March 26, 2013

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins


I made these beauties at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning because, well, why not?

Click here for the recipe! I didn't have Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder or any espresso granules, but the muffins turned out just fine. Adding an extra quarter cup of chocolate chips didn't seem to hurt anything, either.  :)

March 23, 2013

Untitled




I snapped these photos of our living room last weekend, before our friends came over. We receive so much natural light, even on overcast days. I've decided that one can never have too many windows.

The sun is shining bright this Saturday, warming the wood floors and doing good for our souls.  We are staying home. Fresh coffee, music, laundry, and maybe some homemade dinner... weekends are well worth the wait.

March 20, 2013

3 beauty products I love


johnson's baby oil
l'oréal paris pore minimizing gel cleanser
l'oréal paris translucide naturally luminous loose powder

1  Just shaved your legs? Turn off the shower, but don't towel off just yet! Reach for that baby oil and massage a few drops into your legs for a smooth, silky shine. I've found that baby oil moisturizes my skin more effectively than lotion, and a little goes a long way.

2  Have oily skin like me? Instead of washing your face with the same, acne-fighting product twice per day, try reaching for this gentle cleanser in the mornings. I love the fragrance, and it gives my skin a break from the salicylic acid found in my evening scrub.

3  For years, I finished my makeup routine by dabbing my face with inexpensive, pressed powder. It was usually a shade too dark, and it always crumbled and cracked inside its plastic shell! Sometime last year, I decided to try applying this loose powder with a brush. Love it! The coverage is lightweight and natural-looking, and it keeps that oily shine to a minimum.

What products do you love?

March 18, 2013

A taste of Ireland


We hosted a little St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday. Well, the party was held at our home, but our dear friends did all the work. Hehe. They brought over corned beef and bacon-kissed cabbage, Kerrygold for the fresh soda bread (which turned out just fine!), marbled cheese, a salad bearing the Irish tricolour, and even a mind-blowing chocolate cake with ganache. Food coma, anyone?! We ate and ate, and we decided that this is definitely happening again next year.

How did you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

March 15, 2013

TGIF


This is a snapshot from the passenger's seat during our morning commute. Isn't the city grand? We won't be glimpsing this view tomorrow, though, because it's Friday!!! Time to stay home and sleep in. Josh and I spent our week unpacking more boxes, cleaning, and arranging furniture in our new home. We even managed to escape IKEA without spending all of our money. ;) We are hosting a little St. Paddy's celebration tomorrow (yay!) and I'm attempting Irish soda bread for the first time. Am I the only one who freaks out a little before trying a new bread recipe? It's such a gamble... but so cathartic and so very worth it.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Any plans?

March 14, 2013

Creativity, v.1


a profile, v.1
a view
a shore
a profile, v.2

On this Thursday morning (when returning to work seems impossibly hard), these images remind me that there is a glorious world out there, far beyond this concrete jungle.

March 9, 2013

Morning, v.4


I received the new issue of Kinfolk on Wednesday! It's been resting safely on my coffee table, waiting for the weekend to arrive. This morning, I am curled up on the couch in my pajamas to enjoy this magazine properly with a fresh cup of joe. I am in my happy place.

Did you know that Volume 7 is an ode to ice cream? Yeah. I love these people.

March 7, 2013

Appetite v.1



Adding food photography to my Pinterest boards is one of my favorite ways to kill time in between calls. (I wrestle with Pinterest addiction, as you all know.) Though I don't try my hand at every dish, the images give me courage to print new recipes. They also give me happiness... happiness because this food exists in our universe.

March 4, 2013

Morning, v.3


For some reason, I am aching to return to this place today. Maybe in a few years we'll find ourselves moving to the West Coast? ;) For now, though, I am wildly happy with our new dwelling place in Chicago. (Our kitchen has skylights and appliances from this century!) We spent the weekend unpacking and cleaning, inviting friends over to cheer the once-stale rooms with their company. Though we aren't settled in yet, this place is beginning to feel like home!