Friday Favorites

I’ve missed doing Friday Favorites, because they help me to focus on all the good things that are going on in my life. By choosing to focus on things that make me smile, I find I’m more appreciative. I also like that when I look back at past Friday Favorites they give me a pretty clear idea about what my life was like at that moment. Without further adieu, here my favorites from life this week.

1. Impromptu homemade peach and cherry cobbler with vanilla ice cream is always a good idea.

2. Resisting the urge to reread all my cookbooks while packing them, was a difficult task.

3. When I pulled these beets from the garden, I was not expecting them to be these beautiful chiogga beets, you can’t imagine my excitement.

4. Cleaned out my parent’s pantry. A giant garbage bag full of expired food, made me quite sad.

5. Tex didn’t notice this baby bird on the sidewalk, during our walk, but I made sure to stop and take his photo.

6. Hanging out at the lake in New Hampshire last weekend was awesome.

7. While packing my belts, I realized that I have a minor obsession and I need to keep myself in check.

Friday Favorites

Despite the terrible allergies, I’ve been plagued with, this week was pretty good. I’m definitely excited for the weekend though!

First: My great-aunt  came to visit us for Easter and she turned ninety in February, so we made her cake and sang her happy birthday in Italian. (She was so touched she cried! So sweet.) Second: I love how our dining room table looks all dressed up. Third: I made beet, orange and fennel salad, and the entire thing turned red. It was pretty delicious.

Top: I got a mani/pedi with my mom. The grey color I chose was called “French Quarter for your thoughts.” I wish I could be a professional nail polish color namer. Do they exist? Bottom: My seedlings are starting to look like tomatoes. I really need to transplant them.

This List of 13 Things to Get You Through a Rough Day really helped me on Tuesday when an allergy induced Migraine hit.

I have not read a single book on this list of 10 Books to Read Before You Grow Up. I think I’ll start with number seven.

I wish I had read this advice about compost before I mixed it all into the garden. (I’m pretty sure it’ll be okay though.)

Have you seen the movie, Drive? The soundtrack was amazing so I appreciated this post by Mallory’s boyfriend Brian.

We all have two more days to enter Kaylah’s giveaway for B.A.I.T shoes. (I don’t enter many giveaways but those shoes are cute!)

My Hunger Games Name is Greasy Flickerwood. I was a tribute from District Seven in the 31st Hunger Games and I was killed because I thought it was okay to stroke a snake. Who are you? Let me know in the comments, I think this is the most hilarious website ever.

Jon’s been to Ireland twice, traveling there as a visiting artist, and sparking my interest in going someday. Caiti’s been posting beautiful pictures of her Ireland ventures as she’ll be living there for while, and they made the fire spread. I want to go NOW!

This list made me want to read more non-fiction. I added like 10 books to my to-read list.

Speaking of things I want to read, J.K. Rowlings first post-potter book, which she wrote for adults, comes out in September. I hope it meets or surpasses my expectations.

I have a feeling this is going to be an awesome series.

My friends really need to start having babies (or I guess get married first) so that I can knit them sweet sweaters and make them cute/ funky pants.

I love Summer rolls, and this post made me believe I could make my own… maybe this weekend.

I really enjoyed Divergent, and I can’t wait to read Insurgent in May, so it was awesome to see how excited Veronica Roth got about being published for a second time.

Did you hear the Gary Ross isn’t directing the next Hunger Games Movie? It’ll be interesting to see who they are able to get to do it.

I’m so excited to watch the new HBO series, Girls this weekend. I think it’s going to be awesome.

I have a ton of things I’m hoping to accomplish this weekend. My word for the weekend is “Follow Through.”  What do you have planned for this weekend friends?

Friday Favorites

So it just hit me today, that it’s April already! Can you believe we’re already a quarter through the year? It shocks me. And thus begins my first April Friday Favorite Post.

1. My tomato seedlings are so adorable. Very soon, I’m going to have to move them into bigger pots, before eventually transplanting them into the garden.

2. I started some container gardens on the patio; I planted lettuce and arugula and some herbs in various pots.

3. I started a fun new project with Jon’s mom’s help. This is just a sneak peek, but I’m really excited about it.

4. I read the comics, on some Sundays. This one cracked me up as it was ridiculously appropriate, especially considering my garden advice post.

5. My mom and I spent some time looking through a few of our cookbooks to plan our Easter meal. I LOVE cookbooks so it was time well-spent.

6. Beets are my favorite vegetable, but occasionally their dyeing properties work to make food look extremely unappetizing.

7. My dad brought me home a coffee roll donut from Dunkin Donuts. He’s a pretty awesome dad. He knows they’re my favorite.

8. Someone at work brought in jelly beans and placed them right above my desk. I couldn’t help but eat all the pink ones.

This Week’s Internet Awesomeness

What I know About Beauty Now that I’m in My Twenties by Kate of Eat the Damn Cake was an awesome article in the Huffington Post.

Gary Ross answered some reader questions about the Hunger Games in the Arts Beat of the New York Times.

These sandals make me really mourn the fact that I like expensive things.

This Fitzgerald quote delights me.

An Ex-hooker’s Letter to Her Younger Self was poignant and really interesting to me.

This pinned ecard describes my life right now so Lauren’s post full of videos of Josh Hutcherson made my week.

We’re hosting an Easter celebration this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope you all have something equally awesome planned, no matter what you chose to celebrate.

Happy Friday!!

Friday Favorites

It’s been a long week, and unfortunately, I don’t have too many things to share today. That being said, I hope the awesomeness of what I do share, more than makes up for it.

1. In April, I’m going to a friend’s wedding. I ordered a dress from Ruche, and it came in the mail this week. It fits perfectly and I adore the color. Now I just need to figure out what I’ll do with my hair.

2. My sweet boy took a nap on my lap the other night. The fact that as soon as I sit down, he immediately orients himself so he’s next to me or on my lap, will never get old.

3. I wear my hair in braids a lot! Since seeing the Hunger Games, I’ve been favoring the Katniss side braid.

4. The buds on our pear tree exploded into bursts of white. It’s nice to look at, but they literally stink!

Noelle does some awesome Hunger Games art. Above is my favorite. Seriously, hilarious. (I found Noelle’s tumblir via someone’s link to it, but I don’t remember whose and I can’t find it right now! If it was you let me know!)

Don’t marry a man unless you’d be proud to have a son just like him. Danielle’s post was definitely one of my favorites this week.

I was so ecstatic to see this post from aura joon, in my google reader . Even if she’s not going to be blogging again, it was nice to hear from her and see her sweet Elodie.

I loved Carley’s series Not Another Love Story, about how her and her boyfriend met and fell in love. There’s five parts, but definitely start with one.

I’m sure there are other things that I wanted to include here, but my google reader is not working on my computer (which is near-death), so I have no access to my starred items!

Anyhoot, I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Friday Favorites

Time for some favorites from the week! There’s not enough time in the day to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, but keeping myself so busy is really making time fly. I can’t believe March is almost over already!

It was a delicious food week for me. First: My dad fried some flounder and I made couscous and asparagus; it was a lovely dinner. Seond: Monday was Saint Joseph’s Day (the Italian equivalent of St. Patty’s almost), so we feasted on canolli cream-filled zeppole, mmMmm. Third: I cooked white fish (tilapia maybe?) over Bok choy and cabbage; it was a surprisingly amazing success.

The weather was so nice this week, I took Tex on a bunch of walks around the neighborhood. I always left my camera at home but I got some nice photos of neat things with my phone anyway.  Last one: we cut through the woods on the way home, because I was too tired to walk around.

My pets are so adorable. I love them. Top: Tex couldn’t decide who he wanted to sit next to, so he sat with his butt on the arm of the sofa, and his front legs on the bottom of the recliner, such a silly guy! Middle: Tony made himself comfortable underneath my mom’s chair on the patio. Bottom: When I got home from work, Tex ran up to my car, hopped in, and smothered me in kisses. (Best welcome home ever.)

Now for some favorites from the online world .

Lots of great how-to/ life advice links today. Kira blogged about how to be a lovely blogger and her tips about commenting were particularly awesome. The always awesome Elise, wrote a post on expertise and making it work and it was full of great advice. The article How to Find Your Purpose and Do What You Love, was super and the article Advice on Advice from Literary Greats, by the same, Maria Popova, was equally stellar.

This faux feather necklace by Alisa Burke was gorgeous, but then again I love everything she does.

If you haven’t heard, Smash is awesome. However, my favorite is reading the recaps from Tom and Lorenzo.

Who hasn’t had an argument like this with a friend, boyfriend, or family member? I may have related most to the part about being a crazy woman. (On occasion, I become irrational.)

This list of the top 25 fruits, (found via Elizabeth of Scarlet Words), makes eating fruit even sweeter.

So I’m popping in to publish this post. (I’m at work). I just want to add that The Hunger Games was incredible. It was so well done and it made me so happy and I’m gushing despite the fact I’m running on exactly 4 hours and 15 minutes of sleep. I wasn’t planning on writing a review post, but I might have to do that later, since I can. not. stop. thinking about how wonderful it was. Really!

I hope your weekends are full of good food, beautiful weather, loving pets, and fun with family and friends.

Friday Favorites

It was another great week for me. Between gardening and painting, I was a busy girl.  Here are my favorite things from life and the internet this week.

There was no lettuce in the refrigerator one morning, so I couldn’t make my typical green salad. I improvised and combined a leftover sweet potato, some cilantro, black beans, tomato, and onion to this yummy bean salad. It’s never fun to fly by the seat of your pants when it comes to lunch making, but it worked out for me on Monday.

A certain kitty I know, was quite happy to jump up on my desk and investigate what was happening. Thankfully, he avoided walking through my paint set with the grace of a cat.

On Sunday I went to Anthropologie with my mom and my sister. Anthro is always great for inspiration. From Left to Right: Cute ceramic mason jars with a chalk spot that I might have to diy for myself. When trying on some dresses to wear to a wedding I’m attending in April I looked around the dressing room only to realize everything I brought in was a shade of red. I figured out this upside down mesh bowl is for protecting food from bugs when dining outdoors, another pretty cool thing to diy. Lastly, I loved the way a blown up photo looked all cut up and arranged on the wall.

My sweet sister is the flower sender in our family. For my mom’s birthday this week, Cass sent her a bouquet she designed. She chose the flowers to match the kitchen. What a thoughtful concept something I never would’ve thought to do.

I’ve discussed my obsession with good reads a bunch already, and I understand if you don’t want another website to check. But I have good news, they’re on pinterest!

Rachel is awesome as is pasta, so this post was doubly so.

I also think Meg is incredible and I loved this post in which she “shows her heart” through a photo, a poem, a song, a quote, an item of clothing, and a place. The quote she chose has become one of my very favorites.

Clare Elsaesser’s paintings are incredible. I especially love the ones featured on frolic.

Dealing with failure is difficult, this post from yes and yes might make it easier.

Ruche did a spotlight on Audrey Hepburn and I love the photos they chose.

A 10- year- old’s opinion on natural healthcare from South of the Fork. This was hysterical. My favorite line is the one about 50 year olds going ahead to die naturally.

LadyT is a really thoughtful. She articulated her thoughts about perspective so well.

This blog combines my love of birds and photography so nicely. I love those Horned Owl chicks.

Lastly, I’m really loving these madewell sandals…

Tomorrow I’m going into the city to have dinner with my parents and my aunt and uncles. It should be super fun because it’s supposed to be a nice day. Other than that, I don’t have much going on this weekend, which is good because I want to do some more painting.

What’s everyone else have planned for the weekend? I hope it’s lovely for all!

 

Friday Favorites

This week was delicious and fun. Above: Eating grapefruit already peeled and separated at work, Yum! My brother made guacamole and we ate it with sweet potato chips, double yum! I played scrabble with my brother and our friend Sara, while eating chocolate cupcakes I had made. (they were delicious, and I won.) Tony and my mom played with Tony’s toy before bed. It was sweet.

This is cheating because it’s last week, but I had the most delicious sandwich and chai latte ever at a restaurant, Marigold, in Madison. The sandwich was called “The Beetnik” and it had beets and goat cheese… so delicious.

Driving home from work, with my new sunglasses on, the windows down, on 70 degree, sunny Thursday afternoon, was a nearly sublime experience. The weather and my new shades just made me content.

My week was filled with some Madmen goodness, as we get closer to the season premiere. This two-part interview with Matthew Weiner was really interesting to me.  I’m not sure how I feel about getting Jane as a result to this quiz, but I feel even worse about getting a 5/11 on  the trivia quiz found here.

I fell in love with this dress that Elsie designed for Sucre’s Stacy. The entire thing is swoon worthy. I also love this floral Anthro shirt, and I’d get it in a heartbeat if it wasn’t quite so expensive.

This post by Elise made me reflect on my relationship with Jon and where we started and where we are now. We had a similar beginning to our relationship, spending a summer together and then immediately attempting long distance. I really felt her words. and they made me happy for her and me too.

Lastly, after learning about Joseph Kony through the viral video first through this post, I felt more informed when I read this article that Kira linked to. Learning more about the IC and Kony 2012 campaign is one goal for this weekend.

Among my other plans for this weekend, doing some cooking, baking, crafting, celebrating my mom’s birthday, and spending time with my siblings. What does everyone else have planned?

Happy Weekending Friends!