One year anniversary!

This blog has officially been alive for one whole year. Thank you so much for visiting me in this space, sharing your reactions to my posts and cheering me on when I was feeling down. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me. What began with a few readers (my husband, sisters, and one or two friends) has now turned into a thriving little community that keeps me constantly energized and humming about what I want to talk about next. 

If you were here in real life, I'd make you a chocolate cupcake, or some lemon pound cake with chocolate sprinkles, or a cup of earl grey. 

Or perhaps just a big hug. 

Either way, I'm loving you guys today. And I'm excited to see what this year holds for all of us. Thank you again for reading, listening, and commenting.

dervla

P.S. Happy first day of spring! The sky this morning was all fluffy clouds and blue. 

All things feel possible at the beginning of a new season.

Much improved, or something like that

This is shaping up to be a better week, you guys. It really is. Perhaps it's that the evenings are brighter and my walks home are becoming more leisurely or perhaps it's because I've developed a slight obsession with Homeland and can't stop watching it. But whatever it is, things feel smoother, easier, lighter.

Interior design

This totally white Swedish home on 79 Ideas is a soothing sight for my sore eyes. And my sore eyes want to see more.

The Visual Vamp always makes me think. And this post on 27 interior designers personal homes put together by Architectural Digest was really interesting. Nate Berkus's home was the one for me.

Oh my god, these Easter egg terrariums from Brittany at The House that Lars Built are seriously amazing. I'm gazing at them in awe.

Have you guys seen Bri Emery of DesignLoveFest fame's fabulous new living room designed by Emily Henderson? It's so colorful and chic, and the cutest thing of all is that Emily designed it in return for Bri's help with her site. It was published in the LA Times last weekend. And while you're hanging out with Emily, hop on to this post about her beautiful bedroom.


Oh, and tomorrow is the first day of spring AND it's my 1 year blog anniversary! Can you believe it?

Time flies.

Hard week

It's been a super hard week in my world. I don't know about you, but I started off on a tired foot with the time change and then the week went downhill from there. A combination of stress at work and home, and I'm left feeling like a hollowed out shell. I'm ready to let the weekend fill me up again.

Oh, and happy St. Patrick's day on Sunday! I'll be celebrating in the company of good friends and reveling in the blooming hyacinths on my windowsill. That will hopefully put me on the right track again for next week.

Food

Ez at Creature Comforts is in the middle of a giant cross-country move (and possible lost furniture!) but still found the time to share a recipe for strawberry cheesecake with ginger snap pecan crust.

How about some sweet potato fries with rosemary and garlic from Alli at Hooray?

Here's another delicious looking pound cake, this time with grapefruit and thyme, from Adrianna at A Cozy Kitchen.

Interior design

Anna at Door Sixteen has redone her kitchen and I'm loving her new shelving.

Kirsten at 6th Street Design School shares the home of one of her favorite blogger friends (Kristen F. Davis) and I'm totally inspired by her colorful chevron shelving and creative use of space.

I haven't been to Paris since my early 20s and I'm itching for a return visit. Alice at Lingered Upon isn't making it any easier with her gorgeous post on her February visit to Paris. The light!

Fashion/style

Need flats for spring? I'm trying not to buy any, but I'm feeling tempted by this guide to colorful spring flats from The Glitter Guide.


And finally, just the video you need to start the weekend: check out this amazing footage of a giant flock of birds swirling found via Black Eiffel.

Here's to finding some beauty and peace this weekend. It's the only thing keeping me going.

A country weekend

Did you have a great weekend? I think I said on Friday that I was hoping this would be the last truly cold weekend, but it felt like the first warm one! We were in Pennsylvania visiting my family so I got lots of outdoor time.

Oh, and there was a visit to an alpaca farm! Just look at those faces. I might have to do a whole 'nother post dedicated to them.

Food

I'm all about meals with very few ingredients these days. Things you can just slap together but still pack a taste punch. So, I'm coveting this avocado, pea, and wasabi sandwich from The Little Things.

And this spicy citrus glazed shrimp from Passports and Pancakes has only five ingredients!!

Fashion/style

Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper spent an afternoon at the water's edge in Brooklyn and if I could half as stylish as her, I'd be happy. Those yellow pants!

Win $150 to spend at cute children's clothing shop, Olive Juice Kids from Design Mom.

Ok, I promise I'm not featuring this book because it was published by my workplace, but because it's totally awesome! Amy Azzarito has come out with Past & Present, based on her Design Sponge column that celebrates the history of the arts. You can stream her interview with Grace Bonney.

Thanks to Miss Moss I discovered the new National Geographic tumblr Found. Kind of excited to comb through the archives of photographs, some that have never been published before. You can even buy the photographs as prints to frame for your own home.


We're back in New York now, and what could be better than that? This sight takes my breath away every time we drive back in.

See you on Wednesday!

PS: this post should have been done an hour ago, but I keep getting distracted by JT on SNL. Gahhhh, hilarious.

PPS: I haven't watched The Bachelor yet. Don't give it away! Pretty please.

Is spring coming?

Snow was supposed to be falling thickly by now, but we seem to have been granted a reprieve. All we had by this evening was a sludgy rain. Is spring coming? 

Interior design

Centsational Girl has inspired me to think about starting a collection of similarly colored items with her gorgeous living room. Her post also contains a creative use for a table runner!

Feeling gloomy in these last few winter days? Ashley at Decorology has gathered some lovely, colorful spring-y images to inspire you.

Emily Henderson is doing a One Kings Lane sale and she gave us a sneak peek today. I'm coveting the cute brass animals for my bookshelves.

Swedish dream home via Maia at Conundrum. Ooooh, the midcentury details.

Food 

Heidi of 101 Cookbooks has a delectable looking recipe for chocolate pudding with whipped cream that I'm really feeling tonight.

Tequila + steak? I think I need this in my life. Recipe from The Boys Club.

I love sriracha sauce, don't you? Check out this sriracha fried rice with edamame and pineapple recipe from Passports and Pancakes. I'd top it with shrimp as they suggest.

Ahhh! Rainbow bright cupcakes from Bakerella! That's all I need to say, really.

I come back over and over to Bea at La Tartine Gourmande. Her dreamy, light-filled photographs just get me, every time.


Happy weekend, hope this is one of the last truly cold ones.

Soon

That's the East River above, a place we frequent on the weekends. In the coming weeks and months, it will completely change from this blustery, frigid landscape to a tree lined boulevard fragrant with the heavy river scent and the blossoms of the nearby park. Soon. SOON.

It seems impossible, improbable sometimes, this strange and cool life we live.

Interior design

Did you know that Jonathan Adler is doing a line with JCPenney? It's true. Jessica at How About Orange told me so!

I'm still trying to decide what art to put on my wall and perhaps making a print of my favorite instagram shots on wood with the awesome art service InstaThis would be the way to go?

JCrew + interior design? Could there be a better combo? Erin Gates at Elements of Style did a really fun mashup of beautiful rooms and picks from the new JCrew spring lineup.

Food

Fish sauce. I have to get my hands on some. And now Diane and Todd of White on Rice tell me that it works on brussels sprouts too? I'm sold.

Another wonderful use for cauliflower in this yellow lentil cauliflower curry from A Pinch of Yum. Wonder how it would look with the glorious green cauliflower I've got hanging out in my fridge?

Check out these pretty lemon rosemary scones from The Pioneer Woman. At first, I was getting all stressed because I don't have a triangle scone cutter but then I saw that Ree suggests using a pizza cutter to just cut out the triangles...how cool is that?

Fish tacos are amazing little beasts - and these Mumbai fish fry tacos from Cook Republic sound like a different take on one of my favorite meals.

Happy weekend and the High Line

I hope you have a great weekend planned. My goal each weekend is to do something I've never done before. Two weeks ago I got to visit Chelsea Market (NYC's version of a gourmet food court) and walk the High Line (a disused railway line elevated over the west side of Manhattan). It was blustery, cold, and utterly wonderful. I hope you get to go there someday.

Have a great weekend!