Diary No. 12

Sharing some phone iPhone snaps from the past two-ish weeks!

Nicole’s bachelorette party was so much fun. It was very low-key and I think everyone had a blast. Her wedding is this month (!!!) and it was a great way for her friends from different parts of her life (neighborhood, college, work, etc.) to get to know each other even better before the big day. On Thursday, about half the group was in town and we all took the ferry over to Nantucket to walk around. It was raining on and off but we managed to stay dry for the most part… until after dinner. We were walking to the ferry and got stuck in a torrential downpour. There was no avoiding it (not even an umbrella could save us!) and we couldn’t stop laughing. It made the ferry back to the Cape extra interesting.

Mike and I– kinda mostly Mike though– have been whipping up delicious summer dinners almost every weeknight. Lots of vegetables and homemade pestos. I made these rosemary chimichurri skewers one night and it turned out amazing. Highly recommend if you’re on the hunt for an easy summer dinner.

The dogs were desperate for summer cuts. I love how they look all fluffy, but it was just too hot. When we moved to Madison, I got the first available appointment for the groomer’s schedule and we were all counting down the time. And we shaved them! Hahaha– honestly they look like different dogs but they are so soft now. Like crushed velvet.

Our yard was desperate for some weeding. (Desperate!) We’re in a weird holding pattern right now because it’s not the right time to do the landscaping we need to do. (Our lawn is pretty much 80% weeds, 20% grass so we have to do it all this fall to prep it for next spring.) But I still wanted it to look better. So I armed myself with sunscreen and sneakers I could rinse off with a hose and donned my sunshirt for a day of weeding. I really wish I had taken a before + after shot…. but all I took was a selfie of my outfit 😂

I made my first batch of cookies in the house!!!! My mom’s always turned out way better than mine but now that I have a convection oven, they turned out great.

We also still don’t have a microwave. My mom is coming this week and I’ve recruited her help in figuring out the right size. I don’t know why but I feel like the slot for it is not a standard size??? Anyway, I was craving popcorn one night and so we did the old fashioned stovetop way– which I prefer anyway. Such a fun summer snack.

I finally popped into Short Stories in Madison. It’s the cutest corner bookstore. They had a great display of books and I just wish I could wipe my schedule and read all day for the rest of the summer.

I have historically not had a good history with sushi. I went on a double date in high school to a sushi place and could not eat it. I spent the whole dinner panicking internally about not being able to swallow the one piece I managed to get into my mouth. There’s something about the sticky rice + seaweed that my stomach just does flips over. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to stomach sushi, literally. But I LOVE the idea of it. Mike has been choosing different things that he thinks I’ll end up liking. I think we finally have it down. My stomach clenches a little bit when I first see the stuff, but I can eat– and most importantly ENJOY– it now.

I was shooting in Summit, NJ and saw this adorable store, A Home. Had to pop in– nearly everything was blue and white!! Will definitely be going back with my mom when she’s here. If anyone else has great store recommendations, home or otherwise, in the area let me know!