aftermath

(top photo by the boy. bottom photo by me.)

Ice storms can be scary, messy things, but the aftermath is something entirely different. My ride in to work the past two mornings has been stunning. Every branch and twig is covered in a layer of ice, and when the sun shines... oh. All the forests have become silver and magical. I wished that my rides were taking me someplace different, where I could walk in the woods and listen to the trees bend inside their casings. All this may sound silly and overly poetic, but it's nice to find something beautiful and exciting about this time of year, when winter is wearing thin.

So here we are at Friday, and these are the things I'm thinking about.

The two new albums I just bought on vinyl. So excited to give them both a listen.

These pictures have me dreaming of far off places and dream vacations.

I have almonds soaking in the kitchen so that tomorrow I can make homemade almond milk for the first time. Since I've been trying lately to go mostly-kinda-sometimes-almost-vegan, almond milk is my favorite thing to put in tea. Here's hoping the homemade version tastes good too.

I really like this dress.

The cookbook I just added to my collection is full of delicious recipes and I can't wait to try them.

The big question of the night in our house is what sort of weather tomorrow will bring. Snow? A wintry mix? More ice? We shall see.

Happy weekend!

daily food

Breakfast today...

film

I've had a bunch of film developed lately. Mostly the pictures are from the winter months, but before we got all these crazy snowstorms. We're due for another round tonight, and then ice tomorrow. Sheesh! It's funny to see these photos and remember what the ground looks like.

monday music: fleet foxes

With the title track from Fleet Foxes new album available to listen to, is there really anything else I could post about this Monday? I think not. I so closely associate Fleet Foxes' soaring harmonies with warm days, picnics, and sunshine that it's the perfect thing to see me through this last day of January. This song made me happy and I hope it does the same for you.

eat. your. greens.

Do you crave bright green in the dead of winter? Lately it's all I can think of. Rather than getting my greens in boring old salads, I much prefer to hide them in smoothies. Spinach is my favorite since the mild flavor blends especially well with fruit. I love starting my morning with a glass full of green.

Yes, I realize it looks like something out of a swamp monster movie, but it tastes delicious. Here's my recipe of choice at the moment.

Spinach (I use roughly 2 cups)

1 Banana

1 TBS ground flax seed

Frozen strawberries

Frozen raspberries

Almond milk (I don't use a precise measurement, just use a bit at a time until the consistency is right.)

Combine in blender and enjoy!

Sadly, my stash of strawberries from the summer is all used up as of this morning, but there are so many other combos to try! Some of my fast favorites included blueberries and melons. For more ideas check out this site.

monday music (on a tuesday): hercules and love affair

I'm running a bit late with the music post, but I thought I'd go ahead and share this one instead of waiting until next week. The new album from Hercules & Love Affair is being streamed HERE and I've been having a blast listening to it. "Blue Songs" is an awesome blend of disco infused beats with a whole lot of soul thrown in. Fun, funky and undeniably danceable, I highly recommend giving it a listen. I'm finding it a lovely way of distracting myself from the latest snow storm!

snowbound

(Check out our monster icicle!)

This morning we awoke to yet more snow. Light and fluffy stuff this time, but when I tried to go to work the roads were filled with so much slush that I had to turn around and come home. So I found myself snowbound... again. I'm started to feel a bit cooped up, spending all my days indoors. It's far too cold to actually enjoy being outside, but I miss the fresh air. I'm pouring over seed catalogs and dreaming of warm places. Yes, it's that time of year. Winter has started to grow old.

Here are some things that brightened my day.

These pictures made me want to run to the nearest greenhouse and buy a bouquet of freesia.

This show is keeping me entertained.

I am hoping that someday I'll be able to crochet this blanket.

Today's tea of choice.

These pictures remind me of how much I want to visit New Zealand (via Gala Darling).

Happy weekend!