5 things I’m loving right now!
I’m sharing five things that I’m loving in this brief post. With all this time at home and not shopping….except online for essentials, I’m really narrowing down what I do love and what I can do without!
1. This Eyelet Top From J.Crew
Cindy just did a post featuring this J.Crew eyelet top and she styled it four ways. What a great piece to add to your wardrobe! It would be perfect for travel…if we ever get to do that again! Check out Cindy’s blog post here to see how she is wearing this one-piece four ways!
2. Hygge & West Wallpaper
Wallpaper in small doses. I think over the years, my husband and I removed so much old wallpaper that we have been reluctant to use it. We have renovated quite a few homes and each has had layers of wallpaper. In older homes especially it has been a challenge to remove and preserve the walls at the same time. But whenever I see a before and after of an area of a home with wallpaper used in small ways…I do love it! Like here where my designer friend Diane Karmen used Hygge & West in her mudroom entryway. Diane’s home is in shades of black, gray, cream, and white, so the wallpaper she chose is perfect! The pattern is based on Heath Ceramics which, besides the color is probably what drew her to the pattern in the first place. You can see more of Diane’s home in this post and this one.
3. Crate & Barrel footed bowls and dishes inspired by embroidery
One of the last places I visited before everything closed was Crate & Barrel. I went with Kim, Mary Ann & Cindy in San Francisco and then purchased all three bowls from the Leanne Ford Collection at Crate & Barrel in Westport. They are offering curbside pick up at many stores and I suspect that some are opening soon. I’ve had my eye on this gorgeous marble bowl for beside my sink to hold soaps and dish brush and I adore these small plates that look like embroidery that I have become so fond of lately! I even have a Pinterest board where I collect my new found passion for everything embroidered.
4. Still Loving Our Outdoor furniture and pillows
This is season three or four for most of our outdoor furniture from Target and it’s holding up great! Not only do we love the look, but it’s so comfortable. Last year we added the sectional to the porch. It was the perfect solution for a long, narrow space. We added a few more Montecito pillows from Serena & Lily. I was finding myself moving the pillows from the front yard to back as we used each space…and thought…heck, why not just get a few more! I’ve used them as shams on Madeline’s bed and on our built-in corner banquette in the kitchen at our New Canaan house….but I love that they are outdoor pillows and hold up to the elements beautifully. I washed the existing pillows and they are as good as new!
5. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls
Dates, cocoa powder, oats, coconut, peanut butter
5 Ingredients + water
Special Equipment: A food processor blends it together
My sister told me about these and they sounded similar to these that I make, but less sweet and fewer calories. And with all the baking we’ve been doing…these are perfect for that moment when you really don’t need anything to eat, but you want a bite of something! This is that something!
PrintChocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls
A one-bite treat! Not too sweet!
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: snack
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
- 20 dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
- 2 tabelspoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional: Chocolate Collagen Protein Powder)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Toast the oats and the shredded coconut in a 350º oven. Watch carefully! The coconut takes only a minute to become golden and slightly longer for the oats.
- Process oats in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the dates, peanut butter or almond butter, cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons water; process until well combined.
- Using damp hands, roll one tablespoon of the mixture and roll in coconut to coat. Store covered in the refrigerator.
- Makes about 16 balls.
Aren’t these tasty?! Your photography is gorgeous!
Thanks so much for the mention Annie! I am way behind in my blog reading! Too much Summer! Those little chocolate numbers look like something even I could master!!
I love your style Cindy! For both fashion and decor!
I have made these twice, once with peanut butter and once with almond butter. I like it better with peanut butter. My only suggestion to your recipe instructions is to make sure that you keep the coconut and oats separate when baking so that you don’t throw it all in the food processor like I did the first time I made them – oops! Also, I found that 1/4 cup of coconut was plenty to roll the bliss balls in. Super yummy – I love a couple of these in the afternoon with tea. Thank you for the recipe.