A Baby Shower

A few weeks ago a couple of friends and I threw one of our 

best friend's a baby shower.  About a week and half ago we got to meet the little guy.  

Welcome to the world Niko!

For the decor we wanted to carry the rain shower theme. 

We blew up lots of balloons and sewed together paper raindrops.

For party favors we gave out white umbrellas thanking 

everyone for "showering" the baby and mom-to-be with love.

My super talented friend Blaze (remember this post) 

made the cutest little sign for the door.  It now hangs 

on the baby's bedroom door.  It perfectly matched the 

balloon clouds and raindrops!

I filled the entry to my home with more white balloons.
We then tied baby photos of the mom-to-be and father-to-be at the end of each balloon.

(lesson learned: you can never have enough balloons!)

Blaze also sewed together this adorable bunting for the living room window.

Guests snacked on cheese, crackers, fruit, and tiny tea sandwiches.  

We opted for these and these.  They were so delicious!  

We also served lemon cake which I'll be sharing soon.

Each drink was labeled with a little umbrella with everyone's name.  

Above are the lovely ladies I couldn't have done this without.
(Blaze & Christye - THANK YOU!)

Above right is the lovely mom-to-be herself 

(she looked incredible and was already 8 1/2 months along)! 

Next up the cake I baked  for the shower- a lemon vanilla bundt cake!

Stay tuned!

Chocolate Stout Cake

Last week we celebrated my beer-loving, hard working, and oh so 

appreciated husband's birthday.  So, naturally I made him a 10 pound 

beast of a cake and shared it with both of our families and eight friends.  

That's a lot of cake.

As much as I would love to tell you that I stuck to my dairy-free diet 

and made a cake from scratch, I can't.  I made cake from a box.  

Similar to this one.

Had I have had more time or a husband who doesn't love 

box cake I would make the one I found on Blogging Over Thyme.  

Next time I'm definitely going to make this one! 

Yum!

Also, cheers to all the moms out there!  

This would be a great cake to celebrate with!

{photos & styling by me}

what. a. month.

This month is shaping up to be awesome!

This week I have a good friend's wedding that I have been 

helping plan and I cannot wait to see it all come together.  

I'm also working on a baby shower for one of my best friends 

who happens to be moving home this week from the Caribbean!  

With so many things to look forward to I'll be limiting 

my posts in the month of May (bear with me)!

However,  I do have one of my favorite posts to date 

going up on Friday! Stop by soon - 

you don't want to miss this chocolatey treat :)

{Pink Peonies}

Cheers to the Weekend

This week was great minus the fact that I got a nasty 

cold that kept me on the couch for about 50% of it.  Yuck.

This weekend is J's birthday and I am so excited to feel better 

so I can spoil him.  His family is coming up tomorrow and we are 

going out to Indian food and I'm making him a chocolate stout cake.  

If it turns out I'll do a post soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful week.

Cheers to the weekend!

xo

{photo by me} 

Lilly Pulitzer for Target

I am loving the new Lilly Pulitzer collection for Target. 

It was released yesterday and I want to buy it all.

Below are some of my favorite picks from their new collection.

You can see more here.

**update: all of the items I wanted... sold out before 7:30am! ugh.

Flower School: Angelique Tulip

Angelique tulips are the perfect peony alternative!  

In a bouquet or arrangement they look so similar 

and they are much less expensive!  They are fragrant 

and fluffy just like peonies.

I've seen them come in soft pink and salmon pink.  

And they are just as pretty in real life!

You can learn more about them here & here.

{ Longfield Gardens    Pallen Smith    The French Tangerine }

Spring Sandals

I always have a hard time finding shoes that I want for spring and summer.  

I literally wore out one pair of sandals because I wore them 

everyday for two springs/summers in a row.  Our trip to Italy really did them in.  

After I threw them away I started the hunt for the next pair... 

and I found several pairs.  The ones above I bought in tan for 

a wedding and they are so cute and comfortable.  

Below are my other picks for this spring. 

1. Nine West

'Renu' Espadrille Wedge Sandal 

2. Sperry

'June' Leather Ankle Strap Sandal 

3. Coconuts by Matisse 

'Fonda' Tasseled Flat Sandal

4. Steve Madden

'Picnicc' Espadrille Wedge Sandal 

Little Things

Today, I came across this poem and it really resonated with me.  

Life is so full (not bad... just really full) right now 

for J and I. Sometimes I find myself so wrapped up in the 

big stresses that I don't pay attention to the little things in life.  

When I was about to graduate from college I had no clue 

what I was going to do next.  However, instead of worrying

I started running, and on my daily runs I would thank God for 

everything that moved me in that moment (or distracted me from 

being out of shape).  I found that instead of worrying over 

the big things I was focused positively on the little things.  

This poem is a beautiful reminder of just that.

{ photo found on ohsuzeq & poem found on La Bonne Vie }

Oh Monday...

Oh Monday...

this weekend was so good and so full!

Below is my weekend recap!

1. A gorgeous walk and brunch with my family at Pike Place Market.  

I cannot believe that I don't go there more often!  

I literally work a few blocks away but I never go... so silly!

2. Puppy kisses from my part-time pup.  

Before I married J he lived in a house with six other guys.  

They adopted a dog and I am one of three step-moms.  

J and I can't have a dog in our current apartment 

but Penelope fills the gap.  She is seriously a great dog.  

3. I'm officially on an elimination diet.  First up: dairy. 

This is a real struggle for a girl who has (or had) 

pizza at least once a week.  Literally, everything I 

love has dairy.  This weekend was rough.  BUT I did make my 

baked oatmeal with coconut milk and it was so good!  

So, now I have a little hope...

4. Fresh pasta from Pike Place Market.  

Though the fake cheese did not help... 

but this pasta is so good!  

We got the Italian mix (pesto, basil garlic, 

sun-dried tomato).  Yum.

I hope you all had a refreshing and amazing weekend!

xo

{photos by me}

Easter Baking

I love Easter.  

It's the start of a new season and everything feels fresh and new.

I also believe its the season of renewal and being alive.

Do you have any Easter traditions?  

We always look forward to brunching with my family 

and an Easter service at church.  If I wasn't running around 

cooking like a mad woman this season I would have totally 

made this cake!  Isn't it adorable?!  

If you are looking for some Easter baked treats here 

are a couple I would highly recommend:

* This Champagne Cake is a go-to favorite

*A Cinnamon Roll Tower is a great alternative to plated cinnamon rolls

* A healthy Sweet Potato Muffin

* My favorite recipe is this Baked Oatmeal

I hope you all have a wonderful and 

hope filled Easter 

xo

{Style Me Pretty}

April Mood Board

This past weekend marked the 1/2 way point through J's fire academy.  

It's flying by and dragging along all at the same time.  

It's killer BUT he is half way done.  

I am so excited for May.

Do any of you have fun plans for April?  

I have J's birthday and a couple of out-of-town visitors. 

Happy April!

xo

{ Society 6   DIY Studio   SF Girl By Bay   Jason Brooks }

Spring Lip Color

Spring always makes me want to wear a girly pink lip color.  

I'm loving corals and melon tones this year.  

Above are some of my favorites.  

Also, below are the links to some helpful techniques:

How to appropriately apply lip stick

Lipstick tricks

How to make your lipstick last

Tricks for a nasty lipstick stain

Other amazing colors

{  #1  #2  #3  #4  #5  }

Workspace

Last week when I came across WeWork, a coworking company,
I was inspired to post about my work space.

I live in a tiny apartment with a little kitchen nook that I turn into a 

make-shift office when I need a home workspace, but let's be honest - 

my couch is where most of my late night blogging actually happens.

I love to surround myself with lots of natural light and simple and playful art.  

I try to keep it simple so I don't get distracted, which happens easily.  

I am also a huge fan of plants, they bring life and fresh air into my workspace. 

I always keep a photo of my husband and I close by.  

It's the perfect reminder of how great life is and 

why we work so hard to support and enjoy our time together.

Another thing I really care about is my computer background.  

As silly as it sounds, it really sets the tone for the project I'm working on.  

If I'm working on a pink post you can bet my background is saturated in pink.  

I find a ton of inspiring ones here.

If you are looking to grow your business out of your home 

and into a great artistic and inspiring community I would 

highly recommend WeWork!  They offer great office spaces 

in several cities across the world.  

If you are in the Seattle area I would check out their space.  

It's full of funky urban finds and a great space to simply get things done!

Have a great weekend!

 

{photos and styling by me}

Grapefruit Martini

This cocktail is my jam. 

As the weather starts to warm I am craving grapefruit and citrus more and more!

Below is my favorite new after-work beverage.

**Did you know that local honey helps with allergies?  It's true - see here.

enjoy!

{photo found on Creature Comforts}

Italy (200 days later)

This past weekend I realized that I never shared my Italy photos... 

it's never too late right?!

Our first stop was Rome.  I loved the old buildings and ruins.  

My favorite part was seeing the Pope.  He seems pretty cool.  

Our favorite neighborhood was Trastevere.  Its the idealistic Italian 

neighborhood with windy backstreets and alleys that you could get happily lost in. 

Cinque Terre stole my heart.

From its Mediterranean beaches, fizzy wine, and pesto 

I was sold the minute I stepped off the train into torrential rainfall.  

Once the clouds cleared we were in heaven!  The town of Corniglia was our favorite.

Tuscany was as beautiful as I had imagined.  

The vineyards and Olive trees were spectacular.  

We loved the museums and seeing David in person 

was way more inspiring than I had imagined it to be.  

He's truly an incredible piece.

J and I loved Italy.  

If you are planning a trip and want any tips you can ask away!  

But truly experiencing it for yourself is the best way to see this amazing country.

 Ciao xo

{photos by me }

Flower School: Orange Blossom

One of my favorite spring time flowers is Orange Blossom.  

It smells so sweet and citrusy.  I love it's small white blossoms 

and tiny green leaves.  It always looks so amazing 

sitting tall in a vase in my living room.

Orange Blossom represents good fortune so they 

tend to be a popular wedding flower.  They were used in abundance 

during the Victorian era in bridal crowns and bouquets.  

You can learn more here.

xo

{  mowielicious   Jenna Bechtholt   Lewis Miller Design   Lane Dittoe  }

A Touch of Pink

I love living rooms with a touch of pink.  I doubt my husband 

would ever go for pink paint or a flamingo in our main 

common space but its too cute not to post.

I also love the half painted wall in the first photo above.

Do you have any accent walls?  Ours are all white - which I really love, 

especially for our tiny home.  

Happy Wednesday xo

{ Style Me Pretty  At Home in Love  Style Me Pretty  babble  Domaine } 

Boozy Shakes

I have a confession: I love McDonald's Shamrock Shakes.

They are my weakness!  

So, when I saw these shakes I knew 

I had plans for St. Patrick's Day... yum.

I love this post from the blog how sweet it is 

These Lucky Charm boozy shakes are just up my alley!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups of Lucky Charm Marshmallows

2 Cups of Milk

4 Cups of Vanilla Ice Cream (or mint!)

1/3 Cup Marshmallow Vodka

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Extra cereal for topping

Directions:

-Add marshmallows to a food processor and blend until powdery

-Add milk to a large bowl and pour in the blended marshmallows

-Stir to combine, then let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes

-Add ice cream, marshmallow milk, vodka, and vanilla extract

-Blend then enjoy!

**directions slightly changed from the original post that you can find here

So yummy.

Do you have any St. Patricks traditions? 

xo

{photos by how sweet it is}

Bad Joke Friday

One of my favorite parts of the week is Bad Joke Friday.

Every morning my bus is packed; standing room only kind of packed.  

Everyone has their phone out and headphones on.  Then, 10 minutes into my Friday 

commute my bus driver tells a joke.  A bad joke.  

He calls it Bad Joke Friday.  Everyone puts their phone down, 

takes their headphones off,  and we laugh together.

This is one of my favorite parts of the week because it's not very 

often that 50 strangers stop what they are doing to laugh together.  

I always end up chatting with the person next to me after.  It's a little magical.  

I hope you all have a fabulous Friday... it's now time for a bad joke:

Q: Who is a penguins favorite relative?

A: Aunt Artica!

xo 

{Photo found on Zoella}