link love - 10.28.11

Happy Friday! I hope you all have wonderful Halloween-y things planned for the weekend. Halloween isn't one of my favorite holidays, which is strange because it's pretty tailor-made for us crafters and DIYers. I don't know - I've just always had a hard time getting into the Halloween spirit. But now that we have a little one I'm trying to embrace it a bit more. The next three days are filled to the brim with Halloween activities, and I've got a Halloween sandwich cookie recipe in the works that - if it works out - I'll post next week (along with pictures of the munchkin in her costume, of course!). Okay, that's enough Halloween talk - onto my favorite (non-Halloween) things I found this week...

  • Renske's Minimalist Tote Bag on Design*Sponge - I somehow missed this tutorial when it was posted last year, and came across it when I was searching Pinterest for an easy tote pattern to make for lugging all of Emma's stuff to daycare and back every day. We have a tote that works great, but the pattern of the bag is a little girly and since Jared does the drop off I'm trying to help him keep some street cred. That being said, this bag is not at all what we need (too small, no compartments for bottles) but I really love it. It's one of those rare DIY bags that I would actually buy in a store.
  • Hoopla on Always a Project - It seems like everyone I know is looking for better storage solutions, and these little fabric bins are a great option. And since embroidery hoops are very inexpensive and you can use scrap fabric, this project is super budget friendly.
  • Beef, Guinness and Mushroom Pies on Meals in Heels - Add this to the long list of things I can't wait to make once I can eat dairy again. Warm, savory, and delicious - a perfect dinner for a cold and rainy Sunday night. I'll take two bowls, please.

link love - 10.14.11

Ack! Have I really not posted a Link Love in almost a month?? Whoops. Well, I better get down to it, then! Here's what I've loved this week...

  • From the Treetop - I loooove this idea! Take a picture of your daughter in your wedding dress. Definitely doing this with Emma - after she's potty trained. ;-)
  • DIY Vanilla Extract on Annie's Eats - It wouldn't be a Link Love post without something from Annie! She did it again, this time with a recipe for DIY vanilla extract. I had no idea you could DIY this stuff, but considering how much those tiny bottles cost, it's a huge cost saver to be able to make your own.
  • Spray Painted Baskets on Better Life Bags - I walk by that crazy basket aisle at Michael's all the time, and it never occurred to me to spray paint them to make them all cute and modern! Need to try this next summer (you know, when the rain stops and I can actually spray paint outside.)
That's all from here! I hope everyone has a great weekend! Emma and I heading back to Portland tomorrow to hang with our boys. Yay!

make it work!

We're more than halfway through Season 9 of Project Runway, and I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed by the designers this season. Well, really I'm underwhelmed by the designs... I think the potential is there with several of the designers but they're too inconsistent (yes, Anthony Ryan - this means you.) If I had to choose a favorite right now I'd say Viktor... his designs are both gorgeous and wearable. Case in point:

And...

I also love Anya's creativity, but her designs aren't really my style. I could easily see her winning the whole thing. I think the dark horse this season is Kimberly... she's floated under the radar a bit because she's been pretty drama-free, but I'm keeping my eye on her. And then there's Bert. Ohhh, Bert. He's the kind of reality show participant that I always hope isn't as awful in real life as they edit him to seem. I go back and forth between hating him and feeling bad for him.

My favorite moment of the season so far wasn't actually on the show, but rather from my husband - who, after getting sucked into watching with me last Thursday, saw Bryce's hot pink mess walking down the runway and shouted, "That fit is awful!" (If you've never met my meat-and-potatoes, football obsessed husband, you probably don't get why this is so funny. But, trust me... it was fantastic.)

So who are you pulling for???

link love - 9.16.11

I survived my first week back at work! Well, it was just a half week - but still. It was heartbreaking saying goodbye to Emma that first day back, but she's doing really well at daycare and I'm enjoying being back at work. Hopefully Hoda and Kathie Lee are getting along okay without me. I will miss their crazy antics, and the brain cells I lost watching their show. Here are a few things that I fell in love with this week...

  • Dear Photograph - This blog is pure genius. I'm obsessed. The photos and notes are often filled with this tender, nostalgic love that sucks me right in, and after each entry I find myself longing to know more.

  • Cinnamon Crescent Rolls on For the Love of Cooking - There's no way these don't taste good, right? SO simple, too. When I can eat dairy again (had to cut it out completely because Emma is super sensitive to it... very unfortunate... writing a post about it soon) I'm definitely going to make these for breakfast. Or dessert. Or both.
  • Fifteen Minutes of Cleaning a Day to Fake an Immaculate House on Organizing Made Fun - I'll start by saying I'm very skeptical about this, but I'm willing to give it a try. I grew up in an immaculate house... my mother is one of those crazy "leave no trace" types of people - her house has no clutter, no dust, nary a cushion or picture frame askew. She comes to visit for a week and it's like she was never here. Even her car is immaculate. It took me about 3 days of owning a house to realize I'm never going to be that kind of person. If for no other reason than that we have a dog who sheds. A lot. (We had a dog growing up, but he was 8 lbs and, of course, didn't shed.) Keeping up with the dog hair is nearly impossible, much less the rest of the house. But now that we have a little one I'm determined to get the house consistently clean. Or at least consistently clean-ish. It would be really nice to have all the cleaning done during the week so that when the weekend rolls around we can spend it doing fun stuff. Can it be done? Sure. Will it be done? Perhaps. I'll keep you posted. :-)

link love - 9.9.11

Whew! What a whirlwind few weeks it's been... Jared's parents came to stay with us for 10 days, and then we went on our first trip with Emma to NYC for a truly special and gorgeous wedding. Hence the lack of blogging. Sorry! Anyway, here's what caught my eye this week...

  • Instagraham Crackers on Bakerella - How stinking cute are these graham crackers!?? I don't even use Instagram (my 3 year old iPhone does well to send an email these days... fancy photo apps will have to wait until I get the new iPhone this fall. And yes, I'm counting down the days.) Anyway, I love the idea of homemade graham crackers, with or without the fancy fondant.
  • 25 Free Scrap Busting Tutorials on Prudent Baby - Like most people who sew, I have a rather unruly bin of scrap fabric just begging for another project. So my ears perk up any time I hear the words "scrap busting." The best thing about most of these projects is that they're also quick, and quick sewing is the only kind of sewing I have time for these days. I especially love the keychains, eye mask, concentration game, and snack bags.

link love - 8.19.11

Finally another Link Love post! This week has been a bit calmer but this weekend is going to be a little nuts. I'm flying home to DC for 36 hours for my sister's baby shower while Emma stays home with Jared and his parents. Our freezer is filled to the gills with pumped milk and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it's enough. It'll be a whirlwind weekend, but I'm so excited to see my family and help throw such a joyous event for my sister. (And okay, I'm also a little excited to be able to take a nice long shower, sleep in, and give my back and arms a much needed break!) :-) Anyway, here's what caught my eye this week...

  • Girl's Upcycled Shirt Dress on Grits and Giggles - I have a whole bag of Jared's old dress shirts just waiting to be repurposed into cute little clothes for Emma, and this is one of the sweetest versions of the upcycled shirt dress I've seen in a while. I especially love the little flower detail.
  • Healthier Zucchini Bread on Prudent Baby - Zucchini bread was one of the few really good food options in my dorm at college (Spartans! Whoop whoop!) but I haven't had it since. This post reminded me how much I love it and with zucchini in season, I think I'll just have to make some!

  • Laziest DIY Cushion Slipcover  on Prudent Baby - Our outdoor cushions are in pretty rough shape and I've been meaning to cover them for a long time now (okay, years actually.) This tutorial was just what I needed. Hopefully I can snag some outdoor fabric on clearance this winter and get our cushions all spiffed up in time for next spring.
Have a great weekend!! :-)

link love - 8.5.11

I got way behind on my Google Reader this week so instead of my usual recent links I'm going to share with you a few recipes we made this week from Annie's Eats - one of my absolute favorite food blogs. She has a whole category for quick weeknight meals aptly labeled, "Quick Weeknight Meals," which I pinned a bunch of stuff from last weekend because we were getting pretty bored with our standard weeknight fare. Here's what we ended up making...

  • Chicken Artichoke Pesto Calzones - These were really really good, but they weren't exactly quick. I think the thing that made this a tricky weeknight recipe was having to go back and forth between the outdoor grill and the kitchen. It would have been a lot easier if we'd grilled the chicken the night before. (The recipe doesn't say how much chicken you need.  We grilled 2 pieces but only needed 1.)  Also, we didn't have a pizza stone (we try not to have anything in the kitchen that only has one use) so we used the back of a baking sheet. Be sure to put something underneath the sheet while you're cooking in case any of the cheese drips out. We learned that one the hard way and nearly set off the smoke alarm.
  • Pasta alla Vodka - The next thing we made was this yummy and simple pasta. You can use any type of noodle you want, so we used fettucini. The sauce was delicious, and while the dish didn't blow me away or anything, it does make for an excellent go-to weeknight pasta.
  • Teriyaki Grilled Pork Chops - These were definitely my favorite of the 3 new meals. They were super easy and super tasty.  We both agreed they were the juiciest pork chops we've ever had. Such a nice break from chicken and an absolutely perfect summer weeknight dish.

link love - 7.30.11

Man, the weeks this summer are really flying by. Emma's already 6 weeks old. Craziness. Here's what caught my eye this week...

  • Caramel Topped Shortbread Bites on Doughmesstic - I'll try pretty much anything that involved salted caramel.  It's quickly moving up on my list of favorite foods.  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I was sold.  I'll definitely be making these puppies soon.
  • Kid's artwork keepsake book on Kaye Winiecki Designs - I inherited my mother's lack of sentimentality, whereas my husband has the ticket stub for every show he's ever been to. This genius book idea will be a great compromise for us when it comes to preserving our little one's masterpieces. Simply take a photo of your kid's artwork and put them together in a photo book.  All the sentimentality but none of the clutter!
  • Photo Display on Be Different... Act Normal - How great is this? I love the idea of doing this for a big birthday like 30 or 50, but it would also be cool for a wedding (using the initials of the couple's first names) or a little kid's birthday (1, 2, or even the kid's initials).

link love - 7.22.11

I'm actually kind of sad that the weekend is here because my mom left this morning, which means we're back to doing this whole parenting thing without any help.  I don't know how we did it for almost 4 weeks before she and my stepdad got here!  Hopefully Emma will take it easy on us this weekend... and if not, there's always wine. ;-) Here are a few things I've loved from the web over the past month...

  • Tomato, Mozzarella, and Pesto Paninis on Pink Parsley - We made these last week and they were DELICIOUS! They were really easy to make (even the pesto) and with mixed greens on the side they made for a great summer dinner.
  • Bike Sidecar on Bike Hacks - Such a great idea! I especially love having the kids right next to you where they're easier to see.
  • And, then there's this awesomeness (courtesy of Pinterest)... :)
Have a great weekend! :-)

link love - 6.10.11

I'm only 4 days away from my due date, so the fact that I have absolutely nothing planned for this weekend is kind of glorious. I'm sure I'll come up with some unnecessary house projects to keep me occupied, but hopefully most of my weekend will be spent lounging in the sun and squeezing in a few last nights out with my husband. Anyway, here's what caught my eye this week...

  • Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar on Kevin and Amanda - And I thought the brownie covered Oreos I made a couple weeks ago were sinful! This is without a doubt the most ridiculous dessert concoction I've seen, maybe ever. And I mean that in the best way possible. What you're looking at here is brownie batter, poured over Oreos, arranged over cookie dough, served warm with ice cream on top. I've decided that if I go past my due date I'll be totally justified in making these.  Right?  Right.

  • Rosette Pillow Tutorial on Trey and Lucy - I love these rosettes, and the possibilities are pretty limitless... a whole duvet, perhaps? Okay okay, maybe I should just start with a pillow.

  • Deluxe DIY Sandbox on small + friendly - Jared and I were just talking the other day about how it would be difficult to have a sandbox out back for our wee one because of all the rain we get here, and this just might be the perfect solution. Not only is it covered, but it's also eco-friendly (salvaged wood, sealed with low-VOC protectant, and filled with all natural beach sand.)

That's all I've got for this week!  Have a great weekend, everyone!!! :-D

link love - 6.3.11

We're supposed to have FABULOUS weather this weekend here in Portland, and I couldn't be more excited. Warmth and blue skies are just what I've been needing. Oh, and I'm getting a massage, a pedicure, and we're going to see one of our favorite local bands - Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside. It all adds up to the perfect distraction from how dang uncomfortable I am these days! Here's what I loved from the blogosphere this week:

  • Bacon Lover's Mac and Cheese on Annie's Eats - The title of this recipe pretty much says all you need to know, but in case you need more convincing, here's how insanely good it looks...

  • The "Taking Notes" Skirt Tutorial on Sewing in No Mans Land - How freaking cute is this skirt???  Kelly included tutorials for making a version for mom, too, and I can't decide which one I like better. (Before you start to doubt me, I would never ever force our poor daughter to wear matching outfits with me - maybe matching aprons for my own amusement, but nothing in public.)

  • Tips for Photographing Your Home on Making it Lovely - This is something I continue to struggle with, mostly because the lighting is so hard to get right. I'm finally ready to take the big nursery reveal photos, so the timing of Nicole's tips couldn't be better. Hopefully they turn out well!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! :-)

link love - 5.27.11

3 day weekend - woohooooooo!!  It's shaping up to be an excellent weekend... I'm finally getting my hair done tomorrow so I won't look like a white trash mama when this kiddo is born, and we're having a little neighborhood bbq on Sunday, which gives me another excuse to bake up some sugary goodness. I may or may not try to organize my sewing space on Monday... still waiting for this nesting thing to hit, but so far my tiredness is trumping everything else. Anywho... here's what I loved from around the web this week:

  • Paint chip gift tags on Paper Crave - I feel like there have been an abundance of paint chip projects floating around the web recently, and  I especially love this one...

  • Coloba Organic Play Mattress on ohdeedoh - This inventive little mattress would be a great addition to any play room.  Too bad it's apparently only sold in Denmark, so I'll have to hold out hope for an Ikea knock-off.

  • Recycled Shirt Dress on three little freckles - There are a lot of tutorials on this idea (making a little girl's dress from a men's shirt), but I really like what Sarah did with the neckline on this one...

link love - 5.20.11

It's finally starting to feel like Spring here in Portland... the sun is shining, people are out and about, and I no longer have to wear a jacket (none of which zip or button anymore anyway.)  Today is set to be the nicest day of the year so far, AND Jared is coming home after being in Seattle all week for work - soooo, I'm in a pretty fantastic mood. Here are some other things that lifted my spirits this week...

  • White Peach Sangria on Celebrations at Home - I've been craving peaches for months now, and as soon as they're in season (and I'm no longer pregnant) I'll be whipping up a pitcher of this sangria.  It looks soooo yummy...

  • Crossover Pinafore on Smashed Peas and Carrots - I love pretty much anything made with this Amy Butler fabric combo, but I particularly love this crazy cute pinafore...

  • Zig Zag baby quilt on Red Pepper Quilts - This quilt is a perfect use of scrap fabric, and I love the unique quilting.

link love - 5.13.11

Happy Friday the 13th!  I was born on Friday the 13th, so I've never bought into the whole unlucky day business.  A Friday is a Friday and that has to be a good thing.  :-) Here's what I loved from around the web this week:

  • DIY Fold Away Drying Rack on Centsational Girl - Your average drying rack is neither aesthetically pleasing nor space saving, so I was quite delighted when I saw this DIY drying rack.  It would greatly perk up the laundry space in our drab, unfinished basement.

  • Make Ahead Freezer Smoothies on The Tidy Nest - Where has this idea been my whole pregnancy!?  Delicious, healthy, easy, quick... I will definitely be making these this weekend.

PS... I finally discovered Pinterest this week (I know, a little late to the game) and holy moly - I'm hooked.  It's an endless source of eye candy and inspiration.  If you haven't checked it out yet I highly recommend it!  (You can see what I've been pinning by clicking on the new "Follow Me on Pinterest" button on the right.)

link love - 5.6.11

Happy Friday!  I hope everyone is recovering nicely from Cinco de Mayo.  I spent last night getting my water aerobics on with a bunch of other pregnant ladies... a stark contrast to my Cinco de Mayos of yore.  :-)  Anyway, here are a few of my highlights from blogland the past couple weeks:

  • Bolefloor on Twig & Thistle - Ohhh, these floors.  I've never seen anything like them.  I'm a sucker for wide plank hardwoods but these might be my new favorites.

  • Railroad Plate and Saucer Set on ohdeedoh - I seem to have a lot of friends with train-obsessed little boys, so I had to share this adorable plate and saucer set.  Cute design, fun for kids, what's not to love?

  • Mall Pretzels on elephantine - Yummmmm.  I've tried to make homemade soft pretzels a few times, but they always end up too dense and not nearly Auntie Annie's-like enough for my tastes.  So when I saw these my hope for making delicious homemade soft pretzels was renewed.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Have a great weekend!  Jared and I are off to Cannon Beach for a little weekend babymoon.  Amazing food, a jacuzzi tub, and a prenatal massage are just what the doctor ordered.

link love - 4.22.11

Happy Earth Day, everyone!  In honor of this wonderful day, I'm going to share three things I loved this week - none of which have anything to do with the environment or conservation.  (But if you happen to be looking for things you can do to make the world a little greener today, check out this link.)

  • Photo Stats by Miz Booshay on The Pioneer Woman - As someone who's still learning her way around the Manual mode on our camera, I've found photo stats to be immensely helpful in learning how to achieve the perfect balance between aperture, ISO, and exposure.  I love Miz Booshay's photos, so it's great to see what settings she uses... it's like a cheat sheet for getting better shots.  If you're struggling (like me) to learn how to use your fancy camera, I highly recommend checking out Miz Booshay's posts.

  • DIY Bunny Garland on Twig & Thistle - If you're still looking for some last minute Easter crafts, look no further than this super cute and easy bunny garland.

  • Record Player Wedding Invitation on Design*Sponge - This is easily the most awesome and impressive wedding invite I've seen in a long time.  You have to check it out.

link love - 4.8.11

TGIF!!!  I'm still not quite sure how I survived this week, but I sure am glad to see it come to an end.  In my flu-y state I didn't keep up with my Google Reader as much as I would have liked, but here are a couple things that caught my eye...

  • Muralette stickers on Project Nursery - Wall decals have become pretty standard nursery fare in recent years, but I've never seen ones like these.  I still can't believe they're decals... simply stunning.

  • Lovemaestore on Etsy - Apparently I was on a bit of a decal kick this week (which is kinda strange since I have no plans to use decals in the baby's nursery.) I completely fell in love with the fabric decals at this shop... especially the Dress Up collection.  They're like awesome paper dolls or Colorforms (remember those?) you can play with on your wall.  Brilliant.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!  :-D

link love - 4.1.11

Happy April!! (Is it just me, or is 2011 flying by?) Here's what I loved from around the web this week:

  • Paint Chip Easter Garland on Modern Parents Messy Kids - I sure do love me some Easter crafts (okay, and candy) and this one caught my eye for being both super cute and a great recycling project.

  • Oh, What a Busy Day! on No Big Dill - Still loving this Once Upon a Thread series, and I really wish this adorable top came with a tutorial!  So stinking cute.
photo courtesy of No Big Dill

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'm off to DC for my baby shower, which I could not be more excited about.  Family, friends, food... what more could a girl ask for? Oh, yes - a Phillies win on Opening Day. That would also be lovely. :-)

link love - 3.25.11

What a week!  Did anyone else wake up this morning relieved to no end that it was finally Friday?!?  I have more than enough projects to keep me busy right now, so this week's posts are mostly just stuff that inspired me:

  • A is For Asher illustrated letters on Twig and Thistle - There's an endless supply of custom letter prints on Etsy, but these custom prints by Wallace Design House really caught my eye.  I love the colors and the typography, but the tiny little animals steal the show...

  • Hello Sunshine hat by Kate Spade - Ohhhh, this hat.  If this isn't purely fabulous summery goodness I don't know what is.  Everything about it makes me want to escape to Capri and sunbathe on the Mediterranean in a cute little vintage suit (I have my pre-baby body in this fantasy) with big sunglasses, perfectly pedicured toes, and of course - my Hello Sunshine hat.  Ahh, a girl can dream.

    Hello Sunshine is also the name of a fantastic song by one my faves - Langhorne Slim.  So here's even more Hello Sunshiny goodness for ya:

     

  • Cupcakes in a Jar on The Kitchn - Because it's Friday, and because I'm pregnant... and because who doesn't love cupcakes in a freakin' jar?!?