4th of July Picnic Menu

Ambitious Kitchen

Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
from Ambitious Kitchen

Happy 4th of July!!!  I hope you are spending the day enjoying family and friends.  My family always gets together for a family meal sometime during the day.  My Parents generously prepare their home and a meal for all of us.  When I say that is a fete in itself, I really mean it.  We have a big family!  Sometimes we have as many as 45-50 for a meal at my parents on holidays.  Luckily, my parent's beach house has a huge garage, where they keep banquet tables set up and ready for us to gather.  Tonight, we are having the traditional 4th menu with hotdogs and all the trimmings.  Mom is a great cook and always has enough food to feed Pharaoh's Army (have you ever heard that ole southern saying?)  My family's business is in the pork industry, so you can imagine how unpopular I was when my finicky system, dictated I become vegetarian my freshman year of college in 1977.  Once I became vegetarian, my medical problems ended, but boy how I miss ham and bacon.  Tofu hotdogs don't taste the same either, so tonight when everyone is eating hotdogs, I will be having this yummy Thai Quinoa salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing.  Thought I would share it with you in case you are looking for something other than the typical pasta salad to have today.  It only takes about 25 minutes to throw together, so it's quick and easy.  I got the recipe from the Ambitious Kitchen.  Pop over there for the recipe by clicking here!  If you need it to be vegan or gluten free she tells you how to do that too!


Enjoy your freedoms today, but be careful if you live with an interior designer!You might awake to find your self decorated if you sit still too long!

Happy 4th to you and yours!  

As always, I appreciate you for taking your precious

 time to read my blog!  

4th of July Picnic Ideas - 5 Ideas to Make in 5 minutes with Less Than 5 Ingredients

Hot New Furniture Line - Article24

If you followed along when I was a Style Spotter for the High Point Market you might remember seeing the vignette above on my Pinterest High Point Style Spotter Board.  I adore the blue and white chevron console, x-benches and mirror! They are from a line called Article 24 and I spotted them in one of my favorite showrooms J. Douglas.   I was looking through some of my pictures from spring market and wanted to share more of their fabulous designs with you.  If you love color, you will love Article24!

Gorgeous coral chest with design on the doors.

Love the combo of two fabrics on this chair and the painted

white frame.  (I spy a little rhinestone elephant pin!)

This was my favorite style chair and of course I love the 

pink and orange which happen to be two of my fav colors

to use together!  Who doesn't love an orange zebra on 

a hot pink pillow?

Can you see the little rhinestone bumble bee pins on the corners of

the tablecloth?  So precious!

This mirror is made from recycled products.  Oh..and did you notice
the walls?  They are stenciled.  So clever.  Which piece is your favorite so far?  Here are a few other great pieces in the line...

1//Cubes Etagere  2//Trellis Cabinet 3//Clarity Mirror 4//Kinsey Cabinet
5//Stratum Chest 6//Profile Table 7//Loops Table 8//Cloud Mirror 9//Mulberry

Every piece available in any of these fun colors:

Article24 is a fab resource.  Let me know if you see any pieces
you would like to know more about.  All are available through me
lisa@lisamendedesign.com

P.S.....

I don't want to lose you....

 I know by now most of you have read that Google Reader ended on July 1st and I am sure by now you have figured out how and where you want to read your favorite blogs, but I wanted to beg  ask  - it would be an honor if you keep following me!  You can do so either by email(just add your email address above right), bloglovin(click on the icon) or on Facebook(highly recommend following this way because if you "like" my Lisa Mende Design page you will get those updates and a link to my blog) My blog will be getting a little facelift over the next couple of months, so you dont' want to miss what I have in store!

13 Favorite "Drinks" Tables

Van Collier "Ginkie" Table as shown in the large photo above
Left to Right: 1/Century "Baotou" Table  2/Moore Councill  " Leather & Metal Base" Table 3/Bunny Williams Home "Skirted" Table  3/Century "Garbo" Table 4/Century "Aged Mirror" Table  5/Bunny Williams "Albero" Table

Right Top to Bottom: 1/Stanley "Avalon Heights" Martini Table  2/Tara Shaw "Swedish" Martini Table  3/Century "Curtis" Table 4)Century "Tilden" Table
5/Century "Horn" Table

  It could be the influence of Mad Men or Hollywood Glamour once again being in vogue, but Americans are enthralled with the art of the "proper cocktail".  In this day when everything is hurry scurry, it's nice to sit down and enjoy conversation over a nice beverage.  Of course the "Grand Dame of Home Decor Details", Bunny Williams would not overlook this key piece to "the art of living well" and addressed it perfectly when designing her line for Bunny Williams Home.  When I saw Bunny Williams Home debut at the Oct High Point Market, one of the niche categories in her line was an assortment of darling little "drinks" table.  As a society doyenne, Bunny subscribes to the belief that "every chair should have a table next to it to hold your drink".  I must agree! Since seeing Bunny's line, I have been more aware of these cute little tables for several reasons.  They can be easily moved easily from room to room or chair to chair and more importantly they are an adorable addition to any room! Who doesn't crave a cute, little table for holding the "much revered 5 o'clock cocktail" or after dinner drink?  Of course the drinks table doesn't have to be for cocktails, it could be a nice cup of hot tea or a glass of lemonade as well.  It's all part of the puzzle when addressing the "art of living well". Last market, I saw "drinks" table in many lines.  There are so many more options, than what I have curated here, but these are some of my favorites!  What's your favorite? Do you have a "drinks" table by your chair?  If not, you should think about the convenience of it and shop for one today! Perhaps I'll share some budget friendly options next!
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Katherine Rally Textiles - Centuries Old Craft with a Modern Vibe

The story behind Katherine Rally Textiles is one of inspiration and love. 

Rally an architect from Nashville and Katherine an interior designer from Arizona met in 2002.  After meeting, the smitten pair, decided to travel through southeast Asia to test their compatibility.  The trip proved the relationship successful and Rally decided to propose to Katherine.  Unlike most brides, Katherine chose to forego the traditional diamond engagement ring and opted instead for six weeks in India traveling and experiencing the local culture.  The couple have always been open to adventure so when the economy tanked in the States, they packed their bags and relocated to island paradise of Bali with their two kids.  In Bali, the couple drew upon their design backgrounds to launch a new fabric line and Katherine Rally Textiles was born! The collection offers beautifully handmade fabrics created by using the centuries old craft of batiking.  The fabrics are available in many colorful and interesting patterns.  Currently, dividing their time between Bali,Indonesia and Aspen, Colorado, the couple continues to bring us new designs when inspiration strikes.  The influence of their travels is apparent in the designs of their fabrics.  Yesterday, I was excited to receive a message from Rally saying they had recently returned from Indonesia and have added new designs to the line!  

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