Cape Light - Joel Meyerowitz

its finally summer here in San Francisco - most of us were thinking it wouldnt happen, but here it is!


yesterday on sfgirlbybay, victoria took us on a tour of martha's vineyard. it made me long for my childhood summers on the cape and islands. i swear there is something magical that exists only there and no where else.

photographer Joel Meyerowitz captures my feelings for this place so well. his photos from the series Cape Light serve to satiate my longing...at least for now.

hope you enjoy

mid summer makeover

my sneaks were looking a little tired, kinda the way i like 'em but also on the edge of ratty. They are super comfy vans that ive had for ages, they have even been swimming with me in the mediterranean last summer and i just cant let them go yet...

but a new set of laces from the drug store and they are back in action! with a little boyish retro charm to boot!

outings - tuolumne meadows

i spent the 4th holiday in the gorgeous tuolumne meadows of yosemite national park. a bit removed from all the craziness i spent a quite weekend around the camp fire and hiking through the spectacular terrain - my kings of the world from atop fairview dome

pretty porcelain berry baskets

i was out visiting one of my favorite berkley stores - the gardner - and happened across these pretty white porcelain berry boxes ... immediately in love!

oh super clean lined but still with a farmhouse chic appeal - would be so wonderful for so many little things not just your berries in the fridge.. though reusable is good! soap dish, planter, cute hostess gift with fresh muffins inside .... i could go on but you get the idea!!! i found them here for a very reasonable price in two sizes.
oh an i loved these little organic boxshaped salters too!

thinking about summer -

with school nearly done im thinking about the freedom of summer! arent these keds just perfect for warm summer days with your favorite pair of shorts or a cute little dress~ find them here

dear golden: provencal scarf

summer is fast approaching here in the city by the bay and as a little treat to myself i ordered this provencally looking scarf from this phenomenal vintage etsy clothing shop. the colors are totally up my alley and the weight will be wonderful for the chilly summer mornings i know are on their way

Lauren of DearGoldenVintage has such a terrific eye for beautiful vintage clothing ....tons of dresses and shoes to drool over. another thing i love about the shop - she posts in color schemes - blushes, neutrals, blues etc...making outfit selection oh so easy! check out some other things i have my eye on in her store below

so thanks lauren for the lovely new addition!

fruits of labor: esther's cottage farm swedish cucumbers

i have been getting tons of cucumbers in my produce box, perhaps you have a similar problem or dont know what to do with all those cucumbers growing in your garden? here is a delightfully fresh and easy recipe - it is an adaptation of my great-grandmothers recipe for swedish cucumbers, but ive punched it up a bit.
this would be really fun and unexpected at a summer bbq!

the recipe that follows is for 1lb of cucumbers but as you will see it can be easily increased to accommodate more.

1lb of cucumbers
1 1/4 cups of water
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of white vinegar
1/4 tsp of salt
3 tbsp of parsley finely chopped
1/8 cup of sliced red onion

combine water, white vinegar, sugar, salt, parsley in a large bowl

the easiest, most efficient and i think nicest way to do this next step is on the mandolin, (a rather ingenious kitchen accessory i must say. if you don't own a mandolin they are rather inexpensive the one i have cost about 8$ though some can be as pricey as 100$ or over) if you aren't equipped with a mandolin, slice the cucumbers and red onion as thinly as you can -

peel the cucumbers and then slice them on the mandolin right over the liquid mixture then do the same for the red onion until you have approx. an 1/8 cup in the mixture (you don't want too much or all you will taste is onion). stir it all together and let it sit at least 2 hours - though i recommend over night or even 2 days ahead as they get better the longer they sit in the brine.

this is also a nice light accompaniment to meat or served over fresh sliced summer tomatoes. once you taste these im sure you will think of many things to do with esther's swedish cucumbers -
enjoy

trip to the farmers market

there is nothing like a trip to the farmers market on a bright, warm sunny day - all of the produce is swelled with ripeness and color and smell, and those samples are every bit as good as just looking at the fruit. here is a visual journey of just such an experience -

and there are wonderful shops to be seen inside of the san francisco ferry building - below are some pictures from my favoite

i love the baskets in these pictures they remind me of the baskets in this picture from my post about bohemian interiors. see the whole post here
i think they are wonderful! they are from the gardener. an inspired shop here in the bay area.