Loverly List

I've found lots of inspiration lately and here's some of my favorites in this loverly list...

1. Dying just the tip.  So non-commital and so cool.  Not sure if I'd ever do it but...you never know.

2.  The Sportsmobile.  While at the beach today I spotted one and looked it up on my phone.  I totally want one.  Jimmy Buffett has one too.

3.  This budget kitchen makeover.  It makes me want to play around in my own little food workshop.

4.  I want to visit this Phoenix swimwear shop.  I love looking at all the hip surfer chick styles at places like Hansen's but I think this hometown spot will help me fit my womanly body a bit better and supporting local is always a good idea.

5.  Pretty Mommy had such a great idea.  I feel the same as her so often about not getting dressed properly as a mom and I love her honesty, motivation and style.

6.  I want an entry with roses like this to greet me.  Remember that chair?

7.  I enjoyed The Daybook's entry on the small town movie theater with couches in the back, perfect for secret make-out sessions with your love.

8.  Pacing the Panic Room's post on Fart Salad was so honest and real and I totally connected with it.   Sorry, no picture of the salad here.

9.  Clever use of binder clips.  You know how I love binder clips.

10.  These vintage photos are so fun to flip through.  It really looks like such a different universe than the one we live in today.

It's Hot-Hot

We've been super lucky this year in Phoenix given that May didn't feel warm hardly ever and even the first half of June was lovely.  Warm but not hot.  Today was hot-hot.  This is what the heat has me dreaming about today {and a new favorite song.}

{Cool Noodle Salads}

{Perfect Iced Coffee}

{Homemade Drumsticks}

{Backyard Theaters}

{Camping Kitchens}

{Haute Swimming Parties}

{Gelato Petals}

{tUnE-yArDs}

{Secret Gardens}

P.S.: Happy Birthday to my paternal grandmother today who is 96 years young.  She looked great today and I'm so glad that we have her to share her love and wisdom.  I love you Nana.

Summer Loverly List

Loving Memorial Day weekend.  A big thank you to all the men and women who have served and lost their lives.  I cannot imagine what it must be like to have a family member lost like that.  It's been a nice weekend for my family and me to rest and recharge.  We've all done lots of napping (except my 3 year old son - that's not happening) and movie watching and playing games.  If you haven't seen Midnight in Paris yet, you should, it's such a fun trip across the world and through time.  I highly recommend it.  This is my first item on today's loverly list.

1.  Midnight in Paris - Owen Wilson seems like an ill-fitting lead but he actually is perfect.  The 20's costumes were so slinky and sparkly - and Rachel McAdams while she was a little brat, had some fun wardrobe that made me want to run out and find some oversized shirts to wear with skinny jeans, a belt, thick strappy heels and large purse with chain straps.  I suppose I wouldn't wear the heels with my wimpy feet, but I love the idea!

2.  Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies - now that Summer has arrived and we have a bit more leisure time, we'll be making these.

3.  Whale Pillows - I want one.  But I don't want to pay for a pillow, so I'm going to be making my own.  Something that looks like this - I hope.

4.  San Diego Artwork - we haven't planned exactly when we'll be visiting my parents this summer, but I hope to hang this art on my walls someday to bring a bit of my childhood onto my walls.

{via}

5.  Summer vegetables - I am so happy that the Summer vegs are ripening.  My son has been asking for tomatoes, corn and eggplant at afternoon snack time - and totally unprompted.  He just knows what's good!

{via}

6.  This adorable girls black breton stripe rashguard and belted swim bottoms from BabyGap.  I grabbed them all yesterday at The Paradise Valley Mall.  So, if you want to go find this, you might have to look elsewhere.  Unbelieveably adorable.

7.  My first breton shirt.  I ran into Ann Taylor too yesterday since my husband was with us at the mall - normally I wouldn't go in with the kids.  But he hung out with the kids on a bench while I found this top on sale for $19.  So excited!  I couldn't find the photo on the Ann Taylor site, but it sorta looks like this one below.  History of the breton stripe shirt: here.  All these years later, we still love them.

8.  From Asparagus to Zucchini.  I would love to get this book sometime.  While I may already be able to write one myself (since cooking seasonal food is part of my job), I still love getting inspiration elsewhere.  This is the ultimate CSA guide - created from a Wisconsin CSA.

9.  The last two are blogs that I've really enjoyed reading lately.  The first is The Good Life for Less.  Jill has classic style and is also a stay/work at home mom.  She seems to have boundless energy and I love getting ideas for the things in my closet.  

10.  Lastly is another blogger from the midwest.  She's a military wife and mom and I have so much respect for her.  She's also into fashion and has been doing a food cleanse that is making me want to do one too since we've all had a bit of a tummy bug lately.  She's adorable and fun to follow.  Do Think Wear See Love Dream.  Check her out.

The Loverly List

So many beautiful things lately.  I've been busy writing posts for Chow Bella about Samoas, Lunch Coops, Swiss Chard and working on more including one about composting.

Here's my latest list.  Enjoy.

1. Jen Altman's new food portfolio.  I love that the food looks "real."

2.  Sunset's new One Block Feast Cookbook.

3. Restaurants at garden centers in the UK.

4. Y La Bamba from Portland

Y LA BAMBA "MY LOVE IS A FOREST FIRE" from Dugan O'Neal on Vimeo.


5.  These casserole totes from Vonny.  Perfect for starting a lunch coop at work.

6. French films.  Trying to finish Breathless on Hulu.  Great article from NYT.

7.  That flip clock screensaver you see in all the design blogs of home offices.

8. Samantha French art.  Wow.

9.  Three Men in a Boat.  My first audible.com purchase.  Can't wait.  Read about it from Aspiring Kennedy.  There's a movie version too that I'll plan to watch with some favorite actors.

10.  Trying to finish Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle so that I can make it to the Slow Food Phoenix Book Club meeting at the Downtown Market.

Loverly List

I'm sitting here sipping my decaf coconut thai chai hot tea and blissfully ignoring the messy house.  The kids got to bed early tonight and while my darling husband is working hard for the next week, I plan to play here in my blog.

I haven't been alerting you all about my stories over at Chow Bella.  I think I told you about the first one, but you also have missed out on tatsoi, getting your kids to eat their veggies, radishes, preserving the harvest and winter squash.  I'm working on some posts about rutabagas, mustard greens and the Lunchline movie screening.  Oh, and my radish post made it for the print edition.  I guess they call them "paper clips," cute.  I think it comes out on Thursday.  If you see one go get one for me, I don't get around much these days. :)

My virtual inspiration board is getting pretty full and I need to share all these wonderful finds.  So, without any more fuss, here they are:

1. More gorgeous kids clothes ideas I might never try to make.  These great pants.

2. Avocado dressing

I'm such a big fan of avocados.  Especially hugging my salad leaves.  I want to make this tomorrow with some of the salad we got at the farm today. 

{image}

3. I want to move my two kids into the same bedroom and give them this adorable {and thrifty} book shelf wall.  Ikea spice rack.  Awesome.

4.  Speaking of awesome things for the kids' room, they need one of these too.  A dress up rack.

5.  I'm dying for a new pair of specs.  It's been something like 5 years since I've gotten a check up or needed a new pair due to old age.  I've surprisingly held on to my current pair for a great long while.  Someday I want one of these from Warby Parker.  Great price too: $95.

6.  How amazing are these crank up tables.  So versitile and good looking.

7.  Don't you have to have these tiny pouches.  It makes me want to scour my local Goodwill and make one for all my friends.

8.  Warm mediterranean couscous salad.  Say no more.

9.  I sort of have a problem with onion soup.  I might love it too much.  Here's a must make recipe because it's so simple.

10.  Cookbooks as a comic strip.  What fun.

 Bonus item: Did you know we painted a wall in our kitchen with chalkboard paint?  So glad we did.  It turned out darn fab.  Here was the inspiration.  We went with black.  I'll share some snaps of it when I clean my kitchen a bit more than just some surface wiping.  Another day. :)