The Inspired Abode

View Original

February Five Things // From The Inspired Abode

We’re so excited about this year & decade that we still find ourselves wanting to wish people we haven’t spoken to yet this year a happy new year. But now that it’s February, it’s officially the time to stop saying ‘happy new year,’ right? This year is a leap year, so there are a whole 29 days this month versus the usual 28… let’s make it count!

We’re back with this month’s edition of Five Things. Take a look below to see what we’ve been loving this month & what we’re looking forward to – and please do share your own monthly musings with us!

Credits: Liz Marie Blog (top left), Ashleigh Holmes (top right), Jenni Kayne (bottom left), Olive and Tate (bottom right)

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING…

We’ve been watching The Outsider on HBO – the one where Jason Bateman’s character is accused of murdering a young boy – and it’s actually so good! The story comes from Stephen King & about four episodes into it, we are as stumped as we were at the start. We can’t wait to find out how it all pans out in the end!

This is likely old news to you, but if you haven’t seen season two of You on Netflix, then you must watch! This season stars Victoria Pedretti, who we think is such a good actress! You might recognize her from her portrayal of Nell, the youngest sister, in The Haunting of Hill House. We think this season may even be better than the first & it’s just so crazy how they make someone so psycho also seem so charming & like someone you want to root for. It definitely opens your eyes to the grander idea of trusting people based on their looks, words, or front-and-center actions.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO…

We really enjoyed listening to Liz Moody’s interview with Carissa Stanton of @broccyourbody on the Healthier Together podcast! We love that both Liz & Carissa believe in eating healthy & taking care of your body & mind, but they also don’t say no to all of the foods that make them (and us!) happy – we’re talking to you, cheese & carbs. We’re especially obsessed with her version of a Taco Bell crunchwrap supreme recipe plus her Jon & Vinny’s spicy fusilli dupe.

Once again we’ve been loving Ashley Kane of Brunch on Chestnut’s Spotify playlists. Maybe it’s because it’s been extra cold in LA lately, but her Autumn & Winter playlist just makes us feel introspective, creative & cozy. We are also still obsessed with The Head and the Heart thanks to Ashley – we love SO many of their songs!

What We’re Reading…

We have loved the Food Network ever since we can remember watching television & with that came watching Giada De Laurentiis cook up hundreds of beautiful Italian dishes. We loved reading her interview with Create & Cultivate for their 100 list. Although we have been watching her for 18 years, there is so much we didn’t know about her & now we only love her more!

Everyone knows Johnny & June, but Johnny Cash’s love story with his first wife Vivian is largely unknown. She tells her story in I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny, and we love that Johnny Cash gave her his permission to tell their story, even if it might make him look bad to their kids and his fans. In his words, ‘it’s time.’ Even just a chapter or two in, their unconditional love for one another is apparent. Looking forward to reading & discovering more!

WHAT WE’RE EATING & DRINKING…

We cooked our first recipe from Wine Food: New Adventures in Drinking & Cooking & loved it! It was a neon coconut curry paired with Vouvray, a white wine from Loire, France. It was delicious & made us realize how cool wine pairings are! The flavors melded so well together & the wine made the meal taste even better & vise versa.

This Indian butter cauliflower recipe from Half Baked Harvest is the closest thing to takeaway Indian food that we’ve made in the kitchen. Great for vegans, vegetarians & carnivores alike, it’s perfectly delicious. Pair it with basmati rice and/or naan for a great meal-prep lunch to take to work or dinner at home. We’re excited to try it out with paneer (chicken or lamb for non-vegetarians) in place of cauliflower next! Although the cauliflower version will always be a mainstay in our recipe rotation.

WHAT WE’VE BEEN EYEING…

Valentine’s Day is coming up & although lingerie is the stereotypical norm, the holiday gets us really excited about cute loungewear & pajamas. We especially love: this long black set from Victoria Secret, this short piping set in blush from REVOLVE, this rouge long-sleeve + shorts set from Target & this striped short set from Splendid.

See this content in the original post

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO…

We’re finally making our first trip to Austin at the end of the month to celebrate our mom’s birthday! As you know if you’ve been reading or following us for awhile, we love taking girls trips to Nashville (check out our travel guide here) & have heard that Austin is just as amazing. And you better believe that we are going to take a day trip to Waco too since we’ll be so close! We’re so excited to dine at Magnolia Table & check out the silos. If you have any recommendations in Waco or Austin, please do let us know! We absolutely can’t wait & are looking forward to sharing our favorite finds with you next month.


We’d love to know what you’ve enjoyed watching, listening to, eating, drinking & what you’ve been eyeing and are looking forward to. Let us know in the comments section or send us a DM on Instagram! Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest to see what inspires us daily! Also, be sure to check out our favorite faux plants for your home & five personal finance tips you can implement right now!