Back in Black

Hello my loves, I'm sorry that I've been MIA! If you follow along on Instagram or Twitter (cough cough, @emricchini) or Snapchat (LARKANDLACE) then you know that I've been sick for the past two weeks. Yes, sick. I turn into the whiniest baby when I get sick and this one was pretty bad. No voice, couldn't get out of bed, I'd start to feel better and then something else would go wrong... yeah. No fun at all. I'm happy to be finally feeling better, even though my voice isn't 100% back yet. While this unplanned little hiatus was spent with some much-needed rest, I really, really missed blogging. 

Summer Dreaming...

Summer weather came to Philly a a bit early early, which I'm actually pretty ambivalent about. I love being serenaded to the sound of the ice cream truck and children playing outside but I'm not a fan of the heat. I've got a few small trips coming up and I realized that my summer wardrobe is sort of lacking. I don't even think I own bikini bottoms. I'm a mess. 

Band Tee + Stripes

I can't think of anything less flattering for me than a crew neck tee but damn I love my band shirts. If I had to guess, I would say that they make up about 45% of my total wardrobe. What can I say? I love supporting the musicians who grace me with their beautiful, melodious presence.

Mint Chocolate Chip Avocado Ice Cream

I really love this "keto" thing I'm doing. It's made me more mindful of the foods that I eat and has challenged me to be creative in the kitchen. However, while it's easy to find something savory that fits my macros, it's nearly impossible to satisfy my sweet tooth. Although I don't crave sweets nearly as much as I used to, (which definitely has something to do with my body adjusting to the drastic restriction of my carbohydrate intake) I get ice cream cravings every so often. Who doesn't? There just isn't a market for low carb, moderate protein, high fat ice cream so there isn't much out there for me. I've spent a few hours over the past week experimenting with ice cream recipes and after a few attempts and dismal failures, I've settled on one that's not only delicious but also fits my macros.

Blue, Black, Pink

I'm starting to really love the girl I lock eyes with every time I look into a mirror. She sings along to Kate Bush and Fugazi in the car. She can't whistle or snap but makes up for it by having a killer secret guacamole recipe. She's seen every episode of Six Feet Under at least twice and is endlessly bummed out that nobody seems to be as into it as she is. She's shy and extremely anxious but generally interested in one-on-one conversation. She doesn't like the taste of alcohol and is tired of pretending. She wears what she wants. She is getting stronger every day.

Denim Dress (& Etc.)

Thank you ASOS for sponsoring this post!

I'm seriously loving this "all denim everything" trend. When I ponder exactly why this look pulls on my heartstrings so much, I remember that this moment of blue jean bliss was crucial to a young and impressionable me. (Seriously, click on that link for some serious nostalgia.) The walls were torn down. Denim was no longer contained to jeans and the occasional jacket. It was anything and everything for all occasions. Glory be! Huzzah!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

I'm the worst at buying gifts. I'm not even ashamed to acknowledge this indisputable truth. I can't buy clothes for people because I always end up getting the size so wrong that it's borderline offensive. I can't go the quaint-homemade route because I do not have a creative bone in my body for that sort of thing. Buying gifts for my mom, however, is a great joy. She's basically the more humble version of me. She appreciates the finer things but will rarely go out and buy them for herself. As I try to narrow down my list of things to get her for mother's day, I figured I'd share a few ideas with you!

Sun + Sand

The Jersey Shore is one of my favorite places in the whole entire world. Growing up so close to the beach, I've always had a sort of bewildered familiarity with the ocean. The sand and the waves know me so well and I know them yet they are still shrouded in mystery. So vast, so powerful. This was my first trip down the shore of the season. I usually like coming when it's colder, darker, and there are less people but yesterday's weather was too perfect to not make the short trip to the coast.

Lately