Happy Friday!  I can’t say why, but some weeks just feel long, and for me, this was a very long week.  I’m looking forward to at least one free day this weekend to finish up a new outdoor project.  This one is pretty simple, but finding the time has been a struggle.  I’m building a light canopy for my back deck.  There’s so many ways to go about this, but I’ve decided to build a wire frame for the lights to hang over.  I’m far from finished, but I thought it would be good to share in two posts, so consider this post phase one.  The materials are simple….3 ten foot wooden posts (the height is important), 60 ft. of 3/32 gauge galvanized wire, 6 wire clamp sets, and 6 snap clips.  I bought it all at the hardware store for under $60.  The idea is to anchor the tall posts to my existing fence to give the canopy structure height (I’m short, but tall people will hit their heads on the lights if the posts are too low).  Each post has an eye hook at the top, and a reciprocal eye hook has been anchored to the house on the opposite side of the deck.  I’m building three strands of wire to connect each post to the hooks on the house. To build the wire pieces I’ve used these interesting clamps that pinch the wire around a metal ring to create a secure loop – who designs these things?  I love discovering solutions like these…so clever.  From there I attach a snap clip to each end of the wire.  So far – the most difficult seems to be measuring the wire pieces to make sure they will be taught when clipped to the post and house. I’ll probably have trouble getting this right (exact measurements aren’t my thing).  The end result should be a three row wire canopy ready for lights to be strung.  I’ve bought commercial grade outdoor lights that can hold a full sized bulb.  I like the effect of the larger lights (instead of the christmas light strands).  Now everyone cross their fingers for me.  I’ll post the outcome next week.  Have a great weekend!

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We’re over the moon about this nice weather and we both are already planning warm weather adventures like the Brimfield Antique show and Newport Folk Festival. So for our second joint post, we decided to pick our top 5 day trips…Trips that you/we can easily do on Saturday or Sunday…

So here are our 5 top picks for day trips. Are we missing something? Share with us!

Jacob’s Pillow – Jacob’s Pillow is on my list because the Berkshires is great place to spend a day. The Berkshires is only two hours from Providence, so it’s an easy drive and everything in the Berkshires (Lee, Lenox, Great Barrington) is a half hour away from each other (or just about). You can visit numerous towns in one day – do some shopping, enjoy some fantastic food (The Dreamaway Lodge and Baba Louie’s are my favorites), all before visiting of my favorite places: Jacob’s Pillow. Dance companies from all around the world come to perform at Jacob’s Pillow to perform in their numerous theaters on their 220-acre property. Being surrounded by the talent of the dancers and watching them perform surrounded by such gorgeous scenery, the place is enchanting and really unique. Their Inside/Out Performances are free performances they perform on their outdoor stage. Tt seriously doesn’t’ get better than this in the summer.

Institute of Contemporary Art – I’ve never been to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, but it’s a place that has been on my list for a while and making a day trip out of it seems like the perfect excuse to be in Boston (something that I don’t do often enough, even though it’s so easy to to get to). It’s only $15, or free every Thursday from 5 to 9pm and is located on Boston’s waterfront, only a short walk downtown.

Brooklyn Flea Market – The New York Times called the Brooklyn Flea Market “One of the greatest urban experiences in New York”, and I’ve heard more rave reviews about the Brooklyn Flea Market so I hope this summer is the summer that I finally make it there. While it would be a shame to visit Brooklyn and not do anything else, since there is so much to see the Brooklyn Flea Market it is possible. They have “hundreds of top vendors of antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a tightly curated selection of jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers, plus delicious fresh food”.

Blithewold Mansion – One of my friends just posted a picture of herself surrounded by daffodils, and I knew immediately that I have to check out the gardens of Blithewold Mansion. Located in Bristol, I can visit the gardens, then hit the beach and enjoy a seafood feast for dinner. Yes please!

Newport Vineyards - Visiting Newport Vineyard is one of the those obvious choices of things to do in Summer, that I have yet to do. What can be better than enjoying glasses of wine while be surrounded by the beauty of Newport Vineyard. This summer I hope to cross it off of ‘Rhode Island To-dos’. They’re open 7 days a week, with tours Sunday-Friday at 1 & 3pm and Saturday hourly from 11am-4pm.

Just thinking about all these day trips has me all excited to pack up the car and hit the road.  I’m ready for a little adventure, and these five trips seem simple enough to pull off on a weekend without having to take time off from work (boring I know, but I’m just to busy to take a long vacation).  There were so many places to consider.  It’s kind of amazing how far you can go in one day…but these five locales are top on my list this summer.

Brimfield Antique Show – I look forward to this massive antique show every year.  I’ve found most of my favorite home decor at Brimfield.  Last year was the absolute busiest I’ve ever seen it (it was a bit uncomfortable) so if you’re thinking about checking it out I’d say skip the weekend and go earlier in the week.  Wear comfortable shows, bring cash, and a wagon or cart on wheels.  It’s well worth the trip.

New England Aquarium – It’s so ridiculous that I’m always planing on visiting the New England Aquarium, but haven’t actually made it yet.  I’m excited to check out their Seadragon exhibit (there are two types – leafy and weedy).  I’ve heard of seahorses, but seadragons??  For $20 this sounds like a great day-trip.

B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill – This is more of a fall trip (they don’t open until September), but I’d recommend putting it on your calendar.  Clyde’s boasts the oldest cider mill in America – and they’ve set up viewing windows so you can watch the process.  Before visiting Clyde’s I’d never heard of cider wine, just hard cider, but Clyde’s has both (and many varieties of each).  They offer cider wine tastings while you’re there, and then you can leave with jugs of you’re favorites.  Plus – don’t miss out on the apple cider doughnuts – they’re the best I’ve had.

Block Island – As a Rhode Islander, Block Island is a regular stop each summer.  Just a short ferry ride away (bonus – the ferry has a bar), this tiny little island takes me away to a simpler time…no chain restaurants, no strip malls, just small shops and restaurants and plenty of beaches.  It’s hard to say what my favorite beach is (they’re all really top notch), but if you’ve never been I’d recommend bringing a bike and checking out a few.  The island has 17 miles of beach, and they’re all free.  This is the kind of day trip that only requires a bathing suit, sunblock, and some beer money.

Mass MoCA – With a focus on ‘new art’ the Mass MoCA is full of  talented artists I’ve never seen before.  Their site calls the museum, “the most fertile site in the country for new art. The museum thrives on making and presenting work that is fresh, surprising, and challenging.“  With an ever changing rotation of exhibits and live performances the Mass MoCA makes a perfect annual trip.  Plus it’s located in the heart of the Birkshires which is a beautiful trip on it’s own.

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* photo of the Montreal Jardin Botanique shade garden

I’m very fortunate to have a raised bed vegetable garden in full sun.  It just happens to be that my side of the street is south facing and I have a vegetable patch in my front yard (not ideal for privacy though).  Now that I’ve successfully planted the veggies for a few years, I’m attempting to tackle the back garden, which has raised beds as well, but unfortunately, they only get a few hours of sun a day.  This partial shade situation has been tricky.  I’ve made a few attempts in years past that didn’t quite work out.  I wanted to grow veggies in back, but I’ve found the rumors to be true, not many vegetables thrive in shade (I was in denial and being stubborn)…so it’s time to adjust some of my expectations.  The good news is, I’ve discovered plenty of plants do very well in shaded areas – even some edible varieties.

I’ve found a good number of edible plants that will tolerate partial shade (mainly leafy greens and not ‘fruiting’ vegetables), and even more exciting, I’ve discovered really beautiful flowering plants that will grow well in shade.  My favorite flowering plants are hardy enough for cutting (for taking inside) – and luckily, many shade tolerant flowering plants are also perfect for cut flowers.

If you’re questioning what to do in your shade garden, here are a few more tips:

• Plants in shady areas shouldn’t be over-crowded.  The leaves need space to spread out and capture as much light as they can.
• For that same reason, large leafy plants do better in shade.
• Paint fences and walls near-by the garden white.  This will help to maximize your available light (you can cover boards with aluminum foil too, but I’m not that interested in aluminum foil in my garden).
• Don’t mulch or add compost until well into the hot dry season, otherwise you risk too much moisture.
• You may have a slug problem (gross I know), but the easiest solution is to pour a beer into an upside down frisbee and leave it out next to the garden.  Strange, I know, but beer is a slug magnet and it kills them…poor slugs.

Edible plants to try in partial shade: mint, parsley, wild ginger, lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, arugula, endive, radicchio, mustard greens, kale.

Flowering Plants to try in partial shade: bleeding hearts, astilbe, foxglove, lambs ears, begonias, larkspur, snap dragons, cleome

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All the blooming flowers and this DIY project, has inspired my next home improvement project: pressed flowers in frames. While my home is very much perfect in many ways, I do have a slightly long list of little improvements I love to start tackling – get a bigger table, paint that piece of furniture, buy new curtains, find a way to hide all my messes and (finally) decorate my walls.

Finally feeling motivated and inspired, I decided to start with this project because I can do it slowly, perfect for my indecisive brain, and I love that it will be something personal. Although I would love to get a flower press like this one from Terrain, Martha Stewart has approved the phone book method, so… phone book it is.

I’m still debating whether I want to do one big piece or several smaller frames. Thoughts? I do know that I want the overall look to be bold, bright and vibrant; with lots of greens, yellows, oranges, purples and reds. I do know that the more organic and rustic the look, the better.

The above images are my inspiration for this project, but I know I will be spending lots of time looking at flowergirlnyc.tumblr.com for more inspiration.

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Mother’s Day is coming up and I thought I would do a little round-up of items that I think would make great gifts. I won’t tell you which item is my favorite, don’t want to give it away incase my own mom is reading… but I will admit that I selfishly want several of these items.

The Smart One by Jennifer Close has received rave reviews, and seems like an interesting book given it’s topic. I’m also coveting several pieces from the jewelry line Seaworthy. Besides this necklace, I’m also loving the Hammered Wrap Ring and they have gorgeous cuff links, something to keep in mind for father’s day. And I would recommend Pinhole Press to anyone who wants to create a personalized gift for someone, no matter what the occasion (it’s so easy to use).

1. Lotta Cake Stand, Fishs Eddy . $36.95
2. Alpaca Infinity Scarf, Cuyana. $65
3. Dogs Mug (14oz), Fish Eddys. $12.95
4. Mango Wood Bread Boards, Toast. $39
5. Aster Layers Necklace, Seaworthy. $70
6.The Smart One by Jennifer Close, Amazon. $16.43
7. Magnetic Notepad and Annual Framed Calender, Pinhole Press. $13.99-$15.99 and $39.99
8. Floral Milk Bath and Sea Scrub, Fig + Yarrow. $12 and $46
9. Edible Game Tiles and Racks, Andie Specialty Treats $58.

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I’ve been stuck in place for a while now.  Partially it’s having a needy dog (we’re leaving her behind for the first time this weekend – thanks Lorien!), and I think partially it’s putting in too many hours at work, and of course money, and all the other reasons people don’t travel.  I just haven’t in a very long time, and likely won’t go far in the near future.  It’s all about weekend get-aways in real life, but a girl can dream right?  When I decided to work on this Dream Get-Away post, the first challenge was where to first?  What pretend journey was on the top of my list?  After finding this amazing little apartment in Barcelona, and the choice was made.  It’s so quaint and crisp, with that perfect mix of natural materials and stark white.  This hidden dishwasher and refrigerator make it look so uncluttered.  The complete antithesis of my house.  I just love it and the video tour makes me want to leave today.

I’ve actually been to Barcelona before, but it was so long ago, and I’m sure much of it has changed.  I know that I have (I was 10 years old).  So this would be a perfectly new adventure for me.  I’ve had so much fun checking out Barcelona’s restaurants and shops (there are so many options!).  Muebles RAM looks like one of those places I could spend hours combing through, and from what I can see in the pictures, I’d likely have to buy another suitcase.  The Guardian says…’Muebles RAM is nostalgia distilled, packed into a warehouse‘.

In all this searching of Barcelona – I haven’t visited one site yet that didn’t have something to say about Tickets Bar…I guess that means it’s worth a visit.  Their website certainly looks spectacular, and all the reviews I’ve read highlight the creativity behind this trendy tapas bar.  I’m always up for a little flash with my food.

So the sad news is, I’m not going to Barcelona (not today anyhow) I’m just day dreaming….but if I ever get the opportunity to, I know just the place to stay.  That has to be worth something.

Have a wonderful weekend, happy Friday!

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Lorien and I see each other every day.  We publish two blogs together, and that makes for plenty of time spent sharing lunch, dinner, music, fashion likes and dislikes, gossip, and ideas for our projects…we’re almost completing each others sentences at this point.  It seemed natural that a new series would be a joint one.  We’ve never posted together – but why not, it’s the natural next step.  This is the first in a series of posts where Lorien and I will tag-team a recap of our outings out and about.

Joanna says: I couldn’t be happier that Lorien and I decided to splurge a bit and take ourselves out to a ‘fancy’ dinner at Bacaro last week.  We totally deserved it after a long day of working on InDowncity (our other project) we both needed to indulge a bit.  Bacaro is one of those great restaurants where the food is top notch, but the relaxed environment doesn’t require you change your outfit or wait in a long line.  The weekends may be a different story, but on a given week day you can get seated without much fuss.  Big plus.

My absolute favorite menu item is the artichoke crudo & celery salad with truffled sea salt, shaved parmigiano-reggiano, micro celery, lemon, and capezzana olive oil.  Honestly – it may be the best salad I’ve ever had.  No exaggeration.  If you go there you have to try it.  Bad news – my picture came out so terrible I can’t share it.  The restaurant is dimly lit, which makes for a nice dining experience, but not so great for photos.  The combo of truffle oil, shaved artichokes and celery is unusual, but really works.  I need to try this one at home, but I’m intimidated by the shaved artichokes.  I just need to get over it.

Lucky me – I ordered another Bacaro specialty -  grilled pizza!  I’ve never eaten there and not ordered one.  It’s kind of their unofficial trademark.  While pizza isn’t necessarily Lorien’s thing (she cheats on the gluten-free at times) I could live off of pizza.  Bacaro’s pizza may be one of the best I’ve ever had.  This one was a dressed up margarita with the addition of garlicy kale pesto.  Wow! It was fantastic.  Ben and I were happily eating the leftovers for lunch the next day.  Pizza makes the perfect leftovers.

Note to self – treat yourself more often.  Cheers to the occasional indulgences and dinner out with good friends.  Stay tuned for our next outing.

Lorien says: First off, so sorry for the quality pictures, they do not the food and atmosphere at Bacaro justice. This is my second time at Bacaro, my first time was actually with Joanna, and once again I was blown away by how amazing everything was.

With each dish, each bite, I was surprised at how delicate and well balanced all the flavors were; from my drink (The Riviera Cocktail was sweet and refreshing, so good I had two), to the salad (Joanna is right, it may be the best salad ever), to the pizza (the pesto was so fresh and the thing crust did not get soggy from the sauce – it’s magical ), and the risotto with scallops (my favorite dish).

The minute I saw the risotto with the peas, mint and scallops on the menu, I knew we had to try it. The dish was creamy but not heavy. The buttery scallops were cooked to perfection. The peas, pea sprouts and mint added the perfect, bright seasonal note that I wanted/needed/was looking forward to. Since we ordered so much food, I was able to bring the risotto home and it was soooo hard to not eat the leftovers and save them for Chris, but I did. I’m still thinking about all the delicious food we ate, which means we will have to go back very soon.

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pickled garlic /  pickles with shiso / pickled radishes with chili and ginger / pickled zucchini / spicy dilly beans / pickled grapes / red hot pickles

We’re back! We had a great week off, and I’m excited about new plans…and really, I’m feeling inspired by warmer days ahead.  Finally – the season of outdoor drinking and eating is upon us (so exciting – it’s been a very long winter).  I’m ready to leave the 2013 winter behind, throw away my hand split, and get out the gardening gloves.  I spent last weekend tilling the soil and adding some nutrients.  That can only mean one thing….it’s almost time for the first outdoor party.

I’m so busy these days, I’ve been contemplating the best way to entertain without spending an entire day in the kitchen.  I don’t want to fuss with preparing too much food, but I think some snacky foods will be good (drinks on an empty stomach aren’t good for anyone).  I think it might be fun to build a pickle bar.  I’m not sure if it’s a thing, but I want to make it a thing if it isn’t already.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love pickles.  I can eat an entire jar in one sitting (this may be a problem).  Ben’s been buying me these spicy pickled beans and we used them in bloody mary’s last week.  He knows how to keep me happy.  For the party I’m thinking of making my own pickles – buying them can add up quickly.   Having a vegetable garden has made me a pickler (there’s always more bounty than I know what to do with).  Last season I experimented with some unusual pickles like eggs, green tomatoes and carrots.

Since we’ll be eating these right away and they last for at least a month without the pressure seal, I’ll be making these refrigerator style (no canning).  Right now…I’m leaning towards these recipes.  Some are more traditional using cucumbers, but pickled garlic!? Not sure why I didn’t think of this before.  And the pickled grapes sound strange, but I’ve had them before and they’re really good.

To make it an official bar – I’m going to serve 5-6 types of pickles, provide skewers that people can use to build a ‘pickle cocktail’ (it will look more like a pickle kabob really), and some cubes of a variety of cheeses to add to the skewers.   Maybe a nice marinated feta, a sharp cheddar and some variety of Roquefort? Stronger cheeses will stand up to the acidity of the pickles better.  I’m imagining this spread on top of a simple canvas cloth with some seasonal arrangement of spring wild flowers.  Of course there will be cocktails and beers available too.  I’m thinking this pickle bar will be a tasty, but simpler substitute for a more involved party spread. Plus, I can prepare everything ahead of time and not worry about cooking anything on party day.

Now to just choose a day, send invites and make sure the weather holds out.

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In my efforts to build a repertoire of gluten free recipes that are easy to make (the minute I see more than two kinds of flours I freak a bit) and are crowd pleasers (I don’t want them to think it tastes gluten free) I found the easiest chocolate chip cookie recipe. The easiest.

This is the perfect recipe to make when you’re craving something sweet at home or have unexpected guests coming over. If I have every ingredient needed in my cupboards then you know it’s an easy recipe. Recipe taken from Pastry Affair.

Almond Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten-Free}

Yields about 16 cookies

1 cup (250 grams) peanut butter (the original recipe calls for almond butter, I used the mix of crunchy peanut butter and flax seed peanut butter)
2/3 cup (150 grams) sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 grams) miniature chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the almond butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop cookies by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely (the cookies will be very fragile and need to set-up before they can be moved).

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It’s amazing what one week can do. After taking one week off, we’re feeling inspired and we’re ready to start blogging again. Expect a few more personal posts, more joint posts from Joanna and I, more interviews, more recipes…. For today’s post, it seemed only fitting, to do our first post back with my new monthly series: In Season. Things that I’m doing, eating, looking forward to, all inspired by the current season.

I think with loving the warmer weather that Spring is bringing, I’m craving everything green. We had the most amazing pea risotto last week with mint and scallops, it was the perfect seasonal dish. We’re sharing it in our first joint point on Thursday.

I’m on the hunt for a backup pair of sunglasses, which sounds silly, but my current ones are pretty scratched up and I would hate to be without sunglasses, it’s like the feeling you have when you forget your cellphone at home. I’m feeling inspired by Elise’s (from Pennyweight) pair and am loving Warby Parker’s selection

This summer will be my first time going camping, we’re headed to Maine to catch a lobster boat race. I would love to get this backpack for Chris before we go. I know he was eyeing it as we were looking for briefcases/attaches/messenger bags for guys, which is surprisingly hard to find nice and affordable ones. Recommendations?

French 75 my new favorite drink. Light and refreshing (and strong), it’s the perfect match for this Spring weather. French 75′s are usually a mix of gin, lemon juice, sugar and sparkling wine. Justine’s (if you haven’t been already, definitely go already) makes the perfect one and Esquire also has a recipe for the ‘Perfect French 75′. I’ll have to try and compare.

Even though it’s only April, I’ve already had my first trip to the beach and my first seafood feast. We walked the beach with no shoes but definitely were bundled up. We watched people surf and paddle board, then headed to Aunt Carrie’s in Narragansett to feast on clam chowder and clam cakes. There has to be a way to balance the upcoming bathing suit season with eating as much fried seafood as possible? Right? Delicious.

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