tissue paper vines

SO clever, those folks at Anthro!! I took this image at Anthropologie the other day (with my cell, so it's a little blurry). There were zillions of these tissue paper vines hanging from the ceiling, over a bedding display. Love the idea for a party or a wedding.

been tagged {this is a fun one!}

I've been tagged by A $10k Wedding, one of my favorite daily reads, to list my top three new favorite wedding ideas, and I gladly accept the task! Here goes:

1. Fruit as name/place holders - I think this is so fresh, easy, and inexpensive. Use a pair, orange, lemon, whatever colors work into your wedding space, and using a plain ball pin, attach the guest name to the fruit. Looks spectacular, creative and seriously takes no time at all.
2. Sewing together paper, a rugged canvas and pretty fabric to make an invitation, menu, or save the date's. I'm really into sewing paper right now, it's easy and looks pretty darn impressive.
3. Fun & unusual Thank You cards, like this one. Easy to Photoshop the "Thank You" into a honeymoon photo and make into cards, I just love this idea.

image by smoothdude

happy friday {off to the snow}

Happy Friday, everyone! We're off to Tahoe for the weekend for some sledding, hot cocoa and snow angels (and cozy nights by the fire). Back on Monday, A

image by Steve Decanio

india rose {lovely textiles & more}

India Rose is a home furnishing textile business with a gorgeous palette of rich colors and patterns. The bedding and kitchen sections are enough to make up an entire wish list!

Lovin' the widelegs

I'm kind of loving wideleg pants right now. I'm searching for a thin, fitted pair and so far the top contenders are from Macy's and J.Crew. I'm so happy that skinny jeans are fading out, it was never a good look for me.

vintage baubles {woweee}

I may need to come up with a super crafty project just to have a reason to purchase these sweet vintage beads & findings. Heck, I don't even need a reason, I just NEED them! Atomic Veggie has an assortment that looks like a candy store, filled with vintage colors, each piece unique and waiting to be placed on something fabulous.

Drew's Office {girly & great}

The new Domino has arrived, which in turn translates into pure instant home/office/garden/style envy. This month highlights Drew Barrymore (one of my all time favorites) and her gorgeous offices at Flower Films. It's cozy, it's real, and touchable, I love it.

confessions {of a beauty product addict}

I'll try anything. If Andrea Linnet (Lucky beauty editor) writes that a mascara is the absolute best e v e r, I'll be at Target the next day to get my hands on the little beauty miracle. I don't really see this as a problem, though I don't wait for things to ever run out before buying up the next round of hope-in-a-jar, and it all kind of piles up in the bathroom closet.
In Kauai, I brought with me a stack of magazines so big they almost needed their own suitcase. I had it all; InStyle, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Lucky, Domino, People, Us, Conde Nast Traveler, Star, Self & Shape. The InStyle alone weighs in at about 6 pounds. In each, now tattered with sand filled pages and rippled edges, I've dog-earred the pages with products I think I may have to try. Has anyone tried any of these self proclaimed beauty miracles? (or am I going to have to spend my next paycheck trying them out and reporting back?)

1. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Créme Serum Overnight Repair Formula - promises to 'stimulate deep transformational mending' overnight, repairing your split ends and leaving you with hair that dazzles with shine after just one nights sleep
2. Boscia Green Tea Blotters - absorbs excess oil and banishes shine
3. Blushing Daisies - provides a subtle, shimmering blush to the face, eyes and décolletage
4. Neutrogena Triple Moisture - proven to moisturize even severely dry hair to feel soft, smooth and totally touchable after a single use
5. Sally Hansen Daily Growth Treatment - Deeply infuses nails with powerful anti-oxidants that condition helping to promote healthy nail growth
6. Bare Escentuals Skin Revival Treatment - reduces lines and wrinkles, reduces sun damage, more refined pores, brighter complexion, softer, smoother texture, less noticeable redness, and clearer and firmer-looking skin
7. Be Fine Food Skin Care Eye Blossom - a skin-changing cocktail of Cucumber and Flax Seed Oil

macaroni & cheese masterpieces

Heaven can wait! This restaurant, S'MAC, is in the heart of Manhattan's East Village and I'm making a beeline for it when I go in July (though I hear lines are out the door). S'Mac serves up all kinds of bubbly macaroni & cheese masterpieces in iron skillets. The dishes run the gamut from the “all-american” to the slightly more healthful whole wheat pastas served in three different sized skillets endearingly named "nosh", "major munch", and "mongo". They also serve up a more refined blend of brie with roasted fig, shiitake mushroom and rosemary. You can also build your own and choose from a variety of meats, cheeses, sauces and veggies. Does this sound dreamy or what? If someone opened this in the Bay Area I'd be the first in line (and then I'd run around the block 20 times to make myself feel better, of course). mmmmmm.

rock star pad {live from Kauai}

Our friends Jenny & Bryan arrived on the island yesterday, along with their family, and they've rented a total rock star pad located right on Anini Beach. The house itself is incredible, with disappearing walls and endless views. It's right out of MTV Cribs, sans the tacky dollar-sign marble inlays and winding gold staircases, but fully complete with a DJ station that would make Shaggy proud. The home is owned by the drummer of R.E.M, with several references around the house of the band, so we can only imagine the star studded parties and overall debauchery that's gone down here. Oh, if only (disappearing) walls could talk!

tai chi, surfing and date-night {live from Kauai}

Each morning begins with a beach walk, about 2 miles, from one end of the bay to the other. I see the same people each morning, we now exchange "hello's" and kind familiar glances, their dogs run to greet me and I almost feel like a local (although, we overheard that you have to live here 2 years before they stop considering you a tourist).
Today was different. As I walked past a Tai Chi class of about 25 people nestled into the corner of the beach, the instructor, a wise older man who was a dead ringer for Sean Connery, locked eyes with me. He stopped his class and beckoned me over. I declined, "oh, no, thank you, just going for a walk", I whispered nervously, trying not interrupt. But his eyes stayed on me, as did the students all with their hands in prayer position, it was kind of spooky, but his eyes were loving and kind, and so I went. I've never practiced Tai Chi, it was all about balance and concise movements that we timed with the sound of the ocean. We practiced for a full hour and then gathered together for a prayer about always having compassion, and then I was off to begin my day.
I have to say, the day felt more focused, Dave took me out surfing and I popped right up, what a great feeling! Later, we went out on a date, for drinks at sunset and dinner. Ah, romance, there's nothing like it!

mango avocado salad {live from Kauai}

We made this colorful Mango Avocado Salad for dinner the other night and it was so refeshing, I will be making this at home for sure. Here's the recipe:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 large firm-ripe mangoes (2 lbs. total)
2 medium firm-ripe avocados (1 lb. total)
2/3 cup each thinly sliced green onion and chopped cilantro
1 orange, sectioned
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp
Mix it all up and enjoy!

overheard {live from Kauai}

Ruby met a little girl, visiting from Idaho, and spent a good 3 hours giggling, building castles, pretending to be fairies, the usual 4 year old stuff. And then they set up right in front of me while I lay reading "Eat Pray Love", and I couldn't help but overhear the funniest, most innocent words. It just struck me as such a conversation of the times. Here's how it went down (picture over exaggerated hand motions along with each question):

Little Girl: Do you have a dad?
Ruby: yeah.
LG: well where is he?
Ruby: surfing in the ocean
LG: oh. that's not my mom (pointing to lady with her dad)
Ruby: oh. who's that lady by your dad?
LG: my dad's wife. did you see that butterfly? Let's chase it!
Ruby: ok, but I saw this one already this morning.
LG: the SAME one?! Have you ever been to Hollywood?
Ruby: oh yeah! I think so. maybe. yes.
LG: want to dig our toes so hard into the sand?
Ruby: YES!! Bye mom.

the stuff that 4 year old dreams are made of {live from Kauai}

If only happiness were this simple. My daughter, Ruby had her heart set on a pair of Croc Mary Jane's in pearlized pink. Specifically. We searched, we shopped, we offered purple, turquoise and dark pink - no luck. And yesterday, we found them. "Mom! Look! It really happened! Aren't they they the most beautiful shoes in the world?! It really happened!", she squealed as her and my mom walked out of a surf shop. You'd think these were a pair of diamond encrusted Christian Louboutin's by the tone of her voice, but the girl knows what she wants, and clearly understands the quest for fashion. I'm in trouble!

daily findings {live from Kauai}

It's so true, what they say about taking yourself out of your normal surroundings and everything seems to change; the daily routine being number one, sights and new findings being the next. We've been in Kauai for a week now and we are all in full relax mode, meeting people, learning about the island and exploring whenever we can tear ourselves away from the beach. Spending the time with my family has been the best, though, and really a bit funny if you don't know them...but I thought I'd share the moments that make my family, um, unique:
1. My parents, happy fun loving hippies if you will, think nothing of being nude, clothing on vacation is SO 1950's, so we've learned to be in another part of the garden, post showers, to avoid being unknowingly flashed. (I mean, GROSS, they're my parents)
2. My dad, a reader of Time and Popular Science has officially been caught with my US and Star magazines spurting off trivia like "Angelina is having another baby?" and "Is Brit short for Britney? Well, she's pregnant too."
3. I'm not much for sightseeing, so after three Waimea Canyon lookouts, on the fourth & fifth I had Dave take photos and come back to the car to show me, then I'd gauge if it was worth a looksy (I'm getting lazy on vacation).
4. My hair has now taken on a life of it's own in this humidity, even with an investment in a jumbo size frizz-ease. I give in to the curl gods, do what you must.
5. The no wheat, dairy or sugar cleanse is totally in the garbage, but will resume after we get home (there's just too many tempations and my will power is low).

day one {live from Kauai}

aloha! Kauai is a little slice of heaven, a tropical paradise of pristine white sandy beaches surrounded by peaks of volcanic mountains. The weather is just right, it actually feels like your body is the same temperature as the outside, with some sunshine thrown in for good measure. We rented a home across the street from the beach, the home itself is simple and beachy, but the location is perfection. Walking distance to town, fish tacos, shopping and shaved ice (island necessities). This morning Ruby and I did yoga in our lush backyard, it was just us, a few chickens, palms of every variety, ginger flowers and papaya trees. Next, Dave & I escaped for a walk/run on the beach, and then a trip to the farmer's market for fresh coconut water, vegan veggie rolls with lemongrass dipping sauce, and then off to the beach. Life is good, yes.

Aloha! {off to Kauai}

We leave for Hanalei, Kauai bright and early tomorrow morning. I'll be posting throughout the 2 weeks, all about Kauai and any adventures we may get ourselves into, aloha!

Become one with your couch

Have you ever wanted to snuggle up on your couch so very much that you actually became one with it? Enter, the couch dress. Apparently, it's a dress, but big enough so that the bottom half fits entirely over and around your couch. Imagine that. And all for only $349 (custom fitting included, now that's a bonus), and 2 flower broaches are included. I'd give anything to see the look on Dave's face if he came home one night to see me wearing this, I almost want it just so I can see the look.

midcentury {in the garden}

These wire chairs look super comfy, and throw a floppy floral pillow on and you're good to go. I may want one as my new office chair, or 2 for the garden, but I wonder if they'd rust..hmm. I wish I could stumble upon a pair of these at a garage sale, but alas, it hasn't happened.

feeling some dinnerware love

It's not often that I see a set of dishes that makes me want to go register all over again, but these, from Crate & Barrel are soooo pretty. Sea mist hues and shadowy botanicals? I'll have some of that, please. The prices are not bad at all, $200 for a 20 piece set. I won't be replacing my fancy dishes anytime soon, but for anyone who might be registering or in the market, these are beauties. via hostess with the mostess.

I'll just make it myself! {$150, pshaww}

I've posted before about a lovely yoga bag that I'd love to own, but the $150 price tag seemed so un-yoga
like, so unnecessary when you really think about having a bag for your
yoga mat. But....now Amy Butler has a free pattern of the "Nigella" yoga bag, and I really want to try and make it! I am in no way a sewer of any sort, pillows but that's it, really. After Kauai this will go on the to-do crafty list for sure. Has anyone ever made one of these?

wedding favor ideas

Adorable! These gardens-in-a-bag would make great wedding favors, and you could personalize them by putting your own label right over the one on the package. Also, that burlap bag could not be cuter.

I miss pasta {something fierce}

We are officially 10 days in to the pre-Kauai "no" cleanse (no wheat, dairy or sugar). Things are going well, with the exception of delicious homemade perogi night at our friend's house last weekend (that was well worth the splurge). But what I really truly miss is a warm bowl of pasta, something creamy, say carbonara? Oh, and add a hunk of sourdough baguette to that and I'd be one carb-happy camper.

{flawless}

David Jimenez, my old boss at Restoration Hardware, has an amazing online portfolio dedicated to the interiors of his 2 homes. The aesthetic of both homes, one in Kansas City, the other in Palm Springs, are works of art. We came across his site at work today and we literally were drooling on our keyboards. The way he puts it all together is just right, it's classic, it's modern, it's all good. Job well done, David.

happy birthday, mom

My mom is the kind of woman you'd want as your best friend, she's a free spirit, a lover of life, travel, yoga and family. Once, when I was about 13, I was at a friend's house for dinner, her mom went around the table and told each of her 3 daughters what she thought they should be when they grew up ("I think you'd make a wonderful nurse", etc.., she said). I went home that night and asked my mom what she thought I should be and her only answer was "happy". I was so frustrated, I stormed out (I was thirTEEN, keep that in mind), all I wanted was a literal answer. I came back to ask again, this time giving examples (a fashion designer? ballerina? photographer?), but still her answer remained, "happy". I think about this all the time for some reason now, about how simple that word is but how it's also the most important, really. Thank you, mom, for the life lessons that have brought me to where I am now, I love you.

yoga time {om}

I'm off to teach my class on this beautiful Saturday morning. Be creative and have a wonderful weekend!