A few things I'm loving lately:

1.  I crafted our latest Spotify Playlist after a gals trip to West Texas with my college girlfriends, inspired by the beautiful landscape, country music playing on our evening ranch rides, and some of my favorite Texas artists.

2.  Both book picks this month feature a main character I'd like to be a little more like - and this tremendously-beautiful gem of a story introduced me to a small southern town called Golden and its handful of residents who are all touched by the love, intentionality, wisdom, presence, and kindness of mysterious Theo. I am FLOORED this incredible book was originally self-published and almost never came to be at all. 

3. A story told entirely in letters, this unexpected novel made me want to buy a beautiful set of stationery and set aside time each day to hand-write a note or two. After all, we never know what a difference our words might make - in ourselves and others.

4. I couldn't wait to gift these cute crustaceans to my favorite little ladies as a tiny and fun reminder that they are loved and supported. The delight was immediate. (And the customer service impeccable - when my original order was lost in transit, they immediately replaced them!)

5. A dear friend sent this to me as a gift a few years ago, and it was the morning appliance I didn't know I needed. I love its sleek look and fast heating to the temperature of my choice (and even the timing of my preference.) And even though I'm not crafting pour-over coffee every morning, I still love the kettle's stylish spout. 

Our third offering in our By Hand + With Love series is a small curated collection of the most beautiful handwoven textiles from West Africa. I've been gathering these for a while (honestly, almost every time I've sourced glass beads over the last 20-plus years from my longtime friend and vendor of African designs who hails from West Africa himself, I added a textile or two to my own collection) and I'm thrilled to share a few with you here! 

Most of this collection is vintage, though some are more contemporary examples of African fabric. Each is entirely spun, woven, or sewn by hand and dyed with organic materials, all in an ancient tradition by richly talented craftspeople, the result of which is honored and celebrated for its beauty, quality, usefulness, and meaning. Some of these cotton creations hail from Mali, others from the Ivory Coast, and still others from Burkina-Faso. The texture, colors, details, imperfections, and hand-crafted character of each textile tell a remarkable story and bring an authentic artistry to any setting.

A few ways I enjoy them:

They can also be turned into pillow covers (with the help of someone who sews!) or even used as upholstery fabric (I have big plans to cover my great-grandmother's sofa with a few of them soon...) hung as a tapestry, or stitched together for a bed coverlet. I'm hopeful you'll appreciate and adore them as I do, and I can't wait to see which ones catch your eye.

A few things I'm loving lately:

1. I heard this live version of a childhood favorite on our amazing local Louisville radio station 91.9 WFPK and had to add it to the latest Elva Fields playlist for some nostalgic listening, along with some other fun songs. 

2. It's been a while since I've read and finished a book in just a day or two (such an indulgence!) but this one was compelling, captivating, and wholly enjoyable. Like the traditional recipe for which the book is named, I devoured it. (As a bonus, the author curates a playlist at the end of the book to accompany various scenes and characters in her novel, and I couldn't help but add one of her suggested songs to the Elva playlist this month in homage to this wonderful read.)

3. This dark chocolate bark gets rave reviews and was new to me on my last visit to Trader Joe's. I'm currently hiding the bag on a far shelf in the pantry to keep it all to myself. As it turns out, I may have to hide it even from myself soon enough. 

4. Though it's billed as an overnight lip mask, I use this goodness as a regular lip gloss day AND night. Thanks to my former sister-in-law who sent it as a holiday gift, my ever-peeling lips are a little less dry and chapped these days.

5. Two shows I've loved watching lately: one with my kiddos, one without them. Both smart, funny, entertaining, and humanity-at-its-worst-and-best heartwarming.