April Showers Bring... A Surprise!

This was our last weekend out of too many in a row that was booked with some big plans - which included back-to-back showers on Saturday. Why have just one, when you can have several?

I started out by hosting a French-themed brunch baby shower for Stephanie on Saturday morning. Aileen and Molly helped put together a lovely event that came together so simply and easily - I fully recommend having brunch for any shower, because the food is easy to make in advance, allows for a great combination of sweet and savory, and... who doesn't love mimosas??

Aileen made an adorable banner, and Molly brought beautiful bunches of hydrangeas to set out around the living room and kitchen. Along with a huge spread of food and a mimosa bar with various flavors of juice, we had the doors and windows open for some fresh air, and Aileen made delicious Macaron favors. It was perfect.

It was fun to see the girls from our book club, and also get a chance to meet some of Stephanie's older friends: she had several come from Northern Virginia that she has known since high school! So sweet. We spent the morning talking, eating, and oohing and awwing over adorable baby clothes and gifts. Tiny outfits are the best!

After the party, I had just enough time to get the house cleaned up and semi-back together and hang out with C for a few before heading up the road to Woodbridge: it was time for Brittany's bridal shower! Her mom put together a beautiful shower with friends and neighbors old and new, and we got another chance to celebrate Brittany's upcoming wedding.

Unfortunately, my phone was dead and I completely forgot that I had my real camera with me, so I didn't manage to get many pictures. Bummer! At least I was busy being "in the moment," right? Hard to believe that the next big event will be the wedding! It'll be here before we know it.

While that probably would have been enough excitement for one weekend, what's a little more? April showers bring... May flowers a big surprise! I've been saying for weeks now that I just needed to get through this weekend, and then C & I could have some down time and wait for our niece to be born. This was the last weekend with things we had to do, and then I intentionally left several weekends in a row of no plans, so that we could be available whenever the baby decided to come.

Well, she apparently took my advice to heart, because I woke up Sunday morning to some unexpected news: it was baby day! Baby Girl waited exactly as long as I wanted her to, and not one day more. She made her grand debut on Sunday night, and the whole family is just over the moon about it. She is such a precious little pumpkin! I can't wait to dress her in pink and sparkles and do every girly thing there is with her - she is already so loved! And I am thrilled to have several weekends coming up with no plans so that we can snuggle and adore her. Funny how that worked out!

Easter Monday

Another Monday, another busy weekend in the books! My day is jam-packed with meetings and things to do, or else I probably would have stayed home and teleworked today. The parking lot at the train station was empty this morning - pretty sure a lot of my fellow commuters had the same idea I did, and actually followed through. Lucky them!

I can't complain much, though, because I took the day off on Friday. It was a much-needed mental health day! I wandered around Target for a while, took over an hour to grocery shop, had Chipotle for lunch, and got my hair cut and highlighted. It was just what the doctor ordered! A welcome day of respite in between lots of weekends of plans.

Speaking of weekend plans, we were out of town again this weekend. On Saturday morning, C and I packed up and headed down to Fayetteville for a fun event: a surprise 30th birthday party for my friend, Ashley! I hadn't seen Ashley in almost two years (oh my god, how time flies) so I was glad we were able to get down to North Carolina for this milestone. Her husband has been planning it for weeks, and it turned out great. Plus, her two adorable little boys were dressed in tuxes, and more than happy to just some moves on the dance floor. Not sure I've ever seen anything cuter!

PS - this was my first ever Rent the Runway experience! Verdict: I liked it, but didn't love it. Or maybe I just didn't love the dress, and that was my own fault. It was pretty, but I picked a cut that doesn't always flatter my body-type. As far as the service goes, my dress was promised to be delivered by Friday evening, and I had it in my hands Thursday afternoon. I ordered a back-up size for free, and I was really glad, because I was much more comfortable in the larger size due to the cut and the cloth. I do think I would try it again, for a special occasion! 

Sunday morning, C and I had breakfast at Cracker Barrel (hash brown casserole? Yes, please!) before heading home. We had big evening plans: making Easter dinner! We cooked our very first ham (not very complicated, as it turns out) and I made an amazing potato casserole (The Pioneer Woman does it again). We ate until we were stuffed to the gills. Delicious!

It was a beautiful day, and I loved seeing all the pictures on Facebook and Instagram of everyone's kiddos in their best spring clothes. So sweet! Is there anything better than babies in bonnets? Probably not. 

Britt's Bachelorette Bash

I spent Saturday and Sunday in Philadelphia, bachelorette-partying in the City of Brotherly Love - what a whirlwind! I headed up bright and early on Saturday morning to meet Brittany and the rest of the girls in Philly. I had to work all day on Friday and got home late, so opted against driving all the way up in the dark by myself... it turned out much better to rest on Friday night and join the shenanigans on Saturday!

Not many pictures to share, because what happens at the Bachelorette Bash, stays at the Bachelorette Bash.... but it was wonderful to spend some time with my friend, meet some of her other friends, and traipse all over the city in the name of celebrating Britt's upcoming nuptials!

We had brunch at Moshulu (complete with bottomless bellinis and mimosas - what a way to start the day!!), climbed the Rocky steps, saw the LOVE sign, and had a beer at McGillin's (Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern, serving beer since 1860!). We continued the festivities waaaayyyy past my bedtime (well into Sunday morning) and I definitely woke up hurting. This old girl just doesn't live like that anymore!

Fun fact: Brittany and I have been friends since I was in fifth grade, when she and her family moved onto my street and we immediately bonded. I find it very hard to believe that was over 20 years ago! I know I talked about this last week, but I feel so lucky to have such steadfast girlfriends in my life. Multiple friends that I've had for multiple decades?! That is seriously a crazy thing. I was honored to have Britt stand by my side when I got married, and I am equally honored to stand by her side when she says, "I do!" in May. Yay!

Throwback Thursday Tuesday: when we were young and tan
and marriage was a million years away.

A brunette, a blonde, and a redhead walk into a winery...

...sounds like the beginning to a great story, right?? Well, it was certainly the beginning of a great weekend!

Two of my oldest friends came to Fredericksburg this weekend for a much-needed visit, and we had so much fun. The three of us have been making a pointed effort to schedule some time to get together, and we've had three "girls' weekends" now in the last two years or so. It is so worth the effort to get some quality time with old friends!

It was my turn to host the fun this time around, so I decided to take full advantage of the amazing weather on Saturday and take the girls out to Old House Vineyards, a local favorite here at Typically Late! There was a chili cookoff taking place at the winery on Saturday, but we weren't sure what that was going to be like, so I packed up a bag of snacks just in case and we hit the road. When we got to Old House, we started with a tasting, and then picked a bottle to take outside and share. 

We found a great table on the patio right in the sun, and spent all afternoon talking and catching up. I was glad that I'd packed the picnic, because while the chili looked yummy, we opted for grazing over veggies, fruit, hummus, cheese, and crackers, instead. It was absolutely gorgeous out, with full sun and a light breeze, and all three of us were perfectly content to soak up some sun and some gossip. It is such a sweet thing to have friends that you can not see for months, and then pick up right where you left off when you do get together. I couldn't have asked for a nicer afternoon.

We headed back to my house to freshen up, and then headed to downtown Fredericksburg for dinner at a new-to-me restaurant: Kybecca! I've heard lots of great things about this restaurant and wine bar, but we've never been there for more than a drink. I thought it would be a fun place to have dinner - and I was right!

We started with a round of craft cocktails and a few appetizers (I will never pass up fried Brussels sprouts). I went with the "Bello Sanguiello," which their menu describes as "house chocolate vodka and chocolate bitters, shaken with blood orange ice." It was so different and so delicious - it tasted just like a chocolate orange, like you get at Christmas. One was definitely enough though!

We enjoyed a leisurely dinner, which is such a rare thing these days. We sat at the restaurant for over two hours, sharing a bottle of wine and eating delicious food. Personally, there is nothing better! For my dinner entree, I chose shrimp and grits, which was a little risky for me because I don't always like grits (they have to be super well-cooked or else they are too mushy and weird!), but it turned out to be a great decision. The cheddar grits were fluffy and flavorful, the shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the addition of andouille sausage and bell pepper were excellent accouterments. I was so happy!

After dinner, we returned to the house for more wine and a rousing game of "Heads Up," which is an iPhone app I'd never heard of before... hilarious! Check it out if you've been living under a rock, like me. We stayed up far later than I'm used to these days (hello, 10 PM bedtime - can't remember the last time I've seen 1 AM voluntarily!) but it was well-worth the lost sleep. Sunday morning came with blueberry muffins, coffee, and Food Network, before the girls hit the road. We passed around hugs and talked about what to do next time - we are already thinking about the next place to visit! We've done each of our hometowns... might be time to plan a new destination!

I have said this before and I will say it again: I consider myself really lucky to have made (and kept!!) such great friends. While we don't see each other all that often, I know that they are no more than a text or call away, and that we will continue to carve time out of our busy lives for each other. It makes my heart happy to get to connect with girls who just "get" me, regardless of how many years go by or how old we get. Sappy but true! Make new friends, but keep the old. They are a treasure!

wine and cheese, if you please!

Yesterday afternoon, I finally did something that I've been wanting to do since we moved into our new house over a year ago: hosted a small, casual get-together with some girlfriends, which I hope to make into an annual tradition. Wahoo! Can't be a tradition unless you start the first time, right?

I invited the girls from my book club, plus a few other friends, to come over to the house, and I planned a "wine and cheese" party - a little fancier than normal, but still casual, if you know what I mean. I picked out some interesting cheeses at Wegmans, made a few accompanying snacks, and selected a variety of red and white wines. Something for everyone!

Everything went according to plan, but not without something silly happening: about an hour and a half before the start time, I suddenly found myself panicking. Not because the house wasn't clean or the food wasn't ready - but because I was struck by an overwhelming sense of nervousness that no one would show up, and I'd be left looking silly with a table full of cheese and unopened bottles of wine. Almost 28 years old, and still worried that no one will come to my party. At what point in time do I grow out of that?! Hashtag totally self conscious. Womp, womp. Luckily, C reassured me that he would attend my party if no one else did - isn't that what great husbands are for??

In the end, I didn't have quite the attendance I was hoping for, but it was still a lovely, intimate afternoon with some sweet friends. We tried new wine, new cheese, and new flavor pairings (honey & Gorgonzola on garlic crostini? Surprisingly good!) and talked for several hours. It was such a nice way to spend a Sunday! I am looking forward to recreating the event in the near future... the best reason for a get-together is no reason at all, right?

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, I started the morning with a run along the Rappahannock River - talk about a gorgeous morning! I always forget that there is a lovely, paved bike / jogging path that winds right along the river, and I rediscovered it yesterday. I can't wait to go back!

 

I don't always love Virginia, but sometimes it just takes my breath away. Views like this are one reason I know that I could never be a city girl - I just couldn't go very long without having nature at my finger tips. I don't like bugs and dirt, and I'll be the first to tell you that, but I sure like being able to see things like this on a random Sunday morning. Incredible!

A busy weekend left us all tired-er than usual last night... especially Mr. Toby, who wore himself out completely being as cute as possible for the girls (and trying to eat all the cheese... what a pest!) Had to laugh when I found him curled up like this last night - he was exhausted! I feel ya, buddy, I feel ya!

So tell me...

• What was the best part of your weekend?
• When was the last time you had a get-together for no occasion?
• What's your favorite thing about the area you live in (like your exact neighborhood or town, I mean?)

wonderful weekend

Our first "no plans" weekend in a long time turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. C told me several times yesterday that this weekend was the most fun one he's had in a while... and that's saying a lot, because we've been doing a lot of fun things! Just goes to show that sometimes downtime is crucial.

We kicked off the weekend with dinner and a concert - totally low-key style. As I mentioned, we got tickets to go see Dierks Bentley with some of my book club girlfriends & their significant others. We started out by meeting everyone for dinner at Chipotle, and hung out for a while debating the merits of getting to the venue in time to see the opening acts. In the end, we just meandered our way over, and got there right before Dierks started. No one minded!

We had a great time, and we were back home by 10:30. How's that for a rowdy Friday night??

On Saturday, we had Stephanie and her husband over for an impromptu football-watching party... and unfortunately had to suffer through a VT loss. The guys cooked up some wings and cheese fries, though, and we picked up a Sam Adams fall sampler box, so at least the eats and drinks were good, though the game was not so much. 

We tried to use our Caps tradition to swing the game's momentum... no such luck.

After S & C left, we deemed nap time necessary, and snoozed for a while before hitting up the nearest Red Box for Spiderman 2 and pizza-making supplies. We were going to order pizza, but as we wandered around the grocery store, we realized that we really prefer making our own. So, personalized naan pizzas it was. Yum!

Look at these cuties who are finally starting to get along! #pileofkittens

Sunday morning called for a lazy breakfast. I pulled out the cast iron skillet and whipped up a new recipe from Iowa Girl Eats - it totally hit the spot!

C & I were brainstorming ways to remake this one, but change it up a bit next time. It's totally versatile and delicious. While C mowed the lawn, I got to work on a major house-cleaning session: from ceilings to baseboards and everything in between. It was a gorgeous day, and it felt so good to open the windows, get some fresh air in the house, and wipe away a season's worth of dust. Ick. Everything gets so polleny in the summer, there's no way to avoid it or ever truly keep it clean. The end-of-the-season wipe-down is critical. And refreshing!

I couldn't let the first truly fall-like day get away without a run, so I headed out for a few miles on a local trail while C pulled together a pot of chili for dinner.

I made the mistake of telling him that I didn't think it was spicy enough when I got home.... the final result had us both sweating! I have been looking forward to chili season for weeks, and I was so happy to have the first pot on the stove. It's been a long time coming!

Next weekend, I'll be getting ready for another business trip, so having some time to spend this way was wonderful. It felt like I recharged my batteries - no crazy to-do lists, no racing against the clock, just moving from one activity to the next whenever I felt like it. There is so much to be said for days like that!

And we allllll slept soundly last night. Hooray!

How was your weekend? How's the weather where you are? Did you do anything fun? Make it a great week!

The show must go on!

Wow. Monday blew past me and somehow it's Tuesday already! It's gonna be that kind of week, I have a feeling...

We had very little planned this weekend, and it was exactly what we needed. We were busy, but it was mostly playing catch-up with things that have needed to be done for a while. I grocery-shopped at Wegmans, went to the gym (twice!), returned library books, and even got several loads of laundry done. Nothing too exciting, but it was so nice to have a list of errands to run and not be trying to beat the clock the whole time. Anyone know what I mean?

Anyway. A few months ago, when I heard that Jennifer Nettles was playing in Richmond this summer, I immediately convinced C that we needed to attend the concert. After I bought tickets, I found out that my friend, Aileen, and her husband also had tickets! So we knew we needed to make a plan to get together before the show.

The show was Friday, and Aileen and C planned a great tailgate spread while I travelled the Midwest. Just as we were getting everything packed up on Friday, it occurred to me to check that tailgating was allowed since none of us had ever been to this venue… and wouldn’t you know, it’s not! (Whomp, whomp.)

We were determined not to let that little cloud rain on our parade, though – the show must go on! Luckily, we found a great park less than 10 minutes from RIR, and we set up our own pre-show party! We enjoyed a lovely dinner, grilling next to a pond, in a practically deserted park. It was probably the nicest, most low-key “tailgate” ever – and I loved it! It was just what I needed after getting home at 2 AM that day. We hung out and talked and relaxed before heading to the show. It was perfect!

Once we got to the concert, we had no trouble finding seats together – the venue was probably only 2/3 full! I thought for sure that Jennifer Nettles would be a sell-out show, but apparently she does not have as many fans in the area as I expected. (Although Aileen pointed out that maybe she just doesn’t have the name recognition as a solo act that she does with Sugarland – which is probably true.)

J.N. is down in that white blur somewhere... sorry!

The concert was fantastic, and C and I both had a great time. The set list was a mix of new, solo songs, Sugarland songs, and a few 70’s covers. Plus, Jennifer was just as entertaining and animated while performing as I remembered from the last time we saw her. I couldn’t have been happier!

J.N. and Brandy Clark (her opener), doing their duet - loved it!

Really, it was great timing for a concert - a fun event to close out a super busy (traveling) work week, and a fun event to kick off a low-key weekend. Friday-night concerts are not usually my thing, but this one was just perfect. Thanks for a great show, Jennifer Nettles!

So tell me...

• Do you tailgate for concerts? What would you have done if you already had your picnic packed and then found out you couldn't tailgate?
• What's the last concert you went to?
• What's fun for you this week?

A little wine, and I'm feelin' fine

On Saturday evening, we went out to one of our favorite local wineries, Old House Vineyards, for their Summer Sunsets concert series. C & I packed up a picnic and met our friends, Stephanie and Chris, out in Culpeper for an evening of live music, gorgeous views, and delicious wine. Could there be anything better? Methinks not.

I first learned about the Summer Sunsets concerts back in January when we went wine tasting at Old House for my birthday, and I'd made a mental note that it would be fun to attend. I'd only been to the winery in the winter, so hadn't had much of an opportunity to see the beautiful property. It was well worth the wait!

We brought a variety of snacks for dinner, and munched on guacamole, hummus, chicken salad, veggies, crackers, and the like while listening to a guy with a guitar serenade the crowd all evening. It has actually been decent weather around here lately (rather than sweltering hot and suffocatingly humid, per usual), and we were perfectly comfortable sitting outdoors for a few hours, watching the view change as the sun went down.

The event at Old House is free to the public (awesome), and most glasses of their wine were $5 for a very generous pour (more like 2 glasses, if you ask me!). It was a cheap date for sure (minus the bottles of wine we bought to bring home), and we had such a great time! There were a good number of people in attendance, and we saw everything from fancy picnics with gourmet food to families with little kids and buckets of fried chicken. We fit right in with our appetizer-dinner, and it was quick and easy to transport.

Our first official photo.. this makes us real-life friends now, and not blog-friends, right? :)

This was easily one of my favorite nights of this summer - there is nothing I like better than sitting around chatting with friends over food and drink, and when you add music to the mix, it's just about perfect. I am looking forward to the next time we get to visit Old House for Summer Sunsets - which I actually think will be next weekend! Because why not. Summer only lasts so long!

So tell me...

• Do you like to visit wineries? Do you have a favorite?
• What's your favorite low-key summer activity?
• Red or white wine? I generally lean towards red in the winter, and white in the summer.

Dijon Antipasto Pasta Salad

Our 4th of July weekend was perfect. Truly, it was! It was comprised of all my favorite things: friends, pool time, food, family, America, not working, Bloody Marys... shall I go on? It was such an epic weekend that it was the type that I probably needed another full weekend to recover - but, sadly, it was back to work for us yesterday. Womp, womp.

Nevertheless, I am still riding high on the fun and excitement that is had when our big group of college friends gets together and acts like we're 21 again. Sadly to say, our livers can't quite keep up the way they used to... but dangit if we don't try at least once a year! The fun started Thursday night when friends started arriving at our house, and didn't stop 'til Sunday afternoon when the last person walked out the door. We spent the actual 4th at my in-laws', playing cornhole and pool basketball and eating until we were all about to explode. There were some fireworks and some drinking games, and a fantastic time was had by all. So much so, in fact, that I only took two pictures the entire day!

Sure signs of an awesome holiday. A big plate full of my favorites, and an intense game of cornhole. Right?

Seeing as how I'm trying to keep the holiday spirit going, I thought I'd share a recipe that I've been meaning to post for ages. My mother-in-law makes the most delicious pasta salad for most family get-togethers, and I always look forward to eating it when we have a party!

I got her to share the recipe with me, and I whipped up a huge batch for the feast on Friday. It is really easy to make - mostly just chopping up ingredients and then mixing them together with the dressing. It is not a creamy pasta salad (which is something I generally don't enjoy), but instead features fresh veggies, salami, and sharp cheddar cheese, tossed together with a homemade Dijon vinaigrette. It is also, in my opinion, a proper proportion of pasta-to-everything-else: it's lots of other ingredients with a little pasta mixed in, so almost every bite features all the good stuff! This pasta salad is always a hit with the crowd, and I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as our family does!

Dijon Antipasto Pasta Salad
family recipe


Ingredients

Salad

• 8 oz uncooked rotini
• 2 cups broccoli, cut into very small pieces
• 4 oz cheddar cheese cubed (1 cup)
• 5 oz salami cut into strips (1 cup)
• 1⁄2 cup drained pepperoncini peppers, cut into small pieces
• 1⁄2 cup ripe olives 8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 to 2 tsp sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1⁄4 tsp salt

Directions

Cook rotini to desired doneness as directed on package, adding broccoli during last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool. In large bowl, combine cooked pasta, broccoli, and all remaining ingredients. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; blend well. Add to salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate before serving - best if made the night before and served cold.

hard days

This has not been an easy week.

On Tuesday afternoon, my maternal grandfather passed away. It was rather sudden - he got sick, was hospitalized, and was gone in a matter of days. I am so very thankful for the fact that my mom had already scheduled a Spring Break trip to visit them and was on her way to be there when everything started to happen. She was able to be there for my grandpa's last few days, and also to be with my grandma the whole time. The stars seriously, seriously aligned on this one - I really can't even explain. My grandparents live on the coast of Oregon in a location that is not exactly easily accessible, and coordinating a trip out of the blue would have been difficult. My mom literally already had the plane tickets in hand when she needed them. Incredible. It has been a very rough week for our family, and especially my mama. It deeply hurts my heart that I wasn't able to be there, and that I haven't been able to help her through this.

This past Wednesday was the 7th anniversary of the incident at Virginia Tech, and while you'd think that seven years passing is enough time to make it easier to get through, it's really actually not. I struggle every year to try to find the right words to say, and I'm not sure I've ever really been successful. All you got from me this year was radio silence - between Tuesday and Wednesday, there were simply no words in me. The hole in my heart from that day, while slowly getting smaller, will likely always remain.

The month of April kind of sucks.

On the bright side (because there always is one - without darkness there cannot be light, right?), this week has served as a reminder that there are so many people in my life and my family's lives who love us. The cup of love has been over-flowing - from people offering prayers and support, to others reaching out to let me know they are thinking of me, to sweet friends who provide me with distractions in a time when I desperately need them. As luck would have it, C was out of town this week for a business trip, and I found myself faced with a dauntingly large bowl of emotions by myself. He felt terrible for not being around, and I felt terrible for being alone. Like I said, not an easy week. But between friends and coworkers and FaceTime with my family, I really felt the love this week. Love is really all you need.

So, sadness aside, I thought I'd use this opportunity to share a quick Five for Friday, of the little things that have helped me get through this week. In a time of loss and pain, it's important to see the beauty in the small, everyday things, and to just appreciate life, and I have been trying hard to do just that.

1 // my kitty, of course. He's been glued to my side all week, as if he can just tell that I need a companion. I wish I could read his little cat mind sometimes. He has brought joy this week just by being in the house with me (#crazycatladystatus)

2 // gelato. Stephanie was sweet enough to go out to dinner with me on Wednesday night, and we treated ourselves to both wine and dessert - because some days just call for both. Stephanie is a fellow Hokie, and her husband had some obligations Wednesday evening, and neither of us wanted to be alone. Perfect time for a girl's date! This homemade gelato at a local Italian restaurant was killer.

3 // treats. My coworker brought me a bag of goodies yesterday to help me eat my feelings (don't judge me). She knows how much I love Trader Joe's and how rarely I get to go to one. Her gift was much-appreciated (and delicious!!).

4 // a good book. I started reading What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty on Monday, and it has been a great way to keep my mind off of everything else. The story is easy to read and the plot is kind of fascinating, and it's just sucked me in. A welcome distraction.

5 // fresh flowers. A big bouquet of cheerful tulips has brought some life to the house, and the pop of color is lovely.

Happy Friday, y'all. I hope you take some time to enjoy living this weekend, to hug your family close, to tell someone you love them, to send a note to a friend. Be appreciative of this life you have - it's the only one you get.

linking up with the five on friday girls:  Darci, Christina, April,and Natasha

All the time in the world

Welcome to the last week of March! We're a quarter of the way through 2014 - how's everyone doing with those New Year's resolutions?? ....yeah, about that. Ha!

I had a lovely weekend, and I hope you did, too. We kicked off with a True Detective marathon on Friday night (thank you, HBO On Demand!!) and fish tacos. I whipped up a batch of homemade salsa with a secret family recipe from my sister, and let that start to "get happy" in the fridge til Saturday. I also threw together our first fresh fruit salsa of the season to put with fish tacos... makes me so happy!

Fruit salsa is so easy to make, and it's a fantastic topper for quick fish tacos. I diced up a nectarine, a jalapeno, and some green onions, and added the juice of 1/2 a lime, a little sea salt, and a smidge of olive oil. Toss together and let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors merry. So delicious!

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the Southern Women's Show in Richmond with Stephanie. We spent several hours bee-bopping from booth to booth, trying hand treatments and wine slushies and sampling dips, cheeses, and salsas. It was more fun than either of us expected, to be honest! Once we we'd seen all there was to see, we headed to Cary Street for lunch. Stephanie had a recommendation from Twitter for a place to try, and we ended up enjoying a delightful meal at the Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe. I went with the "Pick 2" option and had half of a salad and sandwich. My salad was the Asparagus and White Bean over mixed greens, and my sandwich was the Virginia Ham Cubano. Both were absolutely delicious! I am looking forward to recreating the salad at home.

After a quick trip to Costco (I'm thinking about getting a membership but just can't commit!), I got home just in time to freshen up and head out with C to go to his sister's house - we were having a family dinner to celebrate two birthdays: my father-in-law's and our brother-in-law's! We gorged on veggies and dip, my fresh salsa, and a cheese tray, before enjoying hamburgers and hot dogs fresh from the grill. It was an ideal spring kickoff meal! And the company wasn't too bad, either! We enjoyed several lovely hours with C's family, and then made it home just in time to see the start of a late-night Caps game (these 10:30 start-time West Coast games are killer!) I didn't stand a chance of making it through the game, though, and C woke me up hours later to tell me we won and send me off to bed. Nice way to wrap up the day!

Sunday morning was deemed a "no alarms" day, and we slept in happily! I made a long to-do list, and after C made BLATs for lunch (my fave!), we got to work. We are having the main floor of the house painted the week after next, and we needed to spend some time clearing off walls and shelves and getting organized. Unfortunately, we're back to looking like we don't really live here! Womp, womp.

Also on the to-do list was a little bit of Me Time - a BodyCombat class at the gym and a much-needed pedicure! I went bright pink to welcome Spring... and I am completely ignoring the fact that they are calling for snow tonight.

C put a pot roast in the crockpot for dinner, and while it cooked, I whipped up a batch of homemade brownies. I realized today that spending some time baking from scratch brings me to a similar Zen-like state that a yoga class does... talk about relaxing. I couldn't leave well-enough alone, and added some marshmallows to the top of the brownies when they were finished baking. A few minutes under the broiler led us to this beautiful pan of chocolatey love. Yum!!

A glass of wine and a little more True Detective wrapped up our weekend. What could be better? I got everything that fills my proverbial "cup" in the last few days: husband time, friend time, family time, me time. Full to the brim, and then some!