hooray

Friday Favorites

2012-06-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

Hello, June! A few things for this Friday:

1. A giant wall flower I shared over on You Are My Fave.

2. Pretty paletas.

3. Delicious looking Asian tacos.

I'm hoping to make this weekend a good one.

(photos by hooray, angela hardison, and sprouted kitchen)

Peonies, For Q

2012-05-31T08:41:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was a good day.

Since the beginning of the year, Q has been studying late into the night and on weekends for the Professional Engineering exam (sort of like the bar for lawyers, only he had to work four years in his field first). He took the eight hour test in April, and it felt good to return to our normal life, but we eagerly waited for those results to come in.

Finally yesterday, they arrived with news that he passed it. We are so happy (and relieved)! And I'm so proud of him. He's away on a training deployment, so I sent him these virtual flowers - a little something until he comes home soon.

(photo on right using instagram)

From The Garden

2012-05-30T08:19:00.014-04:00

My dad's an avid gardener. He can often be found reading his trusty old gardening book, tending to his plants, or his favorite thing: sitting in a lawn chair, drink in hand, "watching the garden grow". For Memorial Day, not only was there plenty of fresh asparagus in the garden, but also (to our surprise) one tiny, perfect zucchini that had quickly grown.

After picking our bounty, I decided to throw together this big veggie-pasta salad, starring the asparagus. I love tossing a bunch of veggies in with a bit of pasta - it's a great way to incorporate variety (and some lesser favorites, like peas), and with a lemony dressing & goat cheese, it makes a fine summer dish.

For the salad, toss together:

1/2 lb pasta, cooked

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup peas

1 small zucchini, diced

1 lb asparagus, chopped

goat cheese, crumbled

For the dressing, whisk together:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil (I used pecan oil)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Recipe based on this.

Snapshots

2012-05-29T15:30:00.000-04:00

A few pics lately around downtown Birmingham, in the kitchen, and a wedding at the Crowne Plaza in Chicago.

(photos - my instagram)

Friday Favorites

2012-05-25T08:17:00.002-04:00

1. Pintuck pillows.

2. Fascinated by this living ecosphere.

3. A pretty food project.

4. Statement necklace how-to.

Enjoy the holiday weekend! I'll be taking a little trip to Chicago for a friend's wedding, and baking mini rhubarb pies for a cookout on Memorial Day.

Aubin & Wills

2012-05-23T14:45:00.002-04:00

I first came across Aubin & Wills somewhere on Pinterest, and immediately signed up for a catalog (still hoping it arrives one day...). Their website is teeming with good inspiration.

(Shown above: tee, coin purse, pencils, hat, shorts, floral print)

Life Lately & Instagram

2012-05-22T06:04:00.001-04:00

This past weekend felt like summer: hot, sunny, and smelled of sunscreen and fresh fruit. Above are some recent snapshots (at the library, good food, and opening the pool over at my parents' house).

I used to keep my Instagram feed private, but... I've slowly found myself getting hooked on the daily snippets others share, so I removed more personal pics from my feed and made it public. It's mostly bits of my surroundings, food, & inspiration. I'm still finding everyone on there so feel free to let me know your username! I'm under @allihooray.

PS. The fruit pops above were a quick fix inspired by this and this. Greek yogurt mixed with smashed strawberries, and frozen for as long as everyone could wait. : )

Friday Favorites

2012-05-18T07:49:00.001-04:00

A few fun things around the web...

1. Silk musicbox dress.

2. Wide angle camera.

3. Blind-box mini chairs.

4. Saltwater sandals.

Hope your weekend is a good one!

A Walking View

2012-05-17T15:30:00.002-04:00

I took a little walk along my running route the other afternoon with my camera in hand, and captured some of the obscure, random views I see regularly that have become more meaningful - from porch stairs and sides of fences dotting the way, to the mailbox station at the end of our street that signals 'just one more block to go' (I love that feeling).

Loving Lately

2012-05-16T07:44:00.002-04:00

Some recently pinned food & inspiration: rhubarb oatmeal, cute pup, almond milk, serene bath (via).

(photos by happyolks, jennifer little, matthew kenney, & house beautiful)

Friday Favorites

2012-05-11T07:35:00.001-04:00

1. Painted pots.

2. Buildings in Charleston captured by a friend.

3. Fresh fruit popsicles.

4. Peonies and a poem.

(photos by Dellie, Allie, dandysugar, and Exquisite Banana)

Living Room Ideas

2012-05-10T18:15:00.001-04:00

Now that we've upgraded our sofa, I've been thinking about a few ways to spruce up our living room and add a little color. Here are some of my ideas.

1. Expand gallery wall with frames I've collected (walnut frame)

2. Find/add more books to bookshelf (photo via)

3. Print family photos (photo by my mom, hawaii 1970)

4. & 6. Add a few colorful/comfy textiles (dot throws; pillow)

5. Add an industrial floor lamp (barometer lamp)

Loving Lately...

2012-05-09T07:37:00.000-04:00

A friend brought us a bag of raspberry wafers from a bakery in Charleston, SC and I fell for these tiny, crisp cookies dusted with powdered sugar. Even Q, who doesn't have the sweet tooth I possess, loved these and we found ourselves divvying up the last of the bag. Luckily they're also available online in several different sweet and savory flavors...a dangerous thing indeed.

The Green Street Fair

2012-05-08T14:30:00.000-04:00

(mini donuts)

I went with a friend to the Green Street Fair downtown over the weekend, and as usual it was a fun time full of food, interesting vendors, and live music (with the focus on eco-friendly & organic goods). We ate sandwiches on a park bench, watched The Verve Pipe perform, saw rehabilitated animals (like a bald eagle and an owl), and shared sugared mini donuts. And yikes - I got a sunburn as a reminder that it's almost summer.

(penn theater & walking around)

(the verve pipe)

(street signs)

(my favorite land's end tote)

(a four year-old owl)

Friday Favorites

2012-05-04T12:45:00.001-04:00

1. A house full of open windows.
2. Spring cleaning.
3. All-natural fruit jellies (from trader joe's).
4. Making up the guest bed for a sweet friend!
5. After the Jump podcasts.

Hope your weekend is full of good things.

(photos taken with instagram)

Couch Planning

2012-05-02T17:30:00.001-04:00

After some research (and thinking and planning), we decided to get a big sectional for our living room. We need the extra seating, both for guests and even just the two of us (we could rarely both get comfortable). And we agreed that we want our living room to be as relaxing, inviting, and "stay-awhile" as possible. Here is our first sofa, that we've had for four years now:

That, along with just a small side chair, was never quite enough. This is the mock-up I made in photoshop (just for fun, because I love floor plans) of the new arrangement with a sectional. It's not at all to scale, but it shows the basic layout of the room with the doorways, windows, and corner fireplace.

(1. Sectional, end table, & floor lamp; 2. Rug & coffee tables; 3. Bookshelf; 4. Tv, cabinet, & extra footstool.)

And below is a glimpse of the new sofa now in the room. We went with a Karlstad, because of the modern shape, washable covers, and great sale they were having at our local Ikea.

We love it! Sometime in the near future I'd like to swap out the birch block legs for something more mid-century (like this), make a few more pillows, and expand our neglected gallery wall. But for now we're thoroughly enjoying all of the extra, comfy space to relax.

Monday Inspiration

2012-04-30T15:45:00.000-04:00

Q introduced me to the band, FUN a few months back and picked up their album the other day - it's starting to grow on me. I can't say I like all of their lyrics but they have an incredibly unique and upbeat sound (listen here).

Friday Favorites

2012-04-27T07:38:00.000-04:00

1. Pretty table setting by Holly Flora.

2. 'Heart this' bookmarking corners in the new Domino.

3. Black and white shelves. (spotted via)

4. Homemade fig newtons.

(photos by fondly forever, creature comforts, jodie steen, and faux martha)

Currently Reading...

2012-04-26T07:39:00.002-04:00

As you may have guessed from Tuesday's post, I've started reading Little Bee and even though I'm just a few chapters in, the story is powerful. An excerpt that grabs you in the early pages:

"We must all see scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived."

Citrus Soap

2012-04-25T08:45:00.002-04:00

I couldn't resist picking up some of this French soap from a little shop downtown, made by an amazing skincare brand, Fresh. The packaging is so pretty and it has the freshest citrus scent (I'd love some of their lemon perfume, too).

Everyday Orange

2012-04-24T08:07:00.001-04:00

It's fun to find color inspiration in the everyday things that surround you. Some yellow-orange love for today: a book cover, magazine article, pencils stamps & scissors, and shop packages.

Weekend Bits

2012-04-23T07:55:00.001-04:00

My brother came to visit from out of state this weekend, and we had a family wedding at the historic Lafette Grande. The top-floor ballroom had three levels of intimate seating, with giant chandeliers and narrow passageways; it felt almost like being on a ship! Aside from celebrating, we spent the rest of our weekend eating good food, talking, and wishing we didn't live so far apart.

(photos taken with instagram)

In case it looked a bit strange here yesterday evening, yes, I made the switch back to Blogger. It feels more like home to me after using it for so many years. I have a post coming up sometime with thoughts on both platforms and a few helpful tips & links I found along the way (sort of a part 2 to this post).

Loving Lately...

2012-04-17T07:31:00.001-04:00

Seafoam green, seen on this house in Savannah and this outfit from Boden.

(top photo via Bright Bazaar)

Friday Favorites

2012-04-13T07:29:00.000-04:00

1. I love this vignette, from Ngoc Minh Ngo's new book.
2. Pretty pottery, made by Jeanette Zeis Ceramics.
3. Tall tall bookshelves, from Diane Bergeron (via White Cabana).
4. The back cover of Maira Kalman's book, Principles of Uncertainty (I could not put this down at the bookstore last weekend).

(images from Ngo, Zeis, Bergeron, and Kalman)

Photos by Ivay

2012-04-12T09:06:00.001-04:00

I've long adored Iva's blog and photography, and now she has a small collection of photos available for sale in her shop, Ivay. As an architecture grad, she has such a great eye for detail and beauty. Shown above: sit with me, high above, and wall.