Happy Friday

Here's a recipe for you to try this weekend. My sweet grandma makes this yummy popcorn for all of our family barbeques and summertime get-togethers. I hope you like it as much as I do.

1C Sugar
3/4 C Karo Syrup
1 cube butter
1/8 tsp. salt

Mix together and boil 1 minute. Pour over two bags of microwave popcorn. Try to find the un-buttered microwave popcorn, since there's all ready butter in the reicpe.

Enjoy! And have a Happy, Long Weekend!

Back to School

Do, Ponder, File Folders, $8.99

As we've been out and around this week, I can't help but smile when I see all the kids out walking to and from school. I grew up spending a lot of time in my parents' office supply store. A new school year meant a fresh batch of school supplies. My dad would take us down to the store after it had closed, and then we would pick out all the stuff we needed for school.

The beginning of a new school year was a clean slate for me...fresh, clean notebooks; finding the perfect mechanical pencil, or other rad items (i.e. Trapper Keeper). {Oops, is my age showing?} The beginning of a new school year also meant new clothes and a major hairstyle change for me...but that's a whole post in itself. Maybe if you're lucky I'll bring picture back in a couple weeks after I visit my parents.

Since we don't have anyone going back to school at our house this year, I'm using this new school year as an excuse to get my office organized. Knock Knock has just the supplies that will help get me motivated. Here are some of my favorites:

Task Clips {Do, File, Send, Read}, $9.00

Whenever Sticky Notes {Today, Soon, Someday, Now, Later, Never}$15.50

Inner-Voices Magnets, $1100. Now you can "say" all those things you're secretly thinking!

Don't Forget To Stickies, $3.25.

And for those of you who are going back to college, you definitely need this Roommate FYI Checklist. Check out Knock Knock for more fun, sassy supplies that will make your office an organized and fun place to be.

Plum Gorgeous

I love fall fashion. I'm completely obsessed with this color lately. Here are some easy ways to add this beautiful color to your wardrobe this season.

1. Boatneck City Tee, from J Crew

2. Vintage Cocktail Ring, from Antique Jewelry Mall.

3. OPI nail polish in Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not

4. Emma Necklace, from BijouxOdalisque

5. Kooba 'Dylan' Bag, Bluefly.com

6. Twist-Front Sweater Dress, Banana Republic

7. Silk Tie-Neck Blouse, Banana Republic

8. Nine West Cedargrove, from Piperlime

9. Cashmere Muffler, from Nordstrom

Now if only the weather would cooperate.

Front Page!!!

Etsy Front Page 8/26/08 florigander, originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers.

My Poppy Notecards were on the front page of Etsy yesterday. Never in a million years, did I think I would make the front page. If you can't tell, I'm thrilled!
Thanks to florigander for including me in such a great treasury. Be sure to stop by her shop and show her some Etsy love!

The Alchemist

I read this book a while ago and I just wanted to take a minute to recommend it. It is a wonderful tale of a young shepherd who sets out to find treasure, and meanwhile finds himself. HarperCollins describes it as "A Fable About Following Your Dreams." The book is written so simply, but there is a great depth and so much beauty in that simplicity. I read it in just a couple of days, so it's not a major time commitment. And it is very inspiring; but not in a sappy way. It's one of those books that made me feel like a better person for having read it. That's hard to come by these days. Enjoy.

{photo from HarperCollins}

Hooray!

When I opened my email today, I found a newsletter from Spoonflower. It's this cool new site where you can design your own fabric. They're still testing it right now, so when you sign up for an account your name is put on a wait list until they send you a invite. I applied some time ago, and never heard back. I just assumed I wasn't up there on the list yet. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found their newsletter in my inbox today. Somehow, my invite must have been put in my spam folder or something.

Anyway, I ordered my first design swatch today. It's just a simple silhouette I'd done for another project. I did it in some of the colors in my bedroom. (Which might change soon, anyway). And I just wanted to order a test print to see how it all works. I'm not sure how my design and colors will translate to fabric, so I just ordered the swatch to be safe.

I'm so excited! Just what I need...another way to waste time. But now I'm going to be daydreaming of all the great fabric I can create! Now I can have exactly the fabric I want. Hooray!

Lemonade

I can't get enough of G. Love' s Lemonade album. Granted, it came out two years ago, but I still love it. It's kind of a laid-back hip-hop/blues/funk album. If you know about G. Love, then you know what I'm talking about. He's done some great collaborations with artists like Jack Johnson and Ben Harper on this album. My favorite song on the album is "Still Hangin' Around." Plus, anyone who rhymes "dirty" with "purdy" is pretty sweet in my book.

Hilarious

For Daddy's birthday this year, I took him to see one of his favorite comedians--Mike Birbiglia. It was such a great show. Mike has a blog called My Secret Public Journal. If you need a good laugh, look no further. And for a little Birbiglia-to-go, get his new CD here.

Dancing With the Stars

The new cast of Dancing With the Stars was revealed today. Read more here. My top picks are Lance Bass and Warren Sapp. I also can't wait to see Misty May. OK...and Kim Kardashian. All right. I admit it. Keeping Up With the Kardashians is another embarrassing guilty pleasure of mine. I know I'm not alone here...am I?

Dancing With the Stars starts September 22.

Weekend Highlights

Residency has been treating Daddy (and us) pretty well so far. Daddy lucked out and got the "easy" rotation first. We know it's not going to last much longer, so we're trying to soak it up while we can by enjoying our weekends together. This one was a pretty laid-back weekend. My favorite.

Here are my weekend highlights:

Friday: After The Boy was tucked snugly in bed, Daddy and I watched a bunch of Mad Men episodes. I love this show!

Saturday: After a few minor bike repairs, we set out for our weekly bike ride at the lake. We only made it six miles this week...and it seemed like the majority of those miles were uphill. We're working our way up to do the whole 13 mile loop. (We're really not whimps...this trail has some pretty steep hills.) And Daddy has a bit of disadvantage with a 35 pound weight on the back of his bike in the form of a Little Boy.

Sunday: Pasta night! We broke out the pasta wheel and whipped up a batch of fresh ravioli with tomato cream sauce. It was our best batch yet! We still need to make a few small adjustments for next time. There's really nothing better than homemade pasta.

I hope you all had a great weekend, too.
{Mad Men photo from AMC; Lake photo from EBParks}

Oh...

flowers marrying cupcakes?!, originally uploaded by the opera mafia.

...and have a nice weekend.

Lunchtime

Before our daily adventures, I pack a lunch for myself and The Boy so we can eat on the go. Everyday, I wish I had something more eco-friendly to pack them in. These options are eco-friendly and stylish.

Personalized Lunchbox, $29.00 from Girlthatscute.

I bet My Boy would love to carry his own lunch in this cute monster lunchbox!

This would definitely take care of the smooshed sandwich phenomenon that occurs daily in my diaper bag.

Organic cotton Lunch Bag, $19.00 from EcoWorks.

This one's for Mommy's lunch...maybe I could even sneak some chocolate into my bag without The Boy seeing it!

...

Eco Friendly Toddler Set, $20.00 from Pony Up Design.

This set is so colorful, and so convenient. Just roll it up, toss it in your bag, and you're good to go.

Savvy Snack Sack, $24.50 from Polka Dot Square.

I love this idea! It's clear vinyl on the front so you can see what snack you're reaching for. She's also taking orders for sandwich-size bags too.

Happy Lunching!

ORK Posters

I adore this City Neighborhood Poster that my friend, Liz, gave me. It's bold, modern, and exactly perfect. Check out ORK Posters to see their entire selection. They also have posters for LA, Chicago, Brooklyn, Boston and Manhattan.

Powerballs

I found this recipe for "powerballs" in Wondertime Magazine. It's kind of like a cross between trail mix granola bars and cookie dough. They're made from peanut butter, honey, oatmeal, ground flax, and then whatever fun ingredients you'd like to add...so make it as healthy (or not) as you'd like. We used sunflower seeds, cranberries and chocolate chips. I bet it would be extra yummy with mini m&m's and crushed peanuts. We used this as our little "educational activity" for the day. The Boy had so much fun helping me measure all the ingredients, and sneaking chocolate chips when I wasn't looking.

We put them in individual mini-cupcake papers, just because I thought they were cute. Because of the papers, The Boy calls them cupcakes. Maybe he thinks anything in cupcake papers is yummy. {Note to self: put peas and carrots in cupcake papers at dinnertime.} Do you think he'll fall for it? It's worth a shot.

I couldn't find the recipe on their website, so if you need this recipe, just email me and I'll send it your way.

P.S. I bet you can't guess who picked out his own outfit.

Modern Art Everyday

I'm a long-time fan of the Etsy shop Modern Art Everyday. Her designs are fresh, modern, and fit perfectly with my tastes. When we moved to our new place, I knew I had to use some of her artwork. I promised myself when I began decorating our new place I would take my time and make sure that everything I decorated with is something I absolutely love. I know that seems so simple, but sometimes I just get in a hurry to get it done and end up regretting some of my decorating decisions.

I definitely love both these pieces. Even though it seems impossible, they're even better in person! I'm for sure going to be including more of her stuff in other rooms. Check out her shop for some inspiration. Have a great day!

A Music Legend and a Bad Cold

This is just one of a series of embarrassing moments from my life. I don't know why I feel the need to share these things. I should cling to the last shred of dignity I have, but I hope you get a good laugh.

The Boy had been sick all week with a bad cold. Complete with fever, sleepless nights, plenty of sniffles and sneezes and sad little scratchy little voice. It was Saturday, and I'd spent a full week of alternately trying to nurse The Boy back to health and feeling sorry for myself because I'd been stuck inside for days. I suggested to Daddy that we make an outing to Mama's for breakfast. After all, some fresh air and delicious chocolate cinnamon french toast were bound to lift our spirits.

We got there just as they opened, so as to avoid waiting in line for a hour. We made it through most of our breakfast uneventfully, but toward the end The Boy was starting to get a bit grumpy. We horked down the rest of our breakfast and I took him outside while Daddy paid and gathered up the toys we'd strewn about the floor.

The Boy hit the ground running, as he always does. He stopped short and let out tremendous, explosive sneeze; which subsequently left a mess on his upper lip. I panicked when I realized that Daddy had the diaper bag containing the Kleenex. The Boy was starting to smear the mess all over his face. I tried to distract him by pointing out a nearby dog, hoping that Daddy and the Kleenexes would come to our rescue at any moment. When The Boy started licking his slimy upper lip, I knew I had to take action. I reached out and took matters into my own hands. Literally. Then I sheepishly scanned the line of people waiting for breakfast to see if anybody was watching. You can imagine my relief to discover that nobody saw what had just occurred. Then I looked up and locked eyes with the owner of the dog. It was Carlos Santana.

He was just standing there laughing at the whole situation. Just as I blushed, Daddy walked out the door and I quickly exited the scene. I'm glad Mr. Santana got a good laugh that day. Lucky for him, I didn't ask to shake his hand.

{Images from Far Horizons & Desktop Wallpapers}

Fall Handbags

I've always had an affinity for handbags. I love them so much that I actually spent several years managing the handbag department at one of my favorite stores. I get especially excited when I see what the buyers have come up with for fall. This year, they've done a fantastic job. If you (unlike me) have some extra money just begging to be spent, here are my top picks for fall:

B. Makowsky 'Eden' Shopper

This is the perfect color. You could carry this with any outfit. And, it's roomy enough for all your essentials.

Betsey Johnson 'On the Nail' Studded Shopper

I love how Betsey's bags combine feminine details with a rocker vibe. Tough, but surprisingly sweet.

Junior Drake 'Mali' Shopper
This is my favorite black bag for fall. I think the texture is fabulous; and the leather is sooo soft.

Kooba 'Halle' Shoulder Bag

Have you ever touched a Kooba bag? Definitely an experience I reccommend. Plus, I adore the assymetrical flap and zipper on this one.

L.A.M.B. 'Music Fadeout' Satchel

Gwen Stefani's style is so iconic. If I had one of her bags I might feel as cool as her for a second. The only problem is choosing one favorite.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Dr. Q - Groovee' Pleated Satchel

I love, love the purple and the pleated detail.

Stella McCartney for LeSportsac 'Classic Carryall' Tote
(Vegan AND Eco-Friendly!)

Happy Shopping!

(all images from nordstrom.com )

Elle Moss Photography

I just stumbled upon these stunning photographs from Elle Moss Photography. I would love to have any one of them in my home. Her work is magical. So creative and unique. I love how her facial expression stays calm despite what is going on around her. I could spend hours browsing through her Flickr Gallery.

Hush

The Escape Artist
listen

Revolver

You can find Elle on her blog, Flickr, Etsy, and Trunkt.

Happy Friday!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

I made Raspberry Lemon Muffins last night. I wish I could make muffins in the morning, but The Boy is an eary riser, and let's just say I'm not at the top of my game in the morning. Not to mention that a minimal effort breakfast means a happier mama in the morning. And to top it off, The Boy thinks he's getting cupcakes for breakfast! You can't lose with this one.

I wish I could take credit for the recipe, but Allrecipes comes through for me again. I can't sing their praises enough. The muffins were gone before I could take a picture of them, so I had to borrow one from here. You should definitely try these muffins.

Surprise

I opened the front door yesterday to find an unexpected package. What a wonderful surprise! Even better is that it was from my dear friend, Katherine. It was wrapped in the most darling black and white striped paper an tied with a big, beautiful black satin ribbon. And inside I found this book:

It's filled with beautiful pictures and wonderful ideas on how to design kid-friendly spaces in your home. I'm so excited to use some of these fantastic ideas in my new home.

Now a little about Katherine. Katherine was the very first customer in my shop. Since that day, she has been so positive, helpful, and truly inspiring to me. She is a photographer by trade. And she's a mother of three (with another on the way--hip, hip, hooray!) AND she held it together for an entire year while her husband was serving in Iraq! She is one remarkable woman. She taught me how to take better photos for my shop (something I'm still working on), she's always got fantastic ideas for new projects, and she is the most thoughtful person I know. We've been friends now for almost a year, and I can only hope that I can be as good a friend to her as she's been to me. Thank You, Etsy, for helping me find such a wonderful friend.

I Miss Coit Tower

Coit Tower, originally uploaded by pixieclipx.

Today, we had the pleasure of returning to our old playgroup in the city to celebrate a birthday. When we got onto the western span of the Bay Bridge, My Boy started squealing, "I see it! Mom, I see COIT TOWER!!!" It's quite remarkable that my two-year-old even knows what Coit Tower is, let alone loves it so much.

We took the long way to playgroup so he could see Coit Tower as long as possible. While he was looking at it, he said in his pouty voice, "Mom, I miss Coit Tower." So true, My Boy, so true.

I miss San Francisco. I miss the City I love so much. I miss my wonderful friends. I'm very excited about this new adventure in life, but I will always love San Francisco. I guess it must be true what they say about leaving your heart in San Francisco.

Also, I have to say that today was such a refreshing change for me. I've been trying so hard the last few weeks to make some new friends for me and My Boy. My days have been filled with awkward situations and awkward conversations as we've attended different community moms groups/playgroups. I miss how effortless it is to be around old friends. I know I'll eventually make new friends...I just hate this in between part. And I'll always cherish my old friends. In fact, I think I've gained a greater appreciation for the relationships I was able to form over the last several years.

A Girl's Best Friend

When it comes to eyebrows, I've always been a do-it-yourself kind of girl. Now I realize that my eyebrows may not be the most symmetrical, or evenly shaped around. Call me crazy, but there's something that makes me nervous about having a complete stranger rip the hair off my face. So last Christmas, much to my delight, I found these tweezers in my stocking. (Thanks, Sis!) I don't know how I ever lived without them.

Finally

It's about time I got around to listing some new items in my shop. Here are two of the new personalized collections I've been working on:Personalized Family Notecards

Personalized Love Note

I haven't been listing new items in my shop latly because I've been busy with two big wedding orders. I'll post some pictures later.

Now we're off to the zoo!

New {old} Toys

Back to Basics Toys is my favorite source for classic toys. Their motto is "They Do Make Them Like They Used To!" And it's true. These toys look just like the toys my grandparents had in their toy drawer for us.

I'm pretty sure My Boy will be getting a Junior Tinker Toy Building Set for Christmas this year. As far as I'm concerned, Tinker Toys should be a part of every childhood. They also have the classic Jumbo Tin, if you're looking for something a bit more complex.

My sister and I used to have so much fun playing Squeezed Out at my grandparents' house. It would make a great party game if you need something new for your next get-together.

And since Toy Story is the current favorite at our house, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to Slinky Dog. He's just too cute!

I love the lack of electronics...all you need to use these toys is good old fashioned imagination. It's so hard to narrow down my favorites; there just are so many that we absolutely need at our house!

My New Favorite Flower

Maybe I've been hiding under a rock for, my whole life. Maybe everyone knows about this darling little flower, but it's news to me. On our trip to our local farmer's market yesterday, I discovered the Pom Pom Dahlia...where have you been all my life? Such a tidy little bundle of cuteness. Definitely the best $5.00 I've spent all week.