Five Favorites (vol. 2)

1.  If I had ever been there, I'm sure Spain would be one of my favorite places.  Since I haven't gone yet, and since I can't convince Alex that walking the Camino with two small children is a good idea (I have no idea what his problem is), friends who travel internationally and let me live vicariously through them and bring me back amazing and totally unexpected gifts are absolutely my favorite.  Many thanks, Nicole and Laurel (and Alison, whose lovely stuffed animals brought back from Cambodia are not pictured because they in the room of a sleeping child and I did not plan head... sorry)!!!


2.

Tarta de Santiago (cake of St. James) is my newest favoritest pastry (and here's a recipe in English).  The feast of St. James is coming up on July 25th, and if I can keep up my motivation I'll be trying for my very own tarta.  We'll see how it lives up to the real Spanish deal.  Wish me luck.

3.

And these are my newest favoritest earrings.  Apparently the cathedral in Compostela sells jewelry with designs taken from an illuminated medieval manuscript they have in their archives.  How cool is that?  Oh, and Liam loves them too.  Of course.

4.  

Speaking of favorite places, here's one of them.  Please ignore the classy framing and artistically placed flattened bugs, and focus on the buttes on either side of the highway.  This is on Hwy 85 between Cheyenne and Torrington, Wyoming.  Alex and I both love driving through Wyoming (seriously), and this is our favorite part (okay, one of several).  There is something so majestic and lonely about those two buttes framing the highway...  So if you're ever needing to drive from Denver up to SD, we highly recommend taking 85 right after Cheyenne instead of staying on I-25.  But the Taco John's in Torrington doesn't have a public restroom.  Just so you know.

5.  And for something completely different...

I had completely despaired of finding a new swimsuit.  Ever.  I'll spare you all of my whining about how impossible it is to find one that fits modestly--let alone looks at all flattering.  I had looked at Kohl's the last couple summers and couldn't find anything, so I almost didn't try again this summer.  But I was desperate.  And voila, look at what I found!!!  It fits (although I had to go up 6 sizes from what my size actually is based on the numbers, but whatever)!  I like the color!  It was on sale (although not as on sale as it is now... rats)!  It has support!  It's modest (for a swimsuit)!  Win!

Go see Hallie and the gang for more favorites!