september soups

I've gushed about my love for soup many times over, but now that September has rolled in I can finally break out the recipes and let the simmering begin. These recipes all look divine, even better with a loaf of crusty french bread. 

porcelain pretties

Sometimes I stumble upon an artist that really makes my day - these handmade porcelain creations are truly little works of art!

Update: I wandered into Anthropologie yesterday and wouldn't you know it, these bowls are front & center. Always one step ahead, those Anthro folks.

{happy friday!}

Getting back to the "routine" has totally taken it out of me - the weekend couldn't come any sooner!
p.s - does anyone have a cure for summer blackfoot?? it seems no matter how many times I scrub my feet during the summer, the bottoms are never clean. frustrating.

goodies {all wrapped up}

Packaging makes all the difference. How cute are these little candy party favors packaged in simple cello and a bit of fabric? Easy & done.

{please} tell me you're watching!

'Lil 'ol miss bananas herself premiered last night with a new season of the Rachel Zoe project. This may be my favorite show of all time. It includes: insane dresses, shoes, clutches and jewels, bitchy girls fretting over drama and fake award show build up. Love it all! 

{sweet little} fortunes

Don't you remember making these on rainy days in 4th grade or at slumber parties?? I love these little fortunes, used as menus here (genius). They'd even make a great boxed invitation, with a groovy pattern on one side. Love!

{happy friday!}

I have very few plans this late summer weekend. The weather is a bit overcast, school is in, I just may clean out some closets and do some nesting. xo amber  image: jo tyler

the very first day

Sorry for the lack of posts - yesterday was Ruby's first day of First Grade! The day went really well - beginning with new friends & a new teacher, and ending with poolside popsicles & giggling girls. Another milestone, and many more tears (mine, of course).

{pure} table art

Creating a visually mouthwatering dessert table is most definitely an art, and Amy Atlas has perfected it. Check out her tables, each one is more insane than the next!

girl's gone Greek!

What food can you not live without??

If I could choose one food to live on for all of eternity, it would be fresh Greek Mediterranean cuisine. I can't get enough, I tell you - yogurt & honey, lemony chicken dishes, cucumber & feta salad, sticky baklava...yum!

I recently watched a "Go Greek" episode of Barefoot Contessa, so last night I recreated it and had my family over for dinner (minus the spanakopita, not enough time!) I used chicken instead of lamb and all of it was mouthwatering - can't wait for leftovers today!

{happy friday!}

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'll be in back-to-school mode for my (almost) first grader (!!) - xo, amber  image by rosie hardy

design crush

I have a new design crush and her name is Megan Park, an Australian designer with a history in textiles now with her own line of home & clothing. Take a gander...you'll love! via swish & swanky

aqua+gold+plum

L O V E this color combo! Even better with a summer tan... image via simple lovely

and a crafty day it was!

Summer kid-project alert! Today we made big chunky heart shaped crayons - no need to buy a thing, plus it helped clean up tons of stray crayons living in the corners of Ruby's room. Just chop up old crayons, fill heart-shaped tins with fun color combos, bake at 150 degrees for 20 minutes and let cool. They'll pop right out - ready to draw!

The Leo {birthday package}

We celebrated our friend Vanessa's 40th at an incredible dinner in the St Helena vineyards. It was only fitting that her gift was equally cool. I designed a personal card and filled a box with all kinds twine wrapped goodies, all with labels and tags matching the card. Fun!

{happy friday!} live from Disneyland

Have a great weekend, everyone! We're still on vacation - we did Disney (all-out!), surprised Ruby with a visit to the American Girl store in LA, had the best day at the Getty Museum and now...we're at the beach. xoxo, amber

update: no, this is not me & the hubby with Ruby - she's with Jasmine & Alladin, of course, and happy as can be.  A super-prego Jasmine would be really funny though...oh, but it might send the wrong message to the 500 adoring kids standing in line!

{sweet like} a pie pop!

First she gives us sweet morsel cupcake-pops, and now these tiny little pie-pops, oh Bakerella you know me too well! The cuteness factor of these tiny little pies is through the roof, a great late-summer project for sure.

the happiest cake {on earth}

Can you look at this cake and not smile?? I'm more of a pie girl, but I'd be happy to dig in to this lovely "backyard strawberry layer cake" any day. via fine living

sandy toe vows

9 years ago, in the throws of planning our wedding, I made the decision not to have our wedding on the beach. Kind of ludicrous, really, since a) I married a surfer, b) we share a love of all things ocean & sand and c) there is nowhere else that makes us feel more in love. My reasoning seemed simple at the time and came down to one factor - our grandparents wouldn't be able to walk in the sand. And that was that - decision made. Even though our wedding was total bliss in every way, I still think about my beachy dream wedding, especially when I see pics like these. via i love lolliblog

party-ready {drink jars}

I couldn't resist posting these RAD mason jars with daisy die-cut lids. A steal, too - $.039/each and the jars will run you $6.99/per dozen. Party on. via the always-lovely hostess with the mostess

{happy friday!}

We're off to L.A for our annual anniversary trip to the beach. First stop - Disneyland - Ruby can't wait, and we're pretty excited too. xoxo amber image via this is glamorous

{pretty} ring bling

I'm in love with the summery (and super affordable) rings & necklaces over at Stella & Dot. This dogwood ring is calling my name...

scouting {the right spot}

A while back I worked as a catalog stylist for Smith & Hawken - think manual labor and super long hours, rather than glamour and livin' the high life. The best part of the job was location scouting. They'd send me off to photograph a row of tattered mailboxes, a well-loved garden shed, or to find the most amazing wisteria covered arch, it was always somewhere far off and always an adventure. Wouldn't it be fun to scout locations for a living?? image: light locations UK

fabric lanterns

These would look mighty fine swinging from the trees or indoors - India Rose has so many beautiful things!

wrist whimsy

The perfectly whimsical hand lettering of Jill Calder makes me want to learn how to write all over again.

{happy friday!}

Have a lovely weekend, all of you beautiful creative creatures! xo, amber insane image: max wanger

pretty {plum} palette

Can you imagine a late summer or autumn wedding in this color palette - j'adore!! via 101 layer cake

{homemade} suds

In high school I worked at a corner shop filled with soaps, soy candles and plants, that kind of thing. The soap loaves were by far the most popular item, we'd cut a fat slice to order and bag it up. These images brought me back, and now I kind of want to make my own soap loaves - ginger, coconut, lime...oh the possibilities! textured soaps & soap loaves

just the classics, please

Since none of my clothes fit...I've been more focused on simple summer accessories rather than clothes lately. These totally classic aviator's might just be my summer '09 can't-live-without item. You like?

summer reading list

I'm happy to admit that I've been spending a good part of my summer poolside, equipped with a good book, minty ice tea, and lots of sunblock. Sarah Jane was sweet enough to compile blogger-gal favorites (mine included!) in this collection. Enjoy!

{happy friday!}

have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to check out the renegade craft fair, how about you? xo, amber
pretty image via weheartit

{pretty} summer table

So pretty! You can't go wrong with using glass jars, they seem to bring down-home comfort to any table setting, and the fresh green & white color combo looks so fresh at a brunch or wedding table. image via this is glamorous + duet weddings

sweet & saucy shop

My mouth is officially watering. You really need to check out the beautiful creations made by pastry-goddess Melody, at her Sweet & Saucy Shop. I wish I lived closer to take some classes, or better yet, just to pop in for a quick mini-key lime pie!

{a little bit} genius

I stumbled across these fantastic envelopes the other day made of menus from a French restaurant, and can't get them out of my mind. I've sewn invitations before, but I love this idea for envelopes - especially for wedding invites - imagine the possibilities!

Kate's {insane} pad

I'd love to go shopping with Kate Hudson, all flirty bohemian dresses and tousled locks, we'd have a ball romping around LA with bags full of peasant tops and vintage Levi's. Her home is elegant & funky & unique &...kind of just right, check out that bathroom! images via w magazine