Curator Picks - 6/13

Food:
It's been muggy muggy muggy here in the city and my hair is taking a turn for the worse. This Fig and Cucumber Salad from Fig and Fauna would cool me right down (though I doubt it would do much for my hair).

Another great recipe to make during these summer months would be this Grilled Pineapple Guacamole from Annie's Eats.

Shauna Ahern of Gluten-Free Girl recently took a family trip to Tuscany to teach a week long cooking class. I was following along live as she posted on Instagram but just case you weren't you should check out her gorgeous photographs and recap here. She's working to make it a twice yearly event with Jovial Foods ... I'm dreaming of being an attendee one year.

Unless strawberries are past their prime, I prefer to eat them raw. But if you need to use up some ultra ripe strawberries then check out this insanely gorgeous Strawberry, Pistachio, & Brown Butter Tart from Aran at Cannelle et Vanille.

Fashion/style:
Wednesday giveaway from Cup of Jo is for a pair of beautiful flame earrings from the online store One of a Kind. Leave a comment here to win. Also, while you're at Cup of Jo, check out her surprising tip for enjoying some time alone when traveling with a partner.

Hop on over to Sincerely, Kinsey for a really cool giveaway for a three month subscription to Umba Box! Umba Box is this great site that sends you a handmade gift every month - from jewelry to soaps to cute home accessories.

Erin at Apartment 34 has a giveaway of a lovely Lo & Sons carry on bag for all of your summer travels. She recently had a destination wedding in Mexico and provides a lovely packing guide for lounging poolside.


Interior design:
Well I was an hour or two too late to purchase anything from the Quitokeeto pop up shop of one-of-a-kind home goods put together by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. Most of the items on the site sold out in the blink of an eye today. Hopefully Heidi will curate a new collection and put it up again soon! You can input your email address on the site so you'll be among the first to know when the shop is open again.

I liked this post today by Stephanie at Stephmodo about buying art for your home. So many people think you have to have a giant budget and that's just not the case. A carefully curated collection just contains anything you love. As Stephanie says, "art is to be judged not by its price tag but by how it makes you feel". I've got this rather dramatic Remington painting hanging in my office at work and I love how wildly different it is from my city lifestyle. It's probably not a painting I could afford to have in my real home life (nor would I choose to - it is a bit morbid). At home our art is a bit more modern and bright.