Blog on Hiatus

We are in ALL OUT BLITZKRIEG MODE with the downstairs renovation right now (seriously, I have a day-by-day plan of attack calendar that is currently filled through the first weekend in October), so I'm going to put the blog on the back back back back waaaaaay back backburner for a bit.

I'll be sure to resurface when the reno is complete (we're shooting for Columbus Day weekend) and post a bazillion pics, but for now here's a little teaser...

Inspiration: Kitchen

Isn't this a lovely light & bright kitchen? Specifically loving the farm sink, subway tile, drawer pulls, and especially especially especially that deep window sill. The image is from Life in the Fun Lane, my latest blog obsession, full of design inspiration and fantastic, creative, budget-friendly used furniture refinishing projects. Definitely will be trying to copy her in the future (sincerest form of flattery, right?).

Adiós, Verano.

Well, the unofficial end of summer is upon us, so I guess it's time to start saying goodbye to some of my favorite summer treats...

*Tomato sandwiches and my Babi's refrigerator pickles*

*Rainbow cherry tomatoes, so fresh and sweet they taste like berries*

*Quick, light dinners with the freshest ingredients*

As lovely as summer is, though...no tears here. Bring on Autumn, arguably New England's best season. I can't wait for the mulled cider, glorious colors, cozy sweaters, apple picking (going with my girls next Saturday!), pumpkin pie, cheerful gourds, crisp autumn air, etc etc etc.

And, now that we're living next to cranberry country, I'm dying to get over and see my first cranberry harvest. I've seen lots of pics, and it looks like a spectacular event!

Bonus: Lookie, lookie at this tote bag my MIL just gave me. Adorable!

Grape Harvest

Last year, Steven discovered a grapevine hidden in all the weeds of the then neglected veggie garden and just threw it up and over a nearby bridal wreath spirea to get it out of the way. This spring, we were delighted to see that it had set fruit! (Apparently this will never happen if the vine is lying on the ground, regardless of how healthy it is.) All summer I've been checking, checking, checking the progress...and yesterday, when I approached the vine and inhaled that sweet ripe grape scent, I knew it was time to grab a bowl, some clippers, and Steven.

I figured we wouldn't actually get enough grapes to make anything significant, maybe just a grape syrup to use in spritzers or something, but we ended up with a total of ~4 lbs! Most grape jelly recipes I've seen call for 5 lbs, so it would be totally feasible to make jelly out of our own backyard grapes! How adorable is that?

BTW, not sure what kind they are. Any guesses? Of course Concord is the go-to answer, but I think they seem a bit sweeter...

Anyways, we were downright charmed by this harvesting process, and kept the momentum going in the veggie garden, where things are winding down...just as they got going. (Note to self: start earlier next year!)

We ended up picking most of the acorn squash (6), even though they could have hung out for a bit. Powdery mildew had become an issue about 1 month ago, and although it supposedly only damages leaves, I was paranoid about losing the fruits that I had lovingly nestled in straw, and creepily stalked for months, LOL!

So hopefully I'll get a chance to play in the kitchen this weekend, in between coats of paint. I'm shooting for just one of the following: grape jelly, tomato sauce, eggplant bruschetta, or acorn squash risotto...