Bling

I seem to go through phases with jewelry. I will go months without wearing anything other than my wedding ring and the occasional bracelet, but other times I get inspired by seeing women with perfectly curated jewelry and it really kicks their style up a level. I like statement pieces and pieces that add a little sparkle or color to your outfit. Here's a few pieces I am currently eyeing:

I really like this bracelet by J.Crew. It's great as a solo piece but would also look awesome layered with other gold bracelets. 

Confession: I do not have my ears pierced. I did once upon a time when I was in the fifth grade, but for many reasons I decided to let them close up and I've been a clip on gal ever since. These Tory Burch Gingham Stud clip ons are adorable! Unfortunately, finding cute clip on earrings can be a challenge, but Tory Burch and Kate Spade both make some fun options!

Of course Anthropologie kills it as usual with this beautiful necklace. It would like great with a simple crisp white shirt and jeans.

What are your favorite pieces in your own jewelry collection? I am partial to the three Cole Haan bangles my husband gave me and my black and teal necklace from Florence. And of course, my wedding ring! :) 

Butter Goes For A Hike

Last weekend my sister in law and I went for a hike through Forest Park here in Portland. When I first moved here I would go for walks through Forest Park pretty frequently. My first apartment was only a few blocks away from one of the entrances and I was in love with the fact that unlike Los Angeles, you could have nature and the city all in one. I have to admit, I am by no means the "outdoorsy type", demonstrated by the fact that we leisurely hiked through the park with lattes in hand. Regardless, it was a lovely way to spend our Sunday afternoon and it reminded me of just how much I enjoy Forest Park!

Look how beautiful it is! 

There is this little stone cabin down by the river in the middle of the park. I am so curious about the history of this little house. It has no roof and there are no signs about why it is there. It's two levels and you can walk around in it, but it is quite small. Time to do some research! 

I can't wait to go back! 

Book Club

When my sister and I were little girls my mom used to tell us that taking us to a book store was like taking any other kid to a candy store. We have always loved to read and we each have a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to genres.

I just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. Much like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo the story took a while to take off, but once it did I couldn't put it down. I faced major anxiety one day when I forget it at home and had to suffer through my lunch break without it. I started The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and I am excited that it picks up right where the last one left off and so far, it is not a slow start. In fact it's quite thrilling!

I have a long list of books I want to read waiting patiently for me on my bookshelf, including: Bossypants by Tina Fey, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

Some of my favorites include: The Harry Potter series (of course!), The Pilgrimage and By the River Piedra I Sat and Wept by Paulo Coelho, Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, Velvet Elvis and Sex God by Rob Bell, and more that will be shared later!

What are some of your favorite reads?

Photo via Amazon.

A Celebration

The absolutely lovely place I currently work at threw myself and a fellow co-worker/friend of mine a farewell party on Friday. It was such a sweet gesture and it felt good knowing they were supportive of our future endeavors. She will be starting a full time graduate program and I will be starting my new job in one week! I am so excited and feel blessed to be given an opportunity to utilize my creativity each and every day and such an inspiring setting!

We were asked what kind of tasty treats we would enjoy for our good-bye-and-good-luck party and we chose french macaroons and mini pies! They were adorable and oh so delicious! A big thanks to them for their support and encouragement! And for being so thoughtful as to throw us a farewell event!

Aren't they lovely? :)

Delicioso!

We've been trying to make more meals at home and eat healthy foods here at the Donahue house and it has actually been quite a bit of fun trying out new recipes! It's even more fun when the sun is shining and we can enjoy our dinner out on the balcony with a glass of crisp white wine.

About 5 or 6 months ago I started eating a primarily vegan diet. I say primarily because I still eat fish and am not 100% strict with it. I started the diet because I was having some health issues and this change in lifestyle was a good alternative to taking a bunch of medication that I didn't really want to take. And it has definitely been working, so I decided I would just stay on this path! At first switching to a vegan menu was really challenging- I felt like I couldn't eat anything. But then I became more adventurous and invested in switching out some key ingredients in our fridge and cabinets. For the most part, Mr. Butter has been eating the same foods as me and I am very proud of him for being so adventurous and supportive!

Some of our favorite dishes include: Creamy polenta with roasted bell peppers and veggie sausage, Basil pesto pasta with sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts, Tomato bruschetta drizzled with balsamic vinegar syrup, all kinds of variations on tacos, burritos, and nachos, lotsa' bean chili (not so much Tim's favorite, but I like it!), BBQ "chicken" sandwiches, "Turkey" burgers, Peanut butter cookies, Peanut butter bread, Strawberry mango salsa with homemade cinnamon sugar pita chips, and salad with strawberries, walnuts, and shallots.

I look forward to sharing some of these delicious recipes with you this summer! They are light and easy to make, and enjoyable for non-vegans as well!

8 Months

As of yesterday, the second day of June, Mr. Butter and I have been married for 8 months! A wonderful 8 months!
And this week Mr. Butter bought me flowers- big, beautiful sunflowers! They make me smile. So I will share them with you and hopefully they will make you smile too.

Are you smiling?

:)

Silly

This is silly but look at this old book cover I spotted at Powell's City of Books the other day! It's Martha!

While the youthful face and Lady Di hair are fantastic all on their own, are we appreciating her high waisted electric blue pants and yellow oxford button up combo? You know some hipster kid is walking around right now in that exact same outfit. Oh, Martha- setting trends for generations to come!