How are you doing today? I love Sundays and the time to share good things with you along with Annie and Cindy. Our weekly chat! I want to tell you about a new design book that I cannot wait to receive, a touch of Fall decor with faux branches, an amazing red eye relief product, and more!
We are in Maine for the wedding of the son of our dear friends. You might have seen on my Instagram.
A Touch of Fall Decor With Faux Branches
I wasn’t really thinking about Fall decor, but I was in Pottery Barn the other day and saw this realistic-looking Fall branch with leaves. Normally, I buy Fall branches or ask clients if I can take some from their gardens. But this is a lot easier and less messy! I mixed them with twigs from the grocery store that I have collected over time.
The sunflowers are real 🙂 Keep ’em guessing!
Red Eye Relief – Lumify
These Lumify eye drops are AMAZING! My sister let me try her’s for my red eyes before the wedding party in Santa Monica. She said to wait 60 seconds after one drop in each eye. Sure enough, within a minute my eyes were whiter and brighter. The difference was SHOCKING (Thank you, Teresa!).
Style Comfort Home Book By Andrew Howard
I am pre-ordering this book (out this month) by Andrew Howard. I follow him on Instagram and love his “Dad Humor” and jokes. Not to mention his design talent and use of color and pattern.
“Rooms that are designed with a capital D can seem out of reach,” says Andrew. “I think there has to be another way, a middle ground between DIY and high design. I want people to know there are things they can do right now to improve how they live, from placing the furniture in a way that is conducive to good conversation, to choosing the best paint colors, to finding art and accessories that make a house feel more like a home. These are all things that don’t have to cost a lot of money but can drastically change a space.”
I think he is 100% correct. Pre-order here.
Easy Impressive Vermouth Aperitif
One time, years ago I asked Netta how she made her delicious flakey biscuits. And she said “Sure (with her heavy southern accent), now write this down! You go to the frozen food aisle at Publix and look for Pillsbury Southern Style Frozen Biscuits.” HAHAHA! So why was I surprised about how easy the recipe is for the aperitif she made before dinner the night the women cooked in Spain.
Also, don’t miss my tour of the ancient Spanish manor where we stayed.
Netta, can I get the recipe for those fun cocktails you made? “Of course, vermouth on ice, haha! …I think if the ice is more crushed and you add a fair amount of it…It sort of dilutes the vermouth and is refreshing. An orange slice and even cherries are a nice touch. Try to use good rouge Vermouth”.
And that’s it! But with typical flair, she added tiny toothpick skewers with olives and small dried sausage.
Sizzled Shallot Yogurt Dip Appetizer
On Ladies Night we also had several Spanish appetizers…
Like Iberian ham and honeydew melon (sort of twist on the Italian prosciutto and cantaloupe).
I asked Ariana for her delicious dip recipe. (Note: this was very appropriate in Spain as they love their tapas and potato chips).
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Sizzled Shallot Yogurt Dip Recipe
Adapted from Alison Roman’s dip recipe.
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 4 shallots sliced
- flakey sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
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Heat the olive oil, shallots, and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots and red pepper flakes start to sizzle and the oil a bright orange. Remove from the heat and let cool enough to taste without burning your mouth. Season with salt and pepper.
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Combine the yogurt and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a bowl and swirl in the sizzled shallot mixture.
It was yummy!
Those are my Five Faves for this week. Thanks for hanging out with us every Sunday! We love it. Let’s check out what Cindy and Annie have for us!
Mary Ann,
What a fun post. I love the recipe for the shallot yogurt dip. How delicious. I always like a mixture of faux and natural Especially in the fall. The faux branches look so natural.
Karen
Since moving to the southeast my eyes are always a bit red from allergies. I’m curious if you can use the Lumify daily?
That lobster roll has my mouth watering! I’ve never had one, and I do love lobster so think I might have to go to Maine where I’ve heard they have the best!
I ordered Lumify for my red eyes and Andrew Howard’s Style Comfort book. The Sizzled Shallot dip recipe is already in my recipe file for our next family get together.
I’ve also sent the link to those beautiful villas I Spain to all our family in hopes maybe we can have a wonderful family trip to Spain in the future!
Love all of this today! I pre-ordered Andrew Howard’s book before I finished reading your post and I pinned the appetizers for a family gathering in October. It wouldn’t surprise me if the PB faux stems find their way to my home in the near future. It looks like you are having a wonderful time in Maine!
Lumify is amazing – I asked my eye doctor about these drops and he said they are safer to use than the previous eye brightener because they contain no BLEACH – who knew there was bleach in eye whiteners?? Anyway – I trust my eye doctor and made the switch – also seem to last much longer.
Netta is a Hoot! We all need a friend with a Southern accent and dry wit. I. Am. A. Chip. And. Dip. Lover!!! Yogurt that is topped with olive oil, shallots, and red pepper? Yes Please!!!! Pinned the recipe and will test on the Hubs (after I go to the store for Chips!) Thanks as always for the inspiration and fun!
Shallot anything is my favorite! I can’t wait to make this!
Lumify eye drops…like how did we ever live without them??
Loving seeing your Maine photos!!
xx