Saturday, July 9, 2011

Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice - Rachel from Softspoken



Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice is my Saturday series that spotlights exceptionally sweet bloggers! This week your dose of sugary goodness comes from Rachel of Softspoken! In addition to being a total sweetheart, Rachel is also a renaissance woman with a vintage etsy store and a beautiful accessory shop filled with her gorgeous crocheted creations! (If this one doesn't just scream "sweet!!" I don't know what does!) I'm thrilled to say that she's also going to be hosting a Scathingly Brilliant giveaway soon, so you'll have the opportunity to snatch up some of her lovely designs yourself (stay tuned for more details!!) And I'm super excited that she agreed to share some of her sweetness here today!




i've always loved this photo of my mom, brother and i - even though i look so grumpy in it, and what better than old school olan mills! this day is actually one of the first i can remember having strong memories of. and why was i so pouty? because i'd broken the strap of my top earlier while playing at preschool and really didn't think my outfit was fit for photo taking after that.


i always get choked up at any scenes in movies or on television that have "proud parent" moments or "going away to college" moments. the former because i'm so grateful to have such sweet and supportive parents and the latter because it always reminds me of that transitional time of leaving home and unknown beginnings. either way - it's an easy recipe for my tears.


rum berry punch
(by chef tom douglas from bon appetit, july 2005)

2/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups fresh raspberries, divided
2 cups fresh orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup dark rum
1 cup light rum
1 orange, peeled, diced
1 cup diced pineapple
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
ice cubes

bring 2/3 cup water and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. remove from heat; cool syrup completely. puree 2 cups raspberries in processor. pour puree through fine strainer set over saucepan with syrup. press on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. mix orange juice, next 6 ingredients, 1 cup berries, and raspberry syrup in glass bowl. cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to one day. strain into pitcher. serve punch over ice.




a few years ago it seemed like this song would follow my man and i wherever we would go - which we thought kind of odd since it's not like a super big hit song or anything - so it sort of unofficially became our song because it was the soundtrack to everywhere we went. luckily it's one we love anyway.


this is a silly little rambling journal entry from when my guy and I were still new to each other and had our first snow together which is one of my most favorite memories:

you called and said it's snowing and i went outside to look and it was and the flakes were big and shocking and falling round and round. i sat on my porch watching them with you on the phone until i went in from shivering and our conversation closing you said i wish i could walk in it and i wished to walk with you and letting you know you packed a bag and came and i dressed to meet you in the snow, yr head rising from yr car and the glint of snowflakes in yr beard, you were so beautiful, i felt them falling against my eyelashes and one into my mouth. we walked round my neighboorhood, middle of the road, i stopped under a street light and stared at the snowflakes drifting beneath it and said i wonder what one looks like, really looks like and you told me not to move so i didn't and i stood there looking up into the light while you snapped photos of me until i was no longer really standing there looking up and instead there i was a photo of myself a moment ago and i began to feel ridiculous so i tangled my arm into yrs and i don't remember being cold then, i don't remember being cold at all and we walked and i didn't want to stop walking but the house came back round and in we went and wished our jobs away with hopes of ice and roads unprepared and stayed up kissing and loving late into the night wrapped in blankets and heaters and each other as if it were already true, but morning came and it wasn't so you kissed me goodbye between the shower and the curtain and left me to my cold day and disappointing roads and remembering a walk in the snow.