My apologies for the slow blogging days friends! With the POP-UP SHOP right around the corner, I’ve been occupied with tags & packaging materials for the past few days, all the while organizing my tail off in order to be ready in time for next weekend’s exciting event. Adam asked me yesterday if I was going to become emotional about selling some of my favorite pieces at the shop, and although I pride myself as being a person that gets sentimental about the littlest of things, I don’t actually think I’ll cry it out this time around. I’m actually immensely excited to see my finds go to amazing and loving new homes, and can’t wait to see how our initial pop-up goes! I hope to see you there!

BUT before the shop gets into full swing next weekend, I’m heading off to Vegas to spend a couple of days with my Mom and sisters to celebrate my 30th and Coli’s 21st. And with little time to hunt for some new duds for the trip, I’m left daydreaming about the perfect Vegas poolside necessities.

bag | sunglasses | coverup | lip balm | hat | tank | shorts | sandals | swim top | swim bottom

We have had some pretty close to perfect weather here in Seattle already this month and with barbeques all fired up this past weekend, it’s already feeling like summer around here! 70′s and 80′s…are you kidding me?!! Oh yeah!!

In celebration of those beautiful temperatures I’m all too excited to share the final installment of our Spring Fortunate Feast menu today! And it’s a bbq recipe!! All the better right?! As I’ve mentioned many times before, watching Seth work his cooking magic is such a treat and watching his skills with the grill are no different. I’ve never seen a prettier styled or bountiful display of fresh produce and tasty meat before in my life! This final course and the salad that accompanied it were SO good and fresh!! I loved the chilled artichoke salad against the warmth of the meat dish – quite the combo.

For more details and behind the scenes shots from our spring tabletop series be sure to head over to Seth and Monica’s blog! Also, stay tuned as our summer series is right around the corner. Many more recipes, pretty pictures and lovely table decor to come! Thanks to everyone for following along with the new series! We’ve been so thrilled with the response and it’s been such a joy to share our passions with all of you!

Perserved Meyer Lemon and Garbanzo Bean Salad

Vinaigrette:

2 TBS fresh Meyer lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBS Tahini

1 TSP honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad :

3 1/2 cups garbanzo beans

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts

1 Fresno Chili diced

1 bunch Italian parsley finely chopped

1 1/4 TBS sesame seeds

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, rinsed

2 preserved lemon (flesh removed) thinly slice the peel. Or zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette : in a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients until combined.

For the Salad : Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well.

FF Collective : {photography : Monica Hines | food and recipe development : Seth Hines | styling and art direction : Jenn Elliott Blake | custom graphics & titles : Amy Moore

It’s Friday!! Wahoooo! The sun has been out all week here in Seattle – it almost feels like summer! I’m heading to San Diego this weekend to visit my nieces and the extra dose of sunshine that’s sure to ensue is making me feel all the more spoiled by this wonderful weather! Vitamin D overload? Yes, please!

As I’ve been gearing up this week for the upcoming pop-up shop later this month, I’ve noticed the extra calorie burn while sorting out my inventory has made me all the more hungry for some tasty new recipes. Here’s a roundup of a few dishes that caught my eye this week. Isn’t that chocolate cake divine?? Why not whip that one up for no good reason at all…right?!! I’ve gotta learn that icing technique – too cute!

Happy Weekend friends!

ONE : Savory Quinoa Breakfast Muffins – Playful Cooking

TWO : Pear Nectar and Thyme Mimosa – Glitter Guide

THREE : Caramelized Fennel, Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup – The Gouda Life

FOUR : Fig Gorgonzola Honey Tartines – Tartlette

FIVE : Alaskan Cod With Raw Salad – Cannelle et Vanille

SIX : Three Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling – Flourishing Foodie

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve returned home from a trip to Europe willing myself to evoke or produce even just a small morsel of the European lifestyle into my own life. Time and time again I fall in love with the carefree and nearly unconscious city wandering of the locals in each place I visit, and how even on those not so great weather days people are out and about exploring, and getting to and from on FOOT. I too end up spending most of my days while on vacation walking endlessly, getting lost in the beauty of each twist and turn of the city. My legs aching, but always in the most accomplished of ways. I always come back to the states wishing I rode my bike more, or walked to the local farmer’s market more, or just considered on a daily basis how easy it really is to leave the house and go for a walk around my neighborhood.

In conjunction with the overwhelming desire to incorporate a daily “walking” routine into my day, I’ve also had the desire to pay more gratitude and appreciation for my life. It’s often times easiest to look at what’s not going well, or what areas of ourselves are lacking or need a lot of working on. It’s especially easy to feel this way if you spend time following other blogs, watching tv, scrolling pinterest, or even reading a great novel. It can always appear that someone else has more, is more or is becoming more than you are. But in those moments when I’m feeling “less than” or just simply having a bad day, I’m trying to remember to be grateful for what I do have.

So a concrete decision was made. EVERYDAY for the next thirty days no matter where I am in the world I will be taking a dedicated 90 minute gratitude walk. No judgement of myself or the day itself, just simply walking. And appreciating. Taking note of three things that I’m grateful for that day. So far I’ve completed 6 of my 30 walks (about to head out for my 7th) and the changes have already been impeccable and palpable. My mood is better, my body already feels more physically fit, and my mind is already more alert and focused on the positive things in my day. I’m walking about 6 miles each time I leave the house for one of my walks, and I can only imagine what it will feel like 180 miles into my walking goal.

I’ll be documenting one picture a day on instagram from each walk I take, while also taking note of a few things I most grateful for each day. I’m hopeful this new routine will last far longer than 30 days, as walking my city & taking moments to reflect and be thankful feels like the best investment I’ve made in my own self care in a REALLY long time.

I hope you’ll follow me on my walking journey or maybe even start your own. I’ll be posting pictures daily here.

This announcement has been in the works for a while, and although I’d been a bit nervous to share the news, I actually woke up this morning extremely relieved and REALLY excited to share. Over the past couple of years myself, my businesses, and my brands have gone through many a transition (I guess the growing pains of a new life direction right?) and today I’m officially embarking on (and announcing) one of those most recent transitions with you today (I alluded to some of those transitions in this post awhile back). The crazy thing about it all is that running a business is a little like going through puberty : all the awkward moments, blemishes, mishaps and learning moments are out in the open for all the public to see. The best part?? All of those growing pains ultimately create the best version of yourself…they lead you to the person who you are ultimately meant to become.

When I first launched my vintage rental company SCOUT nearly two years ago, I envisioned the company running hand in hand and pretty parallel to the other aspects of my styling and design brand. And although on many occasions it has done just that and been incredibly successful as a result, there have been many more moments where I felt as though the two aspects of what I was doing were working against each other – my energy was just being zapped. Running two separate entities (nearly three if you count this blog!) ultimately made me realize what aspects of the creative industry and event world I’m most passionate about and want to continue pursuing, and which ones I’m okay saying goodbye to. My heart has constantly pulled me time and time again in the direction of styling, yet unfortunately when you are spending hours and hours a day answering endless email inquiries, boxing up rental orders for clients and carrying heavy furniture up six flights of stairs your passion and ability to create beautiful imagery as a stylist & designer gets pretty lost and tossed to the wayside.

As I result (and after MANY months of deliberation and consideration) I realized that I wanted to simplify what I was offering as an entrepreneur – ultimately what I was offering of myself and of my brand. Although I still have the fondest love and passion for vintage props, furniture and decor I’ve realized that I can still live out this aspect of who I am through my prop styling efforts (full-time) and through a more focused shop experience as well. Although I feel so blessed to have participated in so many amazing weddings, events and shoots through the RENTAL aspect of my company, I have decided to move forward from rentals and instead transition SCOUT to an intentionally curated online shop. I’m SO SO SO excited about this transition as I know many of you, including my previous clients, and a few random people off the street have asked when/if I’ll ever be willing to sell pieces from my collection. Get excited…the day has come!

I will be hosting a SCOUT PROP POP-UP SHOP (now that’s a mouthful!) on Saturday & Sunday May 25th and 26th at the Wallingford Center in the Trophy Cupcakes Party room (1815 N 45th Street Seattle WA) from 11am-4pm each day. I’m really delighted about the opportunity to offer my expansive collection for purchase for the very first time and am so thankful to the Trophy team for participating in this exciting event. I will have all sorts of items at the sale (furniture, tabletop accessories, textiles, unique and one-of-a-kind pieces) all perfect for home decor or an upcoming event or wedding. It’s the perfect opportunity for the local community to get dibs on the items before they go online later this year to the public. Although not every item from our collection will be up for sale,  you can get an idea of what sorts of items will be available at the pop-up shop on our website here. *Note : All purchased items must be retrieved before 4pm on Sunday, and items are priced as marked not including tax. Also, we are encouraging cash, but will also be accepting credit and debit cards at the sale for those larger purchases of furniture and such. Items will start from $1 and up and we will have quite a few large furniture items for sale as well (chairs, dressers, settees etc.). Get there early, as I expect items to go fast and we will not be having any extended holds on items. First come basis.

With all that said, this blog has always been that place where I’ve wanted to be transparent and honest with myself, my readers and my creative community, and today I’m sharing that I am moving on from one aspect of my brand to the exciting possibilities of another aspect. I’m so hopeful and excited for what is to come now that I’m focusing my full-time efforts on styling, this blog and the small upcoming online shop – cannot wait to see what the future holds! I will still be engaging in wedding and events but it will be strictly from a styling and design arena. I’m in the midst of re-branding the service portion of my brand and am looking forward to sharing that with you as it becomes available in the coming weeks. To everyone who has supported my rental brand and been a cheerleader from the beginning, I hope you will continue to root SCOUT on as we transition later this year to our online shop. I will be sharing many more details about the new online shop in the months to come, and I hope if you are in the Seattle area you’ll swing by our first pop-up shop later this month to get first dibs on our collection!

For additional details or questions about the upcoming pop-up shop in Wallingford later this month, feel free to email me at hello@jennelliottblake.com. Hope to see you there and please pass along the invite above to anyone who might be interested in pretty vintage items for their home, event or upcoming wedding. Thank you for your support and stay tuned for the online shop and rebranding later this year!

I love those days when I accidentally stumble upon a handsome well curated online shop I’ve never seen before. I instantly perk up as my eyes survey all the beauties the brand has to offer. In the midst of one of my many rabbit trails this past week on the web, I found this pretty place and wished I could put every last item into my shopping cart. I’ve been dying to re-arrange, repaint and refresh our home and these goodies would be a great place to start. I also love how each product on the site is introduced with its own personality in the snippet below it, and how its scale changes when you click it on the page. LOVE that attention to detail!

all coveted goods from : nalata nalata

As promised, I thought I’d complete my picture sharing from last week’s Paris trip by listing some of my favorite spots/places to visit/things to eat in the city (sorry for the delay! LOTS of computer problems today – boo!).

Paris will forever hold the most special place in my heart as it’s one of those places where getting lost is a glorious expectation and indulging in pleasure is applauded. It’s often been hard for me to put into words what an outstanding and inspiring place it is and how much this city has changed my life and shaped who I’ve become. There are new surprises around every corner and it’s a city that never gets old. I hope you get a chance to visit a few of these fun spots on your own trip someday, or at the very least enjoyed our picture diary!

Happy Weekend Friends!

Jenn’s Paris (aka The Best City in all the World) Guide :

Favorite Arrondissements : 3rd and 4th. The Marais is by far the best neighborhood – best cafes, boutiques and all around GORGEOUS place to stroll. Do NOT miss this area of Paris if you visit.

Favorite Stops to Hop Off the Metro : Line 11 at Hotel De Ville | Line 1 at St Paul | Line 2 at Blanche (walk north from metro stop).

Cute Spot for Baguette Sandwich : Joli Deli - 1 Rue Borda, Metro Temple.

Best Dinner Spots : Frenchie - 6 Rue Du Nil, Metro Sentier. | Rendez Vous des Amis - 10 rue Ste Croix la Bretonnerie, Metro Hotel De Ville. | Les Enfants Perdus - 9 Rue des Récollets, Metro Jacques Bonsergent

**Not to Be Missed : The neighborhood of Montmartre, a Berthillon ice cream cone on Ill Saint-Louis, Merci for an endless shopping experience, Shakespeare and Company for a good English read, a stroll through Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise (Metro Pere Lachaise), a glass of wine at any of the cafes in Saint Germain des Pres, a picnic with fresh market finds along the Seine, shopping on any street in Le Marais, a quiet moment in Jardin du Palais Royal with the one you love.

Caffeine Fix : Telescope - 5 Rue Villedo, Metro Pyramides | Coutume - 47 Rue de Babylone, Metro Saint-Francois-Xavier | Ten Belles - Rue de la Grange aux Belles, Metro Jacques Bonsergent | Merci - 11 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Metro Bastille.

Must See Museums : Musee d’Orsay - 5 Quai Anatole, Metro Assemblee Nationale or RER Musee d’Orsay. | Musee de l’Orangerie - Jardin Tuileries, Metro Concorde | Centre Pompidou - Place Georges-Pompidou, Metro Rambuteau.

Most Jaw-Dropping Tourist Hangs : Notre Dame | outside The Louvre | La Tour de Eiffel | atop the Arc de Triomphe.

Best Crepe in the City : Marche des Enfants Rouges - 39 Rue de Bretagne, Metro Arts et Metiers. There is a guy in the covered market who whips up the most authentic crepe I’ve EVER seen – butter and all!

Favorite Bridges : Pont Saint-Louis – I love that there is always a musician playing and it’s usually pretty peaceful | Pont de l’Alma – prettiest and most breathtaking view of Eiffel Tower | Pont Alexandre III – gorgeous in one word.

Favorite Way to See Paris : On Velib bicycle. Can subscribe for bike check out x 7 days for only 8 euros! Bike rentals are 30 mins each and are unlimited throughout the day. Best deal in town!

Best Place for a Chocolate Chaud (actually a bowl of hot chocolate!) : L’Ebouillante - 6 Rue des Barres, Metro Port Marie.

Prettiest View : Right under the Sacre Coeur (Metro Anvers) or on top of the Galeries Lafayette (Metro Chausee d’Antin La Fayette).

Loveliest Food Markets : Marche Bastille - Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Metro Bastille | Rue Montorgueil – Metro Etienne Marcel | Marche des Enfants Rouges – 39 Rue de Bretagne, Metro Arts et Metiers | Marche Biologique Raspail – Boulevard Raspail. Be sure to get to the markets early in the morning for the best selection. Also, not all markets are open 7 days a week – make sure to check schedule before visiting.

Perfect Parks for a Long Stroll :Jardin des Tuileries- Metro Palais Royal | Jardin du Luxembourg – Metro Butte  | Parc des Buttes Chaumont - Metro Buttes Chaumont (new one I found thanks to Anna).

photography : jenn elliott blake.

Round two of some of my favorite moments from our trip to Paris last week. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post as I’ll be sharing the inside scoop on all the places in these photos including where to find them and why I think they are worth finding.

photography : jenn elliott blake.

Adam and I finally made our way home to Seattle on Tuesday after a wonderful birthday celebration in Paris, and I’m finally recovering from jet-lag enough to post some photos from our adventures!

If you’ve been following along for the past week or so, I shared a bit about what we were up to during our time in Paris, as well as one photo a day that I felt best represented that particular day. For the rest of this week I’ll be sharing a whole plethora of my favorite photos from our time in the City As Lights, as well on Friday some of my favorite spots in the city (including addresses and metro stops!). Many of you have reached out and asked about tips on what to see and where to go in Paris, and I hope my list on Friday proves helpful on your own Parisian adventures!

Also, a huge hug and thank you to my dear friends Anna, Grant and Tiffany. Your own tips and suggestions for the city we love so much made this birthday trip an extra special one! I had so much fun seeing the city through your eyes as well! More to come tomorrow!

photography : jenn elliott blake, last photo by mr. blake