APPLE PICKING AND APPLE EATING

since we last caught up, mitch and I have moved the better part of our belongings down to my sister's where she and her funny, adorable children are keeping me sane while mitch studies tirelessly for his board exams. okay, I guess 'tirelessly' is probably the wrong word, but he holds it together like a champ. at this point, I think it's safe to publish to the world that we are both more than a little ready for this whole studying thing to be a thing of the past so we can move on to the next chapter of our lives. 

a couple weeks ago, we loaded up the car with my sister's pup and headed south for a little apple-picking, study-breaking adventure. we really have been chomping at the bit for all of those autumnal past times that we missed out on last year. and we were not disappointed. with the wind warm at our backs and the slight promise of cooler weather lingering in the air, we were feeling fully autumnal. the apples were ripe and ready for picking and the labrador was more than willing to do the eating. the orchard smelled as if someone had spilled fresh apple juice all over the floor without all the mess. and I know that doesn't sound terribly romantic, but it did smell romantic in a 'my life should be a line of scented candles' kind of way. and believe me, I would have curled up in a bubble bath with a candle scented just so. 

if any of you are in the wasatch area, I highly recommend rowley's red barn for all things autumn and apple. apple pancakes, apple muffins, apple syrup, and of course, apple cider. and so many more apple derivatives. they do it up nice, too. with hayrides out to the pumpkin patch and a little creamery within the barn. over and over again, I just kept thinking it was the place to go to make those everlasting childhood memories that are sure to be reminisced about years later. I can imagine running amuck outside all morning and coming inside to cool down licking an ice cream cone in the afternoon. it made me miss my little niece and nephew and I am seriously considering taking them back this upcoming weekend to run as amuck as they'd like.

we left with a bag of jonathan apples that are native to this area because I was guaranteed they would make the best pies. and if you've been reading long, then you know how well pie and I get along. and with our stomachs and our bag of apples full, the three of us made our way home to get on with the typical saturday tasks.

and now it's time to get on with all of those monday tasks. thankfully, it's been cooling way down here and it's led to wearing wool socks in the morning and sipping hot chocolates in the evenings and I can officially say I feel like I'm home from a beautiful, but eternal, summer.

if you're new to a simple elegance and interested in our 20-month long caribbean adventure, click here.

top :: zara

jeans :: guess (old, see similar)

wellies :: hunter

barn :: rowley's red barn

love, arielle

A NETFLIX-FREE WEEKEND

it was the middle of last week when I realized I was watching way too many hours of netflix. it didn't quite hit me until I realized that I was maneuvering from room to room, cleaning the house, hauling my laptop along with me, never breaking pace. as if it was a fifth appendage or something. after this realization, I went through the five stages of acceptance like any normal person and finally came to the conclusion that I needed (at least) a couple of days away from netflix, hulu, movies, and the like. not only did I get all of that life laundry (and actual laundry) in order, I was able to spend an entire day out of the apartment--walking amongst the herbs and the blooms at probably the biggest garden center on the island; perusing dutch cheeses with friends (and putting a smallish dent in my pocketbook because I couldn't leave all that cheese there, now could I?); lunching outdoors with a beautiful apple and turkey salad; and painting some high- and low-lights into the hair of my latest painting. there were a few more humdrum moments this weekend, too. moments like finding a new cd I can't live without and writing a few blogposts for later this week and reading a chunk of the book I've been reading. all in all, it was a very successful, netflix-free weekend.

^^ grass shoes. totally en vogue. ^^

something I've missed since being on this island is the feel of farm-fresh wide open spaces. that feeling of being outside and watching things grow instills this sense of awe and wonder in me and I've missed that because there isn't a ton of that here. however, during this past weekend, a couple of friends and I headed way down to the other side of the island to get some fresh air and to maybe stock up on a few herbs that our own balcony gardens had been missing. in the end, I actually refrained from buying anything after realizing I wouldn't be here long enough to see them meet their full potential. crazy, isn't it? I wish I had found this place a little sooner seeing as my parsley is being stubborn and they have pregrown parsley plants. 

^^ the cheese tasting guy was very kind to us and we left with a bit of a cheese buzz, if that's possible. ^^

I didn't know how much I loved cheese until we left the garden center and headed to this specialty cheese store nearby. I never much cared for soft cheeses like brie and camembert, which I realize makes me enemy number one to most of you, so it's a good thing this particular cheese store specializes in gouda. so much gouda. gouda with red peppers in it. truffle gouda. gouda with black pepper, which was my absolute favorite (the manchego, which is not gouda coming in at a very close second). I don't think I've ever spent that much on cheese all by itself, but I also don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to the prepackaged cheese you buy at the grocery store, either. I think that's one of those growing-up-taste-buds-maturing things that are never good for your bank account.

and then all of that cheese tasting made us hungry. and because we'd just eaten about a pound of cheese (I'm exaggerating for effect here) and because I had those fancy donuts that I talked on and on about for breakfast, we headed to our favorite salad place because vegetables are important if cheese is going to be the main staple of your diet. 

^^ just a random, pretty staircase I loved. ^^

the rest of my weekend consisted of getting nine-tenths of the way done on my latest painting, as well as making a heaping batch of buns that I had forgotten to half the recipe until I was most of the way through.  and even though there were those definitive moments where I thought a rerun of gilmore girls would go nicely for background noise, this netflix-free weekend was so productive and, dare I say, fun that I didn't really miss it that much. that's not to say I won't be watching the bachelorette this week, though. that girl has certainly been making a mess of things, hasn't she?

love, arielle

DINNER AT PAN LAAN

as I have gotten a little older, I've found that my taste buds have matured as well. there was once a time when I would go to a restaurant, any restaurant, and order a grilled cheese regardless of it being on the menu. I can even remember ordering room service on a cruise once and explaining grilled cheese to the foreign gourmet chef they had on board over the phone. but I would like to think that I've developed a more sophisticated pallet in recent years. friday night, mitch and I tried a new restaurant called pan laan--a thai restaurant that was recommended to us by a good friend who has since left the island. we got there just as the sun had said goodnight and everything from the service to the ambiance to the food to the company was right out of a fairytale. 

WEEKEND EXPLOITS || SOMETHING NEW

^^ driving across the longer bridge on the island, mitch insisted I get a few snaps of this gorgeous sunset ^^

^^ but then, as we got closer to home, the sky started showing off, so we had to stop and get a few more ^^

this weekend certainly was a good'un. it was chalk full of long naps, green smoothies, gym time, knitting, an heirloom carrot cake recipe, some homemade sushi, one breathtaking sunset, and the key to any good weekend--time with mitch. now that his first round of tests are over, I see quite a bit more of him and I love it. it's like, 'oh hey, you! oh, that's right. we're married!' I think the second coolest thing about this weekend is that most of the things on this list are new. I actually taught myself to knit friday afternoon whilst watching the originals on netflix ( which is not nearly as good as the vampire diaries, in case you were wondering ). and then there's that carrot cake, which is actually an old family recipe, but new to me. it was fairly delicious, though I think I'll make a few tweaks next time around. and mitch is well on his way to being a sushi expert because although he ( claims he ) has never made it before, his rolls looked suitable for any restaurant dining experience despite an incredibly dull knife. I swear, that guy is good at everything! and I mean, everything! yes, it certainly was a good weekend. and now the mister is back to school and I'm catching up with all of you before I head off to start my day. I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend! tell me all about it in the comments :)

love, arielle

WEEKEND EXPLOITS || LIKE OLD FRIENDS

there was a time in my life when I aspired to be nothing more than a professional beach bum--a career title I invented myself, for myself. of course, I was mostly joking when I told friends and family about this pipedream, but a small part of me believed that tanning oil companies might actually feel inclined to pay me to be a living advertisement sitting on a beach somewhere. everyday. all day long. then, I got a little older and my dreams got a little larger and I wanted to be an endocrinologist. and later, a registered dietician ( which is actually my current dream ). but sometimes, as I lay out in that warm sunlight, I think about my adolescent dream and sort of laugh to myself how prophetic it was. here I am, mid-twenties, basking in the sun rather than heading to work--an opportunity most adults crave at some point or another when life grows stressful or tricky or bothersome. this past saturday lounging by the pool was ever so similar to visiting an old friend. the sun and I had some serious catching up to do because even though I live fifty steps from some of the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, I find I forget and often take it for granted. 

this saturday, mitch studied diligently for his upcoming tests, which are today, while I was left to my own devices. it's been so warm outside recently, that I considered staying inside where it is ( relatively ) cool but decided against it when I realized that I had been neglecting that old pal and the pool mitch and I pay through the nose to use. I started off rereading some of my favorite articles in porter and began reading the kinfolk table--one of the most beautifully nostalgic cookery books. so far, I love its view on entertaining! each page is brimming with the notion behind comfortable entertainment. the word 'dinner party' is too stodgy, but 'family dinner' isn't quite the right term, either. this nostalgic cookery book is perfect for reading whilst sweater lounging in the park with a warm cup of apple cider or hot chocolate as your companion.

what else was in my beach bag ::

001 :: these new rayban clubmasters.

002 :: diet coke. obviously.

003 :: aveeno spf 50. for face.

004 :: bronzing dry oil spray. for everywhere else.

and I'm off to live out another week of eternal summer and I hope all of you are loving the weather where you are! this week is going to be a busy one seeing as I actually get to go to work most days. like a real grown up. happy monday!

love, arielle

#SEAWHEEZE :: THE VIEW FROM MY IPHONE

^^ pre-race selfie ^^

^^ post race, post brunch ^^

^^ just a bunch of yogis ommming in the middle of the park... nbd ^^

^^ capital cities :: I am dying to download the majority of their album ^^

I always lament a good expedition without any decent pictures, but my trusty iphone is just so portable! I will also concede that I did not take as many pictures as I should have considering how excited I was for this race and how fun it was.. in all honesty, that's the mark of a good time--whether or not you were too wrapped up in the festivities ( or too sore ) to cart around your bulky dslr. 

this race was more like a party than a 13.1 mile journey to a finish line. nevertheless, it was the most difficult for my body to overcome. I'm not sure if it was the training on a treadmill then competing on asphalt that affected me or the having to run without music due to technical difficulties with my shuffle, but I finished in my worst time yet. on the upside, running without music was oddly therapeutic. I found that I took more time to look around at the gorgeous scenery that was vancouver. the stark contrast between the miles of skyscraper and the miles of seawall provided the perfect setting for that saturday morning run. plus, all of the characters that came to cheer all of us on were enough to keep my mind occupied most of the time. voluncheers consisted of everything from mermaids and drag queens to fairies and brass bands. all in all, the run provided an entertaining show and lululemon spared no expense when it came down to snacks and aid stations.

so the run was great. let's talk brunch. lululemon provides brunch for all of the participants. it was amazing! I'm not sure what they did to those waffles, but they were delicious and so appropriate after running 13.1 miles. it was like they were coated in caramelized sugar and had an almost crunchy texture. I need to figure out how to recreate them in my own kitchen! I could have seriously wrapped myself up in one of those and died happily.. but seriously.

and then there was some amazing swag, massages, and the sunset festival which consisted of complimentary yoga, good eats, relaxing ambience, and capital cities performing live for all of us. I really love how understanding the band was to all of us just sitting down and swaying to there jazzy up-beat hits. we had just run a half-marathon, after all. and anytime a band sounds just as good live as they do on their cd, I instantly become a fan. so I currently have their album in my queue to download.

overall, it was a really amazing experience! my one complaint would be that everywhere we went, there was another line to wait in. though, that is to be expected with 11,000 entrants. this year, they're moving up the sign ups to september 10th, so you've only got two days to make up your mind! if you're interested in participating, be sure to mark it on your calendars with an alarm because it sold out in four hours this last year. craziness! volunteering could be really fun, too. you get a really cute shirt, if that motivates you at all ;)

see more good times from the #seawheeze with this super fun video produced by lululemon :: 

hope all of you are having a great kickstart to your week. I've noticed that as I get older, I tend to dread mondays a little less. hope that's true across the board! thanks for reading and for putting up with my sporadic posting! it means the world!

love, arielle