Chris and I are off to California on Sunday for a much needed getaway. We're headed to L.A. for some sun, relaxation and to toast the engagement of our friends, Mindy and Max.
I can't believe it was almost a year ago that we were hanging in Hollywood celebrating our honeymoon. I'm hoping not to repeat some of our honeymoon happenings this time around.
We've got some great things planned including a Dodgers game, pool and cocktails at the Roosevelt Hotel, shopping, catching up with friends, lounging in Laguna Beach, good eats, manis and pedis, and of course, wedding planning.
I already have several lovely posts planned for May, not to mention that California always proves to be a wonderful source of inspiration. So check back soon! Wishing you sun and fun while we're gone.
Happy Easter weekend all! This post comes to you with my windows open and the sun shining. Spring is here and how I wish we were spending the weekend with our families, we're looking forward to an Easter Sunday service and hosting dinner tomorrow night for friends.
We received the most generous wedding gift of beautiful Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton China and I'm excited to put it to use. Here's a sneak peek at the table I set for the festivities tomorrow.
Growing up, picking out our Easter Sunday dress was a big deal. I actually remember wearing pouffy floral dresses and white lace gloves to church. White lace gloves. In Regina. I was taught that a special occasion called for a special outfit.
My lace gloves are long lost in a dress-up box at my parents', yet I still can't help but brainstorm for a great Easter Sunday outfit and I thought this look from Kendi Everyday was fitting.
Whatever your plans are for this weekend, I hope it's relaxing and meaningful. For myself, Easter is about more than food and dresses and good company, it's a time for reflection and celebrating. Danni of oh, hello friend, said it best with her Easter post.
And as the Greeks say, Christos Anestee!... Alethenos!
Oddly enough, bacon has become a big part of my life. When Chris tells me he's running out to pick up basic groceries, somehow bacon seems to sneak it's way in with the milk, eggs, bread and juice. I'd prefer a crisp Riesling or a chocolate cupcake as my "basics" of choice, but somehow bacon is always stocked in our house.
This week after enjoying a delicious brunch of bacon and eggs, my sister and Chris started arguing (as good siblings-in-law do) over who would get the leftovers. Seriously, children? Between playful pushing and sarcastic teasing, the next thing I know a greasy Ziplock of bacon has dropped into our laundry room wall through a hole that once upon a time Chris may have punched and has still not fixed.
*Side note for our now concerned mothers: the hole punch happened several years ago. We were young and stupid and fighting over the phone, most likely about why I spend so much money on pedicures or why Chris ignores me when he watches sports. Somehow, the wall got punched.
Back to the bacon... Chris had to cut another hole in the bottom part of the wall in order to retrieve the bag of bacon to save the next renters from a nasty little surprise. Oh how I hope our landlord has not found my blog.
All that to say, I've had bacon on the brain and happily stumbled upon this intriguing recipe for Bacon cinnamon rolls from Rainy Day Gal.
Two ingredients!? That's all it takes. These sweet and savoury treats are currently in the oven smelling up our house. I feel as though they will pair nicely with a glass of white and a Sex and the City re-run.
Thank you to everyone who entered the Spring has sprung earrings giveaway. I've read your comments several times and was so inspired and happy by all that you shared. Fresh flowers? New babies? Bare legs? Farmer's markets? Are you kidding me?! I'm in heaven.
Congrats to the lovely Yuriko (owner of Vintage Oragami) who won the pretty pair of flower earrings. They're in the mail!
It seems only appropriate to celebrate Spring with a fun and fresh giveaway. I love gifting and I appreciate all the blog encouragement you give, so here's some Anthropologie flower studs to kick off the sunny weather and thank you for the support.
To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing what Spring thing you are most excited about. Rain boots? Tulips? Easter chocolate? The lucky winner will be selected at random and receive the fab pair of earrings in the mail.
Cooking with a plan is the path to success in the kitchen. There's nothing worse than running out of an ingredient mid-recipe or getting home from a long day and staring hopelessly at a frozen chunk of meat. Enter my lovely foodie friend, Rachel of De ma cuisine.
Her love of lists and cooking got her planning menus for home chefs with a fridge full of food and no plan of action. For a reasonable fee, Rachel will compose a meal plan to your liking. Choose your plan size from Petite, Moyenne, Plus Grande or C'est Incroyable.
Rachel offered to let me test out her services and created a delicious Menu Moyenne based on my specifications which included: a husband who loves bacon and who needs to embrace a wider variety of veggies. Our customized menu promptly arrived in my inbox in an easy to use calendar format.
Although our schedules are rarely Monday to Friday, it felt great to have a plan. I loved that Rachel provided options and room for my own creativity. We thoroughly enjoyed some delicious and easy new recipes last week.
Our living room makeover was a success, but when it came to curtains, I was stuck until a girlfriend suggested tea dyeing. Because we rent our place, I wanted lovely but reasonable options for our temporary home. A little DIY curtain project sounded perfect.
Tea dyeing instructions turned out to be extremely limited on the web and after several hilarious but unhelpful YouTube shorts, I decided trial and error was the best path. Turns out tea dyeing is super easy and economical.
I experimented with synthetic netting, paper and cotton. Different textiles produce different results, so have some fun experimenting. I started with curtains and moved to kraft paper tags and finally a crocheted doily.
What you'll need:
- netting, paper tags or crocheted doilies (really, the possibilities are endless)
- black tea bags
- a kettle
- a sink or baking dish
Arrange tea bags in a sink or baking dish depending on the size of the items you're dyeing. For two curtains I used 50 tea bags, for paper or a small cotton item, use five to 10.
Boil water and fill the sink or dish about 3/4 of the way full. Steep the tea for 15 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
Soak the items in the tea. The longer you leave it, the darker your results. Synthetic fabrics take much longer than natural materials. I left our netting in overnight. For the doily and paper tags, I left them in for 10 minutes.
Rinse the fabric items and lay them flat until dry.
Before and after:
Curtains
Paper tags
Vintage doily
We ended up with enough tea bags for all of England but also with some whimsical curtains and a great new DIY way to add a vintage, antique touch to all sorts of things.
welcome
I wish to brighten your day with a little inspiration. Inspiration to try something new. Inspiration to find joy in cooking and crafting, entertaining and styling, writing and sharing. I’m Alexandra Joy and I have many joys to share.