Have you noticed a little radio silence over here? (I mean, probably not. I never when notice bloggers go offline until they talk about how they went offline.) But it has been quiet due to a real doozy of a week. Life threw me a few curveballs with some big work deadlines, a trip to the ER (thanks to a pretty terrible hand burn from dropping a pot of boiling pasta water) and did I mention we have a teething infant at home? I got in a real slump last night about all of it – Jane had a meltdown and an early bedtime, I got quite stressed out over a few emails in my inbox, and a late afternoon doctor’s visit resulted in news that my hand needs quite some time to heal.
Luckily my mom came up to help me out for the week with Jane while I’m dealing with a heavily bandaged left hand, and she snapped me out of it. Moms are experts in snapping you out of a pity party. She told me to get myself a beer, stop worrying, be grateful for your cute baby and wonderful husband and creative job, and then we made some cookie dough. Thanks Mom. You were right. Again.
For me, my best way to reset is usually by getting back into work, and finding my rhythm again – so that’s what I did today. Digging into some client projects, brainstorming so fresh content for next week, and finally writing a blog post even if it’s about nothing and everything. Read on for a few more random thoughts, including the deliciously dangerous pasta recipe that sent me to the hospital, ha!
Dangerous Pasta. The meal that resulted in my crazy hand burn and a frenzied trip to the ER (thanks to my amazing neighbor who dealt with Jane and drove us!) was miraculously salvaged and incredibly delicious. I didn’t get to photograph it for a post, but it was worthy of sharing quickly here. I roasted a whole head of garlic and a few cups of cherry tomatoes with lots of salt and pepper and olive oil. After cooking a fresh pot of pasta (and having someone else carefully drain the boiling water) we tossed the hot tomatoes and their juices, the soft roasted garlic cloves, and a touch more olive oil together while it was all still hot. The roasted tomatoes and garlic cloves almost melted into the hot pasta to create a flavorful sauce, and we finished it off with some parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. The meal was a silver lining to an unfortunate kitchen accident!
Stylemaker Trip. Heading to NYC every fall for Better Homes & Garden’s Stylemaker conference has become a tradition and I’m hopefully heading there next week! There is some (silly, self-imposed) pressure to look your best at these blogger conferences but I am admittedly not one for trends so packing can feel daunting. I called on my personal stylists (ahem, mom and sister) and snagged a few new things for “options” depending on the weather.
I found this super cozy peplum jacket at Nordstrom that I’ll probably wear an embarrassing amount this fall because I already love it so much. I’m planning to toss it over either my favorite gingham shirt dress, or a new blouse I got at 40% off this week at Loft. I found amazing new fall booties that look perfect paired with a dress but they were a bit too small; the fashion gods were working in my favor though and I found a similar pair at Target for 1/3 of the price! For accessories, I’m all about the tassels and have a pair of longer beaded tassel earrings or smaller gold and navy fringed earrings as options. Let’s not forget my bandaged left paw, the most fashionable accessory of all! It’ll be a conversation starter, right?
On The Blog. It’s been quiet around here lately, remember? But I did share an extremely festive, colorful taco and treats themed baby shower on the blog last week that you should definitely not miss. We celebrated one of my best friends and her impending baby boy’s arrival, and I had the extra lovely perk of getting to eat leftover tacos for days after the party – everyone wins.
Check back next week though for the recipe pictured above; I’ll be sharing homemade mini coffee cake donuts on Friday for National Coffee Day!
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So sorry to hear about your hand! Those donuts look divine…can’t wait until next week for the recipe!
Yay! check back on friday 😉
Ouch!! Hope your arm heals quickly, Kate. I feel like I’m always 1 second away from a move like that… 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend! xoxo
Yes, a total brain mis-fire! On the mend though, thanks for your well-wishes bud!
Oh my gosh! Hope your hand is feeling better! And I totally hear you on the pressure to dress your best at blogger conferences. It feels like a multi-day photo opp!