5 Things + Happiness

1. Vintage tea cup. I've been looking at vintage royal stafford bone china tea cups for quite some time. Every once in a while I would "window" shop on eBay or Etsy, but this particular one stood out the most. Since Jason and I have switched over from espresso to earl grey, I thought it would be fitting to have afternoon tea in a pretty pink tea cup. I found a cool blue one for him that we will order soon.

2. Pink roses. The roses are medium pink/lavender. It feels enchanting to have roses in the house because they are so classic and beautiful.

3. Acupuncture. I have been going through some anxiety, and decided to take a nature approach. Yesterday was my second session, and I really believe it helps. The woman I go to also gave me some traditional chinese herbs to take. Honestly, I feel like there is nothing more relaxing.

4. Upcoming events. My 25th birthday, our 5th anniversary, and Jason's 25th birthday all fall within two weeks of each other. We have planned some really fun things to celebrate. April can't come soon enough!

5. Netflix. I watched a few episodes of Gossip Girl, and I love it. I'm only on season one, so no spoilers!

♥ What are 5 things that are making you happy today?

Gluten-Free Banana Bread + Babycakes Obsession

ingredients:

2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut oil, plus more for the pan

2/3 cup agave nectar

2/3 cup rice milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas 

*1 cup walnuts

what to do:

Preheat the oven to 325 F

Lightly grease the bread pan with coconut oil

Whisk together all the dry ingredients

Add 1/2 cup oil, agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla

Stir until batter is smooth, gently fold in the bananas until they are evenly distributed

Bake on center rack for 35 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 20 minutes

Enjoy!

helpful hints:

I added a cup of walnuts even though the recipe did not call for them = yummy!

Insert and toothpick (or fork) after baking, it should come out clean when done

It took 45+ minutes to complete baking, which is longer than the recipe suggested

I took the banana walnut bread to bake at my sister Michelle's house because our oven was on the fritz. My whole family enjoyed it, and my brother Michael went back for a second piece! The photo above is what we came home with, which Jason and I shared over breakfast Sunday morning. This recipe is from Babycakes cookbook. This is hands down my favorite collection of recipes. This particular one is vegan and gluten-free. Let me know if you give it a go.

+++weekend words

Maryland crab cakes

Family

Downton Abbey

Saturday morning crossword puzzle

Earl grey

Hydrangeas

Cactus bloom

Records

Nursery

Banana bread

Walking Dead

Spring cleaning

♥ How was your weekend?

Senses + Suit & Tie

Sight. My brother Michael is in town from Los Angeles this weekend, so it has been nice to have the whole family together. We all went over to my sister Michelle's house to see her nursery for baby Leona. It was set up beautifully, and I couldn't be happier for her.

Scent. Who doesn't love the scent of a earl grey in the morning? Honestly, I haven't had coffee in almost two months because I've fallen in love with tea. I couldn't imagine starting my day without it.

Sound. I'm thinking of picking up the new Justin Timberlake album next time I run to Target. The song "Suit & Tie" is so good. I like all the instruments.

Taste. Tonight I made some vegan banana walnut bread. It was a big hit with my family, and I'm happy to have a few slices left for Jason and I to have for breakfast tomorrow morning. It's official: I'm making every recipe in the Babycakes cookbook.

Touch. I love flowers. I love the smell, how they look, but I also love the softness of their petals. I picked up some hydrangeas at Trader Joe's this afternoon, and they are so beautiful, soft, and delicate.

♥ What are you sensin' this weekend?

Currently + Linus Dutchi

Image found here.

Loving. I know I talk about this a lot, but I am so thankful for long walks with Jason and Joker. We have made it a priority, and have gone consistently for the last few weeks. Sometimes we'll laugh, sometimes we contemplate, but the best part is just being together and enjoying every minute of it.

Reading. Yesterday I read the new Kinfolk Volume 7. All the beautiful words and pictures have put me in the mood for Spring. I see picnics on a blanket in the park, afternoon tea, farmer's market hauls, bicycle rides, and classic films.

Watching. Jason and I have jumped on the Downton Abbey bandwagon. I absolutely love this show. We have a cute routine of watching it with a cup of English breakfast tea.

Thinking about. My older sister Michelle is due to have her baby on May 22nd. It's coming up so fast, and I'm really excited to meet baby girl Leona.

Tasting. Every once in a while I'll bake something from my favorite cookbook, Babycakes. It's full of recipes for vegan goodies, and up next is some banana walnut bread. Tomorrow night I'm going to put on my vintage apron, listen to some records, and bake something yummy.

Anticipating. The weekend. It's not for any particular reason. We don't have anything specific planned. I just look forward to waking up slowly, and just going wherever the wind blows.

Listening to. Putumayo Presents: Paris. For the last few weeks I've been listening to a French album that I picked up at Whole Foods. I could listen to French music all day, everyday. It's light, happy, and perfect for Spring.

Wishing. I've never really had a bicycle that fit right. I'm only 5'2, and they have always been way too big. I've been looking into several bicycles, and I think that I've found one that will work for me. I want one where I sit up straight, is step-thru for skirt friendly attire, and has basket in the front. Later this week, a local bike shop is going to call when they get a shipment of Linus Dutchi's in. I can hardly wait!

♥ Thank you to Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the idea for this post. What are you currently into?

Kinfolk, Crosswords + A Solar Queen

My Amazon haul consisted of three things: Kinfolk Volume 7, Keep Calm Crossword On: 200 Easy New York Times crossword puzzles, and the jubilee edition of a solar powered Queen Elizabeth II. I put it on our table next to the window, and she waves at me all day. I'm really excited to read the new Kinfolk, and do a crossword puzzle tonight with Jason. 

♥ What are you reading?

St. Patrick's Day + Healthy Apple Pie Recipe

1//Funny St. Patrick's Day hat!

2//Silly glasses. I remember the first time I went to Disneyland on a band trip with my middle school I bought big pink glasses. I saw these at Joann's and I had to get them.

3//Spending some time in the kitchen.

4//Ingredients to make our first pie.

ingredient list:

filling: 
4 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1 medium jicama, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons baking truvia
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

crust:

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
4 tablespoons I can't believe it's not butter
3 teaspoons baking powder

5//Thanks mom for letting me borrow your rolling pin. My engagement and wedding ring are being resized because I've lost some weight, and now in replace of them I've been wearing my high school graduation ring.

6//There's the filling. Doesn't look too shabby.

instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine the apples, jicama, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice in a medium bowl

To make the crust, combine the pastry flour and baking powder in a medium bowl

Mix in butter until it's soft and crumbly

Add water until mixture forms a ball
Divide in half and shape into a ball

Roll dough on a floured surface

Line pie plate with half the dough, and fill pie plate with the apple mixture
Cover with the second crust
Bake for 20-25 minutes, reduce heat to 325 F and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the apples are soft

7//First pie, first lattice top.

8//Ding! All done.

This recipe was found on That's Fit. Each piece is less than 200 calories. Jason and I enjoyed making this pie together, and it was interesting using a new ingredient: jicama. You can try this recipe if you want, but it didn't turn out the way we expected. I think the instructions called for too much nutmeg and cinnamon. We are going to try again, and tweak the recipe to our liking. I'll keep you posted!

♥ What did you do this St. Patrick's Day?

P.S. As I'm sure you've all heard that Google Reader won't be available after July 1st, so follow me on Bloglovin' and I'll follow you back.

Tea, Records + Good Reads

1//I'm an English breakfast tea girl all the way. I love getting a tea bag every morning out of this cute tin holder.

2//Jason surprised me with these bright, happy flowers!

3//It's all about tea, ladyfingers, and fun reads.

4//I finally tried ladyfingers from Whole Foods. I love them! It is the perfect, little snack.

5//From left: Kinfolk Volume Six, InStyle UK edition, Glamour. InStyle is my favorite magazine, and when I was at Barnes & Noble the other day I came across the UK edition. I squealed with joy!

6//I've been looking for Porgy and Bess - Miles Davis for years! I know that I could buy records online, but there is something special about coming across it in person. It's a treasure hunt!

7//Ella Fitzgerald just makes the day that much sunnier.

♥ What are you up to this lovely Friday morning?

Kendra Scott + Turquoise Love

the sun was too bright to pick up on the black markings, but they still look pretty

Last week Kendra Scott had a sale in Scottsdale Quarter. I had been eyeballing these turquoise Danielle earrings for a while, and to save some money was such a bonus. Turquoise will always symbolize Arizona for me. I don't know where or when we are going to move, but I know that this particular stone will make me think of my time living here. They are so bright, and beautiful, just like the Arizona sun. 

♥ What is your favorite stone?

Constellation Scarf + Starry Eyed DIY

what you need:

scarf

black fabric paint

star stamp

embroidery floss

invisible ink

needle

helpful hint:

plan the constellations out with pieces of paper, and remove the paper once you are ready to stamp

what to do:

plan out the constellations you want to use

lay the scarf flat, and map out where you want them to go

stamp the stars

use the embroidery floss to stew a dotted line to connect the constellation

then, voilà!

from left to right: 

big dipper, little dipper, orion, cassiopeia, aries, pegasus, andromeda

♥ What is your latest DIY?

Table, Chairs + Arrows, Oh My!

1//I've been looking at these eiffel chairs for a while, and I'm so happy that we got them. They are surprisingly comfortable. It's a dream to have our meals somewhere other than a coffee table.

2//Just enough space, tucked away in the corner.

3//I love the Etsy shop Fletcher and Fox! Jason and I customized these two arrows!

4//I love the colors.

5//The arrows are settled among all our other little treasures.

I just took a little break to share our new favorite things in our home. I'm listening to She & Him, sipping some English breakfast tea, and feeling so lucky. 

♥ What new additions have you added to your home? What do you have your eye on?

Long Walks + Beautiful Sunset

1//I wanna hold your hand. I hear The Beatles when I see this photo.

2//These shoes made me feel like a ballerina. I haven't worn them in years!

3//Handsome after his haircut.

4//My two favorite men.

5//The sunset was magical.

6//It looks like the sky is on fire.

7//It was nice to take all this in.

I feel like spring is the air! It's warm, and breezy which is perfect for long walks. We spent the weekend watching James Bond, sipping English breakfast tea, and working on a little project. I've been so busy with two papers I have to get done by the end of the week. I just wanted to pop in and say "hi". 

♥ What are you doing to take advantage of this nice weather?