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.

A few months ago, I flew up to Oregon to style a guest house for Country Living. Trina, and her husband Mike of A Country Farmhouse, had restored a space over their garage into a charming retreat. It was a joy to work on this project...they have the most adorable twins and live in a magical, beautiful, part of Oregon.

Continuing with my homemade & handmade holiday this year, I wanted to share these shortbread cookies with you before I leave for NYC. Because they can't wait...they're that scrumptious! They're buttery, crumbly, crunchy and chewy. And not too overly sweet, which is a plus during this time filled with sugarplums and candy canes.