We were recently gifted a Staub Cocotte in this gorgeous Basil Green and it was feeling time to use it to make my favorite macaroni and cheese recipe. The first time I made homemade mac 'n cheese for my kids I felt triumphant. Unfortunately, they complained the whole time that it wasn't the kind that came in the box and why wasn't it orange? However, over time, they came over to the dark side and now it is a family favorite. 
A few notes on the recipe:
The pasta can be any shape you choose, I find that the shells are great in that they create little cups for the cheesy sauce. Today I used Banza chickpea pasta, you just have to cook it al dente so it doesn't turn to mush.amzn.to/4eBJwIs
Same with the cheese, use one kind or five. I like at least 2 but it really depends on what's sitting in my cheese drawer at the time.  Today it was Dubliner White Cheddar and Trader Joe's Carmelized Onion Cheddar.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
8 oz pasta 
1 1/4 cups milk, warmed
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 cups cheese, grated or finely diced
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
3-4 TBSP olive oil
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Drain but don't rinse. 
In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. If the pan is looking a bit dry, add more olive oil. Sprinkle flour over onion and garlic mixture and combine using a whisk. This will make the roux for your bechamel sauce (You are SO fancy!). It should be a soft paste consistency. Gradually add in the warmed milk, whisking till smooth between each addition. Once you have added all the milk, continue to whisk until smooth. It should be the consistency of gravy. Turn the heat to low and add in your cheese, stirring constantly. If there are still small clumps of cheese, that's ok. They will gradually melt and give you that yummy stringyness we all love in mac n cheese. 
Stir in pasta until well coated. At this point, you can add in anything from lobster meat to broccoli to spinach. Season with salt and pepper and I add a dash of nutmeg at the end for a smidge of sweetness. It's also amazing topped with some truffle oil. 
​Spoon in to bowls and enjoy!

​We all know how annoying it is to find a recipe online and have to scroll to Egypt till you finally get to the recipe at the bottom of the post. I'm not gonna do that to you. I will say, I'm a fan of Le Creuset dutch ovens, especially for this recipe. It keeps the heat contained so well, plus they are just so pretty. Happy cooking!

​​Rustic Italian Chili
What you need:
Olive oil
1 pound ground beef/lamb/turkey/mushrooms (whatever you like for this! - I switch between turkey and beef)
1 shallot or 1⁄2 red onion, diced
1-2 carrots, cleaned and diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup ditalini pasta or macaroni pasta
6 cups beef broth (vegetable broth or water work too)
Parmesan cheese rind, optional
To make:
Drizzle olive oil in a dutch oven, turn on heat, add diced onion, carrots, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 2-3 minutes, then add garlic, Italian seasoning and ground beef (or whatever). Cook, stirring often, until meat is cooked through. Dump in the tomato sauce, beans and part of the broth. Start with 3-4 cups broth, saving the rest for later. Give it a good stir. Add the pasta and bring to a boil. If you have a parmesan rind, add it now. After 6-7 minutes, turn the heat to low, adding more broth as needed. Let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. It’s so good eaten alone, with Saltine crackers (my fave!), or crusty bread. It’s even better THE NEXT DAY.
Enjoy!

The funny thing about color trends is that once you tune your eye to them, they are everywhere. We've been brainstorming lately about social media, content, how to share our ideas, products and tips, and in general the whole "influencer" role. Color trends are a big deal especially in fashion, and usually those trends are predicted several years in advance based on what is shown at fashion shows in Milan, Paris and New York. The home color trends tend to lag behind fashion by a few years and also tend to stick around longer. Mostly because no one can afford to redo their home in the latest trend every few years. But interestingly, as we started to put together this post, we noticed that the same color trends are really pervasive in all areas; fashion, beauty and home. This has been really fun for our team to put together so I hope you learn something and find a few "trendy" pieces to add to your life this fall.  Find more picks on our Shop page. 

Our color palette comes from Pantone, the industry leader in color trends. There are several palettes they have put together for Fall 2024, but this one spoke to us the most. Let's dig in, shall we?

A mauvey-lilac color that at first glance does not live in a Fall palette, but pair with Super Lemon and Phlox and a deep chocolate brown and we've got a serious color story happening.

This is the brown for people who don't love brown. It's like the chocolate milk we had as a kid, and just as luscious.

Plums have had a hard time making an entry in to the home decor world but this gorgeous shade is just the accent we need for fall.

She's not quite mustard so still vibrant enough to hold her own against these other saturated hues. 

Peach Fuzz holds the honor of being named the Pantone Color of the Year for 2024. According to Pantone, Peach Fuzz "captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body and soul."

So, reds can be SO HARD to work with. Coral? great. Pinks? love them all. Red tends to be too loud, but THIS one. It's rich and deep and we can't get enough.

Another color that speaks more spring than fall, but we love the lightness of this in contrast to the bold palette. It's like a breath of fresh air in the forest.

A core color as far as we are concerned, and plays well with everyone in the palette. I mean, this plus Sun-Dried Tomato? A match made in heaven.

BTW, those images are all clickable and take you right to the products shown. We may earn a commission if you purchase so, thank you! 
Happy Fall Everyone!

Much like Prime Day, WayDay is home furnishings giant Wayfair's two day sale-o-rama designed to bring you amazing deals on EVERYTHING for you home. It can be overwhelming but never fear, our design team have shared their top picks on items that won't break the bank in sprucing up your home.

​RUGS

ACCENT CHAIRS

LIGHTING

BENCHES

ACCENT TABLES

There's even more to shop in Holiday Decor, Bedroom, Small Appliances, Home Office....you get the idea. Up to 65% off! Sale runs through 10/26 so get a head start on your gift shopping. Even if it's for you!

This post contains affiliate links and we may be compensated for purchases made via these links.

 With the craze around the new Barbie movie, Washington Post recently asked 6 top designers how they would design a space for Barbie today. Jonathan Adler, who was commissioned to design the 50th anniversary Barbie Malibu dream home in 2009, knows a thing or two about what Barbie wants. He is also the head judge in the HGTV Barbie Dream Home Challenge where designers battle head to head on creating spaces inspired by Barbie in every decade from the 1960s to the 2010s. 
Jonathan's Barbie Living Room is chic and whimsical and modern and I can see Italian Barbie sitting here sipping on an Aperol Spritz with all the other International Barbies. 

Bobby Berk, the Design guru from the Fab Five Queer Eye gang, leans in to the 70s retro feel with an unexpected mix of pink and amber. We love the juxtaposition of round shapes and sharp lines and that arched cabinet is TDF! It's a more subdued, chill Barbie, listening to Edith Piaf and sipping an espresso. 

Since we were not invited to participate in the Washington Post design challenge, we did one of our own and so Hannah and Shauna were both tasked with creating a Barbie inspired room. Hannah chose the bedroom, and wanted to create a "young, feminine, hip room where the budget was unlimited". It's definitely a room she would have in her own dream home. 

Bed: Scout Design Studio
Nightstands: Chairish
Rug: Ruggable
Wallpaper: Milton & King
Chandelier: Visual Comfort
Mirrors: Uttermost
Lamps: Safavieh
Bedding: Serena & Lily
Pillows: Little Design Co (Square and Lumbar)​

For Shauna's living room, she said, "I was inspired by bubble-gum and the juiciness of it. I love the play of orange and pink together. It just makes me happy!"

Sofa: Wayfair
Rug: West Elm
Coffee Table: TOV
Chandelier: Vakker Lighting
Floor Lamp: Mitzi @ Wayfair
Rabbit Chair: ​Queeboo
Candy Dish: Burke Decor
​Pillow: James Ascher
​Be sure to check out our podcast episode for everything Barbie.

I knew I wanted to do something really spectacular for my 50th birthday, so I planned a trip to Morocco and Portugal.
I had never been to Morocco or Africa for that matter. Up until then, my global travel experience was limited–I’d been to a few countries in Europe. I did know one thing: I couldn’t wait to go and see and do!​
​I rounded up a group of my closest friends and we planned the nearly two-week adventure. Most of the group of nine was meeting up in Lisbon (after Morocco), so for the first leg of the trip, it was me, my husband, Jeff, and my girlfriends, Ellen, and Kristin.

Let me say this about Morocco, specifically Marrakech. The people, the food, the hospitality is like none other. They were delightful, helpful and accommodating… just truly the best. That’s why we’re anxious to go back!

Jeff and I had done our research before traveling and read about and learned their customs and culture because it’s important to know what you're getting yourself into so you don’t offend anyone. We heard things like, women need to dress modestly and cover their shoulders, there’s no alcohol, etc.
Don’t worry, we found alcohol AND we kept our shoulders covered.

We stayed inside the city walls or what’s known as the Medina. There are precious boutique-type hotels called Riads. We stayed in this one. Tea service upon arrival.

After we settled into our new surroundings, we ventured out into the city.
OH MY GOSH THE SHOPPING!!

I bought this rug on Day 1! Nothing gets by me! 

He was such a great guy! And a good salesman!
See that yellow decanter behind his left arm?
I bought it.
​Did I mention everything is SUPER cheap? 

Also got to pet a baby camel!
(He doesn't look too happy about that part of the job, does he?)

Our guide for the week, Muhammed!

​Besides the shopping and the sightseeing, y’all the food. They cook in these ceramic pots called tagines. And the restaurants are GORGEOUS!! Ain't nobody afraid of color here. 

​A funny note about some of the restaurants. If you ask for a side of fruit you might get this.

A giant bowl of fruit.

This was one of the best moments. We saw this cat sitting in front of the chicken shop, waiting for his turn. The butcher was having none of it.

Yes, there were cobras. A little note about me: I’m TERRIFIED of snakes. Like, if I’m going to have a nightmare, snakes will be involved. So why did I pose so casually in front of this scary dude? Because I was in the moment, living out loud and facing my fears. I’m glad I did this. Now I don’t have to do it again. BUT YOU CAN! 

​I could go on and on, or you could just go with me and see all of these things for yourself. Come on, let’s go! Wait until you learn what a hammam is.

Click here for more details on joining Shauna on the next Moroccan adventure!

Shauna's mom, Deb recently returned from an extended vacation to a garden overflowing with produce. Per Shauna, she doesn't eat her bounty, she just shares it. So when Deb showed up at the office with the biggest zucchini we've ever seen, one for each of us, we decided to make her proud and see what we could cook up. ​

Thus was born the SGD Zucchini Challenge. Each of us would make a recipe with our zucchini and then invite Deb to come join us on the podcast and judge the dishes. It IS amazing what you can do with zucchini, so if you have an overflowing garden yourself, you can pretty much create an entire meal with these recipes. 

An incredibly easy make ahead breakfast that works for both babies, kids and adults. You'll add this to your Sunday agenda for the rest of time so you have easy breakfasts ready to go during the week
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 15minutes 
Total Time 25minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 12 Bites (*note, we cooked this all in one dish instead of individual ones)
 Ingredients

• 1 zucchini cut into a small dice
• 1/2 onion cut into a small dice
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 8 eggs beaten together
• 2 tablespoons chives
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large 10 inch skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Sauté the diced zucchini and onion and saute for about 5 minutes until they are slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sautéed vegetables to the bottom of a sprayed regular sized muffin pan.
• In another bowl, whisk together 8 eggs and season with salt and pepper and add the chopped chives and feta. Fill the remaining area in the muffin tin with the egg, gently stirring the ingredients together. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the eggs are completely set.

Notes: Make these on the weekend to prep for the week. They reheat easily in the toaster oven or microwave.
​Recipe courtesy of What's Gaby Cooking 

PREP TIME 10 mins
COOK TIME 70 mins
TOTAL TIME 80 mins
SERVINGS 16 to 20 servings
YIELD 2 loaves
This recipe can be baked in an 8x4-inch loaf pan (for taller loaves) or in a 9x5-inch loaf pan (for thinner loaves). This recipe also makes 2 loaves; you can easily divide the recipe in half to make just one loaf.
The recipe calls for 4 cups of grated zucchini, which will yield particularly moist loaves. I've made it with 3 cups, which was also very good, just not as sublime as with 4 cups.
Ingredients

• 4 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 1/2 pounds zucchini)
• 2 1/2 cups (340g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa (use natural unsweetened cocoa, not Dutch processed)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup (169g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Method

1. Drain excess moisture from grated zucchini:Place the freshly grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl to catch any excess moisture as it drains, while you work on prepping the other ingredients and preparing the recipe.
   If for some reason your zucchini is on the dry side, hydrate the shredded zucchini by soaking it in water first, and then place in sieve.
2. Preheat oven, prepare loaf pans:Preheat oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans with baking spray or butter.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients:Vigorously whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no more clumps and the ingredients are well combined.
4. Beat sugar and eggs, add melted butter, instant coffee granules, almond extract:In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs until smooth, about a minute. You can do this with an electric mixer on medium speed, or by hand with a wooden spoon. (I'm lazy and use a mixer but it's easy enough to do by hand.)
   Add the melted butter, instant coffee granules, and almond extract and beat until smooth.
5. Add zucchini to the egg mixture:Mix the shredded zucchini into the sugar egg mixture.
   Add the flour to the zucchini mixture in 3 additions, stirring to combine after each addition.
6. Divide batter into pans and bake:Work quickly, and divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans. (Work quickly because once the dry ingredients have mixed with the wet ingredients, the leavening has begun.)
   Place into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and easily.
7. Cool:Remove to a rack. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edges to separate the bread from the pan. Remove from the loaf pans and let cool completely on a rack.
   Note that if you try to slice the chocolate zucchini bread before it has completely cooled, it will be rather crumbly. It's also easiest to slice with a bread knife.
   Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes

PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 15 minutes 
TOTAL TIME 25 minutes 
COURSE Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
SERVINGS 8 servings

Ingredients 

• 3 medium zucchini
• 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta
• 1 cup pesto
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 pints (4 cups) cherry tomatoes
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise, then chop into 1/2" zucchini slices. 
• In a large bowl, combine the zucchini with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, tossing well to coat. 
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until they begin to soften. Don't over bake or your zucchini with the mushy! Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 
• Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. 
• When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it at once and quickly rinse it under cold water until cool, about 1 minute.
• Place cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl and add the pesto and vinegar, and toss well to coat.
• Add half of the roasted zucchini, tomatoes, goat cheese, onions, and basil, and toss well to combine.
• Top with remaining mix-ins. Then serve at once, or chill until needed. 

Recipe courtesy of Baker by Nature

This Lemon Zucchini Cake is definitive proof that lemon and zucchini belong together! Beautifully moist and undeniably delicious, this easy cake is topped with a lemon glaze that will keep you coming back for one more slice. An excellent way to use up that zucchini from your garden!
 Course Dessert
 Prep Time 10 minutes
 Cook Time 45 minutes
 Total Time 55 minutes
 Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable or canola oil
• 2 eggs room temperature
• ⅓ cup vanilla almond milk or whole milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 2 cups cake flour can substitute AP flour following directions here
• 1 ⅓ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cup shredded zucchini drained and squeezed dry
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray a loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the sugar and olive oil. Whisk to combine.
• Add eggs and almond milk and whisk together.
• Add lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
• Add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated.
• Fold in zucchini and lemon zest.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. The top of the cake should look dry.
• Place the loaf on a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper to carefully life the cake from the pan. Let cool completely on rack.

Glaze

• In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
• Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
• Slice and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Mom on Time Out

Yummy, right? So, you'll have to tune in to the podcast to find out which dish Deb picked as the winner. AND who made which recipe. Let us know which one sounds best to you or share your own zucchini recipes and we might just feature it on the blog! Thanks to all our fabulous recipe creators for their work. Please be sure to click through the links to see more. 

In a recent podcast episode, a listener asked the question: "What decor item do you typically start with in your designs?"
The answer 99% of the time is the rug. We are firm believers that a rug sets the tone for the room, the design and the overall vibe of the space. Functionally, the choice of rug is dependent on the client's budget, how durable they need it to be (kids and pets, you know), and size requirements. There are lots of resources out there for rugs, so we wanted to give you a quick, down and dirty guide on where to shop for your home. 
Rugs USA
Wide variety of styles, price points, and sizes. You can find pretty much anything here. And so can everyone else. But, if you are not so concerned about originality, there's a ton to choose from here.

FLOR
You might hear the words carpet tiles and think of the industrial, tired, gray squares in corporate office buildings. Not so with carpet tiles from FLOR. With designs ranging from floral to stripes and abstracts, there is a style for everyone. Super easy to snap together, and even easier to snap off and replace when that inevitable wine stain happens. 

Loloi
A wholesale company that is based in Dallas, we discovered them at the Dallas Market a few years ago. Since then, their partnerships have grown to include Justina Blakeney and Rifle Paper Co., which we love. Find them on Wayfair and Anthropologie. 

Wendy Morrison
We discovered Wendy via her rugs sold on Anthropologie (sadly, no longer available). Since then, we've had custom rugs made for two clients and they are works of art. It's about a 4 month process from order to shipping, but most certainly worth it. 

Revival Rugs
Specializing in vintage rugs from Morocco and Turkey, these rugs are perfect for those weirdly sized spaces like foyers, mud rooms, and bathrooms. You will be surprised at how reasonable they are, AND buying vintage is good for the environment. If you can't make it to Morocco, you can at least bring Morocco home. 
Right now, use code 7PKNN8 to save $40 off your purchase of $250 or more!

Ruggable
We will admit, we were a bit skeptical at first as to the aesthetic of a velcro attached piece of fabric to a pad. But we had so many clients asking about them, we had to try it out. Pickins were slim, as they say, when we first started looking. But then they launched a Jonathan Adler collection, and now an Iris Apfel collection and we find ourselves a bit more enthusiastic about the product. The runner has been in Shauna's kitchen for several months now, and I think she is sold. 

Do you have a question for Shauna? Submit your question here and we might just choose yours to answer on the podcast! 
Shop more of our favorite rugs here.

This post contains affiliate links, and we may be compensated for purchases made. 

We've been doing our spring cleaning, refreshing, purging the last couple weeks and thought we'd share some of the great goodies out there to help you brush off the winter layers and celebrate Spring! 
On the podcast this week (yes! it's back!), we shared all of our favorite resources for sprucing up your home. Bright pillows, a new doormat, floral printed sheets and fresh flowers are just a few things that can add an instant spot of sunshine in any room. At any price point. (BTW, I just learned that you can now shop online atHome Goods and the game has changed.)
It's also a good time to do those not so glamorous tasks such as clean out the fridge, wipe down walls and baseboards, service your air conditioner, have the windows cleaned..... I could go on. Just pretend you are moving in to your house for the first time and remember how squeaky clean it was. I promise, it'll all be worth it and then you can go shop for all the fun stuff.

Our favorite places to buy fresh flowers. Here's where I wish we lived in any European town with a hundred neighborhood flower markets. But, any of these will do.
Trader Joe's 
Tom Thumb
Central Market
Just go ahead and add fresh flowers to your weekly grocery list. Heck, even Costco has some decent fresh flowers. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! And even more importantly, you deserve it. 
Now, you have two jobs to do. 
#1. Go follow Unfollow the Rules where ever you get your podcasts.
#2. Send us your questions for Shauna to be answered in an upcoming episode. 
Listen to the latest episode here:

Chat soon!
XO
​Shauna