Currently Listening: Sleigh Bells

I started listening to Sleigh Bells two years ago when my friend Lindsay introduced the Brooklyn noise pop duo to me, but I admit that I haven't had a listen in a while. That's why I think it was fate that as I was chatting with Lindsay the other day, this song popped up on my Pandora. Yup, definitely fate. Sleigh Bells have put out two studio albums, Treats in 2010 and Reign of Terror in 2012, with Treats remaining my pick of the two. Their music hits hard, it just feels louder and bigger than other songs in your playist. But this juxtaposes beautifully with Alexis Krauss' demure vocals. Give a listen to the treack "Rill, Rill" from Treats below and let me know what you think! 

Introducing our chicks!

I know, I know, I teased you with a picture of six fluffy little chicks on Saturday, and then never gave you the full scoop! Well meet the gang below (no, we couldn't resist naming them after the cast of Friends):

Rachel and Phoebe are red pullets, so we already know they're ladies and are going to grow into Rhode Island Reds. The rest of the gang, however are a toss-up in the gender category. They're Speckled Sussex and the came as straightline, so we won't know until they're a little older if they're ladies or gents. While we hope they're all female, if we do end up having a rooster we can just sell him or make a trade for more chicks. Or as the helpful man at the Tractor Supply Store told us, we can "take him to our local Amish man to get him processed." Please tell me we're not the only ones who don't have a Amish man on call.

                         Rhode Island Red                                            Speckled Sussex

For anyone out there toying with the idea of back-yard chickens, but worrying about start-up cost, it's suprisingly quite low. The chicks themselves were $2 each, a bag of food was about $20 (and will last for quite a while), a giant bag of pine shavings for bedding was only $5, and besides that all you need is a heat lamp, a place to keep them until they're ready to go outside (we're using a large plastic storage tub) and food/water feeders ($10 each at the Tractor Supply Store, but may be cheaper on Amazon). All together our checkout was about $67. Not too shabby considering with 6 chickens you can get about 2 dozen (amazing, delicious) eggs/week for years! Plus endless enertainment -- we find ourselves just watching them jumping around and looking for non-existent worms in the non-existent dirt, they're just so funny!

Now, the next step for these back-yard farmers is building them a coop! We have joint custody planned with my brother and Jackie, we're housing them for the first month and then we'll be moving them into a coop in their much more spacious yard. In the meantime we'll be helping them clear out an area and set up their new digs. And in four short months, eggs for all!

So are there any other back-yard farmers out there? If so, I'd love to hear any tips or stories you have for these newbies!

Currently Craving: Colorful Stripes

There was a major breakthrough today, I don't know if you noticed it, it was a very small shift. But today, as I got out of the car to go to work, there it was. The first, very faint, smell of Spring in the air. YES! While I accept the fact that it will most likely still be a few weeks until there's actually nice weather once more, that sniff of Spring is all I need to keep me hopeful :) With that being said, I now have bright colors on the brain and I'm scheming how to give my Winter wears a Spring make-over. Stripes are already a staple for me, so I figured this was the best place to start! Check out the items I'm currently craving below...

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

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Photos from my Weekend 3.22-3.24

Making Strawberry Basil Margaritas (caught Jackie in action)

Wine and Cheese night

Visiting a Lancaster farm to meet their new babies

Getting ready to start our garden

Annnnd we got chicks! Here's the gang enjoying their new digs, more on this to come :)

White Wall, Green Thumb

I'm starting to notice a running theme in the spaces that catch my eye while reading blogs or browsing Pinterest, and that theme is white walls. Don't get me wrong, I love color, which I is why I think I 'm so drawn to a white wall. They are like a blank canvas that allow the decorations to take center stage and gives you the freedom to go as crazy with color as you want in terms of furniture and textiles. Finish the room with some green plants (live or fake) and the room automatically feels lighter and airier.

Check out the photos below for some inspiration on how to use greenery to open up your space!

-all photos linked to source-

Spring is Here!

What says Spring better than a nice big mug of hot chocolate?! Well, maybe sunshine and flowers and pretty much anything else, but it's still cold and this was delicious, so I don't even care :) My take on a Mexican hot chocolate involved simmering milk then adding three squares of Trader Joe's dark chocoate and a spinkle of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Top it off with homemade cinnamon whip cream and I'm in heaven. Seriously this was good, like can't keep the ingredients in the house or else I'd make it everyday good. Hopefully now that Spring is here the warm weather won't be far behind, but I guess I can put up with the chill a bit longer if it means it's still acceptable to make mugs of chocolately bliss!

Hello, Hedwig!

Currently Craving: Spanish Influence

I came across this editorial from L'Officiel Paris featuring the gorgeous Lana Del Ray and it has me yearning for a bit of Spanish adventure. The shoot features vibrant colors, spectacular gowns from the likes of Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Valentino, and even a smile from the typically brooding Del Ray. Plus, how enviable are her lush curls? Swoon

Happy St Patricks Day!

Irish Carbomb Cupcakes (recipe here)

Why are there no palm trees in Philadelphia?

-Photo by my friend Katie F-

More photos from vacation will be coming soon, but I thought I would start with a teaser. I am definitely not back in cold-weather/work mode yet; I keep stepping outside expecting it to be 80 degrees (not 35). At least the St. Patrick's Day festivities will keep me toasty this weekend ;)

Something Silly: Goats Remixing Songs

I am normally very behind on YouTube sensations (I have yet to watch a Harlem Shake video), but I can not stop watching goats remixing famous songs. They are super silly videos, but they entertain me to no end. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the clips below (they're all super short), and thank me later :)

Currently Listening: Social Studies

While I'm away on vacation, I've scheduled some posts to 

publish automatically. See you all soon!

Another new addition to my collection has been the album Developer from the band Social Studies. Although new to me, Social Studies' Developer is the band's sophomore LP and, from what I've read in reviews, it is a huge advancement over their debut effort. Reminiscent of Florence Welch, front woman Natalia Rogovin's vocals are deep, moody, and slightly haunting. She is backed by strong guitar riffs, subtle synth and beats, and keys that combine in concise arrangements. My top picks from the album are "Terracur" and "Away for the Weekend" (below).

 

The Writing's on the Wall

While I'm away on vacation, I've scheduled posts to 

publish automatically. See you all soon!

I've been seeing hand-written walls pop up across the web and wondering if it's going to turn into the next big thing for home decor. I do love the personal feel of handwriting scrawled imperfectly on a wall, but I think if I tried it myself I would confine it to a small space so as not to overpower the room (I also think it would take me a month just to decide what to write!). My favorite instance so far is in the kitchen below, printing a family recipe behind open shelves. It makes a statement but blends well with the rest of the decor.

 

 -All photos linked to source-

What do you think of hand-written walls: the next chalkboard wall, or just eh?

Pinterest Sunday: Gallery Walls

While I'm away on vacation, I've scheduled some posts to 
publish automatically. See you all soon!

Lately I've been seeing gallery walls popping up all around the internet and I really hope this eclectic trend is here to stay. I love how customizable a gallery wall can be depending on how you style it and what mediums you include. I've compiled some of my favorites below, I hope you enjoy them as well!

-All photos linked to source-

P.S. Follow me on Pinterest here!