wave

{here}

Braid

I tried something like this with my hair today. It sort of worked.

Baby Elephant

OMGoodness. Too cute.

Pancakes

Fruit Salad

I accidentally made the best fruit salad ever. I needed an extra side to serve with Chicken Burgers and Cauliflower Poppers and I only had three kinds of fruit. The end result was magical.

Surprising Fruit Salad

1 punnet of fresh strawberries (aka one rectangular clear thing or two little green basket things)
2 fresh mangoes
1 large red grapefruit.
Splenda or something like it

1. Cut em up. Remove stems and skins and seeds and pith and such.
2. Toss them together.
3. Sprinkle with sugar substitute.
4.  Refrigerate for half an hour or so.

Beautiful Austerity

{here}

Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens

Check out those shoes.

Stained Glass Fairytale

Pretty Potatoes

{here}

Seven Hours

Aaaand stripes and maxi skirts

I can't seem to get over yellow

Lately, I feel like it goes with everything.

It's the suprising details that make the outfit

Farming

The more I think about my future, the more I hope it includes a little farming.

Good kitchen

Let us watercolor

Get it?

Decisions

Vegetables

I'm proud to say I've been eating more vegetables lately. I've even been experimenting with a few that I've never tried before (psst, brussels sprouts and beets, I'm talking about you), it's been so much fun! I never thought I'd find a way to enjoy cauliflower, but sure enough...

What other odd vegetables have you grown to love?

Love at first site

When I saw it, I loved this outfit so much that I immediately ordered all the pieces. Seriously.

Yago Hortal

{here}

Ready for summer...

Jump for Joy

My thoughts on seeing this picture:

1) I'm pretty sure I have that jacket she's wearing.
2) Aw, I want to watch the Breakfast Club.
3) There should be more trains in the States.

Honey Bee

Husband and I have recently added "Beekeepers" to our future plans.

Someday we will make our own cheese and honey and life will be delicious.

So Young, So Cool

{here}

Europe in Lights

{here}

The Great American West

{here}

Ha! Truck full of wellies...

{here}

Amazing Interior

Details I love: The mirrored table, the lamb skin throw, the gorgeous modern art.

{here}

Oh Hello

What a coat...

{here}

Costa Careyes, Mexico

Located in the most desirable position in Careyes, the castle sits at the end of a pristine peninsula between the sleeping Playa Teopa and the charming Playa Careyitos. Surrounded by a vast swimming pool, the castle’s bedrooms and living areas have views to the ocean, coastline, beaches and mountains. An electric gondola takes guests to a small private beach with palapa.

{here}

Boy Shoes

{Genuine Courage}

There is something so manly and endearing and impressive about a pair of well-worn work boots.

By boat is best

{where is the cool}

Dead Poet's Society

"So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do."

Appetizers

I'm putting together a progressive dinner in a few weeks and I opted in for the appetizer course. Right now I'm considering some or all of the following....

1. Strawberry and Basil Bruchetta with Goat Cheese 2. Balsamic Watermelon Bites 3. Prosciutto wrapped Pears with Blue Cheese 4. Boccocini Caprese

Which ones would you most like to try?

Cauliflower Poppers

I'm trying to eat more vegetables. Aren't we all? So here's my secret: I take vegetables, and diguise them as yummy delicious treats.

My latest favorite are Cauliflower Poppers - they are the culinary near equivalent of french fries... At least they provide me with a fix of ketchup dipped salty goodness, without starchy potatoes or deep frying.

Like so...

Cauliflower Poppers

1 head of cauliflower
1/2 Tbsp of olive oil... Or cooking spray... Or spray butter
salt to taste... I prefer sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cut up the cauliflower into bit size pieces. Discard the stem.
2. In a bowl, toss the cauliflower in the olive oil and salt - lightly coat in spray butter or cooking spray - until it is evenly coated. Spread the coated cauliflower on a foil lined cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Check every 15 minutes or so and give them a toss so they brown evenly, it they look like they are burning or drying out too much (this happens with the spray butter in particular) then give them another couple squirts. The poppers are done when they have nice brown edges and the stems start to look semi-transparent.

Dip in ketchup and enjoy!

Tom Ford

Tom Ford’s five easy lessons on how to be a modern gentleman:

1. You should put on the best version of yourself when you go out in the world because that is a show of respect to the other people around you.

2. A gentleman today has to work. People who do not work are so boring and are usually bored. You have to be passionate, you have to be engaged and you have to be contributing to the world.

3. Manners are very important and actually knowing when things are appropriate. I always open doors for women, I carry their coat, I make sure that they’re walking on the inside of the street. Stand up when people arrive at and leave the dinner table.

4. Don’t be pretentious or racist or sexist or judge people by their background.

5. A man should never wear shorts in the city. Flip-flops and shorts in the city are never appropriate. Shorts should only be worn on the tennis court or on the beach.

Fireflies

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

-Owl City, "Fireflies"

{photos here}

Tongue of Glass

By Shaun Shane

Paisley Parade

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This is how husband and I spent Valentine's Day

These are now framed and hanging in our kitchen.

We did these at our favorite toy store Blickenstaff's. We went around the store and collected props and then used their fun little photo booth.

It was fun, memorable and simple.

How was your Valentine's Day?

Awesome Kitchen

From the raw wood beams to the cheese on the counter - I super love this kitchen.

Honey, Prociutto and Cheese

{here}