i picked these apricots off of our neighbor’s tree. I’ve been eating them by the handful over the past few week. Every time I walk past the bowl in the center of the kitchen, I grab 2 or 3. I was in such a zone eating them, I bit right into the pit of one. Yowzer! Apricot pits are hard. I suggest avoiding biting into one at all times.

some of my favorite things lately:

-apricots (of course)
-the new issue of Donna Hay (i always LOVE this magazine…maybe I’ll get a subscription for my b-day)
-black sesame pocky
-waking up with the brand new curtains in our bedroom
-walking past our dining room and catching a glimpse of our new dining room chairs
-the new shelf unit in my crafty room
-vanilla cola lip gloss from bigelow & benefit’s “hoola” blush
-cormeal pancakes from Main Street Cafe
-the feeling of being on a rollercoaster and hearing my husband scream like a kid
-holding hands with my 8 year old niece

so many things to do!!!!!!!! I can’t believe how many times i’ve cleaned up the kitchen in the past few days. It was like my cabinets projectile vomited on EVERY surface of my kitchen. Having 4th of July on a Wednesday really messed with me. It felt more like a Sunday… I got excited that I had my Sunday TV shows waiting for me on our DVR—- BUT NO! It’s just another WEDNESDAY!…and YES, you have to wake up early for work. Not fair.

Over the past few days:

-found dining room chairs for dining room (silver-leafed just like the ceiling!)
-new custom curtains in our bedroom sewn & installed (a BIG thank you to my mother-in-law!)
-hung out with neighbors & ate leftovers

Things are coming along…now we just need to figure out this air conditioning thing. Having people over when it’s 100 degrees just doesn’t fly.

magnolia cookbook recipes:

vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream /chocolate ones too! (frosting was amazing)

banana pudding (very tasty, i have tons leftover since i tripled the recipe!)

this weekend marked the last weekend that we will be spending at Casey’s brother & sister-in-law’s house.

things i will never forget about this house:

-all the times we spent out in the backyard by the pool
-listening to classic rock on the hello-kitty boombox
-watching Emma & Spencer dive off the diving board for the first time!
-watching Casey & his brothers come up with new ways to throw a ball & have someone catch it off the diving board
-blown up barbie heads in the backyard
-lighting our first fire outside
-that night we went to the french laundry & hopped right into the pool without clothes on
-playing catch in the front yard
-the wonderful feeling of being relaxed after spending all weekend in the sun
-the ice cream man…choco taco…watermelon schnapps!
-spencer the master of smores!
-that creepy neighbor & the *damnit-amber* neighbor!
-all the food we ate & the wine we drank….

the good times…the bad times…this house sure did have mojo! you will be missed, dear napa house.

Spending nights outside with my neighbors triggers memories of my childhood. Those nights when it’s almost 9pm and the sky is still bright….playing around the front yard with frisbees (the one i played with got run over by a car!). And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the ice cream man drove by.

I’ve come to the conclusion that eating is so much better when done outside. We moved into our house almost a year ago (july 4th will be our move-in anniversary). For the first three months, we did not eat a single meal inside. Casey says the food I make for us is always better during the summer. I think it’s just cuz we get to eat it outside! Now that the weather is warmer, breakfast/lunch/dinner will be eaten on the patio. Food just tastes better that way!

Fathers Day Dinner included:

-cheese plate (with marcona almonds)
-tomato/mozzarella/crusty bread with olive oil topped with homemade pesto
-middle eastern inspired ground lamb kebabs
-salad with tomatoes, red onion, italian parsley, feta & cucumber with a lemon oregano dressing
-crispy lavash bread
-vanilla roasted apricots mixed with strawberries, mangoes and cherries on top of a dollop of honey lemon ricotta & marscapone cheese mixture
-4 bottles of red wine!
-vegan food for my brother (indian rice with vegan burger & vegan chocolate pudding)
-laughter, sillyness, and fun moments. Happy Father’s Day Dad!

The Weekend:

-shopping for gifts at Bath and Body Works (i love these!)
-drinks with neighbors/made a potato salad with cilantro & grilled chicken (vinegar based)/drinks with other neighbors
-speaker installed in ceiling of kitchen
-wallmounted touch panel installed in wall of kitchen (means I can listen to music while cooking & cleaning up what a cook! yay!)
-dinner to celebrate a friends birthday at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse (bloody $50 bill fight in the front-don’t ask)
-ice cream at Mitchells (chocolate caramel crackle with another scoop of strawberry) Husband god Toasted Almond & Mexican chocolate.
-grocery shopping at Whole Paycheck…err… I mean Whole Foods
-house cleaning & gardening for parents arrival
-father’s day dinner
-hanging out with neighbors- another neighbor brought over yummy bread pudding with a lemon rum glaze.

i have to stop eating. time to catch up on Big Love & Entourage.