scenes from a summer visit...

I had some sweet visitors here last week and their visit just so happened to coincide with all the Tall Ships arriving in Duluth (a very big, overly-hyped deal here). They didn't come up to visit in order to see the Tall Ships...but it just so happened that as we were driving up along the North Shore for lunch (here), some of the ships were coming in. So we pulled over and snapped a few photos.

And although I'm always a bit of a skeptic or avoider of big, publicized, crowded events....the ships did actually look pretty neat to me from our vantage point as they were still out aways on Lake Superior, making their way towards the harbor. Something about all those big sails and tall masts on a sea of blue that does sort of take your breath away, just a bit...

That was about all we needed to see though, and then, instead of standing among throngs of people, paying to see old ships (or replicas of old ships) close-up, we spent our time together on a quiet beach looking for agates or seaglass...taking a couple walks/hike in the woods...and eating some great food together!

So now, a few food photos! Above is the blueberry tart I made for our dessert one night. I drizzled some of blueberry jam on top...the jam, by the way, turned out very good! (And this should be the end of my blueberry mentions until next summer...I promise!)

Breakfast, the next morning...homemade strawberry muffins, vanilla yogurt with fresh berries and granola (oops...there are more blueberries!).

And a first-time visit to a sweet country restaurant in a red barn called "Swamp Sisters" where most everything is made from scratch and bison meat is their specialty...it's in almost every dish on the menu. They have a vegetable garden next to the farm (where the lettuce for the salad I ordered came from) and chickens roaming free on the other side. And it really is sisters who run the place...too cute!

Of course I passed on the bison, but they did have some phenomenal caramel pecan rolls!

And I even wore my red clogs for the occasion too. Oh how love these shoes! And my sweet visitors! :)
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Eek! ~ Can you believe its August already?

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P.S. Speaking of ships, isn't this necklace I just happened to stumble upon quite sweet?

xo ~ L

Lutsen

Hub and I headed up the north shore of Lake Superior to spend a restful, woodsy weekend in Lutsen. While the weather was dismally gray and misty, accompanied by the kind of damp cold that seems to seep deep into your bones, it still couldn't detract from the beauty of this place. The tumultuous weather also made for some of the biggest, most amazing waves I've seen on the lake in a long time. Yet what we lacked for in good weather, we more than made up for in gastronomical delights!

We indulged in a fair amount of fish...Hub often orders it and we always end up sharing our meals. He had a very good Swordfish for dinner one evening, deep fried Herring the next, and we also made a stop to the smoked fish house on our way up where he purchased a chunk of smoked Salmon. As he was purchasing the salmon, I, rather out of character, impulsively grabbed a couple homemade caramels that were sitting in a big bowl on the counter. And they turned out to be the best caramels we've ever had. I wish I had purchased the whole bowl of them! Funny how something so small was a little highlight of the "foodie" part of this trip for me. Another highlight was the White Truffle Gnocchi we shared at Nokomis one day. I hope there are truffles in heaven! ;)

While most of our time was spent hiking around Lutsen, the Cascade River, and the gorgeous hike to Carlton Peak, we also squeezed in a massage (for me) and a little misty golf (for Hub). It's not too surprising that we spent time soaking in the hot tub, but what was surprising for us was our closing out the evenings rather competitively at the lodge's Ping Pong table...which Hub was victorious at every single time... But it made for a pretty good weekend all in all!

Summer Firsts...

A recent evening enjoying some "firsts of Summer"...

{a tourist-priced "caribou caramel hot fudge" malt to be exact...but quite worth it!}
{worn soft by the rugged lake, glass pieces in greens, whites, browns, 1 rare pale aqua sea-colored piece and a few agates too!}
{I haven't worn these in years, basically brand new, so why not now? they are perfect for tromping around rocky shores looking for sea glass.}
{the (over-priced) malt shop's message on the door...but I'm sure we'll be back for seconds and thirds and fourths later on this summer.}
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P.S. A special little freedom deal going on in my shop...(freedom from shipping costs!).
Happy Independence Day! We'll miss being with you all this year dear family...last year was so much fun!
~xoxo~

I loathe...

…packing! But I love shoes. Hence the conundrum. Hub and I were in such a disagreement today over just how many shoes a girl really needs to pack for a trip. So I took some photos instead…to alleviate my packing stress.

I really can't complain though as I'm so looking forward to leaving behind this frozen tundra for a bit...yet not looking forward to the plane ride. Especially after seeing that plane in the Hudson River. Oh what a scary thing. Thankfully no serious injuries though!Have a happy weekend! :)

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P.S. Here are a few things I'm intrigued by, finding inspiring, and simply loving recently:

These terrariums...especially this red syrup one although sold already...have really been on my mind. I like how she styles her photographs too. They are just fun to look at.

This clutch...oh so sweet!

This sugar bowl candle...which I've long admired.

The sweetest pair of deer art print. LOVE at first sight!

This pretty floral fabric. (I'm still trying to inspire myself with regard to my sewing machine!)
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Ruffled Details

A little gift (to me, from me) arrived much earlier than expected in the mail today: these brown leather ruffled riding boots…what really hooked me was the small ruffle detail along the top and seams on these boots. I’m a sucker for details. And then they arrived and I found some more sweet details:

Deliciously pink leather insides…

Adorably cute leafy stem patterned soles…I was also drawn to these boots because they seemed so practical. The best part…they fit perfectly, are super comfortable, and my skinny jeans easily tuck into them. Plus, I think they’d be cute paired with a dress or skirt as well. I’m also a sucker for boots too! Perfecto!
P.S. I know I may be absolutely ridiculous for taking photos of my boots, but I was just too, too excited! :)

Scenes from Scenic...(an amateur's review)

Eating out is one of our favorite activities. So when we do go out to eat, we like to consume really, really good food…along with enjoying an overall experience that engages all of the senses. We typically avoid the chain restaurant type food where the focus seems to be more on the quantity of the food versus quality of the food. And we also like to order things that we likely wouldn’t make at home. Though we often times are inspired by what we’ve ordered and many times have had fun trying to replicate dishes that we’ve tried while eating out.

The Place…
Chances are pretty good that if you’ve visited us here, we’ve likely taken you to one of our favorite little places to enjoy quality food and all that is wonderful about the North Shore. Our favorite restaurant in these parts, New Scenic Café, has the most consistently delicious food, intensely good flavors, yet uses simple and fresh ingredients.

The Food…
During a recent visit there for dinner, I decided to try their seasonal entrée special, Ratatouille. It consisted of multiple layers upon layers of all sorts of goodness and the most unique combination of flavors. Aubergine, zucchini, spinach, onions, goat cheese, and quinoa are just some of the ingredients that make up this fine dish. (I wasn’t sure what “aubergine” was and the server told me it was a type of eggplant…or perhaps just a fancy word for eggplant?) And I won't soon forget the “fried garlic chip” garnish…fantastic and for a garlic-lover like myself, that’s the very best thing I could imagine being fried. Some new inspiration for me to try at home now too.
We really aren’t big appetizer-ordering people, yet we almost always order the "Artichoke Slather" here and incorporate into our meal. It is pure Asiago-cheesy goodness and oh so hard to resist once you’ve tried it. It comes with sliced, crusty ciabatta bread, and while this is very good too, it really is just a means for getting the "slather" neatly into your mouth.
And just a note about their soup and salad combo...this is what I most often order as the soups vary often and I've never had one I didn't like. The house salads (and dressings) are so satisfying and tasty...and come topped with phyllo crunched up on top for a little crisp. (This is something else I keep meaning to try at home...to "fancy up" my own home made salads.)

The Setting…
Aside from the food, the setting is fabulous…views of Lake Superior through the tall Pine trees and a sweet little garden full of fresh herbs and flowers to roam around in after your meal. Plus a few Adirondack chairs sprinkled here and there in the garden to kick up your feet and let the food settle a bit. The interior has a very understated, cabin-y sort of feel, reminding you of being away at church camp perhaps…minus the very bad camp food, of course. It has a modern twist though with a collection of abstract oil paintings gracing the walls, adding pops of color to the otherwise earthy and natural setting.

After Dinner…
Usually on our way home from Scenic, we’ll stop at one of the pull-offs and take a quick jaunt down to the rocky shoreline. Dipping our hands into the lake…feeling the icy-cool water. Watching the sky turn shades of pink, reflections from the sun setting on the opposite side. Finding smooth sea glass. Listening to the waves sweep over the rocks.

This is my idea of a perfect evening. What’s yours?

Just 3 Things...

Well, maybe more like 4 or 5 snapshots of a very random today:
1) Printed some new tags for my shop, featuring my latest design…can't wait to list these!

2) Cleaned out my sock bins…these are what I’m getting rid of…I guess its been awhile, this is sort of embarrassing, no?

3) Bath time for the Orchids…they love this…they told me so. ;)

4) Am really excited to wear these new flats…do you like?

5) Baked seriously good "Banana Walnut Bread"…1 loaf for us, 1 loaf for hubby to bring to work tomorrow & share with his office mates. I hope they like! (recipe to follow…)

Recipe (given to me by Mum) originally from a very old article (I'm assuming based on the name) called the "Housewives' Exchange":

• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup mashed bananas (very ripe ones work the best)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/3 cup milk + 1 Tbsp vinegar)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; and stir into main mixing bowl alternately with buttermilk. (Note: Once all ingredients are combined, I add in about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.) Pour into 9x5x3 inch greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Or bake in 2 smaller (approx. 7x3x2 inch) greased loaf pans and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes.