August Photo Project: Color

The theme for August was color, and I just loved your photos this month! So cheery. I snapped my photo at the farmers' market in Rockefeller Center after work one day. I'm calling it stone fruit rainbow. Here's what you shared:

Ann of Oh Beauty shared a photo she took at the Festival of Lanterns in Indianapolis.

My friend Karen snapped this pic on a fishing trip with her family.

Andra of Fox Lane took this photo on a family getaway in San Francisco.

Daina of New York State of Mind shared her photo of flowers at the Minneapolis Farmers' Market.

Evie captured the contrast of the bright green leaves against this central London building.

And Lisa of Chambre de Sucre sent me a photo of sunrise in Honolulu and her niece Clarissa.

If you want to share one of your colorful photos, just leave a link below! I'll announce September's photo theme next week. Thanks for playing along!

Playful Prints

I love these fun prints by Zoe Fujii. They really make a statement when splashed across a simple shift dress, and it seems like just the sort of look you could transition into fall with a cardigan and a pair of tights.

Date Night: Dumpling-Making

Jonah and I recently had a fun Friday night spent making dumplings. The date night was organized by HowAboutWe, a company with the goal of helping people fall in love and stay in love. It began as an online dating site but has since expanded with HowAboutWe for Couples -- a membership service that sets up dates designed to fit pretty much any interest. You just browse their site and pick the dates you like. There's hiking, massages, cooking classes, boot camps, fancy meals out, wine tastings, concerts and more to choose from. Dates are currently available in New York City and San Francisco, and they're quickly expanding to other cities. You can sign up for free to browse their date options, and as a bonus, use this link to get $50 off your first date!

We decided on a dumpling-making class for our first outing. I'm sure you're well aware that Jonah and I both love food, but we're rarely in the kitchen together. I do most of the cooking, and he has a few specialties, namely hamburgers, popcorn and chocolate chip cookies, so I thought it would be fun to learn a new kitchen skill together.

The class was held in a loft space in lower Manhattan and taught by Chef Connie Sun of Bite Size Kitchen. She led us and two other couples through the process and gave lots of helpful hints along the way. We made our own dumpling dough (just flour and water!), rolled them out, shaped them, filled them and learned two folding techniques for sealing them up. One type was filled with beef and leeks and the other with three kinds of mushrooms. Did you know dumplings are folded differently so that you can distinguish what's inside? I'd never thought of that!

After all the hard work, we fried them up in a skillet, flipped them out and went to town with chopsticks. I don't think I've ever eaten so many dumplings in one sitting. They were delicious, and it was an especially rewarding meal after learning all the steps involved and dusting off our flour-covered hands.

PS - I just found out that it's dumpling week on NPR. Long live the dumpling!

Our date and this post were made possible by HowAboutWe.

I Bought It, I Like It: Gourmet Sugar

I've been a fan of Chambre de Sucre for a while now, so when their latest gourmet sugars caught my eye, I decided to order some. The Mori sugar set contains a variety of colors and shapes -- hearts, flowers, birds, lemons. They're like Lucky Charms with sophistication. The taste is pure sugar, but the look adds a little friendliness to your countertop and is cute enough for a tea party. I think they'd make a great hostess gift.

This series highlights items I've purchased with my own money that I think you would like too.

Weekend in Photos

I was a happy camper this weekend, but that's easy when two trips to the movies, a few great meals, some cold drinks and a view of the Brooklyn Bridge are involved. And yes, we had chicken and waffles again. It may be the world's greatest sweet and savory combination, just beating out french fries dipped in a Frosty.

Thoughts of the Week

Travel souvenirs minus the airfare.

Bring on apple season.

And 25 more things I'm looking forward to this fall.

Making coffee at home never looked so good.

A hand-drawn hair tutorial for curly-haired girls. Step #9!

It's time to mix things up at the dinner table.

Who wouldn't want big, beautiful flowers that last forever?

Oh Seattle, I miss you sometimes.

Espresso salted caramel s'mores. Good heavens.

Plus, enter that giveaway and send me your colorful photos!

Happy Friday, pals! Hope you have a great weekend. Eat some fruit, take some pictures and hug a dog if you can.

SOMO Generations Jewelry Giveaway

I have a giveaway for you today from SOMO Generations, a company that's doing good and creating wearable art at the same time. The paper bead jewelry is handmade by women in Uganda, who, in return, are provided with a consistent, livable wage for their craft. In addition, all the profits go toward children's school fees in Gulu, Uganda. I'm inspired by their mission, and I hope you check out the colorful creations in their online shop. 

On to the giveaway! One of you has the chance to win this necklace and pair of earrings. Just leave a comment below before noon on Friday, August 30. For additional entries, like SOMO Generations on Facebook and/or follow them on Twitter and let me know that you did. One winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Pretend Party: Peach Perfect

A peach-themed party would be great for a birthday, a baby shower, a farewell to summer or a way to celebrate your favorite Georgian. You get a lovely, warm color palette, sweet and savory menu possibilities, and little jars of peachy goodness would make a perfect party favor.

[found here: pinata; peach tea punch; straws; tomato basil peach skewers; peach frozen yogurt; peach butter; fruit crate; individual peach cobblers; tablecloth]

Twofer

Not only does this bowl fulfill its functional art purpose, it actually serves as two bowls in one. Candy on top, candy wrappers on the bottom, you get the idea. And it's called the Smiley, which is just too cute.

Weekend in Photos

We stayed in the outer boroughs this weekend. We had a Brooklyn day with our pals Bethany and Jerod, starting off with a yummy brunch at Reynard in the Wythe Hotel. I'm still thinking about my Dutch baby pancake topped with gruyere, prosciutto and blueberries. We wandered Williamsburg, stopping by Smorgasburg, cute shops and Mast Brothers Chocolate (free samples!). Then on Sunday, Jonah and I headed to Astoria for chicken and waffles at Queens Comfort and visited the Museum of the Moving Image to check out the Breaking Bad exhibit. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), no photos of Walter White's underwear were allowed, but the rest of the museum was a lot of fun for two pop culture nerds.