Spring Flowers & Showers

Yes, I took another short blogging break, but what can I say? I’ve been outdoors enjoying the spring sunshine and warm weather, both very welcome after such a long, cold winter.

Stephen’s parents were in town last week, and we had a great time hosting them at our house for the first BBQ of the spring season. Using the new Webber grill that his family gave us for Christmas, Stephen cooked up a tasty batch of blue cheese burgers, which we served along with red wine and Greek salad. It was all so delicious, and we had such a fun time, that I didn’t even remember to snap any pictures of the meal. Though we’ve only done it a couple times so far, hosting dinners at our new house is quickly becoming one of my favorite activities.

While his dad was working, Stephen, his mom and I also braved a rainy day to head to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum and one of our favorite wineries, Fabbioli Cellars. As always, we had a great time there, and came home with a nice red to enjoy the next time we grill. 

How have you been welcoming spring? Do you love spending time outdoors when the weather warms up? 

Friday Five: Holiday Edition

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying this most wonderful time of the year. Here to kick off the weekend are five things that are making me smile.

1. It’s the thoughtful kindness of friends that makes the holiday season so special. Many thanks to my sweet friend Diana of The World Around Her for these fun surprises.

2. I may be biased, but are these two kitties cute or what?!

(via Ulta Beauty) 

3. What’s up, Santa? Just in case you need a few last-minute ideas, Conair’s Curl Secret looks like the perfect stocking stuffer.

(via Bon Appetit)

4. There’s nothing like whipping up a tasty batch of latkes in honor of Hanukkah (even though I don't actually celebrate).

(via E! Online) 

5. I finally saw Mockingjay on Wednesday and loved every minute! Next up, Annie and Into the Woods. 

What's making you happy this week? 

Friends-giving, Sutton Foster & Two Very Cute Kitties

From sharing a feast with two dear friends to seeing the incomparable Sutton Foster bring down the house at DC’s Kennedy Center, my Thanksgiving weekend was filled with food, fun and, of course, two very cuddly kitties. Best of all, it’s now officially the Christmas season, to be celebrated with many a carol, roll of giftwrap and homemade cookie.

As usual, my low-key holiday weekend kicked off Wednesday night with a big glass of wine and an annual viewing of Gone With the Wind. A lovely light snow – our first of the season – also fell that day. Then, Thursday morning, it was time to head into the kitchen to help my husband prepare a Thanksgiving meal of turkey, gravy, salad, my Nana’s mashed potatoes, his Nana’s stuffing and some delish cranberry-lemon relish. Our friends also contributed rolls, a green bean casserole and two pies, making for a fabulous meal in our new home.

(For those who are wondering, I gave up my pescetarian diet a few months back after struggling with low energy levels and weight gain. Luckily, I’ve been feeling better ever since.)

   

Friday found us doing some early-morning shopping, then later heading to the Kennedy Center, where Tony-winner Sutton Foster performed alongside the National Symphony Orchestra and special guest artists Megan McGinnis and Joshua Henry. While the two-hour show didn't seem nearly long enough, it was by far one of the most awesome symphony concerts I’ve seen.

Looks like I'll be re-cleaning the tablecloth and mats! 

Finally, while Steve worked on homework Saturday and Sunday, I enjoyed putting up decorations and snuggling with our kitties, who both tried to “help” deck the halls by batting at ornaments and lounging on top of stockings. All in all, it was a wonderful start to the holiday season! 

How was your Thanksgiving? Are you ready for the holidays?  

Five Things Thursday: Things I'm Loving

Happy May Day! It’s been a busy week around here, but I’ve still made time to join Diana and Tairalyn for their weekly Five Things linkup, where I’m sharing a few cool things I’m loving right now. Want to join in? Check out my five things below, share yours and then head on over to The World Around Her or Little Miss Mama to add your link and join the fun!

1. Charity Miles App

Even though our daily walks were put on hold thanks to rainy weather the past couple of days, I’m looking forward to getting back out there again! If you aren’t already familiar with it, the free Charity Miles app allows you to earn money for a charity of your choosing for every mile you walk, run or bike. Charities to choose from include Stand Up to Cancer, the Wounded Warrior Project, ASPCA and many more. Check it out, and start giving back while you work out!

2. Farmers Markets

Have I mentioned before that I love, love, love our new neighborhood? Starting tonight, there’ll be yet another great thing going on – a seasonal farmers market within easy walking distance of our place. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have and hopefully also getting inspired to whip up a few new healthy recipes.

Photo Credit: Fabbioli Cellars

3. Fabbioli Cellars’ Una Pera Wine

As I mentioned last week, Fabbioli Cellars is one of my favorite local wineries. Lately, I've been especially loving their Una Pera pear wine, which always hits the spot on a warm spring or summer’s day. Since it’s sold at our local Whole Foods, we can even get our fix without visiting the winery itself (even though we like to every chance we get).

4. Margaritas

For those times when wine just won’t cut it, I love indulging in a tangy margarita. I recently discovered this mango jalapeno recipe on Pinterest and can’t wait to give it a try.

5. MRIS Homes.com

Sure, Zillow is a great basic tool, but for hardcore house searching, MRIS Homes is a truly awesome one-stop shop for real-time, in-depth info. Fellow house hunters or homeowners, are there any other sites you'd recommend?

What are you loving this week?  

Five Things Thursday: Favorite Spring Activities

It’s that time of the week again, when I’m joining Diana and Tairalyn for the Five Things linkup and sharing five favorite activities I have or will be enjoying this spring. Want to join in? Check out my five things below, share yours and then head on over to The World Around Her or Little Miss Mama to add your link and join the fun!

1. Relaxing Neighborhood Walks

Coming off of an epic winter that felt like it would never end, I’ve especially been loving the warmer weather, blooming flowers and chirping birds letting us know that spring is finally here. In order to take advantage of the nicer weather before the dreaded summer humidity sets in, Stephen and I have been making time to go for walks around the neighborhood during the evenings and on weekends. With plenty of trails to choose from, our walks are simple, relaxing and a good way to ease back into exercising after months of winter laziness. We’ve loved seeing a lot of animals so far, too, including geese, beavers, ducks, turtles and frogs.

2. Local Wine Tasting

Trying out new wines and visiting local wineries are two of my favorite things any time of year, but especially during the spring, when the weather’s once again warm enough for a nice outdoor picnic and a chilled glass of refreshing Viognier. We’re hoping to hit up one of our faves, Fabbioli Cellars, very soon.

3. Lao New Year Festival

One fun highlight of our spring thus far was heading to last weekend’s Lao New Year Festival at a local temple. After wandering around and checking out the food options, we decided on papaya salad for me, chicken satay for Stephen, and pad Thai and Thai iced teas for us both, all of which we ate while listening to a local band perform. I was a little disappointed that no one seemed to be selling my all-time favorite dish, crispy rice salad, but we did manage to pick up a big batch of hot dried chilies to use in our cooking throughout the coming months.

4. Healthy Spring Cooking

After months of chowing down on pasta, soup and other wholesome comfort foods, it feels good to get back to making some lighter and healthier spring dishes, including sushi and stir fries. Trying new recipes has been a goal of ours recently, and next week, we’re planning to try replicating some of the meals we learned how to make during last month's Indian cooking classes.

5. Outdoor Patio Reading

Now that we’ve got our new Ikea patio set all ready to go, I’m looking forward to sitting outside during the day and in the evenings to read. I’m currently starting a new book by Paul Taylor called The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown, which I’ll be sure to review here on the blog.

Have a great Thursday and a fun weekend, everyone! What are some of your favorite things to do during the spring? 

Recipe Recap: SELF Magazine's Kung Pao Salmon

Following our success with SELF Magazine’s delicious tofu coconut curry recipe last month, Stephen and I couldn’t wait to give another one of their healthy and flavorful dishes a try. Once again, we weren’t disappointed with their kung pao salmon and sweet potato recipe, which we whipped up a couple weekends ago and are looking forward to making again sometime soon.

Check out the instructions on SELF’s website, and also feel free to make any modifications you'd like. We, for instance, decided to swap asparagus for broccoli and also serve the dish over a bed of red quinoa in order to make it a little more filling. Next time, we’ll probably kick it up another notch with more Sriracha sauce, too!

Disclaimer: As you may be aware, SELF messed up big time several weeks ago by publishing a piece that made fun of the tutu running trend, complete with a picture of a runner and cancer survivor who wasn’t made aware of the context in which her photo would be used. While I was and continue to be very disappointed with SELF’s actions, I’m glad the editor in chief owned up to the mistake, apologized, conducted an interview with the runner highlighting how inspiring and awesome she is, and decided to pull the column in question from the magazine’s future issues. 

Even though I know there are others who will no longer continue reading SELF following this debacle, I have decided to give them another chance, as this is a magazine I’ve loved reading ever since I was a teenager for its healthy living tips. I certainly hope this was a one-time serious error in judgment and that nothing like this will occur again in the future.  

Five Things Thursday: Random Musings

Happy Thursday! Today, I’m excited to join Diana and Tairalyn for their new weekly Five Things linkup, where bloggers can share any five things currently on their minds. Want to join in? Check out my five things below, share yours and then head on over to The World Around Her or Little Miss Mama to add your link and join the fun!

1. Now that it’s finally spring, I’m trying to get outside and exercise more often, even though it’s been tough getting back into it following months of lazy, out-of-shape lounging. During last weekend’s run, I barely made it a mile before wanting to stop and walk, but I guess something is better than nothing, right?

2. Last week, I was excited to get word that I’ve been selected for a new freelance writing opportunity with a women’s lifestyle site. I’ll make an official announcement and share my first post once it goes live, but for now, I’m just grateful for the upcoming opportunity, even though I’m at the same time disappointed that a fellow writing buddy who applied with me wasn’t accepted. Have you ever had an experience like that, where you got good news but a friend didn’t? It’s definitely sapped some of the joy out of the announcement, even though I know she’s genuinely happy for me.

3. My husband and I have been trying out a lot of new recipes lately, and last weekend we whipped up a tasty new addition that will definitely be a keeper in our house this spring and summer – kung pao salmon. Would you like to try it, too? Stay tuned for a recipe recap post next week!

4. Now that my husband and I have decided to stay here in the DC area for the foreseeable future, we’re looking forward to starting our house hunt during the mid-to-late summer. So far, we’ve gone to a couple seminars, put together an initial list outlining what we do and don’t want, and have also starting scoping out potential neighborhoods we like. The thought of making such a huge purchase still feels a bit daunting at times, but as we keep getting more of a solid feel for what we’re doing, it’s starting to get a lot more exciting, too!

5. If the weather is nice this weekend, we’re hoping to head to a Lao New Year Festival where we can enjoy some tasty eats, including the utter deliciousness that is crispy rice salad. Have you ever tried it before? Here's also wishing an early happy Easter to all who will be celebrating! 

Chic ‘n Cheap Living Guest Post: Guinness Chocolate Cake Recipe

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have recently seen my photo of the Guinness chocolate cake Stephen and I made for St. Patrick’s Day. Of course, the results were delicious, and since this is one of our go-to dessert recipes any time of year, I've decided to share it in a guest post for Chic ‘n Cheap Living. 

The post is running today, so feel free to stop by, check it out, and also take a look at the many other fun and inspiring pieces featured there. Happy eats! 

Indian Cooking Class: Part Two

After having an awesome time at our first Whole Foods-sponsored Indian cooking class, Stephen and I couldn’t wait to head back for the second session last week, where we learned how to whip up yet another batch of tasty eats!

Just like last time, I’ve listed the names of the dishes below, along with photos and links to online recipes that are similar to those we were given as part of a written packet during the class. Check them out, and if you missed last week’s post, featuring such delicious dishes as sambar, masala dosa and gulab jamum, feel free to give it a read.

Chicken Masala with Vegetable Pulao & Onion Cucumber Raita  

Back before I became a pescetarian, chicken masala was one of my favorite Indian dishes. I’d love to try this recipe at home using shrimp. I'm also excited to try making vegetable pulao rice and yogurt-based onion cucumber raita, which were both good. 

Mango Lassi

If you’ve never tried a mango lassi before, you’ve definitely been missing out. This yogurt and mango smoothie is so flavorful and refreshing, I could drink one every day! 

What’s your favorite Indian dish?  

Indian Cooking Class: Part One

As longtime lovers of Indian food, Stephen and I were thrilled to discover that our local Whole Foods was offering a series of two cooking classes this month featuring popular Indian dishes, including sambar and gulab jamun. When we also found out that all proceeds from the classes would go toward supporting the company’s Whole Planet Foundation, which works to alleviate global poverty, we knew we absolutely had to sign up.

And now, thanks to the awesome instructors who shared flavorful recipes from the country’s southern region, we’re certainly happy we did! In fact, we liked this first class so much that we even headed back a couple nights ago for the second session, which I’ll recap next week.

Do you like Indian food, too? Here’s a quick overview of the dishes we learned to make during the first meeting, along with links to online versions that are similar to the Whole Foods recipes, which we were given as part of a printed packet. 

Sambar

Sambar is an Indian soup that can be made with lentils and a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, eggplant and even an okra-like moringa fruit drumstick that I had never before tasted. Served hot and spicy, this dish perfectly complemented the masala dosa described below.

Masala Dosa

Along with our sambar, we also feasted upon Indian crepes filled with a tasty masala made from potatoes, onions, jalapeno and plenty of delectable spices. These were so good that I even ate two of them before the class was over, both topped with the spicy coconut chutney we also learned how to make. 

Dosa

Masala for Dosa

Coconut Chutney

Gulab Jamun

Saving perhaps the best for last, our meal ended with a taste of sweet and syrupy gulab jamun, a fried dough dessert. I was so excited to taste mine that I completely forgot to take a picture, but if you click on the link above, you’ll see exactly what they look like.

Have you ever taken a cooking class before? What types of cuisine would you love to learn how to make? 

Recipe Recap: SELF Magazine's Tofu Coconut Curry

In an effort to add a little more variety to our usual weekly lineup of meals, Stephen and I have been trying to be better about actually experimenting with recipes we've found in magazines and on Pinterest. One of these, SELF's tofu coconut curry, definitely didn't disappoint, proving itself to be flavorful, savory, perfect for the waning days of winter and by far one of the most delicious new recipes I've tried in a long time!

Plus, even if you simply don't like tofu or are not a vegetarian (pescetarian, in my case), I'm sure this tasty red curry dish, complete with carrots, peppers, ginger, garlic, coconut milk and cilantro, could be easily modified to include shrimp, chicken or whatever else you'd prefer to use. 

Our take on SELF's tasty tofu coconut curry. Yum! 

Check out the recipe on SELF's website by following the link above, and stop by next week for my recap of the Indian cooking class we're heading to this evening at our local Whole Foods. I'm super excited and can't wait to learn how to whip up some tasty eats! 

Have you tried any new recipes lately?

A Big Apple Christmas & DC New Year Recap: Better Late Than Never

Yes, I know Christmas has been over for more than a month already, but I’ve had such a busy start to my new year that I’m just now finally getting around to recapping the holidays, which were awesome in every way. From spending an amazing week in New York City with my mom and sister to showing them the sights back here in DC through the beginning of 2014, it was by far one of my favorite Christmases ever. Here, in a nutshell, are some of our top holiday highlights.

-- Our midtown hotel in New York City, the Westin Grand Central, was comfortable, clean and close enough to many major sights without the expensive Times Square price tag. It also offered a great view of the Chrysler Building, one of my favorite NYC landmarks. Overall, I liked it a lot and would definitely stay there again.

-- I'm a big fan of Monet and Van Gogh, so it was fabulous seeing their pieces on display at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art.

-- Heading up to the top of the Empire State Building on Christmas Eve was freezing but still worth it for the amazing panoramic views of the city. The Heartland Brewery restaurant next door also served the best baked macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten!

-- It was my first time visiting Dylan’s Candy Bar, and I'm happy to say that I now understand the reason for all of the well-deserved hype! Chocolate- and candy-covered Oreos were my favorite treat, followed closely by a s'more chocolate bar. Oh, how I wish they would open one of these here in DC!

-- By far the biggest highlight of our trip was going to see three Broadway shows – Waiting for Godot staring Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, The Glass Menagerie staring Zachary Quinto, and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. All three were incredible, and if you ever have the chance to go to New York City and see them, I highly recommend doing so! Back in DC, we also rung in 2014 by going to see the musical Elf at the Kennedy Center. (We forgot to take pictures of the shows' marquee signs, so here's a shot of the iconic Grand Central Terminal clock instead.)  

-- The Central Park Zoo’s snow leopard cubs were truly adorable, climbing, tumbling and playing outside in the chilly weather.

-- The potato pancakes we ate at New York's famous Katz's Deli, of When Harry Met Sally fame, were beyond scrumptious.

-- Back in DC, my mom, sister, Stephen and I had a fun time visiting George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where we pet a sweet Christmas camel and got to tour the usually closed off top level of the mansion.

-- Space Shuttle Discovery, which I saw flying above our old apartment complex on its way to the Smithsonian back in 2012, is now housed at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Northern Virginia, where we took refuge one cold and rainy afternoon.

All in all, I loved the holidays and can’t wait to head back to NYC again, hopefully sometime this year. If you’ve been there before, what are some of your favorite things to do? Any recommendations for my next visit? Going to the Metropolitan Opera for a show and backstage tour is definitely at the top of my list!  

New Year's Resolutions: Better Late Than Never

I hope everyone’s 2014 is off to a great start so far! Since my family was here visiting from Christmas through last week, I’m just now getting back into the swing of things after an amazing holiday in New York City and a wonderful time introducing them to some of the DC area’s best museums and landmarks.

Even though we’re already a couple weeks into the new year, I figure it’s better late than never to share a few goals and resolutions. And really, any time, new year or not, is a good time to set goals for improving your life, right? 

Here below, with the help of a couple simple prompts I discovered via fellow bloggers, is a quick look at several of my goals, along with my chosen "word of the year."

A Bad Habit I’m Going to Break: 

Overeating

A New Skill I’d Like to Learn: 

Cooking more healthy meals

A Person I Hope to Be More Like: 

My Nana

A Good Deed I’m Going to Do: 

Donate on behalf of causes I support

A Place I’d Like to Visit: 

New York City’s Metropolitan Opera

A Book I’d Like to Read: 

The End of Illness by David B. Agus 

And many others, as well. As of right now, I have 98 books on my “To Read” list. During 2012 and 2013, I read 20-25 books per year while taking part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I hope to continue that trend by getting through at least 20 titles this year.

A Letter I’m Going to Write:

One allowing me to reconnect with someone I've lost touch with over the years

A New Food I’d Like to Try:

Crab sushi

I’m Going to Work Harder At: 

Believing in myself

A Project I'd Like to Finish: 

A final draft of my first novel 

I'd Like to Spend More Time: 

Exercising

I Want to Eat More: 

Fruits and vegetables

I Want to Wear More: 

Colorful clothes and jewelry, instead of my usual neutrals

A Class I'd Like to Take: 

An online writing seminar via Writer's Digest

Word of the Year: 

Confident 

Did you choose a "word of the year" or set goals for 2014? 

Sweater Weather Blog Tag

I love reading tag posts to learn more about my fellow bloggers, and since I also love doing them myself, I decided to play along with this tag I recently saw over at the fabulous Elle See’s blog. Read on for a quick look at a few of my holiday season favorites!

1. Favorite candle scent?

Right now, I love all of the Bath & Body Works holiday scents, especially Twisted Peppermint and Vanilla Bean Noel. Even more than the candles, I tend to go for body lotion and shower gel.

2. Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate. I’m not a big coffee drinker but will occasionally drink mint or green tea during the colder months. I also have a container of Mountain Thunder’s Kona Coffee Cherry Tea that I brought back from Hawaii and absolutely love.

3. Do you switch up your makeup routine for the season?

Not too much, although I sometimes gravitate toward darker shadows with a bit more sparkle. I also like wearing holiday-themed jewelry and nail polish.

4. Favorite Thanksgiving food?

Peppercorn salmon, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, all of which we had this year. I also miss my Nana’s delicious mashed potatoes, since no one can make them the way she did!

Peppercorn salmon makes for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. 

5. Hats or scarves?

When it’s really cold, both, along with gloves. I can’t stand being cold!

6. Most-worn sweater? 

My cozy brown LOFT sweater cardigan, which I’ve been wearing for at least three seasons now. It’s warm and easy to pair with a dress or top.

7. Must-have fall nail polish?

Green and purple jewel tones, along with glittery top coats for the holidays.

8. Football games or jumping in a pile of leaves? 

Leaves and being outdoors earlier in the season, and staying inside with a good book once it gets colder. I never have been and probably never will be a football fan.

Staying warm indoors with a good book is my idea of a perfect snow day. 

9. Skinny jeans or leggings?

Leggings or yoga pants for days around the house, and a dress with tights or jeans for going out.

10. Boots or UGGs?

This is a silly question, as UGGs are, in fact, a type of boot. I have plenty of boots I love, but must admit I don’t even own one pair of UGGs!

11. What is your favorite thing about fall?

The start of the holiday season, complete with tasty food, pretty decorations and Christmas carols.

12. Do you have a song that gets you in the fall mood or a song you're loving at the moment?

I recently discovered Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” from the new Disney movie Frozen. I truly love it and have been playing it nonstop!

13. What is the fall weather currently like where you live?

Winter has pretty much arrived here in the DC area, with two snow days already under our belts. I definitely think snow is pretty to look at, but don’t especially enjoy going out in it.

Tag, you’re it! What are a few of your own favorite things right now? 

Favorite Fall Things Blog Swap: Caramel Apples, Pumpkin Soap, a Scented Candle & More

Being able to enjoy the fall season is definitely one of the best things about living here on the East Coast, and every year, I look forward to crisp days, changing leaves, the start of the holidays and pumpkin, well, everything.

To make the fall months even more fun this time around, I decided to link up with a group of fellow bloggers for the Favorite Fall Things Blog Swap, where I exchanged a box of goodies with my fabulous partner Morgan Elise. It was great getting to know Morgan, who also has experience with wedding coordination and thinks sweet cinnamon pumpkin is the perfect fall scent. Plus, I completely loved everything she sent me! 

As seen here, Morgan gifted me: 

-- A purple tote bag

-- A House Hunters bingo game

-- Candy corn tissues

-- A ceramic pumpkin candle set with Spun Web scented cubes

-- An air freshener satchel 

-- A mason jar drinking glass with a couple Crystal Light packets and gum 

-- Two caramel apple kits

-- Pumpkin-scented soap 

Thanks, Morgan, for this fantastic collection and for being my partner! The caramel apples were especially fun to make and tasted every bit as delicious as they looked. Happy fall, everyone!

Recipe Recap: Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Along with fun-filled vacations, late evening walks at sunset and lazy days lounging with a good book in hand, summertime for me means feasting upon the many delicious light foods the season is known for, from salads to grilled vegetables to fresh-fruit desserts.

One such dessert, which my ever-talented husband treated me to a couple weeks ago, is Williams-Sonoma’s classic strawberry shortcake, complete with homemade whipped cream and flaky biscuit-like bread.

It was the first time I’d ever had this particular version of strawberry shortcake before, but now that I’ve tried it, it’s quickly topped my list of summertime favorites. Check out the recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website, and give it a try for the perfect end-of-summer treat!

What's your favorite summertime dessert? 

Celebrating Three Years of Love

And...I'm back, hopefully for good this time! Things are still busy as I try to clear my plate before heading off to Hawaii next month, but I’ve really missed this blog and all of you, so here’s hoping I’ll be able to drop in and say hi at least once a week from now on.

In addition to the various work projects I’ve had underway, Tuesday was our third wedding anniversary, which Stephen and I celebrated with a wine and sushi tasting featuring pairings by one of our favorite vineyards. After enjoying a gorgeous evening outdoors, we then indulged in even more delicious sushi, plus cheesecake and champagne, once we got home.

My super cute anniversary present, featuring pictures from the sloth sanctuary we visited in Costa Rica five years ago. 

Two of my all-time favorite things -- wine and sushi. 

It took three years, but we’ve also finally finished off the last of the champagne bottles guests signed at our wedding, which are now on display as keepsakes, along with the photo-mat guestbook and other special items that still remind us of our day. I can hardly believe it’s already been three years, but I’m definitely looking forward to many, many more! 

Margaritas, Beach Bags & Bath Bombs

Even though things are still incredibly hectic for me at the moment, I wanted to drop in and say hi to let you all know I’m still here! I'm doing my best to visit your blogs as often as I can, and I also wanted to share at least a few photo highlights from the past couple weeks. Thanks for sticking with me, and I'll be back with more updates soon! 

My sweet kitty Twix resting in a Mary Kay makeup box that's just her size. She definitely is gorgeous, just like the box says! 

Isn't this the cutest contact case you've ever seen? Thanks for the gift, Mom! 

A new Vera Bradley seashore tote bag for my July vacation to Hawaii. Is it time yet? 

A pre-Cinco de Mayo margarita from my favorite neighborhood Mexican place. I've definitely treated myself to a couple of these lately!

Tasty sushi rolls to help beat the rainy day blues.

Kicking off Sunday brunch with a refreshing berry mimosa.

The newest additions to my ever-growing collection of LUSH bath goodies. I can't get enough of that place!

Have you seen the new Star Trek movie yet? I loved it!

What have you been up to lately? Has your May been as busy as mine?