new favorite!

it was a tough decision to share this with others.  when i really love something at first, i tend to hoard it to myself.  i don't want to share it.  but, as much as i love this site, i felt that the greater good was to share it. 

terrain

there.  aren't you proud of me?  i shared!!  i didn't even hoard it more than 24 hours.  this is a big step!  ok, maybe i'm making myself sound like a totally selfish meanie.  but i'm not!  (i'm pretty sure i'm not...corrections?)  just try not to buy everything at once!  i had to seriously resist.  pictured are a few of my favorites that terrain offers.  i was thinking along the lines of mothers day, perhaps? 

cutest earrings!  my ears might actually let me wear them!

honey derived from fruit plants (namely: blueberry, raspberry, cranberry and orange blossom).

can you say butter and bread too, please?

this one i actually bought.  for whom?  not telling!

i admit to "needing" this.  i know just where it could go!

cow glass?  check!  cookie?  check!

a french tiered plant stand.  oh, how i long for a home to put stuff like this!  one thing at a time, brooke.

one thing at a time.  {sigh}

wheat cracker

this.....is my wheat grinder.  it was my mother's before it was mine.  it works!  our first encounter left me feeling distraught and sad.  i cleaned it, i loved it and tried grinding some red hard wheat.  the outcome was nothing but somewhat sanded wheat grain.  so i set it out of the way, where i was trying to figure out what to do with it.  i was convinced that is just didn't work.  

then my genius cousin (and pro wheat grinder), kiersten, came over to teach me how to make pretty sounds on my new violin.  she saw my grinder, and i immediately went into how much i tried to use it.  as i'm doing so, she goes over and tightens the knob.  uh. huh.  that's exactly how dumb i felt.  cause really, i had twisted the knob...i had!  i swear.  just not so that the grinding stones were close enough.  hey now, it's my first wheat grinder.  a little understanding!  thanks. 

so now, i'm happy.  it most certainly gives me the prettiest wheat.  i'll have to show you later, when it's not way past my bedtime, with no good light to take a picture of it.  i'll get one tomorrow (come on, memory!  don't fail me now!) after work.  then i'll show ya!

so, what i want to know is....what experiences have you had (or hope you will have) with your wheat grinder?  what awesome recipes would you like to share with me...that you have made due to your cute little grinder?  what terrific horror stories would you like to share?  i'm all ears!

jessica + hakeem

it was truly a pleasure to photograph their special day.  here's just one, but i will post

more very soon...promise!

a perfect beginning

not long after flying into san francisco, i found myself tasting all kinds of delicious fresh fruit & vegetables at the ferry building marketplace on saturday.  it was the perfect start to my next few days in the bay area.  i just can't get enough of it!  i'm starting to think i might need to move up there, just for the food!  not to mention the greenery all around.  rain makes a difference people!

so at the ferry building right on the bay, there is a wonderful and huge farmer's market every saturday.  i'm really wishing that i could beam myself up there each saturday morning.  it would only be too perfect.  but since i can't do that, i'll go to trader joes and pretend.  uh-huh.  yeah.  at this farmer's market are all kinds of goodies, ranging from fruit & vegetables, italian donuts, yogurt to chilaquiles, bbq'd pork and all kinds of jam.  it was heaven to taste any and everything my eye could behold.

this is the inside of the ferry building near the beginning of the morning.  as you can see, it has very few people.  later in the morning it is just ridiculous trying to get around in here.  there are several fun little shops and stores, with food and artistic things to look at.

it's times like these when i wish my wallet were as deep as my love for food and things related to it.  not to mention the beautiful flowers that were here and there.  these lilacs were just beautiful!  there were loads of them.

just outside the ferry building are vendors spread all about selling their respective items.  so you buy some chilaquiles and sit down and eat while enjoying the view.  what a view!  and you're surrounded by other san franciscans enjoying the same.  it's lovely.

hey, look!  there's some...it's alice, shirley and julie!

breakfast....first item on the menu.  it was just what the stomach ordered, along with some freshly made strawberry lemonade.  it was perfect!  even with raindrops coming down, we couldn't be deterred.  and boy was it worth it.  i would highly recommend meandering on over there if you are within 100 miles on saturday!  

i went here....more later.

cupcake me!

it was no misery that i had to be gifted two crumbs cupcakes last week.  my gosh!  i'd never had their cupcakes before, and it surely won't be the last time!  when you eat something as moist, rich and scrumptious as these cupcakes, you immediately want more.  it has a sweet little surprise inside each one too!  it's torture just thinking about not being to have one for a while.  geez!  

my friend, crystal, was kind enough to surprise me with these last week.  so i hemmed her curtains?  i definitely got the better end of the deal, i think!  i'll hem anyone's anything to get more of these.  any takers?   i love her forever!  heaven, indeed.