california 2014.

Have you ever gone a vacation where you're simply relaxing and enjoying just being still so much that you forget to, oh, I dunno...take pictures to actually document that you were there? That was me this past week in California. I promise I actually did spend 6 days on Sunset Beach, but the whopping 9 photos I have to prove it might say otherwise.

It was such a niiiiice vacation, though!
We laid out. We tanned. We ate and ate and ate. Oof. We read books. We strolled leisurely along the shore, letting the waves lap at our ankles. We had a mini engagement photo session. I got a mani-pedi and a massage while my man rode a motorcycle around the hills and valleys of LA. We laid out some more. We tanned some more.

Can I go back?

 Okay, yes, I did take a bite out of each donut to taste them. Don't judge me.

#nofilter. Truly. Beautiful.

Who here has read Gone Girl?? I die.
Is there any specific place for you that's basically heaven on earth? Sunset Beach comes close for me.
-e.

things i love, lately - april 2014.

I don't know if it's because of the 100 happy days challenge that I'm participating in or what, but this month I had a ton of pictures to narrow down for this thankfulness post.

It still may be longer than usual. It's been a good month and I have much to be grateful for.

 

For time spent with this playful pup.

 

And with this sweet man.

 For the opportunity to see one of my favey bands so up close.

And another great band, just not so up close.

 

For this sweet boy who is growing so fast and sitting up on his own!

For reminders of what an amazing Creator I belong to.

For chickens and goats and judgmental stares from children at a pop-up petting

zoo at the Dallas Arboretum. And for a boyf who gets a kick out of my enthusiasm.

 

-e.

apple pickin' season.

You totally didn't believe me when I said I was going apple picking, did you?
"She lives in the city!", you thought. "It's the name of her blog!", you exclaimed.

Well, hah. I totally went apple picking. Some girls from my community group tagged along as well. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to boot!
I called ahead to Henrietta Apple Orchards (incidentally, the only apple orchard in the surrounding area) and she said most trees were already empty, but I was welcome to search through the "seconds in apples". That basically means it's what's left over from the harvest. Not the prettiest or biggest, but perfect for baking, which we all know is what I plan on using them for. Not to mention, they were only 70 cents a pound! Ya'll know I had to buy 9 lbs, right?

Check it out.

What a fun, adventurous, gorgeous day!
I can't wait to post some delicious recipes. Ya'll are gonna get tired of apples.
Is that even possible?
-e.

things i love - august

It's always around this time every year that I am juuuust about over the hot weather and begin craving cool breezes and falling leaves. Too bad I live in Texas and I don't have that to look forward to for at least another month.
In anticipation for Fall, I bought a bunch of sweaters, hoping Mother Nature would get the hint and accommodate me. It dropped to, like, 67 degrees one morning! It's a start, ya'll.

This month alone, I've crossed something off my 30 Before 30 list AND my Dallas To-Do List.
For my 30 Before 30, I crossed off: Take a cooking class.
I went to a Central Market Knife Skills class and learned so much! I loved it so much, in fact, that I'm actually taking another (baking this time!) in September. Highly recommend.
Then I got to cross Restaurant Week off my Dallas To-Do List. This is something that I'm glad I did, but maybe won't do again. We went to 2 different restaurants and it was like night and day. It's hard to say which one is the norm, but before we went to our first, I'd been reading some articles about how restaurants hate this event and, therefore, treat patrons as such.
Either way, I had some really great food at a really great price.

Other great things about this month:

bearded dogs who snuggle sleeping babies,

more and more commonly occurring meals with people I love,

delicious coffees that serve to remind me how blessed I am,

sweaty trips to the arboretum and brilliant colors,

faux-fancy meals from the comfort of my own home (recipe here),

smiling pups who love to play,

catching the sunrise before I start my workday.

Finally, other things I love, in no particular order: that my nephew is due ANY day now, this incredibly eye-opening photoblog about addiction and homelessness (warning: not for the faint of heart), and this sweet blog of a creative college friend!

-e.

things i love, lately - july.

Some of the things in life I'm thankful for lately:

Quiet time spent at 7:30 on cool mornings with coffee and my pup.

 These cherries from the farmer's market near my house that I made my lunch one Saturday.

Good friends, good drinks, and good things to celebrate.

 Early morning walks with this sweet, inquisitive girl.

My first (and unfortunately, last) meal at a tasty 

restaurant downtown with a strange concept.

This news article which pays homage to this city I love so dearly.
And in no particular order: twerking, sleeping in on rainy mornings, and the Dallas Public Library.
When was the last time you checked out a book from the library? You should try it again sometime.
-e.

things I love - april.

April's been a bad month of blogging for me. Sorry about that. I figured I'd better squeeze in a "Things I Love" post before I was out of month to work with.

This month has been filled with flowers, baked goods, fantastic weather, and is probably the month I'll be able to recall whenever I'm diagnosed with skin cancer. Eeep.

Not only did I go on vacation to California this month, but my BFFL came to visit (her family, but I can pretend she came just for me, right?). Like I said...it's been a good month,

Queen of all things sustainable and hippie extraordinaire, Nat. It was so good for my soul to have her here. I already miss her already.

These sweet bluebonnets were growing in front of her parents' house. I had two of my own pop up in my yard, but they were quickly mowed down the next day by my yard service.

Another reason to love this month? My music-loving friend, Rachel, practically read my mind when she bought two of these tickets because did I want to go? Uh, YES. Ya'll. The Neighbourhood are my favorite up-and-coming band and I highly recommend you check them out. Even if you don't, I'll be blogging about the show so you'll have to hear about them anyway. Might as well do it on your own terms, riiight?

Just another sweet reminder that spring is here! Pretty pink blossoms in Rachel's front yard.

Finally, the reason this month has truly ruled: my week-long trip to California with Pete. The weather couldn't have been better or the beach more welcoming. There's something to be said about a vacation where your main plans include sleep, tan, eat, repeat.
Not to mention !!! I got to cross "go snorkeling" off my 30 Before 30! Awesome. We kayaked and snorkeling the (very cold) Pacific in La Jolla Cove. It was really cool and one of my favorite parts of the trip. Unfortunately, I have no evidence, so you'll just have to trust.

These are just a few photos. The rest can be seen here.

So much to be thankful for. I can't wait for May!
(Not to mention, I have plenty of recipes I need to share with ya'll.)

-e.