Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Joy Cho, from Oh Joy! I read her blog every day and I am blown away by her creativity and talent. Not surprisingly, she was warm, kind, and damn right cute! Her blog represents her perfectly.
Joy was hosting an event at the Seattle [Downtown] Anthropologie to celebrate the opening of their one and only, brick-and-mortar Petites Shop. Petite sections are usually miniscule. Anthropologie went all out. Jeans, dresses, tops, jackets! The choices are endless. [This girl has found her home away from home!] Champagne cocktails, shopping, and treats from Ballard’s Hot Cakes made for a great night out.
PS. Petite girls can rule the world!
I didn’t pack along my big girl camera, so the three images above were snapped with my iPhone. The beautiful images below were taken by Phil Chester Photography.
It has been so great to be able to share my weekly dinner plans with you! The feedback I have received has been so postitive! We are all so, so busy and having a plan for dinner makes it easier to eat well and stay sane! Last week was unusual. The amazing weather kept us busy [in a GREAT way!] all weekend, so I fell short on making my own plan for the week. With out-of-the-ordinary sunshine, multiple evening events, practice schedules, and my husband out of town on business….I barely pieced together our meals. So, I decided to share recipes that were reader favorites and one of my own. [I have had kale, avocado & egg toast multiple times since posting about it!]
Have a great week! If you haven’t tried these recipes they are all delicious and worth putting on your menu.
Oh yes! They are completely crazy, but they are mine. They made me a mom. Nothing has been the same since I held my little men in my arms. Instant love. Nothing has ever made me so happy. I know you feel the same.
My hope is that you are celebrated in every way this weekend! Celebrated for making lunches, signing permission slips, reading books at bedtime, planning birthday parties, playing chauffeur, doing the laundry, finding a lost toy, calling the furnace repairman, going on field trips, cheering at games, working extremely hard at your “other” job in the outside world, burning the candle on both ends, worrying you are doing right. Celebrated for being kind, graceful, loving, loyal, committed, fierce, beautiful and real. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! xoxo {P.S. I love you Mom!}
And the text from my very first blog post in 2009. I was just a mom trying to survive. And so [Where is June?] was born.
Ever think you are the only one?
Why blog? Because the cool kids do it? No, I want to write as a form of free therapy! Often times at the end of the day, I wonder if I am the only one that needed to send a child to his room 8 times for not listening and talking back. Or if any other mother had to add a lock to the door into the garage so that her toddler wouldn’t sneak out to sit in “daddy’s car”! Or if am the ONLY ONE who feels like the hostess, waitress, cook, bus boy, and the dishwasher. And no one ever seems to leave a tip!
If you would like to “listen” in….I am happy to share! Any advice? I would be happy to take it!
Many of you saw these pictures posted on Facebook earlier this week and I wanted to give you all the back story. I am passionately working to launch [Where is June?] in an all new space, with a brand new look. Part of my vision was to have a few professional pictures on the blog. Pictures that reflect who I am and my love of life. The self-portraits with my iPhone weren’t working for me anymore. I asked Elise Liptack {elisemariephotos.com} to take the photographs, but I honestly had no idea how amazing the entire experience would be for me.
First of all-I love clothes, shoes and accessories. Elise suggested I bring more than I would need and I went for it. Choosing my favorite pieces from my closet, I tried many combinations until I found four outfits I loved. I placed them all on my bed with shoes and jewelry…it truly was like playing dress up!
The session started at Swink Style Bar in downtown Seattle. Isabella worked some serious magic with my makeup. I asked for her to keep it natural. The shading, lashes, and overall glow was just what I wanted! I am a naturally curly girl. Knowing that I wanted my hair down, I requested that Isabella just polish up my curls. Seriously, my hair has never looked that good. My Tuesday was off to a great start!
Elise took pictures for over an hour, but it felt like a matter of minutes. She made me feel comfortable and beautiful right away. After the first few shots, I instantly felt more alive. Witnessing her creativity and the love of her craft was inspiring. She gave me a sneak peek of a few pictures on her LCD screen. I was overwhelmed with appreciation for the time I had with her.
I honestly believe that everyone woman should do this for herself. It was the most affirming and lovely morning I have had in a long, long time. If you are like me, every time you see a snap shot of yourself all you do is find all the things wrong with how you look. Now is the time for you to see the beautiful woman everyone else sees when they look at you. While I realize most of you will not plan an individual photo shoot, consider some alternatives. The next time you have family pictures taken, have your hair and make up done and ask for a few shots by yourself. Or ask a trusted friend, who is great with a camera, to take photographs of you. I know you will not regret it. At least promise you will think about it.
{I was moved by the outpouring of kindness from my family, friends, and even strangers. Thank you to all who sent me an email, a text, or commented and liked the sneak peek that Elise posted. xoxo}
I have posted about these nachos before and I stand firm. Hands down, these are my all-time favorite!
They are a breeze to make [ready in less than 20 minutes] and a family favorite. Last night I didn’t have sour cream on hand, so I simply topped with Wholly Guacamole and it was perfect. A plate of these and a mid-week margarita. Dinner is served!
I splurged for a manicure yesterday. A picture from Pinterest was my inspiration. However mynail beds proved to be very short. [That is a really nice way of saying I have stubby fingers.] The ombre glitter look just wasn’t working. So, through collaboration with themanicurist we decided upon a nude color (OPI/Bubble Bath) and gold sparkle tips. The Art Club nail brush was extremely fine. It seemed easy enough to paint a very thin line just on the tips. I am loving my spring inspired nude + gold manicure. Hoping it lasts for more than a day.
Summer is so near you can almost taste it! With summer brings long, hot days of sipping many [and in some cases, one TOO many] cocktails. A friend of mine recently shared with me a fool proof hangover cure. {She is a pharmacist- so I am fully trusting her on this one!}
Take these three things before you go to sleep: 1. Tall glass of water 2. 1000mcg of vitamin B12 3. Advil/ibuprofen {Never Tylenol!}
She kindly answered a few questions I had about the remedy:
Why take vitamin B12? Alcohol can deplete your b vitamins which are known as your “stress” vitamins. Why take Advil instead of Tylenol? Alcohol is processed by the liver, as is Tylenol. Advil (ibuprofen) is processed by the kidneys. You never want to make your liver work too hard, so the more alcohol you drink, the worse the interaction. How much Advil should a person take? The amount of ibuprofen is really individualistic as each person responds differently. If 2 Advil alleviate your pain normally, than 2 would work in this instance. You never want to take more than 4, as it can hurt your kidneys.
Oh, the weather outside is LOVELY…but we all still need to eat. This is when a plan for the week is crucial. No one wants to think about what to make for dinner when the sun is shining! No need to think, just find a meal from our week’s worth of meals. You are bound to find at least one. [I highly recommend the kale, egg, & avocado toast. delicious!]
The flavors of this slow-cooker beef was great. However, the recipe calls for 4 hours on low. When using chuck roast, you will need to cook it more like 7 hours on low for the beef to be tender. But since it is in the slow cooker it is no big deal. We had this on a baseball night. We arrived home after the game and dinner was ready!
I followed the directions for skillet cornbread on the packaging and it turned out perfect. [A tablespoon of butter in the hot pan may have had something to do with it.] I have used the chili mix many times before. It is ready in 25 minutes. You simply add water and tomato paste.
PS. We had takeout for meal 5. I live in the real world too!
{Photo credit: 1. Randy Mayor 2. Kate Sears 3. love & lemons}
photo challenge: 4.0/happiness Happiness is spending the day with this little guy. He he was hit by a stomach bug on Wednesday night, but thankfully bounced back in record time. No school- meant the whole day together. “Just like old times.” So glad he was feeling good enough to hit the park. I have missed being at the park mid-day. next week: shoes
The weather is supposed to remain amazing all weekend. I don’t know about you, but I will be chasing the sun until it sets each evening!
Monkey bread could be the best food on earth. No joke. What could be better than ooey gooey cinnamon bread straight out of the oven? That’s right, nothing!
Since I could eat the whole bundt pan on my own, I have deemed it a “special occasion” only food. Mother’s Day is right around the corner and this would be perfect if you are hosting brunch for a crowd or cuddling in bed with your kids. You do the prep work the night before and simply enjoy the goodness in the morning. {You could even hand the recipe to your husband and have him make it with the kids!}
Ingredients:
20-30 Frozen Rhodes Classic Dinner Rolls {Found in the frozen section of the supermarket.}
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butterscotch pudding mix (dry)
2 Tbls. Cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (1stick) melted
1. Grease bundt pan and add frozen rolls. Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over rolls. Pour melted butter over the top.
2. Cover with a damp cloth and turn out the lights!
3. The rolls will rise over night.
4. Bake 350 for 25-30 min. Let cool for 5 minutes, then turn the bread onto a large serving plate.
