happy spring

  

In honor of the first day of spring, here are some bright flowers. 

  

Winter went out with a bang this year, in the form of a big snowstorm, so I'm in need of a little dose of spring. 

  

Enjoy! 

saturday morning

Thanks to Pinterest, I tried out waffle iron cinnamon buns for breakfast this morning. 

They were absolutely delicious and so easy.  We used Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, because they are our favorite, but any pre-made brand will do (and I'm sure you could get fancy and use homemade cinnamon rolls too.)  Pop them into your waffle maker a few at a time (don't let them get too crowded) and let it do its thing. I left it on the same setting we use for waffles and it worked great, but you might want to test one out before you go for it.  Take them out of the waffle iron and drizzle the icing on top. And voila, cinnamon bun waffles. 

Enjoy. 

i really like this dog

i baked a cake yesterday

The boy bought me a Bundt pan and the Baked chocolate malted bundt cake mix. 

{ The mix I used is no longer for sale but you can purchase a number of mixes at Williams-Sonoma, or if you live in NYC you can actually visit their bakery }

I was craving cake yesterday, so I broke out my as-of-yet unused Bundt pan and cake mix and got to mixing. 

The end result was absolutely delicious and just what I needed today. 

before

My sister cut her hair short this weekend, so we took some before and after pictures. 

This is one of my favorites from the series. 

happy new year?

{ image via designlovefest, photo by mike kohlbauer }

My 2013 isn't off to the greatest start. I woke up with a cold and our water pump is broken. I am drinking lots of honey lemon throat soother (thank you Ez, you are my savior!) and trying to remember not to flush the toilet. 

But I have faith that this isn't a sign of what's to come. I have big plans for 2013, this is going to be a great year!

a christmas day hike

Yesterday was a perfect Christmas day. One of those quintessential Vermont winter days with a crisp blue sky and a light dusting of snow.

We took a family hike out to The Big Rock (or Wu Ledges, as anyone else knows it) just before sunset. 

I feel so incredibly lucky to have this view just a brief walk out my door. 

There's our tiny little town down in the valley. 

a vending machine for books

{ The BIBLIO-MAT from Craig Small on Vimeo }

So this is incredible. Can I have one for my house? 

jamie

{ jamie cullum from machine shop sfx on vimeo }

I've been on a bit of a Jamie Cullum kick lately.  It's perfect for playing at the shop (our stereo / cd player is very old and a bit temperamental, so I've been relying on my iTunes library for music selection) and I'm definitely obsessed again. 

This cover of that Rihanna song I'm not particularly fond of is kind of incredible. 

Also, he's married to Roald Dahl's granddaughter. Bonus points. 

{ I guess I like Rihanna songs when other people sing them }

I am taking a few days off work this week and am planning to thoroughly enjoying the break. My perfect lazy morning includes cozy clothes (it is getting cold in Vermont!) a cup of coffee, delicious breakfast, and some good reading material. My latest copy of Real Simple came a few days ago and I can't wait to take a look. I'll catch up with shows I've missed on Hulu, heat up some leftover soup for lunch, and take my dog for a walk. I can't wait!

.01 | cozy sweater | mango | $20 

.02 | soft tee | aerie | $25

.03 | warm scarf | poketo | $ 32

.04 | perfect jeans | abercrombie & fitch | $88

.05 | breakfast and reading material

.06 | favorite boots | charlotte russe | $39

a weekend in north carolina

 

The trip started out with a lot of rain in DC and a few hours of sitting on the tarmac waiting for lightening to stop. And a whole lot of running through an airport to make our connecting flight on time. 

Friday started with breakfast on the porch, enjoying the balmy 85º morning. 

I spent the rest of the day relaxing and mostly doing nothing (I think there was a nap involved.) It was joyous and wonderful. 

Friday ended with a wonderful welcome dinner hosted by the groom's parents. It was held on the lawn of the Horace Williams House, which was hosting an incredible needlepointillism exhibit. 

Before the wedding on Saturday we drove to Wilson, my parents' home town to visit relatives. As always, we drove by 123 Ripley Road, my mom's childhood home. (That's one-two-three, not one-twenty-three, in case you were wondering.)

We also stopped by the Wilson Doughnut Shop (originally opened by my Great Uncles Clee and Floyd) for our usual Honey Buns. 

Unfortunately, they had sold out. So a dozen fresh, warm doughnuts did the trick. 

I was so busy enjoying the wedding celebrations that I didn't take any pictures! (Usually I am the one holding everyone up at work because I am running around snapping pictures of all the details with my phone.) While it means I can't show my friends and coworkers pictures, I do not regret taking the time to enjoy myself and the great party at all. And boy, was it a great party!

. . . and again

I brought home about ten pounds of apples that were leftover from a wedding and I've been making apple crisps left and right.

I think maybe I need to come up with another apple recipe.

it's candy corn season y'all

My favorite time of year. 

apple crisp . . .

. . . it tastes even better for breakfast the next day

it's road trip time

{ illustration by aled lewis via in print }