visiting the st. augustine lighthouse

June 27, 2014

The latest issue of Coastal Living Magazine named St. Augustine, Florida in the top 5 for happiest seaside towns in America.

For today’s Friday field trip, I am taking you on a lighthouse visit – one of my happy places during a recent weekend visit to the “Nation’s Oldest City” in the Northeast part of Florida.

Completed in 1874, after taking three years to build, the lighthouse is St. Augustine’s first and oldest surviving brick structure and rises 165 feet above sea level.

Walking past the nine windows in the lighthouse provided beautiful panoramic views as I ascended the 8 flights of cast iron spiral stairs – a total of 219 steps.

This is what one of the windows looks like from the inside…now, check out some of the views to the outside!

view from lighthouse pleasure in simple things

A view of the keeper’s house from one of the St. Augustine lighthouse windows.

I was able to make it to the observation deck at the top of the lighthouse just before an impending lightning storm cut my visit short.

The lightning storm was probably a good thing – no telling how many photos I would have taken if I was given the opportunity!

I hope you enjoyed sharing my visit to the St. Augustine lighthouse on today’s Friday field trip. Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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the beekman boys’ fabulous tomato tart

June 20, 2014

You may already know of my infatuation with the Beekman Boys. I had the good fortune to meet them at the Philadelphia Flower Show this past year and then, lucky enough to see them again at the Country Living Magazine Fair this past month.

I adore their dessert cookbook and now, I am equally enamored with their new vegetable cookbook. The first recipe I tried from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook was the tomato tart and it is definitely a winner!

I was so excited by the results; I decided to bring you into my kitchen for Friday field trip this week to share the recipe for this easy and delicious tomato tart. Using heirloom tomatoes in a variety of sizes and colors helped my tarts resemble works of art! Everyone should include this recipe in their summer repertoire as an elegant way to serve up the summer harvest!

I suggest purchasing some interesting varieties of tomatoes at your local farmer’s market (or use some from your own garden) and create this awesome tart making sure to include some of your favorite wine and favorite friends!

Tomato Tart Recipe

Ingredients

Flour, for rolling the pastry
1 sheet (about 8 oz.) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed but still cold
2 Tabs olive oil
1 cup whole-milk ricotta, drained
4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 large eggs
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound assorted tomatoes, cored, cut into slices, and halved

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out pastry to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle and transfer it to the baking sheet.

With a paring knife, score a border 1 inch in from the edge all around the rectangle, cutting into, but not through, the dough. With a fork, prick the dough inside the border all over (this will allow border to rise higher than the center that’s been pricked). Brush the center with 1 tablespoon oil.

In a large bowl, stir together ricotta, goat cheese, eggs, basil, ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Spread mixture over the center of puff pastry sheet. Top with tomatoes, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle tomatoes with remaining ¼ tsp salt and remaining 1 Tab oil.

Bake 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is set.

This recipe is for one tart…I doubled it to make two and found it is almost easier to plan on making two when purchasing the ingredients (quantities of goat cheese, ricotta, and puff pastry – 2 sheets come in a box – were easier to purchase for two.)

making a tomato tart pleasure in simple things

Keep this recipe handy for when your garden tomatoes become abundant – it is a super way to celebrate your garden treasures! If you are interested in more recipes for vegetables, there are many more great ones (and stunning photographs) in The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook.

The Beekman Boys at the Country Living Fair 2014 in Rhinebeck NY pleasure in simple things

Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge – ‘The Fabulous Beekman Boys’ – discussing the newly released The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook with me at the Country Living Magazine Fair 2014 in Rhinebeck, NY.

I think this recipe is the perfect one to start the summer! Enjoy!

Thanks so much for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. My friend Phyllis planted a white variety of tomatoes in her garden this year…how cool would they look in this tart?

Sharing at Crafts a la Mode.

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country living magazine fair 2014

June 13, 2014

With picture perfect weather and inspiration around every corner, The 2014 Country Living Magazine Fair in Rhinebeck, NY was awesome!

Visiting Rhinebeck, NY is always great…getting together with good friends is the best, but in the beautiful surroundings of Rhinebeck, this feeling is intensified. My last trip to Rhinebeck (to my friend’s awesome woodland retreat) also included a special treat – The Country Living Magazine Fair!

Visiting the 2014 Country Living Magazine House of the Year was awesome! Here are some photos of the outside…check out the September 2014 issue for more photos of all the decor!

The beauty of this three day event is that each visitor has a unique experience. No two people are inspired in the same way or by the same things. What can visitors experience at this fair on the lovely Dutchess County Fairgrounds? Tons of vendors, craft and decorating demonstrations, lectures, celebrity meetings, samplings, book signings, and a visit to the 2014 Country Living House of the Year! (Not to mention, plenty of clean bathrooms, a great food court with lots of seating and free parking!)

It is a busy few weeks for me with very few free moments, but I had to share some photos from the fair on Friday field trip this week – a small sampling of my personal experience…enjoy a glimpse of The Country Living Fair 2014 through my eyes! If you went to the fair, I would love to hear about your favorites!

The beach themed fairy garden really caught my eye…and, aren’t the toolboxes adorable for Father’s Day?!

The silhouettes by Jan Blough were one of my favorites…especially the garden themed designs!

The Beekman Boys (I am a huge fan!) were my favorite of the many fun people to meet at the Country Living Magazine Fair 2014.

The photo below shows a few of the many demonstrations offered during the three days at The Country Living Magazine Fair 2014. Michael Devine, author of Flowers by Design creates a vegetable topiary, Libbie Summers offers 15 Fun & Festive cake decorating ideas (like this PEZ covered cake), and Cari Cucksey of HGTV’s Cash & Cari offers painting and repurposing tips.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend…I have an exciting one planned!!

Country Living Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Rachel Hardage Barrett.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Little Red House and Coastal Charm.

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fun with gelatin

June 6, 2014

You have heard of signature drinks? What about a signature jelly shot?

For Friday field trip this week, I will show you just that…and, some other fun with gelatin!

After my nephew’s wedding this past summer, I was able to secure the recipe for his signature drink – the D & P Pimm’s Cup – from his wedding venue. When Thanksgiving rolled around, I used the signature drink as an inspiration to create the D & P Pimm’s Cup cupcake by incorporating the signature drink ingredients into a cupcake recipe.

Wanting to continue the D & P signature drink inspiration for the newlywed couple’s first year of holidays, on Easter I created the D & P Pimm’s Cup Jelly Shot!

D & P Pimm’s Cup Jelly Shot

4 strawberries
2 sprigs fresh basil
1 (1 inch piece) cucumber, coarsely chopped
¾ cup Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
6 ice cubes
2/3 cup ginger ale
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed & strained)
2 envelopes Knox gelatin
Garnish (optional) basil, strawberries, lemon, cucumber

Muddle (mash) strawberries, basil and cucumber in a large cocktail shaker. Add the Pimm’s and the ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.

Combine the ginger ale, lemon syrup, and water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two.

Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2/3 cup of the reserved Pimm’s liquid, stirring well to blend.

Pour into a standard size loaf pan and chill overnight or until fully set. Cut, serve, and add garnish as desired.

This recipe is a variation of a recipe created by the jelly shot master Michelle Palm – Michelle has been my inspiration to start playing with gelatin. :)

Since these jelly shots can only be consumed by those over 21, I also created a fun jelly shot for the younger set. During Jell-O brand gelatin’s heyday in the 1960’s, a recipe for ‘Broken Glass Jell-O’ was printed right on the side of the Jell-O box. It is the technique from this recipe that I implemented to create my ‘kid friendly’ jelly shots. The recipe – the name wisely updated to ‘Stained Glass Bars’ – is available on the Kraft Foods website. I cut the completed recipe into small cubes and added mini marshmallows to the skewers…there are so many fun variations based on a party theme, color scheme, etc.

I hope you will use these ideas to help inspire some of your own gelatin fun!

P.S. For more jelly shot fun, you might like a school of pink lemonade fish jelly shots.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing with Craftberry Bush.

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interest to plantings with diy teepees

May 16, 2014

Garden ‘teepees’ are a quick and easy way to add some great visual interested to your plantings.

For Friday field trip today, I am visiting with my friend Phyllis (thanks Phyllis!) to demonstrate this easy tutorial.

You may remember Phyllis from when I hijacked her magnificent yard for a charity garden tour or, from when I shared a terrarium making session at her home.

Today, we are creating garden teepees to add to outdoor pots.

To create the teepees, simply arrange branches in a teepee shape, holding them in place, while pushing into the soil. Attach the top of the branches together using a small piece of green floral wire. Place a piece of moss over the green wire and attach it using another small length of the wire.

*Moss can be purchased at a garden store and is preferred over the moss found in the yard or the forest to avoid undiscovered insect eggs, etc.

pleasure in simple things making garden teepees

Looks like we have some ‘students’ interested in our tutorial from the other side of the screen door!

A garden teepee is such a great way to add some visual interest to plantings with very little effort and minimal supplies!

Have fun with it!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, Crafts a la Mode, and Mona’s Picturesque.

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april showers bring may flowers

May 2, 2014

Who visits a flower nursery on a cold and rainy day? Apparently, I do!

Although I usually plan my visits for the summertime, I recently decided to make a trip to White Flower Farm on an April day.

I expected a different seasonal view, but certainly did not expect a day that turned out so cold that I dreamed of wearing mittens!

You, my friends, are a wee bit luckier than I; since you can visit White Flower Farm from the comfort of your own home on today’s Friday field trip…no mittens required!

White Flower Farm, both a working nursery and a private residence, is located in Litchfield, Connecticut and is an awesome place! If you are an avid gardener, you may be familiar with the nursery, even if you live outside the area, since they do a huge mail order business. I ordered from them long before I decided to make my first location trip.

The visit turned out to be an inspiring one as I discovered the beauty in the preseason garden. My typical visit is in July when the trees are filled with leaves and all the perennials are in bloom. This quiet, somber day gave a special quietness and sense of promise to the gardens. And, the trees looked so majestic in their bare state!

Unfortunately, I was forced to take ‘rest stops’ in the heated gift shop to thaw out my frigid fingers! Of course I would not have dropped in; if not for the cold hands! ;)

I hope you enjoyed sharing some of White Flower Farm in Litchfield, Connecticut for today’s Friday field trip…definitely worth a trip if you are in the area! By the way, White Flower Farm takes its name from their first perennial border, the all-white garden (and my favorite) called the Moon Garden because the white flowers gleam even by moonlight! Have a fantastic weekend!

And, thank you so very much for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, Mona’s Picturesque, Fridays Unfolded, and Crafts a la Mode.

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happy easter!

April 18, 2014

Today is Good Friday and I want to wish all my friends who celebrate, a blessed Easter! I am excited that my family will all be together for the holiday and I hope that you too are surrounded by the ones you love this weekend.

For Friday field trip today, I have assembled some Easter posts in one place in case you need some last minute Easter inspiration…links from past posts…Enjoy!

favorite ways to decorate eggs

a vintage egg cup collection

eggs from natural dyes

a recipe for Easter butter cookies

some Easter nostalgia

Easter basket ideas for the college set

growing eggs in eggshells

diy easy paper egg holders/place cards & (grass heads for the kids!)

dyed eggs for coastal décor

dye for creating eggs in shades of gray

Thank you so much for visiting!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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outside the color palette?

April 4, 2014

For Friday field trip today, I am adding the first accessory to my newly ~~decorated~~ painted guest room.

I hadn’t really planned to redo any rooms upstairs. Honest. But, one of the bedrooms desperately needed painting and that (of course) started the whole ball rolling! That, my friends, is not the surprising part since it doesn’t usually take much to get me going in the redecorating direction! The surprising part? My new room color isn’t part of my usual color palette!

The color palette I created for my downstairs rooms from a photo I took of an oyster shell. I color matched my paint colors to the colors I took from the photo.

I agonized over paint swatches for a good month – finally deciding on a color called ‘shortbread’ from the Martha Stewart Living paint line at Home Depot.

As a yellow/gold tone – it was a departure from my usual coastal colors. Once the room was cleaned and painted (even though my free time should really have been devoted to tax preparation!) I decided to use my limited funds on a bed frame and bedding so the room could be utilized as a guest room right away. The rest I can complete a little at a time when the mood (or funds) are right.

I chose a bed frame in a gray/brown (driftwood looking) color from Ikea and proceeded to stalk all the home stores for bedding. I decided on a gray textured spread at Home Goods and picked out some contrasting pillows – limiting myself to just two. I also picked up a sheet set in a color that looked surprisingly similar to the color of the shortbread paint. Basics completed! Ready for guests!

Now, for my first official accessory for the new room, I am planting some pansies in a beautiful gold tone chippy planter that I found at Anthropologie. The pot cost me $8 and I picked up some pansies at Home Depot – my first accessory cost under $15 and I love it!

You know – now that I really look at that room – the shortbread paint could easily be called marsh grass or coastal twilight…don’t you think? ;)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Little Red House, Craftberry Bush, Coastal Charm, and Mona’s Picturesque.

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visiting anthro home office

March 21, 2014

I checked one off the list! The ‘places I need to visit in Philly’ list…I visited the Anthropologie Headquarters!

Actually – the Urban Outfitters home office. Urban Outfitters is the parent company for Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN. So, for today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing a few photos of the public areas I visited at the headquarters located at Philadelphia’s Naval Shipyard. The Navy Yard is a collection of historic buildings (and battleships!) on the waterfront and open daily for public visitation. It is easily accessible by shuttle just a few miles from the center of the city. Though it is now closed for any naval activities, the 1,200 acre business campus sits on what was once the country’s very first naval shipyard!

The creative and inspiring atmosphere (with great food) inside the Urban home office makes every visitor wish they were an employee! You can see in this photo, just like in the stores – dogs are welcome! In the Anthro building, I actually saw a dog watching a TV as he sat in his little dog bed next to his owner’s desk! (True story! And, he was watching a show about dogs!)

Some of the historic Navy Yard artifacts are clearly embraced in the decor:

There are two wonderful places to have lunch – both are open to the public.

Yup, it is called The Navy Yard for a reason…I don’t know of any other lunch spots with a battleship view!

One wall makes for an impromptu museum:

Like the stores, unique and inspiring surroundings are everywhere:

If you look closely at this photo, you may spot the employee exercise area on the upper floor.

And here is my prime destination…Building No. 10…

The building containing the Anthropologie headquarters…I won’t show you the inside since it is not open to the public, but I will say that I was NOT disappointed! Oh, and here is an example of one of the many daily happenings while walking by one of the company buildings…the beginnings of a photo shoot:

I hope you enjoyed sharing some photos of the areas open to the public at the Urban Outfitters home office…and, if you should find yourself in Philly sometime – check it out! Because, like the stores, the home office is unique, fun, and inspiring!

Have a fabulous spring weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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top 5 from philly flower show 2014

March 14, 2014

The Philadelphia Flower Show had an amazing theme this year…ARTiculture!

I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to attend the longest-running and largest indoor flower show!

With so much to see, the show was overwhelming. What makes the show special is in the way each attendee has a unique visit – each person sees the show from their own perspective…in this way, the show is a very personal experience.

As a way to share this personal experience with you on Friday field trip this week, I am sharing my personal top 5 from the Philadelphia Flower Show 2014.

THEME. I loved the art theme this year! ARTiculture! Working in collaboration with Philadelphia museums and the local art world made the Flower Show theme the best in years! The art influences were everywhere…but this display, in my estimation, integrated the theme perfectly!

Even food was treated as art in this amazing display:

DEMONSTRATION. The lectures and demonstrations offered at the Flower Show are always a high point for me…learning anything new is always fun and I enjoy watching the variety of demonstrations offered on the show schedule.

This year, while attending an evening sponsored by Philadelphia Magazine, I met the talented artist Denise Fike. Denise provided guests with their own fashion portraits…what a fun demonstration and a cool way to incorporate the theme of the show!

FRIENDS. One great aspect of an annual show is to visit people you have met year after year. I had three in particular that I really enjoyed catching up with in the retail section of the show.

One was Michelle Masters…she creates this

beautiful topiary art…

I was happy to have the opportunity to stock up on my notecards and to purchase a few great gifts. ;)

I also had the chance to spend some time with Jill Schwartz. As owner of Elements, she creates some really awesome jewelry…you may have seen some of her unique pieces in Anthropologie.

If you are a flower lover and have not seen the products from Chive you are definitely missing something great! It is so inspiring to see all their products ‘up close and personal’ at the flower show each year and to say ‘hi’ to the friendly staff. I love using their products for big events and small parties…they have wonderful pieces to use as favors and as centerpieces.

SCULPTURE. Each year, I am intrigued by some type of sculpture at the show. Of course, everyone attending was mesmerized by the entrance of the show, where masses of flowers were put together and displayed in a ‘frame.’ I found a couple more I enjoyed.

The paper flower sculptures in the hallways leading to the main rooms were awesome and gave any of us dappling in paper flower construction a whole new level of inspiration!

As a typography lover, I enjoyed this sculpture in the Convention Center hallway.

GARDEN INSPIRATION. Admittedly, much of my day was spent oohing and aahing the amazing varieties of flowers on display. It’s great to be inspired to find something to incorporate into my own garden. This year, that inspiration was the witch hazel. As a winter bloomer, I know it would be a lovely way to add some color to the snow next year! My own state (Connecticut) is the witch hazel capital and was the first to harvest and market it for its medicinal purposes…surprisingly, I have not already included it in my garden! This is how it looks in bloom.