The Lisa Porter Collection : April 2011

4/22/11

Molly Mutt

Gracie girl is getting a brand new nest for

spring & summer from Molly Mutt!

And while Gracie is getting a clean, comfy, stylish place to sleep, the kid's old t-shirts, towels, etc. are getting a second life with

Molly Mutt's 100% Cotton Dog Bed Duvet!

Molly is the owner of 3 dogs who came up with the brilliant idea!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Every cover has a nylon zippered mesh "stuff sack" made specially to fit each size & shape duvet! And there's a design, shape & size to fit everyone's style!

The "stuff sack" organizes the inside of your duvet cover making it easy to up-cycle old blankets, t-shirts, socks, and towels. Just toss the sack and all of its contents directly into the washer when its time to freshen things up. It's that easy!

Can you tell that the green one is my favorite?

The fully-washable, modern and clean designs add a nice pop of color to any room in your home and you gotta love the price point - small duvet starts as low as $20!

Save time, save money, save the planet!

Who would think that "left-over's" could actually eliminate landfills...

Molly is generously offering friends of The Lisa Porter Collection a 10% discount!

Just enter "youreawesome" at checkout!

Thank you so much, Molly!

Also inviting all blog dog lovers to come, sit, and stay at The Gracie Porter Collection on Facebook.

4/20/11

The Wood Pile

Honey, where should we store the left-over wood? tumblr

Last year while on the Ashland Porch & Garden Tour I spotted this! A beautifully stacked & natural low wall dividing the garden & carport. Genius!

What a great way to enclose one side of the back porch. Love the window!

The garage is a great place to store & keep the wood dry...as long as you don't need to park your car there.

In the winter I like to keep part of the wood close at hand like this short stack just off of the kitchen.

Definitely, a man cave below and this man is pretty well stocked up for a long weekend. Just look at the bar! Somebody tell me, are those bear paws on the books?

Now I could live with this. At least for the winter...Maybe.

Wood adds a cozy feel to this kitchen & compliments the island and shelving.

Never knew wood could look so sophisticated.

Never really thought of it as art either.

This is so type-A it sends a shiver...Hey, maybe that's what they're going for! Wait a second, where's the fireplace?

This, however, is gorgeous! Love the horizontal stained plank walls & natural rough-sawn ceiling. Of course, I love the touches of Hermes orange too!

I'm not really sure if this is indoors or out but it works and what a great idea for an outdoor cabinet!

This is most definitely out & the way a serious woodpile is supposed to be stacked.

This is NOT how wood is supposed to be stacked! What a cute little cottage inviting the bugs, varmints & other little critters inside for a cool place to live in the summer!

This, however, absolutely warms my heart and is what I'm looking for in the Fall!

Meanwhile, what's left of ours will be way outback...somewhere.

Out of sight, out of mind, till next year.

One more thing!
I was reading The Daily Basics this morning and read a great article about this fun book & thought it was a natural link for all that firewood!

Stop by The Daily Basics to read more.

4/14/11

Dorie Greenspan's Meyer Lemon Curd

April showers created the perfect afternoon for catching up with you all & sharing some goodies that I recently discovered. Grab a pencil!

You know I love lemons, and in my previous post, I showed you why Yellow is currently my favorite color! But for now, I want to tell you all about Dorie Greenspan's Meyer Lemon Curd! It is out of this world!

I discovered Dorie Greenspan while writing a story about Sarabeth Levine of Sarabeth's Kitchen. I was baking my way through Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours & was looking forward to Dorie's latest book, Around My French Table.

The evening that I brought it home, I didn't drop it off in the kitchen where I would dive into it the next morning. Instead, I brought it up to my bedside table and by midnight....well, let's just say that Dorie & I had become best foodie friends. You can be foodie friends with me & Dorie too. She will hold your hand & tell you great stories & you will learn how to confidently prepare her superb renditions of the great French classics, but home-style!

Last night I was listening to a podcast with Dorie Greenspan at Authors' Answers Series from Leite's Culinaria hosted by award-winning food writer David Leite. They both had me smiling from the start. I love her wonderfully encouraging voice that comes through in the interview & in each and every one of her incredible books!

Dorie Greenspan has written 10 award-winning books & she also writes the lively blog, In the Kitchen And On The Road With Dorie!

I love this quote, “Sarabeth wants to see you. I think you’ve got the job.” from a wonderful story that Dorie shares of how she first met Sarabeth Levine.

My Francophile friends will enjoy Paris By Mouth, a beautiful collaborative website, edited by Dorie Greenspan & other established food writers, that is changing the way people find and appreciate delicious things in Paris.

I'm getting to the Meyer Lemon Curd. Good things come to those who read on...I promise!

Many of you know I'm a foodie but I'm no food writer.

Eat Boutique to the rescue!

Maggie Battista founded Eat Boutique in 2007 in order to celebrate handmade food experiences. She thinks nothing of driving long distances for one amazing night with a great chef, farmer or host.

"We’re a tiny business that shares handmade food stories, curates handmade food gift boxes, and offers handmade food experiences...We believe each bite should be worth it...We believe a great meal is worth driving an extra mile (or ten), especially if the cooks pop out to say hello and thank you...We think indie chefs and restaurateurs are amazing, but so are home cooks and farmers."

Have a look at this wonderful Spring Handmade Food Gift Box from Eat Boutique!

Goodies from Eat Boutique's Spring Handmade Food Gift Box.

What a nice Easter gift to give...and to receive!

Now, I'm happy to tell you that Maggie Battista and her team at Eat Boutique are as crazy about lemons as I am! How about some Meyer Lemon Liquor...

Or maybe you would prefer Meyer Lemon Liquor with Lavender, Cardamom or Thyme...

Orrrr Meyer Lemon Marmalade with Booze ;)

Meyer Lemon Marmalade with Booze photo-Cole Denver Designs for Eat Boutique

You must try my absolute favorite...Meyer Lemon Curd!

Shelby Larsson is a great food writer and member of the team at Eat Boutique. Certain that her hubby had forgotten all about Valentines Day, she purchased Around My French Table for herself and fell in love with Dorie Greenspan's Meyer Lemon Curd. Read more about this melt-in-your-mouth goodness right here!

Shelby also loves cheese and pop culture. I've been reading about her eating adventures over on her blog, Lady Gouda. You'll love her blog & ya gotta love that name!

I hope you enjoy all the goodies!

Dorie Greenspan lives in New York City; Westbrook, Connecticut; and Paris. Be sure to read all about her food adventures in these and other places at www.doriegreenspan.com.