This year was our fourth Valentine's together, and we continued with the delicious Ethiopian tradition that we started our first year of marriage. Our favorite place, Ras Dashen, is downtown, and while we ventured there on Valentine's night the first two years, we have since learned to celebrate a few days later to avoid the crowds.

Indy comes with us because she likes Ethiopian, and because we like her!

We drank delicious Ethiopian coffee, which is brewed in a traditional clay pot called a Jebena. It's dark and smooth, and reminds me a little of Turkish coffee.

There are no food pictures because I forgot to snap some before we started digging in (note to self - half eaten food makes for less than appetizing pictures)! Ethiopian food is served in little piles on a flat, sour bread with a sort of crepe-like texture, called injera. Everyone at the table shares, and you break off little pieces of bread to scoop up food. We notoriously stuff ourselves at this meal, especially since this is usually the only time we have Ethiopian (someone please open a restaurant in the 'burbs!)

What about you? Have you tried Ethiopian?

Indy didn't end up with a Christmas dress this year, even though I had dreams of deep green velvet and satiny bows, time just got away from us. So I had been keeping my eyes peeled for an Easter dress to buy for her, but everything was just a little too princessy and not enough farmy. So yesterday I just got in a mood and ended up spending the whole day sewing one instead.

It is adapted from a modern Simplicity pattern (2265), made with a woven organic cotton that I mentioned getting from Near Sea Naturals way back in fall of 2011!

It's trimmed with a pretty calico from Denyse Schmidt's Quilt Collection. . .

The sleeves are accented with some thrifted eyelet trim. . .

And I finished it with a thrifted mustard zipper.

Indy's "wait, what am I supposed to be doing?" face.

She keeps asking to wear this dress and spends most of her time in it twirling around (I didn't realize that was such an intuitive thing for little girls).

Hopefully it will be warm enough this March Easter to wear! (we might just have to layer it up)