Summer Dinner {lady crush}

I confess.  I have a lady crush on Joy the Baker.  I love her recipes, her photos, her wisdom, her witticisms.  It borders on obsession.  One summer day this lady crush turned into a summer dinner.  I found 4 recipes from Joy the Baker that I wanted to try.  Evan and I made them.  All of them.  For the 29th anniversary of my parents {celebrated with close friends}. 

~first course~ apple and pomegranate brussels sprout salad.  

{we used cabbage instead of brussels sprout and dried cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds} 

~second course~ green goddess tea sandwiches.

~third course~ vegan cream of broccoli soup

~dessert~ rose water pistachio fruit salad

{we used mint water instead of rose water}

The meal turned out perfectly.  It was light and refreshing and the cream of broccoli soup filled the house with the most delicious smell.  Thank you to Joy the Baker for summer inspiration and delicious food.

Finally

~These are the centrepieces from my sister's wedding this weekend.  What a crazy day.  It was a beautiful and exhausting day.  I'm still recovering and it's Monday night.  But for all the late nights and tired eyes the wedding was perfect and sunny and everything went smoothly.  What a blessing.

And we have so many gorgeous flowers left!

skirt: UO. shirt: suzy shier. cardi: moon.

{Evan's shorts: MEC. Evan's shirt: banana republic}

Blue Jeans

~Classic and casual.  The wedding is tomorrow so I'm just quickly saying hello to you before running off to do all my maid of honour duties.  Have a blessed weekend.

SURPRISE {a beautiful bridal shower}

~The surprise bridal shower we put on for my sister was a huge success as you can see from her delighted facial expression.  Although it was a lot of work to plan and prepare, it was well worth it.  The atmosphere was energetic, the food delicious and there were plenty of laughs and gifts.  

shrimp stuffed cherry tomatoes.  guacamole and bacon stuffed cherry tomatoes. 

cupcakes.  a classic. 

the chair above and hat below both done by my little sister who is below left. 

sisters.

{We chose a recipe theme for the shower and sent a recipe card along with each invitation.  The guests arrived with their favourite recipe written on the card, a non perishable ingredient from the recipe and a utensil used in the recipe directions.  The recipes were collected in a binder that matched the recipe cards.}

Busy-ness

~Things have been crazy around here.  Mother's day, wedding showers, first time pedicures and a wedding on Saturday.  But of course we always find time to do things that make us happy.  Like church, homemade pizza, slackline, strolling through the farmer's market and driving.  It's been a beautiful summer so far.   

shoes: dominican republic. skirt: moon. tank: smartset. cardigan: pins&needles. purse: S&G. 

Messy buns are perfect for looking professional and/or casual this summer.

Strawberries

~I wish I could share my taste of summer with you.  The colours of these strawberries are gorgeous. 

Islet

~This is my favourite place.  It is called Islet Lake and it is peaceful.  I can canoe, hike and cross-country ski here.  I have named the above island after my family.  Evan and I went to the farmer's market on Saturday and then had a beautiful picnic overlooking our lake.  I have to call it our lake.  There are so many memories here from both the summer months and the winter months.

 shoes: Dominican Republic.  skirt: jules&james. shirt: suzy shier.

Mothers

~Although we should celebrate our mothers every day it is good to have a day that reminds us of their love, support, friendship, hard work and generosity.  We so often forget how thankful we are until we reflect on how we got to where we are.  Mother's day also celebrates women who extend their love beyond the reaches of their family.  I am so blessed to be surrounded by many strong women who have helped me become who I am today.  But I am mostly thankful for my mother.

Simple Happiness

~There's something perfect about houseplants.  We have a regular jungle in our home here in Alberta.  There's even a water feature where we store our plants from our outdoor pond.  You can hear the splashing of the water behind you when you're playing piano.  You need more houseplants in your life.  And a little black dress.  Two sources of simple happiness. 

ps: the comments will be turned off for the month of May. Thanks.

Trousers

~Trousers fascinate me.  And I have no idea why.  Maybe it's their professionalism.  Maybe it's that pleat in the middle of your leg.  Maybe it's because they are strangely comfortable.  I don't know, but I do know that these have the potential of becoming an out-of-office uniform.

shoes: carroll reed.  trousers: lady dutch. shirt: mexx. lipstick: clinique all hearts. sunnies: material girl.

Changes

~office clothes~ 

~salad~ 

~snow~ 

~tea and coffee and delicious~ 

~watermelon salad~ 

~Summer has been a lot busier than I expected. With a full time job taking up 12 hours of my day, I hardly have time to take pictures and blog so I've changed things up a bit.  I disabled the comments because I like to respond to them individually and I don't have time for that.  Posting will be a little sporadic but I hope you still tag along on bloglovin' and twitter.  You can also e-mail me at wrenshouse.blog@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.  Thanks for bearing with me and I hope we can continue to inspire each other throughout the summer.