What is inspiring (lately)

March is kind of a rough month, isn't it? There is no Valentine's day to brighten it up and the weather is turning towards spring but is not spring yet. The result being everything just looks a bit dirty and beat up from the winter without the hopeful green buds of new growth to pull us along.

But, despite my gloomy outlook on March in general, I do find myself inspired these days and thought I would share these sources with you, with the wish that you would be similarly inspired through these last weeks of winter.

This movie

• I tend to love any and everything Jane Austen and Kerri Russell is too darling in this film. (At any given point in time I have an Austen novel on my nightstand. Right now, it is Pride and Prejudice. Do you have an author that you're almost constantly reading?)

This blog

• I love Elise's blog because it embraces caring for home and loved one's- nurturing relationships and creating beautiful welcoming spaces. Inspired by her, I now have houseplants. (Please see the picture below. That I have managed to keep a fickle fiddleleaf fig alive is a source of great pride.)

This new scarf collection

• Blockshop Textiles just released their Spring/Summer line and it is gorgeous. While some women dream of Birkin bags or Tiffany jewelry, a handmade, hand stamped piece of wearable art is where it is at for me. Yes, I consider it an investment. But after I took the plunge last year and purchased one of their scarves, I have not regretted it once because I have worn it like four times a week.

This chocolate peanut butter cheesecake

• This cheesecake is over the top in the best possible way. I made it last weekend and brought it into work where it was well received. One thing I love about cheesecake in general- it is so rich and decadent that while it is a bit of work to make, it will serve a crowd. 

This pasta roller

• A pasta roller was part of my valentine's gift from my husband (don't worry, I asked for it!) I have been intimidated about making my own pasta but I am amazed at really how easily it all comes together. It is time consuming but the results are just beyond delicious. 

Eating dinner here

• A few weeks back, I was able to spend a long weekend in Seattle with my sister and her husband. I have been a fan of Molly's blog for a while and took the opportunity to dine in she and her husbands restaurant. It was one of those rare times when the actual event lives up to the anticipation of it. The food was just crazy good and the staff could not have been nicer people. As I write this, I am swooning at the memory of one of the desserts: a lemon budino. (Budino is like a type of Italian pudding, but I suspect the word may also translate as heaven.) To further emphasize how much we loved it, I should disclose that after 2 appetizers and 3 pizzas (split amongst three people) we ordered all three desserts on the menu because when the food is that good, you just pray you can live up to the opportunity. If you live in the Seattle area or will be visiting, I highly recommend it. 

Oh, and this blog too

• Please do not think that because this is last on the list that it is somehow of lesser value in my mind. This blog of 3191 Miles Apart is a celebration of everyday beauty. The authors also publish a quarterly magazine that is written by them and a collection of photographs, recipes, musings and general loveliness. (The paper stars in the top picture are from instructions in one of last years issues.) Without pretension or preaching, the writers share their worlds in a way that encourages engagement in the beauty of daily life.