Hello Spring

Have you ever been happier to see the calendar turn to March than you were this year? Despite the awful events that are happening in the world right now (more on that at the end of this post) I am encouraged by the longer days and warmer temperatures so I’ve gathered a few things to celebrate the season.

A new series based on the life of Julia Child is coming to HBO Max on March 31 (you can watch the trailer here). The cast looks amazing and I especially love the English actress Sarah Lancashire who plays Julia. She also starred in Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax if you’ve seen those and if you haven’t I can recommend them too.

I’ve had the recipe for these prosciutto and asparagus puff pastry bundles saved on Pinterest forever. I’ve printed it off and am promising myself I’ll make them while asparagus is in season.

If you’re looking for a good book to read this spring you can’t go wrong with something by Irish writer Maeve Binchy. If you’re new to Maeve, her novels (she wrote 17 of them between 1982 and her death in 2012) are wonderfully character-driven and mostly centered around life in Ireland. Two of my favorites are The Glass Lake (a little bit of a mystery) and Tara Road (two women trading lives).

If there was any doubt that I love a classic let me offer exhibit A: I just bought some Stan Smith sneakers, the same tennis shoes I first bought in high school. I chose the white and navy combo but I think of the white and kelly green version as the true classic and I may get those too. (PSA: they run big.)

I also have my eye on this twill field jacket from Talbot’s. FYI, Talbot’s is having a spring sale with 25% off your entire purchase until March 14.

Finally, I can’t hit publish on this post without acknowledging the heartbreak and destruction that’s happening in Ukraine. I alternate between feeling angry and heartbroken and I know you do too.

If you’ve been moved to donate but are overwhelmed by the number of nonprofits to choose from I want to pass along a resource that I’ve used many times. Charity Navigator has rated thousands of non-profits on financial health, accountability, and transparency. You can look up any charity you’re considering on their site and they have also put together a list of 30+ nonprofits with three and four-star ratings that are currently helping the victims of this war. I especially appreciate that the list is broken down by the kind of work each organization is doing (medical services, emergency housing, long-term assistance, etc.).

P.S. Life lately and a Chicago trip report.