cinco tacos

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I hope you all will be spending some portion of your day drinking margaritas or eating tacos. Hopefully it's both! Here are a few taco recipes I can't wait to try, and if you weren't sure what to make for dinner tonight...well tacos, duh! Okay, enchiladas would be acceptable too. :)

1. Sweet Life: Roasted Vegetable Tacos // 2. Foodie Crush: Stewed Chicken Tacos // 3. Sandwich Sunday: Carne Asada and Corn Tacos // 4. Spoon Fork Bacon: Achiote Grilled Fish Tacos

Oh, and we can't forget about guacamole! Here a a few really tasty looking guac recipes. 

Joy the Baker // Goat Cheese and Roasted Corn Guacamole

What's Gaby Cooking // Spicy Queso Fresco Guacamole 

Perry's Plate // Loaded Roasted Chile Guacamole 

A Cup of Jo // Pineapple and Pomegranate Guacamole 

April in Review

This year is really flying by quickly! I can hardly believe we are almost half way done. So far May has been really warm and sunny, I've got vacation on the horizon, and today I bought some Bumbershoot tickets! So far so good.

But enough about May, let's reminisce about April for a bit. Here are a few of my favorite posts and other highlights!

These ginger and raspberry champagne cocktails were pretty tasty! 

Don't stop, antiquing! Hold on to that feeeelliiinngg. Sorry, sometimes my love for antiquing inspires me to bust out a song. Just a little peak into what I do on my days off work. 

Tried out the Dashi Noodle Bar for the first time, and fell in love! Can't wait to go back and try out some more noodles. 

Got a little matcha crazed and made these awesome matcha cookies with white chocolate chips and almonds. 

Listening: Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die: Paradise Edition" Anybody else find her both annoying and amazing at the same time? 

Watching: Well it's Game of Thrones season, so duh. Tommy and I watched A Cat in Paris via Netflix a few nights ago and I really enjoyed it.  

Reading: Still working on "A Dance with Dragons." My goal is to have that baby wrapped up by the end of the month.

Instagram // 1. My soy milk knows me too well 2. Atticus loves laying in a sunny window. 3. Lovely display at Anthropologie. 

A Few Favorite Posts:

DesignLoveFest // DIY Decorative Power Cords

Spoon Fork Bacon // Sun Dried Tomato Olive & Goat Cheese Palmiers

Jenny High Smith // DIY Chevron Coffee Table

Joy the Baker // Peanut Butter Bacon Pancakes

M Loves M // Little Green Dress

Lemons, Avocados & the Bay // Touring Jerusalem 

Katelyn Brooke Blog // Bloggers You Don't Want to Be, part 2. 

Iced Coconut Green Tea Latte

Any other huge green tea latte fans out there? They are so tasty, and can be a nice break from coffee. That being said, some places make them waaayy too sweet which kind of cancels out the health benefits of the matcha. Solution to this problem? Make your own!

I made my matcha iced tea with a bit of coconut cream to give it flavor and richness. You can do without if you wanna cut back on the calories, but I say treat yourself :). In order for the matcha powder to mix with the milk without clumps, you need to mix it with some hot water first, then add lots of ice cubes and cold milk.

Iced Coconut Green Tea Latte
1/2 tbs. matcha powder
Approx. 4 tbs hot water
1 tsp. honey (2 tsp. if you want it sweeter)
1 tbs coconut cream
Milk (any kind will work)

1. Bring about a half cup of water to a slow boil, then remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together matcha powder and hot water to form a very concentrated matcha liquid.
3. Add honey and coconut cream, whisking together to incorporate.
4. Place mixture in a tall glass, add ice cubes and fill glass with milk. Stir and enjoy!

tides of turquoise

Blazer: Kensie

Tee: Kensie (similar)

Jeans: Else

Boots: Corso Como

Purse: Nordstrom

Necklace: Lucky Brand

Yesterday Tommy and I swung by the docks to take these pictures before getting some tacos and margaritas. So yummy, but dang, margaritas are basically a hangover in a glass. A delicious, delicious, hangover. Damn you sugar. 

This blazer might be my new favorite piece in my wardrobe. It actually fits around the chest area and has polka dots on the inside! Score. I also love the color, it's so fresh and springy. My only issue is finding things in my dark, jewel-toned closet to wear with it!

I've got two weeks of vacation coming up on May 12th, yay! It looks like it's going to be a stay-cation, which will be perfect for finishing some projects, cleaning the house, and spending time with family. I'm counting down the days! 

Gallery Wall Inspiration

I've started the slow process of putting together a gallery wall for my living room. I have such a hard time choosing art work; there are so many beautiful pieces out there, but it's so difficult to actually commit! I have snagged the mountain painting, "Rain Shadow,"  by Cathy McMurray, and can't wait to buy "Ring of Roses," by Clare Elsaesser.

Do you have any favorite artists? I would love to know about them!

1. Clare Elsaesser // 2. Margol // 3. Cassia Beck //  4. Cathy McMurray // 5. Christopher Scott // 6. Fiona Ackerman // 8. Budi Satria Kwan 

Strawberry Banana Nutella Mini Pies

Aaaand I'm back! I really didn't mean to take such a long break from blogging, but sometimes it just happens. I did bring Nutella mini pies though, can you forgive me?

I tried Nutella for the first time about a year ago. It wasn't something my mom ever bought, so its existence and (pure awesomeness) was unknown to me for a long time. But now my eyes have been opened and I'm ready to start spreading it on toast while convincing myself it's appropriate for breakfast.

In my opinion Nutella, strawberries and bananas are a match made in heaven. Add some flaky pie crust to the mix, and you've got a pretty magical combination. This recipe is pretty customizable when it comes to the amount of filling, type of pie crust and size of the pies themselves. I was lazy and used pre-made pie crusts, but if you're feeling particularly ambitious may I suggest this recipe from Joy the Baker? Girl knows how to make some pie dough.

Strawberry Banana Nutella Mini Pies:
Pie crust dough (pre-made or homemade)
Nutella
Strawberry jam/preserves
Ripe banana, finely sliced
egg, whisked


1. Flour surface, roll out pie crust and cut into desired size. I cut mine into rectangles, roughly 3 inches by 4 inches.
2. Spread Nutella on dough, top with a dollop of strawberry jam and place 3-4 slices of banana on top.

3. Cover with another piece of pie dough and use your fingers to press the dough together along the edges. Using a fork, press edges together to ensure the mini pie is closed. Slice top of dough with a knife, and lightly coat with whisked egg.
4. Place in oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Balsamic & Feta Lentil Salad

I have become a huge fan of making a salad or soup on Sunday to eat the rest of the week. It makes lunch so easy! This week I have been munching on this yummy lentil salad full of tomatos, cucumbers, olives and feta cheese. It's the perfect side dish at dinner, but also filling by itself.

The first time I made lentils, really I overcooked them. As I started to toss the salad, a lot of the lentils turned to moosh. I recommend cooking your lentils until you think they are aalllmost done because they will continue to cook a bit as they cool.

Balsamic & Feta Lentil Salad
2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup cherub tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, sliced and cut into quarters
1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
Half of a large onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

1. Prepare lentils. I used this method and they turned out great.
2. Place lentils in a large bowl, and let cool. Once cooled, add all ingredients and gently toss.
3. Store covered in fridge, adding a splash of vinegar to salad if needed.

Sponsor Spotlight: Lauren from Love Lola + Giveaway!

Today I'm really excited to introduce Lauren from Love Lola! Lauren is an awesome blogger, vintage shop owner and creator of delicious recipes. I mean just gander at these sweet potato chips, or her sweet potato brownies. Yuuum! Lauren also collects awesome vintage items to sell in her shop, Love Lola Vintage.  You can also find Lauren on instagram and pinterest. Read more about Lauren below! 

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your blog:

I’m Lauren, but my friends call me Lola. Why Lola? Good question. I’m not totally sure. What I do know is it first started among my friends when I began teaching yoga in college. (I guess the retro/artsy name fit the image?) I kind of liked it because it seemed to express my “inner me.” Then it just stuck. So there you go… that is how the name of my blog came to be.

I reside in the state of South Carolina together with my husband, Scofield. We’re just approaching life step-by-step, enjoying each moment along the way. And that’s what you’ll find captured over in the blog—that + an array of recipes (mostly desserts).

Why do you blog? 

For me, it’s a creative outlet. As a nutrition student right now, I spend all day racking my brain with equations and scenarios. It’s nice to come home and exercise the other half of my brain...the artistic side. It often still involves nutrition (food)—such as the recipes I’m making at the moment…but still, it’s cooking, not calculating calories. It also serves as a sort of picture-journal of our first year of marriage, which is a treasure to be able to look back on. It’s a collection of memories that I hope brings joy to other folks as much as they bring joy to us.

What inspires you?

Let’s see—a very vague response would be Color, Freedom, and Beauty.

Color… It’s one of the reasons I love spring so much. Watching the purple flowers spring up and accent a tree of white flowers can stop me dead in my tracks. That, and get my camera clicking. 

Freedom…the kind of freedom you see in a child with absolutely no worries, or in a person completely comfortable in their skin. It inspires me to be free in who I am. Being free in who I am allows me to find and follow my inspirations.

And Beauty…it is most inspiring when it’s found in the most unexpected places. It’s then that it can really captivate your soul. I always try to find, and sometimes even create, beauty in the space around me in any way I can (including my “www. space”).

Tell us 3 random things about you:

1. I use white-out obsessively at my office job. I couldn’t get through a day without it.

2. I love biscuits.

3. I’d choose mountains over beach.

Favorite posts?

1. A Look into our Nook.  

2. White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies with Raspberry Buttercream. 

3. Snickerdoodle Almond Butter.

Giveaway:

 Lauren is giving away a $20 giftcard to her shop, Love Lola Vintage for any order of $25 or more! Here are a few of my favorite pieces! 

How to Enter:
Simply follow "Love Lola," on Bloglovin', then complete as many other entries as you'd like! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Out and About: Dashi Noodle Bar

Tommy and I both had the day off yesterday, which was really nice. After eating brunch and lounging for most of the day, we decided to give the Dashi Noodle Bar a try and I'm really glad we did!

The interior of Dashi is very modern and stylish with light wood countertops, orange and white walls,  and scallop-like decals throughout. The menu is pretty straight forward: choose your topping (pork, chicken, beef, tofu or veggies), noodle (ramen, udon, rice noodle, whole wheat, or rye ramen), broth (pork & chicken, mushroom, beef or konbu-bonito), then additional toppings such as an egg or ginger bacon.

I went with tofu, udon noodles, mushroom broth with an egg. The noodles were cooked nicely, and the egg was a nice addition. But the real star of my bowl was the mushroom broth which contained large slices of seasoned mushrooms. There was also a condiment bar with toppings like basil, jalapenos, chili sauce, cilantro and onions to spice up your dish as you please.

Tommy and I shared some saki, and spit one of the "steamed buns." While the bun was really good (coconut curry with chicken) it wasn't much of a bun at all, but instead more of a wrap. The gal at the counter told me this after I ordered it, but I must have been in denial because I was still a bit surprised when it came to the table. Regardless, it was very tasty. Can't wait to go back!