Spring, a time for celebrating life!

One thing I've enjoyed about this blog has been keeping record of the seasons through everyday gifts in life--such as food, fun activities, the weather, and plants and flowers.

Spring is a season where many of my loved ones celebrate their birthdays, including little loved ones turning one (!), and it's the traditional season to celebrate mothers, new life, and new marriages.

I was really inspired by this webisode from Heather Taylor of L.A. in Bloom, so I decided to celebrate the birthdays of two dear friends with a gift of flowers (I bought some milk glass vases at a hardware store and bought a few bouquets of greens and flowers at my local TJs--super low maintenance).

I'm also really grateful for opportunities to exercise my creativity in different ways. You will definitely see more floral arrangements from me.

At work

Here are some pics from my office which I had a chance to redecorate.  Some of it's my stuff from home, some thrift store finds, and some are my boss' things.

Linguine with Clams!

I made linguine with clams over the weekend and it was 1) super easy, and 2) delicious.  I don't have a recipe on me (I kind of eye-balled everything), but I think Mario Batali has a good one . . . or Giada I'm sure.  I will definitely make this more often.

Speaking of food, I really want to see The Art of Cooking at Royal T.  Food-related art will always get an A in my book.

A pretty scene

I discovered this photo taken by Michael Graydon on Oh Happy Day earlier this week. 

I'm loving everything about the painting and the table setting.  I really like vintage furniture, tableware, and accessories paired with modern paintings and prints.  The painting gives everything a sense of freshness while the accessories ground the painting and give it sophistication.
 
I saw some similar brass candlesticks at the thrift store the other day but didn't get them because I knew they would just collect dust!  I'm just not a candlestick-using-diner but I do like the idea and the look.

Vegan baked goods

I wasn't always sure about vegan baked goods because I imagined they wouldn't taste as good without delicious things like butter, eggs, and milk . . . but I've been trying more of them lately and have been surprised by how good they are.

I tried this vegan lemon tea cake at a bakery in Atwater Village last week and it was a pleasant surprise. I also had an amazing vegan cookie at an Easter church picnic.  Back to the picture . . . I was in the area for a work assignment and took a short break at Proof Bakery.  I sat on the sidewalk and enjoyed my cappuccino and cake, while imagining I was on a European vacation . . . and after 15 minutes I proceeded to tackle the many tasks I needed to accomplish that day.  It was a nice 15 minute vacation on a Monday :)

Agua Frescas + Cook's

I've been drinking a lot of agua frescas lately . . . they are just so dang good!  I had a really good cucumber and honeydew version and a cantaloupe version not too long ago.  The one pictured is pureed mango, strawberry, and orange that I ran through a sieve, mixed with maybe a tablespoon of sugar, and diluted with ice water.  I added some chia seeds later on for a health boost.

I also borrowed my friend's Cook's Illustrated magazine.  I kind of like this magazine . . . it's starting to grow on me.  I used to feel like their recipes (while awesome) seemed too scientific and precise, but I've learned so much just flipping through the pages already.  I'll have to try making something soon.

At work

Took some pics at work . . . because I was bored and wanted a break, and wanted to take advantage of a bare shelf against a white wall (a perfect canvas for prop shots!).

My desk window overlooks a bakery by the way.  I bought a mango paleta there the other day.  Yum.