april.

i’ve been dragging my feet on my april post because, well, april was a tough one.  it would have actually been a great month had it not been for our dearest lucky dog passing away unexpectedly at the end of the month.  i know you’ve heard me talk a lot about it on here and i still have lots of posts up my sleeve to keep our memories of him alive, but it definitely put a dark cloud over the month.  it’s weird thinking that this whole year will be marked by his death, and we would have never guessed that going into 2015.  our hearts still hurt and we miss him every day.

on a happier note, the love and support of our family and friends were wonderful, which means so much.  and i took a work trip to europe in mid-april which was pretty rad.  a few more posts to come on that trip too.  hmm, what else?  easter, a work trip to michigan, and my friend kristen came to stay with me one weekend [we go way back].  hanging with her always means good food and good talks, so that was a fun weekend.  i’ll let you see the rest in photos…

{i love wisteria.}

{trying to get these pale legs a little color.  little did i know that we would hardly see the sun in the entire month of may!!!!}

{this guy.  he loved to lay out with me.}

{…and can’t forget about this little girl.  she’s still as rough and tough as ever and still looks like a kitten to me, even though she has to be approaching fourteen years old.  i wonder if she misses her brother?  that photo on the right says it all though:  cats are weird.} ;)

{that sky.  and little miss priss.}

{spotted on my run:  beautiful irises in the greenwood cemetery.  just in time for easter!}

{egg hunting in the ’97-’98 time frame i believe…}

{…but nothing beats adorable baby mike in his easter whites hunting for eggs with a basket as big as he is!}

{on easter sunday: we normally make a big family dinner for easter but mike wasn’t able to come home from school and dad had to fly out right after church, so mom, mimi, and i opted for a brunch out instead.  we went to grace in fort worth [one of mom and dad’s favorites] and had champagne and some great food.  i ordered halibut which was cooked to perfection but was unfortunately missing the brown butter sauce it was supposed to come with… i realized it afterwards, but i’m just using it as an excuse to go back to grace [as if i need an excuse…]}  ;)

{another gorgeous scene from greenwood cemetery.  there’s magic there, i tell you.}

{speaking of magic… few people know the magic of carrolton’s koreatown.  glad to have my foodie co-worker linda who takes me to all the best places in town!}

{lunch with mom and mimi at the tea room in one of the better antique malls in arlington.}

{on the left: tea room food.  and on the right: when i feel like mother hubbard but don’t have time to get to the grocery store… kitchen sink fried rice it is.  this night’s creation was extra spicy and included: onions, garlic, egg, celery, carrots, grape tomatoes, corn, spring mix, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, and sriracha.  pretty yummy, if i do say so myself!}

{i met kristen for coffee at brewed in fort worth one afternoon, and i’m now obsessed.}

{everything about these pictures and everything about this place.}

{i ordered the cold-brewed coffee on tap.  it looks like a nice rich milk stout, no?}

{for national siblings day.  the caption read:  mike, thanks for letting me dress you up, read to you, drag you around, sing allllll the time, talk to you about stuff you really don’t wanna know about, and plan adventures for us.  i don’t think much has changed because i’m still doing most of this stuff and you still oblige, most of the time. ;)  i’m so thankful you’re mine.  truth.}

{on the left:  yeah.  remind me to padlock my door next time i’m on a long trip.  THANKFULLY this wasn’t my cube.  and on the right:  so this happened.  a nail polish accident.  unfortunately this WAS mine.  #dontask}

{our beautiful yard, bathed in sunlight.  it kills me that this very yard, the same one that we love so much and that lucky loved so much, ended up being the death of him.  it’s so unfair!}

{when kristen came to visit!  on the left: i call these mother-hubbard-style hors d’oeuvres [yepppp, more mother hubbard.  i know].  i was able to scrounge up a par-baked loaf of bread in the freezer, some fresh goat cheese from the fridge, and some strawberry jam.  and you know what?  they were quite tasty.  on the right: alway love me some dinner at HG sply co.  we both ordered the hunted – green apple & nutmeg cured duck confit, caramelized parsnips & lemon & garlic roasted brussels sprouts.  everything was cooked to perfection.}

{and we met up with katlyn and ryan and some of his work buddies after dinner at the rustic!  i’m so excited for katlyn and ryan’s engagement.  they’re a perfect couple.}

{love this girl!}

{the next evening, kristen and i hit up bolsa, another favorite of mine.  we ordered the charcuterie & cheese board, which was to die for.  it had seasoned grapes; three texas cheeses – latte de argento capra [a local goat cheese], tomme de hood [a raw milk cheese], and pachi pachi picoso [a spicy aged cheese with chiles]; pickled green strawberries with cloves; pickled green almonds with mint; wild boar rillettes [basically a coarse pate or whipped pork] with chickpeas; whole grain mustard; pickled red onions and fiddlehead ferns; honeycomb; mustard [dried fruit in a mustard-flavored syrup]; bresaola [air-dried aged salted beef]; and thin-sliced spanish chorizo.  and different kinds of breads and crostini to spread all that on.  it was truly heaven on earth.}

{awesome cocktails too.  this one is the mirage – chamomile-infused gin, manzanilla sherry, jasmine, & mediterranean tonic.}

{on the left: the peruvian botanist – la caravedo pisco, fennel sweet pepper, dill, & lime.  on the right: we shared the windy hill goat croquette and were both so excited to try goat meat for the first time!  it was served with stewed hominy, guajillo yogurt, & huitlacoche, which is a fungus that’s eaten as a delicacy in mexico.  a culinary adventure it was!}

{onto the next work adventure – detroit – with teavana’s iced youthberry tea and a good does of food + travel + girly reads in hand.}

{downtown detroit by night and by day.}

{i sure missing having a dog.  a couple days after lucky died, i met him reincarnated as buffalo, the cutest little pup who lives in my building.  he looks EXACTLY like him!  cue the tears… but it makes me so happy to see a little guy that reminds me of our fella.}

{good memories from a year ago at big folkin’ festival in deep ellum with noelle.  and i’m pretty pumped because i get to visit this girl in denver in a week, tacked on to a work trip so i don’t even have to pay for airfare.  i can’t wait!}

{urban taco deliciousness.}

{and finally, one of the biggest highlights of the month was getting asked to be a bridesmaid in katlyn’s wedding!  i was SO thrilled – i love this girl so much and feel so honored to get to be a part of her and ryan’s big day.  can’t wait until they tie the knot!!}

 started a new season in may and things are looking up.  xoxo