a guide to all things vintage
I am a neurotically detail-oriented Virgo daughter of a must-have-things-visually-orderly Libra mother, so, of course, against the advice of every proper rose planting guide out there, I spent a few hours pruning our unwieldy and crispy rose bushes this past warm June weekend. While most of my effort went towards deadheading spent blooms, I also … Read more
In proper Swiftie fashion, I have been in a lavender haze lately. That’s to say, the English lavender I’ve been harvesting from the garden has had quite the soporific effect on me as a tea. Or maybe the trials and tribulations of adulthood have just left me in a perpetual state of drowsiness over the … Read more
I think I have sufficiently established that I possess very little skill when it comes to the culinary arts. That said, I do enjoy infusing whatever rudimentary meals I cook with a generous amount of flavor. One lovely flavor trifecta that always hits the spot for me is chili peppers, fish sauce, and Thai basil … Read more
I took the day off today, and my boss was none too pleased. (And, for the record, I’m my own boss.) But given the beautiful weather, I decided that it was worth catching up with work over the weekend if need be. The temperatures have been tepid, if not somewhat cool, in the Central Valley … Read more
It’s been a while since I’ve done book reviews here, but I’m proud to say that I’ve been keeping up with reading this past year! I post most of my mini reviews on Instagram (@howdyfronds – cheugy, I know), but I wanted to share a few of my favorite recent reads on this blog. Without … Read more
On slow workday afternoons when I crave some semblance of human interaction, I wander around The Home Depot. A few years ago, you’d probably find me sauntering about in the indoor plant section, but my interest in houseplants has dramatically waned, as I’ve collected (and utterly destroyed) every big-box indoor plant I possibly could over … Read more
Living in the Valley for five years has deepened my appreciation for seasonal produce, whether it’s bought from a local farm stand ten minutes away from my house or plucked from my dad’s organic garden. Over the past year, I’ve followed an unofficial tradition of baking a galette with the season’s latest fruit harvests. I … Read more
We’ve arrived at the cusp of late spring and early summer in the Central Valley, which means that flowers are constantly in bloom. With continuous deadheading, our sprawling rose bushes have been putting out lush flowers non-stop. But as the sweltering days of summer creep up, the blooms fade just as quickly as they come. … Read more
It’s that odd bit of winter where it’s freezing cold outside, but it somehow feels like spring because the sun is out. Around this time of year, I often find myself wandering around Dollar Tree to pick up spring gardening tools because I finally feel in the mood to grow new things as I break … Read more
Right now, it’s that perfect sweet spot between autumn and winter when I don’t quite have to turn on my SAD lamp just yet. The days are still warm, but the nights are just cool enough for me to enjoy sipping on my Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Tea (which, let’s face it, is basically warm … Read more
