July 4th weekend!

What are everyone's plans?

Tonight, Gabe and I are having a slumber party with these two monkeys while 

their parents celebrate their 4-year wedding anniversary. 

 B says, "brother, can I have some of that cookie?"

E says, "no way, mine!" B says, "c'mon just a bite"

We're so excited!

it's the end of June and pouring rain in the capital city...

...which is extremely unusual, so I am sitting in my office with the door open allowing the smell of the wet pavement to fill the room.  All I hear is the intermittent thunder, the drops of rain hitting the ground, and the occasional truck driving by the warehouse--it's very slow today.  The smell of the moist pavement mixed with my cup of steeping honey lemon tea has put me in a leisurely mood, and as a result has led me to discover this site in my distracted state:

eerie ghost towns with stories and photos

So far there are eighteen pages of former amusements parks, asylums, castles, farms, highways...

Abandonment can be so beautiful.  Strictly speaking of structural abandonment, of course. 

I have always been fascinated by deserted antique buildings that are now overgrown with vegetation, inhabited only by wildlife and insects.  Imagine walking through one of the old, grand hospitals or theaters featured on the site.  When scrolling through the photos and skimming their accompanying stories, I could picture how great the places were in their prime, bustling with activity.  Like Old Hollywood, many could be restored, but will unlikely ever return to their former glory.  Mmm, nutella and graham crackers...sorry, 'food Tourette's.'  Clearly this weather has temporarily made me forget that it is in fact bikini season.

{all photos via fuckyeahghosttowns.tumblr}

you can put anything in a quesadilla

I have been excited to use the beautiful squash blossoms in our garden since they bloomed, and had grand plans of hosting a brunch or luncheon with friends to showcase some gourmet chevre-quinoa-something-stuffed blossoms, but I didn't see that happening in the near future.  Quite a few of the blossoms have already shriveled up, so I knew if I wanted to eat them this year {I missed out last year for the same fancy plan procrastination reason} I had better just do it.

On my lunch hour today, I went home and quickly surveyed the goods I had on hand, which is how I came up with this quirky recipe:

Brie and Squash Blossom Quesadillas
{sub any ingredients with your favs}


2 black bean garlic tortillas
few squash blossoms, torn into pieces
hunk of brie, mostly creamy part but some rind is okay
Mexican blend shredded cheese
butter
KS&P

Ya'll know how to make a quesadilla, so instead of instructions, here are some pretty photos of my lunch. :)

 

 these locally made tortillas are my favorite...every flavor i've tried has been super delicious

 

 

hey mom, you should probably take us for a long walk to work off that fatty cheesy thing you just ate...good lookin' out, pups.

The blossoms don't have a strong distinguished flavor, probably because the tortillas and brie were both so flavorful, but they do provide a pop of pretty color.  Plus, eating flowers is fun! 

the BEST anytime lotion

Not kidding. JĀSÖN Natural 70% aloe vera lotion is, is, well I'll just list its awesomeness:

• smells lovely
• soothes skin after shaving {without stinging}
• doesn't cause breakouts or clog pores
• quenches skin
• non-greasy
• vegan
• available for under $10 @ Target
• hubby loves it too
• can go on before or after self-tanner
• heals sunburnt skin
• light fragrance does not compete with perfume
• gives skin a healthy glow {not sparkly}
• packed with healthy all-natural goodness like Vit E, green tea, ginseng, aloe vera...

I don't know if it's possible but I have noticed fewer breakouts on my skin in areas like my shoulders and back of my neck since I started using this lotion about a month ago.  My skin feels healthy and happy, and I smell goooooood.  I never really made applying body lotion part of my morning routine, unless of course I was wearing a skirt or shorts that day, but I now look forward to slathering this delicious lotion on after my shower every morning!  Sorry to sound like a commercial, but this stuff is seriously awesome.  Try it and let me know how it worked out for you. :)

as addicting as Etsy?

Thank you {and curse you!} apartment therapy for introducing me to Ruffled!  Ruffled is the place where all the junk you 'favorited' {but didn't act quickly enough} in Etsy went--Mason jars, doilies, milk glass--that you can now claim!  Although geared toward brides and other wedding participants, Ruffled has a ton of cool stuff that doesn't have to be used for nuptial-ness {?}.

Clearly best suited for a wedding gown, but I am loving this Temperley dress for special occasion!

These rose garlands would be adorable in a girl's nursery or birthday party. Or, um, my room! Sorry Gabriel.

And these vintage crates are super handy and versatile for around the house. I have one storing tp in our newly remodeled bathroom {still no post on that--procrastinator!} but could use a few more on my bookshelf in my office to store craft supplies.

Check it out and let me know what you think!  I haven't gone through all the listings yet, but I'm inspired to get my dresses I wore as a bridesmaid cleaned and post them for sale.  Tiffany blue is still hot, right?