Friends, it was slow going this Monday. The weekend was a mix of work and play, gorgeous weather, birthdays to celebrate, and benefits to attend. It may have taken multiple cups of coffee to feel like a functioning human being, but it was well worth it. Considering the amount of time spent behind the computer lately, it’s amazing I still have somewhat acceptable social graces.

A few highlights:
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eek! shelter pop did a little sneak peak featuring the newest decorating mag to hit the web, Rue Magazine, who’s co-founder happens to be one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Anne Sage (of City Sage fame). i’m so excited to see what happens when these talented girls collaborate… i think my head might explode at just the thought!

images by Manny Rodriguez, from Rue Magazine

i have some kick ass friends. i know i owe a number of people emails, but i had to say thanks to those of you who left me a note, email, comment, in response to my (both inevitable and typical) bridal breakdown. thank you for your honesty, transparency, and saying those things that are hard to say. i heart you.

via tulips & flight suits

sorry if you’ve gotten weird posts from me in your reader. i think i got that kink fixed!

…and so do your sweet comments. thanks for sending me all the positive vibes, peeps. and for letting me whine a little bit. you are such a lovely bunch of readers. hugs and smooches.

image via all these mountains. chelsea print available at nosideup

yay! friday is finally here. i’m busy catching up on work that didn’t get done while i was away at a press check. nick comes home today (hooray!) and we have another wedding this weekend. anyone have anything fun planned?

if you’ve got some free time this weekend, wander over to destined to design, where i participated in jessica‘s For The Record feature on monday. And today, I am featured in the series I Love Your Style over at Everything Fabulous.

Thanks for having me ladies!

K

happy weekend friends! i hope you all have something wonderful planned. nick and i are gearing up for another move. we are staying in the same building but moving into a much larger apartment. i’ll even have my own little office and closet (!)- which i am dying to organize/decorate. we’re also hoping to spend some quality time with old friends, whip together a bbq or two, watch some baseball, and break in the new place.

enjoy your weekend…take some time to relax and enjoy the first few days of summer.

<3

k

images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

many, many thanks to the two lovely ladies who nominated me for the sunshine award. i am always humbled by the kindness and sincerity of the blogging community. these types of girls make this space a safe place to share your thoughts and inspirations, and for that, i am ever so grateful.

thank you lexi, for all of your delicious eye candy and thoughtful insight. love. obsess. inspire. is one of my new faves! and thank you sarah, for finding the beauty in the chaos that is your early twenties. so many of your thoughts on shi(f)t bring me back to my first few years out of college.

xo

k

image via le love

i love this spindly little tree photographed by lerkenfeldt photography

i actually had a tree in my first apartment after college but it definitely didn’t look this elegant. my roommate and i tromped through the woods in search of the perfect little birch tree but we didn’t have the heart to cut down a living baby tree. so we settled on a big dead limb. it had a sort of ugly charm about it and we hung pretty things like post cards and necklaces and notes from it. people thought we were crazy for having a tree in our apartment and i still think they were crazy for not seeing the beauty in it!

image via emmas designblogg

what a big sigh of relief! friday is here. i’ve got a big weekend ahead of me. 5 of my best girlies and I are embarking on a long day of bridesmaid dress shopping. i’m always so humbled when anyone is willing to devoting time (and money) to help us celebrate our marriage. thank you girls, you’re worth more to me than i could ever express.

anyway, while i’m feeling the love, i thought i’d leave you with a few things i particularly liked this week (if your reading this on the homepage it’s time to hit this link to see more images!):

joy found this couch at james merrell portfolio and immediately wanted it. it looks so comfy but i’m not sure i could sell nick on the floral print…

the bad art gone good post by sfgirlbybay was particularly inspiring

these light sweaters from steve alan

pretty displays of jewelry. there’s something about seeing piles of jewelry together that just makes me happy.

have a lovely weekend!

k

i am living with a man who is finishing his last few months of graduate school. many of you know what this means: odd hours-late nights-papers-conferences-thesis-anxiety-driven months. nick has always coped remarkably well. but as level-headed and calm as he is, the words “there’s just not enough time in the day…” have been uttered in a slight panic more than once. so i’m doing my best to bring some bright spots to his long days. i baked these triple ginger cookies yesterday, because let me tell you, the man loves cookies. last time i baked cookies, he put them in his morning cereal…which i’d highly recommend. anyway, i’ve been meaning to make these triple ginger cookies for the past year and boy were they worth the wait! these bite-sized babies explode into a sweet, spicy dance party in your mouth. you must try them.

then i went a little over board. it may have been the intense 365 day cooking marathon Julie Powell accomplished (I finally saw Julie & Julie last week!) but i was in the mood to cook (alotta food) this weekend.  saturday was spent on a velvety leek and potato soup by nigel slater*, that we devoured for dinner along side grilled cheese sandwiches. save your parmesan rinds people, they work their magic in soups.  sunday morning i made  roasted tomato basil soup that we will eat for lunch this week. Later that afternoon was spent working on dinner, meatballs with peas, served over fluffy mashed potatoes. best. idea. ever.  it may not be the most attractive dish you’ve pulled out the oven, but it’s full of quirky fun surprises. if you’ve never tried putting golden raisins in your meatballs before, you must. unexpected, bright and juicy.

we’ve got a fridge filled with homemade ready-to-eat meals this week, which makes my busy man very very happy. tonight, i tackle a big patch of giant chipotle bean casserole, an old favorite which will freeze nicely for the next few (crazy) months.

photo (1) by yours truly, photo (2) here.

*i’m loving niegl’s book the kitchen diaries, practical and thoughtful recipes.