Things I Love Thursday // 12.9.21

I hope these last few weeks before the end of the year find you with ample time to enjoy the things that bring a smile to your face and some happiness in your heart.

Easy Peasy Family Photo Sessions

Last time we had our pics done as a family was mid-2020 during the height of quarantine. My friend, Lillian Shamy (an amazing teacher at our former elementary school and fabulous part-time photographer), came to the house and sat us for some "porchtraits." Loved them. However, some of us had side parts and braces then so obviously we were due for some updates.

Walks (Pulls) with These Guys

The days are getting chilly but so far, we're managing to stay mostly dry. Ben is absolutely terrible on his leash (totally our fault for not being consistent) but we traded constant monitoring and corrections in favor of being able to enjoy each other's company, carry a beverage, and walk side-by-side. Worth it.

Building a Charcuterie Board

I think this is becoming my jam (pun intended). There is something so satisfying about putting together a beautiful platter of deliciousness. It's almost as fun as eating it. Well, ok... maybe not THAT much fun --but still a lot. I feel like my boards get a little better every time. I have a few hot takes from professionals I've picked up along the way. Use a combo of cheeses (soft, semi-soft, and hard). Use a platter that has a bit of a lip or edge so you can really crowd everything together. Spread the color around. Add a few dishes with yumminess inside. Use fruit. FOLD or roll your meats. Use fresh herbs for fillers and color. Here are the details of this board (90% is from Trader Joe's). 

Meats: calabrese salame, prosciutto, capocollo, 

Cheeses: toscano drizzled with truffle oil and cracked pepper, sharp cheddar, Boursin, cambozola, cranberry-rolled goat cheese

Fruit: fresh grapes, dried apricots

Nuts: spicy pecans, rosemary marcona almonds

Crackers: beet crackers, pita chips, gluten-free nut crackers, fruit and nut crisps, truffle + black pepper Parmesan crisps, baguette

Dishes: sweet gherkins, Greek olive mix + pepper drops, Mike’s Hot Honey

Garnish: fresh basil, rosemary, and sage

Decorating the Tree

As is our tradition, we bought our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving but then we didn't end up have any time that matched up in all of our schedules to decorate until the last weekend. I'm so happy that my kids still want to decorate the tree with us. They're certainly a lot more helpful than they were when they were shorter! Another thing I love about decorating this year is how little else I did. After the tree came together, we hung the stockings from the mantle and put a wreath on the door. I think that's it for me this year. Of the 8 giant boxes my family carried up from the basement, five and half went back down full. Don't get me wrong, I am totally feeling the holiday spirit this year --I'm just passing on a lot of the work and all the extra STUFF. Besides, where on earth would I put all the houseplants to make space for Christmas tchotchkes? 

Richard Parker Here & Richard Parker There

If you've been around here lately you know that Ben (or covid puppy) has dominated the attention of nearly everyone in the household. He and Richard Parker are not friends yet. We're working on it... slowly. When Ben came home, Richard Parker almost immediately retreated to the basement (it's a cat palace down there, trust). He was fairly out of sight unless it was breakfast time or dinner time. Now, he's suddenly living his best life in all the places Ben is not allowed unsupervised --so literally anywhere except the kitchen. He spends his days sprawled out on one of the beds upstairs, lounges in the living room, and finds laps wherever he can. Welcome back to the rest of the house Richard Parker! We've missed you!

Organic Cotton Napkins

What is it with me and cloth napkins these days? Is this a side-effect of being almost 48? Honestly. I'm delightfully baffled. But every time I see images like these of adorable cotton or linen napkins I'm like, "Oh wow. YES. I need those." Let me tell you how often my family uses cloth napkins: two times a year. That's it. But I'll tell you something else: that better change soon because I'm not sure I can hold out much longer without these in my life.

Exploring Charlotte

My friend, Anne, is always up for a new experience. No idea how it got on her radar --but she threw out an invitation to join her on a holiday tour of "Historic Rosedale" on Tuesday. Her email to a few friends went a little something like this, "Hey, does anyone want to check this out with me? Tomorrow works on my end. Sorry for the short notice." Four of us were able to make it! We met up about 10 minutes outside of Uptown on the 9-acre property of Rosedale. It was a chilly but beautiful day and we had a guided tour of this family home built in 1815 that had been decorated throughout by Christmas scenes spanning the decades. The grounds and gardens are plentiful and I'm sure a visit in Spring would be beautiful. Thanks for your spontaneous idea, Anne!

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Things I Love Thursday // 4.1.21

More Progress on the Study

The walls are filling up and the shelves are getting styled! I found some simple black shelves at Marshall's last week and have been playing around with getting them styled. I just ordered a small piece of art so they will likely change again before I'm "done" --and really, I'm never "done." I also (finally) found a narrow shelf unit for under the window. I wanted a home for some books, cocktail accessories, plants, and photo albums but was having a hard time sourcing something vintage/second-hand that was the right size. The unit I ended up getting is from Overstock and it was very easy to put together. It looks quite handsome too. We picked up a couple small beverage tables from West Elm and plan to use the window sills for cocktail rests too. Most of the time, the middle of the room will remain empty for ease of traffic through the space; however, when serving appetizers or dessert in this room, I have a "deconstructed" coffee table solution I look forward to showing you soon.

plant propagation, my paternal grandparents, Mr.&Mrs. vases from my MIL, and some odds and ends

The console table is unavailable; however, this one is similar as is this one.

Greg's maternal grandparents on their wedding day... sorry about the glare.

An heirloom painting (and featured vase below) from Greg's family at the bar cart might be my favorite.

The Cutest Linen Cocktail Napkins

What a lovely surprise to ring in Spring! My sweet and thoughtful friend, Amy, just gifted me these super-fun cocktail napkins from August|Morgan by Kate Hersch. The detailing is perfection and the sentiments are right up my ally! I cannot wait to put them to good use. That ram is full-on Capricorn and I am here for it!

Our Dogwood Tree

The bloom never lasts long enough --so if you blink, you might miss it! If I were more clever, I might attempt something along the lines of my friend, Laura (CityStems) with these amazing branches. Just look at this arrangement she posted today in her Instagram account! She's too damn good. Sorry non-Charlotte readers... she offers local delivery only --but definitely follow the account for some eye-candy.

Ben the Bernedoodle

The puppy has nearly doubled in size and he's still figuring some things out... like how to be a good passenger in the car. (No worries, we were not moving when this picture was taken.) He is playful, sweet, NIPPY, and is getting so much better in his crate (though he still thinks 5:30am is a good time to wake up). My favorite time is when he's sleepy and/or altogether asleep --though, he does fart when he's snoozing and that is definitely not awesome at 26 pounds --so I hate to imagine what it's going to be like closer to 80 pounds.

Live-Edge Shelves

I absolutely love these wall shelves from Anthropologie. Each one is unique (and so freaking heavy). Unfortunately, one of the sizes I purchased is back-ordered --so it will be some time before they get installed. I'm planning to put them adjacent to the large round mirror in the living room and style them with terra-cotta potted plants (as the window there is one of the few that gives great light). 

This one is size small.

This is the idea... (from the Anthro website). I ordered these sizes + an additional small.

Planning to arrange the shelves in this space.

Ben's Playpen

My friend, Tracie, loaned me this giant playpen for Ben and it's been wonderful. As he is still only 10 weeks old, he must be under constant supervision. When Ben is in his pen, we can all still enjoy movies together in the evening --or even porch time when the weather is cooperating. This is a game-changer and he doesn't seem to mind it at all.

Ben's Tag

Ok, ok! It's a "Ben-Heavy" post... but can you blame me?? Just look how handsome he is in this sweet tag I had made on Etsy. When he was at the breeders, he was called "orange male" and we've kept the orange theme going --because he's so handsome in orange, obviously. 

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Things I Love Thursday // 3.25.21

Ben Snuggles

Our new addition is growing by the day. Ben, our F1 Standard Bernedoodle, is 9.5 weeks and I swear he's nearly doubled in size already --but he still thinks he's tiny and he loves to be held like a human baby. It's really too much. He's usually very sleepy all day because he doesn't sleep as soundly in his crate at night. He is making huge strides with his crate training --but it's far from easy yet.

Lenten Roses (Hellebore)

With the coming of spring, so comes the bountiful blooms of Lenten Roses in my yard. I had never seen this flowering plant before moving to Charlotte from the west coast. West Coasties, do you have these where you are? Thank you to the person who planted these beauties years ago when this house was yours. While there is likely a great way to cultivate, prune, and fertilize these thriving plants --I haven't done any of that in the over 8 years we've been here and they continue to multiply. Cheers to little vases full of free flowers!

Concealer

With the coming of spring and Lenten Roses (along with everything else that's blooming right now), so comes the season of my red-rimmed eyes and sniffly nose. I heard that allergies are going to be off the charts this year. A friend of mine said that even with the masking mandates loosening --she'll likely wear hers every spring going forward --just to cut down on the pollen exposure to her sinuses. Brilliant. The only way I know how to deal with the increased redness in my already too-red complexion is by blending it out with a creamy concealer (on my upper lids and dark circles). My favorite drugstore brand is Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Multi-Use Corrector. (It's a mouthful of a name.) What I love about it: the price, consistency (moisturizing and smooth), sponge applicator, variety of shades available, and that it doesn't settle in the crepe-y creases of my under-eyes. For a splurge, my favorite concealer is Tarte's Shape Tape. (You'll spend 3-4x as much as Maybelline; however, the size is a bit larger.) I heard people rave about this product for years before giving it a try. Now I understand the hype. It's slightly more pigmented than the drugstore brand and I think it has better coverage overall (but they are very close). What I love about it: the variety of shades, the ability to layer this product for more full coverage, the matte finish is nice though not as moisturizing as the Maybelline (however, Tarte is now making this product in a "creamy" version which I have not tried), the smell (funny, I know --but it's really nice). Below, you can see what a huge difference a little concealer makes for my "allergy eyes." 

Foodie Night

My Foodie Night text group continues to delight. We are not cooking as many novel recipes these days but we still share our meals via pictures and recipe links on the regular. You all know what a fan I am of Half Baked Harvest. In Tieghan's recent newsletter, she promoted the idea of keeping a well-stocked pantry. It's great advice (not sure I would categorize it as a "secret" like she does). I couldn't help but share the tip with my Foodie Night ladies as way of thanking THEM for keeping their pantries well-stocked --as they have each come to the "rescue" of my family's dinner on multiple occasions when I text, "$hit. Elbow deep into dinner prep and just realized I'm out of _____." Without fail, one of these lovelies has just what I need and it's no more than half a block away! Cheers to my village. What's your latest recipe discovery? I'm needing inspiration.

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Things I Love Thursday // 3.11.21

Dating Again

After my second baby, I experienced postpartum depression. Thankfully, my case was identified early. I had amazing support and was in privileged circumstances. I met with my OB and interventions were quickly put in place. One of the best pieces of advice from my therapist at that time was to hire non-family sitters (a roster of them) and plan regular date nights with my husband (and coffees, lunches, workouts, etc). Again, very privileged. What I'm getting at is that Greg and I have consistently enjoyed dating one another for a century --ok, maybe not that long --but certainly a long-ass time. Obviously, when the world shut down a year ago, so went date night. Finally, gratefully, Date Night is making a small comeback. Here we are at our first high school football game together (which could be an entire stand-alone post about nostalgia). What a delight to sit outside and listen to one of our musicians add the soundtrack for the game!

More Progress in the Living Room

Remember the gorgeous (and enormous) mirror I found last week in the consignment store near my house? The sucker was so big that I had to call a friend to borrow his truck to get it home. It's also VERY heavy. But look! It's up. I love it. There were a few scuff marks on the wicker that these awesome furniture markers took care of with almost zero effort. I even cleared out the stacks of misplaced things that had been poorly hiding behind the couch since we demo'd the built-ins in the study. (Yes, I did move some of it to the hallway --but still...)

More Consistent In-Person Learning

Our district just voted to approve a more consistent in-person learning schedule for our middle and high school kids. At first, I thought it might mean fewer days that look like this (below) --but it turns out that it actually calculates to only ONE additional day of on-campus instruction. However, the kids will be on campus every week moving forward and I am thankful for this tiny step toward returning to normal. Still a long way to go...

Table & Twine

Wow. Thanks to my neighbor's mistake in planning her meals for the week, we ended up the grateful recipients of a meal kit from Table & Twine that she wasn't going to be able to use for her family. I cannot overstate how effortless it was to prepare this meal. It came together beautifully in under 10 minutes: no cleaning, chopping, or measuring. And it was delicious to boot! If you're in Charlotte or Charleston, you can try them out for yourself.

Spring Sunshine

According to our local meteorologist, it's too early to plant the garden because we can expect another late frost; however, the temperatures have climbed into the 70s this week and my allergies (along with everyone else's) are going nuts --which only means one thing: time to buy more plants and prep the front porch for evening sips.

Justine Gilbuena

I came across Justine's artwork on Instagram. Her illustrations feel simple, warm, generous, and full of friendship. They remind me of my childhood in a very Mary Engelbreit way. (BTW, Engelbreit is an active Instagrammer and fun to follow.) I ordered three little sticky note pads from Justine's online store (she also sent a delightful bookmark): the tea and cookies for Geneva (my little old lady in a 15YO body), the propagation bottles for Piper (who's attempting this on her bedroom gallery wall), and the plant gifting for me. So sweet! It didn't take Piper long to put hers to good use!

Fredrik Backman

I just finished Beartown. My friend, Tracie, mentioned loving this book "almost as much as A Man Called Ove over a year ago. I added it to my list and only just got around to listening to it (because I had finished Anxious People and was reminded of how much I appreciate and adore Backman). If you haven't read any of his novels yet, I encourage you to do so. Like, now. His characters are layered and his storytelling is superb. I keep saying, he will break your heart and then he will put it back together again --with an extra sprinkling of beauty and grace.

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Things I Love Thursday // 3.4.21

Used Book Stores

I went in my favorite used book store, The Book Rack, here in Charlotte this week. They had received a book I had placed a "hold" on. Of course, I left with more than just the one I went to retrieve. Here's the stack I came away with. As you can see, I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to genres. I'm pretty stoked to jump into Wifey by Judy Bloom. Somehow, I missed this title when all my peers were reading it in the 80s and 90s. If you've been here in the blog for awhile, you might remember that I only recently read Forever, as well. I might very well be late for the party --but I'm here now and enjoying the piña coladas. Also in my new stack The Duke and I, (on which the hit show, Bridgerton, is based), Ann Patchett's Commonwealth (I've only read two other Patchett book and I LOVED them both: Bel Canto and The Dutch House), Britt-Marie Was Here (I'm on a new roll of Backman books right now and am about to finish Beartown), two new-to-me Rainbow Rowell novels: Fangirl and Landline (if you've not read any Rainbow, you are missing out), and finally: A Dog's Purpose. I'm into dogs now.

Meatloaf and 'Taters

We've had this exact meal twice in two weeks. It's that good. The meatloaf recipe is not new. It's an Ina Garten classic that has outstanding reviews --for good reason: Individual Meat Loaves. Don't change a thing! The potato dish is greatly updated from the traditional mashed that used to accompany every meatloaf dinner. These Braised Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Olives are from Milk Street Magazine (March/April 2021 issue). Milk Street does not share recipes online but I am happy to share this one with you if you reach out. The best way is through Facebook messenger via my SourJones Blog page. These braised sweet potatoes are incredible. Combined with red onion, orange juice, and crushed coriander, then finished with bright and briny green olives --my goodness, you'll want to eat these potatoes again and again! The two recipes serve about 6 generously.

Tulip & Daffodil Season

Spring, spring, sweet spring! The daffodils are pushing up through the ivy and Trader Joe's is well-stocked with fresh tulip stems. Happiness. Treat yo'self!

Thrift Culture

I mentioned Mimi Miller and her new online shop, Thrift Culture, last week. Wouldn't ya' know, I found another treasure! These fun napkin rings are perfect for spring and I love the way they work with the chargers and placemats I bought before. If you haven't yet, do follow her on Instagram and visit her website to see all the good she's doing for nonprofits in tandem with her new venture.

Treasure Hunting

Speaking of thrifted goods, I am so pumped about the mirror I found this week at Classic Attic, a consignment store near me. It's huge and heavy. Hanging it might prove challenging, but I am so excited to get this sucker on the wall!

Cheese

Always. Cheese. I love making charcuterie boards almost as much as I love eating them! Best tips: 1. Shop at Trader Joe's (they have everything you really need); 2. CROWD the board (I can't emphasize this enough); 3. Offer lots of color by adding dried/fresh fruit, colorful crackers, olives/nuts, and cured meats; 4. Try to include varying textures in your cheeses (soft, spreadable, sliced); 5. Throw in some different surprises like honey, jam, marinated/pickled antipastos (olives, artichokes, peperoncini, mushrooms); 6. Use whole fruits to help fill the platter (fig, small apples, mandarins, strawberries), and something sweet (truffles, dark chocolate, small candies); 7. Add height variations by standing breadsticks or tall crackers in a small jar or glass and/or sticking a cheese knife into a soft wedge.

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Things I Love Thursday // 2.25.21

Progress

After much deliberation and so many choices, we finally decided on a rug for the study refresh. We wanted something with a fun but understated vibe. I'm always drawn to color so many of the first considerations were quite LOUD. I'm so pleased with where we landed. This rug is interesting in its asymmetrical design. I like the boldness of the black markings against an ivory background. It has fringe on only one side (cool!). Plus, it's super soft (just ask Richard Parker). I love how it's helping to pull the room together. Already, it feels so much warmer and "finished" (almost) in there. The company was great to work with and the shipping was swift between Morocco and the US --but then there were a few delays due to weather. No complaints, really. No one is coming over now anyhow!

Please note the piles of STUFF still unorganized and NOT put away just outside the archway.

Vaccines

YAY! It's finally happening. My mother-in-law (in California) has received both of her shots already --though, the second one knocked the wind out of her sails for about 2 days. Then today I got the best news! My dad has an appointment to get his first shot (Oregon, VA Hospital) next week. I hope your loved ones are having as much luck --or better, in finding available doses. I feel like we're making strides.

Big hugs to the safari-rockstar on the right who secured dad's appointment!
BTW, this is what I looked like at the end of 8th grade.

Kids Are IN School

Speaking of making strides, my kiddos got to go to school IN PERSON this week. It's the first time they've had classes at school in nearly a year. Our district is working on a 1 week on, 2 weeks off rotation and my girls were placed in the first of three groups (there is a fourth group who has selected to remain full-remote for the rest of the school year). Both report that things feel safe and they certainly have new springs in their steps this week. Had you asked me last week about how school closures were impacting them, I would have reported they were holding up fine and had transitioned well --which is true. BUT seeing their energy and happiness spike this week has really opened my eyes to how much they've been missing out on. Next week, back at home, will likely be a little rough.

Health Screen? Check.
Mask? Check.
Rocking 8th grade WAY smoother than her mom did? Check.

Ginger Cumin Beef Bhuna

The recipe for this South Asian curry dish is from my latest issue of Milk Street Magazine. We've enjoyed several recipes from this issue already and we will definitely repeat this one. It simplified things that it was made in the pressure cooker, though my husband would remind us, "The 'instant' in InstantPot is very misleading." The dish still takes almost 2 hours from start to finish --but aside from the cutting board, there's not much else to clean up along the way. For us, there were plenty of leftovers to make the investment of time worth it --as it provided lots of lunches too. Do watch out for the whole peppercorns when you're eating it (just push those aside) and if you're a little heat-sensitive, reduce the serrano peppers to just one.

A Touch of Spring

Yo. The sun came out this week and everyone rejoiced. Seriously. We live across the street from a college quad and it's suddenly full of frisbees, footballs, picnic blankets, and music. The plants are greener and the birds are nearly delirious with song. It won't even last through the weekend but we are soaking it all up with enthusiasm while we can. Look at the happy new growth on one of my City Stems babies:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Damn. This book. I listened to a copy on Audible and it was outstanding. I'm planning a longer review in my Instagram account soon. If you're not following SourJonesBlog over there, you're missing out (she said so herself)! Have any of you read The Midnight Library yet?

The Crispy Bits of Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Seriously. These are unintentionally created in every batch next time. Whenever I pull out a tray of roasted brussels sprouts, I eat all these little crispy bits before I even transfer the rest to plates. I just stand over the oven and snack. Tell me you all understand the level of delicious I'm talking about here! I need to attempt to make a whole tray of just individual leaves next time. Is this a thing? Do people already do this? 

Could also be those giant salt crystals that help make the whole dish extra tasty!

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