Life Lately | July

Is it just me or did the month of July fly by?! I literally feel like the month ended with the blink of an eye. We spent most of our time outside, soaking up the beautiful (and warm) summer weather we’ve had.

Fourth of July weekend was spent in town celebrating with my husband’s side of the family. About fifty of us gathered together for a long weekend of family time, boat rides, lounging by the pool and a whole lot of eating. We had everything from homemade pizzas to a low country boil as well as an entire pig that was slow roasted throughout the evening, complete with all the southern sides you can imagine. 

I was really excited that my family was able to join us one evening as well.

Enjoyed delicious bloody mary’s made by Whit’s grandfather. 

Soon after the fourth, I was off to New Orleans for both work and pleasure. You can read the full recap, part one and part two. It was such an amazing trip! 

As soon as I stepped foot off of the plane from NOLA, I immediately hit the road to head back home for a surprise birthday party for my brother. We ended the evening in the place my brother loves best — the river. To say I was exhausted would be an understatement, but it was worth the trip to see my family.

We also celebrated one of my favorite times of the year – the Beaufort Water Festival! The festival is 10 days long, with the weekend sandbar being the highlight. We typically only attend the last weekend, but this year we decided to go all in and be there for both weekends.

The weekend typically consists of an entire day on the water, followed by an evening downtown. Hundreds of people make their way to the sandbar by boat and find a spot on the sandbar to anchor for the afternoon. 

This year we were excited to welcome country musician, Pat Cooper who performed on a floating barge. 

Meanwhile, back in Charleston, I finally gave Little Jack’s Tavern a try. 

It's a cute little spot filled with a mixture of vintage decor.

Garlic and herb fries for the table, yes please. How cute are these salt and pepper shakers?

I went with the chopped salad with shrimp, kale, mixed lettuces, cucumber, peas, radish and an avocado ranch, which I later tried to recreate at home. This was my attempt at making healthy choices, but next time I would like to give the burger a try. 

In other restaurant news, an amazing Italian spot called Le Farfalle opened and I was thrilled to be invited to their opening party. I love what they have done with the space. Stay tuned for a more detailed recap. 

I took a yoga class for the first time in about a year. It was so refreshing to change up my regular workout routine with a class like this, not to mention it took place on the rooftop of The Restoration Hotel in downtown Charleston.

With all of the traveling and craziness we’ve had going on, Whit and I decided to spend the last weekend of July together and just enjoy Charleston. We spent an afternoon by the pool, followed by a dinner date at The Darling Oyster Bar.

Oysters were a must.  

I also had the tuna poke bowl, which was delicious, but I had serious dinner envy when Whit's plate came out. I highly recommend the fries smothered in clam chowder. 

 I was excited to finally try this place out; however, I still would like to go back for brunch.

Nothing like a good photo bomb!

You can’t beat a relaxing Sunday afternoon boat cruise with friends...the perfect way to end the month. 

Cooking the Books: Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Vinaigrette

Lately I've been in a cooking funk. I love trying new recipes, but not when I get home during the week at 7 pm. It's really hard to get motivated in the kitchen after a long day in the office and a tough workout in the gym. When I get home all I want to do is eat everything in sight. My husband and I decided to take advantage of the past two Sunday afternoons we've had at home and spend our time meal planning for the week. I will admit, a good chunk of time was spent in the kitchen, but it was well worth it to already have dinner prepared for the week. For those of you that don't like leftovers, this may sound like a terrible plan. We don't mind them, so this was a great solution to my cooking dilemma.  

I don't mean to sound negative because I actually do enjoy spending time cooking, when I'm not in a rush or starving. As we were planning our meals for the week, I decided to reach for a cookbook instead of my computer. I have so many books that not only look great on my shelves, but are also full of delicious recipes. I sometimes forget that my decor is also a wonderful resource. The other week I decided to use a recipe out of Hugh Acheson's book, A New Turn in The South. I love this cookbook for many reasons. The recipes all sound delicious, the quirky writing keeps it interesting, and the southern influence provides a sense of comfort. With so many recipes to choose from, I decided to go with something quick, light and easy — brussels sprouts with dijon vinaigrette. 

With that being said, I've decided to start a new monthly series called "cooking the books." hence the title of this post. I will be sharing a different recipe each month adapted from various cookbooks I have at home. I highly recommend that you give this one a try. 

Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients (serves 4)

Recipe adapted from A New Turn in the South

1 ½ cups thinly shaved brussels sprouts

1 cup roasted pecans, slightly broken up

1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Sea Salt

Pepper

Instructions

1.     Pre heat oven to 350. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly toasted.

2.      Once the pecans are toasted, crush them up into smaller pieces.

3.     In a medium salad bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, pecans, cheese, salt and pepper. I used brussels sprouts already shredded in a bag. I put them in the microwave to soften them a bit and I wanted them to be a little warm.

4.     Toss with Dijon vinaigrette. (Recipe below)

Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients (makes ½ cup)

Recipe adapted from A New Turn in the South

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Salt

Pepper

Instructions

1.     Add mustard to a small mixing bowl.

2.     Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify.

3.     Once mixed well, add lemon juice, vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

*I made my dressing in a small one cup blender. If you have one on hand, I recommend for ease of mixing everything together well. 

Popsugar Must Have Box: July

Confession: I think I'm hooked on monthly box subscriptions! It all started with Rocksbox, and then I received a Popsugar Must Have Box. It's kind of like online shopping. You sometimes forget that you ordered something until a box shows up at your door, except in this case, you don't know what's in it. It's a surprise and delight moment, at least that's how I like to justify it. My husband on the other hand, has differing thoughts about all these boxes that keep showing up on our doorstep. 

On to the good stuff. Look at all these fun things that came in the July box!

*POPSUGAR sent me this Must Have Box to try

Inspired by summery retro vibes, this box is my favorite so far. Here's a list of the contents:

Sachajuan Hair in the Sun- I always think about sunblock for my skin, but never protection for my hair. Given I'm someone who has colored treated hair, I was excited to see this. I can't wait to give it a try. 

House of Pom Emoji Cocktail Napkins- Can you say obsessed? I love these adorable little cocktail napkins! This set of six, cotton emoji inspired napkins now have a perfect home on my bar. These will come in handy during my next at-home happy hour. 

Michael Stars Porcelain Skinny Scarf - Truthfully, I technically don't need any more scarves. My closet is packed full of them. However, I don't have many thin ones. This one is so light weight, making it the perfect accessory to add to summer tops, without being too warm. 

Pintrill Pineapple Pin- The cutest little pineapple pin. I wish these were earrings, but hey...who doesn't love pineapples. 

Sunnylife® Inflatable Swan Drink Holder- This is such a fun pool float, and it's functional. I will definitely be getting some use out of this before summer is over. 

European Wax Center® Oh My Brow!™ Brow Highlighter in Pearl- I loved receiving this in my box. I don't typically make makeup purchases too often so it's nice to get things like this to experiment with every now and then.

Joe Chips Classic Sea Salt Retro Potato Chips- Potato chips are the way to my heart. I don't need sweets, just give me carbs. 

If you decide that you want to give Popsugar Must Have Boxes a try, use the code SHOP5 for $5 off your first box!

Currently Loving | Happy Hour Snacks

Boat trips, backyard parties, girls nights, you name it, there have been several occasions lately that call for quick summer snacks. It's a little unlike me, but recently I've been picking up quick appetizers from the store instead of making things. I don't normally do that, but I've been short on time and in some instances needed something that would travel well. Here are a few of my favorite things that I've been snacking on. 

Chobani Mezé Dips

I'm officially hooked on these. I've recently tried the roasted red pepper and the chili lime and while both are delicious, I think the chili lime is my favorite. Pick up a bag of pretzel crisps and you've got a perfect guilt free snack.

Underwood Rosé

On a recent visit to Fat Hen for dinner, we had some pre-dinner cocktails at the outdoor bar. I was in the mood for something light and refreshing with just hint of sweetness. I put in my rose order with the bartender and then brought over a can. The bartender felt the need to explain after seeing the puzzled look on my face. I will admit that I was skeptical at first but I'm glad I gave it a try. With hints of strawberry, watermelon and peach, I actually really enjoyed it and have since been on a mission to find it at a local store. As you can see below, there are other options. I'm hoping to give these a try as well. Have you tried any of these?

Trader Joe’s Popcorn in a Pickle

If you don't like dill pickles, don't bother. I happen to love them and when the flavor is added to popcorn, it's a win-win! It's the perfect balance of flavor without being too over powering. 

Chavrie Cucumber and Chive Goat Cheese

Give me all the goat cheese! It's one of my favorite types of cheese and I love trying new flavors. I spotted this cucumber and chive log the other day and decided to give it a try. The refreshing blend of flavors was a nice addition to the other cheeses on our board. 

Opaa! Sun-Dried Tomato Yogurt Feta Spread

Sun dried tomatoes have always been a favorite of mine, so when I saw this dip at Publix, I knew I had to give it a try. Sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese and roasted red peppers create a great flavor combo in this tasty dip. It pairs nicely with Pita chips and veggies. 

Travel | New Orleans: Part 2

As promised, I am following up with part two of my recap of my recent trip to New Orleans. If you missed the first post, you can find it here. 

Friday was our last full day to explore so we had to make the most of it. I’m almost embarrassed to recap our day, but we were determined to get it all in, including stopping at all of the food and beverage spots on our list. We started with beignets and coffee at the famous Café du Monde. The beignets were worth every powdered sugar-dusted calorie that touched my lips. 

We sipped on mimosas at the Carousel Bar and Lounge located in the Hotel Monteleone. Yes, the bar actually moves, but not up and down and at a turtles pace — much slower than the carousels you would find at the fair. It was such a cool concept, one we didn’t want to miss out on experiencing. 

A few blocks away we found our way to the popular ACME OysterHouse. Yes, this a total tourist spot, but hey, that’s exactly what we were. We were told that if we ate there to sit at the oyster bar and let the oyster shuckers haggle you while they impress you with their shucking skills, so that’s exactly what we did.

Meet “Stormin’ Norman” our oyster shucker and server for the afternoon. 

This gentleman was a tough one to crack. He didn’t smile, he told us like it was, and he didn’t laugh at our friendly humor. However, we somehow managed to find a somewhat softer friendlier side to him after about 20 minutes. Oh and he never once looked at a single oyster he was shucking. You could tell this wasn’t his first rodeo. Norman is quite famous in the food industry and has traveled the world, catering to the rich and famous. When we asked what to order, he had no suggestions, only that he wouldn’t order anything off the menu because it’s not how he would make it. Well, all right then. I made my own judgment and went with char-grilled oysters, a bowl of jambalaya and oyster shooters of course. 

Next, the long-awaited stop at Bourbon Street!

I was informed that I couldn’t leave without stopping at Tropical Isle to try a hand grenade, otherwise known as a cup filled with a mixture of sugary alcohols that will leave you with a headache for days! Excuse the photo, the sun was clearly in my eyes. 

Oh, and a shark attack was on the “to-drink” list as well. This one was worth the show that came with it. If you follow me on snapchat, then you know what I’m talking about. And yes, you get to keep the shark. 

There was one last place we had to squeeze in before we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner. A more refined stop. A stop for bubbles at Brennan’s came highly recommended and was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Every Friday at 5 pm in their courtyard, they do a Champagne sabering. Not only was this the most adorable courtyard I’ve ever seen, but they also offer bottles of bubbles for a bargain, which is part of the lure of the place. Even with the discount, it’s still a little pricey, but totally worth it. 

We ordered a little yellowfin tuna tartare to hold us over until dinner. We actually weren’t able to finish our bottle of rosé before we had to leave, but no worries were had and no rosé was wasted. Our server brought us a bottle stopper and we hit the road, in a cab, of course. 

The last stop on our food tour of NOLA was MOPHO, a neighborhood restaurant serving Southeast Asian- inspired dishes using ingredients from Louisiana’s pantry. The restaurant is also home to the 2016 Food and Wine best new chef, Michael Gulotta.

We had some of the best brussels sprouts that I’ve ever tasted. 

We also had the melon salad, the Mopho Tom Sam Salad and the slow roast lamb in green curry. Lamb is not something that’s typically on my radar, but we were told it was one of the most popular dishes, so we had to order it. Packed full of flavor and heat, this dish did not disappoint. 

Another amazing dinner in the books. One last tour of the nightlife and a few cocktails later, we called it an evening. My trip to New Orleans was definitely one I will never forget! 

If you're traveling to New Orleans anytime soon and are interested in hearing more about the places I've mentioned, feel free to reach out!

Rocksbox Jewelry Favorites

A few months ago I did a review on my first Rocksbox, which you can read here.  If you aren't familiar with the company, they are a monthly jewelry subscription service that allows you to rent three pieces of jewelry at a time, swapping out your box as many times as you like. If you receive a piece of jewelry that you just can't live without, you have the option to buy it. I think it's great because I find myself trying pieces that I may not necessarily buy, but find fun to wear a few times. I've also discovered a few things that I can't live without. Today I wanted to share with you a few favorites that I've added to my wishlist, all of which can be found on their website.  

If you're considering trying out Rocksbox, use code RYANBFF60 for a free month!

Earrings:

Bracelets:

Necklaces:

Rings:

Pool Party Essentials

Summers not over yet! There's still plenty of time to enjoy some fun in the sun. And who doesn't love a good pool party?! I came across a few colorful outdoor essentials that were too cute not to share. Happy Friday!

Shop these fun summer items below: