I just think of all the wonderful holidays, celebrations and birthdays spent at that table. While it may just seem like a piece of furniture to some, it so much more to me. It's a gathering spot where memories were made and a gathering place to make new ones.

Cubes? Boring... try Spheres!

I saw these in the June issue of Food and Wine. They are circular ice cube trays and I think I might have to get them.... how cool are they? You can pick them up at the Museum of Modern Art's website: