Things I Love Thursday // 2.27.13

• Vitamin D 
  
• Having tickets to see Lake Street Dive tonight in Charlotte with good friends ~ Greg discovered this band quite by accident sometime before the holidays. We've all been enjoying their album Fun Machine--especially their cover of Hall and Oat's, Rich Girl. They've just come out with a new album, Bad Self Portraits and performed on Letterman and the Colbert Report last week. I cannot wait to see them live!
• My Anthropologie Galen sunglasses ~ Now on sale! Not only is the shape great, the color is slightly off the beaten path and I find that this pair goes great with so many different things. 
  
• Thunderstorm Cuddles ~ We had the most intense thunderstorm I've ever experienced last week. It shook the house and woke G and I almost immediately. Soon thereafter, the girls woke up and each made a bee-line for our bed. The four of us laid awake in our giant bed and were thoroughly impressed by Mother Nature's amazing show. It was a sweet moment and because it's so rare for them to intrude into our room in the night, it really was delightful.
• Josh Brown ~ Josh is a young artist who grew up in Charlotte and attended the neighborhood high school. He's since graduated and is currently attending Savannah College of Art and Design. I was introduced to his art from a neighbor who saw some pieces at Shain, a local gallery. Here's one of my favorites. 
  
• Jo Malone ~ I was introduced to the brand recently by a girlfriend who generously gifted me my choice of products. I'm slightly obsessed now with my own "signature scent." After much agonizing and nearly poisoning myself with samples, I created the perfect combination for me using English Pear and Freesia body creme under a light spritz of Lime Basil & Mandarin cologne. Now I can go almost a full week without showering… I kid. 
• Torie & Howard Organic Hard Candy in "Pink Grapefruit & Tupelo Honey" 
  
• These memes all featuring the same photo of a little boy eating a bowl of cereal 
• Girl Scout Cookies ~ Honestly, it has to be said: I might hate these as much as I love them… but the love is clearly there. Clearly. {dusting crumbs off my lap}
• An ice-cold pint of Fat Tire on draft ~ I know this isn't some mind-blowing new discovery but sometimes you're just reminded how great something quite simple can be. I especially love this brew with a burger or a bowl of chili. Cheers! 
  
• The huge white and red camellia trees blooming in the back yard
• The sound of the girls playing in the backyard with neighborhood friends
• Homemade, fresh, Blood Orange Martinis ~ I cannot take credit for these. Thank you, Carmen! 
  
• Meeting new friends ~ We were so happy to host dinner for a great couple from Oregon who are moving to Charlotte via a two-year stint in Chicago. I was virtually introduced to Emily through a mutual (one of many we've discovered in common) friend. After several months of "chatting" by computer, we finally met in-person when they were here on a house-huting expedition. So fun.
• This recipe for Summer Sandwiches that I modified only slightly by toasting the bread and making them smaller, appetizer-sized nibbles 
• Little artists who, with quiet intensity, fill the children's menus whenever we go out to eat