Thursday, November 14, 2013

DIY leather chevron necklace


DIY leather chevron necklace
DIY leather chevron necklace
DIY leather chevron necklace

I'm sharing a tutorial for how to make this DIY leather chevron necklace on babble today! It's super simple to make and costs less than $5 (which is enough supplies for a few!) This would make a perfect christmas gift... by the way.
Check out the post here!


Other posts on babble this month:
10 fashion trends in the pacific northwest
21 winter must-haves from H&M
10 aprons that will keep your holiday outfits stylish





Monday, November 11, 2013

Seattle (pt 2)

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We stayed at Hotel Max for the rest of our time in Seattle. It's a super fun place (similar to Ace hotels), and we stayed on the rockstar floor so our room came with a record player and some records which was pretty awesome. We did lots of walking around downtown Seattle so I was extra grateful for the amazing fluffy bed to crash on every afternoon (seriously, how are hotel beds so good?!). We loved Hotel max and would definitely stay there again next time—really affordable and close to everything! (Am I sounding like a walking advertisement yet? haha)

It's a good thing we did so much walking because we also did a lot of eating. Sushi, chinese, molly moons ice cream, cupcake royale, voxx coffee... to name a few :) We also ate dinner at whole foods twice, which might make us the most lame "tourists" ever but who cares, good food is good food!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Seattle (pt 1)

A couple weeks ago we snuck away to Seattle for a little pre-baby get away. I initially wanted to go somewhere grand like NYC but being 8 months pregnant I knew I wouldn't have the energy to do and see everything we wanted there so Seattle it was! We've been there a thousand times so we didn't feel the need to be super touristy, just a relaxing few days walking around, drinking coffee and eating good food.

The Four Seasons in Seattle offered us a room for our first night in town and it was incredible. Right on the bay and walking distance to everything. It was too cold to swim in the infinity pool but the ginormous bathtub in our room did the job (but seriously, the bathtub went to my shoulders and it was the best thing ever). They also gifted me with a 50-minute prenatal massage at their spa which was exactly what I needed and I want another one every day for the rest of my life.
(If you find yourself in Seattle soon look into staying at the Four Seasons, it was SO lovely)

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^^TV in the mirror!
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Saturday, October 19, 2013

Wearing mustard

wearing mustard
wearing mustard

Mustard is one of my favorite fall colors to wear so I posted my favorite 5 mustard pieces on babble today, including these bright mustard pants.
To see my other favorite mustard pieces to wear click here!




In case you're bored this weekend: more from me on Babble this month:

10 charming printed jumpsuits for babies
5 practical maternity pieces from Thyme Maternity
10 open back dresses we love
How to dye your old leather boots
10 adorable baby sweaters to buy right now

Sunday, October 13, 2013

My favorite maternity outfit

Favorite fall maternity outfit
Favorite fall maternity outfit


Yesterday I shared my favorite maternity outfit for fall over on Babble. It's mostly made up of items from H&M (surprise surprise) and only the top is a maternity shirt so it could easily be my favorite non-maternity outfit too. I wear it allll the time (probably too much actually...)
Check out the post here!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

around the house

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I've been spending quite a bit of time making things for this baby of ours. Something about the changing weather made me get into full nesting mode (more so than my usual nesting self) and suddenly all I want to do is organize the house, make baby stuff and bake all the time. The baking thing had to be short lived though, as much as I want to eat baked goods all day I'm suddenly hyper aware of what I'm putting into my body and I'm trying to only feed this baby nutritious things (that and I don't want to gain 20 lbs in the last weeks of being pregnant). That being said, trader joe's makes the best pumpkin bread/muffin mix in the universe. It's not even worth trying to find a comparable homemade recipe, the mix is all you need.

And as you can see above we set up the crib! The room is far from finished but it'll get there eventually. I also made some blankets and moccasins (pictured above) and got the Solly baby wrap in the mail. We were so excited about it we had it to try it on multiple times and stick one of the cats in, just for fun. Oh boy...


Lavender latte (with homemade syrup)

Lavender Latte

Lavender Syrup

Lavender Syrup

Lavender Latte

I sorta kinda like lavender a whole lot. If there is something on any menu with lavender, chances are I'll be getting it... lemonade, cookies, ice cream, chocolate, ect. But lavender lattes are probably my favorite. I don't order lattes very often at coffee shops (hello, that gets expensive) and most of the time the lavender is too subtle so I had been meaning to make my own lavender syrup for over a year and I just finally got around to it. It's perfect in a latte (or your regular coffee/cream) and I'm also looking forward to using it to make a lavender hot chocolate for the christmas season.

To make the syrup:
Mix equal parts sugar and water in a pot over medium heat until sugar has dissolved (I used 1 cup each). Add in 3 tablespoons dried lavender and simmer for one minute. Remove from heat and let steep for 30-60 minutes, depending on how strong you want the flavor. I think I did mine for about 45 minutes. Strain the buds out using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to a month.

To make a latte with the syrup:
Heat up 1/2-3/4cup of milk and a tablespoon of lavender syrup and whisk until frothy. I poured the milk over a double aeropress "shot" and topped with the milky foam. It's not high class but it does the job perfectly!

Monday, October 7, 2013

DIY printed triangle onsie

diy printed onsie

I'm over on Babble today sharing a super easy printed onsie tutorial. It was my first time doing potato printing and I'm amazed at what you can do with a potato and some paint! Check out the post here to see the supplies needed and the simple steps!

DIY printed onsie
DIY printed onsie

If you're interested you can see the rest of my posts on Babble right here!

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Tomato, Basil and Cheddar Soup

Tomato Cheddar Soup

Tis the season for eating soup everyday right? I've been on a soup eating binge since the weather has changed to gray and this one is my current favorite. It's slightly creamy, slightly tangy and the perfect amount of cheesy. I made a big pot of it over the weekend and have been eating it for lunch everyday since. It's comes together in less than 30 minutes so it makes a great last minute meal. Try this one out even if you're not usually a fan of tomato soup, it's delicious! 

Tomato, Basil and Cheddar Soup

2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes 
1 yellow onion, chopped*
2 cloves of garlic, chopped*
1 tsp olive oil 
2 cups of vegetable broth 
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt 
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated 
1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed 
2 tsp of oregano 
1 tsp sugar 
Salt and pepper to taste


*I used onion powder and garlic powder in place of the the fresh stuff and it was perfect! 



Directions: Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Pacific City and a 28 week bump

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pacific city

Last friday we packed up some pillows, blankets and snacks and headed to the coast. We wanted to walk around and explore Cape Kiwanda since it was probably the last weekend to do so before rainy season hits. It was overcast but still warmish, aka perfect weather! The views here blow my mind, it is such a gorgeous part of the coast (which is probably why I have so many photos). We did as much hiking around the rocks as my 7 month pregnant body would allow then we parked on the beach, put down our back seats and read in our nest of blankets and pillows. It was one of the best days I can remember, so simple but perfect.


Josh snapped some extra photos of me so these will count as my 28 week maternity series photos!

Some of the first trimester fatigue has come back with vengeance so more naps and less housework have been happening. All in all still feeling great though. Really happy to have the hot weather behind us, the cool rainy weather keeps me so much more comfortable.

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pacific city
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pacific city

p.s. I took this photo to remember when tying my shoes became extra hard. Thanks for the help Josh ;)

pacific city


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