Q.

my younger brother, Q, is quite an odd little fellow.

while we were staying at the hotel waiting for our apartment to be renovated, i wanted to capture him in his "natural habitat", meaning, taking pictures that describe his personality, character, and basically what he does 23 out of 24 hours in a normal day.

the light coming through our room window from battery park sparked my eye. snap here, snap there. move a little to the left, no the other left. and done.

i often think that silhouettes capture more than one's physical appearance. shadows, contrast, darkness all provide the mood of the photographer, and, quite frankly, the mood of the subject as well. 

after i took a few photographs, i tell him i'm finished. in an instant, he makes his way back to the only desk in the room, where his 2007 macbook pro sits; minecraft running. typical. so i took another shot.

Posted on July 24, 2014 and filed under i take photos.

"raw" + vegan snickers bars

a video, a few pictures, a few words here and there, and the recipe. 

that's all that is needed for this post.

 

let's keep it minimal.

"raw", vegan, minimal snickers

makes 10 bars


crust:

1.5c rolled oats

15 dates

3 tbs almond milk

1 tbs brown rice syrup

caramel:

2c dates (lightly packed)

1/4-1/2c almond milk 

chocolate:

6oz dark chocolate

01. in a food processor, blend all crust ingredients. press in one even layer into a tart pan

02. refrigerate

03. process all caramel ingredients. spread evenly over "crust"

04. refrigerate

05. melt 6oz of chocolate (i used coconut-filled) in a double-broiler over low heat. pour over "crust" and "caramel"

06. refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or freeze for 1 hour.

07. cut. enjoy.

Posted on July 17, 2014 and filed under videos!!!, i make food.

hey, it's summer

 

01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06

it's summer. 

and i've said it about a gazillion times this month. from the five years that i have lived in new york city, i have never been so entirely intoxicated by the thoughts of summer. most likely because this winter was the absolute worst. no jokes here. 

anyways… what i have composed for you all is a little palette/moodboard that really gives me those bright, bold, summer-y feels. plus, all of these photographs and graphics are a few of my favorite pins this week.

enjoy, and have a lovely afternoon.

Posted on July 10, 2014 and filed under moodboards, i share stuff.

some finds + where have i been?

1/ yossy arefi shares a stunner slab blueberry pie on food52.  plus, it's made with rye too!

2/ diy waffle cones, pastel-colored ice cream, gorgeous pictures, and... er... awesomeness

3/ can i have this bracket of bracelets? maybe some inspiration for a little diy project this summer.

4/ unknown source - but a super simple, exquisite black "uniform"

5/ ginger and vanilla granola. because ginger and vanilla are totally meant to be paired together.

6/ i absolutely love this outfit. from hair to shoes, the white against white is sure to please me. 

— 

so where have i been for the past week?

well… packing, sleeping, eating, packing, moving, sleeping, etc. for the next ten days or so we are living in a local hotel. sure, there are perks: blasting the AC to 60 degrees at night, turn-down service with chocolates, free apples in fruit bowls at every corner, and an empty gym. but, i still have the characteristics of the impatient little girl who wants so badly to move in, and sleep in her own room (finally). 

the excitement is creeping up on all of us, i must say. we check the apartment three times a day, making sure that everything, the floors, the walls, the cleanliness, is as close to perfect as it can be. problems arose at the beginning, but it seems that everything is finally mellowing out. and we're happy.

so here we are. or here i am. sitting at an aroma café scrambling for words, and enjoying the free wifi while it lasts. (nope, no free wifi at our hotel).

on the other hand, it's the fourth of july, and my mother, brother, and i are going to spend the day in chinatown to get our food-fix. 

have a lovely weekend, and a grill-filled fourth of july!

Posted on July 4, 2014 and filed under moodboards, i share stuff.

it's over

(roll mouse over image above!)

 

i was walking home from school yesterday, and i thought, "wow, this is really the end."

and it truly is the end... of middle school.

and although it is only the end of yet another school year, i started to reflect what great things have happened this year. the many awesome things.

  • i turned fourteen 
  • i attended an amazing school
  • i learned more than i have ever thought possible
  • i successfully got into a high school
  • i rediscovered my love for art and drawing
  • i started to read again
  • i started this blog
  • i started to cook
  • i started to bake
  • i started to write
  • i started taking photographs 
  • i became comfortable with aloneness 

i have learned a tremendous amount this year. many of which are not noted on the beginning of this already long list. it could go on. 

i can admit i have very much changed since the beginning of the year. and i am thankful for the people who have helped shape me into the young woman i am now.

to my parents, teachers, peers, and others, i want to thank you all.

i cannot wait for the amazing changes of next year. i can already see great things.

 

summer has finally begun.

Posted on June 27, 2014 and filed under blah blah blah.

papa, papa

this father's day was very special. a visit to dia:beacon, warm rays, a roberta's pie, a taco or two… it was very "rael family" sort of sunday. and i'm very glad i have an awesome dad to share it all with.

do me a favor, and call up your dad. if he's in the other room (like mine), or in another place, go ahead and tell him you love him. they don't get told it enough.

- -

here are a few visual snipets from today. we weren't really supposed to take pictures… but who cares

dan flavin / a retrospective

walking the sol lewitt

q + serra

me + serra

family portrait courtesy of gerhard richter

good night.

Posted on June 15, 2014 and filed under i take photos.

a great weekend + a raw tart

how has your weekend been? mine's been pretty great if you ask me. 

it's been sunny. my life has been busy, but who cares? i get to eat this tart.

and let me tell you, tarts are good. and this one… is a raw raspberry + pistachio coconut cream tart-pie. with an awesome crust. huzzah!

i know you all just want the recipe, so i'll stop blabbering now. enjoy the photographs!

 

raw raspberry + pistachio tart

serves 8


crust:

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds / pepitas

scant 1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 tsp sea salt

1.5 cup dates, soaked for 10min + chopped

1 tbs fresh grated ginger


filling:

2 cans full fat coconut milk (canned)

2 tbs coconut sugar


raspberries

chopped pistachios

agave

the day before:

01. place both cans of coconut milk in the refrigerator


crust:

01. in warm water, soak dates for at least 10 minutes

02. using a food processor, process pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, shredded coconut, and sea salt until finely ground

03. drain dates, and chop into small pieces. place dates and grated ginger into the seed and coconut “flour"

04. process until dates combine with “flour” and form a sticky ball

05. in a tart pan, press the dough crust evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. (wet hands before doing this so that the dough doesn’t stick)

06. place a sheet of plastic wrap over the crust and pan and set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes


filling:

01. gently take coconut milk out of the freezer and turn upside-down 

02. open the cans, and carefully pour out the coconut water that is on the top

03. scoop out the coconut cream that is left at the bottom of the cans into a large bowl

04. using an upright or hand mixer, whip coconut cream and coconut sugar together until the cream reaches soft peaks


together:

01. take the crust out from the freezer and remove plastic wrap

02. pour coconut whip cream into tart pan, and evenly spread around 

03. decorate with raspberries

04. sprinkle chopped pistachios over top

05. drizzle your agave

// store in freezer or fridge //

 
Posted on June 8, 2014 and filed under i make food.

found illustrations: stephanie ginger

today, i found stephanie ginger's petite, but really cool portfolio. and i when i find something cool, it's only natural that i share it. and here i am. 

her illustrations are simple, adorable, and have a modern and bold feel to them. i love them, to be honest, and i wish there was more to her portfolio!

 

hello summer art inspiration… nice to see you again. 

have a lovely week everyone!

Posted on June 3, 2014 and filed under i share stuff, this was found.

snapshots

hello fellow readers!

i swear i can feel summer in my bones! it is so close!

i'm slowly starting to stow away my heavy sweaters and gradually bringing out all of my fun airy dresses and shorts. it's quite a rewarding process, since winter was was horrendous this year.

the photos above are a few snapshots i've taken this week. a lot of green, no? greens make me happy. very happy.


Posted on May 28, 2014 and filed under i take photos.

inspiration for a new room / white vs. white

long story short let me just say that we're moving up three flights of stairs. moving up three flights of stairs means three bedrooms instead of two. three bedrooms means that i get my own room. my own room means that i get to design/decorate/make-it-awesome!

it's like the circle of life.

kinda.

can anyone guess how long it's been since i had my own room? let's see… i'd need about three hands...

10 years okay. 10. years. but, i have to say that this is a pretty fantastic high school freshman present for the new year!

anyways, let me show you some future planning i had in mind:

what i am really searching for is white on white on white on white on white. really simple, yet aesthetically pleasing. because i do not own a bed frame, my bed will be placed on the floor, which will give it a very home-y look, no? white duvets and sheets of course!

over the summer, i'm also planning on doing a few DIY room projects… a hanging clothing rack perhaps? it would add a comfy-bedroom feel to the room, as well as adding a little bit more hanging space.

something else that completely caught my eye during my "inspiration search" are fig trees (or any sort of bedroom-safe plant for all that matter). a pop of green to the all white room would give a nice scandinavian-hipster vibe. (that is what is seems like i'm going for…) my always awesome dad actually bought me a hanging cement planter with air plants (!!) to hang in my new bedroom as well. plants and more plants for the win!

last but not least, i think what would tie my new room up nicely (maybe even with a bow), is some sort of inspiration/pinning board. if i can do it on pinterest, i could surely do it on a lovely board! i was brainstorming a few ideas of how it could work...

- a diy wooden board (like the one above)

- a whole cork wall

- a whole charcoal felt wall

- white magnet boards

the possibilities are endless… i guess i'll figure it out once we move.

until then, farewell and have a great rest of the week!

 

Posted on May 21, 2014 and filed under wishlist.

easily adaptable awesome cookies

another busy, busy week for this very unorganized soon-to-be high-schooler.

BUT. 

i have another cookie recipe

for all of you busy, busy people who are in dire need of something sweet

and if you tell me "no", here are a few reasons why you have to:

a) although you may be busy doing who know's what, you need your cookie fuel for the week

b) THEY'RE COOKIES AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES you HAVE to make these cookies

can we just admire this #almondmilkporn

yes.

yes we can.

it's just… i can't... no words.

of course in a bonne maman strawberry jam jar, because WHY NOT.

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in fact, you could even eat these cookies raw if you wanted to

hmmm… healthy cookie dough anyone? it's not like it hasn't been done before or anything...

BUT SERIOUSLY. GO TO YOUR KITCHEN AND MAKE THESE COOKIES

i am 99.99992% sure that you have all of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now just waiting to be used for this very recipe.

yes.

 

the easiest easily adaptable awesome 5-ingredient amazing cookies, ever

adapted from the one and only minimalist baker


1 cup packed dates (preferably medjool + soaked in warm/hot water for at least 10 min)

1 medium/large ripe banana

2 tbs almond butter

3/4 cup almond meal

3/4 cup rolled oats

(optional additions: chopped dark chocolate, coconut, flame raisins, nuts, other goodness…)

00. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

01. drain dates, and put in a food processor until chopped into little bits

02. add banana and almond butter and process again until smooth

03. pour in almond meal and rolled oats and pulse until just combined

04. with a spatula, fold in remaining mix-ins

05. scoop a small handful of dough and roll them into small balls, and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. press down lightly on each dough ball, as they will not spread

06. bake for 15 minutes - 18 minutes

07. take out and let cool. then eat immediately.


the almond milk says "hi"

Posted on May 9, 2014 and filed under i make food.

this week in the city + link loves

hello! guess who's had one of the busiest weeks ever?

me.

so busy that i haven't written a blog post in over a week! 

so busy that i haven't baked anything this week!

so busy that i want to sleep all the time.

that kind of busy.

and yes, i know i am only fourteen years old, but it's pretty bad, okay?

 

but although it seems that i have no time whatsoever, i've taken a few photos here and there… (i guess i wasn't all that busy after all…) 

there was rain, and there was sun, and there were watermelons, and there were blossoms, and– well, you get the point.

and if you'd like to take a look at the few things that i've found interesting/note-worthy this week...

 

Posted on May 4, 2014 and filed under i share stuff, i take photos.

is almond butter better than peanut butter?

so i've been asked this question a lot...

"is almond butter better than peanut butter?"

and i say,

"well…"

and they say,

"well what?"

and then...

"well… it's different."

"different???"

"yeah, it's more… almond-y."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"it's better than peanut butter. that's it."

and then they yell at me and exclaim that it could never be better than skippy peanut butter. but let me assure you. it CAN


especially when it is paired with maple syrup, a large dash of salt, and nutmeg.

(woohoo for nutmeg! bringing christmas to spring!!)

(plus it is super easy, and is probably 99.999999% better for you…)


maple + nutmeg almond butter


16oz raw almonds (or roasted)

1 tbs maple syrup

2 tsp ground nutmeg (you could also do cinnamon!)

1/2+ tsp salt

00. (if your almonds are not already pre-roasted) in a pan over medium heat, toast almonds until they begin to brown and turn golden, (and they don't taste like water as much)

01. blend almonds in a vitamix or powerful food processor for 10-20 minutes until it turns into a butter - there is the four stages: the flour stage, the paste stage, the ball stage, and then the butter stage… be patient!

02. add in nutmeg, maple syrup, and salt, and blend again. it will cease up into a paste ball and eventually turn into a spread stage… do not fear!

03. enjoy on a large slab of warm banana bread

 
Posted on April 27, 2014 and filed under i make food.

and i'm back

and i'm back from spring break! hoora- NO. 

back from break means back to school.

which means a lot less time to do things...

like baking stuff...

like baking granola...

so of course, the night before returning back to the school morning routine, i whipped up a batch of chunky fig, hazelnut butter, & quinoa granola. super good i must say. super DUPER good.

like so good that you will just scoop handfuls of this granola into your mouth kind-of good.

**slightly sweet, salty, crunchy – the whole SHEBANG. 

it's pretty awesome.

 

**just a side note: when i say slightly sweet, i mean not really sweet at all. if you'd like it to be sweeter, just add more honey/agave/maple syrup.

***adapted loosely from this recipe


1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds (unroasted)

2 tbs homemade hazelnut butter (or other nut butter)

1/2 tbs olive oil (doesn't have to be exact)

1/2 tbs coconut oil

1 tbs agave/maple syrup/honey (any would work)

1 tsp+ salt 

5 large dried figs

1/3 cup flame raisins

00. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F + line a baking sheet with parchment paper

01. rinse quinoa in a fine mesh-strainer until water runs clear 

02. in a large bowl, combine quinoa, oats, and chopped almonds

03. in a small saucepan, melt together coconut oil, olive oil, hazelnut butter, and agave

04. once melted together, pour over quinoa/oats/almonds, add salt, and fold together until combined

05. in one layer, spread out the un-toasted granola onto the baking sheet

06. bake for 20 minutes, flipping granola about half way

07. for the last 5 minutes, add figs and raisins, and lower oven heat to 275 degrees F

08. once done, let cool, and store in an airtight container


ENJOY!

P.S. and maybe sometime next week i'll post the photographs i took in santa fe! have a great end of the week!

Posted on April 23, 2014 and filed under i make food.

and i'm off!


if you are reading this now, know that i am currently away in new mexico for spring break! aahhhhh, spring break! for 10 days!!

also know that i am most likely taking wonderful pictures to share with you all when i get back, so BE. EXCITED.

 

anyways...

all new yorkers can say that last weekend was a good representation of spring in its youth. meaning that there was sunlight, WARM sunlight, (didn't really get that quite often), and there are people walking in the streets without jackets on. and if you go to union square, there are people walking in the streets with no clothes on. so as much as you should enjoy spring, BEWARE.

last weekend, my lovely family and i walked approximately 5-ish miles just strolling along the east-side of manhattan. lower manhattan that is. we made visit to our favorite shops in the lower east side/soho/noho/downtown area. 

let me explain that these photographs are not in chronological order, so i will explain each shop and/or moment with scattered numbers. 

#01. a lovely breakfast of fresh bread from eataly, a ripe avocado, and a balsamic rainbow cherry salad

#10. a walk to saturdays. the hipster surf shop that sells really good coffee (??)

#09. a very bold graffiti wall in noho

#03 + #04. shop flowers and water towers viewed while walking — water towers are very interesting to west-siders i must add

#02 + #05 + #07. one of my favorite shops with the most beautiful light: project no. 8 — find your gadgetry and trinkets here! and very photogenic plants!

#06. creatures of comfort. aka my inspiration behind my url: common comfort. it is the most elegant and amazing store and has the best clothing and bags and weird rain hats. aka my kind of store. (*izzy stop using AKA*)

#08. actually a picture of the brooklyn bridge from that week (NOT SUNNY.) when the new jersey forest fire smoke had settled over manhattan and brooklyn.

 

until next time, farewell! and have a fantastic (hopefully) stress-free week!

Posted on April 17, 2014 and filed under i take photos.

probably the best flourless zucchini brownies, ever

** i do realize that the photo above reads "flourESS zucchini brownies". my apologies for my error.

but anyways,

you heard me.

zucchini brownies.

like there are green vegetables in these brownies.

 

but can you taste it? no.

but does it make these brownies totally delicious, and moist, and amazing, and absolutely scrumptious??

you guessed it!

IT DOES. and LOOK at the drizzle of coconut whip cream on that brownie. 

it's almost like they were made for each other. i ship it.


i'm suspecting that the majority of you will just end up closing the tab to these brilliant brownies, because it contains green things.

but to the few of you who a reading on… i congratulate you. you will be able to make awesome zucchini brownies after this.


(i forgot to mention that these brownies are vegan, gluten-free, flourless, and awesome)


brownies:

1/2 cup nut butter (i used leftover homemade cashew butter and hazelnut butter)

1/4 cup agave

1/2 cup finely smashed banana (about 1 large)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa/cacao powder

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (from 1 medium-large zucchini)

3/4 cup oats (gf if desired)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

 

coconut whip cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 tbs sugar (or other granulated sugar)

 

 

 

for the whip cream:

01. the night before you make the brownies, or eat the brownies, place a can in your fridge.

02. the next day, gently take out the can, *do not shake it*

03. carefully turn the can upside-down and take off the top of the can using a can-opener.

04. in your sink, drain out the liquid at the top.

05. empty the dense coconut cream at the bottom of the can into a bowl, and whip it with sugar in an electric mixer, or by hand — (which is what i do to get those muscles pumpin')

 

for the brownies:

00. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

01. grind oats until ground into a fine flour (i used a bullet smoothie maker)

02. in a large bowl with a whisk, mix together nut butter, agave, the smashed banana, and vanilla. vigorously mix, until smooth. (optionally, you can use a standard mixer)

03. add in cocoa, oat flour, zucchini, and baking soda, salt, and mix again until well combined. it's okay if the shredded zucchini breaks up!

04. pour brownie batter into 9" x 9" pan (or close) and bake for 25-30 minutes. mine were perfect at 25, but my oven is ancient.

05. let brownies cool & top with coconut whip cream

 


have a fantastic weekend! (and a lovely spring break to all of you public school-ers!)

Posted on April 12, 2014 and filed under i make food.

link loves / 04.09.14

hello lovely people!

my dad was on the british virgin islands this weekend, and he sent me these pictures that are stunning. i mean, look at that water! soooooo blue. i hope i get the chance to visit at least once. from the photos, it looks like a serene paradise. really.

anyways...

it's not sunday, and it's not particularly friday… but it's time for some link loves to get you through the second worst day of the week.

 

 

that's all for now!

have a stress-free hump day everyone!

 

Posted on April 9, 2014 and filed under i share stuff.

oat & nib "blondies"

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is it just me, or do all bakers eat their food while they photograph it? izy? does this ever happen to you? it happens every. single. time. (see first .gif for reference).

well i just created this whip-up-anytime recipe with some medjool dates i had bought from our family lunch date/shopping spree at eataly. medjools alone are soft and so incredibly sweet that you could enjoy them on their own, stuffed with almond butter, or even some homemade (1-hour ground in-frustration) hazelnut butter.

don't ask.

just know that my food processor broke, and my last resort was a magic bullet. yes. it was an hour or so.

but seriously, i've seen so many raw/non-raw bars using medjool dates, walnuts, cacao etc. so i knew i had to try to make something of my own.

oat & nib "blondies" + chocolate "frosting"


for the blondies:

1 cup packed + pitted medjool dates (soaked)

1 cup oats

1/4 walnuts or almonds

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cacao nibs

handful of chopped figs (optional)

shredded coconut (optional)

 

for the frosting:

a ripe banana

heaping tbs cacao/cocoa powder

 

(00). bring a small pot of water to a bowl and pour over pitted medjool dates in a bowl. let sit for 3 minutes

01. in a food processor, blend oats, almonds, and salt until ground into a flour 

02. drain water from soaked dates, and add medjools. blend until a ball of dough is formed

03. add cacao nibs, figs, and other miscellaneous toppings that fancy you and pulse until just combined

04. in a small plastic container or tuppaware, place dough in center and firmly press down until it reaches the sides in an even layer

05. in the same processor (cleaned if necessary), blend banana and cacao powder until smooth

06. pour frosting over blondie and spread in yet another even layer

07. sprinkle with coconut and enjoy!

08. i recommend refrigerating it for at least 3 hours before eating, but you can eat it right then and there if you'd like!


have a fantastic and rain-free weekend everyone!

Posted on April 4, 2014 and filed under i make food.

moodboard : rainy weekend


what a murky weekend it's been here in new york city. besides the wind chills and constant drizzle, it's been a pretty good one. my mom and i celebrated this ominous weather by baking espresso chocolate cake and fig & walnut biscotti. yes. that's right. TWO baked desserts. 

we're still making our way through the (best-ever) chocolate cake before it goes bad. which will be easy.

 

since this blog is still in it's inception, this post is the first of its kind. moodboards.

colors, inspiration, lovely things, and basically anything that catches my eye when i scroll through my pinterest and/or tumblr feed. 

this moodboard is inspired by this northeast sprinkle storm. dark + natural tones, indoor baking, and fresh spring flowers, and of course, sweaters. and the somewhat mellow weather.

 

sweater / sea / brittle / coat / petals / mountains / fish tails


besides this moodboard, i'd like to introduce you to someone who i've been following for a while. 

 

valentina, also known as tuna (boon), has become an instagram sensation.

other than being the only thing that my LA friends talk about, man, can she sing. 

this girl has so much talent, it's un-explainable.

even though i do not know her personally, she seems like such a flawless character, and it would be pretty amazing if i met her the next time i visited los angeles.

which will be soon, i hope.

 

please listen to one of her soundcloud posts, it's very lovely.

Posted on March 30, 2014 and filed under moodboards, playlists.

a few friends

although we've never encountered each other face-to-face, i have photography-savvy friends around the world. i'm oblivious to the fact of how incredibly talented, creative, and committed each and everyone one of these splendid individuals are. from the united kingdom to the san francisco bay area to nevada, these young, humorous photographers are always striving for the finest capture.

 

top row: henry "howl" hemulen. curly-haired dreamer of the uk. aspiring to become one of the new york city folk, and meet alice gao. we call him "crumpet man" for obvious reasons.

middle row: dominic laxague. explorer of reno, nevada. obsessive over all plants, inside and out. always talks about how one day he will visit the great iceland. constant sweater-wearer.

bottom row: will suiter. adventurer of the san francisco sea. fog-follower. i'm absolutely positive he has a crush on each and every potted succulent plant alive. we call him "fish". also for obvious reasons.

 

i encourage all of you to explore their accounts on instagram, and follow their journeys around the corners of the globe. each of these gentlemen have many stories to tell in their square captures, and all have a stunning view of the world.

in many ways, i am jealous of how skilled and ingenious these fellows are, and someday i hope to master the fine art of photography just as they have. i also hope to meet them all one day.

but for now, we are currently curating and laying out our ideas for a magazine: articles on pot-plants, local restaurants, food, amenities, things we adore, and of course, our own photography. 

it is still up in the air, but just know that the three of us are hard at work! i will release more information about this soon-to-be magazine in a few more weeks. for now, be sure to follow the magazine's official instagram!

 

until then, have a lovely start of spring!

Posted on March 22, 2014 and filed under i share stuff.