Monthly Archives: June 2014

Week & End

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Friday already?! I guess time really does fly when you’re cooped up in the house for a few days – once I got back into my routine after I started recovering, I feel like I blinked and each day was over in a flash. What’s on your agenda for this weekend? Tomorrow James & I are going on a Stand Up Paddleboarding adventure at White Rock Lake with some friends (preceded by breakfast tacos and followed by margaritas), and then I’m heading to Victor Tango’s for a birthday dinner to celebrate my dear friend Kristen. James & I embarked on a major closet clean-out last week, and we’re nearly finished – I think on Sunday we’ll have just the time we need to conclude the decluttering process. It feels so good to be organized and not weighed down by so much stuff, don’t you think?

Have a great weekend and enjoy some fun links from around the web!

I saw the poster above on Bri Emery’s Instagram this week and I wanted it for our house (the reminder is so, so good and I love the color scheme)…then, lo and behold, I discoverd that it’s available for free in Yield Design Co.’s shop – FOR FREE, PEOPLE! All you have to do is pay $2 shipping. What are you waiting for?!

I have been longing to check out two fabulous-looking new(ish) coffee shops in town: Weekend Coffee & The Wild Detectives. I need to hit up these spots soon (and very soon).

I love this peek into the refrigerator of Courtney McBroom (of Momofuku Milk Bar fame).

As a celebration of the closet-clean out (I seriously got rid of so many shoes – I can’t wait to sell them at our garage sale), I figured that these gorgeous Joie sandals had to find their way into my collection (thanks, Mom!).

Got a birthday coming up but not quite sure how to celebrate it? Consider donating your special day to Touch A Life. In lieu of gifts, ask your loved ones to support Touch A Life’s work in Ghana. Host a party so you can celebrate your birthday and thank your family & friends for their giving spirits!

Image & poster via Yield Design Co.

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Summery Pins

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I’ve found so much good summer-inspired content on Pinterest over the last few weeks and I thought I’d share some of my favorite images with you today. Don’t these photos make you wish you were sipping an ice-cold beverage near a beautiful body of water? #metoo

Big Sur

Big Sur via Cereal Magazine

Summer Colors

Summer paint colors via Meggie Lynne

Vacation Necessities

Vacation essentials via Wit & Delight

Sunset

Surfer’s sunset via Marion WD

Sunglasses

Sunglasses watercolor via A Place for Art

Paloma & Guacamole

Paloma & guacamole via eat, live, run

California in the '40s

California in the 1940s via National Geographic

 

Bites, Sips & 31 Bits

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I’m so sorry for my absence in posting during the past couple of days! I’ve been home sick with a lovely little summer cough & cold combo but I’m back in action today, mostly in thanks to a powerful cocktail of antibiotics and steroids (ah, the joys of modern medicine). So! On to the Bites, Sips & 31 Bits recap…

As you know, Lauren and I concocted the idea of hosting a party to raise awareness for 31 Bits, an amazing organization that provides Ugandan women with the opportunity to sustain themselves with careers they love. I am so happy with the ambiance that we created at my house for the party through our homemade coffee filter garland, the beautiful 31 Bits jewels, Allison’s darling floral arrangements, tons of delicious treats, and a build-your-own Prosecco bar inspired by our friends at Forth Chicago. We had a great turnout – so many amazing women came over to check out the jewelry and hear the story behind the brand. It was a beautiful, motivational evening surrounded by good food, great friends, gorgeous baubles, and overflowing libations. All in all, it was a fabulous night!

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Week & End

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Happy weekend! How was your week? Mine was full of lots of goodness, including a fabulous dinner with the Viegers & Bakers on Tuesday evening (restaurant recap to come!), our book club’s movie outing to see The Fault in Our Stars on Wednesday, and Thursday night’s Bites, Sips & 31 Bits soirée, which was a total blast. This weekend is going to be low-key again, with just a pool party at Heather’s house and margaritas on a sun-filled patio with girlfriends on the books.

Now onto some fun links from around the web! But first, I leave you with a great summery quote I read in this month’s issue of Real Simple magazine:

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means a waste of time.” – Sir John Lubbock, The Use of Life

I’m copying Shauna Niequist and making it my life goal to ensure that people feel loved, known, welcome, and enough. Shauna and her poignant blog posts, man – she gets me every time.

Lauren & I made a super cute coffee filter garland for our 31 Bits party on Thursday (photos to come!) but for my next party I think I’d like to make this neon bead party garland. So pretty and definitely versatile enough to keep on the wall after the fiesta ends, don’t you think?

Speaking of DIYs, I am adding this midcentury-style plant stand to my crafting list. Love!

Fish tacos are amongst my most favorite meals on the planet (especially enjoyable during summertime), so I think that I need to make this spicy version of the dish (with cabbage slaw & lime crema) very, very soon.

If you haven’t already, register for AmazonSmile – 0.5% of your purchases will go to the nonprofit of your choice. Touch A Life is on the list of non-profits to support, so sign up and choose the organization in Irving, Texas. Your contributions will head our way the next time you buy something online. So easy!

Image via Pinterest

Attic-Turned-Lounge

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Blogs are wonderful for so many reasons but the one that tops my list is that they are a great resource in helping me find creative, inspiring, and unique ways to furnish and outfit my house. Lately I’ve been drawn to Scandinavian-styled homes – lots of white walls with clean, minimalist pieces and accents in the form of pops of color and fresh, bright plants. My friend, Natalie, summed up how I feel just perfectly in her home tour on The Everygirl a few months ago:

I like working with a blank canvas of white walls and have been drawn to more neutral and minimalistic decor lately. I also appreciate what a statement piece of furniture, a colorful area rug, or thoughtfully placed houseplant can do for a space.

It’s like she read my mind! So naturally I fell in love the space that Naomi Stein designed as part of her self-proclaimed One Room Challenge: this gorgeous attic-turned-lounge. The space encompasses everything I gravitate towards – white walls, natural and neutral pieces, pops of color in thoughtfully curated nooks and crannies, and, of course, great plants. I would hang out there all day if I was Naomi, and I hope I can recreate a space like hers for myself one day (when I sent the link to James, he loved the transformation and said I’d definitely need to do it in the future, and also added that his dream space is a perfectly organized garage, outfitted with all sorts of tools and toys…to each his own). Take a gander at all of the gorgeous photos that Naomi posted on her blog – aren’t they fantastic?

Reclaimed-Wood-Wall-Built-In-Day-bed-Design-Manifest Design-Manifest-Lounge

Photos via Design Manifest & Courtney Apple

Mexican Corn Salad

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Summertime foods are my favorites – so much fresh produce abounds, and all you need in order to serve a really great summery meal is some grilled protein (steak, chicken, burgers, fish, you pick), a bright salad with tons of greens and loads of berries & veggies, a stand-out side dish, and a delicious chilled bottle of white, bubbly, or rosé. My go-to side dish is this Mexican Corn Salad, which goes with everything from fish tacos and chicken fajitas to peppercorn steak and turkey burgers. It is beyond easy to make but your guests will feel like you slaved away in the kitchen to prepare it – the flavors are so layered and complex that this recipe would shine on any menu in town.

Mexican Corn Salad

Recipe & photo via Closet Cooking

Esquites (Mexican Corn Salad) 500 5917

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cups corn (about 4 ears), cut fresh from the cob
  • 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 lime, juice
  • 2 tablespoons cotija cheese, crumbled
  • Chili powder to taste
  • Green onions & cilantro, if you like – I don’t love these ingredients so I omitted them

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the corn, toss and let it sit cooking until charred. Mix it up and let it char again, about 6 – 10 minutes.
  3. Add the jalapeño. Sauté for one minute and remove the corn and jalapeño from the heat.
  4. Place the corn and jalapeño in a mixing bowl and add in the mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice, cotija cheese, and chili powder. Mix together and serve immediately, or let it cool if you prefer and serve it at room temperature (preferably alongside a meal that tastes great with margaritas).

Cross Plains, Texas

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James & I spent the weekend at his family’s ranch in Cross Plains, Texas. It is one of his favorite places to go as it’s truly a refuge & retreat for him. He loves wide open spaces and he is able to relax most when he’s tending to the ranch and the animals that live there. I, too, find such solace during our time at the ranch. I love the fresh air, the home-grown produce, the hours I spend reading & napping in the hammock, and the small town charm of Cross Plains, a place with a population of less than 1,000 people. We drive just a few hours west and it feels like we’re transported into a different time, and there’s something so therapeutic about that.

Here are some fun photos I snapped on my phone this weekend. We loved spending time with James’s parents, sister, and brother-in-law; playing with all of the ranch puppies (Callie included), especially the newest resident (and my running buddy), Spot; checking out the Barbarian Festival & antique car show in town (which was held at a park that was entirely covered in a magical canopy of majestic trees – so beautiful); eating delicious food; and simply enjoying a restful and relaxing time together.

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Week & End

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Succulents Desktop

Three cheers for Friday! We are headed to the ranch this weekend and I’m looking forward to quiet time, lots of reading and plenty of naps in the hammock, delicious home cooking, and fresh air. Happy Father’s Day to all of the amazing dads out there, especially mine! Now for some links around the web…

The image above is one of the newest free computer desktop backgrounds via designlovefest’s monthly Dress Your Tech posts. I love the cute little succulents, don’t you? You can download the image here.

This week we found out that our wedding is going to be featured on Style Me Pretty! We are so excited & honored to have Heather’s glorious images of our special day showcased on such a well-known and respected site. I’ll let you know when the post goes live – so fun!

I love enjoying a glass of fizzy, refreshing (and healthy!) kombucha (this brand is my favorite), especially on a hot summer day. Mixing it with Texas-based Tito’s Vodka is something I wish I would have thought of myself, as I love the idea of adding a little kick to my kombucha for a special treat. I definitely need to make this cocktail asap.

Our book club totally copied Joanna Goddard – we are going to read this book over the summer and see the film adaptation of the novel (starring Tina Fey, Rose Byrne, Jane Fonda, Jason Bateman & Adam Driver) when it comes out in September. I always love the thrill of starting a new book, and I’m especially excited about this one. Do you have any other good summer book recommendations?

Last week my parents, James & I booked a family trip to Los Angeles to visit Andrew, who recently moved back to the Best Coast to start a new job. We’re thinking of staying at this neat hotel, which is located close to Andrew’s apartment, and I can’t wait to try new restaurants, breathe in the ocean air, and spend time with my sweet family.

Wedding Photos

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In honor of hitting the two month mark of wedded bliss tomorrow (eep!), here are some of my very favorite wedding photos. It was so hard to choose just a few (okay, more than a few) out of the hundreds of gorgeous images that Heather took, but these are certainly some pictures that are going to find their way into frames very soon…

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Chow Asian

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I’ve had Thailand on the brain for weeks now (I briefly mentioned that here), which has not only prompted me to scour travel blogs & research airfare prices (a girl can dream, right?) but it has also made me crave Thai food in a major way. James often craves Thai food, too, and he was thrilled when he found Chow Asian, a restaurant in our neck of the woods that, according to him, makes the very best (& very spiciest) curry in town. He took me there one night and I absolutely loved my Pad Thai (so much so that I didn’t have any leftovers for lunch the next day like I had anticipated…whoops). I’m a creature of habit, so Pad Thai was certainly a safe and easy choice but I’d like to branch out in terms of both entrée selections and restaurants – Chow Thai, located even closer to our house, has a great menu, too. A few adventurous items caught my eye, things like crab & avocado spring rolls with cashew dipping sauce, lobster & shrimp tempura, and sea bass in Thai chili sauce. I need to scoot in for happy hour, too – so many places end their cocktail deals at 6:00 p.m., which seems a tad early for the working crowd, so I love that both Chow Asian and Chow Thai have drink deals until 7:00 p.m.

UM. I also just stumbled upon the most amazing realization while perusing Chow Thai’s website – THEY DELIVER. There goes my social life.

Image via Rasa Malaysia