artisphere

one thing i absolutely adore about my city is the abundance of festivals throughout the year. there's always something fun going on downtown [especially in the summer] and scofield and i love to go together, join in on the fun, and make a date out of it. this weekend was 'artisphere.' basically, artists from all around the are came to strut their stuff. street performers, booths, art demonstrations - you name it. we had so much fun walking around and picking out our favorite pieces.

 ^ an art demonstration from clemson art students - my alma mater. [go tigers!]

 ^ these folks played the greatest rendition of 'call me maybe.' so good.

 ^ did you know greenville was just voted #5 for best cycling city in the u.s.!? i've said it before...but this place is pretty great

 ^ the sweetest little restaurant in the most adorable little cottage. i've always wanted to eat here.

 ^ blooms along the sidewalk.

 ^ greenville, you're so pretty!

 ^ oh, and just a really cool delivery truck.

thanks for always being so fun, greenville!

happy mother's day!

mom, what a blessing you are to me! you are the most loving, caring, generous, and strong woman i know. i am so lucky to not only call you mom, but call you friend. i love you so!

happy mother's day!

happy friday + a little weekend inspiration

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this warm spring weather has had me feeling inspired this week...this weather, and pinterest. pictures have a similar effect on me as music. sometimes a song can cause this feeling of 'life and adventure' to well up within me and cause me to feel inspired and motivated. pictures can do the same...

in other news, the ice cream truck has been making a weekly appearance in our neighborhood. is it just me, or do those things freak any one else out? i can't get the image out of my head from 'air bud' with the bad guys who drove the ice cream truck [i think it was an ice cream truck?] or the the story line from 'chitty chitty bang bang' with the kid snatcher. sheesh.

anyway, some links to check out this weekend:

7 tips for meaningful networking

an adorable outdoor luncheon

have you checked out fashion by mayhem? amazing!

hilarious youtube video - hair tutorial gone wrong [i know everyone's probably already seen this video and i'm so behind...but i saw it for the first time this week and it is hilarious! so for those of you who are behind the game like me...you're welcome.]

hope your weekend is filled with joy and inspiration! happy friday!

--

p.s. you can see more and follow along on pinterest here

around town || due south coffee

brace yourself for the most lovely coffee shop...ever...

i don't think a city can ever have too many coffee shops...a girl's gotta have her options! so when i started to hear about due south that recently opened in the greenville area, i knew i had to check it out. it's in an old renovated mill, full of character and personality. my friend char and i tried to check it out one friday night...we had no idea where we were going and we came to this sketchy looking, dark mill and thought, 'no way. we're so lost.' but nope - due south was nestled in there! it's the coolest thing.

due south started as strictly a coffee roaster. recently, they expanded to this coffee shop, but still roast their own coffee. and oh my gosh...their coffee. rich, delicious, strong [my favorite quality]. i plan on spending many a-afternoons working from this place. the atmosphere is quiet and inspiring. seriously...they win on all fronts.

check 'em out: due south coffee roasters, 250 mill st. taylors, sc 29687 / instagram

healthy key lime pie [gluten free]

i have always...always!...been a chocolate gal. 'if it doesn't have chocolate, then it's not dessert' kind of status. but lately, i've been leaning more towards desserts like vanilla ice cream and, well, key lime pie. i think it has a lot to do with they feel light and refreshing. with the weather warming up [we are already having 90 degree days!] i'm always looking for something to cool me down.

not to mention, there is no guilt involved with this dessert. it is made with a gluten free graham cracker crust and greek yogurt. seriously...that's basically it. you could eat this baby for breakfast. 

healthy key lime pie

ingredients:

• graham cracker crust, store bought [i use gluten free]
• 2 cups chobani key lime greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch

preheat the oven to 350 F. while the oven is heating, mix together the greek yogurt, eggs, and sugar. when it is combined, add the vanilla extract and corn starch. mix until smooth. pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 35 minutes. remove from heat and transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 3 hours. 

when you're ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and limes.

and you don't even have to tell your guests it's healthy...they'll never know the difference ;)

first friday in the greenville art district

the first friday of every month, the shops in the greenville art district open up and the streets come alive. i had been dying to go for a while, and we finally got the chance to last week with some friends. i met barb blair of knack studios and seriously almost stumbled through my words. i felt like i was meeting a celebrity. have you checked out her book furniture makeovers? if you haven't, you should! she is so talented.  

there were a lot of other galleries and cute shops open, so we browsed through those and finished the night with some fresh tacos from asada. their fish taco is amazing.

the art district is nothing short of inspiring. can't wait for many more fun fridays here this summer!

salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

the other week we were heading over to my in-laws for dinner. my dear mother-in-law and is so thoughtful and always asks us exactly what we want...and every time we give her the same answer - i want salmon, and scofield wants a burger. of course, i can't blame him. as a vegetarian red meant is never served in our house. one, because i don't eat it. two, because i have no idea how to cook it and it kind of gives me the creeps. so scofield has to count on eating out or back yard barbecues with friends to get his fill. this time, though, i thought it would be a great idea to 'combine' the two, so i suggested salmon burgers! debbie whipped up the best dinner, so i was inspired to try to make my own version of salmon burgers at home. these are a new favorite in our house, and so easy!

i will warn you, though...if you don't like bones in your fish then be sure to make sure you are buying the right kind of canned salmon. it was my first time buying canned salmon, so i had no idea to check. then i opened the can at home, all ready to cook, and was welcomed by a full set of bones! i mean, spinal chord, ribs...it was all there. i nearly had a heart attack. blood, cuts, bones...can.not.handle.it. it took everything in me to pull them out of the fish [although, apparently they are totally edible!?]. as my mom always says, 'gotta put on your big girl panties.' so i did, but not until after almost giving up on the whole meal, but....i'm glad i didn't! because seriously, these salmon burgers are delicious!

so here's to overcoming fears in the form of salmon burgers!

salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

ingredients:

• 2 cans of boneless, wild alaskan salmon (14.75 oz), drained and rinsed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• dash of red pepper flakes
• extra virgin olive oil
• pretzel buns

for the mayo:

• 1/2 cup light mayo made with olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a large, nonstick pan on medium heat. in a food processor, combine the salmon, eggs, onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. pulse until smooth and combined. next, add the bread crumbs, parmesan, and red pepper flakes. pulse until just combined because you still want it a little choppy. divide the mixture into five equal parts and form in 1/2 inch thick patties. cook patties for 5 minutes on each side.

for the mayo, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well until fully combined. serve the salmon patties on a pretzel bun with provolone cheese and mayo.

enjoy!

an afternoon at the augusta airshow

over the weekend, i drove down to augusta to meet my dad and hang out at the 21st annual 'boshears skyfest'. my dad's a pilot [i still think he hung the moon and that he has the coolest job ever] and the air show was taking place at the airport where he works, so he was able to score tickets for all of us. unfortunately, scofield had to work, and the rest of the family was unable to come...so it was just me and dad for the afternoon. it was a super sweet time and brought back memories of when he use to take me on daddy-daughter dates as a kid. we'd drive out to the local airport and go flying in his little cessna. i remember we'd be up in the air and the whole flight i would stare out the window below and count swimming pools...?... i was a weird kid. but the best part was when he would let me 'fly.' he'd let go of the wheel and let me steer for a few minutes. it was the best!

 ^ these pilots did some crazy stunts! my stomach would drop just watching them.

 ^ true vintage aircraft

 ^ dad next to the 'king air' that he flies!

^ he explained some of the gages and the switches in the cockpit, but of course i didn't retain a wink of it...

thanks for a fun afternoon, dad! you're the best, and i love you!

Grilled vegetable sandwich and a spring picnic menu

there's nothing like enjoying the spring weather with a little picnic outdoors. it's my favorite 'cheap-date' with my husband, and also a fun way to hang out with family or friends. 

my husband goes crazy over sandwiches. growing up, he'd eat anything and everything on a sandwich. he has a special gift - he comes up with these extravagant concoctions every time. so of course i can never go wrong when i whip one up for him myself...which makes him the perfect picnic date.

i've partnered with some lovely bloggers to bring you a spring picnic menu! i've made and shared a favorite sandwich recipe, and you can find the other portions of the menu below. i hope you feel inspired to get outside, enjoy the weather, your loved ones, and some good food! 

my in-laws just got back from italy, and they brought us some fresh parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. i've been anxious to dip into these goodies, so this sandwich was the perfect excuse. instead of going for a standard sauce, i simply used balsamic vinegar on the bread, and instead of a heavy, sandwich cheese, i decided on freshly grated parmesan. a little taste of italy!

grilled vegetable sandwich

serves: 4

ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, sliced vertically
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced vertically
• 1 zucchini, sliced vertically
• 1/2 red onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• fresh parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• 2 baguettes
• extra virgin olive oil

start by preparing the eggplant. slice it long-ways into thin slices and place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. let sit about 30 minutes. you will notice the eggplant start to 'sweat.' after 30 minutes, place in a colander and rinse [this gets rid of all the bitterness of the eggplant]. while the eggplant is 'sweating,' grill the other vegetables. pour some olive oil into a cast iron skillet and set the stove on medium high. place all of the vegetables into the skillet and cook about 8 minutes on each side, until slightly charred and soft. salt and pepper, to taste, before removing from heat. when the eggplant is ready to go, add to the skillet and cook.

cut the baguettes in half and pour balsamic vinegar on the inside of each half, letting it soak into the bread. layer the vegetables onto one side of the bread - eggplant, sweet potato, zucchini, red onion, bell pepper. grate parmesan directly on top of the vegetables and top with the other half of the bread.

to see the rest of the picnic menu, visit these other lovely ladies blogs:

• appetizer on sweet to the soul - avocado and feta salsa with homemade tortilla chips 
• side salad on stir and scribble - super spring salad
• beverage on annapolis and co. - sparkling cherry limeade
• dessert on amanda k. by the bay - lemon bars

not only do we have this delicious menu for you today, but we also have a giveaway with a chance to win a fully stocked picnic basket! to enter, use the rafflecopter below. good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

i don't know about you, but i cannot wait to try the rest of these recipes! enjoy your picnic! :)