Things I Love Thursday // 4.18.13

• Trader Joe's Bolognese Ravioli. Wow. Quick, easy, delicious.
• Weather that goes hand-in-hand with my favorite "cube-o-wine" (because we all know: I'm way too class for a box!).
• This lovely granola that goes beautifully atop my honey-laced greek yogurt in the morning.

• Watching Geneva perform at her First Grade Music Concert this evening at school. The show was just right: sweet, short, easy, and full of enthusiasm. It was particularly heart-warming to see her and Piper interact with all their new friends as we walked through the hallways.
• Having a generous sister-in-law who works for Barnes and Noble. :) Auntie Jessica just sent us a big box of new "reads" and we are all very excited.

• My new Juice Beauty "CC Cream." I've never been one for a cream foundation. Within the last few years I have become a fan of tinted moisturizers. The best thing about Juice Beauty's CC cream is that is offers a chemically-free SP F 30 in addition to the mineral-tinted coverage. It's hydrating and toning. (It blends best when your face is damp.)
• Thanks to my girlfriend, Gretchen, I am devoted to my Intellectual Devotional. This is an amazing bedside text (and makes a perfect gift). There are five different editions. I have (and love) the General Edition which covers the following topics, in one-page synopses, for each day of the week: History, Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics & Science, Religion, Visual Arts, and Music. 

• Settling-in to the house. I can't even remember the last time I walked the wrong way to get to the study! :)
• Spring sprouting up in the yard. It's so much fun to live in a new place and discover what the previous occupants planted. If I were a better gardener, I would probably have some idea of what I might expect--but I am NOT. The greatest part of my "black thumb" is that I'm totally surprised by everything that blooms in the yard! (Because this is "Thing I Love," I will refrain from delving into the pollen issues I've been experiencing and save that drama for another post!)

• Learning my way around the neighborhood--which is actually Charlotte! We are so close to Uptown (that's what they call Downtown around here) that I am in and around the city enough to navigate my way without the iPhone's or the car's help from time-to-time. This is very exciting. I spent five years just outside of Portland and wouldn't dream of driving into downtown without my route pre-planned. (To be fair, in Portland, one wrong turn can put you on a bridge to the other side of the Willamette in a heartbeat; whereas one wrong turn in Charlotte just means you have to circle the block!)
• Welcoming my cousin Brad, his wife Erinn, and their beautiful boy, Jake, to our new hometown!  In an unexpected and fortuitous coincidence, Brad and his family have relocated to the Charlotte area from California (this week!). I cannot believe how the stars align sometimes and that we have family here with us! Life is good.