tgif + etsy spotlight: abby try again

Dreamy.



(Cargo Glass by Abby Try Again)

Happy weekend, My Lovelies!
xo, Kristin

snippets

What began as a bit of an uninspired post, actually turned into one that I really like for its simplicity. So I'm going to give it another whirl today. (Plus, I get to keep cleaning out my favorites folder, which is very crowded!)



I would like to adorn my hutch with this...



I would like to cook up a meal in this...



I {heart} the ruffles on this...



I would like a tall glass of milk with this...



I would like to buy the Twinkies this...


Have a lovely day, Darlings!

i want it now: printed fabric

I can think of many ways I'd use this cute little fabric...




(From Etsy shop Lila Ruby King)

spotlight: kate golda

I dare you to take a look around Kate Golda's shop without uttering a single aww.

It's just not possible with goodies like this...





(this, this, this, and this)



I learned about Kate Golda from Brooke. (She's pretty amazing, too.)

what's cooking: last week's menu

In a word: yum.

Monday - Chicken & Avocado on Croissants
Tuesday - Spaghetti & Meatballs (with homemade sauce)
Wednesday - Bean Chili
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Cheesy Rigatoni with Chicken & Rosemary, a Side Salad and Yogurt Cake for dessert
Saturday - BBQ Chicken and Scalloped Tomatoes with Super Chocolately Rice Krispie Treats for dessert

Favorite? ohmigosh They were all so good! But if I had to pick only one it would be the Scalloped Tomatoes. Picture this: chunks of sauteed crusty bread mixed with plump tomatoes, garlic and basil and topped with parmesan cheese. After a short time in the oven, out comes a dish of bubbling tomato-y goodness underneath a layer of browned cheese. Believe me when I say I could have eaten the whole thing. It's a good thing we had guests so I didn't try. Are you drooling yet?

Sorry I don't have a picture of the Star Dish of the week. I will most definitely be making this again - and soon! - and so I'll be sure to take a picture then.

No least this week. Again! We're on a roll. ;)

Here's a picture of the spaghetti...




I just had to make something of Jamie's after watching his show. He inspired me so much! (If you haven't seen it, check it out online -- it's a major eye opener about the sad state of affairs going on in our schools.) My only modification was to add one diced onion, a minced clove of garlic and about 8 ounces of wilted spinach. It was so tasty and easy. So much so that I'm not sure I'd go back to buying jarred sauce again.

tgif + etsy spotlight: alice b. gardens

Yes. I'm certain of it. This weekend will most definitely include cupcakes.



(Confections by Alice B. Gardens)

Happy weekend, My Lovelies!
xo, Kristin

hitting the pavement

We had a lovely walk today. Quite lovely. And quite long.

Even with a bit of a chill in the air, there were signs of spring all around. Blooming flowers. Budding trees. Green grass turning ever brighter. I took some pictures along the way and wanted to share some of my sunny, Chicago day with you!



A darling little bloom...



A charming house with a white picket fence...



This color pink makes me hungry for cotton candy...



I {heart} American flags...



Are you all as excited as me that tomorrow's Friday?

what's cooking: last week's menu + the week before

Oh dear. It seems I'm behind on this again.

It's not that I'm not eating - believe me, that would NEVER be a problem! - I just keep forgetting to tell you about it.

Here's what we ate:

Monday - Salad with Chickpeas & Dried Cherries
Week before last - Tortellini Salad with Spinach & Salami
Tuesday - Margherita Pizza
Week before last - Mediterranean Chopped Salad
Wednesday - Chicken Tacos with Guacamole & Roasted Corn
Week before last - Lemon Risotto with Roasted Shrimp
Thursday - Spinach Lasagna
Week before last - leftovers
Friday - we were out of town at a wedding... our first overnight without the Twinkies!
Week before last - Croque Monsieur... yes, again.

Faves? Hmm... it's been a while. Well, the lemon risotto was AWESOME. A perfect springtime dinner. The lasagna was also delish. And so were the salads.
Least fave? The margherita pizza. This is usually a favorite of mine! But I think the tomatoes were too juicy, so the crust didn't get very crispy, and well, I've had better.

A picture of the lemon risotto with shrimp...



Ooh, and we had friends over for dinner a couple weeks ago, and I made these. Totally chocolately. Totally decadent. Chocolate brownies studded with chips...


It's really obvious that the seasons are changing around here. Slowly moving off the menus are all the heavy casseroles and baked pastas, and instead we're serving up salads and lighter fare.

What are you all eating now? Does the change of season bring about a change of menu for you?

i want it now: market bag

Loving this.

(Farmer's Market Bag by Tine K from Horne)

Now I'm not sure which I like more. This bag. Or the idea of shopping at a farmer's market again. Soon enough!

(And is it just me, or do you wish to see a bigger glimpse of the house this little bag was photographed in? The white beadboard and dark floors leave me wanting more!)

arghh + a little design inspiration

The Twinkies were in rare form today. Certainly made me earn my keep.

The peal of wailing cries is still ringing in my ears.

Tonight, I think that instead of living in my reality -- which includes folding laundry, doing dishes and washing the floor -- I'm going to pretend that I'm here...


(Via Coastal Living)

A warm bath. Some soft music. A cozy chair to curl up in afterward.
Yes, that is a lovely idea.

Thanks for stopping by. If you feel like commenting perhaps you can share a good part of your day with me. That will surely perk me up.

That, and a tall glass of wine.

tgif + etsy spotlight: blue citrus art

Because layers of billowy tulle make me smile.



(Dreamy Dancer by Blue Citrus Art.)

Happy weekend, My Lovelies!
xo, Kristin

some random tidbits

I don't know what to say today.

The words are up there, but they're just not coming out. (At least not in a way that would make sense to anyone but me.) So instead I'll leave you with a few photos that I've saved for a while in my inspiration folders. Because a picture is worth quite a lot of words, right?


I would like to wear this...




I would like to devour this...




I would like to curl up in this...




I really want my hair to look like this...




And I want to drink my tea out of this...



Hopefully by tomorrow I'll get some of my thoughts together.
'Til then, sleep tight!

design inspiration: sadie olive

It's no secret I like white things, old things, and all-around comfy things. So naturally, I'm smitten from tip to toe over everything about Sara's house...

(Photos via the "Our House" set.)

I like Sara even more after reading a bit about her on her blog. Her story makes me want give her a big hug.

Want more Sadie Olive? Visit the Boutique or the Etsy shop.

tgif + etsy spotlight: alicia bock

Rows of tattered books. A dusty chalkboard. In Paris?
Pinch me.

(Shakespeare in Paris by Alicia Bock.)

Happy weekend, My Lovelies!
xo, Kristin

what's cooking: last week's menu

It was a good week...

Monday - Arugula & Tomato Pizza
Tuesday - White Bean & Rosemary Bruschetta
Wednesday - Parmesan Trofie* with Chicken & Rosemary
Thursday - Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Toasted Almonds and Chicken Sausage Sandwiches on Toasted Ciabatta
Friday - Black Bean Burgers** with Provolone and Roasted Corn

I liked them all. No favorite this week.

Some pics:




(bruschetta and trofie)


*If you haven't heard of trofie, it's one of my most favorite pastas. I first had it when we were in Italy for our honeymoon, up on the northern Ligurian Coast. It's a hand-rolled pasta that's cut about 2-3 inches long. They kind of look like little worms, actually. It's best topped with fresh basil pesto. I've never seen trofie in the supermarket, but it is in a few gourmet shops here in Chicago. I'm sure you could buy it online as well. Mmm... now I'm daydreaming of Italy.

**I've been a big fan of frozen veggie burgers, but wow! now that Mark Bittman has shown me the way with homemade burgers, I don't think I'll need to go back to the frozen kind again. You should try these -- they're delish! From his "How to Cook Everything" book. If you don't have it, run out and get yourself a copy. It's wonderful. Really.

10 things: getting to know curls & coffee

I think Meg is adorable. Reading her blog, Curls & Coffee, leaves me feeling... well... good. About the world, about myself, about life. And tucked neatly inside each of her posts are amazing photos that she finds from all over the web.

I wonder if it's the salty Vancouver air that brings on such inspiration?

On to Meg's 10 Things...

Favorite thing about my house: the balcony. We live on the west coast of Canada, and my balcony faces south-west towards the gulf islands and the ocean. The view on a clear day is absolutely gorgeous - water and shadows of islands rising out of the distance. i love to spend time on my balcony on a rainy day, reading in a giant red arm chair that is perfect for snuggling up in.

My signature dish: we love to cook pasta, and make it at least once a week (we make tons, so there's always leftovers!) it's so easy to make whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce, and we cut tons of veggies into the sauce and add random spices so that it's a little different every time and so healthy and satisfying. it's fun to decide every week at the grocer's what new vegetables to buy too - we've tried many new veggies by cutting them up and throwing them into our pasta!

Book I can read again and again: Emma, by Jane Austen. I love the sarcastic wit, the blind optimism, and the inability for Emma to ever get her foot fully out of her mouth. She reminds me of me... and I love love love this book. I read it about once a year.

If I had one do-over: I'd re-think my university major. I majored in Science, but I've become interested in so many things along the way - history, social work, student development... I would have liked to realize earlier just how many amazing programs, minors, and even elective courses there were available to me in order to study these topics in more depth.

When I need to unwind: I go for a run. If I'm really stressed, I'll leave the ipod at home and run to be alone with my thoughts. Running helps me sort through whatever is going on in my head, and it really helps to get the stress out.

Celebrity crush: John Krasinski. He is adorable and genuine, and I absolutely love his grin.

Words I live by: family first. My family is absolutely the most important thing to me, from my husband to my brothers (now that I'm married I have 4, with two sisters-in-law!), my parents and in-laws, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, and my 95-year-old great grandmother. I have learned so much from my family, and I know they are always there to support me. I am so lucky to have a close-knit family who loves and cares for each other so much.

On Sunday mornings you'll find me: trying to sleep in. My husband is a night owl & I'm quite the early bird, and Sundays are the one day I try to stay in bed until he's ready to get up. I usually cave though, and sneak out to make a coffee or go for an early morning walk to buy a paper. When I get home, he's always still in bed!


I could spend the whole day: browsing through an outdoor market. We're lucky in Vancouver to have a farmer's market on granville island, which I visit as often as I can, as well as several craft markets that happen seasonally. i love strolling through booths and tables set out with unique wares that were lovingly made or grown by locals. Of course I'd have a latte in my hand...


I feel my prettiest when: I'm confident. Which usually comes most when I'm running on a regular basis, or having a really good hair day - not always easy with a crazy head of temperamental curls!

Thank you so much, Meg! It was a pleasure. ;)

(Photos via {Manda} here here and here.)

spotlight: nikole from forty-sixth at grace

You know what they say about April...

The showers arrived last night. It was quite a storm, actually, with booms of thunder and bright, zingy lightening. We now have our first official thunderstorm with the Twinkies under our belt. And yikes. We were up a LOT. This morning I'm a bit of a zombie and am really beginning to think I might need to start drinking coffee. But I digress...

On to the point of my post -- COOKIES!

Baking is the perfect way to pass the time if you're stuck inside on a rainy day, and aren't these the perfect cut-outs?





Nikole's cookie-making photo tutorials are fabulous. (And they make me incredibly hungry for sweets!) I am loving her cookie clouds.

Cutter available here.

tgif + etsy spotlight: auralee dallas

Because I just love flowers.
And I'm most definitely counting down to farmer's market season.

(The Flower Cart by Auralee Dallas.)

Easter is on Sunday. I do hope that you find a basket full of treats when you awake. (I'm counting on mine having LOTS of chocolate.)

Happy weekend, My Lovelies!
xo, Kristin

an idea

Due to the amazingly, unbelievable unseasonably warm weather we've been blessed with today, I have an idea, my Darlings. How about you all play hooky from work this afternoon and instead come on over to my house. We can laze the afternoon away under the bright sunshine.

Flip-flops optional. (but strongly encouraged!)



(Via girlhula on Flickr)

PS - I'll bake you some cookies, too.