Weekend in Pictures

Weekends are just too short in my world. I'm sure I'm the only one who feels that way. :)

This weekend was really laid back and easy. (My favorite kind of weekend)

Here's a glimpse of my weekend through some snapshots!

FRIDAY:

 A few hours of my workday involved a painting project for one of my displays. Cross your fingers that it turns out for me, I'll finish it on Monday. The photo of the day challenge on Friday was #red so of course I showed off some red lipstick! I also found the time for a new manicure (mint + grey!) and a necklace re-do!

SATURDAY:

 My Mom/Sister/Nephew and I have a standing coffee date each weekend. We normally do it on Sunday mornings, but this week we met on Saturday since Sunday was my guy's birthday. It's always nice to catch up and hang out. My sister's mother-in-law and nephew were there this week too. Fun for all! (photo of the day was #loud, so the boys banging on the piano was perfect!) Then, Saturday evening I prepped a breakfast meal for my guy. It was an egg/hash brown/bacon casserole! It had to sit overnight before cooking first thing in the morning!

SUNDAY:

After waking up groggy from the lovely "springing forward" we had to do, I got right to work on the birthday breakfast! The casserole cooked, I made pancakes from scratch and brewed fresh coffee! We topped of the morning with mimosas on the patio and lounging on the couch. The last pick is a view from my lap...with my birthday guy and one of his girls. Sweet.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!...is it really almost Monday already?! ugh...

Product Spotlight: Chemex Coffee Maker

I love coffee. Love it. I make it at home and buy it to treat myself a few times a week. I'm no coffee expert, but I know what I like. I've been seeing this type of coffee maker on the market for a while, and I knew they were big/normal in parts of Europe, so I decided to check it out for myself. I got this lovely one, made by Chemex.

This is the information provided by the company I purchased it from:

Get back to coffee-brewing basics with the Chemex classic, originally designed by a chemist and inventor and found in the collections of several major museums. Simple engineering in wood and glass (no corrosive elements) produces pure drip coffee with less bitterness—to the extent that the coffee can be refrigerated and reheated without sacrificing flavor. Polished wood color with insulating leather tie is removable for cleaning. May also be used for tea, iced coffee and 

beverage infusions.

So far I've tried it once (pictures below) and I know that it will get easier/smoother once I get the hang of it.

Isn't she pretty! I've decided it's a she by the way.

You start by boiling the amount of water you want to brew. The instructions said to bring the water to a boil and then let cool slightly so that it isn't boiling "vigorously." Then, slightly soak the coffee grounds and let drain. Then soak the grounds again, without overflowing the water.

(Grounds, pre-soak)

 The first slight soak... I see some coffee!

 Second round of soaking. I believe I soaked the grounds about 6 times for 7 cups of coffee.

(Grounds, soaking)

My perfect cup of coffee! (with a little steamed milk and foam. yum!)

I have to say, it was the best coffee I've ever had (that I've made)! Although it took a little while (about 20min start to finish) it was really smooth, and I'm looking forward to doing it again. I also am excited for the iced coffee potential for the summer!

-kara