things i love // sparkle

We finally got some gorgeous, sparkly snow this week. I mean it IS winter and all, but it has been sunny and warm and absolutely gorgeous for months. I’m not complaining for one hot second, but we need the moisture and I’d much rather see it now than in April when I want to be busting out my sandals and not pulling on my snow boots. Plus, one of the best things about Colorado is that we don’t hang on to dreary for long. The sun always comes out and lights everything up with its happy, healing warm glow. I hope you were able to bask in some happy this week, too. xo

I spent like 5 hours the other day cleaning out the drawers and cabinets in our bathroom, purging all of the stuff that doesn’t ‘spark joy,’ like the expired makeup that’s been sitting there abandoned for a year. It took m u c h longer than I expected, but I did feel pretty great afterward. And, now I maybe have a *wee* bit of space to fit these gorgeous Among the Flowers treasures that I’ve been eyeing. Among the Flowers is a northern California small-batch skincare line that’s as clean as clean can be and just so delicate and pretty. The Raw Honey + Sugar Face Polish looks heavenly and I’ll bet it smells divine, too. It only has 4 simple, totally natural ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about anything grody. The Lip + Cheek Tints are also formulated with just clays, roots, petals and oils. Which color? They all look too lovely to choose.
// AMONG THE FLOWERS RAW HONEY + SUGAR FACE POLISH $25 //
// AMONG THE FLOWERS LIP + CHEEK TINTS $9-16 //

Oh, and one more thing while we’re chatting beauty… I realized this week that they’ve stopped making the perfume that I’ve been wearing for years. I like to fancy it my “signature scent,” though in real life, my signature scent is, well, um, a bit more…natural I’d say. In any case, I’m on the hunt, so if you have some recommendations for a super light, natural scent that can be my new go-to, please share. I do like a little spritz to make my sweatpants feel fancy.

The Smitten Kitchen catalog of recipes is so vast and amazing that I would normally find it actually impossible to choose just one to share. BUT, she just recently posted this recipe for Parmesan Oven Risotto that’s such a revelation, I CANNOT WAIT to try it and I couldn't keep it to myself. She’s developed a way to make perfect risotto in the OVEN instead of stirring it forever on the stovetop and I’m so intrigued. I love a good risotto, but I admit that when I make it at home, it usually comes out just a bit gluey. So this idea that you can cook it in an easy and foolproof way and have it come out perfectly creamy, but not gloppy is super exciting. Plus that butter and parm, I mean…tell me if you try it before I do!
// SMITTEN KITCHEN PARMESAN OVEN RISOTTO //

Meri Cherry is a magical process art teacher in LA and I have been ogling her happy creations for years. I am consistently blown away by her never-ending flow of truly enchanting creativity. It’s so inspiring. In “normal times” she teaches coveted classes and camps in LA for a select lucky few. But, happy for us, she has added some downloadable classes and kits so everyone can participate in the magic. I’ve been eyeing both the Resin and Crazy Contraptions classes for my guys, especially my oldest. They’re just right up his alley. She has also paired up with Kid Made Modern to create an epic monthly Craft Club SUBSCRIPTION (be still my heart), so you can get a beautiful project and all the parts in your mailbox each month. And finally, she has also written a gorgeous book, "Play Make Create," that has an impressive collection of super fun and magical projects to do on your own. Surely there’s something for everyone with all of those awesome options. Whether for a rainy day in your own house or as an AMAZING gift for other littles you love, everyone needs a little Meri Cherry in their life.
// MERI CHERRY DOWNLOADABLE ART CLASSES $18 + art materials //

So… adventure looks a little different these days, but I’ll take it where I can get it. On a gorgeous, foggy sparkly, snowy morning this week, I set off on an epic journey, driving 13 whole miles SE to… downtown Lafayette. C’mon, that totally counts. Sometimes a mama just needs a beautiful change of scenery and some quiet time alone in the car. Plus, I’ve realized that in addition to being a very visual person, I’m also SUPER tactile. I NEED to touch all the stuff in the store and I’m really missing that sensory element in my life. Kind of like somehow you can’t hear as well with your mask on, I can’t see as well without touching stuff. For real. Tell me I’m not alone. Anyhoo, I allowed myself a wee field trip to check out the sweetest shop on the whole downtown block called Thalken Mercantile.

Thalken is the creative love child of Hana and her husband, William, who have made a beautiful tiny space with delicate handmade jewelry + candles + artwork, plus a really lovely curated little collection of other small-batch home goods and self care treasures that would make wonderful gifts. They even had a little stash of gorgeous Mortar and Stone Ceramic goodies, which are nearly impossible to get your hands on. I picked up a few things for my own sweet Galentines (Obvs, I can’t show you them yet) and *maybe* a little something for myself, too (one for you, one for me only seems fair). It was all a really lovely, peaceful little respite for a very few brief minutes and well worth the journey if you’re in the area (they also have curbside pickup and ship nationwide). It totally satisfied my need to see and touch beautiful things IRL (in a very safe-feeling environment, of course). And while you’re in Lafayette, stop at the Tip Top Savory Pies window and pick up a yummy savory or sweet pie for the cherry on top of your totally epic journey.
//THALKEN MERCANTILE IN LAFAYETTE, CO //

I just discovered the Smartless podcast and am totally hooked. Does everyone already know about this and nobody told me? Old pals Jason Bateman (heart emoji), Will Arnett and Sean Hayes surprise one another each week by bringing on a guest that’s a mystery to the other two. Honestly, I could just listen to those 3 banter like all day anyway, they’re so dang funny. But when you add in people like Kamala Harris, Megan Rapinoe, James Corden, Stacey Abrams (fave episode so far) and on and on with the great lineup, I’m there for it. It’s pure entertainment. I mean, I’ll tell you upfront that when you’re done listening you still won’t know how to assemble a space rocket or anything, but I CAN almost guarantee that you will have laughed out loud or learned something a bit quirky about their guest that you didn’t know before. And that’s enough for me to keep showing up. Now I’m desperate to watch Arrested Development in its entirety from the beginning because I totally missed that bandwagon when it was on IRL. What other awesome podcasts are you listening to that I don’t know about?!
// SMARTLESS ON APPLE PODCASTS //