via Pinterest

We don’t know about you, but we’re both dying to escape to the seashore for some r&r this Memorial Day weekend. Alas, no such luck for us. If you can’t escape either and are in need of some sea salt and a cool breeze, try bringing a little bit of the ocean into your home instead. Use the long weekend to perk up your decor for summer! We’ve found some tres chic sea-inspired accessories that would do just the trick.

Faux Resin Coral

Urchin Vase

Brass Dwell Studio Urchin Object

White Jonathan Adler Bud Vase

Sea Things Tray

Coastal Soap Dish

Starfish Bowl

The biggest problem with my favorite single-girl “meal” of triple cream brie, baguette and truffle oil is the leftover bread. (Calories don’t count for something as delicious as triple cream brie, so no, that is not a problem.) The brie can obviously be used for a million different uses later, but baguettes go stale quickly and after the second day it’s no longer worth trying to pretend it’s still good. (Also, stale bread calories are NOT worth it.) Enter panzanella. Crisped croutons soaked in tangy vinaigrette are a very, very good use of stale bread. And note to self, panzanella is also a good solution for weeks when you go crazy at Central Market Passport to France and end up with way more produce than you can possibly eat.

Late Spring Panzanella, serves 2-4

2 cups cubed wheat bread (I used a wheat baguette and chopped it small)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 small or 1/2 large shallot, sliced thinly on a mandoline
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup haricots verts, cut into 1 inch pieces (or thin green beans)
1 cup thin asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 radishes, sliced thinly on a mandoline
1/2 cup grated Cantal cheese (any mild, hard cheese would work)

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon of champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon minced herbs (I used a combination of chives, marjoram and dill)
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add bread cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until golden and crispy. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine shallots in a small bowl with vinegar, salt, sugar and about 1 cup of water. Let them sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will “quick pickle” them for a milder flavor.

Mix first four ingredients for dressing together, slowly whisk in oil. Set aside.

Steam asparagus and haricots verts for 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and place in an ice bath for a minute to stop the cooking. Drain again.

Combine pickled shallots (drained), asparagus, haricots verts, radishes, and cheese in a large bowl. If you’re preparing in advance, stop here.

When ready to compile salad, add the croutons and drizzle with dressing. Let sit for 15 minutes or more to let the dressing soak into the bread.

Bauble Inspiraton via ShopBop

Despite Liz’s recent whining about Pinterest, we are still totally obsessed with the site, and our infatuation only grows stronger when we find gems such as these to-die-for earrings. Coral, turquoise, and gold are clearly DM favorites, especially when combined in such an elegant manner. The earrings inspired us to create a little dream dressing area filled with our favorite colors. Do you love? We love, love, love and would like to move in right away, s’il vous plait.

Le Dressing Room

Custom Cool Rugs Owl Hole Style

Gold Leaf Georgian Square Mirror via Layla Grace

Robery Abbey Pink High Table Lamp

Geode Tray

Collette Vanity by Bungalow 5

Gold Atlas Lanterns by Nate Berkus

Flame Stitch Lumbar Pillow

Picadilly Chair by Serena & Lily

This is a “I really need to get some recent revelations off my chest” post, disguised as a “delicious recipe for non-boring chicken breasts” post. Delicious recipe for Artichoke Crusted Chicken below if you want to skip my rambling.

1. Pinterest can be infuriating. Apparently Sarah posted this recipe on her Pinterest page, but I didn’t see it. Now most of your probably think this isn’t a big deal, but I am an obsessive Pinterest checker. Like, I need to see every.single.thing. my friends pin, or I feel like I am missing out and my nosy soul might shrivel up and die. Also, I am actually very selective about who I follow on Pinterest because I don’t want my feed junked up with weird hairstyles or babies in costumes or red and black bridesmaid dresses – so I really do want to see everything my choice few pin. So Pinterest – whatever you’re doing in your weird computer programming world to only let certain pins show up on my feed, STOP IT. My friends have this problem too so I know I’m not the only one.

2. Which brings me to my next obvious realization. The importance of seeing your girlfriends in real life can not be underestimated. Checking up on them via gchat, facebook, texting, or pinterest (clearly pinterest), does not sustain a relationship forever. I laughed more last weekend with Sarah and Christina than I had in months. Much needed. Also, when you see your girlfriends in real life you talk about things like the aforementioned missing from Pinterest chicken recipe. You know, really important life changing issues.

3. We also talked a lot about Greek yogurt (I promise we’re actually fun people). I only became a Greek yogurt convert about six months ago. It always gewwed me out because I could never understand how the same yogurt could work for breakfast and as a mayo/sour cream replacement. The idea of eating a bowl of sour cream with blackberries in it really didn’t sit well with me. But I finally gave in and tried it, and I swear it’s a miracle food. It has tons (literally) of protein, no fat, low sugar, and no mystery ingredients (I eat Fage Plain 0%). In the morning I sweeten it up with fresh berries, a little honey and some low-sugar granola, and then for “real” meals I use it as a replacement for mayo or sour cream in certain foods (salad dressings, sauces, etc). Also, it makes tzatziki which is delicious on pretty much everything. I swapped it for mayo in the original recipe for this Artichoke Crusted Chicken, and I got fewer calories and extra protein with no taste difference. Win, win, win.

Artichoke Crusted Chicken, via SugarLaws

Serves 2

2 6-ounce chicken breasts, pounded flat to even thickness (1/2 inch or less)

Salt and pepper

Garlic powder

Paprika

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayo)

1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts (canned or frozen)

1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese

1 green onion, minced

dash of cayenne pepper

dash of paprika

salt and pepper

Pound your chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap (prevents splatters). Sprinkle lightly on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet). When hot but not yet smoking, place chicken breasts in skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through but not overdone.

Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. When chicken is cooked, spoon mixture on top of each chicken breast. Place skillet under the broiler on high for 3 minutes. Watch carefully! Your broiler might take less time. Remove when the crust is lightly browned and melted.

When a fellow Texan friend living in Brooklyn reached out to see if I wanted to join her for the GoogaMooga festival in beautiful Prospect Park this weekend, how could I resist? It is described as “an amusement park of food and drink” so if you know anything at all about these two co-bloggers, you can visualize my ears perking up at the news.  Just take a gander at this food teaser from the New York Times.

With everything from lobster rolls to foie gras donuts to duck hot dogs, this isn’t your average county fair and may just be a microcosmic paradise for me – incredible (and unusual) food, unbelievable weather predictions, and musicians including Fitz and the Tantrums to Hall and Oates. Are you surprised that I am itching for the weekend? What are your plans? We hope they make for a great weekend!

When I page through shelter magazines and beautifully curated images on Pinterest, I sometimes have the tendency to lose site of the depth and meaning of good design and selection. In reality, when things appear to be effortless, that should be your first sign that it took a special skill and a lot of time to get it that way. It takes careful consideration and that great eye to not only spot wonderful elements, but assemble them. In fact, interior design is downright complicated when you consider what must all be in check - color theory, scale, proportion, cost, the function of the room, the lifestyle of the client, etc.

So while we’re feeling a little blog lite around here, let us know what you love about these beautiful images… and I’ll give you my commentary, too.

via The Haute Pink Editor
I love that this room is completely soft and elegant while still maintaining plenty of interest and texture – velvet sofa, fluffy stools, hide rug. I am also very curious about the things that you can’t exactly see – the mirror reflects a mirror in the opposite room (and the photographer!) and you can see the more relaxed space with the vintage Moroccan rug and lantern light fixture just before this more formal living space. The balance without systematic symmetry is the thing I appreciate most.

Lindsey Coral Harper Interiors
My favorite thing about this great bathroom is the order achieved by using the Greek key shade, the wide striped shower curtain, the simple tile pattern, and the classic mirror. The noisy and chaotic (albeit fun!) wall paper works here because it’s balanced against classic, clean lines. Would you be that daring? Would you have ever guessed this could “work”? I really love it.

Jamie Meares via Lonny Mag

It is pretty clear this blog has a fairly unrestrained girl crush on Jamie Meares/Furbish, so it was kind of a design dream come true to see a home she designed in the latest Lonny. (as in, go take a gander. now.) Jamie definitely has plenty of interesting Furbish items at her disposal to display in this home – but check out how she displays. The books aren’t neatly stacked on a coffee table or hanging out on some shelf in the background. Instead, there is order to her styling chaos with the books appearing to fan out from the tulip centerpiece. Kudos to the photographer for this great angle because my favorite part of this whole vignette is that the glass-top table allows you to see the Moroccan print underfoot.

On top of being on a re-decorating kick, I’ve also been on a purging binge. From tired clothes to back-dated magazines, I am feeling the need to lose all unnecessary things via a little late spring cleaning. When I was digging through old magazines making sure not to throw away any dog-eared gems, I came across this great Martha Stewart recipe. Sans the potential heaviness of a mayonnaise based dip (and the complexity of some of her suggestions!), this rather light variation with Greek yogurt made for a delicious snack dinner. While it was perfect for my Sunday evening grazing needs, it would also be an excellent light bite for a party or even as a spread on a turkey sandwich or as a pasta sauce.

Spinach-Avocado Dip
Martha Stewart Magazine, December 2011

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (2 large shallots)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
10 ounces spinach, rinsed well
2 avacados, sliced thin
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
baguette or crudities for serving

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic, stirring often, until tender. Add spinach and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled.

Meanwhile, puree avocados, yogurt, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth. Season with pepper. For a coarser dip, finely chop spinach mixture in avocado puree. For a smoother dip, add spinach mixture to food processor and pulse till smooth.

Serve chilled or at room temperature with baguette or crudities.

Don’t you agree that a little detail can go a long way? That is precisely why we are featuring some of our favorite finials. This little piece of flair threaded on the top of even the most basic lamp can add just enough style or needed pop of color to pull a vignette or room together. We love the simplicity and elegance of the Juliska clear Amalia finial and the striking natural element the Hillary Thomas and Chic Shop finials bring to the table. This Friday Find is a quick and easy way to make a meaningful design impact!

Amalia Clear Finial - Juliska – $48

Metallic Rock Finial - Hillary Thomas Designs via Horchow – $75

Turquoise Finial – Chic Shop – $48

If anyone is hosting Mother’s Day Brunch at home, we have created a menu just for you. Since it’s for mom, this menu is heavy on the lady-friendly foods we all love. Start the day off sipping mimosas and nibbling on a selection of spreads with crostini. Serve salad and a tart for the main course to keep things easy on the hostess – and we promise this tart is plenty filling. End the meal with Emily’s Greek Yogurt Lime Cake for a refreshing but still sweet ending.

Grapefruit Mimosas and Iced Tea

Artichoke Tapenade, Sun-Dried Tomato Walnut Pesto & Crostini

Balthazar Salad

Belgian Leek Tart with Aged Goat Cheese

Greek Yogurt Lime Cake

For the table, we love keeping things cheery and feminine with punchy pink linens and bright ranunculas. Small, free form arrangements scattered across the table in everyday vessels like teapots or jars create a more casual ambiance with just as much impact as a large centerpiece. Add some elegant glassware for a touch of formality – it will create a nice balance.

Pink glassware; Tabletop; Teapot

Who is ready for a gift guide?! This year the Deux Maisons girls are considering not only our own dear moms, but also our friends who may be celebrating Mother’s Day. Times are a changin’ around here! We’re sure any mom would enjoy one of these doodles on their special day this Sunday, whether it’s their first or thirtieth Mother’s Day.

Cake Pen & Ink Paper Placemats

Central Market Gift Boxes & Baskets for Texas Moms

Sunday Suppers for NY Moms

Erwin Pearl Snakeskin Silver Bangle

Kendra Scott Mother of Pearl Earrings

Momofuku Strawberry Lemon Cake Truffles

Blue & White Flourish Bowl

Potted Hydrangea from your local florist