Restoration Hardware for baby

Restoration Hardware have expanded into the baby and child field. It seems like an obvious move to me but I am not sure I could ever justify the amount they want for some of their things. I received a little mini catalog and it is all classic and beautiful. Some of the rooms and linens are swoon worthy and the hat boxes and suitcases will have to find their way to my house! The full catalog is due in June and you can request a catalog here

Image via rhbabyandchild

More Swede if you please

Another site I have been loving is that of one Benita Larsson. Her blog, Chez Larsson is always a joy to visit. She has great tips on how to keep a home organized and her home is a testament to that. I want her to come live at my house for a few weeks and work her magic - pretty please.






All images via Chez Larsson

Swedish Phishing!

I have found myself drawn to a lot of Swedish sites of late. I am just loving that clean crisp style they seem to exude. I need to get my hands on a copy of this magazine and I am sure it requires no translation as the photos speak for themselves. I could spend hours dreamily looking through their inspiration homes. Pure white eye candy!

A few examples if you please!






All images via Skona Hem
If anybody can tell me how I can get my hands on a copy of this magazine here in the good ol' US of A, I would be grateful.

Black Apple

It has been quite some time since I enjoyed a little culture but I have been itching to get back inside a museum or gallery for some time. One of my favorite etsy sites and blogs belongs to the black apple and as luck would have it, she is featured in this exhibit in Seattle beginning in July. Just a ferry ride away - I cannot wait.




images via inside a black apple

Crewcuts

I love this catalog. Some of the things contained within are way overpriced but there are some wonderful things at almost reasonable prices. They also have great sale items which make me feel less guilty about my insatiable desire to have my children look 190% better than I ever do!!

Here are a few of my fave things that I saw today

Pretties from Anthropologie.

I received these in the mail today. I had seen them some time ago and when I went back to purchase, they were on sale - happy day! Mine are yellow but you get the idea!



Inside the package was the Summertime catalog which is a thing of beauty. However, I found myself worried for some of the models. They seemed to a little distracted and not paying attention to their surroundings. Walking while reading is not something I would recommend. I have been the recipient of far too many bumps, bruises and nicks to tell of here due to trying to walk and read at the same time. Not a good plan, believe me! However, I did see these and thought they must be wrapped and sent to me as soon as possible.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream.

Now that is a lot of words for one scrumptious cupcake. Yesterday was Memorial Day and I have much to say about that holiday that I will leave for another post! As I was still feeling a little mad about the world in general, I decided to shake off the funk with a little baking. Baking something always makes me feel gentler, kinder and a little more human. I had seen this recipe on the half baked blog and decided a wet Monday in Washington was the day to unleash it!

Upon first reading, I thought it would be a little more difficult than it ended up being. Just make sure you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go. It came together quickly and the cupcakes were unbelievably good. More compliments on these babies than most others I have made. The Buttercream gave me a few fits but I think that was more about my short temper than anything else! The only thing I changed about the recipe was I omitted the rum as a) I don't like rum and b) I had no rum in the house!

So here are the end results - I highly recommend them and if you were here, I would be sure to let you sample!

And we're back!

Needed a few days away from this thing called blog! Life intruded in a harsh way and time was needed to digest, process and yada yada yada. So I feel almost ready to face the world again - almost!

Blueberry Cupcakes

I saw these cupcakes



on the Bon Appetite website and was instantly smitten. I woke up this morning and saw a bag of blueberries I had frozen last week and decided today was the day to make these beauties.

They were very simple to make and the cake tastes like a light muffin with massive bursts of blueberry punch. Indeed a yummy cake. The frosting, however, was not so good. I followed the recipe but it tasted like sweet sand - not a taste I could go with. I decided to just make a good old fashioned cream cheese frosting. When the frosting was all ready, I threw in a handful of frozen blueberries and mixed them in really quickly. The frosting was amazing with these little pieces of blueberry interspersed amongst the sweetness of the frosting - I was so proud!!

Here are the end results

Just love these!

More photos of my ranunculus - they just keep on keeping on!

Parasol

I love parasols - obsessed may be a better word. I saw these on Black Eiffel and want them in the worst way. Not sure why but I need them. I have no clue where I would find them but I want them. So there!

Desserts Magazine

I just found this little online gem - ooh la la. I don't think I need to expand on the title as it seems to say it all to me. It is a feast for the eyes and makes me want to get my apron on and make my way to the kitchen. Find it here

Wedding Style Guide

I visit this website a lot for just idle browsing of the pretty pictures! There are some gorgeous images here but I love that they provide a lot of downloads that you can use for your own sweet self. I love the sunflowers (sigh) and the tea party comes complete with recipes for your own special backyard soirée! I am not sure why I love the cake so much, but I surely do!






All images via http://www.styleguide.com.au/

You know it is hot!

The Pacific Northwest is going to be close to 90 degrees through the weekend and our local news stations are all over it in the usual understated way! It leads off all news which tells me it must be a slow news day! Of course if I look at any National news sites, I realize it is not really a slow news day or week - far too much death and destruction for that but I digress. I know it is going to be hot because I have already been told to stay hydrated and look out for any elderly neighbors! Does 4 days of almost 90 degree weather really constitute a heatwave? I find it a wonderful break from our long winter but I do not think it is cause for hysteria.

One good thing is getting to sit outside and enjoy myself a refreshing beverage so I may just go and do that again!!

Marie Claire Idees

This is one of those magazines that I really look forward to receiving. By receiving, I mean timing it so that the one issue that my local Barnes & Noble receives makes it into my mitts. It is usually about a week to 10 days after it hits French newstands that i start stalking the magazine lady at B&N! I got my first glimpse of the new issue at the website Marie Claire Idees. It looks pretty good non?!

You do not need to speak French to enjoy this magazine but if you really feel like a good laugh and would like some clue as to what the text means, you need to go here
It is hilarious!

So now I need to go set my timer for a week today and let my stalking begin!
Au revoir!

The Little Tea Swap that could!

I have seen lots of posts about tea cup swaps and other types of swaps and they have always been something I thought I would like to do. I decided to take baby steps and host my own teeny tiny little tea swap. All of the participants (all 6 of them) are related in some way but none of them live within 3000 miles of me. Everyone was very excited about the idea of this and my primary mission was accomplished - to get people who live maybe 20 miles from each other to interact in each others lives.

So this week is the week for mailing the boxes and I sent mine off on Monday. As it was such a small swap, I did not do the traditional swap partner thing. Instead you sent a package to one person, but received it from another. This maximized the interaction between all participants - again, my primary goal.

I will be doing another swap again soon but in the meantime, below are images of the goodies I sent and the wonderful delights I received. Much fun!

Farm Kitchen

I have been meaning to go here for the legendary 1st Saturday Brunch for the longest time but now I feel a class may be in order. They have one class that really whets my appetite - Using local produce from CSA's or farmers markets. I like the idea of stretching my salad repertoire! The venue itself is gorgeous and if I was in the market for a wedding, it would be a possible. I think spending some time just doing something purely for the fun of it would be refreshing. It is all part of feeling Spring/Summer creeping into the Pacific Northwest - we sure waited long enough for it.

More Toast!

I received my new Toast catalog in the mail this morning. The usual beauty was found among the pages. This little number caught my eye but I wonder how it would look on a woman with, shall we say, a more generous bust? I cannot help but think it would not be as lovely as it looks on the flat chested wench sporting it here.


I also love this little ensemble - casual and comfy just like me!

Mother May I?!

Gosh, these are some beautiful interiors by the team of Nathan-Egan. I had seen their work before but was reminded of it while perusing the wonderful Daisy Chain blog. The Hallway just blows me away with those amazing staircases. The kitchen is just perfect in white and I love those green chairs against the sea of glass windows. I think someone needs to bring all these components together and make me my dream house! Thank you!
>

I won!

I found out yesterday that I was one of the winners at the design mom Mothers Day Giveaway bonanza. Last week, Gabrielle went crazy with 17 different giveaways - all of them wonderful and covet worthy. I won a subscription to Eliza magazine - one of the few magazines I do not currently receive. I am so excited! Thank you Design Mom!!!

Her blog is one of the blogs I visit every day - always something pretty to look at. The woman is a freak of nature by the way! I have no idea how she can possibly do all the things that she gets done on a daily basis.

So now I am officially a winner - yay me!

Red Kite Gallery

I have been very fortunate to have discovered a wonderful artist living right in my midst! Her name is Suzanne Rittenhouse. I had seen her in her garden painting away and when we finally spoke, I showed her a magazine clipping of a painting I had just fallen in love with. She made a reproduction of it for me that is just splendid and hangs in my hallway. Since then, she has taken a photo of my father in laws boat and turned it into a beautiful oil painting that will be his fathers day gift.

Lately she has turned to a more whimsical set of drawings that I fell in love with as soon as I saw them. They are just beautiful and I now own 4 of them. Something tells me this will not be end of my purchases from her but if you get a chance, you need to go visit her site here

She is now working on dinosaurs which I fear will be hanging on my sons wall soon. Here are some images lifted from her site - some of the ant drawings are my earlier purchases!!






All images via Red Kite Gallery

Corey's Day at the Farm

Today Alexandra got to have her big day at the farm. The farm is actually the County Fairgrounds, and the farm is (no pun intended) farmed in! It is a wonderful event put on each year by some of the most generous people you could ever wish to meet. It is for all the special needs children in the area and it is as popular as can be. Horse rides, hay rides, tractor rides, sno cones, rope wrangling and then a sack picnic lunch in a large communal hall with long tables and a band to entertain. It is all free, gratis, no charge to the children thanks to some wonderful sponsors and some genuinely caring volunteers.

Alex was not feeling so great this weekend so a planned trip to the zoo on Saturday had to be scrapped. I was hoping that the few days rest would help her to feel better but she was not 100% this morning. We decided that she was well enough to go and away we went. She was not as excited as she was last year but she did ride the horse and she seemed to enjoy the people watching and the covered wagon ride. Owen had an absolute blast. He got to sit on a horse with a sheriff, pet Llamas, rope cattle and lots of other fun things.

I cannot begin to thank the wonderful people who make this day possible. Seeing the smiles on the children's faces as they ride around a field on a horse, and seeing the tears of joy as the parents watch them go, it warms the heart like nothing else can. It restores my faith in humanity that so many people give so much of their time, money and effort so selflessly. They make a very special day for some very special children.

More info on this event can be found here

Dumpling Dynasty

I love this! So bright and happy and kitsch! Let me at it!

A Little Hut

At 1am this morning, I was waiting for the last of my baking to be baked. I sat bleary eyed in front of this very monitor trawling the internet while smells of warm shortbread filled the air. I sat up in my chair when I saw the images above at Cookie Mag online. I am a sucker for any kind of packaging and these boxes are beyond adorable. So about 3 clicks later and they were mine. Beware the 1am internet experience, it is fraught with pitfalls. Many an Amazon purchase has been made in the wee hours of the morning! Not that these purchases were a pitfall.

So I received my templates in my inbox this morning and now I have to work out if this is within my reach! I also visited the Little Hut website and it is filled with just beautiful things! There is also a little hut blog but that will have to wait until later!

Now I must go and finish packing up said baked goods so they can be in the mail this morning - Mothers Day waits for nobody.

Images via Apartment Therapy

Boden

Finally, a British catalog that will ship to me here in Washington! I have always loved Boden - something very simple and classic about their clothes. These items caught my eye in the latest catalog. Do not even get me started on the mini Boden catalog though, that thing is just dangerous to my wallet!






via Boden

Things I miss...

Number 2. I had forgotten I missed this place until this morning. I was just looking at todays inspiration board on Snippet and Ink and was taken by this image....



I decided to investigate and was taken to a blog (MTeriors) and that in turn led me to a site for the store Past Times. I had forgotten all about this store and that is a downright shame. Of course the site is not so much up and running right now, and that is probably a good thing. Some days I find myself pining for the fjord (so to speak) and today appears to be one of them. I feel the need for a trip home - if only for the shopping. Of course, most people are coming from Europe to shop here and take advantage of a horribly weakened dollar so maybe I shall just wait. After all, tomorrow I will wake up and be all about America shopping - and all its greatness! Damn Hormones!

Things I miss..

Number 1 - The Habitat catalog. I miss being able to walk into a Habitat store and get inspired. I miss being able to get my grubby mitts on the catalog. Why won't they allow me to just pay for the shipping and handling and ship me a copy to the Good Ol' US of A? I just like looking! I like the photography. Oh who am I kidding? I like the fact that it reminds me of college. Reminds me of furnishing my first flat. Reminds me of my youth! Who doesn't want a reminder of that occasionally. Oh well, I guess I need to hit someone up and have them send me a copy. They already refer to me as that crazy Yankee so this wont seem strange at all!

PBK Tree House

How much do I love this darn catalog/website/store? Well pretty much a lot. I do buy some items from there but I think I take more inspiration from them than anything else. The catalog is like a magazine filled with pretty pictures. I have already spoken of my fondness for tree houses, so I am loving this item...



I am sucker for a Ferris Wheel, so as soon as I saw this Centerpiece, I fell in love. I think real mini cupcakes in each carriage would be awesome.



And Owen loves all things animal related, so I love this. I am mainly attracted to the picket fence centerpiece - I know I can replicate that in some way! Oh and that Cow print cake in the background - yes I can see that happening here!



Finally, I love the Octopus Sprinkler in this photo! Simply fun!



images from Pottery Barn Kids

Teachers and the Appreciation thereof!

Happy Teacher Day! Not sure if that is the correct greeting but I do like the sentiment. I only found out last night that today is National Teacher Day so it was hard to put together a worthy gift. I am not sure what is a worthy gift for those wonderful people who take my daughter every day and send her back to me with more than when she left. They are patient, kind, compassionate, smart, tough and wonderful people who do one of the toughest jobs I can think of. I ended up baking a large batch of cupcakes and sending them along with some chocolate but I wish I could have done more!

So to all teachers, I tip my cap to you and say THANK YOU - from the bottom of my heart.

Williamsburg Marketplace

Thanks to Grandma Becky, I have been made aware of this little jewel. Much of the stuff is not really my thing, but boy are there some gems hidden in there. The one item that took my breath away was the one thing Grandma Becky said I could not see!!! I feel she may be saving it up for an Alexandra gift and that is fine by me. Curiosity got the better of me though and I am glad I peeked! It is just the most beautiful child's tea set I have seen. I also love the 3 mini tea pots - you can never have enough pots when it is tea party time!

Who knew? Colonial Williamsburg sent directly to my door in Washington State!




images from Williamsburg Marketplace

Greatest Show on Earth?!

I am not actually a fan of Circus in general. It was never really a thing I looked forward to growing up - the annual trip to the circus. It all seemed sad to me. I do love a carnival or County Fair but a circus? Not so much! However, I have always loved having a circus at home with the children and we all love animal crackers (Trader Joe's organic are a favorite in this house) and there is something about a circus theme that makes me happy. The colors are vibrant and cannot help but make you happy! I just don't like going to an actual circus. Anyway, seeing these items jump off the page of the latest Williams Sonoma catalog made me happy. I do not think that there is any doubt that at some point, these items will make their way into my house.






images via Williams & Sonoma

Perhaps for Owen

I know he is still a little too young, but I feel at least one set of these cuties must be present in his room. He will be 4 in June so perhaps they can reside on a high shelf for me to admire. They are just so darn cute. Somehow I feel that if they make their way to our house, they will not be on a high shelf for too long - they need to feel the open road!!


Derby Critters


Forest Critters

Both images from Wisteria.com

Carmel Getaways

Oh I can only dream! I lived in the Bay Area 2 children ago and my mind often wanders back to that special part of the world. I love San Francisco and how it just wraps you up in its utter fabulousness. Carmel, however, just upped and stole my heart. Just a breathtaking place. I was reminded of this while perusing Cottage Living online. The article about the wondrous Comstock cottages just made me want to pack up the car and drive south. I mean, really, look at these.....





Can you imagine anything cuter. I know they are not practical, especially for a woman who is on the taller end of things, but tell me they are not just storybook fabulous!

Carmel, I think we may need to meet again - SOON!

If you wish to read the article - http://www.cottageliving.com/cottage/travel/article/0,21135,1688075-1,00.html

Snippet & Ink

I love love love this blog. I know there is nothing original in that - it is beloved the blogosphere over. There is something just so perfectly beautiful about the inspiration boards that makes me just sigh. So much pretty in one small space. I am not planning a wedding as I have been married 12 years but I love to just go and gaze adoringly and daydream about what if. What if I was getting married? What would my wedding look like? Bearing in mind that I got married in Vegas wearing jeans and a shirt, I find it strange that these things even cross my mind. My sister in law is at a stage in her relationship where a wedding could be on the horizon and I find myself planning her wedding in my mind. She is fully aware of this and seems to think it is a fun thing. My fear, however, is that if and when she does get married, I may turn into sister in law of the bridezilla.

So there are two boards that I always seem to go back to and although it makes me feel guilty because all the boards are fabulous, these are the two that I could be flipping a coin if I were to be getting married.




Both Images via Snippet & Ink

Happy May Day

Oh I do love me a little May Day festivity. Granted the art of maypole dancing does not seem to have made it across the Atlantic but I was so happy to see that Americans do in fact celebrate this lovely day. While I was waiting outside for my daughters school bus, two children walked by and said "Happy May Day". Then when I gave the bus driver her cone of plenty, she was more than aware of that custom. To make the day complete, the sun decided to peek out from its hiding place and made an appearance. Oh happy day! I spent last night making cones with my daughter - well making them while she watched and tried to swipe candy. I knew I would not be putting them on peoples doors but I did want to mark the day with some sort of candy appearance. So I sent one to school with her, gave one to her bus driver and the other is for her speech therapist this afternoon. I hope that this is a sign of spring finally making a more permanent showing here in the Pacific Northwest - we are ready for you.

My New Bike!

I have been wanting a new bike for the longest time. I seem to have a weird problem with bringing bikes with me when I move. They always seem to be given away as though they are too much trouble for me to bring along. I do not actually have to do any of the moving as the Navy takes care of that but something compels me to just give them away as though shedding a skin. My dream bike is the Raleigh Passage 4.5 - I love its simplicity. I just cannot justify spending $400 on a bike that I may or may not use.



My dream bike (above)

So I happened across this little gem while perusing at my Navy Exchange the other day. It made me do a little double take and then I found myself just loving it some more. I knew I had to have it when I came home and immediately started talking about it. Eric spared me a lot of time by just going to get it for me. Love him! So now I just need to get a helmet that fits my humongous cranium and find a beautiful wicker basket for the front, and away I go!



My new bike

By the way, the dream bike will be mine one day! Oh yes, it will be mine.

Ahh Rebecca Thuss!

So there are some people on this earth who appear to have taken far more than their fair share of creative talent! Rebecca Thuss is one such person. I have seen her work through the years mainly through Martha Stewart and I am never ever disappointed and always jealous. I could spend hours at her website just looking through her portfolio of all that is pretty - and I do! I am particularly struck by this image as I can see it as a theme for Owens birthday. I do love me some blue and white!





www.receccathuss.com