Snack Around the Plate- July 2022

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1. Personalized Bags 

Stoney Clover has been around for a while and I feel like people either love or hate them. While I haven’t had any pieces personally, I love them. I love the colors, the personalization, and the playfulness of it all. I’ve shared them before but still hadn’t purchased any of my own pieces. So, this weekend, I sat down to finally commit and order a bag for myself. Of course, that turned into wanting to design a few smaller bags so they would essentially be a “set”. And then, because I was going more versatile and “practical” in my color scheme (and because I have an addiction to getting Eliza bags, let’s be honest), I decided if I was ordering one, she would need one too. Colorful, cute, and young. Here’s where I landed…

I decided on the classic tote in ‘sand’ with ‘sand’ varsity letters (HERE) for my monogram, with the large pouch in ‘sand’ varsity letters (HERE) and a clear travel pouch with black noir varsity letters (HERE). *If you aren’t familiar, each bag and accessory is totally customizable with colors, patches, etc. It’s fun and a little addicting. But, the more patches you add, the higher the cart price goes up. By a lot. This is where I landed on the bags and configurations for myself…

Neutral Classic Tote | Black Large Pouch | Clear Pouch

And then I moved on to Eliza’s bag. I went back and forth between a small tote and a mini backpack. And if I went with the tote, if I should do her name or monogram.

Small Tote | Mini Backpack

While I love the full rainbow effect of her hame with the star, ultimately, I decided on a small tote and monogram so we could “match”. I played around with patch color combos before landing on these. And then, at the last minute, I started entertaining the idea of adding a small pouch to her small tote. I love the yellow and in coordinating with the mini tote, these were the designs I came up with…

Small Pouch

And after going back and forth, this is what I ended up carting for her.

Small Tote | Small Pouch

But then, I saw the cart total of everything and got cold feet. So, that’s where we are. Sitting with a cart full of cute personalized bags and pouches and not wanting to feel guilt as soon as I check out for getting a little out of control. Should I do it??

2. Calphalon Slow Cooker

I have been wanting a new slow cooker for a long time. My trusty crock pot was old, basic (which suited me just fine), but the temperature cooked everything way too quickly. I felt paralyzed by reviews and didn’t want or need a lot of the new features I’d seen. Then, on Prime Day, I came across THIS Calphalon slow cooker. In addition to the sale price, I liked what the positive reviews had to say about it. I also liked that you can put the pot on the stove to sear meat before slow cooking and keep it all contained to the single pot. It’s also oven friendly 😉

After having it for only a brief time, I am so happy I purchased it. The inside is nonstick and lightweight — a big contrast to my heavy former ceramic pot. The shell is also lightweight so the entire unit is really easy to maneuver and move. The temperature has cooked everything much more slowly, more evenly, and I love being able to set a timer on the pot. The handle has rubber — as does the rim of the lid — and I appreciate not burning my hands and the lid not getting noisy, bouncing from condensation. My former slow cooker had food baked onto it every time I used it and this one, so far, everything has just slid right off the surface. It’s awesome and you can find it HERE.

3. Faux Fall Leaf Stems

My mom and I sat down to order some new faux leaf stems for fall a couple weeks ago, but between two sets — a red Japanese maple leaf and a deep plum cimicifuga ramosa — we couldn’t decide which we liked most. So, we each ordered a bountiful — my mom got the red and I got the plum. I’ve always been so pleased with the faux stems I’ve purchased from here (the hearty magnolia stems are my all time fave — so much so that I just keep adding more to my collection.

Red Japanese Maple Leaf Stems | Deep Plum Cimicifuga Ramosa Stems

In my experience, I love a single statement arrangement and prioritize the entry, kitchen island, or fireplace hearth and these are most often achieved by ordering several stems, but there are a lot of pretty, more whimsical arrangements with only a few stems, too. Here’s two larger faux magnolia stem arrangements — one in the entry…

Faux Magnolia Stems | Mirror | Chest | Vase

One in the living room on the hearth…

Faux Magnolia Stems | Concrete Vase

And here’s one with a single faux magnolia stem.

Faux Magnolia Stems | Black Urn Vase (small) | Stoneware Vase

Scroll & Tap for Pretty Faux Fall Branches

4. Labels

SAPs are all about randomness and this next one is random and specific. I purchased THESE clip labels as an affordable alternative to some of the more expensive clip labels I’ve purchased in the past (which are two to three clips for $10 — that’s a lot when you’re labeling a lot!). But THESE labels come in sets of black, white, or a combination of the two. I went through my first black set so swiftly, I immediately ordered a combination set to keep on hand. With THESE, you get 30 clip labels for less than $20! They’re great for bins and baskets but lots of other compartments, too. The clip is designed to be flexible and is compatible with every width of bin I’ve tried thus far.

Sources: Step Stool (similar) | Elfa Door Racks | Elfa Closet Components |  Cup Inserts |  Bins | Black Clip Labels | Pencil Box |  Abacus |  Shopping Cart | Race Ramp | Stroller

They come with a black marker for the white labels and a white marker for the black, but I used my handheld label printer (HERE) for the job. I ordered black tape (HERE), for the black labels, too!

5. WY & MT Trip Recommendations

Dave and I are gearing up to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary this October. We originally envisioned a trip to Europe but with so many unknowns, we just weren’t comfortable planning for an international trip at the time. So, we instead booked a trip out west to Jackson Hole in early October. We went to Colorado about 9 years ago and I’ve been to CA a few times, but we haven’t experienced much in the more western part of the country, and nothing in the north west/central area. We are stoked. I booked our hotel a long time ago (and am glad I did!) and we booked our flights a few weeks ago. But in terms of all the details, we haven’t gotten all into it just yet. We’re hoping to come up with plans and make reservations in the next week or so. I put it out to those viewing stories on Instagram and got a lot of responses with things to do, places to go, where to eat, and more. It’s already helped me make plans in my mind but there were many people wanting me to share the crowdsourced information, so I’ve included several recs below!

If you have recommendations, we’d be grateful for you to share them in the comment section at the bottom of the post. We are flying into Bozeman, MT on a Monday and driving south to Jackson Hole. That Friday, we’ll drive back up to Bozeman, stay the night, and then fly home on Saturday.

Here’s some of what was being said on Instagram with either opinions of the trip or with suggestions…

• Horseback riding in the Tetons, hands down the best part of our recent trip.
• We went to JH for our honeymoon. Visit the Astoria hot springs for sure.
• It will be cool and maybe cold. You might get snow. Make sure you bring a puffy jacket, warm hat.
• Eat at Snake River Grill, Trio, Osteria, and Persephone. Reservations are a must.
• Sage Lodge in Paradise Valley near Bozeman. The restaurants are fantastic.
• Snake River Grill for sure.
• Yellowstone!
• Both states are beautiful, I just recommend you drive around, sightseeing is the best.
• Persephone Bakery in Jackson (downtown) is amazing.
• The Bunnery in Jackson is amazing for breakfast.
• Elk Reserve, Grand Teton NP, cheese fries at Jackson Drug. And hold on tight driving through the Teton Pass to get to JH.
• Persephone Bakery and Hatch in Jackson Hole. Also Annie’s Thai Kitchen in Jackson Hole.
• Go to Rainbow Ranch Lodge to stay or for dinner. It is near Big Sky on the Gallatin River.
• The rodeo is just awesome! Hatch for great margaritas, the Silver Dollar Bar, the Bunnery.
• Definitely south loop of Yellowstone if open.
• Did the exact same trip last year! Ted’s in downtown Bozeman. Sage Lodge in Pray!
• Snake River float!
• Hike the Taggert Lake Trail. It is gorgeous!
• The town of Jackson Hole is so cute with shops and great restaurants. Tetons.
• Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Merry Piglets, Liberty Burger, Jackson Drug. Jenny Lake Mormon Barn.
• Dine at Jenny Lake.
• Go see the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole.
• Highly recommend Jackson Hole Eco Tours. Pros at finding all the wildlife!
• We took this exact trip last year. It was glorious! Have fun on your trip!
• We love Jackson Hole. Our favorite restaurant there is Local.
• I just have some bad news to prepare you for your trip. Rip won’t be there!
• I would book a trip to see the wild mustang horses.
• Jenny Lake was a beautiful stop. You won’t regret it! Bring a picnic.

6. Recent Audiobooks

I’ve turned into a full fledged audiobook junkie and have one to two books minimum going at any given time. I have those I like for walks, those for during the car, and those for during chores. I like a lot of fiction for the most part, but I love an autobiographical style audiobook — especially because they’re typically narrated by the author I’m so interested in.

As a One Tree Hill fan (and fan of Jeffrey Dean Morgan), I was so excited to listen to The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton. I enjoyed it so much, I finished it in its entirety in about 24 hours. It details aspects of their life together, and most specifically, how their life on the farm came to be (and what they’ve learned along the way). It was so so enjoyable and gave me a hunger to explore more of my country roots.

While The Rural Diaries was going to be the topic of Number 6, I had to mention The Office BFFs, too. I just finished this book after several weeks of listening off and on. I’m a big fan of The Office Ladies podcast so I was already familiar with the style of Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey and even a lot of the stories shared, but The Office in general just feels like home to me and is a comfort. I loved their book together and to hear about just how down to earth they all were and are. If you were a fan of The Office — even if you don’t do podcasts for rewatch style audio summaries — you need to do this book!

Both books are on the shorter side and quick listens in the world of audiobooks.

Have a great week and hopefully we’ll catch up over a new SAP soon!