My weekend (photo post!)

This weekend was really nice. I went home for the day on Friday to spend some time with my family. My birthday is next Sunday and I have to work, so I went home and had a pre-birthday dinner with my family. My grandma made me her infamous chocolate cake and it is by far my favorite thing on this planet. I even got to cuddle with my kitty! :)

Haha, the last one is pretty silly. All of the photos of me were taken by my brother, Matt Claghorn! What did you all do this past weekend?

A few things I love/miss

I went to Jamaica in late May this year and it was one of the most enlightening experiences I've had thus far. It was my first time venturing out of my little American bubble and I absolutely loved the feeling of a new place and new culture. It was refreshing and I learned a lot about myself there. I cannot wait until I get the opportunity to travel more. There are so many places I want to go! What places are on the top of your travel wish list?

This boy and his band, Local Natives. If you haven't listened to them you should. Don't take my word for it, read all of the genuinely nice/wonderful reviews they get (here's one)! They're incredibly talented. He came to visit a couple of weeks ago and I definitely miss him. I get to see him in Chicago a week from Saturday (as well as a show by Local Natives) so I'm overwhelmingly excited! (Image via themusic.fm)

My wonderful friends, Aya and her husband (the man behind the camera), Thom. They are both really loving and caring people and I'm so glad to have them in my life! They also have one of the cutest little ones I've ever seen. Aya is having a little contest to win a coupon to her etsy on her blog, Strawberry Koi. Go and enter! I mean, why wouldn't you? :)

My family! I love them so much. This is only part my mom's side , so I'm missing quite a few of those I love in this picture. I'm so thankful to have such an amazing family. My brother is one of my best friends and I enjoy every second I spend with him. I only get to see him every other weekend or so, therefore I miss him dearly. (Image via Matt Claghorn & yes I used to have a whole lot of hair!)

There's an infinitely long list of other people/things that I love and miss, but I'll leave you with this small slice of my life.

Falafel

A few days ago I made falafel for my family. It's such a simple dish to make and it's always delicious. Instead of using pita bread, we wrapped our falafel in iceberg lettuce! It was another successful experiment and it turned out to be incredibly refreshing. (All photos taken by my brother, Matt Claghorn)

Recipe for Yogurt Dill Dipping Sauce:
- 1 pint plain nonfat yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/2 cucumber, chopped into little cubes
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- juice from lemon
- salt & pepper to taste

Yum!

Bragging Rights

I love my brother's photography (and I love him too)! He's incredibly talented and I have to say, I think I have some sort of sibling bragging rights? I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do! Go to his flickr page to check out more beautiful images!

(Images in order: Willow 2, Outdoor Living, Specific Oceans XIX, Transparent, and Willow)

Also, check out the band in the third photo: Specific Oceans