Things I Love Thursday // 4.16.15

• Having a decidedly enjoyable, entertaining, educational, and enlightening spring break trip to our nation's capital with these lovely people 
  
• Celebrating Easter so festively even though we were away from home ~ Nothing better than great company, excellent food, lovely weather, and lots of laughs. 
  
• The amazing bacon cheeseburger I had at Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C. last week ~ I'm still thinking about this little gift from Top Chef Chicago contestant, Spike. Remember him? 
  
• Listening to an audiobook of The Hobbit on our roundtrip drive ~ I always enjoy listening to a good novel and The Hobbit was exceptional. Eight enthusiastic thumbs up from the Jones Crew.
• These sweet stacked initial rings I found in Annapolis ~ I picked them up at Lilac Bijoux but they are not available through their online store yet. Similar. Similar. Similar. 
  
• My new photo app, Rookie ~ I used it to enhance the picture above. {fancy}
• Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt ~ WOW! At 100 calories or less each, these are a terrific treat. We have tried Mint Chip and Sea Salt Caramel--both were delicious. If I had to choose I would pick Mint Chip--which is fantastic because they sell them at my Costco.
• Sisterhood (and thumbs ups) ~ 
  
• This Sizzler commercial from 1991 ~ Dude. This is bananas. I dare you not to watch the whole thing (Really. Even the last second is magical).
• The Tequila Cucumber Mojito that I enjoyed at Paladar in Annapolis ~ If you imagine that a mojito and a margarita had delicious baby--this is what it would taste like. Instead of rum, it has silver tequila, tons of fragrant mint--plus cucumber, lime, and a stick of fresh sugar cane to sweeten it up. So refreshing! Cheers! 
  
• A spontaneous invitation on Thursday late-afternoon to join your girlfriend at the local fresh fish market for  an oyster tasting ~ This is especially lovely when said friend has a teenaged daughter who happens to be available to watch your monkey girls for a quick hour. Yahoo!
  

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Things I Love Thursday // 4.2.15

• Greg Jones ~ Not only because it's his birthday… but also for a thousand other reasons. To name a few: because he holds my hand, makes me coffee, cuddles me every morning during our "snooze-button intermission," texts me to say "hello," always kisses me hello and goodbye, is generous with the compliments (both in quality and quantity)… I could literally go on and on… 
  
• My Letter & Stone post earrings from Anthropologie ~ These magically appeared in my stocking at Christmas. (Thank you, Self. Does anyone else stuff their own stocking?) I've worn them at least once every week since then. They can be a little confusing for some folks--but that's fun too.
  
  
• Zofran ~ Honestly. It's been a challenging season of the stomach flu for the Jones girls. I'm not sure if we'd be fairing nearly as well without this miracle pill that wards off vomit for 6-8 hours at a time. (Too be used only in SEVERE situations.) The pediatricians don't make a habit of just handing it out. We only discovered it a couple years ago when both girls ended up in the ER with IV fluids for dehydration after 5 horrific days of rotavirus. Thankfully, we've not been hit THAT hard this year. However, the Zofran has certainly come in handy.
• Celebrating my friend Carmen's birthday in Birmingham over a recent weekend ~ We had a great time catching up, celebrating, and indulging. The party was spectacular (blog post pending) and the company was excellent. Plus, what's not to love about a little getaway: visiting friends, seeing a new place, meeting new people, blackout shades, room service, sleeping in…? 
  
• "Running Behind" by Holychild ~ Sun shining, windows rolled down, the girls and I singing along… It's my Spring Anthem. (The jury is out on the video.)
• My Level 99 jeans ~ These just arrived in my most recent Stitch Fix and I am a big fan! They are a good fit around my waist without being belted--yet offer a loose, "boyfriend" style cut through the hips and thighs. I also love that they are perfectly cropped for a rolled cuff which looks great with a casual top and flats or dressed up with a blouse and heel. Fun!
• One More Thing by B.J. Novak ~ I found this book of short stories to be delightfully entertaining. I giggled out loud through the whole thing. 
  
• The WomenOn20s campaign ~ I especially love that it was my 3rd grader who clued me in to the fact that this campaign even existed. The idea is to take Jackson off and put one of many amazing American women ON the $20. You can follow the link to make your choice known. (Geneva would like to see the honor go to Rachel Carson, though she was assigned to debate in favor of Patsy Mink. I'm told she would be thrilled with any woman making it on to the $20!)
• The amazing flower crown that G got to wear to her school dance ~ The dance was a luau theme and Geneva was hoping to wear a lei of some kind. Our sitter, Lily, whipped up this crown from the flowers in our yard. It was stunning! 
  
• Getting together with some of the other women in the neighborhood who have elementary-aged kids ~ Hoping to make it a monthly event, my friend Jenn reached out and hosted a group of 9-10 of us for light snacks and wine the other night. I was so nice to take an evening to relax and get to know a few of the faces I see around the 'hood. (And also fun to have an excuse to hang out with the "other" neighborhood faces I see often!)

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Recipe Review | Strawberry + Avocado Baby Kale Salad

The perfect spring/summer accompaniment to a simple grilled meat. This strawberry and avocado salad is bright, easy, and absolutely delicious. Piper loved helping me put it together and we all loved gobbling it up.

Strawberry + Avocado Baby Kale Salad
(slightly modified from Ali's recipe on her blog, Gimme Some Oven)
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What you need (salad):
6 cups fresh baby kale
1-2 avocado
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup candied pecans (I use Diamond Nut Toppings, Glazed Pecans)
2-3 green onions, chopped
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What you need (dressing):
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
3-4 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
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What to do:
1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.
2. Mix the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Dress the salad and toss to coat.

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Twilight Garden Party

The on-again/off-again sunny weather has me craving spring and both looking forward to and reminiscing about having friends over for outdoor gatherings (both tediously planned and impromptu). I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share some pictures of the backyard party we hosted last fall for Greg's company.  With rented picnic-style tables, borrowed adirondack chairs, professional catering, and lots of help with the details (like following these thorough directions on how to string your own lights), the party was a huge success. 

The dinner buffet was set up overlooking the picnic area under the lights.

Burlap table runners, gourds, Ikea lanterns, and tins stuffed with wrapped cutlery decorated the tables.

We squeezed nuts around the votive base inside the lanterns to add an autumnal touch.

Standing cocktail tables and corn hole games were set up for after-dinner socializing.

The caterers came equipped with a bar (beer on tap + wine) and sound system. (Not to mention, fantastic help!)

Cardstock, popsicle sticks, chalk marker, nuts, and little terracotta pots were used to make the menu tents.

I went a little nuts on Pinterest and had the best time setting up the S'mores bar!

We filled mason jars, baskets and decorative canning jars with the typical goodies + lots of extras.

I found chalkboard-sided wooden boxes (used upside-down as stands) at TJMaxx and the chalkboard menu tent at Michael's. 

It was hard to limit our featured flavors to just these four.

I made the banner from card stock, twine, wooden clothes pins, and my handy chalk marker.

We set up the fire pit/roasting station beside the s'mores table and added a little pile of blankets in case it got chilly.

After things were mostly set up and before our guests arrived, the girls and I sampled the food and beverages.
(BTW, I do have full eyebrows. Not sure why only half of them showed up in this picture.) 

As the sun set, the guests arrived to our glowing backyard shindig.

In hindsight, we could have used another table. It was a cozy dinner!

Post-dinner s'more making.

I couldn't have pulled it off without my partner-party-planner, Emma!

Cheers!

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Things I Love Thursday // 3.12.15

• Having my brother, Bobby, out visiting (all the way from California) for the week ~ Cannot say how much I enjoy this time with my little brother (who will forever be the "baby" no matter his age). I love watching him interact with the girls: whether it's giving them a hard time, playing driveway tennis, riding bikes, or listening to them play their instruments. He gives them his undivided attention. 
  
• These adorable woven slip-on sneaks I found at Target last week
• Grabbing a pre-made dinner and literally dumping it into the crock pot ~ It's been a while since I wrote about my crock pot. It's worth directing your attention back to an older post describing some recipes you can pre-make and freeze for use at a later date. We've enjoyed quite a few in this miserable wet weather. It's crazy convenient. 
• The stunning bouquet from Roseland Flowers ~ The hubby was out of town when I got my braces (yes!) last week. He knew I was in a bit of discomfort (and also that I was feeling a bit self-conscious with my new permanent accessory) so he sent me flowers and a little note that sweetly began, "Braceface, …" 
  
• Bee Bomber Body Scrub ~ I know! I just wrote about their awesome lip balm a couple weeks ago and now I've had a chance to try the Apricot Orange Body Scrub it smells amazing and it leaves my skin incredibly fresh-feeling and so soft. I love it. 
• Whenever I have a chance to stop by their school and join the girls for lunch ~ It's so fun to surprise them--but more so, I love seeing them having fun and enjoying their friendships. This really is a special time with them in the "sweet spot" and I want to soak up all of it before they decide that having me come to their school at lunchtime is embarrassing.
• This really funny meme ~ It really keeps it in perspective when my own kids decide to be challenging about food. I love how it reminds me of all the small and sometimes creative (dishonest) things we have to do as parents. And really, who doesn't love sneaky butter? :) 
  
• The amazing "Love Has No Labels" video ~ It is well worth a few minutes of your time to take a look.

Cheers!

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