Tag Archives: Darling Magazine

Week & End

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Processed with VSCOcam with f2 presetWe made it to Friday! This week felt especially long since I’ve been living in memories and whispers of last week’s trip to the California coast, so I’m really ready for a low-key and relaxing weekend. Tonight I think I’m going to make this soup – it’s going to be rainy here and this seems like the perfect thing to have for dinner. Tomorrow I’ll go to yoga and giggle with Kyla over lunch, then hopefully squeeze in a nap and maybe, if I’m feeling ambitious, some organizational projects. I’m so excited for Sunday, which is when we’re going to have a Friendsgiving celebration with our small group! I’m making stuffing and a harvest salad – yum. On Monday evening (which is certainly not the weekend, I know, but thanks to a short work week, it will feel like an extension of it), James and I bought tickets to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1. I can’t wait to see it on the big screen!

Happy Friday, and enjoy some fun links from around the web!

My latest post is up on Darling Magazine’s blog! It’s about ways to take in culture in your community. How do you get a dose of culture in your hometown? Dallas is full of museums that I love to wander through, and there are so many great ethnic restaurants that (literally!) give me a great taste of culture, too.

Given my passionate love for Mexican food, this cookbook would be the perfect title to add to my repertoire.

Speaking of food, this salted honey pie looks like an incredible addition to any Thanksgiving meal (via Camille Styles).

Okay, more food for thought – wouldn’t a popcorn bar be a fun feature to have at a party?

I need to hop into Goop’s pop-up shop in Highland Park Village soon and very soon! Probably not on Saturday when Gwenyth Paltrow will be there to sign her cookbooks – because it will be a ZOO – but definitely before the pop-up shop leaves Dallas in the middle of December!

Image from our time in Big Sur – more to come soon!

Week & End

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10:17:14 - Houndstooth Coffee

Happy Friday, friends! Today has been a good day, one that started out with an early morning yoga class and an impromptu pit-stop at Houndstooth Coffee (pictured above – I think a calligraphy-ed version of their tagline about coffee & people would look great as a framed print), continuing on with lots of items checked off of my to-do list and burrito bowls with one of our sweet volunteers in our office. The weather is perfect and I’m listening to the Bittersweet audiobook for the thousandth time and I’m so thrilled that it’s the weekend. There is hardly anything on the agenda, except lots of rest, pedicures with girlfriends, reading good books, taking Callie on lots of walks, and whipping up several batches of tortilla soup.

Enjoy your weekend as well as some fun posts from around the interwebs!

Our wedding is going to be featured on Style Me Pretty on Wednesday! I am so, so, so excited! I’ll be sure to share the link here when the post goes live.

Speaking of weddings, my sweet friend Blair got engaged a few weeks ago and her proposal was captured by a local news photographer, who then sought out Blair’s fiancé so the whole world could read their story. It is so, so sweet, and the pictures are fantastic!

After I finish the tortilla soup I plan to make this weekend, I want to try this crock pot pumpkin chili recipe that Becca passed along. Doesn’t it look so seasonally delicious?

My most recent post went live on Darling Magazine’s blog last week and it’s about three books that can help propel you to greatness. Check out this list and let me know what you think – do you have any titles to add?

I though this was a fun article: “The Perfect Wine for Runners’ Favorite Foods.” I want to try a Sangiovese with my next steak and some Sancerre the next time we go out for sushi!

School Year Resolutions

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Hustle + Florals

Happy Wednesday, friends! I always feel like I’m in my best rhythm on Wednesdays – does anyone else feel the same way? I seem to have an extra boost of energy that helps me be super productive, allowing me to accomplish lots of tasks on my to-do list.

I wrote about this before, but I really find the month of September to be so invigorating. Don’t get me wrong – summer is still my favorite season, but there’s something about the sentimentality of a fresh new school year that makes me want to set brand new goals for myself. So I started thinking, in lieu of (or in addition to) making New Year’s Resolutions, why don’t we start coming up with School Year Resolutions each fall? We can create new goals for ourselves, using the timeline of a school year to chart our progress. In addition to providing you with some ways that you can make some resolutions of your own on Darling Magazine’s blog, I also thought I’d share my personal School Year Resolutions with you here. This is what I’d like to do:

  • Research and register for inspiring conferences, classes, and seminars that I could participate in for work. I would love the opportunity to get out and about a bit more, pushing myself to meet new people, explore new avenues of relationship-building and fundraising, and learn lots of new and creative ways to do my job.
  • Read two new books every month – one novel and one creative/inspiring/motivational book. On that same train of thought, I need to get a library card…
  • Cook two new recipes per month and categorize them in Evernote. This is an extension of a goal I set for myself in the New Year, and while I have been testing out lots of new recipes (and sharing many of them with you here), I haven’t done the best job of recording and organizing them in Evernote. Extra challenge: memorize some of my favorite recipes.
  • Complete one house-related project per month. This can be as simple as cleaning out a closet that’s bursting at the seams or choosing a new bedside lamp for the guest room, or it can be more time-consuming, something like repainting our master bedroom nightstands or reupholstering our couch.
  • Pursue more writing opportunities.  I am so grateful that I get to write consistently for the powerhouse that is Darling Magazine and also occasionally for the beautiful Bungalow Magazine. In addition to working on pieces for these publications, I’d like to more intentionally pursue other freelance projects and also work on some essays, query letters, and writing exercises in my free time. I love to write – it’s such a life-giving creative outlet for me – but I’d like to fine-tune some of my skills and also identify my weaknesses so that I can work to improve them.

So there you have it! What do you think – will you make a list of School Year Resolutions?

Image via designlovefest

Life Lately

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howtopaintwatercolorleaves

WHOA. September 2nd already?! I’m so sorry for my lack of posting recently. Two weeks ago I broke my ankle and have been recovering at home in a haze of aches, pains, and medication, and I’m finally on the mend! My recovery process has actually gone so swiftly and well, thanks largely to my amazing husband, family, and friends. I’ve been so grateful for the encouraging words, the thoughtful visits from loved ones near and far (including Mom’s three-day journey to Dallas from Chicago when James had to make a last-minute trip to Ohio!), and the fun, uplifting gifts (wine & candy included, natch). I’ve always known that my people are the very best, but these past few weeks have really reaffirmed that.

After lots of time snuggling on the couch with Callie, watching TV marathons on Netflix, reading lots of books (This Is Where I Leave You was an instant favorite), and snacking on delicious treats, it feels good to be back in the swing of things. I’m thankful to have a job that allows me to accomplish tasks remotely, but it does feel nice to be back in the office today – there’s something motivating about having an office space to go to and get work done in, I think.

I love this time of year. Even though I’m no longer a student, I’ve always felt more refreshed by the entrance of fall than I have by the coming of a new calendar year. I still find myself living according to the timeline of a student, planning my schedule and calendar accordingly (spring break, anyone?). I appreciate that my favorite season, summer, technically still has a few more weeks left in the limelight, meaning that there’s more time for cocktails on patios, swimming, barbecuing, and evening walks (pending the removal of my cast, of course), but I still can’t help but be invigorated by the entrance of a new school year, a chance to start fresh, to re-evaluate goals, and to make more plans (and, naturally, to stock up on new “school” supplies, like these amazing sushi erasers). In fact, I love this time of year so much that you’ll see me writing about this very topic on Darling Magazine’s blog soon, soon, soon – so stay tuned. (And in the meantime, check out my most recent post about planning the perfect staycation.)

I really and truly appreciate your patience. I’m officially back and at ’em, so I’ll see you here tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Image via eHow Crafts

Week & End

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6:11 - Cambria

The weekend is here! I am so excited to be heading to Colorado this evening for a weekend trip with Erin, Karli & Becca! Last year we spent time together in Cambria, California (where the photo above was taken), and I know this weekend will be full of similar goodness to what we experienced during that trip – great food, lots of laughter, plenty of adventuring, gorgeous scenery, and, of course, free-flowing wine. I can’t wait!

Have a great one, and enjoy some fun links from around the interwebs!

This perfect picnic post made me want to whip up some treats, gather up a blanket, and head to a park with husband & puppy for some afternoon relaxation. I’m putting this on my summer to-do list, definitely.

This interview with Fred Armisen & Carrie Brownstein (of Portlandia fame) is not new to the internet but it was new to me, and I laughed out loud several times while reading it. Seriously, the last question about the ATM – how did those two get so dang funny?

This rental house in Costa Rica is actually a dream come true. Who wants to book a trip, stat?

I really like this short little questionnaire with Kate Arends, the blogger behind Wit & Delight. I love her sense of style so it was fun to get a sneak peek into her life.

I loved this Besties feature on Camille Styles’s blog – I was particularly inspired by both girls’s comments about their passion for Christ & their faith. I also super love these watermelon swim suit bottoms that Kate was wearing – adorable (I mean, seriously, paired with that chambray top – s’cute).

P.S. My newest post about creating your own backyard oasis is up on Darling Magazine’s blog!

The Yellow Conference

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I’ve felt extremely productive today, partly in thanks to my cozy early morning coffee date with Kyla & Kristen and the gloomy June weather we’re experiencing in Dallas (which always makes me better at hunkering down and tackling my to do list compared to when it’s sunny and beautiful outside). After knocking some things off my list, I sought out some new places for inspiration, contemplating ideas that I could turn into reality in order to generate something new and exciting not only within the realm of my job but also in the world of my extracurricular creative pursuits. While reading a few blogs during my lunch break, I stumbled upon The Yellow Conference and was totally inspired by the concept:

The Yellow Conference is a gathering for creative women who desire to ignite passion and bring goodness to the world through everyday living.

This conference was created for you. The women who know that they were built for a greater purpose. The earth shakers and ground movers. Come learn from like minded individuals who are out there making a difference, and learn how you too can do the same. Come to get inspired and leave with practical advice on how to make your dreams a reality as a woman living in today’s modern world.

Our desire is to help you live a life filled with passion, one you are proud of. To fight for goodness, fight for love, and spread it throughout the world. Come to discover more about yourself and how to use your uniqueness to live inspired and passionately throughout your days.

I mean, totally awesome, right? (Insert me slow clapping here.) I passed this on to some friends as well as to my boss/mentor, Pam – all of us are chomping at the bit to register for the conference. I know a few of the speakers (one is Darling Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Sarah Dubbeldam) and I would love the chance to get to meet new & inspiring people in one of my favorite places (Los Angeles, of course). Stay tuned – I’m hoping we can make something work…this is right up my alley!

Image via Design Loves Company

Week & End

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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