March | 2023 | a dose of pretty

{Passionfruit agua fresca + tacos + chips and salsa = a delicious mid-week lunch date with a friend.}

Even though I live in sunny southern California, I’ve always loved the type of weather you can find in Seattle. I love gray skies in the morning, drizzly afternoons, and hearing thunderstorms as I fall asleep at night. And while California has had many atmospheric rivers and plenty of flooding this year, the rain has been pretty non-existent for me in SoCal. So, after a fun weekend in NorCal with my family {which included plenty of rain}, we came back home to some drizzly weather. I loved spending time doing some early spring cleaning, making pizza for Pi Day, and catching up with a friend for a mid-week lunch date. Paired with daily Pilates classes, productive afternoons, and plenty of lit candles, the week felt cozy and perfect for me. And while there are no plans from the weather gods for rain this weekend, I am excited to use the sunny weather as an excuse to go catch a sunset by the beach, visit Brody’s favorite bird park, and explore our city. I hope you have a great one as well! x

{A drizzly view from the plane before takeoff.}

{Oscars Night at home with virgin champagne, red velvet cupcakes, sugar cookies, brown butter parmesan popcorn, and my 2023 Oscar’s ballot where I only got 10 correct. **Not pictured:** the pizza we had alongside these treats.}

{Gingerbread and orange coulis vegan French toast + a cardamom rose oat milk tea latte for our Sunday brunch.}

{Eating at what I thought was my first Michelin Star restaurant. It turns out I have eaten at Michelin Star restaurants before, but this was the first time I knew it.}

{A springtime cake with the prettiest buttery yellow blooms.}

x Paris

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One of my favorite memories as a child was frosting shamrock sugar cookies in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day in second grade. Our teaching assistant brought us shamrock shaped sugar cookies + green frosting for one of the cutest projects ever. It felt so fun to play with green frosting and make the most festive treats {that everyone promptly ate the moment we finished decorating the cookies}. However, I remember wanting to preserve my cookie for the rest of my life {since I was a little dramatic and all}. And while my plan of never eating it didn’t come true {um hi, sugar}, I decided years ago to remake a batch of those cookies to recreate the experience and celebrate the Irish holiday. And I’ve made it a bit of a tradition ever since then. However, to elevate the experience, instead of store bought sugar cookies, I make them from scratch. And to make the whole experience feel a bit more adult {and Irish}, I spike the frosting with a touch of Baileys Irish Cream {inspired by this recipe} for those who don’t mind the alcohol, while also making some frosting minus the booze for those who don’t want an alcohol-infused dessert. The cookies are buttery with every bite, while the Baileys frosting adds a slightly adult twist to one of my favorite childhood memories. I’ve since dubbed these my “lucky shamrock sugar cookies”, meaning I may have to indulge in them on a daily basis solely for my dose of good luck. I hope you enjoy them for your dose of good luck as much as I do. x

Tools: Shamrock Cookie Cutter

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