Weekend Meanderings … Father’s Day Menu, A Summer Spritz + More!

Happy Father’s Day Weekend, friends!

It’s Saturday and I’m meeting up with Kim and Elizabeth for Weekend Meanderings.

Snowberry’s summer porch refresh is up on the blog.

Did you see it?

Pippa’s the cutest photo bomber.

I know you’ve got a lot to do this weekend.

So let’s get to it.

 

FATHER’S DAY MENU

Are you hosting a Father’s Day gathering? Jim’s been at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen this week. He flies home on Sunday and Kyle’s coming for dinner. What’s on the menu? So glad you asked.

• @erinnobrienn Nana’s Crunchy Lemon Parmesan Salad
• Easy Skirt Steak with Vibrant Chimichurri
• Ina Garten’s Fresh Corn Salad
• Garlic Bread from Diablo Foods. The best … and Jim’s favorite.
• I haven’t decided on dessert. Maybe brownies with homemade vanilla ice cream. Or ice cream sandwiches with store bought ice cream (its firmer) and cookies from Lori’s Legendary Cookies or Tate’s Bake Shop.

Lynda Balslev / The Mercury News

Hopefully it’s nice enough to eat outside. After a short heatwave it’s cooled down. Last night was a little chilly. I’m not complaining, I see temperatures soaring in other parts of the country … and I hope you’re staying cool.

 

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR RENOVATING AND DECORATING

The New Design Rules by Emily Henderson is a playbook for home renovations and refreshes. One I wish I had before taking on my first reno project. Chockfull of great information on the what’s and how to’s of all the decisions and design choices that need to be made for any project. Big or small. Emily covers every room in the house, from floor plan to artwork. If you’re looking to renovate a room, or the entire house … or simply refresh a space … this is for you. Oh, and it has pretty pictures too. Lots and lots of pretty pictures.

 

 Amazon

 

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS (AKA REAL ESTATE PORN)

While recovering from my bout with food poisoning, I binged season one of The Kardashians on Hulu. I know. Can you believe I’ve never seen the original Keeping Up with the Kardashians? Of course, I’ve caught snippets here and there … how could I not? But never an entire show. I’m just going to come out and say it. I loved it. More than anything else I loved the glimpses into the Kardashian / Jenner homes. They all share a very clean and minimalistic style. And I wonder if the neutral palettes are designed with a television backdrop in mind. You know I love color, and a more traditional aesthetic, but I can appreciate other styles and their homes are quite something. My favorite is Kendall Jenner’s. It feels a bit warmer and homier to me. Architectural Digest featured it in the July 2020 issue.

Her formal living room is stunning. These sofas are so good … and the color is amazing.

Image: William Abraowicz for Architectural Digest

Her green kitchen, with wood island countertop, also sent my heart soaring.

Image: William Abraowicz for Architectural Digest

And her outdoor spaces are lovely.

Image: William Abraowicz for Architectural Digest

Impatiently waiting for new episodes. I’m only watching for the houses.

 

BANANA REPUBLIC SHOPPING TRIP

This week I wandered into Banana Republic. It’s been a minute since I’ve been in this store. And it felt different. Elevated maybe, and more curated. I loved everything. But had to put blinders on and focus. I need something something to wear to a blogging conference next month. In Atlanta. It’s going to be hot, humid … and air conditioned to arctic temps indoors. I thought a summer dress and blazer combo might be just the thing. What do you think? Of the dress and blazer, not my dressing room selfie skills. The blazer reminds me of my Veronica Beard navy blazer, but at less than half the cost (still not inexpensive). They offer a navy version too.

I thought it would be fun to build an outfit around these two pieces. All from Banana Republic. If you haven’t been recently, by all means, go.

Dress / Blazer / Sandals / Belt / Tote / Scarf / Earrings / Cuff / Sunnies

I got this cute pair of striped shorts too.

 

LIMONCELLO SPRITZER

Last night I made Limoncello Spritzers and I’m happy to report they’re delicious! Are you a fan of Limoncello? Jim used to travel to Italy frequently on business and became enamored with it. We always have a bottle in our freezer. It has a high alcohol content and is a little intense for me, but in a spritzer it’s perfect.

It’s a quick and easy spritzer to make … lemon juice, Limoncello, Prosecco  and mint. Pour into a glass over ice. I like to use crushed ice. Pro tip – if crushing ice yourself make sure to use a sturdy bag. Like a freezer-strength bag. I used a sandwich bag and got ice all over the kitchen.

Take a look at last night’s Limoncello video here.

Here’s the recipe ~

So there you have it, some fun and fabulous things from my week.

Now let’s see what Kim and Elizabeth are up to.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STYLE

PINECONES AND ACORNS

In other news:

• These DIY plant markers are the cutest!
• I’m beyond excited to see this favorite blog back in action.
• Martha says this going to be the drink of summer. And it looks like a good thing.
• The Frontgate ‘Countdown to Summer’ sale is on … 20% off sitewide.

 

As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.

Cheers from Snowberry!