On my Mind…Lately

It’s almost the weekend again!  Anyone have any big plans?  Most of my dad’s side of the family is showing up at the beach tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to seeing my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  This past week has been a busy one for us when it came to tending to the beach cottage.  We’ve pruned prickly sago palms, hung curtains on the screen porch, made over a mirror that came with the house (it was green and now its white!), and cleaned the picket fence.  I’ve gotten in some good workouts with my mom too, which has been lots of fun and it keeps me strong as my belly continues to grow.  

Ok enough rambling…here are a few of the things that have been on my mind this past week.  Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!

1.  Lowcountry Shrimp and Grits. 


 This recipe is AMAZING and this Instagram photo of mine does not do it justice!  I followed the recipe for the most part, but used cheddar cheese instead of parmesan cheese (and used about a cup because I looooove cheesy grits), used a jalapeño instead of poblanos, and used extra chicken broth instead of Madeira.  It was so good and really pretty easy.  If you want a taste of the lowcountry you’ve got to try this out.

2.  DIY Storage Upgrade.

Image via Better Homes and Gardens.


I’m in full on baby mode now and love seeing creative ways to corral small objects.  I love the idea of spray painting the bottom of baskets and bins to make storage solutions effective and pretty to look at!

3.  Peach Preserves.


My mom and I made peach preserves a few days ago and we used this recipe.  The peaches in South Carolina are heavenly right now, so it was hard to resist eating the peaches before we turned them into preserves…but we did and now we have 6 jars of yummy preserved peach deliciousness!  The peach preserves turned out really well and they are perfect on toast or even on Greek yogurt.

4.  Hot Pink Egret on Navy Print.



Have you checked out The Pink Pagoda before?  Well you should, especially if you’re a Chinoiserie fan and like fun and colorful artwork and beautiful home accessories.  I’m pretty crazy about this pink and blue egret print and I wish I had room for more art in my little apartment.

5.  Vintage Woven Chair.

Image via Style By Emily Henderson.


See that chair on the left of this image is from Emily Henderson’s amazing blog?  Well, my Dad had one almost exactly like this before my parents got married over 32 years ago.  Luckily my mom let him keep it even though it’s been sitting in my parent’s garage for years and years.  Anyway, my brother and I both laid claim to it a few years ago…and our sweet mother promised it to both of us.  (Thanks mom…)  Well, my brother lives in Portland now so I seized the moment and convinced my mom to let me take it home!  Yay me!  I’m going to be transitioning to a more neutral look once we move in August, so it’ll be a great way to add a little much needed masculinity to the living room.  I’ll give the chair to my brother once he’s fully settled down and back on the East Coast, but for now I can’t wait to use it in my humble abode. 

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Katie Vail
Katie Vail

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  1. July 22, 2015 / 6:07 pm

    I <3 peaches! I'm definitely going to try to preserves recipe!

  2. July 22, 2015 / 11:57 pm

    They are really good and not overly complicated. They have almond extract in them, which is an interesting touch. Really yummy but just make sure to not add too much of it because it's super potent!

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