4.17.2014

Things I'm Lovin'

Just wanted to share some things that are making me happy lately…

Image from Crate & Barrel website

Colorful Zuma Trays at Crate & Barrel. I'd been eyeing these trays every time I went into Crate & Barrel and finally decided I needed one. I went with dark green, and I love it! I think it will be such a fun piece to incorporate in summer table settings.

Sperry Calla sandals. I bought these sandals before my Aruba trip. I got a neutral color so they go with just about everything, and they are super-comfortable! I kind of want all the colors now!


Image from West Elm website

Textured bowls at West Elm. Aren't these gorgeous? I ended up picking up two of the larger ones and one tiny one. I'm sure they'll be showing up in some blog photos soon.

Holding new babies. My friends have been having babies, and luckily some of them live close enough for me to visit. Last Saturday night, I spent an hour holding my friend's 2-week-old, 8-pound baby boy while he slept and made cute little faces. And last night I played with another friend's 4-month-old while we caught up over Thai food.

Grilling outside. The past couple of weeks have been peppered with gorgeous days, and we've been firing up the grill and taking advantage of them. So far we've just been making burgers, but I'm getting excited for lots of summery grilled meals to come.


Baby artichoke

Baby artichokes. I couldn't resist buying a package of these at Whole Foods. I've always wanted to try prepping and cooking them. Turns out it's pretty easy. I followed these prepping steps from Saveur and then quartered the artichokes and roasted them with olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. When they were done, I sprinkled grated parmesan and lemon zest on top. Do you have a baby artichoke recipe I should try?

Puppy play date and catching up with friends. Our friends came over this past Sunday with their dog, so Gunner got to have a little play date while we humans enjoyed a potato and red pepper tortilla (from Flour, Too), meatballs, onion dip, roasted baby artichokes, strawberries and poundcake, and sparkling rose.

Basturma and cheese rolls, haloumi fries, and brussels sprouts at Sarma

Dinner out with friends. I finally ate at Sarma -- I'd been dying to go since it opened! -- and caught up with some great friends in the process. Full review coming soon.

Running. When I got back from Aruba, Jeff was super-motivated to go running, and his motivation has fortunately been getting me motivated. We've been running after work a few times a week. We're working on increasing our frequency and mileage. It feels nice to get out and get fresh air and get back into running.

What's not making me happy lately? The snow on the ground yesterday morning. What was that?!

What's making you happy these days?