HOMEMADE HOORAY

When I lived here as a kid, the 4th of July was always my favorite holiday. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of block parties with the neighborhood kids, eating huge slices of watermelon, wagon rides and picking crab apples. There was sidewalk chalk and water gun fights, and walking around the corner to my elementary school and watching the local fireworks show. Every year felt the same, always smelling like hay, sugar and sunscreen.

Now, I still have the same fondness for the way the holiday is celebrated, if nothing else. For me, it always means family. Seeing all my favorite relatives together in one place. There's nothing I love more than all of us being together and enjoying each other's company. Feeling the joy and the love that comes from making a home in other people. For now, the holiday is spent at my Aunt & Uncle's place, but I wanted to throw together a little snippet of what the party would look like if I hosted it. Who knows, maybe you'll get a little inspiration for your own celebrations, too.


Look: 1: Striped Dress via Forever 21 / 2: Table Setting via Kaufmann Mercantile / 3: Soda Fountain Ice Cream Cone via Anthropologie / 4: Striped Bunting via Billie & Bella / 5: Table Setting via Fresh Exchange / 6: Latte Bowl Set via Anthropologie / 7: Table Setting via 100 Layer Cake

For me, if I'm decorating for a party centered around something specific, I like to avoid being overly thematic. I pick a few foundation colors that fit into my concept and build from that palette. Independence Day is usually a very bright, traditional color scheme so I would tone that down more into my style- hues of blue as my base and pops of red and orange to lift it up, without making it too patriotic. A warm Summer evening, some string lights and a few blankets and pillows for chairs (a little easier for an impromptu picnic!) and you've got a dinner party that allows for the most important part of your night to be highlighted: being with each other.


Taste: 1: Honey Mustard Veggie Kabobs via Naturally Ella  / 2: Rose Sangria via Sweet & Savory by Shinee / 3: S'mores Bar via What's Gaby Cooking / 4: Table Setting via @billyjackbrawner3

And when it's Summer, the abundance of fresh produce and backyard cooking opportunities is at its peak. Vegetables, berries & stone fruits are just begging to be grilled on the barbecue, thrown in a fruit salad or pitcher of sangria or wedged between a warm marshmallow and a graham cracker. With a dinner party, you want the ease of fast, fresh cooking without the hassle or the mess of a big elaborate meal. I love the idea of having bars for your guests to make their own meals- crafting their own kabobs to throw on the grill, or putting whatever ingredients they want into their dessert s'more. It makes it super simple for you, as the host, to not get caught up in making sure everybody is well fed and gives you the chance to enjoy a little extra time with those you love.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and if you're not celebrating, enjoy the beautiful weather outside some other way. It looks like we're headed for a beautiful Summer here in Portland. I hope the same for all of you, in whatever season of life you may be in.

Much love,
Sam xo

As the daughter of a pastry chef, I've had quite a few brownies in my lifetime. My mom has always turned out batch after batch of perfection and I've never been able to look at any brownies that weren't hers with the same sugar-glazed look of love in my eyes. They just didn't hold the appeal that hers did. That was until I tried this recipe, and suddenly I had something that could potentially rival the best brownie of my life. That's really saying something.

I used Smitten Kitchen's "Best Cocoa Brownies" recipe, (which really is as wonderful as the title suggests) and then I made a few simple adjustments for the "s'mores" elements. I was doubtful there for a while, but these brownies (& as always, Smitten Kitchen) did not let me down. They have the silkiest consistency and the richness of the cocoa really stands out in a way that normal cocoa brownies just can't seem to muster up the strength for. I may never use another recipe to bake brownies again, that's how much I love these. So, before I keep babbling on about how delicious these are, here's the recipe so you can try them out yourself.



For the brownies:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup all-purpose flour


For the graham cracker crust:
A decent chunk of graham cracker squares (I used probably 12-15, you can just eyeball this part based on how thick or thin you prefer your crust to be)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter


For the marshmallow topping:
1/3 cup chocolate chips
A whole pile of mini marshmallows- again, use as many as you want for how thick you want your layer to be, just make sure to mostly cover the top of the brownie pan!

Method:  Position a rack in the lower third of your oven & preheat to 325°F. Line the inside of an 8x8 inch baking dish with baking paper or foil & lightly grease the bottom & sides. Leave a little overhand on two opposite sides to make removing it & cooling it a little easier.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder & salt in a large heat proof bowl, then place this on top of a pan filled with simmering water on the stovetop. Stir this occasionally until the butter has melted and the ingredients are combined. This process takes a little while, so in the meantime, get started on your crust.

Add the graham crackers to a small Ziploc bag, seal it, and then break them up using a rolling pin or something heavy. Take your butter and place it in a heatproof dish to melt it- about 30 seconds in the microwave. Remove the graham cracker crumbs from the bag and add them to the butter mixture, stirring until completely combined. Then, spread this out in the base of your dish and press down until smooth. You can choose to pre-bake this before you add the other elements to allow it to set, but I found that mine set just fine when only baked once. 
 
Once your brownie mixture is combined, remove it from the heat and allow to cool until it's just warm. It will look gritty at first- the texture of mine was similar to a thick bread dough at first (see photo) but once the eggs and flour are added, it smooths out beautifully. Stir in the vanilla and then add the eggs, one by one, stirring vigorously after each one. Once the batter looks shiny, well blended & nice and thick, add in the flour and stir it until you can't see it any longer. Then, beat the mixture together for 40 or so more strokes.


Spread the brownie mixture evenly over your crust in the pan, and bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges just moist with batter. For me, this took about 30-33 minutes. Remove the pan just before you think it's done. Switch your oven onto the broiler element. Add the chocolate chips, spreading them out evenly and individually every inch or so like a grid. Then, add your marshmallows and place the pan back in the oven under the broiler. The marshmallows will start to char quite quickly, so I recommend standing by the oven for this next part! Watch the pan until you can see the marshmallows just start to brown on top and remove it immediately. This took about a minute for me. Let sit for a few minutes, then transfer the brownies onto a cooling rack by picking up the foil. I put my brownies in the fridge to let them set and cool for a moment, too, in hopes of cutting them with cleaner lines. But when you have a cookie base and a sticky top, clean cuts are not destined to happen. Luckily, these things look beautiful regardless, and taste better than you can imagine.


Let me know if you use this recipe & how it works out for you! Hope you all have a happy Sunday.
Love,
Sam xo

Hello, everyone! This is my first official post on the blog I've been dreaming of creating for a good chunk of my life now. It's not my first blog by any means, but it's the first one that I really feel I have creative freedom over. Ever since I was a kid, I've always acted a little above my age bracket. My mom has always joked that I was a 35 year old woman trapped in the body of a kid, and that stayed true all throughout my teenage years. But when you're young, people only ever look at you as a young person. It took a lot for me to prioritize being a kid over wanting to grow up and live the life I knew I could have. I was so impatient. I had the opposite of a Peter Pan complex, I suppose!

 Entering my 20s, life opened up for me in a way that I never could have dreamed of. Having the freedom & the access to work towards the goals I'd made for myself when I was 11 & 12 is such a gift and a blessing. So, with the creation of this blog, this is the start of where I grow a life that inspires & enriches me even more than it has in the past. This is the start of growing & learning by example and through trial and error. It's for recipe testing, for photos of anything and everything, for life lessons, for friendship, for collaborating, for inspiration and for creating for creation's sake. I hope you enjoy reading along and learning alongside me! It's going to be a great life.

Love always,
Sam x

Reading: Lately, a lot of cookbooks. My current favorites are 'River Cottage Veg' and as always, my very favorite, 'The Kinfolk Table'. I've also always got my nose buried in the latest issue of 'frankie magazine' that I've been collecting since my freshman year of high school.

Watching: Grey's Anatomy, as always. (Although, the proper adjective there might be 'weeping' instead of watching!) I've also recently fallen in love with Heidi Elnora's "Bride By Design" and can't stop marathon streaming it. She's the sweetest southern angel.

Listening: Mat Kearney's latest album 'Just Kids', Taylor Swift (forever) & Copeland's 'Ixora'.

Craving: The perfect pair of clogs for summer, cinnamon donuts & the next Avengers movie- Age of Ultron left me with so many questions about the future films, it's all I can think about.

Celebrity: My forever girl is, again, Taylor Swift. If you want to make me talk non-stop for hours, just bring her up. James McAvoy, Harry Styles & Sandra Bullock can also get me babbling at any given time.

Advice: Go with love. It's what I always try to govern my life & my decisions by. Treating others with absolute and honest kindness is something I'm very passionate about.

Icons: Can I list Taylor Swift for three answers without it getting repetitive? Ingrid Michaelson, Audrey Hepburn, Mindy Kaling, Naomi Davis (of the Love Taza blog) & Sherri DuPree Bemis are a few others I hold in the highest regard.

Purse: Small and practical. I always magically end up with small bags that surprisingly carry a lot. My bag is usually filled with all the makeup bits and bobs I need during the day (ie: about 14 different lip balms) as well as assorted emergency essentials. If I go anywhere with my mom or girlfriend, you can bet at least a few of their things end up in my bag, too.

Food: I just moved into my own place with the most beautiful kitchen, so food is at the front of my mind at all times. I'm constantly checking out (and pinning) new recipes, and learning tricks for future meals whenever possible. I recently made the most divine Panzanella: half improvised, a quarter Ina Garten & a quarter from River Cottage Veg. Next up, I'm planning a big fancy cake & a poached egg breakfast.

Peeves: As a person, I am actually very difficult to annoy! I don't get bothered by much. Usually, just rudeness and unfriendliness bother me most. I just don't see the need for that.

Hobby: I'm a little bit of a crafting nut! My current work in progress is a rug made from yarn pompoms, but I have plans to refinish a boring tabletop with some gorgeous Rifle Paper Company patterns...stay tuned for that!

Lately I've Been: getting settled in my new place & loving creating a home with my girlfriend, soaking up the Spring sunshine & learning, learning, learning.

Love always, 
Sam x 

Arguably the largest reason why I am so passionate about lifestyle & interior styling can be traced back to my formative teenage years, sitting in my room on my computer, absorbing all the blog content I could. I spent hours on fashion and interior design blogs, knowing that a large part of me felt so connected to that form of expression, it was going to be something I wanted to spend my life doing. Obviously, being very limited by age and various other factors, it was one of those goals I put on a high shelf until I was old enough to reach it.

Having grown up (albeit marginally) since then, my sense of style has drastically improved and grown with me as I've developed as a person. It reflects so many aspects of my personality- what I am driven by, what I need to surround myself with to be happy & stimulated, what gives me joy and relaxation. One thing that has stayed the same is the need for self expression. For the work I do to not only symbolize myself, but for it to inspire and encourage growth in myself, and hopefully, also in other people. Creating has been so vital to my development and as I strive to keep that up, I am constantly trying to better myself and to get closer to the dreams and goals I know I am capable of.

I've had a lot of the same goals underneath the surface for a good many years now. Fall in love, adopt a few dogs, build & design my own home, have kids, start my own company & one day open my own retail & floral shop & cafe. The size of these dreams has never daunted me, but sometimes the waiting game is what bogs me down. While a few of these things are on the cards for a more distant future, (which is sometimes hard for me to grasp or let go of) I've been lucky enough to get a kick start on a few of them, and cross a couple off my list hopefully for good. I've been truly and wildly lucky in so many ways and I'm so thankful for that.

I fell in love last year and it's been so much stronger and deeper than anything I could have ever asked for. We'll be moving in together in the coming months, and since we made that decision, my mind has been racing with plans and ideas for decorating our first home. It will be a small, humble start to the rest of our life together. Just our little apartment and the two of us. I've spent the past several months soaking up so many blog posts, IKEA hacks and Pinterest boards that my mind is full to the brim with ideas & goals. I close my eyes and see DIY projects, it's that bad. So, I thought now would be the perfect time to share a few of my favorite spaces from around the web as we get closer to living this dream out. I for one don't want to miss out on a second.

As a girl who has always been Winter's biggest fan, this year I have had a surprising change of heart and find myself counting down the days until Spring is officially here. Luckily, the past few weeks, Portland has seemed very confused about what season it is- and frankly, I'm all for it. Along with the beautiful weather, this time of year is one of my favorites for another reason: Spring roll-outs.

Whenever my favorite companies and brands release new collections & products, I am instantly inspired, but something about Spring collections always feel the most special. There's often a bit of difficulty in trying to break out of a creative rut coming out of the cold season, so Spring is always this burst of energy and creativity for me. It's one of those things that never fails to get my mind racing about different design ideas, or ways to style an outfit. It's every creative's dream. So, I thought what better way to celebrate these new launches than to give you a rundown of my absolute favorite pieces for Spring! Read on below to see my picks for this sunny season.




I'm definitely a sucker for anything and everything both J.Crew and Madewell release. The sister brands are consistently putting out stylish and contemporary pieces that lend themselves to so many different styles, and as a result, so many people. Above I picked my top 3 favorite pieces from both of their new launches. A few staples & 'not-so-basic' basics in a lot of neutral colors, but they're all versatile and chic enough to outlast many season changes. Midi skirts are my personal favorite, and they're very on trend right now- that little striped number from J. Crew will be headed home to my closet in no time, and I for one can't wait.






This highly anticipated Paper Crown collection has been something I feel like I've been talking about non stop for months. Collaborating with my favorite artist, Anna Bond of the glorious Rifle Paper Company, Lauren Conrad's brand totally jumped into my mind and created everything I've ever wanted in a collection. Flirty and feminine, the pieces in this line are universally appealing. Whether you aren't one for prints (the paler floral colorways will sway you!) or you love garments that make a statement, each piece is sure to be something that stands out as a favorite in your closet for years to come.






Headed back into neutral territory (obviously I'm a little partial to that this season) here are a few favorites from scattered places. Firstly, the Topshop jumpsuit of my dreams. I have too many jumpsuits and rompers to count, so clearly I'd be obsessed with this one. That pale blue-grey is an amazing color, and the jumpsuit itself is so clean-cut and elegant. Secondly, this back detailing makes this dress my favorite from Aritzia's new arrivals list. The front panel and the modest tea length of the dress perfectly compliment its crossed back. I could see myself wearing this all the way until September rolls around and pries it from my unwilling hands. Finally, Loft has been impressive with their new line, as well. I'm in love with the mod feel of this dress- from the pattern, to the colorblocked panels, I am entirely sold.  Then, this blouse is the perfect cross between suiting and a pajama top- and that pale pink is perfect for the season.






Finally, my favorite online shopping destinations have been kicking out fantastic products. Both ASOS and Modcloth have a long standing record of adoration in my eyes, and this year is no different. Firstly, pictured in the middle, these floral chinos are one of the sweetest pants I've seen Modcloth release in a long time. The colors are vibrant, and the chino cut is one of my all time favorite styles. Then, winning me over with the most gorgeous textiles, ASOS has one of my favorite dresses for this season, and the most beautiful duo of separates I've seen so far. The cornflour blue scuba material is a standout on its own, but the darling fit & flare cut of the dress is what really won me over. Then, what might be my favorite Spring release (the jury is still out) this gorgeous floral top & pant combo are beyond words for me. The open back detailing on that top alone is enough to make me fall in love, but when you pair it with the matching trousers, it's literally a match made in jumpsuit heaven. It's a little on the pricier side, but I would see myself living in that outfit and never once regretting it.

What are you loving this Spring?
All the love,
Sam x