the friday happy list

Right after we got back from New Orleans, Jon turned around and went to Thailand for 10 days for work. I thought those would be a pretty lazy 10 days for me, but I was so busy! I'm not complaining, though. It was so kind of our friends to feed me and keep me company while my hubby was away. Jon got home last Wednesday, and then we left on Friday to spend Memorial Day weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia, to celebrate his parent's 40th anniversary. We had a great time with all of our travels in May, but we are so ready for a quiet weekend at home - just the two of us and our ever-growing list of chores. But without further adieu, things that made me happy this week:

Orpah's Starbucks Chai. I'm somewhat ashamed to
admit this, and even more ashamed every time I have to order it, but I can't lie - it's delicious. There. I said it. It's not as sweet as the original Starbucks chai, and it has more cinnamon. Yum. It's also perfect timing because since I'm not a huge fan of Starbucks warm chai tea lattes, I've been waiting for iced chai season.

Wallpaper. Wallpaper is back, and I'm fully on board with this trend. It's not your grandmother's wallpaper. I've seen so many beautiful patterns, and I'm itching to put some in our house. I've been waiting forever for Rifle Paper Company's collection to come out. It finally dropped this week, and I already have three samples on the way. I'm eyeing this b&w one for our little powder room, but chances are I won't stop there. :)

National Spelling Bee. Last night, I satisfied my inner nerd by watching the spelling bee. I'm not ashamed to say I found the entire thing to be riveting. Especially when it was down to the final 2 contestants and the list of 25 championship words. They ended up being co-champions, which was a huge relief because I was so emotionally invested at that point that I don't think I could have handled watching either of them lose. There was also this gem of a moment by one contestant who will probably regret that anything from his early teen years was videotaped for posterity. Just watch the clip:

the friday happy list

Today brings my least favorite type of weather - freezing rain. If it's going to be cold, it might as well snow. Nothing is worse than very cold and very rainy, but I'm doing my best to concentrate on some happy things from this week.

Caramel rolls. The big theme this week has obviously been caramel rolls. I just can't get over the response to the recipe. By far, the best part has been hearing from people far and wide who have the same nostalgia over these rolls as I do. It took a long time for me to find a recipe that was comparable, and it makes me really happy to know that I've shared a little piece of home with so many people. Here are a few of comments that have warmed my caramel roll loving heart:

"My mother had a local cafe in the small town of York ND and always had these ready for when church got out. That was in the 70's and they were the best. I make them now also. Great treat."

"These look like what was served to us in school in Tulsa, OK on chili day! Have wanted the recipe for years and I am hoping this is the one! Tried a different recipe for Christmas, only to be disappointed. Can't wait to try these!"

"They are nowhere to be found in Colorado so definitely going to be trying this recipe. Thanks!"

Dubai. We booked a trip to Dubai this week! We aren't actually traveling until the first week of March, but on a miserable day like today, I'm dreaming about the warm desert. Our friend Rob is there on a state department assignment, and he has graciously agreed to host us. Rob is one of my favorites - I'm not sure if I'm more excited about seeing him or seeing Dubai!

Baby Shower. Speaking of good friends, I'm hosting a baby shower for my lovely friend Melissa tomorrow. She's a faithful blog reader, and we've mostly kept her in suspense about the shower, so I can't share too many details today, but I promise to do a full post next week. I'm so excited for her and Peter and baby boy Saharko. I can't wait to love on that little one when he arrives in early March!








Spiced tea. Over Christmas, Jon's grandmother Mee Maw made us all a cup of her spiced tea. Some people call it Russian tea. I call it Tang tea. Either way, I hadn't had it in a long time, but I've been craving a second cup ever since. I whipped up a batch at home yesterday straight from Mee Maw's cookbook. I brought some to work today to share - it's perfect on this rainy day. It couldn't be easier: 2 cups tang, 1/2 cup instant tea w/lemon (or add a few teaspoons of instant lemonade mix if not using lemon tea), 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon & cloves to taste.