1 :: Seasons of the Year – Yep. Definitely still Winter here in Deutschland. D and I were able to get out in the beautiful sunshine that decided to make a grand appearance yesterday in the Rhineland-Pfalz region. We took a trip to the Japanese Gardens in Kaiserslautern to investigate the cherry blossom trees. I knew that they are on the verge of blooming, and I didn’t want to miss out this year! Looks like we’ll have to wait a little bit longer as these buds are taking their sweet time to open. I was slightly bummed, but so pleased to enjoy a weeks worth of Vitamin D in four hours.
2 :: Seasons of Tunage – I am ecstatic to report some new music I stumbled upon through a world renown photographer’s website (thanks Marianne Taylor!). The artist is Jerome Alexander and the group is entitled Message to Bears. I am ridiculously addicted. For anyone who loves to create/design to music, this epic blend of tonalities, instruments and round pear shaped tones will set your heart alight. You can listen to both albums Folding Leaves & Moments on his website. Both are also available for purchase with Folding Leaves available in vinyl!!! Jerome Alexander creates an ethereal ambiance that makes it easy for you to lose yourself in the story he tells. Check it out if you have the time, you surely won’t be disappointed!
3 :: Seasons of Seasonings – With winter fading into spring (albeit slowly) the menu at our house is shifting. Below are some spring recipes I am ecstatic to share. A) Lemon Bars are my favorite tart treat. My mother used to make these as often as possible as soon as the weather would start to change. I adore the tangy lemon curd and the shortbread crust alone is worth the work! B) Pasta is the food of my soul, but I have a hard time with heavy meals. This fettuccine dish is made light due to the tuna and lemon with a burst of flavor from capers. Highly recommended. C) The last dish sits close to my heart at the moment as D and I are heading on a vacation to Ireland soon. My father was always partial to Shepherd’s Pie and this is a slow cooker version with steak and Guinness (who doesn’t love Guinness !?!). The puff pastry on the side rocks because it retains it’s crispness and doesn’t get soggy until it’s dipped in the stew! May you eat ’til your heart’s content.
4 :: Seasons of Fate – Growing up I never had neighbors (literally next door) that we were close to. It wasn’t that we weren’t a friendly family or that our neighbors weren’t kind, it was just life. Both of my parents worked and in a neighborhood with it’s overflow of stay-at-home mom’s, my mother was viewed as different (think Gillian and Sally Owen from Practical Magic). The back-story isn’t to conjure pity, it’s merely to give insight as to how thankful I am for our next-door neighbors in our apartment in Germany. M Thompson and my husband work together so having a wife-friend that I know in the squadron is a Godsend. We have been without a car for the past month and the Thompson’s (and others!) graciously carted my husband to and from work, helped us get groceries and were constantly inviting us over for dinner. It’s become a weekly tradition usually followed by a board game or 3D movie. I cannot express how grateful I am to have a girlfriend next door. We borrow cups of sugar, mayonnaise onions, 220 volt hand mixers, etc. Being from Texas, I was super ecstatic that they were from North Carolina and enjoyed southern cooking like chicken biscuits and sweet tea. J made the most ridiculously delicious batch of pulled pork I’ve had in quite some time. So here’s to you, Thompson’s…. and a shout out to fate for allowing you to live next door. Below is a shot of D & M in Pirmasens at a Medieval Festival we went to this weekend. So fun!
5 :: Seasons of Shoes – Shoes are my favorite accessory to any outfit. They can dress you up or down. In the words of Coco Chanel “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Spring marks the breakout of strappy sandals, stiletto peep-toe pumps, and espadrilles. Here are my picks for this week. A) Steve Madden – INVADE – $129.95 B) White House Black Market – Snake Embossed Leather Patent Heel – $118 C) Sam Edelman – ‘Alva’ Sandal – $139.95 D) UGG Austrailia (I know right?!?) – ‘Lucianna’ Wedge – $149.95. LOVE the tangerine!!!
That’s all for this Monday! Crush those Monday blues next week by tuning in!
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