summer fun

this weekend will be spent enjoying my last few days of summer. It's back to school for teachers next week (atleast in the West it is...I'm sure that sounds crazy to those of you on the East coast) and kids start to arrive August 9th.

I am thankful that I do have a job to go back to this year but the lazy, hazy days of summer are a hard habit to break.

*image via amanda pratt

rubyland

Rubyland is the most magical place on earth. There's so many people to see, that there's never any time to sleep (honestly--Ruby is not a fussy baby; but this child does not want to miss anything and will stay awake the whole day).

Miss Rubybird constantly observes you and as a grandparent you want to bring your best material to entertain her (Ruby thinks Nonna Donna and Papa John are uproariously funny...a smile a minute). We were there for only a few days and realized (once again) that being a parent of a newborn is exhausting...but so much fun!

Portland Food Carts

We are in love with the food carts of Portland, Oregon and with the 400+ carts scattered around the city there's something for every craving you may have. We took a few bites of crepes, fried pies (there's sweet and savory) and ordered french fries with every sauce you can imagine (we tried "poutine" but took a pass--sorry Canadians).

Our personal favorite (this trip) was Nong's Khao Man Gai--basically, chicken and rice--but so tasty the way the chicken is prepared along with the "secret" soybean sauce and delicious soup. The sweet little chef/owner-- Nong Poonsukwattana- whose smile warms you up-- has been written about in many local and national newspapers and magazines about her "one item menu" and her success.

friday night movies

Have you read the book? If you have then chances are you'll be impressed with the movie. Subtitles, yes, but I really liked the idea that I had no clue who these actors were and could be sucked into the story without wondering about the other films they have done or what the latest buzz was about them in People magazine.

sweet weekend

Beat the heat with a refreshing lemonade recipe to keep you cool. This weekend rockets us into a week of traveling to Portland and California..can't wait!

green thumb

Our neighbors have an awesome garden going on and I'm sort of jealous. He was a bachelor and met "her" on match.com (we got all this after cocktails) who happens to be an amazing gardener...what a catch. They have watermelon, corn, raspberries, artichokes (!!!), every kind of lettuce, peppers, beans, flowers...it's amazing.
I asked husband if we should pencil in a garden for next year and he suggested becoming better friends with the neighbors to collect any leftovers.

monsoons

The monsoons have begun in the southwest and we love it.
You can expect rain on a daily basis but it will only last thirty minutes or so to cool things off and it's the perfect weather to add curls in my quest for beach lovin hair. On an environmental note...this is when Arizona gets most of its yearly rainfall so we are always doing a rain dance during the summer monsoon season.

seriously?

Who knew that I would feel like a truck ran over me from having a massage?! Good thing the armed and dangerous vehicle threw me a few boxes of Kleenex with the runny nose and sneezing I'm now experiencing.
Do you think it was the Zumba added in with a deep tissue massage that created "Welcome to Toxin City" in my body??! Drinking lots of tea to make it go away...not fun in the summer and when it's so unexpected.

stripe one, stripe two

would love to add some stripes somewhere in my house. Our house is for sale so not quite sure if husband would go along with it...but I love the punch it adds.

*inspiration from here and here

was I sleeping?

"Sweet Paul" online magazine came out the middle of May but I really don't remember bells and whistles going off in blog world...and they should have been!
GORGEOUS photography, recipes, good writing, and easy to turn pages (If you're already a follower of the Sweet Paul blog this may be old news...but it was a delicious find for me.)
Besides the drool worthy food content, Sweet Paul dips into entertaining tips, product recommendations, and articles that deal with the kids and pets all which make it a light, welcoming, and encouraging read.
Looks like the next issue is out August 15th.

happy holiday weekend

whatever the holiday weekend may bring...enjoy!

*magical image from HeyZee