Online Magazines

If you're like us, you mourned the passing of Blueprint and Domino maybe a little more than others in your household deemed reasonable. Luckily, a few online magazines have popped up for us to peruse. While they don't offer the tactile experience of their paper predecessors, they do have some neat features (like being able to click on items that you like for more information about them). We thought we'd give you a roundup of some online magazines that we're loving to get you through the rest of the week (click on the magazine names to visit their sites).  You'll be excited to know that a whole slew of them will be releasing new issues soon, so now is the time to get them bookmarked.

Shelter:
Lonny
Nesting Newbies
Domino archives (not an online magazine, but useful and pretty nonetheless)

Lifestyle:
Maeve (new issue due August 3)
Sweet Paul (expect a new issue in late August)
Pure Green Living(brand spanking new! via poppytalk)

Kids:
lmnop
Small Magazine
Papier Mache

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Currently, I only have room for an itty, bitty garden. Luckily, that's all I need to grow an abundance of herbs. We have plenty of mint for our lemonade, chives for our omelets, and most importantly, basil for our pesto. Ah, pesto--it's difficult for me to imagine a meal that wouldn't be improved by including you. Everyone should know the pleasure of summer meals brimming with herby goodness. Here are some supplies to get you started.

Left to right, from top: Herb Flower Pots at Twine; Celia Birtwells Watering Can and Garden Apron at Sprout Home; Normann Copenhagen Herb Stand at Velocity Art & Design; Herb and Plant Caddy with Planter Boxes at Japanese Garden Supply

Left to right, from top: Garden Markers at Simply Pretty Prints; Custom Garden Stakes at Just Potters; Custom Herb Markers at Muuan; Essential Herbs Kitchen Towels Set at Nesta Homes

Left to right, from top: Henckels Twin Select Mezzaluna Set at Chefs; Herb Drying Rack at Terrain; The Herbal Kitchen at Amazon; Herb Snips at Chefs; Oval Spice Herb Jars at Crate and Barrel

Inked

Would you like to receive mail that doesn’t require you to write a check in response? Do you enjoy finding pretty things in your mailbox? Me too, which is why I’m going to start giving personalized stationary for all sorts of gift giving occasions.

You graduated from something? Congratulations, real grown-ups have stationary. You’re engaged? I bet there is moving or name changing involved; let me help you out with some stationary. You’re having a baby? You’ll have to write lots of thank you notes, so here is some stationary. It’s your birthday? Nothing highlights the blank slate of another year like new stationary.

My friends and family members will be so overjoyed by the fresh ink and lovely designs, they’ll be compelled to write notes—probably mostly to me. I’m really looking forward to it. Here are a few things on my “to give” list:

Left to right, from top: Custom Sewn Stationary by Cake + Milk Paperie;Kyoto StationaryPersonalized Letterpress Stationary by Paper Lovely; Dandelion Social Stationary by Sweet Harvey Letterpress; Custom Stationary by Sarah Parrot by Mr. Boddington's Studio;
Clockwise from top left: Mailbox Monthly by Satsuma Press (Please check out Lynn's blogRoyal Correspondence Set by Yellow Owl Workshop; Custom Boxed Set by Olive-Route for her son Liam who is living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. You might want to consider donating to their effort to renovate a bathroom to improve its accessibility for him.);

Do consider giving a letter-writing accessory with your stationary, especially to anyone under 25—I’m pretty sure they don’t own pens. This will increase your chances of receiving fun mail by at least 50 percent and that’s the whole point of this, right?

Clockwise from top right: Letter Alliance Gift Set by 16 Sparrows; Classic Torrenado Rollerball Pens at Kate's Paperie; Rubber Address Stamp by Paperwink; Know It All Pencil Set at the Curiosity Shoppe; Cityscape Stamp Set by Yellow Owl Workshop

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

This is my absolute favorite time of year for eating. The pure abundance of gorgeous fruits and veggies at the farmer's market right now makes up for the three months of gnarled root vegetables and mealy apples (let me amend that to say "almost makes up," lest I poke someone in the eye with a rutabaga for reminding me I said that in the midst of next January's market doldrums).

I hate to play favorites when the pickings are so bountiful, but I must confess my undying love for blueberries (cover your ears nectarines, I would never deny my fondness for you). When my daughter and I aren't eating blueberries plain by the pint, I'm adding them to something else--salads, smoothies, peanut butter toast, muffins, ice cream. You name it, I've probably put a blueberry in it. So when my husband confessed a craving for blueberry pancakes last weekend, I happily dug the griddle out from its hiding place and set to work.

This recipe is loosely based on this whole grain pancake recipe by the ridiculously talented Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. As far as I'm concerned, everything that comes out of her kitchen tastes like rainbows, but, you know, the healthy kind. That being the case, it would probably be wise for you to follow her recipe. However, if white whole wheat flour isn't your favorite and you find yourself lacking buttermilk when your blueberry pancake craving hits, you could always give this recipe a try.

Whole-Grain Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup natural granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons lowfat milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
zest of one lemon
1 pint blueberries, rinsed

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and create a well in the center. Add the milk, lemon juice, eggs, butter, and lemon zest to the well and gently whisk together. Stir all the ingredients until just combined (it's better to have a few lumps than to risk tough pancakes from overmixing).

Heat your cast iron pan, skillet, or griddle to medium and brush with a little butter. Pour batter onto your griddle by tablespoons for silver dollar sized pancakes or 1/3 cups if you prefer larger pancakes. Add the desired amount of blueberries to each pancake (adding them at this point, rather than stirring them into the batter, ensures an even distribution of blueberries and prevents blueberry lovers from analyzing each pancake before picking those with the highest blueberry to pancake ratio). Flip the pancakes when bubbles form and the bottom is golden brown. Remove when cooked through and repeat with the remaining batter.

If you're dining with a civilized bunch who choose to wait to eat until the cook is out of the kitchen, you can keep your pancakes warming in the oven. I've had the greatest success at preventing sogginess by placing cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet in a single layer with the oven at 150 degrees.

Serve with butter, maple syrup, lemon zest, and a mountain of additional blueberries.

Camping, Sans Bears

Dear YOU + ME*,
It just doesn't seem like summer without a camping trip, but every time I suggest one, my fiancé comes up with a list of excuses. The frustrating part is that I actually think she'd have a great time. She loves the outdoors and I know she'd find it romantic to cook over an open fire with a glass of wine and a sky full of stars. How can I introduce her to the joys of camping without pressuring her?
Thanks, R.

Dear R.,
We commend you for your romantic vision of camping. Is it possible your fiancé is hesitant to give up the comfort of her luxurious bed to retire on an aero mattress? As long as it's only a mild aversion to sleeping under the stars and not a fundamental distaste for nature, we think you have a good chance of turning things around. Here's your game plan: create an idyllic backyard campout, but give her a break and slumber inside (with the windows wide open for a more al fresco experience). When she marvels at your handiwork and commends you for planning such an enchanted evening, make sure you express that this was nothing compared to what you do for a real camping trip. We think she'll be so eager to see what other tricks you have up those rugged sleeves that you may be hitching the trailer up to the car the next weekend. Here are some goodies to get you started:

Clockwise from top right: Enamelware at Napa Style; Toasted Coconut Marshmallows at Have It Confections; Rolla Roaster Forks at L.L. Bean; Portable Fire Box at Napa Style; Graham Crackers at Bread Farm; Barcelona Chocolate Bar at Vosges
Clockwise from top right: Italian Waiter's Corkscrew at Williams Sonoma; Wishing Well Wine Bucket at Anthropologie; Wine Barrel Stave Side Table at Viva Terra; Picardie Glass Tumbler at Mighty Nest; Silver Camper Tea Towel at Tiny Peepers
Clockwise from top right: Roost Ash Lanterns at Velocity; Backyard Guide to the Night Sky at Amazon; Jacquard Hammock at Graham and Green; Pendelton Flagstaff Vintage Collection Blanket at the Oregon Store

Conclude your camping trip the next morning with some homemade blueberry pancakes cooked in a cast iron pan (recipe coming Thursday).

xo, ME*

Have Your Cake

A dear friend recently had a baby. It just so happened that this tiny piece of perfection was born on her mama’s birthday, her 30th no less. Because it was birthdays all around, loved ones brought a cake to the hospital. Besides setting the scene for some adorable photos, this cake created a celebratory mood befitting a new life (I’ll just put it out there now: I think our next baby should be greeted with a cake--carrot, please). Ice cream and cookies may be more likely to make me swoon, but nothing says celebration like a cake.

Homemade cake beats bakery cake any day of the week, but what do you do if your frosting skills are stuck at a third grade level? Add a topper, of course. Almost anything small and festive can decorate your cake or cupcakes (just put it on a small pedestal, if you're concerned about the frosting). Here are a few of our favorites:

This lovely photograph is courtesy of Brookelyn Photography, styled by ME*. Cake topped with Whale Candleholder by Jonathan Adler.

Clockwise from top: Happy Birthday Owl by the Felted Pair; Custom Birthday Girl by Lollipop Workshop; Elephant Never Forgets Your Birthday by Bunny With a Toolbelt

Clockwise from top left: Bon Voyage Bird by Cotton Bird Designs; Lines + Patterns Blocks by The Small Object; Custom Star House by Urastar

Clockwise from top left: Wooden Robot and Bird Friend by Angelbot; Paper Flowers by Milla Love; Alphabet Blocks by Uncle Goose; The Wild Bunch by Mibo Studios

Give it Up for Older Siblings

Picture it: you’re the center of your little universe, being doted on by everyone who steps over the threshold and into your domain, when suddenly a tiny, screaming bundle usurps your place as the baby. Now there may be benefits that come with your new, more mature role as an older sibling (For instance, it’s not totally clear who will be the boss over this thing, but it seems plausible that you’ll have some level of authority. Plus, you have a better chance of carrying out some of your experiments like “do dogs want to wear lipstick?” and “does mom’s jewelry float?” if your parents are distracted by the bundle). Even so, recent developments on the home front are disquieting to say the least.

That’s where those adoring friends and family come in. On behalf of older brothers and sisters everywhere, I implore you to show a little love to the forgotten sibling. Chances are mom and dad have stacks of onesies and swaddling blankets laying around after baby number one. Give the new baby something small and sweet and give the older sibling something that will keep him/her occupied during mom’s marathon feeding sessions.

Here are some gifts that will have those kiddos begging for another brother or sister:

Clockwise from top: Aromatic Play Clay by Mama K; Sunprint Kit at Sprout Home; Wooden Stringing Beads at Pin Pon by Dayanara; Kimmel Kids Art Tools at the A Plus Store

Clockwise from top left: Animal Origami at the SF MOMA Store; Magnetic Robot Figurines at Mudpuppy; Eames House of Cards at the MOMA Store; Made By Me Car Kit at Mighty Nest; Design Your Own T-Shirt at Giggle

Clockwise from top left: Little Hero Cape at Discovery Denim; Silver Star Headpiece at Craftsbury Kids; Star Crown at the Merry Crown Society

Roasted Peach Frozen Yogurt!

It is hot here in the city. I mean, like "take your clothes off and lie in front of the fan and chores and nosy neighbors be damned" hot. On the bright side, though, this is the kind of weather that makes ice cream feel like a legit meal. What are we having for lunch? Ice cream? Perfect.
I recently got my husband an ice cream maker for his birthday per his request. Did he request said ice cream maker because he loves to cook? Au contraire. It was because he saw all of the delicious homemade ice cream in the June/July issue of ReadyMade, and wanted me to take up making ice cream for him. Given that ice cream is my favorite food ever (this whole pie v. cake nonsense is silly to me, mainly because the clear winner is ice cream), I happily obliged. I've churned out a few batches so far, but the very best is this little treat I put together last weekend.
I decided to roast my peaches, since it is still early in the season and they were a bit tart and firm. And you know what? It might be one of the better culinary decisions I've made. The roasting brought out a deeper peach flavor, and made the texture better for the yogurt. This has just a sprinkle of sugar (not even necessary if your peaches are sweet) and the tiniest bit of honey. It may even be healthy enough to call a meal.

Roasted Peach Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

4 peaches, preferably local and organic
1 17.5 oz container of greek yogurt (the higher the fat content, the creamier your yogurt will be!)
1 cup whole milk (I used 1/2 cup of buttermilk instead of 1/2 of the cup of milk, because I like the tang)
1T vanilla extract
honey to taste (I ended up using about 1/8 cup)
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the peaches in half and lay cut side down in a rimmed baking dish. If the peaches are still very tart, sprinkle with sugar to taste (I used about 1tsp. organic brown sugar). Cook for 35-45 minutes, until the peaches soften and bubble. They may also start to brown on the tops. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then chop into 1/4-inch chunks. Reserve the syrup-y juice from the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine yogurt, milk, vanilla, and honey if you wish to add it. You can always sweeten more later. Whisk until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Five minutes before the end of your churning time, add the peaches and syrup that you reserved. Taste the mixture and sweeten more if desired.

When your yogurt is finished churning, transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours before eating. (This is an instance where "Do as I say, not as I do" applies very well.)

Enjoy!

DIY: Nautical Flag Birthday Mobile!

Don't you just love nautical themed things? Whales, ropes, salty sailors, you name it, we love it. If you know someone who has a birthday coming up, why not make them this easy-peasy mobile that we made for a certain birthday boy a few weeks ago?
how much do you love this photo? it was taken by the lovely and talented brookelyn photography. we can't stress enough how much we love her.

You'll need:
* The Nautical Flag Birthday Mobile .pdf, available here,
* scissors and a steady hand, or a metal ruler and exact-o knife
* bakers' twine or other string
* glue
* an embroidery hoop or anything with a similar shape
* wingnuts, beads or anything else that's heavy (optional)
*(optional to make number flags: construction paper!)
Directions:
*Print a few copies of the Nautical Flag Birthday Mobile .pdf. The exact number will depend on how big your embroidery hoop is and how many strings of flags you want. We used plain printer paper, and 8 strands for our 16" diameter embroidery hoop (so we printed out 8 copies).
*Using your scissors or exact-o knife, cut out the flags in the pdf that you've printed out. Fold each flag in half around the baker's twine, spelling out "happy birthday", and glue to affix the flag to the string. Do this on a separate strand for each print-out of the .pdf that you've made.
*Tie each strand to your embroidery hoop using a square knot ("Right over left and left over right makes a knot sturdy and tight!").
*(optional step--create number flags to hang down from your mobile. You can find the numbers here: Copy the numbers that you wish to attach to your mobile. You'll need twice the number of flags that you want hanging. Once you've made all of your flags (by cutting and pasting), make little string sandwiches by attaching one end of the string to the back of one of your number flags, then attaching another number flag on top of that (reference the picture above if you're having trouble visualizing that). Attach the number flags with square knots to your embroidery hoop.
*When all of the strands are tied to your embroidery hoop, cut one more strand that will remain flagless to about 12" longer than your other strands. This strand will hold your wingnuts or beads to give your mobile a little heft. Tie your wingnuts to one end.
*Gather the ends (the ones that aren't affixed to your embroidery hoop) of all of your strands as well as the un-wingnutted end of your wingnutted strand. Tie them in a surgeon's loop. Trim the ends, find somewhere pretty to hang it, and eat yourself some cupcakes!

You + Me* + You

This question comes from a lovely lady in Nashville, TN who is one of the founders/owners of the newly established Jackalope Brewing Company (keep your eyes out for Jackalope--it's going to be awesome!):

Dear You + Me*, Perhaps it's because I own a brewery, but I tend to get invited to a lot of dinners at other people's houses. While people are perfectly happy to see me show up with beer every time I go to a dinner, I would like to mix it up a bit. Do you have any suggestions for small hostess gifts for dinner parties? Thanks, R.

Dear R.,
First of all, congrats on your brewery! We have no doubt that it is your charming personality and witty banter that gets you invited to dinner, and not the promise of free beer. Hostess gifts (especially for a dinner party) are one of the trickier gifts to manage--most folks understandably play it safe with a bottle of wine (or beer). While a bottle of wine (or beer) is never frowned upon in our book, here are a few options that are a little bit less run-of-the mill. You might try one of these picks if your hostess (or host):


top to bottom: cino wine bottle holder; cool jewels ice cube tray (both at unicahome); citrus slip-on coasters by dimmalim home
clockwise from top left: flying dachshund canvas tote by mis nopales art; moka express tea towel by mengsel; manhattan wine tote by maptoteclockwise from top left: fukushu kumquat topiary at vivaterra; herb garden markers by just work; dark titanium zinc rectangles at jamali garden; 12 rooted succulents at succulents galore

We hope this little roundup helps! Now off to dinner with you!
Love,
ME*