my kitchn.

My teeny tiny kitchen is in the running for the Kitchn's Small Cool Kitchens contest! Mine was a last-minute entry — some entries have been up there for weeks — but I would still appreciate any votes, because I'd love to win some kitchen goodies. Check out my kitchen and vote for me here, and be sure to check out the other kitchens, too. They're inspiring.

The latest of issue of Breathe Magazine is out today, and guess what? My pimento cheese story is on the cover! I had a great time talking cheese with experts and "doing research" (a.k.a. eating way too much of the orange stuff). It's a great issue all around, so go take a gander.

comida.

I took Todd to Barsa for his birthday a few weeks ago, and we had a leisurely meal of Spanish-style tapas and cocktails that had us remembering our trip to Spain a few years ago. Since then I've been feeling super wanderlusty — and watching lots of Rick Steves — so I decided to take it out in the kitchen. I made patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, flan de fresas, and a salad made with local beets. Sounds fancy, but it was all super simple — and super delicioso.

fiesta.

I've never been a big tequila drinker, but margaritas are a different story. This hot weather makes me crave them — and not the stuff made with pre-made mix. What's your favorite recipe?

Orange Lime Margarita from Cupcakes & Cashmere.

This one is super-simple from Readymade.

 Mmm pink grapefruit via A Cup of Mai.

How perfect are these for a party? (No recipe but cute free printables from Living Locurto.)

I'm a sucker for good packaging, and this Espolon is calling my name.

happy weekend.

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I'm ready for my first weekend at home in weeks, but I don't plan on doing much relaxing. I might enjoy some al fresco movie viewing tonight, then I plan to bike to the farmers market in the morning and stock up on some pretty veggies for a crudite platter. I've got a birthday barbecue to host, where I'm trying out this rum punch recipe and this slow cooker mac 'n' cheese. I also need to make some pillows for the shop — though I might end up keeping all of them for myself. And on Sunday, I've got a ticket to a chef's potluck at Middleton Place plantation.

What are your weekend plans? 

dude gifts.

Guys are so hard to buy for. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. So since Todd's birthday is a few weeks away, I've started stressing about what to get him. He says his favorite gifts are experiences — trips, an amazing dinner, a major league baseball game — but below are a few things I think most guys (or Todd, at least) would be happy to unwrap.

Dude Birthday by ericajackson

What's been your most successful dude gift? For me, I think it was the ukulele I got Todd for Christmas, but the deep fryer came in at a close second.

pimp my patio.

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After over a month of hard work, and spending about twice as much money as we expected, we finished our patio. The picture above is not our patio. I'm waiting for the plants around it to grow a bit before showing it off. But I sure do love it. 

There are, of course, a few things that are absolutely necessary for enjoying a patio, things I've been collecting since we finished the job. Bug spray, for one (I'm trying the Burt's Bee's stuff now). And fun lighting (globe lights, citronella torches), a fire pit (we got this one), comfy furniture, lots of plants, music (currently shopping around for an iPhone dock), and drinks, from a cold glass of iced tea to a summery cocktail. I can't wait to spend my summer on the patio. I never really want to leave.

patio by ericajackson 

sheldon church ruins.

Last weekend, a friend and I hit the road for a little trip to Savannah. The drive is only about two hours and pretty picturesque most of the way. I always like to make a stop halfway there to check out the Sheldon Church Ruins. It's just off the highway, but it feels like a world away, like you're stepping back in time.

Summer Lovin'.

Last year I made a little Polyvore collage of how I wanted to dress that summer, and it ended up being one of the most popular things I've ever pinned on Pinterest. But, though I'd still totally wear that outfit, I'm on a different track this year.

Summer Lovin' by ericajackson

I'm all about dresses this year, stripes, bright pops of neon, and subtle cat-eye sunnies. Plus I need a wide-brimmed hat for the beach because I'm starting to worry about wrinkles. And of course, frequent bike rides are a must. 

What's your summer uniform?

arts.

Working as an arts editor, you might think I'd have a fun collection of artwork, but sadly that's not the case. What I do have is a collection of cheap, pretty generic prints I've been gathering since college — and I'm getting sick of most of them. I still don't have the budget to invest in "real" art, but I definitely want to do some serious updating.

If I had money, I'd buy a piece from one of Charleston's awesome lady abstract artists like Sarah Boyts Yoder (pictured), Sally King Benedict, or Kate Long Stevenson.

I've thought about making my own art, too. I'm no artist, but I'm pretty sure I could replicate this piece for less than $95.

I'm drawn to quirky vintage posters like this one. I love browsing Julia Santen Gallery here in Charleston for weird prints advertising God-knows-what.

I dig this. So simple but striking.

Ooh — and this, too.

I know these are pretty trendy right now, but they'd look great above the antique buffet/bar I have yet to buy. Plus the price is pretty awesome. What do you think — overdone?

What are your thoughts on art? Is it worth the investment? Or does your taste change all the time like mine does?

See some more of my favorite art on Pinterest.

popcorn.

One of my favorite stories my mom told us as kids was about when the field of popcorn behind their house caught on fire, and all of the kernels exploded into white fluffiness. I still don't know if it was true or not, but it was a funny story nonetheless.

I've been reading about how unhealthy microwave popcorn is — and we don't have a microwave, anyway — so I decided to try my hand at stovetop popcorn. I couldn't believe how simple it was. All you do is heat some oil in a pot, throw in some kernels, cover it, and watch the magic unfold (here's the recipe I used). I'm still working on getting the texture just right (tips?), but it's one of my favorite new snacks.

kicking the newlywed 20.

mmm ... cake ...

I got plenty of warnings about the dreaded freshman 15 before I went to college, but nobody told me about the newlywed 20. Like a lot of women, I worked my tail off to reach my goal weight for the wedding, and once it was over, I went back to my bad habits ... and then some.

Todd and I had lived together for years before we tied the knot, but there was something about having that ring on my finger that made me want to be more domestic and less concerned with my appearance. I cooked a lot of hearty meals — Todd's favorite — but while his insane metabolism kept his weight steady, mine kept creeping up until one day I stepped on the scale and had a come-to-Jesus moment.

I've lost about 10 pounds in the past couple of months, and it's been surprisingly painless. Once you kick those bad habits, weight loss couldn't be simpler. Here are some things that are helping me out:

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I eat lots of black beans, avocados, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggs, peppers, hummus, and cottage cheese. Breakfast is usually fruit, lunch is a big plate of veggies with hummus, and dinner is often vegetarian. If my pantry is stocked with healthy foods that I love, I won't be tempted by more fatty options. Keeping a food diary helps a lot, too.

The weather has been blissfully perfect, so I take long walks after work and spend hours biking around on the weekends. I also like doing circuit workouts while watching TV, and I'm obsessed with the Nike Training Club app. 

***

I'm bad about snacking at night, but if I have a cup of tea it usually quells my cravings. My current favorite flavors are vanilla Chai and peppermint, and I just bought a box of cucumber lime white tea at Target that I can't wait to try. If I'm craving an adult beverage, champagne usually gives me the least amount of guilt.

I still have a ways to go, but I wanted to share a bit because I find blogs so helpful in this process. What's your go-to healthy meal? How do you stay active? 

P.S. Check out my Health board on Pinterest for more healthy recipes and workouts.

pop pop.

 

***

Lately one of my favorite accessories is bright lipstick. You can be wearing the most basic outfit, but add a swipe of color to the lips and it takes it to the next level. There are so many shades to choose from I was overwhelmed at first, but I've taken cues from some of my favorite bloggers with similar complexions. Right now I'm loving Revlon's Fire and Ice, Maybelline's Coral Crush, and, the one I get the most compliments on, Wet & Wild's 511B. Yep, it cost about 99 cents.

Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere is a big lipstick inspiration. 

Also, Kim of Eat Sleep Wear. And I want to steal her haircut, too.

Atlantic Pacific isn't afraid to match her lipstick to her outfit.

What's your favorite shade of lipstick? 

sunset south of broad.

I went to watch the sun set at the Battery a few weeks ago and I forgot my camera, but my iPhone more than did the trick. I'm always impressed by the quality of photos it can produce, and I love fiddling with apps like Instagram and Camerabag. What's your favorite photo editing app?

Speaking of iPhones, I recently added a few new cases to the shop.

closet case.

Between the Wine + Food Festival, Best of Charleston, and Fashion Week, March has been absolutely bananas around these parts. Although I cut back on my CFW coverage this year, I did have a lot of fun putting together City Paper's inaugural Style Issue. The idea was to peek into the closets of local stylish folks, and I had so much fun snooping on people like Chassity Evans and Brett Carron. I didn't even realize until later that there's a blog that does the exact same thing. Great minds think alike, I suppose.

This is Chassity. I showed up for our interview wearing the exact same Gap pants as her. If you haven't read her blog, you should.

And this is Harper Poe. You've probably seen her Proud Mary pillows and bags all over Pinterest.

The only problem with all of this inspiration? I desperately want to overhaul my closet. Right now. What are you buying this spring? I'm partial to bright pants and brighter lips.

iphone candy.

Some of you may know that my husband owns a screenprinting/sports apparel company. He's always experimenting with new products, and when he brought home fully customizable iPhone cases, I knew I had to get in on that action. I had him make me a Chevron-print case and my Facebook friends loved it, so I decided to turn it into a little business venture.

 

I'm starting out just selling the cases on Etsy, but the project has opened up a whole new window of creativity for me. I plan to add totes, prints, and maybe notecards in the future. I'm also shopping around for fabric to hopefully start making the clutches I've been obsessing over for the past year or so.

If you like what you see, please help spread the word via Pinterest and Facebook! And check out the shop here... I've got lots more designs to come.

blog break.

 via.

I've decided to take a little break from blogging (if you couldn't tell already). Keeping up with this has started to feel more like a chore than a pleasure, which completely goes against my reasons for starting it in the first place. Maybe it's the winter, or maybe it's my over-saturation with all things internet, but it's time to take a step back. I'm sure I'll find blogging inspiration again, but in the meantime I'll be reading more (real books!), doing more personal writing, and working on some fun new Etsy projects. Thanks for reading.

house resolutions.

When I was making my list of resolutions last week, a lot of them had to do with the house. So I thought I'd list what I hope to accomplish at home this year.

 I want my patio to feel like this.

Our front and backyard gardens are small, but they need a lot of work. Out front, I want to fill the bed with rosemary, lavender, mint, and other herbs. Out back, I hope to have built a patio by the spring and to surround it with lush, tropical plants.

via

I want to paint the front porch ceiling haint blue.

via

I want to incorporate more fun textiles into the decor, from homemade pillows to rugs to roman shades.

via

Our bedroom is boring. With a wash of grey paint, some art, and better closet organization to decrease clutter, I hope to make it feel more like a hotel room.

Speaking of art, I want a lot more of it. I've been trolling Etsy for affordable prints to use for a gallery wall.

 

I'd love to find something like this for extra storage in the kitchen.

Or this for the dining room.

We've bought mostly new furniture in the past year, mostly out of necessity — we had a lot to replace after the fire. From now on I'd rather keep my eye on Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores for unique, quality pieces that can be customized for our home.