Week in Photos: Week 26

Tired Hands is always a good way to start off the week.





I love wrapping & giving gifts!





Homemade focaccia bread is the tastiest.





Didn't manage to photograph this in an appetizing manner, but I was proud of myself for making a meal consisting entirely of farmer's market meat and veggies! Pepper and onion sausage, French potato salad, and lemon asparagus.





Hungry cat swirls around my ankles all morning.





Kitty feet!





We took our first long walk around our new neighborhood. This row of homes reminded me of Europe... I don't know why.





I spent Saturday afternoon in center city helping a friend out with her pop-up coffee shop: The Monkey and The Elephant. She was invited to make coffees for the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and called upon her barista friends to volunteer their time for a few shifts. I was happy to help out, even if it had been two years since my last barista gig... but it's like riding a bike - you don't really forget how to pull shots. Her little Breville machine was so fun to use, though I didn't get much practice because most people passing through just wanted iced tea or coffee.









The history of the Plays and Players theater (where we were set up) was interesting to read about. There were swastika tiles all over the inside walls, because it was built before the Nazis transformed the symbol to have negative connotations.





I donated a bunch of chocolate chip cookies and coconut shortbread to The Monkey and The Elephant to sell at the event. Good thing, too, because there was no other food or drinks! I even got some business cards printed for the occasion, in hopes that anyone who really enjoyed the cookies will contact me for more at some point.









After helping out and catching a (very strange) film, I headed over to Graffiti Bar for happy hour and had some amazing (and cheap!) food and an awesome cocktail. The bar is hard to find because it's down at the end of a very narrow alley; just look for the neon sign that points you in the right direction!









I came home to Shawn sleeping off a migraine, with Sylvester keeping him warm.





Hope you had an awesome weekend! Summertime is the best.
I know everyone in the states is looking forward to a short week :)

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Fun Finds Friday #64

I haven't been keeping up with the Fun Finds Friday posts since the move! In fact, I've had a hard time keeping up with the blog in general since the move, but I'll find my groove again soon. I always forget how long it takes to settle into a new place. We're getting there!

I love Isabelle Arsenault's quirky illustrations!



The inside of Caroline Joy's Texas home is too cute! I love the mix of modern and vintage.



SAYSCULPTURES makes the coolest cat furniture!



I always love a good pun, and Stages of Decay manages that along with some cool photos.

+ Alter your perspective and take a look at some famous photos from a different angle.
+ Anyone still trying to figure out what they're doing with their life should read this. (Aren't we all?)
+ These 60 rare photos take a look back through history.
+ Anthony Bourdain would know how to travel.


Happy Friday!!

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First Farmer's Market Trip of 2014

On my first trip to the farmer's market this year I brought home: radishes, lettuce, potatoes, asparagus, blueberries... and the most beautiful strawberries I have ever seen. I missed out on the tomatoes because they're the first to get snatched up and the market is only open on Wednesdays from 3pm-7pm, and I can't get there until 5:30pm... oh well, there's always next time! There was a man selling beautiful bouquets of flowers too, but I ran out of cash buying this bounty! Strawberries trumped flowers this week, but who knows what next week will bring?

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Week in Photos: Week 25

Today was really great! I woke up and went to a yoga class (I joined a gym last week! Never thought I'd do that, but I don't have the motivation to work out on my own, so I figured I may as well take some classes nearby - so far they've been great!), then I walked around a little local vintage/handmade fair that was going on near our house, stopped at the local brewery to fill our growler and taste one of their new creations, went for a three mile walk through a beautiful neighborhood to get groceries and a few other supplies (I was angry with myself for forgetting my phone at the apartment... at one point I was standing four feet away from a beautiful hawk!), and when I got home I made some focaccia bread from scratch! I hope all summer weekends will be like this one.

For those of you who have been curious about how they're getting along... well, you can see for yourself!





I spotted a bunny digging a hole on my way home from the brewery.





Petit fours with a different look; I was getting bored with the flowers I usually do.





My handwriting is a little shaky because I don't get to do it often!





My sister's boyfriend found an extra-wide wheelchair... those things are really hard to move around in!





My brother and I got to Facetime with my grandmother and my parents. She's always amazed with how it works.





Jasper takes up most of the room on 'his' couch.





The weather was absolutely beautiful this weekend!





We couldn't find Lloyd... until we looked under the keyboards.





I made some cookie platters for family and friends! I love making cookies!





Our town has a little market/fair every few weeks just a block up the road from our new place.
I picked up a few things for myself, and some fun stuff for penpals!





The most delicious iced decaf almond milk mocha I have ever had.





These guys make me smile.





They've been interacting so well together!





Finally! A good photo of Sylvester.





Sleepy Sylvester. (I like when he's sleepy, because it means he's quiet!)





A storm's a brewin'.



I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

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We saved another one!

We are now a family of four! On Monday we welcomed a new cat into our home - his name is Sylvester and he's about Lloyd's age, perhaps a little younger. I saw him during a trip to our local pet store and I just had a feeling he'd be the perfect companion for Lloyd. I've been trying to convince Shawn to adopt another cat for a few months now, and he was sold on the idea after one visit to Sylvester at the store. So here's our newest family member!

This was the description on his cage at the pet store:
I am a very adorable and loving cat. I love affection, being held and pet. I'm good with other cats; haven't been in the company of dogs yet. My foster mom rescued me from the outdoors where I was searching for food because I am super friendly and she said she would find me a good family and home to live in forever more! Beware: I am a talker :)

Yeah, they weren't kidding about the talking... I've never met such a chatty cat!








(photo from the P.A.L.S. facebook page)
But I'm sure the biggest question on your mind is how Lloyd has reacted to this newcomer! He was a little skeptical at first, but they've become fast friends. We've had no issues with aggression (I mean come on, this is Lloyd we're talking about!), just initial curiosity and lots of nose touches. After their second day together Lloyd started trying to get Sylvester to play with him (by sneaking up on him, batting at him, and running away) but Sylvester just wasn't picking up on it. Now that it's been a few days, we've caught them playing together and laying together. I don't think Lloyd is still entirely comfortable with him yet (especially since Sylvester seems to be jealous and won't let us pay Lloyd any attention without paying attention to him as well), but they're so much friendlier towards each other than I expected. Smooth sailing so far - let's hope it stays that way!






I know the photos are blurry, but Sylvester moves fast and he's almost impossible to capture! Regardless, you can look forward to seeing photos of him alongside my usual abundance of photos of Lloyd. We're smitten with the little guy, and this is only the beginning!

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Week in Photos: Week 24

Well... seeing as I posted last week's photos on Wednesday, and we're still in the process of moving in (mainly getting the place decorated) so we haven't been doing much to note... there aren't many interesting photos to share today. So, I'm going to do what I always do when this happens and post mostly a bunch of photos of Lloyd instead. I haven't had any complaints about that yet, and I don't expect any!

I didn't have the heart to push him off, so I grabbed myself another chair.





So many box photos with this guy...





Lloyd on a shelf.





I have been making infused water lately... so yummy!





The scone of the month is strawberry rhubarb - such pretty colors!





He's a cat of many boxes...





Looks like he's taking a break from the boxes. (Though he thought this was a scratching post... no, Lloyd!)





I was cleaning up my desktop and found The Folder - my pre-pinterest folder hoard.





That's the spot right there.





No, seriously.





The best chocolate cookies ever. With s'mores ingredients added in.





Stripe on stripe action.




I hope your weekend was awesome!

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