Things I Love Thursday // 10.15.20

Things I Love Thursday: A weekly roundup of the simple things that are bringing me joy and that I want to share with you.

Family Visits - Celebrating Lulu 

Grandma's in town! We were overdue for a visit and we're finally having one. She arrived yesterday (her birthday) and is swinging right into our routine. Last night we all put on real clothes (I even put on some makeup!) and went out to dinner to celebrate. There was a great sunset, live music, delicious food, and lots of laughs. Cheers to a tiny taste of normal!

Masks from GAP 

Of course, the aforementioned dinner was outside, socially distanced, and masks were worn whenever we were not seated at our table. Speaking of masks, the ones from GAP are my favorite. They are soft, washable, adjustable, and both styles fit really well! Of course, my favorite one is the one that says VOTE (on super sale). The rest (sold in packs of 3) are BOGO half off right now. 

{image via gap.com}

Rosemary Toasted Marshmallows 

I mentioned it last week and it's worth bringing up again: we are making the most of the season and enjoying the yard as much as we can right now. Evenings on the back driveway/patio have been a welcomed change. A few weeks ago, we hung some lighting and pulled our weathered chairs around the fire pit. It feels a little like we have a brand new space! I know everyone has been spending extra time at home these days. Creating a great outdoor experience can be simple and easy. We bought our patio fire pit years ago from the local hardware store. They're even more affordable now. I found this one on Amazon for a great price. If you're willing to spend more, they also have this one that is bigger and has a more open style, or this one that has a more contemporary look (which I love). Any of these could be at your house by this weekend, I'll bet!

Comforting Sounds - cards being shuffled

Seriously. This is one of these sounds that can take me right back to happy memories. Card games have always been a regular feature in my life. I recall cigarette smoke, old men, and gruff voices accompanying the card shuffling in the days when my grandfather hosted poker nights in his backyard workshop. My mom often enjoyed a game of solitaire at the kitchen table. I played an outrageous amount of Gin Rummy in college (instead of studying). While visiting my family in Portland this summer, I learned to play Spades. Spades is a team game with four players. I look forward to teaching the girls and Greg to play. In the meantime, I'm completely addicted to playing through an app on my phone. Not only is the game super fun --but the card shuffling sound effect alone makes me happy! 

Soup Weather 

Y'all (for my Charlotte peeps). Dude (for my West Coast peeps). Soup Weather. It's a thing. It's one of my favorite things. I'm a person who could maybe live on soups and stews alone. I could be a perfectly content toothless person --and maybe someday I will be; who knows? Anyhoo... I've been hitting the soup/stew button regularly these past few weeks. Here are three of my favorite NEW recipes. Top left: Mulligatawny Soup (I had never even heard of this supremely popular take on a curry dish). Top right: Nourishing White Bean and Lemon (Blogged about this one last week. If you haven't made it yet, here is your reminder. I added a few cups of shredded chicken to the recipe.) Bottom left: Naked Wonton (The meatball prep is more time-consuming than you think it might be --but so worth it!) Bottom right: homemade sourdough. (Obvi.)

(I also enjoy soups that are not yellow.)

Black Planter Pot 

I found this planter on sale at a local shop and I love it. Most of my indoor planters are terracotta or white. We are redoing the living room and went with a charcoal sofa so I'm adding some darker pops to the room. The tribal pattern is fun and adds great texture. I love how the greenery feels even more vibrant against the black and white ceramic. While I could not find my exact pot online for you, here are some very similar options from Amazon: footed, wooden stand, 2-piece set. 

Cash Monays - 

At the suggestion of my friend, Miranda, a successful blogger, hilarious Instagram Story-er,  baker of world-famous banana bread, and all-around great gal, (follow, follow, follow) I have finally jumped through a few hoops to get a special "link-up" through Amazon. Because I'm already such a shopper/sharer of Amazon links in this space, you likely won't notice any difference. However, if you end up ordering an Amazon product that I've specifically linked in this blog, word on the street is that they will throw some pennies my way! I'll let you know how it goes --or, if you see me out around town in a new McLaren, then I guess you'll figure it out on your own. (p.s. The only reason I know what a McLaren is is because a sweet 10 year old I know had a dream-come-true birthday surprise when he was taken on the ride of his life a few weeks ago!)