!!

So, there's this:



!!!

(stay tuned)

Giveaway!

Any time I reach a milestone I like to celebrate - and goodness me - it's all thanks to you!  Thanks, my friends.  Seriously.  I appreciate you!

So, giddy up then - it's time for a giveaway!  Up for grabs is a versatile basket - 9" across and 6" tall - with a red base and handles.  This is one of my personal favorite styles (I have about 3 in every room of the house), and by far one of the most popular items in my shop!  You will be receiving the basket pictured below.

This giveaway ends on 7/28/15 at midnight.  Happy giveaway time, folks!  (open to US residents)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Things Change.

Things change, and that's OK.

Rhymes With Smile started out about food.  And, it still largely is - I was at a wedding in North Carolina recently and a friend's words of greeting included a reference to my most favorite chocolate chip cookies.  My cookbooks have become diaries - I leave notes about when I made such-and-such, who I shared the meal with, and what other events were going on at the time.  Possibly half of my photos from a recent international trip are food-related.  When we eat, how we eat, what we eat, and with whom we eat - I spend my days planning and scheming and listing and thinking and doing.

But, you know, sometimes things change.

Not that we've been eating less (heavens no!), but my time is different these days.  I used to blog during the kids' nap time.  Now, I make baskets.  I never envisioned that I'd spend the equivalent of a part-time job feverishly sewing at my dining room table while the kids play around me.  But I do, and I love it, and I've found a thing that gives me a personal creative outlet.  This year has brought me some pretty intense milestones and amazing opportunities!  All because of baskets.  Who'd have thought.

So, with the ebb and flow of growth and life, busy and quiet times, needs and wants, work and play, I'm going to officially let this blog rest for a while.  I do have things to share, and as there is time I'll get to do that.  And, sometimes I won't.

So, things change!  Rejoice with me that it is so.  We wouldn't want life to always stay the same.  Where's the fun in that?

Guest Post

Just popping in to let you know I got to guest post for the Nutmeg Collective today.  The Nutmeg Collective is a network of Connecticut-based artists, artisans, and vintage curators looking to expand our businesses online and locally.  I had a blast putting together a spring gift guide - click here to check out the blog post!

Penne Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Penne Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes (and Bacon and Chicken)
4 servings

8 oz. penne pasta
4 slices chopped bacon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 c. fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. red or white wine vinegar
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
1 c. chopped tomatoes (halved cherry tomatoes or chopped roma tomatoes work nicely)
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, salute bacon in olive oil in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, leaving oil in pan, and set bacon aside.  Add spinach and garlic to oil in pan, sauté until spinach is wilted.  Add vinegar and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and chicken; cook until tomatoes are softened and hot, about 2-3 minutes more.  Add well-drained cooked pasta and bacon to the pan and gently toss to combine pasta and sauce.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Straight up honesty here: this recipe is from the pasta box (it fits with my culinary philosophy!).  Of course, I tweaked it a bit (I added the chicken, and used white wine vinegar instead of red), but it was just about as much of a recipe follow as you'll get out of me these days.

And it was G O O D!  I've been on a vinegar kick anyway, but haven't added it to a cooked sauce.  The result was zippy and subtle at the same time - a nice little punch that wasn't overwhelming.

And here, my friends, is the pasta box itself:

We like things fancy here, ya'll.

When we've not been eating pasta box recipes, here's what we've been up to:

... Sitting in boxes on tables

... considering our level of thankfulness for warm ski lodges

... posing for family portraits

... looking our finest in every possible fabric pattern

... enjoying the fruits of the Mister's labor: a snow cave/fort/stadium/fire pit/maze extravaganza

What's winter for, if not snow and pasta boxes?

Baskets at Work

You know what's satisfying?  Seeing what kind of use one of my baskets gets once I send it off to its new home.  I recently got to work with an exceptionally talented local photographer to make her a custom basket for newborn photo shoots.

I don't know what the rest of you put in your baskets, but this sweet thing wins the Cutest Award.

(Get the basket here ... you know, if you want to).