listening to | Beach House: Bloom

NPR just released a "First Listen" of Beach House's fourth album, Bloom....I am in love. There is just something so effortless and dreamy about their music. I encourage you to check out the album, you can listen to it in its entirety here as well as pre-order the album via iTunes or Amazon.  My personal favorites are "Wild" and "Other People" I have had it on repeat for a few days and can't wait to have it for my own! 

excerpt from NPR: 

The band's fourth album, Bloom, is unquestionably a Beach House record, and one that on the surface feels more like a continuation than the product of evolution. That is, until you go back and hear how far this band has truly come. Through its first three records, Beach House's development has followed an almost imperceptibly subtle yet linear path: The murky production has become cleaner and less hissy. The vocal lines shine brighter through the haze. The aching, dreamy melodies are more memorable.

Met Gala fashion

     When events come around like the Met Gala, dubbed the "fashionista prom" by Huffington Post, I wish I could be a celebrity for just one night...oh to get a chance to wear one of those gowns-that would be priceless! There were so many amazing outfits-some head turners for not so great reasons, but hey, sometimes it's about taking risks and it can often pay off with setting new "red carpet trends.' Do you have a favorite celebrity event you wish you could attend? 
     Celebrity or not, I think it's always great to get dolled up every now and a then and do something out of the ordinary...go to the theater, have a gourmet meal, or order yourself a fancy martini at the bar (my favorite is the cucumber lavender martini at the Zeitgeist)

Check out some of the best looks from Met Gala's red carpet! 

Dianna Argon, wearing Caroline Herrera

January Jones, Versace

Rooney Mara, Givenchy Haute Couture

Emma Roberts, Escada

Apparently feathers were in! 

Beyonce, Cate Blanchett & Diane Kruger

the little things

 My mom sent this drawing to me in the mail last week and it just made my day.

It's always good to be reminded of how important the little things can be...

homemade cards

fresh pasta

sunshine

home cooked meals

fresh flowers

clean sheets

hugs

a good book

...Happy Monday to all of you...

time for the weekend!

Once again the week has gone by in a blink of an eye-not going to lie, the universe seemed to be playing a lot of jokes on me this week, but luckily there were lots of fun things going on and good times with my roommates to distract me. 

We had a fun night at more Homegrown shows last night...this time we saw Portage at the Thirsty Pagan (where Ry brews beer!) and they were really great...their music just makes me happy! Before the show ended, we darted over to another venue to see our friends band, Fearless Moral Inventory, for a more rowdy and head-banging good time! Homegrown always keeps you moving since there are so many shows going on all throughout the night.

Live recording from Portage

With Ry in Milwaukee for his mom's birthday celebration and the roommates out of town, I figure tonight I can take some time to get some projects done around the house (that laundry pile doesn't ever seem to take care of itself!), and of course continue my Mad Men marathon :) Pretty exciting, huh? The Homegrown fun will continue Saturday and I am even volunteering at one of the venues on Sunday and hopefully will be meeting up with a friend for drinks and apps before she leaves for an exciting trip to Haiti! What will you be doing this weekend? 


Have lots of fun, whatever your plans may be! xo, Maggie

Comfort food: grilled cheese!

The other night Ry decided to whip up one of our favorite comfort foods for dinner...grilled cheese! Best thing about grilled cheese has got to be all the fun ways you can "jazz" it up. This time used white cheddar cheese, ham, and blue cheese...perhaps it was more like mix between a panini and a grilled cheese with the ham on it, but it was so tasty! And of course, paired with some old fashion tomato soup, you can't go wrong. In fact I made another one for dinner last night :)

Here are some other really great ideas for how to "jazz up" a classic grilled cheese...

bon appetit!

Mozzarella Grilled Cheese via An Edible Symphony

Beet, Arugala, and Goat Cheese grilled cheese via BS' in the Kitchen

Fancy Grilled Cheese: 9 Ways via A Beautiful Mess

Surprises are the best!

I love when I have the chance to surprise friends or family...especially my parents! Ry and I had an opportunity for an impromptu trip to Milwaukee on Sunday and it had "surprise" written all over it for my mom. I hadn't been able to spend a lot of time with her on my last visits home, so I was looking forward to putting in some quality time! We stopped by a new winery near my parent's house called the Chiselled Grape and we were both really impressed with their wine selection! We went with the "Little Red Dress" for my mom; a nice blend of Sangiovese, classic Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Their Barbera was also really phenomenal! 

Even though drive was not so fun, as it always is, but walking in unexpected to my parent's house was awesome! We had some delicious jalapeno gin martinis, a new creation of my dad's 

We also had some great homemade bruschetta and I was really happy to see my mom bust out the pasta maker to whip up some homemade pasta to go with some delicious grilled pork...there's really no going back from fresh pasta! We finished off dinner with some classic strawberry short cake...deelish! 

I really love spending time with my family...there are always great debates, stories, laughing...always makes me grateful for them when I get to see everyone. What are some of your favorite things to do with your family?

In other news, the Homegrown Music Festival is in full swing here in Duluth! Last night I checked out The Boomchucks and Big Wave Dave and the Ripples...so much fun and pretty great people watching. Tonight is the big Trampled by Turtles show-we'll see if we can get in, but I am also hoping to see Sarah Krueger too (you can download her new CD this week for $5-do it!) 

Gotta love live and local music! 

xo, Maggie

listening to | edward sharpe "40 day dream"

one of my favorite videos, brought to you by the talented Ms. Kaliya Warren