Freckled Italian

Friday Favorites (23)

2013-05-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Well, it certainly doesn't feel like Friday to me because I've practically been on vacation all week, but after two days at work I'm off again and ready for another long weekend! This morning my brother and I are heading to Charlottesville to pick up one of his friends, and then we're all driving to DC for a wedding on Saturday. And this afternoon, my fiancé (that didn't take long to get used to!) is flying in from Minneapolis and the weekend can officially begin!

Here are some links for your weekend:

Cute Stuff

I love so many of these dresses--especially that Ted Baker Briony Dress.

Look at these cute glasses! They remind me of Melissa.

Robyn is so sweet and I just love her outlook on life.

I wouldn't say no to these sandals. And would someone get me this cute thing?

Books and Movies

Loving "Gatsby" Too Much and Not Enough--this is exactly how I felt about the movie. Maybe I shouldn't have read this before seeing it.

10 reasons why picture books are not just for children.

I loved Brenda Chapman's reaction to this ridiculous makeover of Merida from Brave.

I think it was awesome of Danielle to share this piece of fiction with us.

Religion, Culture, Health

I'm so interested in Angelina Jolie's choice to undergo a preventive double mastectomy.

Missing Husband--so beautiful and sad. We can do better than this!

This is everything to me. Like, how I feel about faith and the world in one image.

What do you have planned this weekend? What awesome thing have you read or seen lately?

Calling All Sponsors | June 2013

2013-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

First of all, I have to thank you all so much for your sweet comments regarding our engagement.

You sure know how to make a person feel special. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

With all the exciting things going on here, I think I'm going to be blogging up a little storm over the next few months. So if you've ever been thinking about placing an ad on Freckled Italian, now's the time! I have a few spots open (it is simultaneously frustrating and cool to always be telling you that the large space is already reserved for next month), so check out my stats and rates right here--you can place an ad from that page, too.

And remember that you can reserve a spot if none are available to start immediately. Passionfruit is cool like that. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to shoot me an email. Looking forward to hearing from you!

We're Getting Married!

2013-05-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

On Monday afternoon, after taking a walk downtown with some friends and before one of the craziest rainstorms I've ever experienced, Rob got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

It was perfect and romantic and hilarious and unexpected and kind of a dream come true.

We are so excited.

Thank you all who have already sent congratulations!

Your love and support mean the world to us. It's been a pretty amazing few days.

[Photo via Phyllis Peterson--my future mother-in-law!]

Weekend in Photos // More Graduation

2013-05-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday! What a full weekend this has been--we started on Saturday morning by getting ready for guests to arrive that afternoon for Sean's graduation party. My friend Tina came with her boyfriend and their little puppy and we had so much fun. Tina is one of my best friends but we just never get to see each other. I'm so glad she's starting a summer position at a law firm in town today so we'll have almost two full months for coffee and lunch dates.

After the party Rob and I headed to Charlotteville for UVA's graduation, where he would walk and make his master's official. We were driving back home last night and we talked about how some weekends require another weekend just to catch up on sleep and relax from so many festivities, and this was one of them. Luckily the two of us both took today and tomorrow of of work, so we'll be hanging out at home, going out to lunch with some more friends, and finally seeing The Great Gatsby tonight! But until then, here are photos from the weekend.

On Pushing the Limit

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

I went on a run yesterday; the kind where it's muggy and hot outside and you think about huge things while you lose your breath and sweat quickly covers your body. I told myself to run twenty minutes, and I started fast, and then thirty minutes passed, and I told myself to run some more.

It was hot and the sky looked like thunder and my legs felt like bricks and I just kept going. I didn't start out with grand thoughts about life, because I started out with basic thoughts about running, but the former evolved from the latter because that tends to be the way it works when you're running.

I started going to CrossFit last summer and I continued for about two months. During that time, I stopped running because most of the time I was too sore to run, and when I wasn't too sore to run I felt too strong to need to run. It was fine, and then I stopped going to CrossFit, but I kind of had already stopped running, so for a while I was just sort of lazy. When I finally started again, I never pushed myself to the caliber that I used to in my cross-country days, and certainly not to failure like I often did in CrossFit.

I got so comfortable that I forgot what the edges of my comfort zone felt like. But I like being in that space. I need it.

Here's to finding that line, and then walking on it.

That Time I Started a Business

2013-05-15T06:46:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I put on a sparkly leopard print dress and some red lipstick and had a little photo shoot in the kitchen. I was in need of a photo for the "About" page of a new website that had been in the works for some time. I ended up not using it, but it was fun, and I'm just narcissistic enough and have a blog, so I can show it to you anyway. Here you go:

What I found while looking through and editing this series of pictures was that I became obsessed with the following questions: Are these good enough? Are they blurry? Do they fit in with what I'm trying to do? Can you see my boobs?

I'm not sure I've ever cared so much about something. I finally decided to try something else, and before I knew it, the website was done. I can tell you now that I haven't ever cared so much about something. This has been a dream of mine for longer than I even knew it.

It is my absolute pleasure to announce that Cave Girl Consulting is open for business.

If you are new to or thinking about Paleo, I'm here to help you. I have a variety of services that I think will benefit you and I can't wait to get started. More than anything, I am excited to bring my passion for Paleo even more to life by helping people transform their own lifestyles.

As a thank-you and in celebration of the launch of Cave Girl, I'd like to offer the first five people to book a package 50% off their entire purchase. Just mention this blog post in your email.

(FYI there is currently something missing from the Services page: the Fixed Menu package also comes with four half-hour Skype calls! And the contact form is having some trouble so be sure to just send me an email to megan(at)cavegirlconsulting(dot)com.)

Learn a little more.

Check out my services.

Read testimonials or FAQs.

Like CGC on Facebook.

I totally have to thank my family and my friends for supporting me so much and giving me advice throughout this whole endeavor. Rob, my mom, dad, brother, Melissa, Whitney, Jenna, Jackie, Eliza, and Sarah. You guys are rad and I love you. And endless love and thanks to the beautiful Kelly Ann for designing yet another one of my dreams. You are an angel.

Our Back Deck Garden

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Every year, my mom plants an herb garden. This year we also got some salad bowls! Lettuce in one pot and arugula in another. This is always one of my favorite things--I love cooking something in the kitchen and being able to just randomly go outside for some fresh basil or chives.

We planted these about two weeks ago and they're growing further already. Spring is here and summer is on the way!

Sean's Graduation Weekend

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

My little brother graduated from college this weekend.

I stayed at Sean's apartment on Friday night and got to Wheeler Mall early on Saturday morning to save some seats for me and my parents. As people milled about, hugging and buzzing excitedly, with orchestra music playing over the sound system, I couldn't help but get a little emotional. Longwood is really the place where I started to become the person I am today, and it was such a joy to share that one year on campus together with my brother before I graduated just three years ago.

It was a special place for me, and a special place for Sean, and a special place for me and Sean.

On Sunday, I went to upload photos from my dad's camera, where we took all the family shots, and realized that we had left the memory card in Roanoke. So we did what any normal family would do, and made Sean put his cap and gown back on.

Rocky got in on it, too.

Congratulations, Class of 2013.

And happy belated Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

I know ours enjoyed having both of her babies in one place (and double flowers).

Friday Favorites (22)

2013-05-10T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy The Great Gatsby Day! I won't be seeing the movie today or even this weekend--I'm waiting to see it with Rob when he's in town next weekend. But I'm leaving work early this afternoon to head to Longwood for my brother's graduation from college! These past three years since I've graduated have really flown by.

I don't have as many links as usual for you this week, so I didn't put them into categories. Enjoy!

Loved this piece about The Great Gatsby that Dani linked to this morning.

I've got sundresses on the brain: this one, this one, and this one. (Can you tell I love ModCloth?)

Sarah is writing an ebook, has awesome tutorials, and is a circus performer. She's pretty cool.

What if Disney villains were beautiful? I love these images.

A long read, but worth it. I love Carey Mulligan.

I loved this piece from Sam on The Equals Record on being boundless.

Jess has a long-distance boyfriend that she met at a Halloween party. We're like twins, except that she lives in Las Vegas and is really good at photography.

24 Painful Things You Must Do to Grow Up. I wish I could check a few of these off.

Loved everything about this commercial that Rob sent me the other day.

THIS.

Elizabeth Smart: Abstinence Education Teaches Rape Victims They’re Worthless, Dirty, And Filthy. I want to shake Elizabeth's hand for this.

Who has read The Perks of Being a Wallflower? It's next on my list.

Have a great weekend! I'm sure I'll be Instagramming the crap out of the next few days, so be sure to follow along!

Weekend Wanderings | Walter's Greenhouse

2013-05-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I joined my mom and our neighbors as they went to Walter's Greenhouse. It's a family-run business out in Hardy, Virginia and it is so fun. I had never been but my mom kept talking about it like it was some kind of circus or carnival. I thought, how special can a greenhouse be? and very quickly upon arriving I learned. Very special indeed. I felt like Alice in Wonderland or Charlie at the chocolate factory.

They had so many flowers, hanging and placed out and arranged in gorgeous variety. There were like ten different types of mint. Lettuces I had never even heard of! And succulents that looked like little alien dinosaurs, both alone in little pots and grown into wreaths and frames and bunny rabbit sculptures.

Recipe: Paleo Lemonade (and Raspberry Ice Cubes)

2013-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

When life gives you lemons...

You know what they say.

Unfortunately, most lemonade has like, at least a full cup of sugar in it.

So I made a Paleo-friendly version with some agave nectar.

And then I put raspberries in ice cubes, because when life gives you raspberries, you make ice cubes.

For the lemonade:

Makes about five or six cups.

About six lemons (or as much as it takes to make one cup of juice)

Four cups of water.

1/4 cup + one tablespoon of agave nectar (this didn't make it very sweet--you can add more if you want)

1. Mix the water with the agave nectar (it helps to use warm water so the agave will dissolve more easily).

2. Add lemon juice, taste for sweetness, and refrigerate until cold.

3. Serve with slices of lemon and raspberry ice cubes.

For the ice cubes:

A handful of raspberries

Ice cube tray

1. Put raspberry/raspberries in each ice cube mold.

2. Add water.

3. Freeze. You've got this.

Looking Back on Senior Week

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Three years ago at this time, my roommate, Caroline, and I sat at a bar drinking dirty Shirleys after our last exams of college. She would go on to nursing school after graduation, and I would apply to and quickly begin a graduate program, but at that moment, sitting on those bar stools with cheap cocktails before us, the life that we had gotten so used to, and so good at, was ending.

There was a week and a day between the last exam and graduation--a time called Senior Week--where everyone who was graduating stuck around and did some considerable drinking. Every moment of Senior Week was planned by the university for the more obnoxious students, the ones with more class spirit than they knew what to do with, but I was never exactly one of those students. Caroline and I made our way through a couple of sponsored barbecues and the cocktail party with the President, but the majority of our Senior Week was spent together, in our apartment, out to lunch, getting manicures, or running through those legendary fountains in the middle of the night.

There were no papers to be written, no exams or presentations for which we had to prepare; nothing to do but pack up boxes of our belongings and reminisce about the past four years. It was sweet and sometimes boring, and we'd laugh about having nothing to do. I would wake up without an alarm clock and wander into Caroline's room, get in her bed, and we'd watch a movie, first thing in the morning. And then it was 11:30 AM, so we'd go out to lunch, the only ones under 60 in the whole restaurant.

I look back on that week as bizarre and a little scary, but so fun. I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump off and fly away as soon as I boxed up the last of my books.

My brother is graduating on Saturday. This is his Senior Week. And as I looked back to remember what it felt like then, I could feel it, not from reminiscing, but because even three years later it's still there. That feeling of potential, and blindness, and a little bit of fear, and a lot of excitement, all wrapped into one.

Have a wonderful week, Sean.

See you Friday.

On Weekends Alone

2013-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

There is a distinct feeling of weekend mornings, especially those in spring.

They are cool and wet, sometimes rainy, mostly smelling of sunscreen, and if you've ever spent a year or two living with a man who is now halfway across the country from you, then they can be lonely.

Spring comes back to me every year, carrying memories tied to scents and songs that remind me of some life I used to have. The most recent life that has been visiting me lately is the one last year where I hardly made enough money to pay my rent each month and daydreamed about a job with a desk and no beverage cooler to organize; one that wouldn't chip my nail polish every time I reached into the sink to get an espresso cup.

Two years ago (which is amazing to say, because that Christmas does not feel two years ago yet), I got a beautiful watch for Christmas, and I put it in its little box on my dresser and waited for the day that I could wear it to a job where I was neither a barista nor a graduate student, and could wear a watch that was not waterproof or a pretty shirt without fear of spilling something onto myself.

It's almost been a year since I moved back home, I thought yesterday as I drove away from the office that allows me to dress up and wear my watch without fear, the one that challenges me in a new way every day. A year ago, Rob and I were packing up the apartment we shared together in Charlottesville. We were going out for brunch and taking walks around our neighborhood together.

When I think about the distance to Minnesota, or even just to DC, I am amazed and sometimes appalled that at one time, I had Rob in the same city, living at the same address, eating dinner at the same table, falling asleep and waking up in the same bed as me, every day. I don't know if we realized, at the time, just how good it was. We definitely didn't realize, at the time, just how far away from each other we'd end up a year later.

Things then might have been simple and easy and full of love, but they weren't nearly as promising as the things we have now because of our sacrifices. Now things are complicated and hard, but still full of love, which is the thing that I am quickly realizing matters the most.

There is always something about this specific place in time, now, that is so difficult to grab onto with anything but impatience.

Here's to patience.

What I Wore 48: April Showers

2013-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

There are few things I love more than a good spring rain.

One of those things, however, is a dog-printed umbrella that matches my rain boots.

Umbrella: c/o Joules

Dress: Target | Jacket: J.Crew

Watch: Fossil | Earrings: Express

Boots: J.Crew | Nail Color: Essie, Cute As a Button

Joules also has sweet women's wellies and slipper socks--how English!

Makes me want a cup of tea.

Life Lately According to Instagram (#18)

2013-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy May!

April was really good to me.

Warmer weather, lots of time to spend with friends, and a wonderful weekend in Minnesota.

1. Forget May flowers--these bad boys bloomed immediately upon April's arrival.

2. Sweet packaging from my friend Regina. (The earrings I wore here.)

3. Strawberries getting ready to become Paleo sorbet.

4. Lots of weekends with tea and old books of mine this month.

5. Happy Rocky.

6. This was the best: non-dairy key lime pie frozen yogurt.

7. Cute shot of the bride at her shower!

8. Chickens at Dr. Race's.

9. Pedicure layover in Charlotte.

10. Coffee date with Rob.

11. We're so glad to be togetherrrrr!

12. On the way back home.

13. I'm loving being able to wear all my spring clothes.

14. Lots of outdoor working out.

15. Gorgeous scallops at Blue Apron.

(I also had some beautiful Duck Confit because, why not?)

16. Rainy Sunday morning on the porch.

17. My friends Matt and Tony came over last weekend and brought these sunflowers.

18. Shopping my closet! I haven't worn this dress in years.

What did your month look like?

Life Lately According to Instagram is a once-monthly feature in which I showcase my favorite Instagram shots. You can follow along with me in real-time if you'd like--I'm @megan_flynn.

Calling All Sponsors | May 2013

2013-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Do you have a blog, band, or business that you'd like to promote?

I'd love to work with you this month!

The featured ad has already been booked for May, but there are plenty of regular spaces to go around.

(Remember that with Passionfruit, you can book any space at any time, so if you're holding out for the featured space, go ahead and reserve it now!)

Check out my stats/rates and book your spot here.

And as always, please feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

Shannon's Bridal Shower

2013-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

Shannon is my friend Patrick's older sister, and our parents live next-door to one another. She's getting married in a few weeks and I was so happy to be able to help set up a sweet bridal shower for her this weekend.

Currently...

2013-04-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

[Some of the best scallops I've ever had, on Tuesday night at Blue Apron.]

Watching Game of Thrones. Holy crap you guys! Who is watching it? I have always loved her, but Daenerys was so damn cool last week. I'm kind of obsessed with her. I also have a huge, nearly out-of-control crush on Tyrion Lannister.

Thinking about some really exciting things coming up in the next few weeks. My brother is graduating, I'm finishing up a personal project that I can't wait to share with you guys, and Rob will be in town for a couple of long weekends at the end of May.

Listening to Taylor Swift's Fearless. I know it doesn't make any sense because I actually can't stand her, but I listened to that album the spring of my junior year of college and ever since then, I haven't been able to escape it. I play it in the mornings with the windows down and it reminds me of those days.

Reading books about design, for work. They're really interesting and helpful, but I haven't been reading that much lately and it makes me sad. The other day I flipped through Where the Wild Things Are. I think once I get David Sedaris' new book I'll be back in the swing of things again.

Loving spring. It has already been a long week, but spring is here in full force and it is making me so happy. There's something about this season that just instills a new will to be cheerful and active and thankful for life. Autumn is my favorite season until spring rolls around. I think it's okay to have two favorite times of the year.

Drinking cold-brewed iced coffee. My favorite. We make it at night and I pour some with ice and sometimes coconut milk into a jar (I'm still loving my Cuppow) and take it to work with me.

Eating berries! I went through an entire little box of raspberries in one sitting the other day. And I'm really into strawberries this year.

Missing Rob. We do get to see each other a lot considering the distance between us, but the three weeks between visits thing is kind of rough. Every other week seems doable, but as soon as we have to say, "Okay, see you next month," it kind of sucks.

Looking forward to this weekend. I'm helping to set up a bridal shower next door, and then hosting a going-away cookout for my sweet friend Lauren. I'm looking forward to good food, good company, and a pretty serious morning of sleeping in on Sunday!

What are you up to currently?

As always, thanks to my sweet blog-friend Dani for inspiring these posts.

Guest Post | The Mrs. & The Momma

2013-04-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

Today I have a guest post for you from April's featured sponsor, The Mrs. & The Momma.
So without any further ado, I'll just let Kristen introduce herself to you!

--

Hey Freckled Italian readers! I'm Kristen from The Mrs. & The Momma! I'm so excited to be "meeting" you!

Today, I thought I'd keep it pretty simple in terms of a guest post, and give you a glimpse inside my world/blog. Just to sum it up, I like to consider my blog three parts fashion, one part life, and one part family...although that precise math is subject to change. I'm a lover of cold-weather clothes (I loathe Texas summers even though I'm native Texan), vintage jewelry, Star Wars, sushi, diet Dr. Pepper, fireworks, the smell of babies, getting dolled up, history, and most importantly-Sour Patch Watermelons.

I have four little munchkies, with whom I am utterly in love. I'm so blessed to be able to stay home with them (my oldest is 7). My husband and I have dated since junior high (if you can even call it "dating" when you're 13) and have had some crazy wonderful experiences so far!

Come stop by and introduce yourself....I'd love to get to know you!

You can also find me on Instagram (@kjansen), Facebook, and Twitter!

[Sponsorship Information]

What I Wore 47: Minnesota Spring

2013-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Spring in Minnesota means one thing: snow.

Hat: (Rob's) UGG Australia

Tangerine Color Dipped Brass Earrings: c/o Acute Designs

Hoodie and Pants: J.Crew | Coat (similar): Banana Republic

Boots (similar-ish): Nine West | Bag: Coach

PS Today is William Shakespeare's birthday.

I know that's random, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Read a sonnet!

The Weekend | To Minneapolis

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Minneapolis is quickly becoming one of my favorite places. Rob living there has a lot to do with it, sure, but the place is just cool. As I sat in the airport waiting for the last leg of my travels, I had a thought that I've never had before:

I'm so glad he took this job, because otherwise we would have missed out.

Remember that bright side I was talking about a couple of weeks ago? I've jumped on it with both feet.

I whipped out my camera on our walk to brunch at Edina Grill on Saturday to find that my battery had died and I hadn't packed the charger. After a Bloody Mary (mine) and a mimosa (his) paired with a delicious meal of English muffin-less Eggs Benedict (mine) and a ham and cheese egg scramble (his), we headed to the Mall of America, where I got a new charger, but I still didn't take enough photos after I got my camera fired up.

Here are the highlights:

+ Best dinner ever happened at Chino Latino.

(Get a Cucumber Cooler and please don't leave without having the spare ribs.)

+ Had an okay latte (Rob got a mocha) at Peace Coffee, but the shop itself and neighborhood are quaint and cozy and I'd go back again.

+ Walked by Moon Palace Books after coffee but didn't go in because of a sign that said "Puppet Show in Progress." This is Minneapolis, and it's awesome and hilarious at every turn.
+Took lots of naps, watched lots of our shows, slept in on Sunday.

(Some shots from my phone: 1 2 3 4)

How was your weekend?

Coffee Talk

2013-04-20T14:00:00.000-04:00

This is a sponsored post. Thank you so much for your patience and support as I continue to occasionally work with advertisers.

When Rob and I lived in Charlottesville, we could walk everywhere and it was magical. We could walk to lunch, walk to class, walk to work, walk to get drinks, and I could always walk somewhere to have coffee.

Now that I am back in Roanoke, and about a twenty-five minute drive from downtown, I find myself making coffee at home a lot more. It's an easy time-saver that makes me happy. But how to make it at home? We don't even have a traditional drip coffee maker anymore, and I don't really intend to ever get another one.

I'm partial to my French press for regular coffee, which I find to be much better than a regular drip coffee maker. Our stovetop percolator makes wonderful espresso when I'm in the mood for that, but both the French press and the percolator are really particular and it's easy to mess up measurements and it's hard to clean, especially if you're in a hurry.

I am convinced that no one actually drinks instant coffee unless they are made to, but this article that says that 80% of total coffee drunk in the UK is instant suggests otherwise. But it's made from dehydrating a concentrated liquid solution that was at one time real coffee, and that's gross.

Enter Tassimo Coffee System. Using ‘T discs” - little coffee pods that come in a huge variety of taste preferences - the machine makes preparing coffee literally as simple as pressing a button. Perfect for the modern coffee-hound. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s that sometimes-forgotten characteristic, good.

What's your go-to coffee order? How do you make it at home?

Friday Favorites (21)

2013-04-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hello from the Twin Cities! I hope it's warm where you are, because it certainly is not warm here. I left beautiful, sunny Virginia (pictured below, obviously) in flip flops yesterday for snowy Minnesota--luckily I packed some real shoes! I'll take a little bit of snow, though, to spend a long weekend with Rob.

Here are some links to get you through this Friday (there are a lot this time!):

Food and Drink

My friend Jonny opened a coffee shop in Charlottesville! (He used to make me those pistachio milk lattes I'd go on and on about.) Read about the new shop here and like them on Facebook.

This post was both informative and hilarious.

Game of Thrones-inspired cocktails: parts one, two, and three.

Life

I don't know if I agree with every word this writer said, but the notion that "long distance relationships mean always getting to say hello" is a nice one.

Beautiful thoughts on why a literature Ph.D. is not a waste of time.

How Not to Say the Wrong Thing. This makes so much sense.

Cute Things

This little animal family warmed my heart.

I need this dress for everything.

This bathing suit is gorgeous.

Religion and Faith

Study shows that belief in an angry god is related to poor mental health...I'm looking at you, Westboro Baptist Church.

Please read and sign this petition.

I love these words by Donald Miller. (Thanks, Meg, for reminding me of them.)

Boston

10 Touching Acts of Kindness at the Boston Marathon

Beautiful words from Thought Catalog: The Marathon

Blog Friends

Anna's new job sounds so fun.

Sandra is hosting a fun giveaway this week!

Robyn is right, it is important to think of the beautiful things in life.

And finally,

How David Sedaris Makes His Writing Better

(I just about squealed when I learned that he has a new collection of essays coming out this month. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!)

Wishing you a happy weekend!

What I Wore 46: Silver & Gold

2013-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

I have been wearing the heck out of my new Pame Designs pieces.

You saw the beautiful silver cut-out cuff of hers in my last What I Wore post, but these ones are gold.

The necklace is my favorite because it makes me feel like I can mix my metals, something I always want to do and yet have really never pulled off until now.

Montauk Pebble Necklace and Zig Zag Bangle: c/o Pame Designs

Dress: Ann Taylor LOFT

Ring: Tiffany & Co. | Watch (similar): Fossil

I'm catching an afternoon flight to Minnesota today, so I'll be out of town all weekend!

Stay tuned for Friday Favorites tomorrow.

To the Race's House We Go

2013-04-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

My high school cross country coach and his wife are two of my favorite people, and I haven't seen them in far too long, so when my mom asked if I wanted to ride out to their home with her on Tuesday evening to pick up some beef (and by "some" I mean 85 pounds), I jumped at the chance. Life on a farm feels so romantic to me sometimes, and there is nothing like catching up with Dr. Race over a glass of really good wine.

The scenery isn't too bad, either.

When the world feels dark and overwhelming, it's nice to have a place where things don't seem to change.

My heart goes out to Boston this week. Life should be joyful. We shouldn't have to be afraid at every turn.