SPIKED WATERMELON + LINKS...

Happy Friday!! I hope you had a great week. Like every week, I'm so glad today is here. After a busy week that included 3 migraines, I am looking forward to some downtime and fun. I'll be taking a few naps (of course), going on a girls night out and taking a trip to my local famers market. Can't wait! 

Oh before I share my links, remember that Google Reader is shutting down on Monday! If you are following Savor Home via the Reader, thankfully there are more - and better options out there for you to keep up with the blog. I personally like Bloglovin the best, but Feedly, Reeder and The Old Reader are also good. They each have options that allow you to download your Reader into their platforms. Of course you can also get your daily dose of Savor Home via Facebook, Twitter or e-mail by subscribing on the sidebar over to the right!

Happy weekend!

I heart my friend Tracey for sharing the recipe (and gorgeous photo) for that tequila-soaked watermelon you see above...  

Their magazines are beautiful and now they have a pretty new website to match...

The art of packing. This is so helpful - and creative I might add...

Love her style, her cute family and her home...

A chef's haven in the Hamptons...

Loving her new Instagram account...

Perfect for the beach...

Weekend reading...

DISTRESSED DETAILS...

I wholeheartedly admit that before I started blogging, I was into completely clean, refined spaces. That means I liked spaces with clean lines, color coordinated accessories and fresh, new furnishings that all matched, were the same color or stain and were all made out of the exact same material. How boring is that??? Even though my childhood bedroom was full of antique furniture, my style had sort of evolved in my teens and 20's and I just liked everything new or new-looking. But the more I have learned about design, the more I have appreciated spaces with marriages of old and new pieces. These spaces are perfect examples. The distressed pieces make a beautiful statement against the cleaner surroundings. They stand out in a way that makes one want to know the story about it- how it was made, where it's from, etc. I just love that...

Styling by Heather Bullard, Images by Victoria Pearson

SUMMER KITCHEN STAPLES

So if you read yesterday's post, you know that I had another bad experience with cake making. I tried to make this simple cake and it stuck to the pan. The post warns of sticking, so I feel like I sprayed 1/4 of the can of cooking spray in the pan - a high quality pan at that. Next time, I will spray 1/2 the can - anything to make it not stick because the remnants were SO good! 

Since I don't have the cake for you today, I thought I would share my summer kitchen staples with you today. I've never been much of a gadget girl when it comes to kitchen stuff (although I love perusing kitchen supply stores to look at them). However, I find that in the summer there are some things I use in the kitchen more so than any other season during the year...

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ONE: WORKING GLASSES: If you've been following me for the last few months, you might have noticed that I am on a smoothie and juice kick right now. That's why I love these glasses! The lids make them perfect for storing leftover smoothies and juices. They are also great for storing smoothies that you make ahead of time for the next morning or day. 

TWO: MARKET BAG: Attending farmers markets in the summers is one of my favorite things to do. Having a dedicated bag not only keeps things organized, but is also better for the environment than the plastic bags they often distribute at markets. Charleston just happens to have a FABULOUS farmers market, so I especially love this bag!

THREE: HERB SCISSORS: Chopping fresh herbs can sometimes bruise them and deflate the freshness, so cutting them with scissors is always best. 

FOUR: MIXING BOWLS: Mixing bowls are essential year-round, but I use them more often in the summer to mix salads, fruits, dressings and dips. 

FIVE: MANDOLIN: Speaking of salads, if I'm looking to make it look its finest, I use the mandolin to safely make uniform slices of carrots, radishes, onions, cucumbers, etc. It's also perfect for making homemade crudités for summer parties.

SIX: MINI COLANDER: My mini colander has a permanent home beside my sink in the summers. I use it to rinse smaller servings of fruits, greens, vegetables and herbs.  

SEVEN: POPSICLE MOLDS: Have you made your own popsicles before?? If not, you should. The process is so much more fun than picking out pre-made popsicles from your grocers freezer. The kiddos love the process as well. 

EIGHT: CHEF'S KNIFE: A really good knife is incredibly essential, especially in the summer. A good knife makes chopping fresh fruits and vegetables so much easier - and safer I might add. If you had to choose between buying a boxed knife set or just one knife, I would honestly start with one chef's knife. I have a boxed set and use the chefs knife about 90% of the time. 

NINE: VITAMIX: My apologies if you are sick of me talking about my Vitamix! But I absolutely LOVE it. In the summers, it's the perfect tool for blending fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables into smooth concoctions. I never have any pieces of spinach stuck in between my teeth or swallow any chunks of unblended fruit. I wish it were cheaper, but at the end of the day I can honestly say that it's worth every penny. 

TEN: STOVETOP GRILL: Am I the only person who doesn't own an outdoor grill?? Probably so. But I don't feel like I'm missing out. I use this cast iron stovetop grill to grill meats and vegetables year-round, but more so in the summer. I still get the grill marks and the smoky flavor that a normal grill produces. Quick clean up, too!

ELEVEN: MORTAR & PESTLE: This takes handmade to the next level! Put a handful of fresh spinach or basil and a little garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in this thing and take out the day's frustrations as you grind them all together. You'll end up with a fabulous fresh pesto. A mortar and pestle is also great for making fresh guacamole and spice rubs for meats that are headed for the grill.  

TWELVE: VEGETABLE PEELER: A true, simple essential. I peel everything from tomatoes to potatoes to carrots to peaches. Can't live without this thing!

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What are your summer kitchen staples?? I'd love to hear!

WEEKEND IN FOUR PICS...

CARD | HAND BALM | SMOOTHIE RECIPE 

Hi there! I hope you had a great weekend. My weekend was extremely laid back and that is just how I wanted it. I got to bed early, slept late, watched movies, diverted from my weekday diet and ate a big bowl of homemade spaghetti and started this book. It's so good so far. I also attempted to bake another cake. Let's just say it didn't make it in front of my camera... :) Me and cakes need to figure our relationship out - for real. 

The only things that did make it in front of my camera this weekend were these four things that I'm loving at the moment. I love good stationary from good friends, fresh-smelling hand balm (that actually works!!), a really quick and delicious smoothie and cute high-heeled sandals (that are actually comfortable!!). 

Anyway, I hope you had a good weekend and had the opportunity to enjoy a few of your favorite things. Have a great week!

Images by me

LOVELY LITTLE DETAILS + LINKS...

Happy Friday and first day of summer!! Gosh I have been looking forward to this day all week. You know why?? Because with the exception of my usual errands and maybe a photoshoot on Sunday, my calendar is EMPTY. I so need a weekend like this. I've had some great weekends thus far, but no weekends where I didn't have anything pressing or planned. I look forward to recharging, finally watching this movie (have you seen it??), hanging out in my kitchen and just seeing where the weekend takes me. I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy the links!

I put myself on a spending freeze last weekend, but this has got me itching to spend. Really bad.

You might experience a little piece of heaven as you scroll through these photos...

In case you were looking for a quick and beautiful summer dessert...

And in case you were looking for a new, fashionable blog to follow...

Blogging and time management. Amen...

A wonderful reminder by a wise and hilarious woman...

Just precious and beautiful...

I don't get it. Do you??

Agreed.

Image via

CLASSIC WATERMELON & ARUGULA SALAD

So I have a little confession about watermelon. I used to HATE it. That's a big deal considering I'm from the south and watermelon in the south is a summer staple. It's everywhere. I remember how my dad would buy huge watermelons, cut them in slices and eat the slice the same is if it were a slice of pizza. The juice would run everywhere and he would spit out seeds. He loved it. I thought it was messy, unappetizing, not sweet enough and there was just something about the texture that I didn't like. Can any of you relate??

As I have gotten older, my relationship with the watermelon has changed- or perhaps my palette has evolved. I discovered the seedless watermelon and learned how to determine if they are sweet (I use this method and it works about 90% of the time). I also learned that they are delicious in smoothies and especially salads. This salad has become one of my favorite summer salads. It takes 5 seconds to make, which I love, and it's just very refreshing. The lemon vinaigrette perfectly compliments the watermelon and peppery flavor of the arugula. The parmesan cheese adds a little salty bite and a hint of elegance. 

Here is what you need and what to do:

Images by me

LIFE AS OF LATE...

A new print I recently received from gracious Paula. I couldn't agree with it more...

First, I want to say thank you for all of your comments, tweets and e-mails yesterday about my new blog design! I smiled all day! I'm so glad you like what you see around here... 

I know I normally share recipes on Tuesdays, but I've had a few happy moments over the last few weeks, so I thought I would share them with you today. It seems like the older I get, the quicker life goes by. That has challenged me to put more energy into finding happiness in big, small, easy and difficult moments. I know all of that sounds so cliché, but I've found that life can get so crazy that finding happiness in even the smallest and simplest things can quickly turn my day around. Taking photographs of those moments makes them even more special - which is maybe where my love for photography and Instagram, of course, comes from. So if life is dishing you a crazy moment, I encourage you to get your camera or camera phone out and take a picture of something that makes you happy. That might sound weird, but it works. I promise. 

That's my two cents for today. I'll be back here tomorrow with a really good, fresh and simple summer recipe... :)

Paula captured my happiness during my time at Scott's Antique Market last week. I was also admiring that farm table that I'm still thinking about...

Simple flowers in a simple vintage vase I recently purchased at Lee Kleinhelter's store- Pieces. The little gold spike sphere in the first pic is from there, too.

Pinkberry - where I spent last Saturday night with a friend. We people watched on the patio in perfect weather while we ate cookies and cream yogurt. Simple moments...

Last week I chopped up all those veggies and dumped them in a Crock Pot to make this vegetable soup. It was probably the best vegetable soup I've ever had. No joke.

Images 1,3,4,5 by me

WELCOME TO THE NEW SAVOR HOME!!

Hi there! Welcome to the new Savor Home! Do you like it?? Things haven't changed around here in a few years, so I felt it was high time for a fresh new look! 

So why this look?? A fun thing about blogging is looking back and seeing how your style has evolved over time. Savor Home has definitely changed over the last few years and so has my aesthetic. The look of my first post proves it. Click here to see it if you dare... :) These days I am attracted to all things simple, organized and comfortable. To get that look for the blog, I called on graphic designer Anna Liesemeyer of In Honor Of Design. I just adore her! We discussed the future of the blog, branding (something I never thought I would have to think about when I started this little site) and how we could translate my content into a simple and organized look. This is what she came up with and I could hug her for days!

For simplicity, I wanted an all white background so that all of the content would pop. To make things comfortable, I kept the mint green color from my previous blog. I find that color to be so soothing! I've mentioned several times here that I'm slightly OCD, so the new navigation bar is one of my favorite parts!

Needless to say, I am super excited about this and the future of Savor Home. A big thank you Anna for putting my thoughts to life. Also, a big thank you goes to Savannah of Maiedae, who developed the site and photographed my headshots. 

I'd also like to thank you, my readers, for all of your support. Thanks for inspiring me and taking the time to read my thoughts. I wouldn't be where I am or have anywhere to go without you. I thank you.

Take a look around and let me know what you think!

iMac image via