Rested and restored

You know those moments when the world smiles on you and offers exactly what you need most? This weekend was full of those moments, and a lot of splendid nothingness. We've both been run ragged by work lately and were thrilled to have a weekend with a completely blank slate. When we got home on Friday afternoon, we almost immediately fell into a deep nap to shake the week off of us. And just like that, the week was gone.

In my 'more is more' persuasion, I'm a believer in surrounding yourself with things that make you smile and making time for the little things that you love. Napping is one of those things that is just good for my soul. Luckily, my partner in crime feels the same way. As for the 'things' part of that equation... T gave me a gorgeous pair of shoes for Christmas last year that had never seen the light of day, something that was increasingly bothering me. For eight months now, I've been searching for just the right thing to wear with them, or just the right event. Finally, I realized I was being silly... I didn't need a special outfit for those shoes, they were the outfit. Paired with an adorable but sedate navy blue linen dress, they were transformative. And they made me smile. And they really made my seersuckered groom smile.


A good reminder for me, those shoes. I cook with the best ingredients I can find, no matter the dish. Why not wear my best and most fun shoes, too, no matter the occasion?

With the seersucker Louboutins on my feet, we headed off to Hattie's, where I ended up being homesick for North Carolina and New Mexico all in one meal. I want to write more about our meal later on; it was that delicious. Improbably, the host knew who I was from this strange blogging world, and the night was full of magic. While strolling through the neighborhood after dinner, we ran into a work colleague and had the kind of charmed connection that makes me feel like anything is possible. Some nights it really is.

On Saturday we did nothing but watch the Kennedys, sleep, watch the Kennedys, and sleep some more, but the effect was so restorative that it hardly felt like a wasted day. We finally snuck out for a late sushi dinner and then found ourselves at Veritas, where we will return asap for more excellent wine recommendations. (Also something I'll write more about this week.)

The green chile from our meal at Hattie's on Friday night was too haunting to ignore, so on Sunday I decided it was time to put this year's chile in my freezer to good use. (You guessed it: my green chile chicken stew is yet another post to come this week... it's going to be a food+drink kind of week over here on The Freckled Citizen, I think.)

One more note about the weekend and how good for us it was... You know you're in a relaxed state when one of you walks out post-shower wearing this t-shirt:

This shirt is just one of the gems we still have lying around from 2008's Hall and Oates Halloween, and can make me grin through even the worst of moods. I'm so happy that its magical mood-changing powers weren't required this weekend.