Quiet Post

Quiet post ~

Image from here

Friday Favorites

one: vintage turquoise bell jar from TarasVintageKitchen
two: cloud number 12 by Ambera
three: minette by Palomina
four: the cosmo long sleeve shirt from InnerEvolution

Also, I wanted to make sure to direct your attention to these rising stars in the Etsy world--bloggers, striking out and creating beautiful lovelies for us to enjoy:

Down and Out Chic
Heart of Light
Design Lovely

I'm really looking forward to this weekend, as I'm sure you are too! Sending you heaps of love and hopes that you enjoy the days ahead!

XOXO
Jewels

The past weekend

Three days in and things are going splendidly. Of course three days is rarely enough time to properly do the "syllabus freak-out," where you start hyperventilating at the idea of trying to accomplish everything these narcissistic professors demand you to accomplish (do they really think that you're only taking their class and none other--ha! But, I think I will survive. Goodness knows that I'm elbows deep in school supplies--like a pig in mud--I'm in my element!

I wanted to share with you some of the highlights of my past weekend. My sister and her husband were able to drive down and spend some quality time us and Madison. At the Farmer's Market we found fresh goat cheese, baguettes, miniature apricots and yukon gold potatoes. Andrew made his delicious clam chowder Saturday night while the rest of us gobbled up the cheese and baguette. A red wine for the appetizer, a white for the chowder, a rousing game of Scrabble, all the while nursing slight sun burns from all the Farmer's Market sunshine--it was a great weekend!

Honestly, if you're ever in town, please let me take you to our Farmer's Market!

Also, just wanted to give a quick shout out about an event you should consider going to if you're around Milwaukee on September 13th! I'm doing an art fair at Hales Corner's beautiful Botanical Garden--hurray!

First day

First day of my fall term. A little nervous. A lot excited. And a touch of sad, just because this means that summer is fading. My notebooks are covered, my bus route routed, I just need to pack my lunch and off I go.

XOXO,
Jewels

Friday Favorites

1. Lilac flower small studs from Sumikoshop
2. Here comes the sun by CountryDreaming
3. Fig tarts from vacco
4. Marigold brooch by gsakowskidesigns

I'm an alarm clock Nazi. Or at least I think that's what Andrew is thinking when he comes into the office, wearing his Batman t-shirt, rubbing his head, glaring at me because he slept in for an extra hour. The alarm is supposed to go off at 7. But, I'm usually up before then and I don't like the sound of it going off for long, so I usually dash in and hit the off button before he has time to roll over and wonder what the noise is. And, quite ashamedly, there's something about that morning time, all to yourself. Maybe I wanted an extra hour of it. Yes, I'm a bad person! A proper alarm clock Nazi!

Good day

We woke up this morning to the gentle sound of a soft rain. There's a sidewalk below our bedroom window which catches every little slap, smack and plop of rain. I can smell the coffee brewing. *sighs* It's going to be a good day, I can tell already!

Image from the Farmer's Market

Cod Fish, filters and macaroons

I can't seem to sleep past 6:30 this week (and past weekend for that matter). Not that I mind horribly, I tend to get a lot more accomplished in the wee parts of the morning. I put on the coffee, check my email, read a book, watch Andrew sleep. He's much more elegant of a sleeper than I. I wake up with my top lip adhered to my gums, mouth hanging wide open--like the unnerving combination of a cod fish and rabbit. Not very pretty.

The photograph is of me on one of our walks down to Borders this past weekend. I have to ask, it's a very bloggy-sort of question: do you like filters? Digital filters you can administer to your photographs to pump the saturation, soften the edges. I'm on the fence about them and would love to know what you think!

Coconut Macaroons

1 1/3 cup of flaked coconut 1/3 cup of sugar 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Stir all dry ingredients together. Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix well. Drop rounded spoonfuls onto a greased sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Voila! You have macaroons. I think I ended up baking mine for 23 minutes, taking them out when they were caramelly brown at the bottom. Be prepared, they call to you the moment they are out of the oven. Taste wonderful with chai tea!

Humidity

I don't know what it's like there, but the humidity here has my books pealing. It just takes the starch out of everything (picture me a limp piece of lettuce with frizzy hair).

The weekend was wonderful, full of cooking experiments (red curry and macaroons), long walks, a wicked game of Scrabble and a few trips to the coffee shop for some proper air conditioning!

Image from this weekend

Friday Favorites

one: Winter bloom II by pastelpetals
two: little sparkly ocean from Snowberrylime
three: white pillow from designfabulous
four: Have some tree top with your clouds by slgdesigns

The week has been bliss--it's a little summer vacation, complete with sunshine, good food and leisurely mornings. I'm up to my eyeballs in paper and glue, I've made muffins, cookies and tacos all from scratch, I've actually stayed up past 10 (unheard of for most of the summer), and I'm soaking up the time together--Andrews are a good thing. I keep thinking, just another week till school starts up for the fall term, I must enjoy these moments. Must, must!

I know the summer is slowly coming to an end, what are the last things on your list before school starts, or fall begins, or the calendar flips over--however your autumn comes about?

Home

Last weekend I moved Andrew home! No longer a couple separated by 150 miles. No longer a couple dependent upon the thrills and chills of cell phone and email correspondence. No longer a couple relegated to weekend romance. Ha! He conquered the ten week internship. I conquered summer school. And here I sit, still in my pajamas, licking off chocolate from the chocolate banana muffins I made this morning, contemplating a Monday that feels sort of like a Saturday.

I know it sounds like a familiar tune, but I may be a little quiet over here as I take time to reconnect and re-establish a routine. It'll be good. Quiet, satisfying and good.

I'll be in touch soon!

XOXO
Jewels

Images from here