We stayed put for a much-needed weekend at home, this time with a puppy! Rob and I managed to get out for breakfast and then to a brewery on Sunday afternoon, but otherwise it was lots of playing and naps and figuring out what our life like looks like with a dog. Ender already seems bigger every day.

It got up to 70 degrees this weekend and it has me totally ready for spring. The warm air, damp grass, and that spring smell always brings me back to March and April of my college days, which are full of so many beautiful memories. We're visiting Longwood at the end of March and I'm looking forward to it already. But for now, I'm hoping for more warm mornings and afternoons with iced coffee in my hand and a sleepy puppy in my lap.

How was your weekend?

When I was in Roanoke last weekend, my friend Raquel came over for an afternoon of crafts, catching up, and a couple glasses of La Crema Pinot Noir. It was the perfect early Valentine's (or should I say Galentine's) Day celebration!

We put together some homemade valentines using dip-dyed card stock. The end result was really lovely--and even kind of professional-looking! I was pretty proud of them.

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema. Be sure to stop by their blog today for my dip-dyeing tutorial!

Photos by Sarah Gatrell of Photo + Love for Freckled Italian.

Gelatin! It's a thing I don't really think about. I make bone broth every other week or so but it's not really a staple in my diet. But after reading about the wonders that gelatin can do for your skin, hair, nails, digestion, and overall health, I really want to make more of an effort to eat it regularly. So this is my attempt at that: fruity little gummy snacks. You could do any flavor you fancy, but I started with strawberry and lemon. (I have my sights set on pineapple mango next!)

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup gelatin (preferably grass-fed--this one is a good choice)
• 1 cup of frozen strawberries (or any fruit you'd like to use)
• Juice from 2-3 lemons, or about 3/4 of a cup (again, you could use a different fruit juice)
• About a tablespoon of honey (more or less depending on your taste preferences)

Instructions: 

1. Combine fruit and juice in a blender until it is thoroughly blended.
2. Pour into a saucepan over medium-low heat and add the gelatin and honey. Heat and stir until the mixture thins out a bit and is mixed well.
3. Pour the mixture into a small dish or, if you have them, little candy molds. Store in the refrigerator for at least an hour to firm up. If you poured it into a dish, cut into squares and enjoy!