orange-y days.

there is little that makes me happier than a little usps box from mesa, arizona. 

my grandparents are the sweetest humans on the planet. 

they know how much i love their home-grown oranges, 

so they send me a few boxes straight from their tree every winter. 

there's nothing that makes me feel more loved

or makes my winters brighter. 

a saturday at the market.

while in valencia this past weekend,

we stopped at the mercado central.

annd it was one of the cooler experiences of the past three weeks.

the city has a tradition of markets (the first was opened in the 1200s).

the mercado central is jammed-packed with vendors,

selling everything from fresh fruit to nuts to dead rabbits (disgusting, i know).

valencia is famous for its oranges,

so we tested some out,

along with some killer dark chocolate and about 829 other fruits,

and were oh so happy with our results!

the whole situation felt utterly european.

including the building's lovely fish scent.

post script: i am already completely aware that my face appears to be the size and shape of a large cantaloupe. i love a serious lack of sleep. don't you worry about it.