Anybody seen the leprechaun say, “yeah!”

 

Something about Irish soda bread conjures images of 12th century peasants coming home from a hard day’s work planting potatoes to find this freshly baked bread cooling in the windows of their peat huts. (This is totally a stereotype; I honestly have no idea what Irish peasants used to do.) But anyway, I found this recipe here, and decided to whip it up yesterday seeing as my hubby is headed out of town for a bit. I thought he might like a delightfully homemade confection before he heads into the wild unknown. Right out of the oven we slathered it with goat cheese and drizzled honey overtop; but this morning my heart was chanting, “le-mon curd, le-mon curd, le-mon curd!” so I just had to. And it was…divine. Sigh. 

I can’t eat hearty bread all the time, (and this is quite dense), otherwise my arse –as they say on the Emerald Isle– would be a wee bit, shall we say, wider than it is. But occasionally I like to throw back to my Celtic roots and make something old fashioned and homemade, and this bread fit the bill quite nicely.

Almost makes me want to throw on a pair of tights and join Riverdance.

It’s Friday and so am I.

One of the perks of being a nurse, (besides the cool shoes), is that my work week is done with pretty quickly– it can be brutal– but at in three days time, it’s Friday, no matter what the calendar says. I can’t put my finger on it, but something about Fridays makes me feel as though I have an infinite stretch of glorious time– to spend doing whatever I wish. Come Monday, I’m whistling a different tune, but for right now, it’s Friday and so am I.

I’m hoping for a glass of wine, some good weather, and time with my honey. 

For now, here is a Corgi on a coffee date. 

 

Now you can’t help but smile. :)

Perfect isn’t interesting.

I’ve had a recent epiphany. It’s very simple. In fact, I think I read it in a J.Crew catalogue in one of the blips from a fashion editor or some such. 

Wait for it…

Perfect isn’t interesting.

Isn’t that silly? And satisfying? And a relief? Not just with regard to fashion as the J.Crew author obviously meant…but in so many aspects of our lives. Thinking of all of the ways we, (and by we, I mean I), try to clean things up and put a shiny, put-together, face on for the world (for who? I mean, really. Who?) …it’s exhausting. So, this has become a little reminder for me. To loosen up. Let go. Worry less. Care less. 

I almost didn’t write this tiny little post. Because I haven’t written since November. I haven’t been a perfect blogger. But, I’m throwing caution to the wind and putting it out there that I’m still here and I still love to write and if you’re still here too, grand! If not, I don’t blame you. :) Here’s this; there’s that. Perfect isn’t interesting.

And after all, we still have one thing: at least I’m consistently inconsistent. 

 

{brilliantly lit oak at Christmastime}

 

{gorgeous diamond estate ring at an antique shop in NC}

 

{the loves of my life}

 

{rows + rows of ivory dreams}

 

{sweet boutonnieres made by the bride for each guest to wear}

First green is gold

[An aside: I'm on a roll here, people! 3 posts in one week. Don't worry. I'm sure this flux will undoubtedly be followed by a maddening drought. Stay tuned.]

Oxblood is all the rage this season. It’s everywhere. Nail polishes, purses, lipsticks, shoes– and I love it. But I also think a huge color this season that has been somewhat overlooked in the heady rush of sanguine accessories is, (ta-da!):

E M E R A L D

Sequins in black, gold, silver–yes, but emerald? Unexpected and awesome.

The fail-safe skinnies.

Super-cool geometric ear bobs.

Chic, suede flats.

A shock of springtime on a frigid winter’s day.

Deco at it’s finest. Mm-mm-mm.

Moody leather jacket; need I say more?

And guess what? I’m about to blow your mind. Emerald + oxblood = friendsies! The possibilities are endless. Raise your hand if your head just exploded. Thought so.

{All images via Pinterest.}

A smallish list.

Having a cold is for the birds. I was just thinking to myself, Hmmm I haven’t been sick in like 6 months! And lo and behold, those little germs were just waiting in the wings ready to pounce. And pounce they did. So here I sit, snuggling with Diesel on the couch, breathing through my mouth and burning through a box of tissues.

And since I don’t have cable, (woe is me), I turn to my trusty blog. What to write, what to write. Here’s a few useless tidbits I’ve put in to practice lately.

1. I don’t wash my hair as much. I used to lather up every day, but since reading this blog by a fabulous NYC hairdresser, I’ve put a little more thought into the products and styling I subject my locks to. Biggest change? Less washing, more bedhead. Mmmhmmm.

2. I’m obsessed with drinking naturally flavored water. Lemon slices. Mint leaves. Cucumbers. Lime juice. pomegranate seeds. Yummers. I’m telling you, I’ve read so many articles on the benefits of doing this, and -BONUS- it’s easy to do! From boosting weight loss to jump starting digestive health to kicking that nasty soda habit, fruit and herb infused water will be your go to drink from this day forward. I do, you do. Amen.

3. Say it with me, coconut oil. On everything. I purchased a jar of organic, extra virgin coconut oil and I’ve been using it as a body lotion. Move over olive oil, coconut oil is just getting started. Supposedly it’s better than EVOO to cook with and it’s an amazing, light, natural body lotion and conditioner replacement. Who knew? It’s a soft solid at room temp, but it turns liquid as soon as you scoop it up – the heat from your hands melts it immediately. Buy some. Now. Go. Do it.

4. Soup, it’s what’s for dinner. Hit up my Pinterest food board, Get In My Belly, and you will find a handful of delicious and healthy soups to warm your coldest winter nights. Comfort food doesn’t have to make your butt fat. (That one’s a freebie, y’all.)

5. Shine, shine, shine.  If you knew me during my freshman year at college, you would know that it used to take me forever to get ready to go, well, anywhere. Literally, hours. These days, a good 30 minutes and I’ll have on a face full of makeup and a snappy outfit, sailing out the door. Living with a boy changes you that way. (Thank goodness, says he.) One of my favorite beauty products is Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Powder. Cheekbones, bridge of the nose, inner corner of the eyes– totally gorg. Get this one, or get any one. Just make sure it’s a very fine shimmer, one that only catches in the light when you turn a certain way. We’re not in Cirque du Soleil, mmkay? Big chunks of glitter = no-no.

Have a good Wednesday, y’all. Pray for our nation, pray for our President. And drink some lemon water.

Let’s try this again.

Somehow I got derailed. I think real life just took over. My last post was published the first part of August and here we are the first shiny new days of November. The last fistful of months have been a bit insane. Between Andrew traveling all over the world, working nights, and trying to keep the days straight in my head, I guess I figured, I’m already so far behind, how would I catch up?? But, as this is not my first go around with blogging, (and likely not yours, either), we all know you just pick up where you left off. Like a little cyber ‘sigh’ in an other wise steady rhythm of writing. 

So, here we are. Shall we do a little recap? Nah. Let’s just keep going. Andrew ran the Savannah Rock N’ Roll Marathon this past weekend and I couldn’t be more proud. For all the reasons why humans should not run for than length of time, it’s amazing that some do. And they do it well. We decided to come home on Saturday instead of making a weekend of it, though, because we are booked up until Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of out of towning. And you know what my biggest concern is: when will I be able to decorate for Christmas?!? If I wait until after Thanksgiving I only get a few weeks to fully enjoy the overwhelming tide of yule that takes over my house during the Christmas season. And that’s just not long enough. 

I’m super excited about Christmas, but I also can’t overlook the fact that my favorite brother will be home for Thanksgiving. Good times ahead. He used to be a bartender in a fancy schmancy bar in New York City and (thank goodness!) those skills have some staying power. I see a Moscow Mule in my future. And some fried turkey and mashed potatoes. Mm-mm-mm!

Here’s a little Christmaspiration to jump start your Holly Jolly spirit! (If you feel morally opposed to thinking about Christmas before Thanksgiving, all I can say is….sorry, I’m not sorry.)

Hand stamped tags. Sweet and rustic.

Simple little trees. 

Bottle brush trees and a different kind of mantle.

Pinecones. Everywhere. Every way.

Mini wreaths with mega impact.

Remembering why we celebrate what we celebrate.

 

There’s plenty more where that came from. All images via Pinterest. Don’t click on the link unless you want to be lost to the world for days on end. Au revoir!

This one time

My sister and I made pizza for the opening ceremony of the Olympics {GO U S A} and I forgot to share. Wah. So sorry.

Do yourself a favor and make this pizza. Tonight. Or right now. Whichever is sooner.

1. Whole Foods pizza dough

2. Pizza sauce [SUPER THIN LAYER. That way the center won't be all soggy and disrespectful.]

3. Green bell pepper, thinly sliced

4. Red onion, thinly sliced

5. Kalamata olives, roughly chopped. [Watch out for pits. In olives and in life.]

6. Whole Foods Black Forest bacon [slap your grandma]

7. Gorgonzola cheese [the pièce de résistance]

500* for 10-12 minutes until the crust is golden and you’re grinning like a cheshire cat. You will undoubtedly feel like the cat who got the cream. Me-ow.

Week{ending}

Wednesday, my love came home from Uganda. It’s been a long time coming. At a certain point, iChat hardly suffices. There comes a time when you just need to sit across the table from each other with a twinkle in your eye and sigh an easy sigh heralding that the worst is over. Indeed, it is.Of course, Chipotle was on the agenda for the First Meal Back–not home cooking, since there was no time, (this girl had to work that night, so we only had about an hour and a half). It kind of worked out though since Andrew had spent the last 26 hours traveling. A mere 12 hours to decompress, sleep, etcetera and he would be thrust headlong back into Real Life.For the weekend, though, we did a little beaching on Sullivan’s…

And a little munching on Mexican at Santi’s in Mt. P, (right down the street from our casita)…

Some Olympic watching/snoozin’ and treats with our little Ginger Troll…

I made this recipe for fresh cherry salsa and we’ve eaten it on grilled chicken and pork tenderloin–it’s delish and I would even consider–in fact, I would–put it on a yummy spinach salad with some walnuts and gorgonzola and declare it a masterpiece.

Saturday night we celebrated my Mama’s birthday by shaggin’ on the pier under the magnificent Ravenel bridge with the Coppertones and 800 of our closest friends. ‘Twas a dazzling evening and a wonderful feeling to dance with my love in the salt air and balmy summer breeze.

Sunday, Andrew and I were invited to join the Bowmans and the Kings at Husk for a much anticipated and much sought after culinary adventure. Definitely lived up to our expectations. The mixologist kindly whipped up a Moscow Mule for me, and despite the lack of copper barware, it was delightfully tangy, spicy and bright– exactly what the doctor ordered.

As an aside, I must tell you–the other weekend when I visited my BFFL, Jennigray, in Columbia I snapped up two of these babies for $49 a pop at an antique mall. Not too shabby–and as you might have guessed, they are going to be recovered. This current pattern is, uh, not quite my aesthetic. And I’ve chosen just the fabric. I’ll keep you posted on results, but don’t hold your breath. I just ordered the fabric last Thursday and it will take 2 weeks to come in–then the upholsterer quoted me 3 weeks for his part of the job. So we’re looking at some time in September. Just in time for Fall {my favorite!}.

Have a lovely week. Kiss your sweetheart and your dog, breathe deep and be thankful.

“To love at all is to be…

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless–it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.” {C.S. Lewis}

To love at all is to be vulnerable

Summer Beauty 1-2-3

From left to right, top to bottom:

1. Smashbox Reflection High Shine Lip Gloss: best clear gloss there is.

2. Pssssst! Dry Shampoo: super cheap and it actually works. Grease is gone!

3. L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara: I will preach this mascara until the day I die. THE best.

4. Moroccan Oil: Hair, skin, nails. Rub it all over. Smells amazing.

5. Smashbox Artificial Light Illuminating Powder: a dab’ll do ya. Inner eyes, cheekbones. Boom. Glow.

6. Urban Decay Stray Dog Eyeshadow: very subtle smoky eye for hot summer nights.

7. & 8. Essie Ballet Slipper + Good To Go! top coat: a natural mani/pedi for a lady on the go.