video: portland honeymoon 2013.

Song: I Always Knew by The Vaccines

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simple things.

^ Clean sheets. There's nothing like getting into clean sheets after a long day.
^ This sweet pup, who doesn't mind being lazy now and then. 
^ Fresh flowers that Jeffrey brings home at the end of a working day. ^ New blinds that add such a coziness to our little home. ^ A new plant to fulfill one of our May to-do list items. ^ This dog shampoo, which makes Woody feel and smell like a little dream.

Other simple things we're grateful for:

• This collar, which is giving our arm sockets a sweet break and helping Woody to walk like a gentleman.
• Ice cubes, which make all drinks extra refreshing.
• Fresh watermelon from the side of the road.

And a not-so-simple thing we're grateful for: The men and women who give their lives to fight for the freedom of this country, and the people who lose their dearest loved ones and bravely carry on.

More simple things.

date night, 003.

Over the weekend, Jeffrey and I celebrated our two-month wedding anniversary. I am nothing if not a celebrator of the little things. We went to our favorite restaurant and walked to get ice cream afterward.   Good company is such a treasure, my friends. I love when our date nights are filled with meaningful chats just as much as I love our date nights that are more quiet. I think I once heard somewhere that if you can enjoy one's company simply by sitting quietly across from one another and you both get something out of it, you have found yourself a kindred spirit. I think that's so true. On this particular evening, we had plenty to talk about, which I loved very much. We sat at a small table and felt like we were in a big city (this is Jeffrey's favorite way to enjoy a meal — at a table that feels like we're dining in a big city). We split a pizza and each got our favorite toppings on our halves. It was wonderful, just like it should be.

summer, watermelon, and burgers.

Summer days are here, my friends. They're still sharing with cool mornings and cool evenings, but midday belongs to summer. And while it's hot (and I have been known to join the chorus of sticky complaints) and humid and sweaty, there is something so special about summer. My parents came up this weekend. On the way back from the dog park, Jeffrey and I stopped at a roadside stand and picked up some watermelon. Jeffrey sliced it and stacked it in a big green bowl. We walked it down to my sister's house (where my parents were staying) and stuck it in the fridge so that it would get cool. When we ate it, it was a little piece of heaven. We didn't do much, which is sometimes the best way to spend a Saturday. We did make it to Bev's Better Burgers, which is the most delicious burger joint surrounding our little college town, of that I am sure. We went all out with fries and milkshakes. It was so delicious and the perfect way to spend a slow, summer day.

simple things.

Powerberries, because Jeffrey brought home two bags so that I could take one to work.
This granola, which my sister and brother-in-law brought over and tastes like a little piece of cinnamon heaven.
This candle, which is safe (made from soy) and smells delicious.
These letters, which my dad handmade for our wedding.
These sweet pot holders, which my mother-in-law gave to us + these sunflower seeds (my favorite addition to a salad) being stored in a jar from Jeffrey's grandma.

Other simple things we're grateful for:

• This song. Paul Simon is a songwriting genius.
• This movie, which we thought was cute. 
• A clean house. It feels nice to come home to a clean house.
• Our sweet pup, who will cuddle at any point in the day. For realz.

eat this: lemon pepper pasta + brussel sprouts and bacon.

Yum! My mouth is watering just thinking about this meal, which we ate on Sunday evening. It was so easy to throw together, it almost didn't seem real. As Jeffrey likes to say, true restaurant quality. The pasta is from Trader Joe's. Simply prepare it as directed and coat with a dash of olive oil and salt. If you're like us then your love for parmesan cheese knows no bounds, so why not add that as well?!

The brussel sprouts with bacon is something I've seen floating around a lot these days, so I thought it must be tasty. Well, it was. I strongly suggest that you make this as soon as you can because it is SO. GOOD. (And, just for reference, I'm usually not all about people using periods. to. make. a. point, so you know I'm serious.) The recipe came from the New York Times. We prepared it as a side dish, although I'm sure it would be tasty tossed into the pasta (my personal preference would be to keep it separate, though). We used bacon instead of pancetta and we didn't use the chile or lemon juice, since our pasta was lemon-y enough. Enjoy! X, J&R

date night, 002.

May in Florida is not synonymous with breezy weather, which is why we've all been scratching our heads during the last few weeks over these beautiful days we've been having! Jeffrey and I are sort of pathetic and love to eat outside so that we can bring Woody. Add in cool weather and we've got ourselves an outdoor dinner date!

Eating outside is perhaps my favorite thing in this whole entire universe, so I'll stretch appropriate-eating-outdoors weather into the month of July, which is maybe sort of pushing it. Thankfully, Jeffrey is a good sport and will play along as he wipes the sweat off his brow. I just can't help it! Dining al fresco is my bliss.

And I know I dote on our dog a lot, but WILL YOU PLEASE LOOK AT THAT FACE?!