The Friday Find

Priceless.

Image via Kate Middleton for the Win

It's Royal Wedding Time!

It's almost here!  The Royal Wedding, that is (and my sister's birthday...go wish her a happy birthday here tomorrow!).  I haven't been paying much attention to all the wedding fuss, but over the past couple days I have been kind of nerding out about it. 

via the daily mirror

Although neither Liz nor I are getting up at the crack of dawn to watch it unfold live, we do know many people who are throwing Royal Wedding brunches at 5am tomorrow!  If we were to have one, here's what we'd provide for our guests:

Coffee.  And tea, to be more British.  But at that hour...coffee.

Scones, crumpets, biscuits.  These are yummy!

Chic birdcage veils for the ladies (like the one seen here)...

...and dapper bow ties for the men (if any came).

And finally, royal wedding sick bags for those who can't wait for the media frenzy to end!

A Few Things...

I hope that everyone had a lovely Easter Sunday if you celebrated it! I spent my Easter Sunday hanging out with cousins in the morning and taking a long walk in the evening. It was 80 degrees and sunny. Perfect. On my walk, I spotted this great pair of chairs at a second-hand furniture store on 14th Street NW. Very retro and comfortable. $300 for the pair. Do you think that's a good deal or not? I couldn't decide.

Anyways, let's get to the more important memo of the day: Today is the day that EASTER CANDY GOES ON SALE!! I will be stopping by the drug store to snatch up some chocolate Cadberry candy eggs and some Robin eggs. What is your favorite Easter candy?

Happy Monday! (Ugh.)

The Friday Find

So recently I was digging around my house in Massachusetts and I discovered a sheepskin - small, old, but remarkably, in good condition. I brought it to DC and have been LOVING it at the end of my bed.

But there are many cute ways to make use of an old sheepskin. You could try it as a rug in a big space...

Image via Decor4u.com

Or as a rug under a small chair or couch...

Image via Apartment Therapy

Or even turn it into a comfy plush cover for a chair...

Image via Jessica Swift

Or you could find someone to use it in this way :)

Then I did some snooping...

And it turns out that sheepskin rugs are all over Craigslist and Ebay! I found a $19 faux sheepskin on DC's craigslist, and a genuine sheepskin on Ebay for $26. Not too shabby.

Happy Friday!

Elijah is coming!

Ok, so Elijah isn't exactly the most comparable thing to a bunny, but you get the point. It's Passover this week for those who celebrate it, and I'm here to share some of my favorite Passover foods. Sometimes I think of Passover as a type of spring cleaning - my meals during this week every year consist of lots of vegetables and yogurt and healthy stuff. That is, until I re-discover the meat and candy below :)

I'd love to gobble up some of this tangy, spiced brisket.

Photo via Smitten Kitchen

And then munch on some matzo crunch (kudos to Heather for making a mean batch on Monday).

Image via the Slow Travel blog

If you take the ham out of Anna's Easter fritatta, you're good to go for Passover too! Enjoy whatever holiday you do or do not celebrate :)

 

The Bunny is Coming!

OK, I know I might sound like a total dork for saying this, but I LOVE Easter.  My family isn't religious in the slightest, so for us, Easter is primarily a reason to be together and celebrate family, good food, and (hopefully) warming weather.  It's also a plus that the Easter Bunny never fails to show up after all these years, even though my sister and I are now graduated, certifiable "adults."

via good housekeeping

Every Easter, we celebrate with a big brunch.  The meal always has to include the innards from the blown eggs we dyed the day before, so this year I have plans for a frittata, a dish I have ignored until discovering that it is the perfect vessel for leftovers.  Here's a basic recipe.  Note that pretty much any veggies, cheese, and/or meat combination imaginable can be used here.  My most recent frittata had onions, mushrooms, shredded beef from some leftover stew, and ricotta.  Delicious!

HOPPY Easter!

Marathon Monday!

Happy Marathon Monday!  Sadly, I am at work today (first time ever that I haven't had it off!), but Liz is in Boston enjoying the festivities.  Here are some pics from last year:

The scene at mile 9, where Tufts has a bbq to cheer on the runners

The scene along Boylston, right before the finish line!

You can track the runners' progress at boston.com.  They should be finishing up soon!

The Friday Find

Yahoo!  It's officially iced coffee season, something I dream about all winter.  Although I would love to have the luxury of indulging in a delicious iced coffee at Coffee by Design every morning before work, the extra $2.50 per day (or more in DC! Portland is cheap) can really add up.  Last summer I discovered that homemade iced coffee can be just as delicious as what's available at the local coffee shop.  Here are some tips:

1. Make a strong batch of coffee in the evening and let it sit in the fridge overnight.  This way, it is nice and cold for your commute to work. 

2. Keep some coffee ice cubes in the freezer so your iced coffee won't dilute as the ice melts.  This ice cube tray would be a cute addition, too!

3.  Put coffee and cubes in this cup (featured on last week's Friday Find) to get the full coffee shop effect.  Add some half and half and get your caffeine fix!

via seriouseats.com

Any other tips we should know? 


P.S.  Here's smitten kitchen's take on iced coffee.  We trust her, too. :)

I want to ride my bicycle

Well, really, I want to ride the new Kate Spade bicycle. Kate Spade just came out with this awesome green bicycle. There is only one available in each Kate Spade store. I can't even imagine how much it costs, but a girl can dream, right? I mean, how awesome is this bike?!

Photo via Kate Spade

Wouldn't mind buying those leather bags for the front and the back too...

Nats Game

The rain went away and the sun came out and I went to Nationals Park to watch the Nats play the Phillies. I am a Red Sox fan, and I couldn't decide who to root for: The home team or the Phillies. Pretty pathetic. But was fun to eat peanuts and ice cream.

Our tickets just a few rows from the field cost a whopping $23. Can't get that at Fenway. But I do miss my home team.

Rainy Day Color

This week is one of those weeks when you say: How is it only Wednesday?! Maybe it's all the gloomy weather. When it is raining cats and dogs like it is today, it's nice to have some cheery, colorful, and comfy go-to items to keep you dry. This is our go-to rain gear. What's yours?

Classic wellies from llbean.com

Marimekko umbrella from amazon.com

Funnel neck trench from gap.com

The Friday Find

Have you guys heard of the new TLC show Extreme Couponing? It is totally nutso. These people clip coupons and end up spending $7 on $1,200 grocery bills. They find $3 coupons on $2 items and actually MAKE MONEY at the grocery store. Watch video clips here.

Anna and I are not those people. But we do buy reusable stuff to put our food in. Because it's cute and it saves you cash in the long run. These are our top picks.

Reusable Sandwich Bag by Lunch Skins

Reusable Iced Coffee Cup by Starbucks

Silicone Cupcake Liners

Glass Containers and Lids by Pyrex

Happy Friday!

This looks familiar...

Now here's a classic "wasn't me!" moment caught on video!  My sister sent this to me at work and I had to close my office door so I could laugh hysterically without my office mates thinking I was a crazy person. 

I especially love the toothy grin!  What a naughty (but very cute!) pup.

Shoe Envy

I'm in the market for some new spring shoes. Wedges, patent leather, and cutout patterns (see the green shoes below) are big this season. If only I had won a shopping spree to Zappos...

Pour La Victoire Kamea in Grey Patent

Faryl Robin Dalia in Brown

Frye Maya Cut Sling in Jade

Cole Haan Air Talia Wedge 40 in Sunflower Patent

Cherry Blossoms!

Liz is swamped at work, but she sent some cherry blossoms to brighten the day. :)

Back to Reality

Happy Sunday!  While Liz was baking apple-berry crisps, I've been in Richmond visiting family.  I finally met my new baby cousin (I'm so in love!) and got a good dose of vitamin D.  Richmond is such a fun city and it's especially beautiful in the springtime.  Here are a few pictures from a previous visit - forgot my camera this time - so you can have a look. :)

Stopping for an iced coffee with Elspeth on Cary Street

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Hanging out by the river at one of our many cousins' houses

Tomorrow I have a 7 AM flight back to reality so...sleep tight! xo

Slow Saturday

Laundry, coffee, and baking an apple berry crumble. A nice lazy Saturday.

Apple blackberry crumble

If I had a recipe for this apple blackberry crumble I would share it with you. I do know that if you throw together apples, blackberries, lemon zest and all the juice you can get out of half a lemon, brown sugar, cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and a few dabs of cold butter, then top it with an oatmeal, brown sugar, butter mixture, it will taste good :)

Happy weekend!

The Friday Find

I love stripes. Striped shirts, striped fabric, striped rugs, you name it. But why are they SO expensive?

Here are my favorite striped picks. For CHEAP!

Ikea fabric, $7.99/yd

Forever 21 long-sleeve T, $10.90

Target jersey scarf, $12.99