Wicker makeover

Two years ago, I stayed with my aunt in Marina Del Rey while I learned to scuba dive and tried to figure out my post-college life. One day, she entrusted me with a can of leftover turquoise house paint and asked me to make over the little wicker table that sits on her upstairs deck. So, I did, of course!

Wicker is usually found in plain brown or white, but a quick coat of colorful paint makes it pop—and last longer. AND, it's easy.

Step one: Clean off the wicker furniture with a hose or scrub brush.

Step two: Find a little can of paint.

Step three: Paint! Let dry, and set in your favorite outdoor spot.

Simple and cute. :)

(Tip: The little nooks and crannies were difficult to paint with a brush, so if I ever do another wicker project, I’d use spray paint.)

Silver or gold?

Today I was thinking about jewelry. The choice to wear gold or silver can define your persona, don’t you think?

I’m a gold gal, but I refused to wear it when I was younger. Now that I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve developed a love for gold, like the rings that grace my mom and grandmothers’ hands.

I still have a lot of silver jewelry I wear every now and then, like necklaces and other gifts from family and friends. My engagement ring happens to be gold (thanks, honey!), but I know platinum and white gold are much more popular metals for wedding rings these days.

Gold is classic and elegant, but silver is bold and edgy. So, what’s your preference? Or do you wear BOTH?

P.S. That adorable Nautical Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace on Etsy almost changes my mind about silver! Those Gold Filigree Flower Earrings are also found on Etsy. 

Life is full of surprises

Just yesterday, Andrew and I were picking blackberries along a quiet trail in Spenceville Wildlife Area when we heard the frustrated chirping of a small bird. We thought he was angry at us for invading his space and stealing his precious fruit, but just as we were about to leave--hands stained and a Nalgene bottle full of blackberries--Andrew spotted this little nest with three tiny white eggs. The poor bird was just worried about her kiddos. So darling!

As Albert Einstein once wisely said, "Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better." And I will add, "don't mess with mama birds!"

summeRefresh

What a crazy couple of weeks this has been! I made a list of ways to instantly recharge when life gets a little hectic:

1) Put on some lipstick for the day--and feel glamorous even when performing mundane tasks like pumping gas. I recently bought this shade called Everlasting by CoverGirl. 

2) Crank up the music for those summer drives. My picks: "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers and "Pontoon" by Little Big Town.

3) Three words: chocolate chip cookies. Check out my favorite recipe here. 

4) My big bag often becomes a Mary Poppins-esque pit o' junk. I love cleaning it out once in a while (oh! there's my phone...)

5) Whip up some ice coffee. Tip: I make it the night before and stick it in the fridge.

6) Haircut? I'm sure somewhere, somehow some scientist has proven that nixing split ends is proven to reduce stress levels... 

Have a refreshing rest of the week, everyone!

* Striped straw bag from Gap. 

* Roundup design by me (first one ever...but more to come!)

New York pizza

I love the West Coast, but the East Coast makes much better pizza...

I heard about Di Fara (this teensy pizza parlor on a corner in Brooklyn) a while ago, and now I’m determined to try it next time I’m in New York.

Di Fara owner Domenico DeMarco immigrated to New York from Italy in 1959 and has been tossing pies into the oven for about 50 years. His pizza’s bubbly thin crust, minimalistic toppings and $5-per-slice price tag epitomize good-old-fashioned pizza the way it was meant to be.

Shockingly, last year, the Health Department shut down Di Fara’s for multiple health code violations, but after pushback from devout fans and a major cleaning spree, the kitchen reopened for business. Waits can extend up to two hours out their door each day!

Aspiring videographer Margaret Emily MacKenzie created this insightful documentary called "The Best Thing I Ever Done" about DeMarco and his methodical pizza-making last year. It’s worth a watch.

Duty, Honor, Country

In celebration of Independence Day, I’m taking a look back at the veterans feature series I did while writing for The Torrington Telegram. The small town in Wyoming was filled with fascinating human interest stories, as every town across America is.

Over the months I lived there, I interviewed a handful of war veterans, from an Army Air Corp fighter pilot, to a Navy Seabee with endless stories, to a spunky former V.A. nurse.

I was honored each time they welcomed me into their homes to photograph them and hear their countless stories—many of which induced anger, tears and laughs as they reminisced of days at war. I’ll never forget those assignments and the common reason they all professed for serving their country: a resolute sense of duty.

You can view all of my photos from the Duty, Honor, Country series here.

Echoes: growing up

"The trick is growing up without growing old."

I love this simple quote by famed baseball mogul Casey Stengel. And that photo I took of my travel-buddy Lindsay in New Zealand makes me laugh. Growing up can be hectic, but I hope we never feel too old to play on the swings. 

Pesky peeves

There's this great scene from I Love Lucy in which the gang exposes each other’s annoying habits, like Lucy’s incessant coffee cup stirring.

Whether it’s gum-popping (guilty!) or incessant leg-twitching (like someone I know and love!), we all get annoyed and we all return the favor.

My pet peeves are when people cough without covering their mouths or walk too slowly in front of you or use the wrong form of “it’s” or “to” or “their” in writing (AGH!). But lately, I’ve realized my own bad habit is mooching on other people’s plates at the dinner table. I do this all the time. Sorry, guys...whatever you’re eating just looks so much better than what’s in front of me!

Guess it’s only human to have these little quirks. What are your pet peeves?

Farmers market dinner

On Friday night after work I drove to Heather's house, and we made dinner using a modge-podge of ingredients from her fridge. She chopped up kale, rhubarb, zucchini and bok choy from the farmers market into a stir fry and I made a cream sauce with ginger, garlic and tomatoes to top our butternut squash ravioli. 

For dessert, we whipped up a fruit crisp using over-ripe plums and apricots. We sipped vino, chatted about life and laughed at how much has changed (and hasn't!) since high school. It was the kind of wonderful summer evening and non-recipe meal that can't be replicated. 

Even Marco was smiling!