I T I S W E L L .
photos via pinterest
someday, i want to move away from the busyness of the city, away from the cookie-cutter houses of suburbia, to a small, old, humble home in the country.
I want it to be painted white, with white walls inside to match.
I want hardwood floors that creek, with cracks and dents that tell the story of a well loved home.
I want many windows with distressed windowpanes that will catch the soft light of morning.
I want a long table with brightly coloured mix-matched chairs that will be the place of countless gatherings, accompanied by the ones dearest to me.
I want to wake slowly in the early morning - admiring the way the light dances through the lace curtains.
I want to wake in the safe embrace of my love.
I want to smell the warm notes of strong coffee being brewed as i scribble a list of things to fill my day.
I want to wear my favourite sundress and let my messy, untamed hair take flight in the wind.
I want to venture barefoot to my garden and snack on plump raspberries.
I want to spend the afternoon in my tiny kitchen baking a pie from scratch - singing and dancing foolishly to my favourite records, wiping my flour covered hands on what used to be my grandmother's apron.
I want to take my old yellow bicycle and explore the country side.
I want to pick wildflowers to fill my home and put daisies in my hair.
I want to drink ice cold lemonade out of an old glass jar as my pale skin soaks up the summer sun.
I want to finish off my day with a home-cooked meal in the backyard with my favourite people.
I want to eat until my belly is bursting, laugh until I cry and sip on sweet, cheap wine under the stars.
And when everyone has said their bittersweet goodbye's, I will reminisce about the evening past while my fingers become wrinkled from the warm dishwater.
I will make myself a hot cup of tea, say goodnight to the house and slip into my cold, unmade bed - perfectly content with this beautiful world.
B + W • F I L M | s e l f p o r t r a i t s + t a n g l e d f l y a w a y s .
there is something about black + white film that makes me positively giddy inside. the raw grain and the dark shadows add an anthology of depth that tell a story so purely. i always find myself drawn to black and white because it makes your mind wander - filling in the gaps where color used to be.
this past week has been filled with lots of wonderful rain and crazy thunderstorms. yesterday was no exception. so, i decided to make this delightful cornbread to warm me up! what else is better than some homemade comfort food to get you through those grey days?
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[ Serves 6 ] recipe courtesy of Teenie Cakes
Skillet or Baking Pan: Use either a 9-inch cast iron skillet, or an 8-inch metal baking pan.
I N G R E D I A N T S
1 cup all-purpose flour, leveled
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup shredded cheddar, sharp cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup frozen sweet corn
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
D I R E C T I O N S
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and pepper. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add buttermilk and eggs to well and whisk to incorporate. Gently fold in the cheese and frozen corn. Set aside and let the batter rest.
Place butter in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Allow butter to melt and remove immediately from oven. Tilt and rotate the pan to evenly distribute and coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
Pour batter into prepared buttered skillet and bake until the top is golden brown (there will be some caramelization). Test doneness by inserting toothpick in center and it comes out clean – about 20-25 minutes. Let the cornbread cool in the skillet AT LEAST 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
Wrap cooled leftovers in air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to one day.
N O T E : this is best served warm + fresh, but it's also great the next day! this morning i warmed it up and ate it with a fried egg, sautéed red peppers + goat cheese for breakfast - so. good.
enjoy!
rach.
B I T S + P I E C E S
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six sentence stories of my life.
she celebrated beauty and ran barefoot.
her name was synonymous with summer.
she breathed songs, stories and laughter.
you could always find her dancing.
beautiful things made her happy cry.
she loved life and told everyone.
h a n n a h n i c o l e
i love a good spring shower. the kind where the sun is still present + the screen door remains open - letting the refreshing breeze dance it's way in, filling the air with the scent of freshly fallen rain. the lace curtains catching the sun light, showcasing its intricate detail on the windowsill. i love the soft pitter patter of rain drops - as if it is june's way of greeting the world. it is on these days that i feel positively smitten with my surroundings. perfectly content. just as the sea leaves its treasures on shore, so the rain leaves a welcomed blanket of green.
much love,
rach.
words cannot express my unbelief at the fact that it is already june. where has the year gone? the stress of exams is soon to be over. bye bye grade eleven, hello summer. oh the excitement i feel! despite the short moments of stress, june is one of my favourite months - dreaming of late summer nights, flip flop tans + summer bucket lists - giddy at the thought of being out in the summer sun all day + the many youthful adventures that go along with it. june, please stay a while.
much love,
rach.
COLD TANGERINES
I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift, who will use it up and wring it out and drag it around like a favorite sweater.
> > > s h a u n a n i e q u i s t
much love + sunshine,
rach
I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift, who will use it up and wring it out and drag it around like a favorite sweater.
> > > s h a u n a n i e q u i s t
much love + sunshine,
rach
S E V E N T E E N ▲▲
a couple weeks ago we spent a beautiful evening with lovely ladies celebrating my dear friend renae's birthday. many stories were accompanied with endless laughter + of course, delightful sparklers and yummy dessert were apart of the festivities. oh, what a lovely night it was. thank you, renae for being such a blessing on my life. i hope this year will be the best one yet.
much love,
rach
