pleasure in simple things

la mercerie cafe nyc

June 15, 2018

I love design centers – particularly in New York City – they are SO inspiring! One of my favorite places to meander around while in the city is ABC Carpet & Home. But recently I heard some buzz about a new furniture and lighting store in Soho and I was curious!

I used a free scrap of time while in NYC recently to check out Roman & Williams Guild. I knew La Mercerie Café and Emily Thompson Flowers were located at the Guild as well and my plan was to check out Roman & Williams and the flower shop while visiting the French café for a coffee or tea.

My plan worked out perfectly since the café was my favorite part of the visit! It is the perfect spot for a coffee or tea and dessert. (Breakfast or an all-day menu is available.)

I did take a casual stroll around the furniture store (well beyond my personal budget), but the aesthetic of the surroundings while seated in the café – with Emily Thompson’s wares in full sight – is what I found most inspiring!

I hope you enjoy some photos of my visit on today’s Friday field trip. I would add La Mercerie Café to your list of places to visit while in the city.

Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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frozen rosemary fudge pops

June 12, 2018

For me, there certainly is a lot of nostalgia associated with frozen treats. When I was a kid, the Good Humor driver would take his dinner break on our corner. And, I could buy a frozen fudge pop from the dairy farm across the street whenever I had enough coins to do so or whenever I could talk my dad into buying. (He would say: “You fly, I’ll buy.”)

These days, I try not to go overboard with the desserts, but I still love anything frozen – whether it be drinks, desserts, or pops. I like to make my own frozen pops now, so I can control what goes into them. And, I love to experiment with a variety of fruits and flavors.

Recently, I discovered a fabulous source for frozen pop recipes – a book called Glow Pops by Liz Moody. Not only are the pops made from these recipes delicious, but they are made from nutritious ingredients! Even if you don’t use the exact recipes in the book, the inspiration for using healthful ingredients in frozen pops is worth its purchase!

One example is my updated, healthful version of the fudge pops from my childhood, adapting a recipe from Glow Pops! Adding rosemary to the flavor profile and finishing them with salt brings these pops to a whole new ice pop level! Yummy!!

Empty a 13.5 ounce can of coconut milk (I buy it in the International aisle at the grocery store – leche de coco) into a pan and heat on medium high heat on the stove. When it boils, turn off the heat and add 3 sprigs of rosemary from the garden – let it sit 20 minutes to infuse the flavor. Remove the rosemary and pour the mixture into a blender, adding 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 6 Tablespoons organic coconut sugar and 6 Tablespoons of raw organic cacao powder. Blend until smooth and pour into ice pop molds. Freeze. Sprinkle with sea salt when ready to eat. This makes 4 (4 oz.) pops.

If you need an ice pop mold, Home Goods and Marshall’s always have them. I love Crate & Barrel’s Zoku Mod ice pop mold – it is designed to fit into freezer doors. Crate & Barrel also has a good rocket ice pop mold that is actually on sale right now for $3.47!

Do yourself a flavor (pun intended!) for the summer and get Liz Moody’s book Glow Pops and an ice pop mold! A very small investment for some really huge flavor enjoyment!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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country living rhinebeck 2018

June 8, 2018

My very favorite fair is the Country Living Fair. I love it. And, I have to say that Rhinebeck, NY – which happens to be the closest location of the fair to where I live – is also my favorite location. The Dutchess Country Fairgrounds provide a fabulous event location. The grounds are lush and green and, in addition to all the fabulous vendors, seminars, and demonstrations, the fairgrounds provides great food, free parking, and well-maintained restrooms.

I thought you might like to see a glimpse of this year’s fair offerings, so I am sharing some photos today on Friday field trip. My favorite booth was the one put together by South Porch Antiques. They not only provided a great selection of antiques, but (as always) they also did so in a stunningly visual way.

Enjoy the photos!

P.S. Something really fabulous happened to me in Rhinebeck at the fair and it made me so happy I chose not to skip the fair this year! I met one of my idols! Not only did I meet her, but we shared a hug and I got a chance to talk a little paint with her! You may have guessed by the word ‘paint’ that the person who I met was Annie Sloan! What a thrill! (Thanks to my sweet friend for capturing it on film! xo)

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

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books to bookmarks diy

June 5, 2018

Aren’t old books beautiful! A vintage book has an appeal that a new book just wouldn’t understand! I love decorating with vintage books…either as is, or by using pieces of them to create a DIY project.

Sometimes an old book will be in such bad shape that only pieces can be salvaged. Even so, there are plenty of uses for its pieces! That was the case with a really old, beautiful book recently. The cover had incredible character, but it was separated from the book. Even though it couldn’t be displayed as an entire book, I knew I had to come up with a use for the beautiful, vintage cover of the piece.

My thought was to cut the cover into strips and make the strips into bookmarks! The bookmarks would have the lovely character of the book’s cover and I would still have the old pages of the book for future projects…lovely, old, worn, faded, vintage pages!

Converting the cover into bookmarks was an easy DIY. First, I carefully cut long pieces with a craft knife fitted with a new blade. Next, I wanted to add a ribbon to the top. Rather than just punch a hole in the top of each strip, I used a grommet tool (you can find one for a few bucks in any craft shop) to add a grommet and make the finished product a little more dignified! I figured a book as old as this one deserved a little dignity!

I added a ribbon I purchased at the craft store. Choosing the ribbon was the most time consuming part of the project! I needed to find just the perfect ribbon! And, I think I did!

A very easy project as well as a very satisfying one!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are having a great week!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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june book giveaway!

June 1, 2018

June is already here! So, it is time for the June book giveaway!

This month, the giveaway is not exactly a book. Instead, it is a memo pad organizer with some coordinating pencils!

I really love notepads – especially ones that detail a week or a month at a time, and this one is so cute! The longer days of summer leave more time for fun activities. And, this is the perfect pad to best maximize scheduling the expanded daylight hours!

Just leave a comment to be entered to win this giveaway. The winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month from those commenting.

Congratulations to Carolina. She is the winner of the May giveaway, the inspirational read Pretty Happy by Kate Hudson! (Click here to read more about this book.) I know you will enjoy this book, Carolina!

For those who use Instagram, read on for this month’s challenge!

For the month of June, let’s share our beach finds! Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share. I can’t wait to see what you discover on your next beach trip! :)

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

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mint watermelon iced tea

May 29, 2018

Don’t you love the new item section at Trader Joe’s? It is always so fun to see the latest products offered for sale and there are always some great ones! (How about that cauliflower gnocchi?!)

One of the newest products I picked up on a recent visit was the mint watermelon tea. I planned to make up some iced tea for Memorial Day weekend and was immediately drawn to the ‘watermelon’ part of the tea description – even though the ‘mint’ part was mentioned first.

When I made up a batch of the tea, I found the mint flavor was definitely way more pronounced than the watermelon flavor. But, after a little adjustment, I got the subtle watermelon flavor I was after!

I brewed up 2 ½ quarts of tea, using 10 tea sachets. After steeping and cooling the tea, I added some watermelon puree to it before pouring it into a pitcher. To make the puree, I just cut up some fresh, seedless watermelon and liquified it in the blender. (I cut the watermelon into small cubes and used 3 cups worth in the blender.)

If you love mint, you will probably like this tea without the adjustment. I don’t use sweetener in my tea, but you may want to add some if you like some sweetness to your tea.

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday weekend! Here’s to a short work week!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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let’s not be so hard on ourselves!

May 25, 2018

I feel like the sun knew my work schedule this week and only made an appearance when I was required to be indoors!

Don’t worry, I’m not going take you to any of my places of work for today’s Friday field trip!

Actually, I am just leaving you with something to think about. I read an article a couple days ago in the New York Times titled: Why You Should Stop Being So Hard on Yourself by Charlotte Lieberman.

It talked about how self-criticism can take a toll on our minds and bodies and have measurably destructive effects. It struck a nerve with me as I bet it did with a lot of women. I think most of us are just so darn hard on ourselves!

Pull up the article if you’d like to read more about how we got that way, but I was more interested in what the article had to say about how we can correct it!

The answer is self-compassion – the practice of being kind and understanding to ourselves when confronted with a personal flaw or failure.

At the suggestion of the article, I am making a conscious effort to take a breath after making a mistake, rather than berating myself over it.

And, most importantly, trying really hard to practice what it feels like to treat myself as I would treat a friend.

Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

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

Lieberman, C. (2018, May 22). Why you should stop being so hard on yourself. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

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garden mulch alternative

May 22, 2018

Usually my gardens are in order by Mother’s Day. And, Mother’s Day has always been my goal date to finish planting annuals and have all the mulch down. This year, the crazy weather caused me to be way behind on my garden schedule. My only little scraps of time to do yard work were during heavy rains or tornado conditions! (Yes, tornadoes! Area schools have been out for 4 days due to the damage caused by tornado touchdowns in Connecticut!) This year, I actually visited the nursery and purchased my annuals in the powering rain, holding an umbrella!

The smallest little garden in my yard is located by my back door. Because I see it every time I enter or leave the house, I have always tried to do something a little different in that one patch. In many past years, I have used cocoa hull mulch in that back door garden, because I loved the chocolate smell every time I passed! Now, it is impossible to find the cocoa mulch – garden centers tell me they stopped carrying it because it attracted animals. I thought about using beach stones as an alternate mulch. I am already using beach stones in other gardens and I thought it might add a nice continuity – maybe adding some beach grasses to that garden to give it an added coastal vibe.

So, when I saw oyster shells used as mulch at this year’s flower show in Philadelphia, I thought it might be just the interesting substitute for cocoa mulch that I was looking for! Besides the fact that people don’t collect oyster shells, we also have a city nearby that boasts 12,000 acres of oyster farms – getting the shells won’t be a problem!

What do you think? Good idea? I love the irregular shape and interesting texture!

Note: Because oyster shells break down faster than a sturdier shell, like a clam, they may need to be replaced frequently. So, if you are considering using oyster shells in your own garden, be sure to consider this.

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

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olympic training center, colorado

May 18, 2018

Do you know what one thing in Colorado Springs exists in only three places in the United States? The United States Olympic Training Center (OTC)!

(The other two campuses are in Lake Placid, New York and Chula Vista, California.)

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tour the Colorado Springs campus with a fun group of people while in Colorado – the first of the three to be built and also the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Some athletes preparing for the Olympics, Paralympics, and Pan American Games live at the OTCs for a period of months or years, while others visit periodically with their respective national teams for training camps, coaching, or physical testing. (Although foreign national teams are occasionally granted use of the US OTCs, they are used mainly by athletes from the United States.)

The best part of the tour? It was given by athletes! Our group was treated to conversation with paralympic gold medalist, 2-time world champion in the paratriathlon, Allysa Seely and U.S. skeleton athlete, Stephen Garbett.

Since Colorado Springs is situated near the base of Pikes Peak (at the eastern edge of the southern Rocky Mountains), the view of one of the most famous American mountains is visible from most parts of the OTC.

The high elevation of the OTC (located on the former Ent Air Force Base) is thought to improve training effectiveness. Its facilities include a swimming pool, an indoor shooting range, the Olympic Training Center Velodrome, two sports centers housing numerous gymnasiums and weight room, and a sport science laboratory, in addition to an athlete center and dining hall, several dormitories, a visitors’ center, and the offices of both the USCO and U.S. Paralympics.

Even when Pikes Peak is not in view, there are awesome mountain views from most angles. I was particularly impressed by the magnificent mountain view from the 2^nd floor indoor track in one of the sport center buildings – what a view to enjoy while running!

I highly recommend an Olympic Training Center tour if you ever find yourself near one of the locations – it is an inspiring experience, for sure!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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beauty in simplicity

May 15, 2018

A big garden isn’t needed to enjoy the outdoors in your home.

Pick a single flower or a single leaf or grab a sprig from shrub clippings. Even the bad boys in the yard (enter dandelions in seed), can evoke a positive mood – creating the sense of fulfilled wishes or dreams yet to be – when displayed as a single bloom in a container!

If you don’t have a yard, just take a walk through the woods or a public park…heck, you can find a beautiful wildflower on the side of the throughway!

Then, display your little piece of the outdoors in a container. No fancy or expensive vase is needed! Just look in your recycling bin or in your cupboards for some great ideas! Any small vessel will do! Examples include: a tiny espresso cup, a teacup, a small milk pitcher, or a glass liquor ‘nip’ bottle or other small discarded bottle.

Just display this little piece of beauty in any room – in any little scrap of space where you will glance over at it and smile!

The beauty and simplicity of a single flower or leaf is an instant mood lifter and is a great way to display the awesomeness of nature in your home.

I hope I have inspired you to display little pieces of nature in your home!

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

The containers in the order they appear: sea urchin vase from Christmas Tree Shop ($1.99), discarded coconut vodka ‘nip’ bottle, 5 bud vase from Marshall’s ($2.99 in clearance aisle), teacup (a gift), discarded coconut vodka ‘nip’ bottle, found glass bottle, my creamer, sea urchin vase from Christmas Tree Shop.

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la mercerie cafe nyc

frozen rosemary fudge pops

country living rhinebeck 2018

books to bookmarks diy

june book giveaway!

mint watermelon iced tea

let’s not be so hard on ourselves!

garden mulch alternative

olympic training center, colorado

beauty in simplicity