Saturday, July 27, 2013

Simply Saturday



Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Wedding Wednesday: 14 Things Jewish Brides Can’t Resist


Inspired by 32 Things Jewish Girls Can't Resist on Buzzfeed.


1. Tiffany's

2. Watching Say Yes to the Dress Marathons

3. #jewishgirlproblems When Our Camp Friends Overflow Our Guest List

4. Filling up our Amazon Wedding Registry with Judaica


5. Serving a Bagels and Lox Spread at Our Bridal Shower

6. A Rustic Birch Branch Huppah

7. A Paper Cut Ketubah

8. Finding Discount Codes for Wedding Paper Divas

9. Themed Wedding Websites

10. Playing Jewish Geography at Other Weddings

11. Teaching Traditions to Friends who Aren't Members of the Tribe

12. Personalized Color Coordinated Kippot in Bulk

13. Getting Wrapped up in the Moment
14. Making this Face

 Mazel!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Weekend Recap

Saturday morning brought a lot of rain in Raleigh, but we didn't let that keep us inside. We drove a few minutes East to check out the Midtown Farmers Market at North Hills for the first time. Technically, it's the closest farmers market to our apartment, but it has taken us over a year to get over there! We were well rewarded with a tote bag of local produce and other goodies, and a petting zoo with a newborn baby lamb who was having the best time head butting bunnies!
We found a spot in the North Hills plaza with an awning for shelter from the rain while we enjoyed breakfast. I had a lemon blueberry scone and Aaron had a maple cinnamon roll. We brought home a basket of WNorth Carolina peaches to fill my beautiful jadeite bowl!

While we were at the farmers market we also picked up a box of fresh, handmade Cheddar & Onion Pierogi from Melina's. All of her pastas are handmade at her shop in Durham. We had never heard of Melina's Pasta before, but when I saw the booth, I couldn't resist! 

Learning how to make fresh pasta is on my to-do list for the future, but cooking and eating fresh pasta is on my to-do-immediately list! I paired the pierogi with a cherry tomato (fresh from the market), basil and bocconcini salad. Yum!
On Sunday morning I went for a walk around Lake Lynn and then got back in the gym. It felt so good! After lunch Aaron and I ran a few errands and then we I went to see Monsters University (see previous post).
We ended our weekend with dinner at O'Malley's Pub and ice cream at Fresh with friends. I enjoyed a waffle cone with a scoop of mango sorbet topped with a scoop of lemon chiffon. It was the perfect combination for a warm summer night!

I hope you had a good weekend!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Cinema Sunday

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn't always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. "Monsters University" unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends. Written by Disney/Pixar
This afternoon Aaron and I decided to escape the southern summer heat in our favorite way - we went to the movies! We have been excited about seeing Monsters University since we first heard that Pixar was working on it.

It is a classic underdog story set on every aspect of the campus is monster themed and it looked great! I really liked how the movie ended with a perfect set up to Monsters Inc. That's how a prequel should be done!

Did you escape the heat and see any movies this weekend?

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Simply Saturday



Thursday, July 11, 2013

Favorite Things Thursday

Happy Thursday! My favorite thing today this week is my new blog design! Over the past two months I have been working with Kelly Ann of Kelly Ann Creative to create an updated design for The Anchored Elm. Kelly Ann's self described approach to design includes a deep love for color, white space, and typography. Even though I haven't had the best relationship with my blog lately, I feel inspired by the new design and I can't wait to create new content!

Here is a peak at our correspondence about the design:

Let's talk blog design. What would your dream blog look like? Would it be colorful and crazy? Or clean, practical, with lots of white space? Somewhere in between? When a reader visits your blog, how would you want them to feel? (Energized? Peaceful? Refreshed? Inspired?)
My dream blog would be practical, open and airy with a focus on content. I want readers to feel inspired and find the layout easy to navigate and read. I would like the anchor/nautical/mermaid theme represented as well as the Raleigh/acorn theme present in the design. I would like a color palate that uses jade, evergreen, mint and teal along with natural hues and black accents. I would like the content to move up towards the top of the page, not pushed down by a header.
During the process Kelly Ann suggested that I create a Pinterest board so I could share my ideas about the colors, mood and aesthetic feeling of the design. I found this to be really fun and I think it made the process run smoothly because I was able to provide visuals in addition of written description. I like discovering new ways to utilize social media platforms!

Kelly Ann is currently offering a 10% discount for blog designs to The Anchored Elm readers! Just send her an email at kellyann@flowerchilddwelling.com and mention my name (Elisha) in the message!

What are you loving this week?

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Esty Favorites: Suite One Studio

 
Suite One Studio Ceramics, based in Greensboro, NC, is a modern, handmade tableware line made by Lindsay Emery. Each piece of pottery is made by hand from start to finish without the use of molds, making each piece completely original. Simple and sophisticated, Suite One Studio pottery compliments simple dished or recipes, bringing handmade chic to every meal.

Thrown on the wheel and altered into subtly off-round forms these modern pots are paired with brightly colored handmade glazes. The interiors feature a wide range of glazes, which are also handmade in the studio from original glaze formulas. The surfaces of the glazes range in texture from satin matte to high gloss, which are paired with a range of clays to create a unique collection.
 
Follow Suite One Studio on Instagram and Twitter.

Monday, July 8, 2013

4th of July Weekend Recap

The end of long weekends are Aaron was off for the 4th and I was able to work from home. We drove out to Rocky Mount, NC to meet my mom and dad (hi guys!), who were on their way home from their first ever trip to the Outer Banks. After lunch Aaron and I stopped at Sonic to celebrate our America and our Freedom to drink Peanut Butter and Bacon milkshakes. Oh yes, we did!

When we got home I hung the Star Spangled Bunting that I found in the Target dollar section last week. Look there is proof that I actually did decorate for the holiday! I know it's a crummy photo, the light in the main living area of our apartment is terrible 24hrs a day. The two bedrooms are the only rooms that get any good, natural light. When we start looking for houses next year, natural light will be close to the top of the wish list! 

We didn't make it out for fireworks this year, but I did grill a few hot dogs to enjoy along with side salads and an icy cold Redd's Apple Ale or two. 

On Friday it was back to work for me, but Aaron went with a group of our friends to go SKYDIVING! Whhhaaatt?! Yeah, he has always been interested in trying and the timing worked out perfectly, so he took a big jump! I really admire him for being so brave to do this, but I was totally nervous the whole time until he texted me that he was back on the ground! Maybe I will get him to share his story here on the blog.
On Saturday night we celebrated Aaron's 26th Birthday with a ride on the Trolley Pub! We peddled our way to a handful of downtown bars including: Isaac Hunters, Landmark Tavern, The Raleigh Times, and Tir Na Nog. We spent the rest of the night at The Ugly Monkey playing and having a great time! We made a late night pit stop to Snoopy's before heading home. We had a fantastic time with the Trolley Pub and would recommend it for a birthday party our just a fun night downtown!

Hope you had a good weekend!