The Most Amazing (Not Too Sweet) Strawberry Scone Recipe

The Best Scone Recipe Ever.

The beginning of this past weekend was jam packed. Between a slightly last minute yard sale (which wonderfully also turned into a "meet the neighbors" party) lunches and dinners with friends, and just the normal stuff we needed to get done, every day felt extremely full. But the good kind of full. The kind where you realize you've been laughing/smiling all day, you've been constantly surrounded by amazing people, and despite being incredibly tired and kind of sunburned you still decide to forgo going straight home after dinner in order to savor some late night ice cream. By the time Sunday rolled around, we were too worn out to make it to a friends bbq and instead decided to take a "lazy day." We lounged/napped outside on the deck, took a bike ride down to the lake/through the neighborhood, chatted with our moms/told them how proud we were of them for raising such amazingly awesome children, ate dinner outside underneath our backyard cafe lights and finally finished the day off with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and some Game of Thrones (yep. Game of Thrones. Seriously, it's awesome and now I kind of want a pet dragon. Then again, who wouldn't want a pet dragon? Weirdos that's who.) It was one of those days where you feel so grateful for everything that you can't even put it into words. You try, but in the end you realize that the one person you're thanking can probably already read your heart.

So now to the scones. I made these a few days ago and have been waking up to them ever since. (Well kind of. I don't have a butler or someone bring them to me so I guess technically I've been waking up and making these ever since. If you do have a butler though, have him whip these up and bring them to you in bed. I promise your day will be that much better- which is saying a lot since your life already comes with a butler.)

strawberry scones 1 via courtney khail

Okay. Back to the scones. I was in the grocery store last Wednesday when I happily stumbled across the strawberries. And as if I really needed an excuse to buy them, they were on sale. 4 pints for $5.  Sold!Of course, then I came home and remembered we already had strawberries so I need to get to work using them. Like yesterday.

Hence the scones.

strawberry scones2 via courtney khail

I make scones a lot because they are amazing and freeze really well (and breakfast is my favorite meal ever. Well that and pasta. Feed me those two things and I will never leave. Want me to leave quickly? Bring out the seafood. Not a big fan.)

strawberry scones3 via courtney khail

Wow. Sidetracked much? So back to these scones, again. They rock. They aren't very sweet (you can amp up the sugar if that's what you're looking for) but they're perfectly crunchy on the outside and biscuit like on the inside and go wonderfully with fresh whipped cream, or butter, or if you really want to play up the strawberry flavor- strawberry jam. (Since they are best straight from the oven, I like to freeze any we aren't going to eat immediately (you just need to add a few minutes to the baking time.)

strawberry scones 4 via courtney khail

You don't have to add the lime zest, but it adds a summery freshness to it (as opposed to a wintery freshness?) Also, feel free to use lemon zest if unlike me you aren't painting a dozen limes and therefore don't have a ton a round to zest.

strawberry scones 5 via courtney khail

So there you have it. Amazing scones to make your mornings (or afternoons) that much sweeter. (pun intended.)

All photos taken by me and are copyright of courtney khail stationery and design

From The Studio: Oranges and Grapefruit

While grapefruits were always a little too tart for me (and by the time I put on enough sugar to make that less so, it kind of defeated the purpose of eating it) oranges always held a very special place in my heart. Growing up, my aunt and uncle and grandparents lived on the St. John's River in Astor, Florida. Astor is a tee-niny little town with a post office, a food mart (that's actually what it's called) and like 4 restaurants. My aunt and uncle owned one of the only 2 places to stay if you happened to visit (mostly bikers during bike week or fisherman looking to catch "the big one" on the St. Johns) and if I remember correctly, there isn't a stop light. There may be a blinking light. Maybe. 

Going to visit was about spending time with family. It wasn't about Disney World or the beach (though those were close by if you wanted to go) but instead it was about watching the sun create glittery patterns on the river, listening to the waves splash against the docks as barges drifted by, and long talks with my grandparents. It was the kind of place you could actually breathe and hear yourself think. Aside from a speedboat or my grandfather's saws spinning in his shop, the world was quiet there.

And something you could ALWAYS count on at my grandparents was a huge breakfast every morning. You'd wake up to the smell of grits, toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, croissants and of course the juiciest, sweetest, fresh orange wedges from my grandmother's trees out front. I would eat plate after plate of her oranges. Sweet, sticky juice dripping down my hands, warm sunlight on my back- it's one of those memories that just holds on and stays with you. To this day I can't see an orange without associating them with my grandparents and those easy summer mornings. As soon as I cut into one I can almost hear the rustling of the newspaper as my granddad turned the pages and the shuffle of my grandmother's slippers as she cleaned up while we all ate. (Seriously. You could never get her to sit down. She always worried about everyone else. Was your grandmother like that too?)

Paintings and images copyrighted by courtney khail and are available for purchase right here

Guest Post: Chelsea from frolic

Chelsea's blog {frolic!} was one of the VERY first I ever read. (It was also the first blog I advertised on and the blog that sent me my very first really big order so I kind of have a soft spot for it.) I love how light and airy it was (and is) and it's still one of the blogs I make sure to check daily. Not only is Chelsea a fantastic blogger, but she's also an incredibly talented event designer and a commercial floral and prop stylist (and she does weddings so someone go get married and hire her- promise you will not be disappointed.)  And even though as of right now we haven't met for real (I'm writing this before the fact, but by the time it's published we will actually have met in person! Yay road trips and Portland!) I already consider her a friend. She's just that nice and real of a person. And cool. Did I mention she up and moved to Sweden for a little while? Yea. See what I mean? She's cool. Thanks for posting, Chelsea!

One of my warm weather rituals is to flee work and head to the park at dinner time. I take my food to the green grass and watch the sailboats on the river. The smaller boats are my favorite and I like to dream about owning one. But for now, they help provide a peaceful moment during busy days and a way to savor this short season. Happy summer!

Photos and post by Chelsea Fuss of Frolic!

Guest Post: Kathleen from the mirthmobile

The story of how I met Kathleen is one of the best examples of "wow, what a small world it is." You see, I found her then wedding blog on another site that my work had been featured on and every few days would find myself checking in to read how everything was going with planning. Around the same time, I went to watch soccer with my sister and two of her friends- one of which was Emily. Fast forward a few months and while looking through photos of Emily's younger sister's wedding on Facebook I realized that I'd already seen them. On Kathleen's blog. Because they were of Kathleen's wedding. So yea. All that time we were each reading a "strangers" blog, our sisters were actually hanging out in real life. Small world, right? Anyhow. When we found that out we quickly made lunch plans, went to Lavish together, and have kept in touch via emails, twitter, and the blogs all while trying to make real plans again sometime soon. So when it came to having a "blog friend" guest post, I knew I wanted to have Kathleen stop by since if it wasn't for her blog, (and our sisters) we'd never have become real friends to begin with. And if you haven't read her blog yet, go do that now.You'll thank me when her old timey Tuesdays bring back familiar childhood memories!

Hey y’all! I’m honored to be here guest-posting while Courtney is off with her husband exploring the open road. The only instruction she gave me was to write something that had to do with summer, so here goes!

One of the highlights of my summers has always been an extended-family beach trip to the coast of South Carolina. For as long as I can remember—with the exception of a few summers during our college years—we’ve decamped to a place called DeBordieu for a week with my dad’s cousins and their kids, who range in age from a year or two younger than me to a year or two older than my big sister. Sometimes my dad’s folks and his cousins’ parents came too. As much fun as these trips were back in the day, they’ve been even more awesome in recent years since we’ve all graduated to grown-up status and added a few hilarious spouses and adorable babies to the mix. The only drawback is that the bill we run up at the package store is markedly higher than it used to be.

After so many years vacationing together, we’ve developed a few hallowed beach traditions, most of them revolving around food. We aren’t going to the beach this year—the cousin calendars didn’t jive, alas!—since it's August (aka beach time) I’m bringing the beach to my place via this classic family recipe.

The quintessential DeBordieu crowd-pleaser is something we call Beach Nachos, usually served as an appetizer. They could not possibly be simpler, and they could not possibly be more delicious. You will need:

• 1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos
• 1 hunk jalapeno jack cheese, grated
• 1 small can green chiles

Doritos, really? you might be thinking. Yes, Doritos! Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. Plus, Beach Nachos carry the seal of approval of Aunt Connie, our family’s resident health nut, so they can’t be all that bad.

I digress. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the Doritos on a rimmed baking sheet or jelly-roll pan and sprinkle as much grated cheese as you like over the chips, followed by the green chiles. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt and some of the edges of the chips begin to brown. Remove the nachos from the oven, place the pan on hot pads in the middle of the table, and get the hell out of the way lest your arm get taken off by the hungry masses!

Of course, just as cookies are for the recently health-conscious Cookie Monster, Beach Nachos are a sometime food. That’s part of what makes them so special—and also what makes it okay to ravenously wolf down fake-cheese chips covered in actual cheese a few times every summer.

*all photos via Kathleen

Guest Post: Ginny from My Favorite Color Is Shiny

Okay, so technically Ginny is way more than just the blogger behind My Favorite Color is Shiny-she is also an amazingly talented stylist whose work can be found all over- both on the internet and in print. In addition to her styling company and her blog she also writes the "What's in Your Toolbox" column over at Design*Sponge -which is one of my personal favorites because the focus is on creatives. (I know what you're thinking. When does she find time to sleep? Answer- I still don't know.) I was lucky enough to meet her at Lavish last December and was instantly taken with her laid back, easy going- yet still somehow bubbly- personality. A lover of sequins and love (she married her childhood sweetheart) her blog focuses on the romantic and the beauty of the past. Thanks so much for dropping by Ginny!

currently i am beyond obsessed with the lost generation during the 1920s in paris( thank you midnight in paris). i have been reading hemingway and visualizing what life must have been like during that golden era. can you imagine being surrounded by those artistic icons during their heyday? my husband argues he'd rather live in 1960s detroit during the birth of motown. anyway, this is a collection of treasures i would love to pack in a steamer trunk and time travel to la rive gauche in 1926. and i sure wouldn't mind rubbing elbows with the fitzgeralds, picasso, and gertrude stein.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Guest Post: Melanie from You Are My Fave

Normally on Fridays I would do a round up of cool things I've seen around the internet, but given that the national park system is not known for their high speed connections, I decided it would be more fun to have some of my favorite blogger friends stop by and share something summer related with you all. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as I do! First up is Melanie from You Are My Fave. Not only is she sweet and genuine, but she also has an awesome sense of humor. (I know this of course because she gets my jokes haha...) So if you don't read her blog yet, go right now. Well read this, then go because you'll never want to leave. It's like getting a little dose of beauty every day. But enough of me rambling, here's Melanie.

via Hooray for Summer, watermelon on a stick, lawn and blankets, firefly jar

An ode to summer

Swim holes.Starry skies. Nighttime walks. Thunderstorms. High waisted skirts. Coral painted toes. Strings of lights. Fireflies. Road trips. Watermelon. Ice cream for dinner. Wildflowers. Green grass. Afternoon reads. Beach towels. Lemonade. Sparklers. Bike rides. Picnics.

Summer, I'm so glad we're best friends.

Color Inspiration: Strawberry Fields

strawberries via tiny white daisy tumblr, open sign via personal collection, tent via party perfect

To me, strawberries are synonymous with summertime-and paired with crisp white and grass green nothing is more nostalgic. Makes me want to nap in a hammock, eat grilled corn on the cob and catch fireflies. Can you tell I was raised in the South? I would have added something about being barefoot, but that would just leave the door wide open for the jokes...

Happy first official day of summer!

glow cones

via say yes to hoboken

With summer wrapping up over the next month(ish) I have just enough time to recreate these. Using a glow stick and two cups, wouldn't these snow cones be awesome at an after dark party? (Not to mention make for really fun photos)