bits of spring

I don't know about you, but this spring has been a very slow start.  I am itching to start packing away winter garb but it has been quite cold so the wool coats and gloves are still in heavy rotation.  To keep the spring fever at bay I have been slowly adding little pops of springy-goodness...

A fresh new lipstick and gloss... a lighter and brighter scarf... both go a long ways to lightening up while it is still chilly out.

Scarves & Wrapsby Boden
Lipstick by Benefit

And a few light colored items have made their way into my closet... I really do like wearing black but this time of year it is so nice to work in lighter colors for a little lift.

Longsleeve Tops by J.Crew
Button Front Tops by J.Crew

It is still too cold to pack away the socks and bust out the open-toe shoes but I am so anxious for that day!  Anyone else taking baby steps to start shifting into spring and lighten up the look?   

Spring Showers

 

I love spring showers.  I really do.  But the cold temperatures could seriously go away.

Spring showers though can stick around for a while.  True, they make commuting through the city less than fun, even if it does give one an excuse to wear bright colored wellies.  But the magic is in the glistening and moodiness from a spring shower; it is just so pretty. 

That and of course I love that it means soon enough there will be spring flowers.

Hopefully I am not the only one that gets stopped in their tracks when spotting a pretty reflection.  Or a brilliantly awesome sky peaking out from rain-filled clouds as they roll out to hit the next town.  If I am that explains the strange looks I get when taking photos of those moments...

Happy Friday, friends!  Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Spring Planting: Garlic

I started spring planting for our garden.  Garlic is suppose to be super easy to grow.  Ideally it is planted in the fall but you can plant it in the spring when the ground thaws; since this past fall we weren't sure if we would be staying in our apartment a spring planting was the only option.  The winter chill is suppose to help get the bulb started... so I improvised and threw them in the fridge for a couple of weeks to give them a little bit of a head start before planting. 

I hope they grow!  I really want to have those cute garlic "flowers" to throw in a jar this summer... and of course have the garlic too. 

And for you city dwellers without a backyard, garlic can grow in pots.  Here is some helpful info on growing garlic.

birthday cupcakes with sprinkles

We celebrated Dan's birthday this past weekend.  It was busy and very fun.  And we had cupcakes (flavored with Dan's limoncello- yum).  There should always be homemade cake of some sorts on a birthday... even better if there are sprinkles and polka dot flags.

I had these little white flags and used MT tape to give them polka dots.  Simple and easy.

a moment of silence

What has and is happening in Japan breaks my heart.  It is so devastating and just such a tragedy, nearly a week later and I am still at a loss for words.  All I can think of is how heavy my heart is for them and their families.

If you have yet to hear of For Japan With Love, you will want to check it out.  Maybe donate (supporting ShelterBox) if you can and/or participate in the day of blog silence.  And hold your loved ones close.