I don’t know if it is the extremely imminent spring blooming forth, or the fact that I’m in the process of moving and starting the year with an extremely fresh spring cleaning, but I have had certain things bubbling in my mind that I would like to share in picture form.

Summer Dinner Party photos via Oh Happy Day

♠ Dinner parties. Maybe I’m getting overzealous, but now that I have an actual backyard, I am so excited to throw mini-dinner parties. Several courses, mixed company, tasty cocktails (and mocktails!), boisterous conversation with polite but lively debate, the works. I just wish I had a large, overhanging tree to from which to hang a bunch of lights.

Sowing the Seeds of Victory, Vintagraph

♠ Victory gardens. I love the idea of growing a garden to supplement your grocery needs. Our house goes through a lot of spinach, but not in the week window the stuff we buy at the store is preserved. It would be nice to go outside and pluck what we need for a bowl.

  ♠ Neighborhood/block parties. Once again, since I’m moving to a new neighborhood, I love the idea of a potluck on the street, getting to know neighbors. We used to have one every fall at my parents’ place, and I met a few great friends because of it.

This is actually a soda fountain restaurant, but the booths are perfect bar booths.

♠ A great neighborhood bar. I have started to read Drinking With Men, and the loving way Rosie Schap describes the great bars she’s been in, makes it feel like a second home. I don’t need to make a habit of going there, but I would love to find one without blaring music or giant TVs playing sports 24/7. If you must have TVs in the bar, after 7pm they should be only showing crackling logs or some equally calming screen, right?

♠ Pharmacies with soda fountains. I went to one in Albuquerque and it lives in my dreams. I bought beeswax soap, ibuprofen and a dreamsicle float all in one place!