America

Good morning lovelies, this will be my last post for a week, as we are leaving on vacation tomorrow. I hope you all have the most wonderful 4th of July,and enjoy some quality time with family and friends. I want to thank, each and everyone of you for following my blog! It means so much to me and I am truly appreciative.  In honor of our nations birth, I want to share some images with you that I think depict America. See you next week!

image sources: Pinterest

Firework Cookies

In the July issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine there is a recipe for these adorable cookies. On the Today show this morning Martha demonstrated how to make the design on the cookies. This is so easy! I am no MS, and yes I can bake, but I love easy, so if time is a factor for you, these can be made even faster by buying the  Pillsbury Cookie Dough and slice the dough. or the ready to bake dough. For the icing, buy the canned frosting  and the gel tube icing, and this can be done in less time. Either way they look  so pretty. I will be making these tomorrow to take with us on our camping trip!

Martha's Way

• Yield Makes about 7 dozen 1 3/4-inch cookies, 5 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies, 30 2 3/4-inch cookies, or 13 3 1/2-inch cookies

Ingredients

• FOR THE COOKIES

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Coarse salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• FOR DECORATING THE COOKIES

Directions

1. Make the cookies: Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a large bowl.
   
2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, then vanilla. Refrigerate dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.
   
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out cookies using a 1 3/4-, 2 1/4-, 2 3/4-, or 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, re rolling scraps once. Transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
   
4. Bake until edges just start to brown, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
   
5. Decorate the cookies: Pipe an outline of white icing around edge of 1 cookie, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then "flood" with more white icing to cover.
   
6. Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie. Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors).
   
7. Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge, then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie. (Or drag around the cookie in 1 direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.) Let dry. Repeat with remaining cookies and icings.
   

To apply the icing and make the spectacular bursts, you'll need three plastic squeeze bottles (nycake.com) or three pastry bags -- one for each color. Snip the tip of one squeeze bottle to form a small hole (for the white) and the tips of the remaining two to form even smaller holes (for the red and blue). If using pastry bags, fit one with a small round tip (we used Ateco #2) and the remaining two with very small tips (such as Ateco #0).

• Yield Makes about 4 2/3 cups (enough for 7 dozen 1 3/4-inch cookies, 5 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies, 30 2 3/4-inch cookies, or 13 3 1/2-inch cookies)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup meringue powder (nycake.com)
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• Gel-paste food coloring in Red Red, Royal Blue, and Navy Blue (nycake.com)

Directions

1. Whisk water and meringue powder with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, and beat until icing holds a ribbon like trail on the surface for 5 seconds when beater
   is raised. (Icing should be the consistency of glue.)
   
2. Transfer two-thirds of the white icing to the squeeze bottle with the larger hole or to the pastry bag fitted with the larger tip.
   
3. Divide remaining icing in half, and tint one half using red food coloring and the other half using the 2 blue food colorings until desired colors are achieved.
   
4. Transfer red and blue icings to the remaining 2 squeeze bottles or the pastry bags fitted with the smaller tips.
   

MY WAY

Three Cheers for Red White and Blue

What makes a house look more cheery and patriotic than our country's colors?  Weather you are decorating a beach house, going for the nautical look or a little cottage, Red White and Blue is classic. Displaying our flag proudly by hanging it outside, or in a pillow or a piece of  art  makes us feel proud to be Americans! My flag hangs outside my house every day, not just on holidays. Do you incorporate the flag in your home decor? Let me know!

Image sources { Coastal Living, House Beautiful, Absolutely Beautiful Things, Southern Living, Country Living, Tobi Fairley}

Amagansett Beach Abode

In 2005, Jarlath Mellett fashion designer turned interior decorator/ shop owner, opened up his design firm and boutique in Amagansett NY, on the South shore of Long Island. This cottage, he designed for a young family on the move. It had to be relaxed and simple. Mellet,'s design que? Natural fibers just as he would use when designing clothing, and uncomplicated furnishings.  Nothing about this home is complicated or fussy..It is all about proportion and  fit. Always thinking like a fashion designer first, he had to  find his  inspiration. For this home he was inspired by a relaxed, rustic, unexpected chic. This family cottage is light and airy,with a sophisticated understated elegance.