Giving it a try...

I have a product problem. That being I'll buy pretty much any product: Hair, Make-up, Skincare.

As my 26th birthday approached, I realized I need to start taking better care of my skin. Now, I'm not a tan freak and I always wear SPF and hats. BUT, I don't use any eye cream...and I've zoomed in on the area and have little lines already forming. AHHHHH.

So I went ahead and bought a new eye cream. I've heard great things about MdSkincare so I went to Sephora to check it out. Well it seems like they're doing new packaging for their products so the selection at Sephora was deeply discounted. SCORE!

I got the continuous eye hydration cream that retails for $45 for....wait for it...$9!! What a pleasant surprise since I was going there for it anyway!! It's incredibly light but truly packed with moisture. My eye area felt smoother and softer after only a couple days of using it. Plus you can use it in the AM or PM which is nice.

They're changing it from MDSkincare to just Dr. Dennis Gross. Not a fan of the name change, but whatever.

I'm also a HUGE fan of dry shampoo. I've always been incredibly loyal to BigSexyHair's dry shampoo but now I'm no longer rooting for them. The last 2 cans I've bought (at $17 each mind you...) have gotten completely clogged and unable to spray. I've cleaned the nozzles, soaked them in hot water, you name it, I tried it with no success. Ahhhnoying.

So I heard that Tresemmé had a nice dry shampoo and it was only $6 at Walgreen's. Sold!! And I have to say, so far so good. I like it. And it has a light citrus-y smell which is nice but not overwhelming. I'd definitey recommend it. Plus the fact that it's over $10 less, well that is just a bonus!

Do you have any products that you always use? Any new finds that you can't believe you didn't know of before?? Please share!

And the WINNER is...

Valerie from RED VINES FOR BREAKFAST

Congratulations!!!





Email me at PursuitofLLT@gmail.com with your address and these earrings will be on their way to you!

FREEBIE FRIDAY #2!

Happy Friday!!

I found these earrings the other week and fell in love with them. They're simple but I like 'em. It's a small, hanging, gold stud...definitely right in line with all the studs we're seeing everywhere.

So I picked up a pair for me. And one for you. And my friend in CO. And my friend here in Chicago. See, they're that cute!

RULES FOR ENTERING: 1. You must be a follower of Pursuit of Love, Laughter & Travels
2. Leave a comment and you're entered!

The giveaway will run from today until MONDAY, AUGUST 30th at 11:59 CST.


I'm off for a weekend away with my mom to lounge by the pool and relax. Have a fabulous weekend and I hope these will be yours next week!

Make It Your Own

I've always wanted my own office. You know, something official. I had an "office" area in my previous loft but never a legitimate office.

Well, I finally have one. After seizing the room for myself :) I set up shop this afternoon and it's not yet done, but so far so good. I'm currently tossing the idea around of some wall decals. Problem is picking just one...I do, however, love Byrdie Graphics on etsy.

These are pretty:



And I decided to put all my flowers on the sideboard under the window. They're the best kind: fake. haha No, seriously I have killed about 6 orchids. Which in return, just kills me because I want to be one of those people who can care for a plant. It's just not turning out in my favor...



Finally, a look at my desk. I like how it's more of a table, a raw workspace. I've got a necessary iPod stereo and some frames (which need updated pictures asap) and the glass box from my console table.




I absolutely love this picture of my grandpa when he was working at Nabisco. He was the chief engineer of this wall of knobs you're looking at...looks very Dharma Initiative, doesn't it?!?





The chalk board/organizer above is both practical and cute. I love chalkboards and I want a chalkboard wall in my kitchen someday.




Last but not least...a figure that needs no introduction. My new mascot. Don't ask me why a Venetian Carnivale mask is on this wooden figure, but it is. And it works. (for me) Now I'm just thinking of good names!

How have you made a space your own? Especially at the office/work. What do you do for personal touches?

Come back tomorrow because it's going to be my second FREEBIE FRIDAY!

Sharing the Blog LOVE

I'm pretty excited...

...I just received my first blog award from Natasha over at t w e n t y - s o m e t h i n g !!

This made me smile for multiple reasons. First, like Natasha said, it's nice to know that at least one person reads my random posts ;) and secondly, I was happy to see it from Natasha since her blog is one of my staple reads!

So here's how it works. I've gotta tell you who gave it to me...which I already did, silly. Natasha! Then I'll tell you ten things I like...and pass on the award to ten bloggers and let 'em know by leaving them a nice little comment...then they do their like list.

So here goes:

My Top Ten List of LIKES (mostly loves!)

1. Snail Mail and I'm not talking bills. You can keep those.
   
2. Any type of spa service.
   
3. Mexican Food.
4. My initial 'E'. I will buy almost anything with an 'E' on it...
5. Street Fairs/Festivals.
6. Champagne but not the hangovers that follow the bubbles.
7. Iowa City (mostly for all the nostalgia it brings...Go Hawkeyes!)
   
8. Fall. Best season, hands down.
9. Mobile Uploads (seriously this is just a fraction of what I have on my phone)
10. Laughing. (who doesn't laugh everyday? Mostly I find I'm laughing by/at myself)

Here are the ten blogs (in no particular order) I think deserve an electronic trophy :)

Village
This Free Bird
Red Vines for Breakfast
Slumber Designs
Oh, My Darling
Lemons & Laundry
I Like It
From Skirts to Skillets
With a Wink and a Smile
D,Et Cetera

Want v. Need

I have a problem with wanting. I want new shoes, a bag, a weekend away. The fact is, I don't need any of this. I have a closet FULL of shoes. More bags than I can use. And I travel enough as it is (although I can't rule this out, travel is a necessity to me)

Why is it so hard to draw the line between what you want and what you need? Sometimes it's easy (Lack of funds for the purchase...) Sometimes it seems so difficult (Fall is approaching...you've seen my wish list!) Sometimes it's incredibly basic: food, shelter, etc.





So why is there always varying levels in what we want to do and what we should do? It's so irritating...

How do you find the balance in your day-to-day life? How do you decide what is necessary and what is a luxury?

Weekend DIY

So I've seen a bunch of posters like this and Krystal from Village even blogged about a vintage looking sign over here.

I've always liked the look of these, but I never fully agreed with the street names they used or the neighborhoods. So I thought, I can make this. And I did. But let me just say this before you start...it takes some time. Not 8 hours, but not a quick, painless DIY.

The top "Dearborn" needs a lot of TLC today and some perfecting...it was the last word I did and patience ran out!

The stenciling of the letters took about 2 hours and I'd say I have another 20 minutes or so of perfecting to do. That's just because I'm OCD, though... So if you're interested here's how to do it:

I bought 2- 16" x 24" canvases because it was cheaper for the pair and I'm thinking of making one for my friend who just bought her first house as a housewarming gift...

You will need:



-Canvas
-Stencils in whatever font you'd like and in different sizes. I did Helvetica in 3", 2" and 1" & 3/4"
-Acrylic Paint (I chose black & white) Pick whatever colors you're looking to incorporate in your house.
-Paint brushes of varying sizes (the man at Michael's recommended these brushes because they would be easier to handle and less of a chance of paint going under the stencil and all over in a mush of color.)
-A good idea of words you'd like to incorporate on the canvas. Type 'em up and spell check...you don't want to have misspelled words hanging up! Try to come up with a handful of shorter words/sayings/#s as these will help with tight spaces.
-Patience...it can get annoying here or there.

FIRST:
Set out some paper and paint your canvas the color of the background (for me, black) I used a painter's paintbrush for this to make it easier and faster. Don't forget to paint the sides too.



SECOND:
Let this dry COMPLETELY. For me this was about 4 hours outside in the 80 degree heat.

THIRD:
Have an idea of where you'd like to place the words and phrases (I typed out a word doc) Start with your main focal point/word and put that in the middle. When you're doing this I suggest you take the 3" letters and space it out to make sure you're utilizing the space. Paint this word.

***When you're painting, less is MORE. The paint will dry faster and it will be easier to work around if it's not super thick and mushy***



FOURTH:
Start varying the stencil size and continue to paint your phrases/words/#s.

I wanted mine to look like it was a slew of closely connected words so I didn't do everything perfectly horizontal. Some of my phrases are in between others and scattered about. I liked this, you may not so bust out a ruler.

****If the paint goes under the stencil and becomes a blob, don't worry! Grab your skinniest paint brush, dip it in the base color and slowly and carefully paint over it. I had a hard time with "O" so I would wait until it was kind of dry and then run a black line through the middle for the stenciled "O" look****

FINALLY:
After you've painted all your favorite phrases let it dry completely. I just let mine dry overnight. Then when it's finally done you can see if there are imperfections or things that are out of place and fix them the next day.

I think my first go at it was okay but I wish I would have taken some more time with it. And if I have a recommendation, I'd say practice on a piece of paper first with the paint and stencils so you get the hang of it and the amount of paint you need to use!

I hope this was something you thought was neat and easy enough to do. I think it adds a lot of character to your home and every time you read it, it includes places and memories that are special to only you!

Modern Design

Like I blogged about earlier this week, I spent some time in Colorado at a friend's house and I have to say their house is amazing. It's incredibly modern and breathtaking. It's right on the mountain and is all glass, concrete, and clean lines. Plus they have the best style in decorating. She truly can do no wrong with all the little details!

Here are some pictures to show you how fabulous it is:

View from the living room looking out on the patio and to the kitchen

Can you say wow?? Look how lovely it is when it snows...

I like the shape of the sink/faucet and how it's set on the stainless steel on top of the granite.

View from rooftop patio on the 4th floor.

How cute is this bench?! And it was a super sale buy from Anthropologie. It's so whimsical.


If I could build a house I'd love to mix modern style with traditional layouts. It would be quite complicated but I have the vision in my head haha


Are there any details in houses you love to see? Any in your own? Or rather, any you'd like to see in your house??

Liver Detox Time

Have any of you ever done a detox or cleanse? My friend really wanted to try this one and hey, it can't hurt, so I joined her.

We're trying the Fast Track Liver Detox which was created by Ann Louise Gittleman. It's an 11 day detox that focuses on ridding your body of toxins, improve your health and drop some unwanted LBs!

The details for the detox can be found in Ann's book or the basics are posted in many online articles. Here's the link that I've been following.

You prep your body for a one day fast by following a very healthy, very green diet for 7 days. Then you drink the Miracle Juice (I am not even making that up...) for 1 day and go back to the food from the first 7 days and add some additional liver helpers for 3 more. Then TA-DA! You're done :)

A look at the amount of produce overtaking the kitchen

So far it isn't too terrible. I'm saying this from day 2 haha but I do miss my carbs. It's a gluten free diet with lots of greens and water. You're supposed to drink half your weight in ounces. Again, I feel like I'm floating haha but it's good.

I'm going to try to make some gluten free turkey burger patties tonight. Hope they're delicious and satisfying.


Have any of you done a detox/cleanse? If so, did you think it was worth it? And do any of you follow a gluten free diet? Just wondering if you do what you snack on and enjoy.

I'll keep you updated. Hoping I have the willpower to continue for the next 9 days! And I am about to start on a really neat DIY project that I'm hoping you'll enjoy! Hoping to have it completed by Thursday. Lots of down time for watching paint dry :)

Time to Laugh Out Loud

Just a quick post here as I recover from traveling and the Jimmy Buffett concert last night. Running low on energy so I thought I'd just post some of the "sights" from the weekend...until then, ENJOY!

Interesting shirt choice for Grandpa

Umm what is this? A gymnasium? No, it's a train to the gate at Denver's Airport...

I couldn't resist. This does NOT look comfortable!

This man smelled so bad and tried to go through security with mayonnaise, which he couldn't so he put it in a tupperware with food already in it. VOMIT.

All I can think of is "I'm Chiquita Banana..."

This is totally unnecessary, ewww.

Too funny!

Hope everyone had a great week and weekend. I've got plenty of blogs to catch up on and a few posts to write. Hope you had a good laugh at these pics :)

Mountains = Perfect

"The quieter you become, the more you can hear"
Ran Dass

We made it to the top, yeah!!!

Quick post from CO...had to share these pictures. It is so beautiful here!! Lots of rain the last couple of weeks so everything is green, lush & smells fantastic.



Today we hiked up to the Hallelujah Nature Trail. The name fits it perfectly. It was a great hike (feeling it already, ouch). Breathtaking views, perfect weather and a picnic on the rocks :)



It is so peaceful here, I don't want to leave anytime soon...although I could do without the altitude headache. My organs are practically floating from all the water I'm drinking and I'm popping ibuprofen like tic-tacs :)

Happy Wednesday to all!

Travel Must-Haves

There are a few things you should know about me. One, I'm borderline OCD when it comes to folding and organizing clothes. Two, I travel a fair amount. Finally, I love the challenge of packing. Challenge? Ugh, terrible. I'm rolling my eyes as we speak...

How lame is that? I love packing...it's weird. I fold everything in such a precise manner (I believe I honed this gift while folding baby onesies at BabyGap in high school) and I'm anal about where everything goes in my bag. Shoes never just chill in there. I mean, if you lived in Chicago and walked these streets, you'd understand. I have little shoe bags and I use the free people mini bags when I run out of my other shoe protectors.

I'm going to the Mountains in Colorado tomorrow for some MUCH needed R&R. So I found my carry-on and am about to take the packing plunge.

But first, let's talk travel! Ahhh, travel my long lost friend. I think there are a few things that are mandatory when traveling. Here's my list:

1. Pashmina: I can't remember the last time I flew without one. Even if it's 110 degrees, I'm wearing a pashmina to the airport. Hello? Planes are cold. Passengers are creepy. Pashminas keep you warm and can also be wrapped around your neck so much your neighbor is no longer visible!

2. Noise Canceling Headphones: Thank you techy men and women! I no longer have to have my iPod on full blast. I can actually HEAR my music and at the same time and blissfully unaware of a loud rummmmmbling of the engines.

3. Books/Kindle: I read like a maniac. So when I'm going on a strictly R&R vacation, I better have a lot of books with me. Case in point, 9 day cruise in January, read 7 books. The Kindle makes this so much easier and my bags are that much lighter. Thank you, Amazon.

4. iPod: Self-explanatory. Can't live without music.

5. Ballet Flats: Ok girls, I get it. You want to look good when you fly. That's fine. In fact, I really don't get the schleppy/just rolled out of bed look at the airport. Gross. Put on real clothes. And if you're going comfy, look presentable. No dolphin pajama pants, please! Ballet Flats are the perfect answer to cute shoes but with comfort. No need for heels. However, I'll wear gym shoes or boots if I need to pack them and they're just too bulky!

6. Snacks: Since when do you have to pay for snacks?? coughAmericancough. How lame. I usually bring a trail mix bar, gum, pretzels, and a Crystal Light packet for when I'm sick of plain water!

7. Smile: so cheesy, I know. But do you know how stressful it is to travel under pressure? To sit next to someone who is so grumpy that you want to scream? To have to stand in line behind the person screaming at the attendant who had no idea why all the flights are sold out? I am by NO MEANS the sweetest person alive. But the world is round and karma is a biotch. Don't be mean to the person who has control of your bags or could bump you to first class. Be pleasant, it's not their fault you didn't read the baggage limits!


So for me, this is going to be my go-to scarf for the trip:

Scarf from Anthropologie

My dog, Ozzie, doesn't want me to go, but he's a good assistant :)

Must get new camera! These blurry pics are driving me mad!!

What do you always take with you when you travel? Anything you feel is a must-have for the trip??


I just realized I posted this last night, 8/9 but it was posted under 8/4. Weird...

The Weekend is Over Already??

Ugh. Another weekend come and gone. Bummer. I had a nice little weekend...hope you enjoyed yours as well!

Friday I had a nice lunch with my mom (where I ate chocolate chip & banana french toast yummm!) and then golfed 9 holes with the usual crowd. The usual crowd consists of my brother, dad, and my dad's work friend. It's always fun and sometimes I'm okay, sometimes I'm terrible. Only complaint this round was the amount of mosquitoes!! Chicago is having one of the rainiest summers ever recorded so I get it, they're around, but ick. Nothing worse than quarter sized skeeter bites!

Saturday was a day of projects and errands. I used this to start another quick and painless DIY...post to follow when it's complete!




And luckily I was able to fit in some time for this:

Love pedicures...chose You're a Pisa Work and it's perfect!

I ended up organizing the bathroom and relaxing Saturday night. Then I slept 11 hours. Whoops! :)

Today was by far the best day because I got to babysit my niece, P! My mom and I went over while my cousin and her husband went to a baseball game. It was so fun. P is definitely a small peanut (she's 10 weeks and still tiny). She's starting to smile now and is always on the move. It took 30 attempts to get a picture of her because we kept laughing and saying she was like Ray Charles and always bobbing her head. She's quite adorable & I just love her to pieces!

Lastly, as I said in a previous post, I am notorious for my mobile uploads. I find random things and always snap pics on my cell phone. This one isn't the best, but I just thought it was T-A-C-K-Y. I'm not a huge fan of vanity license plates and this is just lame. Umm get over yourself, thanks!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Did you do anything exciting or fun?

Yes, I am a bookworm.

I truly love to read. I grew up reading with my mom but didn't really get into it on my own until...Harry Potter. Which, go ahead, if you're a HP hater, that's fine. But I have nothing but love for it and J.K. Rowling is my hero.

Anyhoo, I was about to go to Europe for 3 weeks when I was 16 and my mom and I went to Borders to find books to help pass the time. The saleswoman recommended HP because it was all the rage and I quickly bought the first two books. Little did I know I would be paying close to $40 for the hardcover Prisoner of Azkaban book in English while in small town Austria! But, I did and I was hooked. I pre-ordered the rest of the series as it came out and have seen every movie in the theater and own each. I have to thank J.K. for making my imagination come back to life and turn me into the reader I am today.



I read as much as I can. I love all kinds of books but I have to say that chick-lit is my favorite with murder mysteries a veryveryclose second. I'm a pretty fast reader so if I'm into the book, forget about it, it's going to be finished before I realize I read it. This can also be a problem because I read so much I forget what I read. Thank goodness for Goodreads!

So I wanted to talk about my favorite books I've read recently.

Must say this because it is my all time favorite and I re-read it about once a year...



To Kill a Mockingbird: Ohhh how original. A lawyer loves this book. Well I wasn't a lawyer when I fell in love with Atticus Finch! Gosh, what a perfect man! He's not only a great dad but he has the best moral compass and respect for others that I've ever seen (well...read) I plan on naming my first dog Atticus...no, seriously. I'm that big of a dork. and secretly want a second dog named Boo Radley...haha





(A catch-all, although Heart of the Matter was recent!) Emily Giffin Books: Girl, you do no wrong. I always fall immediately into her scenes and dialogue. I believe she actually listens to people what? shocking! and therefore her books have a very organic flow which helps to give them a huge feel of authenticity. I loved Something Borrowed and Baby Proof. Heart of the Matter struck a chord with me and I'm not sure, but it wasn't the feeling I normally had at the end of reading one of her books...

Something About You, Julie James. Just discovered Julie while browsing the amazon Kindle shop. Her books are nice and cheap but they are FAB! Again, great conversations, characters, and make you laugh out loud. She has 3 books out and I read all 3 immediately, I absolutely recommend them :) Plus she's from Chicago and 2 of her 3 books were set here. Love it.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson. I have to say I jumped on this bandwagon. But I wasn't sold on the first 180 pages or so. I mean, it took me 1/3 of the book to get into it. That's not my style. I don't like to quit reading books. Except I stopped reading Eat, Pray, Love because I loathed the narrator. I can't believe I just said that out loud because I'm sure people are obsessed with that book. Was it a mood? A funk? I don't know. I am giving it a second try though, so daggers down!!! After I got further into Lisbeth Salander's world, I was HOOKED. I'm currently reading The Girl Who Played With Fire.

The Help, Kathryn Stockett. This book gave me the chills. I was nervous the whole time. I was deeply moved. And so help me god, I wanted to know everyone's secrets!! This is a must read in my opinion and everyone I know agrees. It's been on the NYT's best sellers list now for weeks. It's also my friends' book for our Book Club this month...which by the way is so fun because we eat, drink, gossip, and talk about the book for ohh 20 minutes.

Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen. Another book I felt like I lived in. I could just see the Circus and smell the popcorn. Jacob was such a multifaceted character. I literally couldn't put this book down. Now Robert Pattinson & Reese Witherspoon are making the movie and I have fingers and toes crossed it's decent. I say decent because very FEW movies ever hold a candle to the books.

My Name is Memory, Ann Brashares. This author might be familiar to you all as the writer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I can't explain this book except to say I loved the concept and I wanted to know more. And of course it was left at a point where you just sit there and wonder....damn, when is the next book coming out? The idea is that every soul continues to live on after the person dies and some people can recognize their old friends' "souls" in new bodies. Hey, I think it can happen! I also think toys talk when you leave the room...thanks, Pixar.

So I have a big favor to ask...I'm going to Colorado next Tuesday (yippppeeeee!) and I need some books to read. Any new faves? Or old classics you can't get enough of? Please let me know, I absolutely love book recommendations! If you want some from me, just ask!!

Super Easy DIY Jewelry Organizer

I have this thing when I travel in different countries to make sure that I come home with whatever their currency is. I love all the different coins!! Different sizes, textures, and weights. But what do you with them when you come home? Throw them into a drawer and forget about them?

I always did. Until recently. I decided to finally do something with them. I also needed some type of organizational hook for all my long necklaces. So this is what I came up with....




What you'll need:
-Coins of your liking
-Nails
-Glue (hot glue, gorilla glue, whatever!)

And forgive me because I didn't take in the process pictures. It's so easy though, you'll get it!

First, clean the coin.
Second, put a dab of glue on the coin large enough to cover the entire nail head.
Finally, press the nail head into the glue and let it dry completely.







When you hang the nail, I like to use a regular nail to first puncture the wall a bit because you don't want to wail on the coin, once you get past the initial small hole in the wall you're good to go.

And believe me, they hold their weight! Plus it's a cute reminder of where you've been as you're grabbing accessories.

Do you have any easy DIY organizational projects? I'm still organizing all the stuff from the move and I swear it's multiplying overnight!

Housewife in Training??

So today a very weird thing happen. Around two o'clock as I sat on my laptop at the kitchen table I realized something. I was acting very much like a suburban housewife! Since I am neither married nor the owner of my house ahhh the joys of moving back in with your parents. Just call me failure to launch.
it seemed a bit odd to me. But then I thought, well since finishing the bar exam I haven't had anything to do. Literally not a thing. I moved and that was it. I'm currently unemployed and unpacking :)

Seriously...this is what I did today:

-woke up and went to grocery store to get refunded for the 58 redonk ears of corn.
-came home and made chocolate chip zucchini bread with the monster zucchini from the farmer's market. Future Blog post following. It was so so so tasty!
-took the left-over zucchini, cut it in thick slices and made a marinade. Mixed 'em together and put in a bag in the fridge for the afternoon. Who am I, Emeril?
-stared at my unruly eyebrows for twenty minutes wondering why they look so crazy
-contemplated working out. remained seated while the thought passed.
-got my hair cut & colored I no longer look homeless. Cheers all around!
-came home and cooked dinner.
-talked on the phone for 2 hours with a college friend while unpacking and tossing away a HUGE bag of clothes for goodwill (only honorable action of the day)

UMMM really? When did I become so domestic?? Zucchini bread & homemade marinades? I'm rolling my eyes at myself right now. But I have a confession to make...so far, I enjoy it, like a lot. I love looking up recipes...searching blogs for new recipe ideas and just doing the "housewife" thing. I think the reason I'm enjoying it so much is in the last 7 years I have never had time off to do nothing. I always had a job or something going on with school or externships. Which reminds me...finding a job is terrible! I'm just looking for something PT until my results and apparently no one wants to hire a law school graduate. I can't even get a job babysitting! Whatevs. Their loss.

It was a VERY rainy early morning here in Chicago. People are flooding everywhere :(
In my unpacking I rediscovered these fun boat shoes and wore them all day because they brought me out of the gloomy weather mood I was in.

Shoes by Coach, Cankles by yours truly hahaha

ANYWAY...on to more important topics like my hair :) I'm natural sandy/dirty blonde. I like highlights but I hate super dyed blonde on me b/c I feel like a fraud. So over the past 6-9 months my hair stylist has made me a bit too blonde for my liking. It wasn't all her fault, I never said anything. I brought in pictures of what I was envisioning (Whitney Port's color) and she did it pretty darn close. I'll have to post a picture tomorrow as it's currently in a hot mess of a bun on the top of my head thus ruining my blowout...

Big fan of the color up top...it's pretty blonde on the end. We'll see what I end up with...

Oh and as for posting pictures, my darn camera isn't working! What the eff! I guess a trip to Best Buy is in my future tomorrow and hopefully I still have that insurance coverage...probably not. Add it to the list of things I need!

Do you guys have anything in your closet that makes you instantly happier? I'm a big fan of rediscovering everything while I unpack and I hope to put it to good use! Too many things still have the tags on and that is a problem...

Great Summer Side

I'm always looking for summer sides that are not potato salads or macaroni salads. I'm not a huge mayo person and there seems to be no options sans mayo! So I stumbled upon a Bobby Flay recipe and tweaked it ever so slightly.

It's a grilled corn/tomato/sweet onion side salad. It was easy and got the thumbs up from every diner! The best part is I got charged for 58 ears of corn at the grocery store and will be returning tomorrow to get refunded. REALLY, 58 EARS? Who would buy that many? Kate Gosselin?!

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ears corn, grilled in the husk, kernels removed
• 1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pint Sweet 100 tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces of goat cheese (more or less to your taste)
• Fresh basil sprigs, for garnish
• An ice cold beverage of your choice ;)
  

Throw the corn on the grill for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally. They'll start off looking like this...and end up looking like this:



While the corn is on the grill, chop the tomatoes in half, slice the sweet onion, and chop the basil.




In a blender, put the oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and basil and blend until smooth.

looks creepy, tastes delicious.

Grab the corn off the grill, de-husk it. Definitely recommend doing this with a dish towel because the corn is quite hot. Then hold the corn with a dish towel with you slice it off into a large bowl. This is kind of annoying, but well worth it.



Combine the Corn, Tomatoes, Onions in the bowl. Toss with the basil sauce. Top it off with goat cheese and basil garnish.

forgot the goat cheese before the pic, oops!

Dig in and ENJOY!!

DO you have any go-to summer sides? Please share. I cannot wait to make Carrie's White Cheddar & Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeños as soon as possible! They look SO good and I have a weak spot for anything jalapeño :) I kept the left-overs and hope it's just as good tomorrow, will let you know.