Weekend Recap

{this is kind of how I felt this weekend}

It was the weekend, now it's Monday, blah, blah.  I'm sad it's over and quite frankly I just want to fast forward to Friday.  I love it when weekends are filled with sunshine and warm temperatures, causing you to energize and conquer.  That is exactly what this weekend held for us.  Some highlights include ::

• Dinner + hot tub time w/the fam.  We brought Stevie over there for the first time and of course she figured out the only way into an area that left her trapped.  Her was rescued though, don't you worry ;)
• Can I just talk about how much I love, love, love Parks & Recreation?  Every new episode gives my abs a great workout.
• After breakfast on Saturday morning, I went out to buy more eggs to make the always delicious zucchini + blueberry bread.  I decided to stop at a new-to-me market and fell.  In.  LOVE.  They sell Intelligentsia coffe there!  And bulk bin everything!  I had samples galore!  And smelled so many flowers!  
• My husband's mom stopped by for a quick visit and we ventured down to the nursery at the end of our road.  We've been wanting an evergreen to plant in front of our neighbor's junk pile to block it from our view.  We came home with a Spring Grove Arborvitae and planted it right there in front of the worst view.  A belated Earth Day treat.
• Skyping with one of my bestests!
• After a pretty severe evening thunderstorm (that brought a lot of hail to Churchill Downs on opening night) we stayed in for the night and relaxed on the couch with the pup.
• Veggie Eggs Benedict, courtesy of the mister.  Followed by a trip to the Peddler's Mall.
• Finally planting all of our seeds, transplanting the tomatoes and making the garden a reality!
• Painting a spare bedroom this shade of gray, to match the print which resides over the fireplace

Accomplishing so much feels so good.  Getting time to relax afterwards before the work week starts again? Amazing.  

Here's to a great week ahead!

Thursday Leaves Me Feeling Random

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I imagine whoever's office this is, gets a lot done on any given day.  I'm getting inspired just looking at it.

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We have 5 VERY special guests coming to stay with us this weekend.  3 of those 5 guests include my favorite children! I can't wait to have them here in our house.  I think we'll even be making delicious pancakes.  So exciting!

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The mister and I have been talking all things gardening this past week.  Wouldn't it be cool to create a teepee out of bean stalks?  It's probably not going to turn out that way for us, but I like the option.

Even though this dress appears to be sold out, it doesn't mean I can't lust over it all the day long.  It's so pretty and perfect for life lately.  Speaking of life, lately...spring is in full effect around these parts.  My tulips have almost bloomed (hooray, successful planting! *pats self on back*), our magnolia tree has beautiful fuchsia blooms opening up, daffodils are everywhere on our road, a pear tree came to life overnight and since our windows are open, all we can hear are the birds chirping like crazy.  I love it.  

Speaking of spring, wouldn't this salad make for the perfect spring meal?  Not only is it healthy and satisfies a lot of food groups, it just looks so fresh and vibrant.  I think I need to eat it, ASAP!

What's inspiring you this week?  And how are your weeks going?  Today is shaping up to be a nice day.  I'm not at work, March Madness begins and I've got a golden opportunity to get the house ready for our visitors!  Happy Thursday, everyone!

Weekend Recap

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Hello, everyone! How were your weekends?  Mine was lovely.  Spring is springing here in Kentucky and it's beautiful.  Yesterday's weather did wonders for my soul.  Some highlights of the weekend include ::

• Sol Aztecas - Holy yum, this place is good.  So was the company!  
• KU losing was a major disappointment, but Louisville winning the Big East championship PLUS UK losing the SEC championship pretty much made up for it.  Now, let the Madness begin!
• Flea Off Market - we briefly strolled through the flea market with Stevie in hand (which might have been a big mistake).  People loved on her a lot, which was totally cute, but man, she was annoying.  
• We spent the remainder of the day going in and outside, sipping brews and watching basketball.  Also, we may or may not have fallen asleep on the couch before SNL started.  
• Brunch, garden shopping and outdoor time - we planted a blackberry bush, bought starter seeds and wood to make a table (wood for the raised bed is next trip).  I'm so so so very excited for it all!
• Porch time - the critters are coming out and chattering up a storm.  It's so calming to sit on the porch and enjoy it all.

I've totally got spring fever.  It's bad!  With temps in the 70s this week, it's hard to not believe that winter is behind us, spring is here and happiness will seep out of every ounce of my being.  Here's to a great week, everyone! xoxo.

Thursday's Randoms

How does your garden grow? Now that spring is inching closer, we're talking more and more about our soon-to-be vegetable garden.  Husband has it all planned out, to my delight, but I keep finding so many awesome ways to grow everything.  Our biggest problem will be keeping deer out of our stuff, not to mention the cat, dog and other animals wandering through.  But it's almost time to start! Via

Ever since I spotted these on pinterest last week, I've had an undeniable craving for them.  They look so perfect in every single bite.  How can one resist??  Via

Speaking of spring, this skirt would make a great addition to anyone's closet for the upcoming warm months!  I'm in love already.  Via

And wouldn't this necklace match perfectly with the warehouse skirt above? I do declare it would.  It would indeed.

I'm obviously in the bright-colored mood today, and when I spotted Essie's spring collection via Matchbook Magazine, my nails were all like, "hey, paint me that beautiful orange color at once!".  

The weather is warm today (70 and sunny!) and it's got me itching for sunshiny days ahead.  I hope you are getting a glimpse of spring this week as well!

Gardening with Maggie

 Ferns, gnomes, Lily of the Valley and Coral Bells make up some of the backyard garden at Maggie's house in Evanston, IL.  I can say without a doubt, that they have one of the best backyards around this city - perfect for summer outdoor parties.  Lucky for me, she is hosting a party next week to celebrate all the birthdays with so many of our closest friends (many of whom happen to be in town next week for a wedding on the 4th that I'm really looking forward to) and it's going to take place in this very yard.  I for one Can. Not. Wait.

The ferns are a whole wall of green.  They're huge and abundant.  What's really cool about their backyard garden is how true they keep it to the climate we're in.  Everything they choose is native to the area and they let them go by their own cycle.  If they die they die, if they live and come back next season it's a bonus.

 Aside from planting a garden in their backyard, they also have ~ 12 x 8 feet of space in the Evanston community garden.  Here you can see shallots sprouting up.  While things to tend to take a little longer to sprout up in these parts, this space is direct sun and does yield a lot of produce with the right amount of work.  Last year, the abundance of produce they grew from their double plot was enough to feed them for months as well as friends.  So instead of wasting great produce, she sold it to local cafes!

I don't know about you, but these photos have me itching to use my green thumb!

* All images by Maggie Faircloth Gresham