Happy Fourth of July!

Posted on July 3, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

Fourth of July is here, hip, hip, hooray! The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday – kind of surprising, right? I absolutely love Christmas and Thanksgiving (and my birthday, too, if that counts) but the Fourth of July encompasses so many of my favorite things (fireworks, barbecues, ice-cold margaritas, time with family and friends, afternoons on the water, American pride) during my very favorite season (sweet, sweet summertime). This year is especially great because Fourth of July lands on a Friday, giving us three whole days to celebrate America’s independence. Since I’m not near an ocean or a lake this year (and since I think that spending the Fourth near water is 100% required), I plan to pool-hop my way through Dallas. Laura and I are going to soak up the sun at FOE tomorrow after meeting for tacos, and we’ll reconvene on Saturday at Kyla’s pool, where I’m planning to make this guacamole and these margaritas. Fun in the sun awaits indeed, folks. Have an amazing holiday weekend!

P.S. Just in case you’re in a blog-reading mood, here are some fun links from around the web:

I made this raspberry granola today and it turned out so deliciously! I think that next time I would put the granola on two baking sheets instead of one – I like my granola crispy enough to withstand some almond milk or yogurt, and I think some of mine didn’t get cooked thoroughly enough – but I’m pleased with the result nonetheless.

Laura found this great deal on Gilt Groupe for Weekend Coffee (remember how I said I’ve been wanting to go there?) and a group of us united forces and signed up for a private coffee brewing class – so excited for that!

I love using Airbnb when I travel (I’ve used it in Palm Springs, New York & Austin) and I’ve always wanted to utilize the service during a trip abroad. Jordan Ferney’s post on booking an Airbnb accommodation in Paris is bookmark-worthy – I am definitely using this on my next trip to France!

Not that I really need any more reasons to love tacos, but this simple little recipe (of the breakfast variety) is another one to add to the list.

Speaking of food, I love Fourth of July treats so much that I wrote a blog post about it. And now I’m craving baked beans & broccoli slaw in a major way.

Photo via Coffee in the Mountains

Week & End

Posted on June 27, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

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.

Week & End

Posted on June 21, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

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

Week & End

Posted on June 13, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

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.

Week & End

Posted on June 6, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

Weekend, weekend, weekend! What are you up to? This week was full of lots of goodness, including several girly evenings – dinner with a dear college friend on Tuesday, our monthly Girls Night In at Korena’s on Wednesday (which included takeout Thai food, a late-night Pinkberry run & wine on the rooftop), and a going-away party for our sweet friend, Karen, at HG Suply Co. last night. This weekend holds so much promise because there’s literally nothing on our calendar. Lots of sunshine, food, friends, reading, puppy loving, and rest will be involved, that’s for sure.

Enjoy some great links from around the web!

My newest post on Darling Magazine’s blog is up! Need inspiration for a Father’s Day gift? Look no further than this fun guide that I put together. P.S. Word on the street is that Darling’s quarterly print publication is now being sold at Nordstrom – too cool!

I’m not a huge shopper but I have spurts where I can’t stop browsing the interwebs for cute pieces to add to my wardrobe. Though I am coveting these sandals in a major way, these Target shoes would be so much kinder for my wallet (and right now, they’re buy one, get one half off!). Speaking of deals, Korena wore this lion smock dress to Girls Night In and I want it so bad (it looked amazing and comfy on her, win-win). It’s even 25% off! Is that a sign?

I feel ridiculous even mentioning this because if you are a person living in America you already know, but I am so excited that The Fault in Our Stars comes out today. My book club gals and I read John Green’s incredibly riveting novel and we’re waiting for the dust to settle before heading out to see the movie in a couple of weeks (we’ll be having cocktails here first). My best gal, Becca, got a chance to see a screening in Nashville this week and she said that she was glad to have read this review ahead of time – it set her expectations in just the right place because, after all, it can be a bit nerve-wracking to a see a movie about a book you truly love. Will it live up to the hype? Stay tuned.

This recipe is a really creative (and healthy) twist on one of my favorite weeknight meals, the burrito bowl.

I got to meet with my friend Lauren this week to dream up some ways to partner together with Touch A Life, and we got sidetracked and started talking about a ridiculously amazing photo shoot she got to do in Paris this spring. These images are jaw-dropping (you can see them here & here) and I am going to follow Lauren’s lead and book a shoot as a treat/souvenir for myself the next time I’m in Paris (whenever that may be…le sigh). Of course, I am also going to be copying the tulle look whenever this mythical trip to Paris occurs (I also love LBK’s honesty – like, “no, I don’t own this outfit & actually it was basically stapled together.” So good.)

Image via designlovefest

Week & End

Posted on May 30, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

Dang, y’all, it’s Friday already? No complaints here, of course, but I apologize for my lack of posts the past couple of days! The short workweek threw me off a bit and time just seemed to fly by.

What are you up to this weekend? I’m hosting a small group retreat at our house tonight and I’m so excited for quality time with some of my favorite ladies. We’re going to make our own pizzas (experimenting with combinations like fig, prosciutto & arugula), drink wine, and have a slumber party – so fun! The rest of the weekend will be fairly low-key, which is just lovely.

Have a fabulous Friday & enjoy some fun links from around the web!

James & I are so beyond excited that the second season of Derek is now available on Netflix! We plan to hunker down with a bottle of wine and blow through all of the new episodes in one sitting (yep, we love the show that much).

After the aforementioned shared bottle of wine, James & I are starting our quarterly 10-day AdvoCare cleanse. I used to dread having to give up dairy, alcohol, sugar, and caffeine (amongst other treats, like pizza and chips with queso) for an extended period of time but now that I’ve got a few cleanses under my belt, I’m actually looking forward to it – I feel so energized afterwards.

Speaking of the cleanse, this looks like a delicious (and healthy!) smoothie that I need to make in the very near future.

I love all of Sugar & Cloth’s IKEA hacks – I definitely want to recreate her headboard and nightstands. Add this pretty bar cart to the list, too.

I have enjoyed The Atelier’s stationery for awhile now but I’ve never taken the plunge and ordered any paper products. These striped shirt notecards as well as these palm leaf cards have pushed me over the edge – I must have both!

Photo via The Brick House

Week & End

Posted on May 24, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, eeeeee! Exactly one year ago yesterday, James & I got engaged – so cool! To celebrate, we headed to Chicago for a mini-Johnson family reunion, which was a total blast. This year we’re spending the weekend in Dallas doing lots of fun things with friends. Last night we were at a benefit concert hosted by the Cones & their friends from their church community, the Kellums – The Black Frames played (and James got to do a cameo on his fiddle, so fun!) and the proceeds of the event benefitted Touch A Life. Does it get any more awesome than that? Tonight we’re having friends over for a backyard barbecue, and on Sunday we’ll meet more friends for dinner at Hopdoddy & a game night (where a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity will definitely be involved). I plan to soak up the sun on Monday and convince James to take me out for a Mambo Taxi (or two). Three cheers for three day weekends!

And now, for some fun links from around the web…

Everyone (including myself, clearly) has been posting gorgeous pictures of peonies & I don’t blame them – they’re in season right now and they make me so happy! I picked some up at Trader Joe’s for our house and my office and I need to read up on how to care for them so they last for as long as possible.

I am obsessed with Daily Greens juice (made in Austin but widely distributed in Dallas, even at my yoga studio) – I drank a bottle of the Harmony juice every day while we were in Austin for our wedding festivities, even on the big day itself! When I read that they are opening a juice bar where they’ll also serve cocktails, I nearly fainted – what a delicious concept.

There are so many good new restaurants cropping up around town. I want to try Pecan Lodge, Top Pot Doughnuts, and Stock & Barrel.

Wouldn’t it be fun to host a build-your-own sliders party?

These sandals! Swoon. So perfect for summer!

Week & End

Posted on May 16, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

We made it to Friday! Do you have big plans for the weekend? I have nothing on the agenda tonight or tomorrow, aside from a City Surf sweat sesh or two (and maybe some champagne drinking in the backyard with some girlfriends). On Sunday, I’m so excited to take attend Calligraphy Brunch workshop at taught by the super talented Lauren Essl. Not only have I always wanted to take a beginners calligraphy class but I also have always wanted to learn from Lauren, who I actually met at the Dallas Flea when she was designing stationery and other fun paper products back in 2011. Calligraphy lesson + mimosas – is there anything better?

Have a fabulous weekend, and enjoy some fun links from around the world wide web:

I really liked this post about establishing a reflective routine. It got me to thinking about doing a better job of intentionally creating my own time to read my Bible, pray, journal, or simply just think. Mornings (especially on weekends) are such a lovely time to do this but I often exercise before work on the weekdays, cramping my a.m. reflection/relaxation style just a bit. Maybe doing something in the afternoon or around lunchtime would be a better fit…

Have you tried using rosehip seed oil as a facial cleanser? After reading this post and doing a little research, I decided to take the plunge an order some. I’ll let you know how it goes! (I got some of the dry shampoo that she refers to, too, in case you were wondering.)

On a whim, James and I made a distinctly non-vegan version of this delicious peanut butter cup pie on Monday night and it was to die for. Recipe to follow!

If someone can tell me where these hilarious cocktail napkins are from, I will send you candy & hugs.

We’re a few months late but James and I watched the series finale of Dexter last night and my initial reaction was to loathe the ending (no spoiler alerts here, don’t worry!). But after reading this interview with the show’s producers, it gave me a new perspective that helped me appreciate the conclusion so much more. If you watched all eight seasons of Dexter like we did, what did you think of the finale?

P.S. Happiest of birthdays (on Sunday) to my amazing, loving, and generous dad! I wish we could drink wine and celebrate together!

Image via SF Girl By Bay & Toby Scott

Week & End

Posted on May 9, 2014 by coffeeandtacos

Happy Friday! I am so blessed to have a job that I love but I must admit that I very much look forward to my weekends. This week was full of greatness – Mambo Taxis at Mi Cocina with girlfriends to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, cooking adventures in the kitchen with James, a lunch meeting with our favorite videographer, one of my most favorite Girls Nights In to date at Korena’s (complete with build-your-own rice bowls and champagne on the roof), and the launch of Coffee & Tacos, of course! This weekend should be fairly low-key, as there’s not much on the calendar. I have a Skype Happy Hour date tonight with Erin, and I plan to go to City Surf tomorrow with Laura, celebrating our great workout with tacos and margaritas afterwards. I always love taking Callie on walks, especially since the weather has been so fantastic, and I am looking forward to soaking up some sun in the backyard while I finish up The Goldfinch. I most definitely will be poring over the wedding photos that Heather sent us, which we got this week – she is so beyond talented, and isn’t the way she packaged the photos so gorgeous?! It was such a treat that she gave us some actual prints, too! Happy early Mother’s Day to all of the beautiful mommas out there, especially mine!

This is not a new idea to those of you who are avid blog readers, but each Friday I plan to share some fun links from around the interwebs. I always love setting aside some time to scroll through blogs that post weekly recaps, which feels like a perfectly suitable activity for lazy Saturday mornings that include coffee and breakfast in bed and wearing pajamas for way longer than publicly acceptable. So enjoy these fun finds from this week:

I already sent Mom her Mother’s Day gift from Andrew & me (I hope she loves it!!) but if I hadn’t picked anything for her yet, I’d send her one of these gorgeous gift boxes. And then I would send one to myself.

My childhood friends Andrea & Natalie are just about to launch Yoga+ in Chicago. The concept, per their website, is this: “Our idea of the perfect friend date involves something active (yoga) + learning something new. Each month with Yoga+ we’ll offer just that! A vinyasa-style yoga class followed by an interactive educational event surrounding one of our other favorite hobbies or an activity that we’ve been itching to learn more about.” Their first event is a floral arrangement workshop – I wish I lived in Chicago so that I could go! I’ve already told them I would love to help host a Dallas event if they ever venture down to Texas because I think the idea is that fabulous.

I always come home from one trip ready to plan another (which, I recently read, is actually a good idea). Bri Emery’s travel posts on Tulum and Thailand have already got me daydreaming of new and exciting places.

Currently coveting this Salute the Sun pullover.

Okay, these house plant cupcakes are simply fantastic.