Another shopping destination included a stop at ABC Carpet & Home. They have such beautiful things everywhere you turn. Some of my favorites were all the wood products, from breadboards to bowls and more. And I loved the glitzy pendants lights. So pretty! Some of these photos are from my cell phone, please excuse the quality.

You know what they say, better late than never, right? I've been meaning to share my trip to NYC with you and completely forgot. So let's just pretend I got back last week instead of in December. We'll begin with the shopping first, starting with Fishs Eddy. I'm not sure a trip to NYC would be complete without a visit here...there's just so much good stuff.

When you walk in you're greeted by this enormous display of waving ceramic hand molds....

My favorite way to eat carrots, aside from raw, is roasting them. It brings out their natural sweetness and gives them a bold, depth of flavor. On my recent trip to the farmers market I picked up a bundle of baby rainbow carrots and knew immediately how I wanted to prepare them. Roasted with a touch of real maple syrup and a light kick of chipotle peppers.

Our chickens have been enjoying the sunny weather and have decided it's time to kick it into high gear. Which means, we'll be giving away plenty of fresh eggs in the very near future. And, as many of you know, I adore packaging. Simple, inexpensive packaging even more so.

So...we bought property in a beautiful citrus grove. After searching for about two years to find another house, we've decided to build our own custom home. It's just now starting to sink in that this adventure is really happening and we're looking forward to all the hard (but rewarding) work ahead. And in sharing our journey with you.

The Man and I decided to take a little road trip this past weekend. Things have been so busy and we were both looking forward to a getaway. A long drive in the country was the perfect escape.

One of the unexpected pleasures of road tripping is finding hidden gems along the way. Those places you don't intend to come across but are so glad you did.

The Santa Ysabel General Store is just such a place.