Monday Musings: Moor Naan Please
Confession: I like to be comfortable. This applies in a lot of ways to my life. Some good, some bad. Think comfort in the truest sense of the word - yoga pants, soft cotton T's, and down pillows. I also like to be comfortable in an abstract sense. I like to go to my grocery store, even if I'm on the other side of town and another would be more convenient. If I have to buy something from the mall, I generally wait until I go home to San Antonio so I can shop at La Cantera and don't even get me started on trying a new brand of something. The biggest shocker, I frequent the same restaurants, over and over again. Don't get me wrong, I love trying new restaurants, exploring new cultures, and going on an adventure. However, there are some days I'd rather just do what's comfortable. Aren't we all kind of like that sometimes?
Enter Oporto. It's kind of a joke among some of my friends here in Houston, if Tyler and I are going out to dinner, we're probably going to Oporto especially if it's a Friday night, and we don't want to make any more decisions for the week. We found Oporto kind of out of desperation. One of the hardest things about leaving DC was leaving that comfortable feeling of knowing I could just walk up the street to Columbia Firehouse or drive over to Del Ray and grab a bite anytime I was wanting to feel "comfortable". When I moved to Houston, I didn't have that, so I was quickly on a mission to find it. We had tried a couple of dinner places here and there, but none stood that "this is what I need" sort of test, until Oporto.
Oporto is a great little Portuguese, tapas style place. It's got a great menu with tons of options, each one as delicious as the next. From a decor perspective, it's perfect, and from a menu perspective, it doesn't get much better. I love going there, and each time we do, I get inspired. For this week's Monday Musings, I'm taking that inspiration, and sharing it with you. If you have any Portuguese experiences to share, send me a snap, message me on insta or facebook, tweet it at me, or leave a comment below!
Monday Musings
1. Press Play now.. then continue your Portuguese Journey.
2. Decor and Moor.
I'm loving the vibe of Portuguese/Moor/Spanish/Morrocan design right now. There's just something about the plaster, raw wood, natural linens, rugs, and colorful tiles that appeal to me. It's timeless and effortless, yet modern and complicated all at the same time.
Who else is loving this look right now? Obviously, I can't totally transport myself to Portugal/Morocco to live in one of these amazing places, but I am thinking to add a few touches of Moorish designs throughout my apartment can't hurt. First purchase, that copper pitcher, Turkish towels, rustic ladder, and then that big leaf palm. What do you think?
SHOP THESE LOOKS:
distressed vase | big leaf palm | woven basket | wood vase | set of 3 vases | copper pitcher | turkish towels | reversible rug | stackable wooden trays | copper platter | dark cream rug | traditional palm | copper tumblers | pink kilim rug | rustic ladder | kilim coasters | dark kilim rug | hammered vase | folding wood stool | cream rug | natural wood bar stool
3. DIY Yourself Right to Portugal
The first step on my "make my life look more like Portugal" journey, the patio space. If you're wanting to get this look, but really don't have much of the budget, the outdoor space seems like a great place to start. I'm thinking some great pots, an outdoor rug, some natural teak chairs, maybe an all-weather floor pouf, and you've got yourself a Portuguese patio. Okay, maybe let's just start with the pots. There are some great DIYs out there on how to amp up your pots. I'm loving these gold leaf ones from huntedinterior.com, they've got that magical boho feel. If you want something not so magical, the white washed ones from maisondepax.com should do the trick. If you're really feeling like a project, check out theownerbuildernetwork.co for a concrete planter DIY.
Not in the DIY mood? That's okay, I've pulled together some of my favorites that you can buy to get the look, without all that back-breaking work.
Shop Here:
round concrete planter | antique white urn | modern terracotta | rectangle planter | vintage white with blue | aged terracotta with base | lion planter | small white crock | aged terracotta set | blue cauldron
4. Look Naan Further... for the perfect naan recipe.
Confession #2: I'm addicted to Naan Bread. It's true. At this point, I've just succumbed to the addiction and stopped trying to fight it. I recently came across this perfect recipe by Gimme Some Oven. I've made it multiple times, too many to count, and every time it comes out perfectly. It keeps tremendously in the fridge and reheats perfectly in the toaster oven. It's great by itself, or as the dough for a Moroccan inspired pizza topped with M’hammarah.
5. Next Stop... Lisbon.
I'm a big fan of the blog What's for Breakfast, and you'd never guess where she was last week with her precious family... Yup., that's right, Portugal. Every Instagram photo she's shared during her time there has me inspired.
Also, if you're planning a trip there, make sure and check out the Lisbon City Guide! Her city guides aren't only visually stimulating, they're also filled with tons of useful information.