Peonies and The Secret Garden

Every spring we wait excitedly for our Peonies to bloom.

This year our plants are packed with buds ready to burst open (this is early for Maine). 

When we left last weekend I prayed they would wait for me to get back... they did and we have just had our first bloom!

This weekend we happen to be staying in town because my daughter is in a production of the musical  "The Secret Garden". 

Could this be any more perfect?  My Posie will be singing and dancing about bringing a secret garden back to life and I get to be here as my Peonies open up one by one! 

This is going to be a great weekend!!! 

Persephone

Cole Slaw

With the summer season now officially begun I thought I would post this delicious Cole Slaw recipe. 

I love the tang of the buttermilk and the bite of the celery root.  I added julienne radishes for an extra punch and a little extra color.  Can't wait for dinner...

Cole Slaw

1 small Savoy cabbage (about 1 1/4 lbs) cored

1 large carrot peeled (I added extra)

1 small celery root (10 oz) peeled

1 small sweet onion very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Kosher salt

1 small garlic clove

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs thinly sliced chives

2 Tbs chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 tsp celery seeds

Freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice cabbage in a food processor using the 4mm slicing disk or by hand (you should end up with about 6 packed cups).  Switch to grating disk and grate carrot and celery root (you should have about 2 1/2 cups total) add to the cabbage along with the onion and 1 Tbs kosher salt and toss.  Pack slaw in a colander with a plate over the slaw weighted down with heavy cans or something.  Drain in sink for 2 hours.

Mix together chopped garlic, buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice, chives, parsley, celery seeds and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.  Add to slaw and toss.  Season with kosher salt, pepper and lemon juice.  I added julienne radishes at the very end. 

Enjoy!

Persephone

 

Drapes is a Verb

I took a few pictures at my friends Mary and Ned's house over the weekend. 

Years ago Mary told me this funny story about when she first came to visit the island. Over the weekend we remembered it and laughed and laughed.  With her permission I will tell the story to you...

Ned's grandmother was sitting in this lovely room over looking the beautiful waters of Maine. To Mary's confusion she had the heavy curtains closed. Mary asked, "Can I open the drapes for you so that you can see the beautiful day?"  to which came the response, "Drapes is a verb."  

Funniest thing I have ever heard!  The old sofa/couch, curtains/drapes debate.  I am well versed in the usage of sofa or curtains, but "Drapes is a verb" is so creative it just makes me laugh! Needless to say the "curtains" remained drawn.

I feel like there are a thousand stories like this one we can all recall from our grandmothers who "knew how to do."  What makes a long owned summer house so fun are all the memories and all the little things that remind you of days gone by. 

These pictures are of the room, which now has no "curtains" and is filled with sun, and kids and dogs all the time.  The second one is of an old needlepoint pillow done by Ned's Grandmother, and finally a painting done by her husband.  All still used and loved and remembered.

...Drapes is a verb! HA!

Persephone

 

Memorial Day Weekend

What a spectacular weekend! 

We are feeling really lucky to have gotten our old sandals back onto the pebbly shores of Penobscot Bay!!  (I think this pair of sandals is going on summer 7 or 8!)

With the sun shining like it was July, we hit the beach and found all our favorites: beach glass, pottery pieces, striped rocks, mussel shells and even a few sea urchin shells!

We managed to pack in some boating, dining on yummy grilled chicken, local clams and salmon, and had lot's of laughs with family and old friends.  We had our first cone of the year at Bill's, and we were even treated to a few fire works overlooking the Camden Hills! We packed a lot of fun into a weekend, and we never even made it onto or bikes...next time.

After a quick lunch over looking Camden Harbor and a quick stop into the book/toy store we headed south happy in knowing that we will be back for more very soon!

Cheers to Summer 2012!!

Persephone

Memorial Day Weekend Promo Code: SAVE15

It's Memorial Day Weekend and we are kicking things off right!

Enter Promo Code: SAVE15 at Check Out to save 15% off your entire order! 

Have a wonderful long weekend all!!!

Persephone and Gray

 

Leopard Print Monogram Loafers

I adore our Monogrammed Needlepoint Loafers. 

These fab loafers are made to order.  The monograms are all charted and stitched by hand.

Because they are completely made to order the production time is approximately 4-6 months. Soooo......you have to think a season ahead!  

I just got my spring mules (which I LOVE), and am now thinking fall/winter.

I have decided on a pair of Leopard Print Monogrammed Loafers for 2012 and I ordered them today!!!  I have ordered them exactly as shown above.  I debated doing a red monogram like on these slides, but decided that the green would be so versatile. 

Now that they are officially ordered I can enjoy summer knowing that come fall I am going to have the BEST new Needlepoint Loafers!!

Persephone

A Few Things Blue and White

Today I thought I would post a few little blue things that I stumbled upon as we opened up our summer house last weekend. It is always so much fun to re-find all the little things we have collected over the years! 

Posie and I love collecting beach finds and putting them in little containers all over our house.  Here is a darling little heart shaped Wedgwood plate filled with a few of our finds.

Next is one of two blue and white urns given to Gray and I as a wedding present from my Brother's Godmother.  We adore these urns and I have placed them in many spots both at home and on the island. 

Right now the pair sit on an entry table underneath an old chart on the wall. 

How adorable is this shell shaped serving plate in blue and white with two little blue lobsters.  This was another wedding present that we have used and used! I just love it!!

So I realize this last picture is not of something blue, but I had to post it!  Years ago now Posie bought a moose in a raincoat and a pig in a tutu in Camden.  Somehow they ended up in this boat on the mantle and have been there ever since.  Every year I think I should take them down and then I never do! 

Persephone

The Penderwicks

Gray, Posie and I headed North to Mid Coast Maine this past weekend and I packed our new copy of The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall. 

Posie and I are IN LOVE with The Penderwicks!!  If you have a child 8-12 or there abouts you should check out these wonderful books! 

In this third book in the series the Penderwicks are off for a two week vacation in Maine! 

While Posie prefers to read late into the night to herself these days, we both agreed that we had to read The Penderwicks at Point Mouette together. 

These books are laugh out loud funny and Posie and I ended up in uproarious laughter as the Penderwick girls got into all sorts of trouble in Maine. We read looking out at the sea and we read riding in the ferry back to the mainland.  What a perfect book for our first trip to the island!!

I pray that Jeanne Birdsall is working feverishly on her next Penderwick book because we do not want this series to end!!!

Persephone

P.S. I packed our perfect book into my perfect new Lobster Tote!  My bag's first trip to the island and I love it!  Can't wait to fill it with beach towels and cookies!!!

 

A Quick Stop in Camden, Maine

What a perfect Saturday for a quick trip North! 

Getting off to a bit of a late start we arrived in Camden, Maine just in time for a quick lunch and a look around. 

We parked our car on Main Street.  Camden doesn't really shut down off season the way that most coastal towns do in Maine.  But, in early May you can find a great spot in the center of town pretty easily.

Here's our Cairn Terrier Hood Ornament parked across from The House of Logan which has been selling traditional ladies attire in Camden for over 70 years!

We ran next door for lunch at Boynton McKay Food Co. There are many great places in Camden to eat, but this is one of our favorites!  

When we were kids, Boynton McKay was the drug store in town...had been since 1893.  Throughout our youth we would go there for calamine lotion and ice cream frappes.  

It was hard to see Boynton McKay close it's doors and was such a joy to have the new owners open a fantastic breakfast/lunch place while keeping old apothecary bottles and things around as a reminder of the old place! 

Back across the street we had parked in front of The Smiling Cow.  This gift shop has been in Camden since 1940.  I remember going there every summer for a rope bracelet or a magnet pompom animal.  Here they are open and ready for another Camden summer!

After a quick look in a few shops we returned to our car to dash off to make the ferry...We will be back soon to spend more time in all our favorite little shops!!

Persephone

 

The Sun is Out!

Today the sun has finally come out for a bit!

Feeling rather sunny myself, I pulled out this old pair of velvet Stubbs with pretty Blue and Yellow Flowers. 

I have had these shoes for many, many years.  I pull them out a few times a year and it always make me happy when I do!!

I am sitting in my pretty blue shoes looking at how much my real plants have grown with all the rain of the last week. The birds are chirping and life is good!!!

Persephone