Easter & a birthday :)

{ Family headed to my b-day din @ Basil! }

{ B-day flowers }

{ Hoppy birthday to me! Easter/B-day cupcakes }

{ Easter basket loot, squash & seeds!! }

{ A hat for baby }

My birthday fell on Easter this year. I don't think I quite care for this occurrence, no friends available to celebrate & everything was closed. So we spent Saturday having din at Basil with my parents and some friends!! Sunday I was hoping for lots of time to soak in the sun outdoors (and plant my new seeds), but it was over cast & windy yesterday and I did none of that :-(

Instead I made crepe's with my momma (stinky triple creme brie with berries...mmm) for breakfast & peeked through the adorable Easter basket she put together for me, the hubs & baby! So sweet that momma of mine :-)

For lunch we headed to the coast and indulged in Taco Temple delightfulness. Home for a nap (boaring I know, but I was in a mild food coma), to be awoken by b-day singing & cupcakes!!

Over all a lovely little Sunday, Easter & Birthday if I do say so myself, today I'll be planting my seeds with my momma while the Mr. goes to his first day of his NEW career!! Woo hoo, baby daddy got a fab job (graduated Cal Poly in December for Construction Management) & we couldn't be more proud, happy, elated, and down right stoked for the whole thing!! Good job baby, I love you :-)

:: peace & love ::

*Happy belated Easter & Earth Day, and enjoy this lovely little Monday!

Love, sweet Love

{ For Like Ever print, rainbow }

Happy Valentine's Day loves!!!!!!!!!!
My heart is bursting with love this V-Day, I am so incredibly excited to join these mythical ranks called 'parenthood'!
I always thought that to feel comfortable during this exciting time I would want all my ducks in a row (so to speak), and they are anything but. One duck is over there...one across town, you get the picture. Regardless of the chaos (although it doesn't feel like chaos), I am happy. I am excited, and bursting with joy. I have a husband that I love more everyday, I have parents that are by far the two most amazing people I know, and I have friends that have been so loving, helpful and generous (maternity clothes, books, gifts etc) how could my heart not feel full?
I have peace of mind knowing that things will fall into place, settle down, work themselves out (and hopefully before August 28th!) ;-)
Hope your LOVE day is full of just that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:: peace & love ::

p.s. it's raining here....and it's just lovely!!!!! We've got the fire going, a good breaki in our tummy's and on our way to seeking out the best cup of hot cocoa in town!!
xoxox

be my valentine!

I don't know about y'all, but I haven't done a dang thing for love day so far!

I love getting paper cards in the mail (so pretty), but sometimes you don't have the time!

Here's a fab alternative from the lovlies over at Kate Spade!

Pretty (and free) little e-cards for your lovers and loves alike :-)

Happy almost love day!!!

:: peace & love ::

happy happy happy new year!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 2011 folks :-)
This year should be full of new things.
It's been a busy/rough/exciting/intense year, and I'm ready for some new things.
Some new scenery perhaps...although I would miss our current scenery.
Some new ventures perhaps
Some new shoes perhaps (I had to, I love shoes).

The point is, with each new year we are given a metaphorical opportunity to start over (again) and again and again...
and I'll take it.
Last year I said I wanted to focus on me...my health, my choices, my goals; to be honest, I don't think I did a very good job.
So....this year, with more vigor, I state that I will try this again. Because it's so desperately needed.
What are your 'resolutions'...hopes..goals...for this bright & shiny 2011 !??!?

I hope it's full of sunshine & glitter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:: peace & love ::

*i JUST saved this pic the other day & forgot to save where from...of course I can't remember for the life of me. if you know where it's from, let me know! i hate to not site things!!

Holy Smokes...i forgot to post my xmas list!!!!!

{ sephora gift card for a Clarisonic brush }

{ gift cert to 15 degrees c wine bar, in Templeton }

{ hunter wellies--army green }

{ marc by marc jacobs faceted ring }

{ dream collective snake eyes cuff }

{ Chase LA premium tent tee }

{ jo malone orange blossom cologne }

{ YSL mascara volume effet faux cils }

{ fresh sugar rose tinted lip treatment SPF 15 }

Always a wish list of sorts :-)

Here's what was on my list this year....i did get a few things (and i think i'll get myself a few more) why not right!?!? hahahaha.

The fresh lip treatment is divine and i blame my slightly spend y addiction on my friend Danielle who generously gifted one to me for a birthday a couple years back. Like i really need $25 lip balm (i know that sounds like sarcasm)....which it is....but the sad truth is...i do really need $25 lip balm. I have effectively convinced myself of that!

mascara=a must. the scent + the gold tube=total addiction to this YSL

the Chaser tee is one my friend wore on our long travels (through airports--sardine like seating and car drives) and it just simply looked like the most comfortable thing i've ever seen. = i need one too.

HUNTER WELLIES...need i say more.

jo malone cologne...the smell of orange blossom's is divine, this is that amazing aroma in a little bottle.

shiny shiny shiny with the ring/cuff.....i love me some shiny (and what girl doesn't?)

clarisonic will make my sensitive and sometimes rowdy skin behave...maybe even happy!

gift cert to 15 degrees.....it's close to our new digs...adorable and has lovely things like truffle salt, hush harbor bread and the best cheeses, olive oils and balsamic vinegars you've ever heard of!

that's all folks!!!!!!

Wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!

xoxoxoxo

:: peace & love ::

pink tree love

{ Making it Lovely's pink tree }

Just in love with this 'lovely' (get it...) pink tree!!!
Part of me loves our family tradition of going to the tree farm and picking a tree (kinda sad to cut down a tree though...which eventually dies after all the Christmas glory is gone).
The other part of me is seriously in love with these colored trees. I'm not much of a pink girl myself....but I still LOVE this tree. It's the most perfect pink color...shimmery and shiny and full of whimsy.
I think a light blue or lavender tree would be really fun too. However, what works so nicely with Nicole's tree is that it perfectly matches the rest of her decor. It's definitly something to be considered. A simple silver tree would be so perfect with all its retro glamour as well.
This year we have a beautiful and real tree...but next year I am hoping to expiriment with something like this!

:: peace & love ::

*happy Christmas Eve!

4th of July fun

{ croquet in the grass }
{ Vix and me getting ready to kick the boy's butts at croquet! }

Unfortunately for moi, I started to feel sick Saturday while I was at work...I sort of though that maybe I had allergies, but by the time Sat night hit, I realized I had a full on head cold (no fun at all)...especially when you wanted to hang...drink some tasty cold beverages and enjoy a beautiful afternoon.

Sun morn and I am still on the couch at 12 sulking that I'm sick on such a festive occasion, when I get a call from our friends Vix and her honey Jonas.......they decided not to go to the beach which is perfect for us because our little yard and new croquet set is really calling our name!

1.5 hours later, we have cold drinks-chips-salsa and Wes' guac and we are relaxing in the back which is looking mighty cute I might add. I brought the papasan chair down for the good weather and the heat was just perfect!

After a couple drinks we break out the croquet and have some fun (I'll admit that the boys totally kicked our booties) we think they cheat!!!!!!!

I wish I had felt better....I did have so much fun, but spent 1/2 the time wishing for my head ache and sore throat to go away and thinking about how much I needed a nap....ha, so sad.

The day was perfect, even though it ended early.....at which point I totally crashed and slept off a fever :-(

Hope everyone had a beautiful and festive 4th, we do live in such a beautiful place!

:: peace and love ::

*PS....Jill says we'll have our engagement sesh later this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eeeeeeeeeeee.....i really (really) can't hardly wait : )

Resolutions kept....and forgotten

{pic from here}

Last year I came up with a fun list of 'resolutions' that I wanted to adhere to in that new year of 2009........well, 2009 has come and gone and we are on to 2010!!!

I thought I would take a look back at 2009 (which felt about as long as a sneeze)...and see which resolutions from last year made my life more enjoyable (and which ones I simply forgot!!).

Here is my list for last years 2009 : )

Out of that list, I consistently stuck to these ::

I spent lots of wonderful time with our families

I cooked more, and continue to love love cooking, finding and trying new recipes

I worked on getting rid of things in my closet and pondering purchases more to make sure I was building a better closet (soo imp. i know...haha)

I have drawn...colored...and been more crafty.

Wes and I have def. had more date nights....some of our fav's have been here and here.

I have kept more fresh flowers in the house...also drying a couple bouquets to keep year round....see them here and here.

I have grown some of my own veggies...see here. This is a continued resolution--more on that later.

We did decorate our bedroom to some extent....and we did move into a bigger place....because of that, there is still more decorating to be done!

I would say that's not too shabby in the spirit of keeping to one's resolutions : )

This year has been exceptionally difficult...trying...devestating for Wes, his family and myself. In much different areas it has been wonderful, exciting and new....I hope 2010 brings us new life, new joys, new hopes and new dreams. Our strength and will have been tested, and we have come out the other side with renewed faith in ourselves and in one another. My resolutions for 2010 are ::

Take it one day at a time...life goes by so v. quickly and I want to enjoy every moment of it.

Keep enjoying and doing things that I love--this year I am going to be more selfish, it is the year of ME and of building my family.

Keep moving forward...do something creative everyday.
Be confident in my decisions...don't be scared to jump in head first!

keep building that wardrobe....haha....boots...still need many many pairs of boots..( !! )

Know the truly imp. things in life

Grow MORE veggies...yum yum

experiment and make up my own recipes!

start new things...new ventures

~that's good for now...2010 will be the ever continuing list of positive growth and creative spirit!

Happy new year ( a wee bit late, but none-the-less happy )

:: peace and love ::

Christmas Feast !!

The prettiest head of cauliflower I've ever seen....almost too pretty to eat...but it was so v. tasty!
Pan Roasted Cauliflower from here....drooling over it here.

Baked Brie from here...with cranberries and walnuts instead of cherries and almonds.

Christmas contained a plethora of amazing food...veggie scramble (bear bread...see here from last year), fresh fruit sprinkled with Cinnamon and fresh eggnog (better cold momma...) yum yum...oh, can't forget the hot cocoa with rum (!!). Dinner was beautiful and so fun, curried citrus rice with almonds, this cauliflower recipe, pan sauteed salmon, and roasted greens......with our version of this baked brie recipe...we substituted cranberries for cherries and walnuts for almonds, but kept the honey and rosemary....delicious!!!! Besides the food, we had a beautiful day spent with family, and really nothing is better than that!!!

Happy Holidays...Merry Christmas...one day late!

:: peace and love ::

Mmm..mouth watering...literally

Dying-dying-dying to make this....and *maybe* share it ;-)
and this -- mmmmm...

and this (perfect little gifts and stocking stuffers wouldn't you say??)

Happy baking and cooking and everything else crafty!!!!

:: peace and love ::

Pretty lights !!

Wes found this super lit up little house the other day and took me over to see it all lit up at night!!! So fun and festive...though I can't say I would want their electric bill !!! It was even more fun than the picture allows, they had glowing orbs in the trees, and little miniature golf course out front. I wish I shared their enthusiasm for holiday decorating, but my little bits will have to suffice!
Happy Holidays everyone, I hope you have a beautiful and cozy week!!!

:: peace and love ::

*** a pretty sparkley wreath ***

This is the wreath I'm thinking of for some fun and retro holiday decor.......I'm not one for typical decorating (in fact, I should just say that I am not the best at holiday decorating in general...although I always enjoy other peoples decor)....so this wreath seams perfect, not to traditional red and green, and OH SO pretty! Where do you find your holiday decor?

:: peace and love ::

*wreath from West Elm.

holiday gifting....

Sorry for the shameless plug which is this post about the AMAZING Aveda holiday packages going on right now......but really, you're welcome, because they are honestly awesome presents and I would love love to get these as gifts...oh ya the point....your friends will like these as gifts too! The Himalayan Glow soy wax candle with the aroma of organic clove, vanilla and cinnamon it's the most lovely aroma (i bought 3 all for myself...shhh...that's just ridiculous). The 7 points of balance--where you get all 7 mini sized chakra balancing body mists (which is awesome because your body needs different chakra balancing on different days..so having all 7 is ideal). Lastly the Ritual of Relief package which includes the Hand and Foot relief (plus 2 travel sizes of each), given the price of the package it's like you are getting the travel sizes free......

On top of the general good deal, and awesome products....one of the reasons I love Aveda so dearly is that they partner up with different countries and cultures around the world to sustain their economy and find truly organic and quality ingredients for their products. Each holiday season for 3 years now Aveda has partnered up with the Nepali visionaries and organizations to produce the beautiful handcrafted paper for the gift boxes of all our holiday packages....not only that but the beautiful images of this amazing culture inspires Aveda's entire holiday decor!! Read more about the partnership HERE...it really is a fun story, and one of the many reasons I love Aveda's mission !!!!

:: peace and love ::

*there are many more holiday packages, see here.

what's on your list?

{Alice in Wonderland coloring book}

{all 500 Pencils--all at once!!}

{Marc by Marc Jacobs Q Grove bag}

{Tiger Lily Collection 'layered' crystal necklace}

{J-Crew vintage short roadster boots}

Here are just a few things on my x-mas list......i love making Christmas lists (i like making lists in general, so i suppose that doesn't say much) ;-) i also love hearing other peoples, what do you want for xmas, what do you want to get people. I am always looking for the perfect gifts (which is really my fav. part!!!)

Happy Holidays lovelies!!!!!

:: peace and love ::