Disco

Disco love from Domino Magazine and The New York Times. I'm thinking I'd like one in our kitchen. 

The best table in the house...

From Home & Garden

Carol Dronsfield Photography

My dear friend Carol is one of those highly creative and inspirational people, an Art Director by trade, with a wonderful eye for photography. What I love about her photos is the way she looks at a building, a flower, a donut shop, making her photos utterly unique. Here are a few polaroids to start your Tuesday. Happy warm, early spring day xo For more on Carol, check her newly launched photography site here. 

On the Rocks: Negroni Punch.

It is supposed to be in the 80's this weekend, here in NYC and I was thinking this might be the perfect weekend drink.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups assorted fresh fruit (such as berries, pitted cherries, and pitted sliced apricots and peaches)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar (optional)
- 1 cup Campari
- 1 cup sweet vermouth
- 1 cup gin
- 2 750-ml bottles chilled Prosecco
- Ice cubes
Place fruit in large punch bowl. Sprinkle with sugar to taste, if desired; stir and let stand 10 minutes for sugar to dissolve and juices to form. Add all remaining ingredients except ice cubes. Divide punch among 8 tall ice-filled glasses and serve.
photo and cocktail via Epicurious

Outdoor spaces

Now that spring is here, I'm dreaming about outdoor spaces, here are a few. Happy Thursday xo

An inspiring outdoor tent. From Desire to Inspire

Wow, from here

A Morrocan Touch. From Fun on the Floor. 

Drinks and dancing on an elegant porch. From Thayer

Grand. Spotted on City Sage.

Wall Groupings

I love all these variations on wall art and groupings. Happy Wednesday. xox

Wall to wall art, spotted on Oh Happy Day.

The yellow is dreamy and I like the way the art is hanging from ribbons. From Design Sponge.

The art really pops against the white background. From Delight by Design

Not exactly my style but I can appreciate the whole look. From Dan Marty Designs

I like how all the different sizes and shapes fit together so well. Spotted on Absolutely Beautiful Things

Back from Hols

Hello all, am back from a simply lovely holiday on the west coast. We drove up highway 1 from LA, along the Pacific Coast, spent a few nights in LA, a night in Santa Barbara, a few nights in Big Sur, even stayed in a yurt and capped it all off with some spring skiing in Tahoe...it was pretty fantastic.

Our Yurt's skylight where we could watch the stars at night 

A great view from of the top of Alpine in Tahoe.

And lastly, I want to thank Amy from Mostly Mod, Anne from The City Sage and Jane from Seen and Said for being wonderful guest bloggers. I had no idea how supportive, inspiring and simply heart warming the blogosphere could be before I started Sugar Pie. I am constantly awestruck and by the creativity, and warmth out there. Thank you. 

A little or a lotta?

Jane here from Ill Seen, Ill Said! Michelle asked me to swing by today to share a little fashion inspiration with you all and I'm so happy to be here! If you're familiar with my blog, you'll know I gravitate towards a very neutral, softly tailored style. So, when it comes to adopting new trends, I usually opt for a little bit rather than a whole lot.

I love all these Spring looks, but will always gravitate towards the more subtle looks on the right hand side... Are you an all or nothing girl? Or would you opt for a more subtle, nuanced approach? Which Spring trend is your favourite one?

(1) Sequin
A lot: Look from 3.1 Philip Lim at Net-a-Porter
A little: Look from Gryphon at Shopbop

(2) Boyfriend
A lot: Look from La Garconne's lookbook
A little: Look from Steven Alan's lookbook
(3) Nautical
A lot: Look from YMC at Revolve
A little: Look from Cabbages & Roses
(4) Ruffles
A lot: Look from Luisa Beccaria
A little: Look from J Crew
(5) Floral
A lot: Look from Madame A Paris at La Garconne
A little: Look from Toast

(6) Nude
A lot: Look from See by Chloe at Shopbop
A little: Look from J. Crew

Pop Quiz: Fun with Anne from The City Sage

Hello everyone! It's Anne from The City Sage, and I'm so honored to be guest blogging for Michelle while she's on holiday! Michelle put in a special request for 'whimsical, offbeat, and fun' interiors. But I realized as I began pulling images that frankly--I'm sorry to say--I don't think I have enough fun! Since I apparently I don't recognize fun when I see it, you tell me. Vintage toys as decor: fun or not?

With kids' rooms there's such greater license to have fun. So I think we'll probably be unanimous on this one. Bedtime stories in a wild fairy forest: fun or not?

Playing with bright colors is certainly one way to inject whimsy and a sense of play in a room. Is it possible to go overboard? Granny's antique chest of drawers on grape Kool-aid: fun or not?

I do love looking at children's artwork. So what about prizing junior's painting skills as museum-worthy and giving it a place of honor above the couch? Fun or not?

Hmm...how 'bout prizing your own painting skills as museum worthy and letting them run rampant. Fun or not?

Birds and butterflies wallpaper in an otherwise proper bedroom. Fun or not? (I'll tell you a secret: I'm obsessed with this wallpaper! I'm gonna go with 'super fun'.)

Good old fashioned metal chain gets a new lease on life in an entryway console. Fun or not? Or maybe someone had a little too much fun at Home Depot?

A patchwork quilt inspires funky fresh window treatments. Color, pattern and patina come together to create a room oozing with character. But is it fun? (Check out that rocking chair, by the way! I'm pretty sure it's fun...)

Laundry? Um, definitely not fun. But using a vintage laundry cart to create this sweet storage vignette? Pretty fun, I'd say!

Thanks so much to Michelle for the chance to blog here at Sugarpie Express. Hope you'll all come visit me at The City Sage too! xo Anne

Image Credits: 1. House to Home 2. Found Style by Amy Butler 3. James Merrell 4. Urban Eco Chic by Oliver Heath 5. James Merrell 6. Martha Stewart Living, April 2009 7. Johnny Miller 8. Marie Claire Maison, November 2008 9. Found Style by Amy Butler

Miss Aimee's Texas Family Secret...

Michelle was so sweet to have asked me to visit her amazing blog today~ with a recipe. It is always such an honor to be asked to guest blog, especially on Sugar Pie Express! So, I thought I would share a very special recipe with you that is near and dear to my heart.


What you need: *see chalkboard(sub. pecans for walnuts-better!). What you must wear while cooking: a good pair of Texas Boots.
There is no one recipe that I follow perfectly for this. you simply can't go wrong. Each time it is a tad different but always perfection. So don't worry about being exact.

small side note:*must use Haas avocados.

Peel and seed 3 ripe Haas avocados and mash in a bowl.

Dice up about 1 small red onion or a bit over 1/2 a med red onion or even 1/2 a large red onion.

Mix that in with the avocado.

Cut a lemon and squeeze one entire half into the mix and stir or mash.

Dice about 3 large garlic cloves up and mix in to the mix.

A pinch of salt to taste(sea salt is the best)

And last of all(the best part)...a huge huge handful of chopped pecans.


I promise you will love this! A small Texas Family secret. So shhhhh....
For more yummy recipes, come see me for "Tasty Tuesday's" on my blog here.
xoxo,
Miss Aimee