lobsters

A perfect Valentine's Day card from Sugar Paper that I should stock up on:

Don't understand it? Get in the know here.

Even though my hubby is obviously my Valentine, I'd send this card to my best friend, just because :) 

We've been using Phoebe's wisdom to describe our friendship for years.

pinterest meals

I'm not the type to just pin like crazy for the sake of a beautiful collage. I've actually made the majority of the things on my "eats" board. Go me! But honestly - I only pin food that is easy and within my reach, or meals that inspire me to attempt something trickier (or at least a variation of it). It has really helped diversify our dinners, especially when pasta with red sauce and kale is such a lazy weeknight go-to. We've tried a lot of new things and many of them have now become staples. 

Here are just a few of the faves and some on the docket for the coming weeks...

1 2 3 4 5 6 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

Can't wait to try all of these new recipes! Do you have any pinterest faves I should know about?

recreate it.

[original sources can be found here]

I am so inspired by these images for our combined living/dining space. The kind of earthy-bohemian-eclectic-warm feel; that's what I'm after. I'm loving all things natural: hanging light bulbs, tribal patterns, wood and metallic accents, and all things white of course. Clean and crisp, but still colorful without being overwhelming. That's the goal, right?

Below is how I may attempt to get it done.

1) industrial elements like this ikea shelf // 2) living things like spider plants - check, got two of 'em. // 3) a personalized photo & artwork cluster - ours always feels like a work in progess. // 4) ikea ORGEL pendant lamp shade - check. // 5) mismatched chairs - check, but they desparately need to be painted some neutral color (right now two are red and two are blue. yikes!) // 6) a cozy wicker chair by the windows - check. // 7) side table doubling as magazine rack via urban outfitters // 8) farm table - check. // 9) a colorful southwestern-y rug (if Will will have it - he's not a huge fan) // 10) ikea RENS sheepskin is a must. I currently want in every room of the house. // 11) two gray couches - check. Does it count if one of them is actually red but is covered with extra gray bed sheets? The quest for a nice gray slipcover continues. // 12) more tribal patterned rugs // 13) earthy elements like this sweet tree stump side table - can totally make one. // 14) a vintage-y brass floor lamp, along with other metallic accents (loving copper right now!)

We decided to work on one room of the house each month to get it up to snuff and fully moved into, and January's focus was the kitchen. We're still working on finishing touches, but I'll share photos and inspiration when it's done!

what january brings

It's been a while, (for posting in general, and especially for a gifts post) but I'm back around these parts hoping to be inspired. I haven't really even been reading blogs much these days - which is weird because it used to be an almost daily activity. This might sound weird (because I really do love all of the blogs I read), but the time away is almost... freeing.

I think there's something about blogging that can breed discontentment. Hmm, maybe it's all of the beautiful and fashionable women, the pristine homes, and productivity that's enviable? Yeah, that's it.

I am content. I like my sense of style (or lack there of), I LOVE my new home and the shape it's starting to take, and I actually have been quite productive these days. I suppose the missing link is my inability to sit down and write about it. I want to blog when I want to blog, and not because I feel like I "should".

That's why I'm just going to take a few minutes today to put some stuff out here. Here are some things that the new year brings:

1. I have resolved to read more fiction. I set up an account on GoodReads (friend me if you're on it!) to help me maintain a list of books to read, and I have a chart where I make sure that I read for at least 15 minutes a day. Not earth-shattering, but discipline starts small, people. Two weeks in - so far so good. About halfway done with 1984 - which is another book that I was shockingly never assigned to read in school.

2. I have also resolved to do some sort of exercising at least 2-3 days a week. Again, starting small to get out of my winter slump. So far, I've been doing heaps of yoga and am tip-toeing ever so cautiously into the world of CrossFit. My body was so sore after just two days (not even two consecutive days) so we'll see if that continues. I sure would like to be jacked though...

3. A new job. This is the time when retail hours take a big plunge, so I'm now barely working at Madewell - maybe 5 hours a week, if I'm lucky (which I'm mostly not). I've been there part-time since October, all the while looking for something to fill in the gap. But now I've found something that I hope will be fulfilling for me, as it's much more in my horizon of concern (shout out to those who know that lingo). I am now a manager at the Philadelphia Rock Gym and start training this week. I hope I enjoy it as much as I anticipate!

4. Either a new or off-shoot blog is in process. I know, I can barely keep up with this one so what's the point? Well because it's a joint venture, a brain child we've been mulling over for almost a year, and it will be different. It will be different because it's not about growth, it's not about followers, it's not about building an internet dynasty (like most bloggers hope to do). It won't have sponsorship, it won't have a multitude of links and pages, and there won't be any pressure to post. Our hopes are that it will be more personal, deeper, more creative, clean and simple. I'm unsure if I'll keep this blog running as my own individual musings, but be on the lookout for something coming soon.

So here are some gifts that I remind myself of during this long state of transition:

a magnificent holiday season, even if it went entirely undocumented. 

the ability for a clean slate whenever we want - not just every 12 months. 

inspiration - even when you have to go looking for it. 

an abrupt transition

One of my favorite favorite favorite favorite things in life is the bread and butter pickle. 

I would just pop open the jar and eat so many pickles growing up, that my mom affectionately named me the "pickle puss." I would always snag them off of her sandwiches and the ones on her plate used as a garnish, but those kinds aren't nearly as good as a nice, crispy bread and butter chip.

Which is why I decided that one of my fall activities this year needed to be making my own pickles. I guess I never realized how easy it would be. Pickling is kind of a set-it-and-forget-it crock-pot mentality, and tell me - who doesn't love that? I couldn't be happier with my results. I used this recipe from Recipe Girl and they might be the best ones I've ever had! (That's saying a lot.)

yum yum yum - look how beautiful and tantalizing. 

And let's just say I'm glad I made them Monday night when I did, because I was definitely down to the wire in being able to call it a "fall activity." This is what I woke up to Tuesday morning:

Whoa. 

Big fat flakes fell from before I woke up at 8 until about 2pm. Winter is fast approaching in Eastern PA. Even though winter doesn't technically start for another few weeks, I judge by snowfall, because snow changes everything. 

So the pickles just made their cut off. You gotta try 'em.