We’ve got thunder & lightning tonight in Massachusetts! The rain actually sounds kind of beautiful from the comfort of my warm, dry house. Since I’m stuck inside for the evening, I figured I’d share some of my favorite things from this past week.
My coworker brought back the Sonora from Mexico for me. That’s some hot sauce devotion, people.
Unusual Collections
Everyone collects something. Books, records, designer duds, handbags. We all have our vices. Mine is hot sauce (and definitely all of the other things previously mentioned). I’m actually missing a few of my go-tos in this picture (namely, sriracha & Frank’s buffalo wing sauce). Since we don’t eat meat in our house, you must be wondering, “Chelsea, how can you possibly use this much hot sauce?”
See, I will literally put hot sauce on anything.
Um, put that shit on EVERYTHING. Eggs. Avocados. Burritos. Rice. Macaroni and cheese, even! There is no food that can’t be raised to perfection with the addition of hot sauce. I can’t wait to try out the Green Dragon I impulse-bought at Trader Joe’s yesterday. Enchiladas verdes are happening soon.
Pickle. Flavored. Popcorn.
I’m honestly amazed this bag even made it home with us. I opened it before the AC even kicked on in the car. It is AMAZING, in a mildly-disgusting-but-still-delicious way. Fair warning, you have to LOVE pickles to be into this. Fans of ranch may also apply—all about that dill life.
Lucky Brand
Because I do actually think about things other than food occasionally. My work got in a huge shipment of Lucky Brand goods, and it has been a struggle not to max out my credit card buying ALL the things. So far, these two tops, as well as some solid black tops for work, have come home with me (and been worn by me in the past two days). I might have to do a post where I model all the stuff I end up getting. Here’s hoping someone comes through for my birthday on Wednesday!
Click the image for the image source and product link!
Happy birthday to me! I snagged this in the RM gated sale last week for $98! Mine is in “charcoal” (a very light gray that photographs almost white) smooth leather, not the black pebbled. Many thanks to Grandma for footing the bill (though she’d be horrified if she knew I spent her birthday money on a single bag). I’ve been looking for a chic backpack to take back to college, and this is just the one! The print on the inside is completely adorable and the bag is roomy enough to fit a laptop and books.
image via google images (via billboard, apparently)
Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
So I actually bought this album in April, but we saw Alabama Shakes perform on Conan the other night and I was reminded of the fact that Brittany Howard is a QUEEN. The new album is everything a sophomore album should be—grounded in the band’s aesthetic, but more refined and mature. If you don’t own it, I feel bad for you, son.
Good evening, all! Lately, I’ve been in complete get-shit-done mode. We’re streamlining our department at work in preparation for the busy fall season, my home is starting to come together inch by inch, and my financial aid picture for returning to college is looking considerably less grim. And, as a person who is about to graduate and get married (ew, so traditional), I’ve been thinking a lot about the personal style I want to carry with me into this new frontier of adulthood.
I consigned clothing both Monday and Friday. The first place I went to paid me $19 up front for 6 items of my clothes, which is insane, because I brought two baskets of well-maintained garments. We all know how much of a brand ho I can be, so I was discouraged that they accepted a sundress from Target, but not myriad garments from places like J.Crew and Urban Outfitters. The second consignment store follows a different buying model, and I’ve had a lot of success over the years selling to them. They donate unaccepted garments to charity, so either way, I win.
There are two reasons for the wardrobe pare-down. One is that my 24th birthday is fast-approaching, and the urge to cultivate a more professional and adult wardrobe is real. With each day that I age, neutrals become more appealing. Neutrals are everything—essential to creating an all-seasons wardrobe. I feel like my personal aesthetic has been completely schizophrenic over the years. From October to April I live in Banana Republic sweaters, skinny jeans, and boots (i.e. Webster’s definition of “basic”). The rest of the year, I exist in this space between bohemian, retro, and preppy that lacks cohesion. I still don’t feel like I fully know who I am as a dresser—just part of the process of growing up.
The second reason is minimalism in my home, which has been admittedly less than successful. You see, the only way to declutter is to NOT immediately replace clothes that you just got rid of with new, higher-end clothes. I was actually able to reduce the number of drawers I was using for clothing. They are now anal-retentively reorganized by category, and I’m making tiny signs to hang on the drawer pulls because my life is a sad parody of a Pinterest board.
Styling/redecorating my house has been such a challenge, but it seems like Michael is finally coming around about it. He is very open to any and all changes I make to communal areas, but his office and studio are sanctuaries that I barely feel allowed to enter, much less rework entirely. In the past week, I feel we’ve made a lot of progress.
This is the “after” picture of our entryway (or at least the :to be continued”). On the left is the door to our bedroom, on the right is the hallway to the front door. I don’t have a “before” picture, and be grateful—it was truly horrible. There was a tall cabinet whose top was not only broken off and balanced on top, but was covered in random clutter (including, but not limited to, 5 year old Christmas cards and coffee cup sleeves). There was also an (ugly) table lamp up there, which has been moved to the bedroom and awaits a new shade. The 4 ft or so of wall above was bare with an old nail sticking out. I replaced the cabinet with a small vintage bureau that my dad thrifted for me, a standing lamp with an updated shade, a wall calendar of vintage advertisements, and record covers as hanging art. The records I found used 2 for $1 at Newbury Comics, and I couldn’t be more excited to represent Linda Ronstadt and Elton John in my living room. I painted the clothespins turquoise as a fun pop of color against the hideous wall, which has to remain this tortured beige for the time being. Boo.
Chelsea, Michael, and Della, for those wondering about the letters.
The entry-way joins this cozy reading corner, which I created earlier in the summer…
top: Whitney Houston’s debut album, center: naughty vintage “pulp fiction” literary postcards right: a painting we received as a gift from New Orleans
…this budding gallery wall, hung this week…
..and this area, which I “finished” last week by finally hanging my Sherri’s Inkart print, my Man Ray photo (cut from a calendar!) and our “engagement photo”, which will be replaced once we have a real one taken.
My living room is about 70% finished (and by finished, I mean in a state that I can live with until I afford to do a proper overhaul) and it’s super encouraging. I’ve been spending a lot of time in this room because it feels so much more put-together than the rest of the house that it’s became a calming oasis.
As always, thank you for letting me share my progress. It’s no Happy Handmade Home yet, but it’s getting there.
And by “iced crack” I mean cold-brewed coffee! Cold brew is all the rage right now, and for very good reason. For those of us who like their coffee very milky *raises hand*, it is an elixir from heaven. No joke, I can drink this stuff black with no sugar. When I finally perfected making this, I drank so much of it I barely slept for a week. My fiancé says that I have ruined him for all other coffees. He calls it “Fig-proof”, as in, he can’t possibly screw it up, no matter what he does to it or puts in it. You can find recipes for cold brew anywhere on the internet (Pinterest is a lifesaver), but if you’re reading this and you haven’t yet tried to make this at home, DO IT and stop paying $3+ a cup to get it at Starbucks!
Here’s my method.
Preparation:
Supplies
You’ll need whole bean coffee in your favorite blend, quart sized mason jars (or a gallon jug, whatever), and a coffee grinder. A funnel is optional, but encouraged. I like to buy my coffee in bulk, since I make this cold brew every 2-3 days. Trader Joe’s has a great selection of inexpensive, quality coffees. Costco is another great place to get bulk whole bean coffee in brands like Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
Grind your beans to a slightly coarser grind than you would for auto-drip coffee. Not as coarse as a French press, not as fine as espresso. Eyeball it.
The golden cold brew ratio is 1 cup ground coffee to 4 cups cold, filtered water (or .25 cups coffee to 1 cup water if you’re making batches smaller than a quart). This might as well be printed in the Bible. You can go stronger, but you’ll just end up diluting your prepared drink more later.
Halfway there.
Measure your coffee, grind it up, and add it to your water. This is where the funnel comes in handy. I’ve wasted so much precious coffee by spilling it all over my counters. I like to use mason jars to steep my cold brew because they have measurements on the sides, and I’m all about reducing the amount of dishes used in any given meal prep.
After you finagle the grounds into the jar, then comes the fun part. Screw on a lid (I like these Ball brand plastic storage caps as they don’t rust, are dishwasher safe, and come in wide-mouth and regular size) and shake it like a Polaroid picture or James Bond’s martini. Dance while you do it!
Blouse is Zara via Buffalo Exchange.
Let it sit for 12-24 hours. I usually make mine in the evenings and strain it before work in the morning. The straining is the tough part. This took me a while to perfect. Finally, I consulted the Pinterest oracle and learned that cheesecloth is the way to do it. I have heard that nut milk bags work beautifully.
I place a mesh strainer, lined with a small piece of cheesecloth, over a 2qt or larger pitcher. I agitate the jars one last time so that the grounds don’t come out in one giant clump, and slowly pour it out through the strainer and into the pitcher.
Another method, which I use semi-frequently, is to pour your cold brew and grounds into a French press and strain them that way. When I use this method, I still like to pour the coffee through the cheesecloth so that the finished product isn’t cloudy.There’s no way to completely avoid sediment in your cold brew, but it sinks to the bottom of the container so it doesn’t interfere with the overall coffee experience.
Serving:
As soon as the cold brew has been strained, it’s ready to drink! It will come out slightly stronger than regular iced coffee, so I recommend diluting it slightly with filtered water. Most sites say a 2:1 coffee to water ratio, but I use slightly less water, as my coffee only steeps for 12 hours and I take it with ice, which dilutes the mixture over time. Apart from the dilution, prepare your cup exactly as you would any other cup of coffee. My absolute favorite way to take it is with unsweetened almond milk and all-natural maple syrup for a touch of sweetness.
All of the almond milk, all the time.
Happy brewing!
-DellaBites
Currently enjoying my cold brew on break at work with some Trader Joe’s goodies.
…with Essie’s Lilacism shade. And no, Essie is not paying me for this review, but I would love it if they did!
Essie is my brand. This ho is loyal. I even choose Essie gel shades when I go to nail salons. For years, I held food service jobs that forbade painted nails in the workplace. But now, more than ever, finally freed of that torture, I need my nails to be consistently on point—people grab my hand to check out my ring constantly! The *joys* of being newly engaged…
Lilacism is by far my favorite shade out of the 20 or so Essie polishes I’ve accumulated (runners up being Bikini So Teeny, Chinchilly, and Sand Tropez). It’s a “grown-up” purple—neutral enough to be professional, but still fun and funky. It’s a perfect pastel for spring and summer.
I don’t think looking at this ring is ever going to get old…for me. I’m pretty sure everyone else in my social media-sphere wants to shoot me by now.
The odd thing about my obsession with this color is that I don’t even like the color purple. I’ve long found it completely obnoxious. Purple bridesmaids dresses, purple flowers, purple home décor—PASS! I don’t think there is a single purple item in my wardrobe. I’m all about pink, pastel blue, and mint, so it’s not that I don’t like traditionally “girly” colors. Purple just doesn’t really do it for my eyes and brain. That being said, this purple polish is so muted that even I, the purple-naysayer, find it completely aesthetically pleasing. It even makes for a pretty little tableau:
What are your favorite Essie shades? Are there other polish brands worthy of my devotion?
So, like all 20-something girls with a pulse and a Pinterest, I’m obsessed with Elsie, Emma, and Laura over at A Beautiful Mess. I’ve made their recipes, done their DIYs, and gotten tons of inspiration from their books and site. My house is like a living tribute to ABM. It’s borderline sad.
Anyway, when they announced that their academic agendas were up for preorder, I had to jump on it! I’m going back to school full-time in a month (provided my financial aid comes through!) and I definitely need to stay on top of my game. Graduation is on the horizon. I’m tired of being the ancient lady-past-legal-drinking-age in the classroom. Plus, I’ve got this whole “wedding” thing coming up that I might need to stay organized for…
The planners ship in mid-August (hopefully it will arrive not long after my birthday on August 19). In true ABM fashion, they come with cool little extras, like these emoji stickers:
So cute, right? I of course opted for the following cover option, because gold foil is life:
This actually looks like my desk at any given moment.
I’m so excited to receive mine in the mail! When it arrives, I’ll probably do a product review. In the meantime, I’ll just have to keep writing myself notes on scrap paper and hoping for the best!
Although neither my curly hair or curvy bod has ever really been in compliance with the decade’s aesthetic, I have had a life-long love affair with both the music and the style of the 1970s. Perhaps it was the bellbottoms’ comeback during my childhood or the cultural takeover of the flatiron. Either way, the natural, easy-breezy vibes of the seventies are as sweet and enduring as a Carly Simon song.
I tend toward the preppy when I dress, but I took my center-parted Farah Fawcett hair and my flares out to the grocery store to get ingredients to make a lasagna (exciting stuff, I know. I’m too sick to do anything fun). Enjoy my RBF (resting bitch face). Also—I put on a few pounds on vacation from all of my fiancé’s aunt’s amazing Portuguese cooking…can you tell?
*moccasins/Minnetonka, jeans/Banana Republic, top/Loft, bag/Kelsi Dagger BK
So, the mild throat pain I experienced after disembarking from the plane home has turned into the full-blown flu. Or, possibly the flu. I rarely-to-never get sick, so this feels apocalyptic to me.
My sweet fiancé has been wonderfully catering to my needs. I have been too germ-infested to cook, so he brought me soup from Panera last night and he ran to Dunks to get me an iced coffee this afternoon.
I finally mustered up the courage to take (2-years-expired) NyQuil last night. The taste of cough medicine has always triggered my gag reflex. It’s added insult to injury; I already feel like death, and the only cure is vile chemical liquid that tastes like dead hopes and dreams? Unfair. It did the trick, though. I slept from 11 pm to 8 am, woke briefly to call out of work, and then went back to bed until 1:30. Apart from the runny nose and the sinus headache, I actually do feel slightly better. Hopefully I’ll be well enough to work tomorrow. Know what’s super great when you have a college education to fund and a wedding coming up? Going on an unpaid vacation and then being too sick to go back to work and get dat money.
One of the perks of being home alone and immobile all day is it’s a great opportunity to listen to the 15 or so CDs I purchased from Amoeba & Rasputin. Right now I’m listening to this Mutemath record:
Mutemath, MUTEMATH (2006) image via Amazon
I think I’ll need to give the album another listen to truly evaluate it. I’ve been meaning to check them out for ages, mostly because their drummer, Darren King, is married to Stacy (Sucré) from my favorite band, Eisley. My obsession with the DuPree clan will become apparent as this blog grows.
The other albums I bought while in California:
*all above images via Amazon
I had owned many of these albums before, in mp3 form, but I’m really committed to buying all of my music in the best digital quality possible, and right now, that remains CDs (unless that Neil Young PONO situation gets off the ground).
Anyway, thanks as always for reading. Anyone have any thoughts on my new acquisitions?
As I mentioned in my last post, we went to the Bay Area to visit family, and thus didn’t get to do most typical “touristy” activities, i.e. a selfie with a Golden Gate backdrop. However, we did make it a priority to support small, local businesses (especially coffee shops). We stayed in San Leandro and Castro Valley, but we managed to journey into San Francisco twice during our stay. Here are some of the businesses we visited and loved!
San Francisco
Greetings from Pier 39, home of tacky tourist destinations, Alcatraz, and sea lions!
The coffee in my hand in this picture is from The Plant | Café Organic at Pier 3. They served Blue Bottle, so I actually got to try it! *round of applause*
Haight-Ashbury Area
In addition to its cafés, boutiques, and tattoo parlors, this area actually had a specialty sock shop! I bought my fiancé a pair of robot socks shortly after we moved in together, so we couldn’t resist adding to the collection.
Amoeba is the Shangri-La of Record Stores. There are three locations (we visited San Francisco & Berkeley—I shopped at their Hollywood store on my last trip in 2013). This place makes Newbury Comics look like a sick joke. Their prices are outstanding for used CDs, which are great quality unless otherwise denoted. I bought way more albums than I intended to…but who can resist $1.95 for a Sondre Lerche CD? C’mon. My fiancé loves this place because of its expansive World Music section (he was on the hunt for obscure Turkish artists the whole time). They even had a John Zorn section!
We call this photo “Zorn Porn”.
Stanza Coffee (I can’t find a proper website for this shop!)
Stanza is a super adorable little café on Haight St where we hung out for a while before heading out of the city. Great coffee, great vibes, great logo.
Decades of Fashion is a vintage clothing and costume shop that is a version of heaven. I found vintage blue Louboutins there in my peculiar size (9.5) for $195 and I DIDN’T buy them for my wedding. I am a moron. I will never forgive myself. I might have to actually call the shop and have them special order the shoes to me. I nearly cry every time I think about this.
DoF even had a friendly shopcat named Halston. Such a handsome boy!
Cold Brew of the Gods. As you can see in the first photo, the menu here is incredibly simple (and stunningly displayed). They don’t even have flavored syrups! This place is the coffee purist’s dream! Gorgeous rustic/industrial décor, amazing coffee—a perfect place to hang out.
The Mission District & Valencia St.
Amazing and authentic Mexican food, street art, eclectic shops, and Boba Guys. What could be better? Full disclosure–Boba Guys was closing up when we arrived, so I didn’t actually get to try it, although it was on my must-do Bay Area list (next time!!!). Some cool places we stopped into were Afterlife, Needles & Pens, 1-2-3-4 Go! Records/Lost Weekend Video, Dijital Fix, and Borderlands Books (which earns hella bonus points for selling naughty vintage postcards and having an adjoining café). We had massive veggie burritos and Sierra Nevadas at La Corneta Taqueria. I bought brand new copies of NW by Zadie Smith (hardcover!) and The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for $6.95 each at Dog Eared Books. I’m tellin’ you.
the condiment bar at borderlands café. this picture speaks for itself.
I’m surprised my fiancé didn’t shed happy tears upon entering this place. It. Was. Dope. You know how you have to scour a normal record store for their experimental section, which consists of about 5 CDs? Aquarius is basically a massive experimental section. I had only heard of, like, three bands in the entire store. For such a small place, they had a huge world music section as well. It’s so cool to see that specialty record stores can still exist and thrive in an Amazon-dominated world!
We only got to stop at Mua for a drink (it was a Sunday night and they closed fairly early). I had a Mexico Mule, which is lunazul reposado, lime, cilantro, and ginger beer. Amazing. Their menu looked absolutely incredible—my cousin vouched for it. Tons of vegetarian options! I will definitely be coming back here on my next visit to the Bay.
We stopped here for a drink after Mua closed down. The huge selling points of this Oakland institution are its kitschy, cluttered décor and its fresh squeezed greyhound. No lie—they have grapefruit halves in bowls that they actually juice in front of you.
Best breakfast burrito of my life + a pitcher of Bellinis for $10. Can’t be beat. We stopped here on a whim for brunch one day and I’m so glad we did. They put scallions in their homefries and keep hot sauce on every table! Super reasonable prices for all of the food and drinks. I’ll definitely be back on future visits.
Okay, so technically these shops are all over (we have one in Allston). I fell in love with this place in 2004 when my cousin found a PJ Harvey concert t-shirt at their Long Beach location. Such an awesome shop with a great selection and great prices. For under $20, I bought an adorable Zara blouse in addition to the Free People dress pictured below. Who knows? Maybe it will end up as my reception dress…
Philz Mint Mojito has ruined me for all other coffees. I (sadly) only got to go to Philz once (a fucking travesty, let’s be honest), so I can’t report on their other concoctions, but their concept is so fresh that I can’t imagine they’d serve anything less than heavenly. Their slogan, as you can see above is “One Cup at a Time”, which literally means that each cup of coffee they serve is made to order (they use the pour-over method as far as I can tell). I’m sure this falls under the trendy, touristy Bay Area shop category, but I don’t care at all. #TeamPhilz
You choose a doughnut and they fill it in front of you with the filling of your choice (such as creme anglaise, chocolate, or jelly). It’s like the In-N-Out of doughnut shops: there are only like 4 things on the menu, but they are fantastic and in my mind, iconic. A+++, 5 stars, 2 thumbs up.
Valley Java was one of the best coffee experiences we had in California. The café is all organic, and sells a variety of equipment and goods, including local honey! I had a caramel macchiato with almond milk and a jalapeño bagel with cream cheese. Swoon-worthy stuff. The owner, Vince, who was from Hong Kong by-way-of Connecticut, was an absolute sweetheart! Love meeting fellow New Englanders on the road! He called me “Classic Lady”, flattering me by saying I looked like an old-timey movie-star. My fiancé never fails to mention this detail when we talk about our trip.
I sadly didn’t get any pictures of this hidden gem. It’s tucked away in an industrial park, but it’s worth popping into your GPS. The proprietor served me, and since I used to manage a coffee shop, we got to chatting about vendors and brewing methods. He’s a firm believer (as am I) in the magic of cold brew, and his coffee certainly showcases that. It’s so smooth you can drink it black, and I take my coffee very almond-milky. César (which I gleaned his name is from the Yelp reviews—many apologies if I’m wrong) is pursuing his dream without investors, so the décor leaves something to be desired, but I wish him all of the success in the world, and sincerely hope his operation goes bicoastal!
Sabino’s Coffee is right off the 580 in San Leandro, and it’s yet another suburban gem. It’s totally unassuming, but when you walk in, you can tell they mean business. This was perhaps my favorite iced coffee during my entire vacation—VERY high praise. They also serve Vietnamese coffee, which my fiancé is obsessed with, so that’s a huge selling point. Also—pro tip—this café is hella cheap. I paid around $5 for a prepared iced coffee, a hot Vietnamese coffee, and a to-go black iced with no ice (which made us 2 cups later in the afternoon). Coffee is obscenely expensive in California, so this was a breath of fresh air. If you live in the East Bay you have to drop by Sabino’s.
I don’t have any pictures of Porky’s since I didn’t technically “go” here, but this was my fiancé’s late cousin’s favorite pizza place, so on the anniversary of his death we ordered their pizza as part of a weekend-long celebration of him. It was really special to be a part of such an emotional family gathering.
I can see why Porky’s was his favorite though. This pizza is so legit. The veggie is outstanding—it’s absolutely smothered with veggies, from fried eggplant to artichoke hearts. I hear they also have an amazing selection of beers—something we’ll have to put to the test next time.
Okay, so technically this is in San Lorenzo, but it’s right on the line. We went to four Rasputin locations (this one, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Pleasant Hill). This place rules. Can’t you tell from the smile on his face?
He was pretty jazzed up when he finally found his beloved Selda CD.
Rasputin is a used CD-buyers wet dream. I bought a Joni Mitchell CD in perfect condition for $0.95. They have thousands upon thousands of CDs priced from $0.50. I think we spend the bulk of our travel money at record stores.
And last, but certainly not least…
In-N-Out Burger is a California institution. It is both the only fast food I will eat AND the only meat I will voluntarily eat. I make sure to swing by once every time I’m on the West Coast. Not everyone shares my rabid enthusiasm for this burger joint, but it definitely has a cult following. I got a t-shirt when I was there. No judgment!
in-n-out offers computer/iphone backgrounds on their website. bless. click through for source.
Fuck a golden arch. In-N-Out is Where-It’s-At. Two words: Animal Style.
From all appearances, it seems like all I did in California was eat and drink coffee. It’s not very far from the truth, but we did spend a little bit of time in nature. But that’s a topic for another post.
Until next time,
DellaBites
P.S. Shout out to Peet’s for being as common in the Bay as Dunks is here. We’ve got to class it up, Boston. Peet’s is the shit.
I had my morning coffee on this beautiful-ass porch today. I know vacation is a short-lived thing, but it feels like it will go on forever. I’m blissfully happy. New fiancé, new family, new city. Things couldn’t be better.
Can you believe these jerks are getting married?
At this very moment we’re at a Phish concert. I’ve never heard a Phish song in my life, but the night has been incredible. I’m so fortunate that my little brother got to join us.
The Phish concert was at Shoreline, which is like the Bay Area “Great Woods”, for us oldies.
I probably shouldn’t blog when I’m drunk/at a concert, but I absolutely love life. I love every single person that has cared enough to read even one of these posts. You are all incredible. Thank you for supporting me and my adventures. Things will only get better from here.
We’re California bound in 4 days! I’m so excited! I haven’t been to the Bay Area since 1999, so I hardly remember it. I’ve already packed my clothes. I actually had a bit of a stress nightmare about the airport and the flight. I’m not a great traveler, and I’m an even worse sleeper.
I haven’t even begun to plan all of our activities. My main priorities are jumping into the Pacific Ocean, eating at In N Out (my few-times-a-decade exception to vegetarianism), and going to the Amoeba Records in San Fran & Berkeley, but we have a whole 8 or 9 days to fill! I definitely want to hit up some art museums, but unfortunately the SFMOMA is closed for expansion right now! This is the second time I’ll have been deprived of a MOMA on a trip…not cool.
I’m going to start compiling a list of coffee/donut shops in the Bay Area since we are sorely lacking them in our little corner of the country. Of course, we’ll be spending a ton of time with family. My cousin Shelly is the owner/designer of the Oakland-based jewelry company Harp Designs, so we’ll have to visit with her and (maybe??) talk about having her design our wedding bands. She was actually just profiled on another blog—a must-read!
I finally got my engagement ring after 2.5 weeks of being engaged. It sounds like nothing, but when people frantically reach for your left hand to check your bling multiple times per day, it’s so disappointing to have to say, “Oh, I don’t have my ring yet,” or to explain that the one I was wearing was a big ol’ fake. I’m getting married, and now I have proof! What is life?
Sherri Dupree Bemis of one of my favorite bands, Eisley, recently recorded a cover of the John Denver/Peter, Paul, and Mary song “Leaving On A Jet Plane”. It’s sweet, lovely, and available for free download on Soundcloud. In honor of our trip (which I’m dubbing our engagement trip even though the two are unrelated), I’ve posted it below for your listening pleasure.
Pickle. Flavored. Popcorn.
Lucky Brand
*all above images via Amazon
Della Bites 