Break from blogging or big lead up?

Hello, loyal readers,

Can we just pretend that the month+ lag in me posting has not been because of a crazy schedule, late hours at work, and failed efforts at trying to find balance, but instead all as a build up for the beauty bestowed below?

Heart be still - Kate Spade is launching a swimsuit line!

Now, I'm typically a fan of one pieces but with Kate's sophisticated glamour and flattering fits, I may just don a two piece a la my highschool days.

Isn't it absolutely lovely? Of course, slap a bow on anything and I'll fancy it, but this is perfection.

What are your thoughts?

xo, H

image: Fashionista

J.Crew + Paperless Post

J. Crew has partnered with Paperless Post to create a chic + cheeky line of E-cards. 

I'm a lover of handwritten cards and postage-stamped envelopes, but these are quite lovely.

(Jenna Lyons talks about E-card etiquette here.)

source: Paperless POST

Green Thumbs + Girls' Night

Last night, I went to a girls' night with 3 friends. 

We talked about life as of late over dinner and wine in a backyard oasis. 

There were fresh flowers on the table, warm sunshine, (and a few pesky mosquitoes).

Time with friends is so good for the soul. Laughing and sharing and encouraging. 

Having seen succulent gardens popping up in more and more stores and blogs, we decided to to try our hand green thumbs at it also.

Pick any container you fancy.

I used one from a candle that I'd bought, burned down, and cleaned the wax out of. 

Choose a variety of succulent plants and sizes. 

Gently remove excess dirt from the original succulent pot, until you are left with mostly roots.

Situate plants in container to your liking.

Add dirt to fill in space between the succulents and pack them in snugly.

Note: Be gentle with the them. Pressure can cause pieces to break off.

(I learned this the hard way. Whoops.)

That's a wrap, folks. Easy peasy.

Bonus: Succulents barely need to be watered #mykindofplant and they can last for years.

It's the perfect low maintenance way to bring some green inside.

images: hilaryclair

Digging for Purpose

Last week was rough.

I spent half the time putting my "rough week" in perspective of other people having actually rough weeks. The other half of the time was spent in a pity party filled with doubts and fears and stress that had a way of snowballing. I couldn't shake the ugh feeling. 100% of the ugh was attributed to my job. I don't feel like my current job plays to my skill set and am not sure which direction to go in next. (Anyone with me here?)

What job can I pursue that will make me excited, feel like I am rocking and rolling, and making a difference? My next job will most likely be what I'm doing when we start a family and buy a house and for that reason alone, it feels like a heavy decision. I find myself often envious of F and how linear his options are. Feeling overwhelmed, I talked to him. It's a little humbling to share this next part, but I promised to be brave, so here goes.

We talked about how I don't believe in myself enough. I'm not willing to step up in confidence of my skill set and say, "Hey, look at me. I can absolutely do this and do this exceptionally well." I'm so afraid of failing or getting in too deep to something where I feel lost and overwhelmed that I sit back, waiting for what's next. It was hard to hear. But, it was truth. I left the conversation feeling like I could conquer the world, or at least the Spring Cleaning that we had at church that evening. I put on a glitter headband to make up for my curmudgeonly mood and we headed downtown.

When we got there, the lead of our volunteer cleaning group said, "I need someone who loves to organize. Someone who rocks at Tetris and gets nominated to pack the car for a roadtrip. I'm looking for that person who gets pumped about things being in order."

Friends, I thought the sky had parted. It was an "ah ha" moment. He was describing me and I couldn't wait to see what role he had carved out that sounded like such a perfect fit.

I boldly raised my hand.

I waited.

He said, "Okay, great. I'm going to need you to get in the dumpster."

Ummm.

Pardon me?

He explained how I would spend the next couple of hours in the dumpster, maximizing use of the space, so we didn't pay for extra dumpsters that we didn't really need.

So, I did. I jumped into that dumpster with my sparkle headband and proceeded to Tetris-ize all of the boxes and old stereos and other miscellaneous items that people handed over to me. My friend Kelsi was in the dirty trenches with me and do you want to know what? I had a blast. Kelsi and I organized and chatted and at the end of the night, I felt like I'd done something that mattered. I may not have solved world peace but that dumpster had room to spare.

The irony isn't lost on me that in my bold moment of stepping forward, it landed me in the garbage. That's how life works sometimes. You get involved with something or someone, expecting fulfillment and butterflies, and in actuality, it's garbage, but that shouldn't keep us from boldly stepping up, and being fearless, unafraid to fail.

So, cheers to being bold and brave and believing in yourself, because even in rubbish, there is joy.

Summer Cocktail: Pimm's Cup

Anyone who knows me knows that I love all things London.

I vacationed there with my mum, studied abroad there during University, and honeymooned there with my strapping young fella.
(That's me pretending to be Bri-ish.)

To say I hold it dear to my heart wouldn't do the city justice. 

This weekend, I decided to make a Pimm's Cup, a cocktail we had and loved on our honeymoon. 

It's really easy, refreshing, and fun. Sort of like a British sangria.

The perfect recipe to add into your summer hosting rolodex. 

For anyone unfamiliar with Pimm's. It's a gin-based liqueur with notes of spice and citrus. 

Kind of bitter on it's own, but made perfect with a bit of citrus and sweet.

Pour 1.5oz of Pimm's liqueur over ice. 

Top off with ginger ale, tonic, lemonade or any sparkling/citrus beverage that you fancy.

Add any assortment of fruit you wish. 

I used frozen berries because that's what we had on hand, but anything works - cucumbers, mint, oranges, or apples. 

Squeeze just a bit of lemon in to highlight the citrus.

Stir and adorn the glass with whatever fruit pieces of your choosing. 

Enjoy!

images: hilaryclair

Weekend Photo Recap

This weekend was one of my favorites in a long time. 

Nothing in particular made it exceptionally special.

No grand plans or far away travels.

Nothing anticipated or above and beyond. 

Spontaneous, close-to-home adventures, sunshine, new places. 

Simple, but somehow extraordinary. 

In the midst of the weekend, it felt as though it would never end. 

Like an endless summer vacation.

Disclaimer:

This is very play-by-play. (Read: a little boring) I write it less because I think my readers care about the mundane moments of my weekend and more because I get stumped by the question, "What'd you do this weekend?" on Mondays, much less months after the fact. And, I wanted to remember this.

Friday: 

We had a snowstorm, so I worked from home. 

Pajamas and coffee should be mandatory work accessories. 

F got home and we headed out to Happy Hour at a new Southern-style restaurant by us and then to go see The Grand Budapest Hotel. (My review? Wildly imaginative, hilarious in parts, quirky, and enjoyable.)

Saturday: 

Woke up early.

F met with a friend for coffee and bible study.

I went to Zumba at the gym - First time braving the class alone.

To say I'm uncoordinated would be an embarrassing understatement.

#forthesakeofcardio

Showered. Tidied. Put this in the crock pot for dinner. 

Took the bus downtown to visit Macy*s flower show. 

Stopped and picked up a couple bottles of wine. 

Rented Frozen from Red Box and it was so good. #believethehype 

Played dominoes (because we are 90).

At approximately 11:30pm, I was super craving a dirt cupcake I'd seen earlier on our shopping escapades. 

So we walked to the grocery store 1 block from our house and bought it. 

I am not ashamed. That thing was amaze fest USA.

And, yes, I am a child.

Sunday:

Went to church. 

Brunch cravings set in and F decided to whisk me away to a new brunch spot. 

I absolutely love trying new things, especially food related, so this melted my heart. 

This place did not disappoint.

We sat and did a crossword puzzle while we ate. Further proof that we are 90.

(My dad and I have a tradition of brunch and crossword puzzles, so it was a sweet nod to him.)

We decided to walk around the lake by our house, since the sunshine was just begging to be soaked up and played in. It was so nice to see the lake paths once again filled with activity. We walked and wandered and avoided the puddles of the stubborn snow piles and "awwwww"-ed at all the puppies and wandered into an open house of a property just a little over our budget. (only by about 2 million dollars. #pettycash) F bet me $5 to go downstairs and excitedly yell, "We'll take it!" I chickened out, but it was a fun detour.

I'm curious, have you guys ever wandered into an open house simply because you were curious about what it looks like inside? I always think that sounds fun but never had the audacity to before Sunday. 

 For dinner, we had popcorn, smoked Gouda, and Pimm's cocktails (recipe coming tomorrow) because that's what adults do. 

Such a fun, refreshing weekend. 

Here's to Monday and hoping the week follows suit. 

images: hilaryclair

Macaron Day

Today is Macaron Day! 

I would say out of every bite of confectionery goodness I have had, macarons are my absolute favorite. 

Not to be confused with their chocolate-coconut counterpart (macaroons), macarons (with one "o") are French meringue cookies. They come in pretty much every flavor you can think of and are typically filled with a ganache, jam, or cream. 

Dainty, pretty, just a couple bites. 

Perfectly scrumptious. 

Whether you have them often or never heard of such a thing, today would be the perfect day to treat yourself to one. And if you do, please let me know what you think.

Either way, I hope your day is sweet. 

image: Anh and On

Shake o' the Irish

Even if I'm only a quarter Irish, I'm 100% into reasons to celebrate. 

This weekend's wardrobe was green, green, green. (I realized I don't actually own many green things, so a bright green nail polish helped seal the deal.) We watched shows based in Ireland. Dinner tonight will be of the Irish variety. (I'm still trying to figure out what exactly we'll have - any ideas you lads and ladies would be willing to share?) 

For a sweet treat this weekend, we made homemade Shamrock shakes thanks to this Williams-Sonoma recipe.

The most complicated part of the recipe is the mint infused simple syrup which F and I both agreed was totally skipable. If you are looking for a simple, festive way to celebrate tonight, grab vanilla ice cream, peppermint extract, green food coloring, milk and blend, blend, blend your way to the luck o' the Irish.

(psst. If you really want to impress the leprechauns, sprinkle crushed thin mints on top.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, sweet readers. 

images: hilaryclair

High Fashion Hanboks

When I was in Atlanta a couple weekends ago for a girls' weekend (still need to do a post on that), I bought a GQ Magazine to bring home for Francis. (Can you tell I'm not gifted in buying travel souvenirs?) 

The front pages are always filled with advertisements - Prada, Tommy, D&G. 

This particular magazine had the following Gucci ad: 

Men's high fashion suits, inspired by Kimonos and Hanboks. 

After a little googling, I found the below photo of a Gucci runway. 

Aren't they wild?

It seems that runways are typically filled with loud fashion statements that eventually dilute their way into everyday life. I'm curious how this style will dilute - Asian inspired patterns on ties, patterned pants, or jackets with rolled lapels instead of pressed. 

Since my husband is Korean, we wore Hanboks (traditional Korean dress) during the cocktail hour on our wedding day. Who knew we were trendsetters? ;)

images: Gucci, DnK photography

SJP - Nordstrom

Sarah Jessica Parker recently launched a shoe and accessory line at Nordstrom.

Be still my heart. 

SJP holds a special place in my heart as Carrie Bradshaw which makes this is oh so fitting. 

The line launched on February 28th and is filled with all sorts of pretty and versatile options. 

I'm crushing most on the Carrie, Diana, and Wallace.

Do you have any favorites?

I would love to hear them. 

images: the Coveteur

Homemade bread

I've always loved the smell of baking bread. 

There's something magical about the way it swirls the smell of the comforts of home through the air. 

Never having owned a bread machine, the process felt daunting. 

Then, in December, I went to a Mpls. St. Paul Magazine event and heard Zoë François talk. Her cookbook, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day is all about how simple the process is. I don't have her book so I tried this recipe instead, but Zoë inspired me to whip up my own loaf of carbohydrate love. 

A handful of the ingredients. (Minus the boiling water, all purpose flour, and butter). 

Notice the cameo of F's faux hawk in the background. 

Start with 1 1/4 cups of boiling water in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of old fashioned oats 

(I used quick cooking - I don't think this matters, but I'm a newb so don't really listen to me.)

Add 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter, cut into pieces.

Add 1 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt.

Add 1/4 cup of honey.

Stir ingredients together and let sit until lukewarm.

With the dough hook attachment on a KitchenAid mixer (or knead by hand if you have major muscles), combine the oat mixture with:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

2 tsp. instant yeast

(I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that part of the reason I was excited to make bread is to use the dough hook attachment for the first time.
I'm a culinary nerd and things like that excite me.)

Stir until you have a smooth ball of dough. 

(Or a slightly lumpy hunk of dough in my case.)

Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl and cover. 

Let sit until it doubles in size. (approx. 1 hour, but mine took closer to 2)

Note: If dough is extremely sticky, lightly oiling your hands will help you handle it.

Gently mold dough to fit into a lightly greased, loaf pan.

Cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow it to rise. 

The original recipe says to let it sit about 1.5 hours and it will rise 1 1/2 inches over the rim, buut...

My loaf was a late bloomer. I left it out over night and even then, it wasn't the yeasty, fluffy bread I was hoping for. Thinking all had been ruined, I decided to bake it anyway. (In a 350 degree F oven, for 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, tent it with foil to prevent it from getting too brown.)

I removed it from the oven, let it cool in the loaf pan for 1 minute, and then transferred it to our cutting board. 

(cue dramatic music.)

A little misshapen and squished, but it was DE-licious. 

It reminded both F and I a little of beer bread because it had a hearty, yeasty flavor, but the honey made it sweet at the end.
Pretty much everything I hope for in my bread.

We toasted it with butter, made breakfast sandwiches, and avocado toast on it and all were scrumptious. 

Do you have a favorite bread recipe? Will you try this one?
Let me know in the comments!

A few notes: 

+The original recipe instructs to brush the baked bread with melted butter and a sprinkling of dry oats. I prefer crusty bread (and didn't really see this step until the loaf had been devoured), so skipped this step.

+I read on the back of the whole wheat flour that they recommend bread flour instead of whole wheat if using it to make bread. This may have caused the disappointing expansion.

+If anything, I think my experience shows that you shouldn't be hesitant to try making bread, because even though everything didn't go as planned, it still turned out. 

Be brave, dear ones. 

images: hilaryclair