An antiques blog that make your mouth water.  She also has an online store!

This is a 1950s Jivaro Tribe Red Feather Belt found in Illinois.    I think it would look absolutely incredible as a necklace.  amazing. beautiful.  Here are some other finds from the same trip:

You know I used to rock one of those shell necklaces!

Possibly my new favorite blog Erie Basin. (I'm pretty sure I first saw this via texturism again... my other favorite blog!)

Buttoning Patience

I can not stop staring at these amazing installations by artist Ran Hwang.  They are composed of buttons and they aren't glued so the buttons shift and have movement.  I would love to see one in person.

Definitely visit her website so you can see the many installations and enlarged photographs.  They are amazing.

Shatter!

I came across these interesting photographs by Martin Klimas out of Dusseldorf.  I love statues of girls in fancy dresses, but I love these photos of capturing them at the moment of being broken more!

Camp Vivier

I am love with this little bag perfect for summer.  An amazing shape and size by accessories designer Clare Guerrero Vivier

Stamp and Pant

In celebration of the new Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet stamp collection, Halo will donate a million meals to shelter pets during the launch of the stamps.  Make sure you pick up these adorable faces and let your bill paying stampage go to a great cause: Stamps to the Rescue

And You Can Put It In Your Pocket

Here is an ingenious little illustration that you can actually print out and keep in your purse or pocket if you've been having trouble keeping up with all this do I or don't I organic shopping.

If you visit Cool Hunting you can print it out.  I really love when things are pocket-size! (via texturism)

Addictive Food Site Alert!

I meant to add this to my Earth Day Green list mainly because of it's name: Green Kitchen Stories.

Megs first brought this to my attention when she sent me a link to this amazing looking and perfect for spring/summer birthdays Strawberry Pancake Cake:

Lately I have been having overwhelming cravings for smoothies!  This Coconut Coffee Shake looks beyond scrumptious:

Take a look around Green Kitchen Stories and start drooling!

You Know My Love For Planters!

Ok, so you know my love for make-your-own (also known as D.I.Y, lol) planters : here and here.  I'm also pretty sure you have now gathered that my love of TOMS shoes is running pretty deep these days.  Well in honor of earth day they have combined two of my favorite things!!

Ok, so I'm aware that this is kind of funny!  It will also take me awhile to actually have some TOMS that I even want to not wear!  I think it would be really cute with the board painted the right way and in a bedroom setting.  Seems to me it could be done with a lot of extra shoes lying around that you aren't on your donation list and that you want to look at for awhile.

Kids & Caps

So, to follow along with my last post, I came across a program brought to us by Aveda (via good eggs) in which you can enroll your school in a program to collect rigid polypropylene caps that they send out to be made into new caps.  Seems like a great way to get our kids involved!

For those of you who don't know, you cannot put the lids and caps of your products in with your recyclables.  It is really annoying and makes you wonder where they all go (perhaps to the 5Gyres)

Image via: LowCarbonHome

David Letterman Taught Me Something?

I was recently watching a segment on David Letterman's show featuring Captain Charles Moore.  It was pretty eye-opening regarding the massive amounts of plastics being used and trashed by the world.  There is trash in an area of the Pacific called the North Pacific Gyre (Great Pacific Garbage Patch) that is basically filled with shards and pieces of plastic waste.  The plastic pieces are even filling beaches in Hawaii.  It's pretty disturbing and the outlook on it frankly, looks bleak.  


Please visit Fake Plastic Fish because the site has a great outline of the episode, some unbelievable facts:


- After just 3 days of tracking trash down the L.A. and San Gabriel rivers, Captain Moore found 2.3 billion pieces of trash weighing 30 tons on its way to the ocean.

- Ultimately, we consume these pollutants when we eat fish.

Visit 5 Gyres website which really explains Marine Pollution thoroughly and gives a lot of information for those interested.

What can we do?  Plastic has changed our world and will never go away and is really quite useful, but you can make a bit of difference by trying to use reusable plastics as much as possible and also take an extra minute to recycle your plastics, bring your own bags to the grocery, and avoid buying products with excess packaging.  You are the consumer... what you buy matters!  

Stay tuned for the next post and I'll let you know about a great program for those pesky caps that can't  go in your recycling bin!

It's Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I'm going to try and post some Green inspired posts.  It's one of my favorite topics anyway!

Google's Take very pretty jungle/ rain forest fairy land. 

Is this Kismet?

I was just about to post this amazing picture of the inside of a bedroom in Kate & Andy Spade's home (my obsession is mounting) from Apartment Therapy (via outofhabit) because of my love for the use of grey and yellow (not to mention the amazing artwork and chair)

When what appears in my inbox but a photograph from Mrs. Megan with the exact same love in mind from the Schumacher catalog:

Guess what Macy's, your terrible handling of my online shopping order (placed three weeks ago with still no sign of arrival) has lead me to re-evaluate my bedding choices... and guess what I won't be ordering from you and yes it will involve grey and yellow.  Pow!

The Eiffel Tower is Being Attacked By Plushies!

Megs sent us one and only one photograph from her recent trip to Paris...

We couldn't have said it any better ourselves!

I am gnawing the screen right now

Thanks to good eggs.  I have stumbled upon this awesome website, Honest Fare, for food right up my alley and the photographs are amazing!  Once my oven is fixed (hello, we pay a maintenance fee for a reason!) I am going to start up by making this amazing looking Strawberry Poppy Seed muffins for B and Owen...

I'll be sure to let you know how the results go... and on the next rainy day... Friday, perhaps, I'm going to cook up some of this amazing looking Corn and Potato chowder... SLURP!!!

Click through to enjoy the site and view the recipes:

Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Corn & Potato Cowder

Pretty Petal-Luscious!

I have always been fascinated by floral design.  The beauty of flowers is always awe-inspiring and some people just have an eye for how to put them together.

This arrangement is so beautiful it looks like a dutch painting.  Click through for a wonderful set of instructions from Janie Medley of jmflora to create your own spring arrangement via Design*Sponge (via seenandsaid)

Simply Gorgeous!

Grey Glorious Gray

So, Megan filled me in on a little interior painting project (or rather mishap) where she attempted to paint one of the rooms in her new house grey... when she woke up in the morning the gray had actually dried baby blue!  That is a blue boo!  Anyway, she bought new paint this afternoon and as a lil bit of inspiration I wanted to show her this outfit I saw today. (via out of habit via coco+kelley) what is the difference between grey and gray??

Seal of Approval

Ok, I in no way need another tool in my craft box and for that matter I don't ever write letters that would need to be sealed by wax.

But that being said how absolutely awesome is this and how awesome would it be if owned a wood burning tool and could make myself my own wax seal.  I would be sealing up everything all day.  Melting wax like it was my job.  But again I don't have or need a wood burning tool... or do I? (via RageHause)

Did Someone Say Puddin' Pops?

Just looking at the pictures of the Zoku's bright fruity ice pops makes me salivate slightly.  I am dying to have this Zoku pop maker.

Each day as I bring the Big O out to the playground the Mr. Frosty music comes ding a linging up and I immediately begin craving a strawberry shortcake ice cream treat.  I always try and by the more "healthy" fruit pops at the grocery store, but my problem is the seeds.  I hate seeds in things that I think should be smooth a.k.a in smoothies or yogurt or fruit pops!  So, I immediately thought that I could maybe make some kind of "healthy" pop with this thing minus the seeds.  I also think that I could eat a chocolate pudding pop every night and be happy**!! (via William Sonoma)

Zebrawood Obsession

Okay, so my spring look also includes these flipping awesome sunglasses by Shwood, a company based out of Portland: I must have be mine!!

I divulged my obsession with these this winter and I have fully discussed the rational of purchasing them with Megs.  I need to sell some paintings so I can pull the trigger!!

See what I'd look like!!! Ha, and there's Meg's with me sipping a cocktail!  AM I RIGHT!  Just have to curl my hair... that's all, lol!

Bangle Some Inspiration

I keep coming back to Kate Spade.  I think it is her simple uses of color, the graphic nature, the classic concepts.  Both my sister-in-law and I choose our China patterns via her collections.  

I have absolutely fallen in love with these bangle bracelets (via Kate Spade) that have inspirational thoughts written on the inside.  I am usually not in favor of announcing inspirational sayings to the world like, "look at what my necklace says aren't you inspired and impressed"?  That's really not my thing, but this little inner note, like it was written just for you, really works for me.  While the price is not right for me to purchase for myself, I do think that they would be a lovely gift for a great girlfriend for bridal showers or birthdays or what have you.  And there is a range in price... the thinner it seems the cheaper.  I suppose that makes sense! (via Simplesong)

Shampoo Warnings: Know what You're Scrubbing With

I recently embarked on my own soap-making adventure.  The results have been less than stimulating so far, but I will try a new batch once I reach my new home in Queens.  I will be certain to update here with any results of note.

The reasons are vast to make your own soap, cosmetics and even cleaning products.  Although there are a lot more options out there it seems to me that reading the labels and knowing what to look for (just like with food) is a good place to start.  Herbal Essences, a brand I used a lot as a teenager is taking steps to cut down on 1,4 dioxane... which according to most sites is a carconigenic chemical and is bad, bad, bad. " Herbal Essences contains so much dioxane, in fact, that it should carry a warning label required for cancer-causing chemicals under California's Proposition 65." (via fast company).


Don't just trust a shampoo if it says "herbal", or "cruelty free" read this buying guide from National Geographic's, Green Guide for more answers.  Beware of 1,4 dioxane, diethanolamine (DEA), formaldehyde, fragrance and parabens and check all your cosmetics for the Green Guide's Dirty Dozen.

You can get a triple pack of  Burt's Bees Shampoo on Overstock for $22.99 which isn't bad and passes!

You know it's really questionable whether the amounts of these chemicals can really effect you or not.  I think it is a viable assumption that using any with regards to a little child's body is probably not a good idea.  And really if you have to question it do you really want to?

Moop Must Have

One of my favorite blogs on tumblr is Texturism and she is always introducing me to great and fantastic new things.  One of her posts that I absolutely loved was about a gift she gave to a friend that was about to become a new mother and you can read about it here.

Take a look at this wonderful bag from Moop highlighted in her post and that I put in my spring look from polyvore.com it is priced well at $83:

Moop has a lot of other great bags so I would consider clicking around a bit!

Must Have Been The Roses

While picking out a necklace for the spring fashions I plan on rocking... I found this beautiful jewelry shop on etsy: Tamar's Shop: Nest Pretty Things!  Etsy is sooo overwhelming because there is just so much to choose from and everything is so inspiring.  This shop has captured my spring mood: the whimsy, floral, soft, and fun!

Next step... breaking open my piggy bank and buy one of these banging necklaces.

Fashion Ideas Organized

I stumbled across this great site that lets you organize different ideas and outfits together so you can see how it looks before taking the big plunge with your wallet.  I compiled my spring lounge around outfit and some pieces I already own so I can just see that it's my style and that it would work on me.  You can also add some unique things that you find while scouring the internet.

Visit Polyvore.com and start dancing!

Sweet Tomato Relief!

Ok, ok... I know I'm supposed to be making everything from scratch.  And lordy, I'm trying!  But upon hearing about Mario Batali's pasta sauces I knew I had to try it.  You see my husband and I fell in love with Mario while we were in Vegas.  We ate at Carne Vino and enjoyed the Caprese Salad and Gnocchi with Marinara sauce so much I think I will always remember it.  (we couldn't afford any wine ironically while we ate there but B did have a glass of pink beer which was pretty hilarious).  The music was great while we ate too (Radiohead, Coldplay... really like we were eating at home but 1000 x better)!

So, we tried it (the marinara)... and after 9 years we have finally agreed upon a tomato sauce!!!  I mean seriously this is BIG!  It's like $6.50 a pop at Hannaford... but the ingredients are all what I've been looking for sans preservatives, hoooray!  I will give myself this little 24oz of relief!  Thank you Mario, thank you.

A little more about the sauce via the store:

Mario Batali Marinara Pasta Sauce: Why do Mario Batali sauces taste so fresh and pure? Mario Batali Sauces are crafted from San Marzano Italian plum tomatoes from the Sarnese-Nocerino area in Italy, and are purely produced with all fresh chopped onions and fresh garlic. They are made with all fresh herbs and spices - no paste or puree added, and are made exclusively in a green facility. In an effort to honor his commitment to both good food and green living, Mario is thrilled to announce all four recipes will be produced at Summer Garden Foods' green facility. Certified as organic and environmentally friendly by both state and national organization, Chef Batali and Summer Garden Foods is an ideal partnership having shared philosophies regarding the creation of food products. (Item #197930) w3

Product Characteristics: Main Ingredients:   Tomatoes, Onions, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Carrots, Garlic, Sea Salt, Italian Parsley, Thyme Size/Capacity:   24-oz.

Glorious Ball-Orrific Necklace!

It has become quite clear to me that I absolutely love multiple groupings of balls.  It most likely began with Megan's  wonderful wreaths, but it is now showing up all around me.

This necklace was handcrafted by jewelry artist Kristina Klarin.  I am absolutely loving how big it is and that you could basically wear just a plain tee or tank and wear this necklace with it and feel totally hip to be square.  Her color combinations are spot on too!  via: constant changes

Dreams Do Come True!

I have two pairs of TOMS sneakers one pair in red that my grandmother got me for my birthday, and one pair in army green that I wore everyday last summer.  I love everything about them especially the fact that they are so comfortable, but also the fact that for every pair of shoes you buy through them they give a pair to a child in need.  That is just too good to be true, but it is!

WELL WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE!!! Coming soon to my closet are these absolutely adorable wedges courtesy of TOMS!!  I mean they do not come cuter! via: adored austin

Fry 'em Up!

I am attempting to eliminate processed foods from our diet.  Taking little baby steps here and there.  Mostly really reading ingredients.  The same food that you grandmother was eating... may have the same label and taste the same... but the ingredients most likely are not the same (preservatives, high fructose corn syrup,  and a whole bunch of other words that you won't understand)!  I'll take food that may rot quicker any day.  It always pains me to throw out or be wasteful, I have the compost going but I can't really put a lot of food products in because we have a lot of raccoons and skunks in the neighborhood... but the more you cook the more you learn the quantities you should buy.

That being said.  I'm still not all that healthy!  And Owen really likes French Fries!  I figured making them myself would give me some advantages:  I can see exactly how many potatoes I was using, and give myself the ability to portion out appropriately.  I can buy my own potatoes and we prefer organic and local it makes us feel better.  I can add my own spices and use whatever oil I want.

But let's be real... I still fried the crap out of them!  Next time I'm going to try an experiment with baking them and see how that turns out.  I'll keep you updated on the results.  But for now feast your eyes upon these:

My husband's eyes opened really wide and he said "they are way better than McDonald's."  All lies but hey it made me feel good.  And just a quick note... if you have a picky eater that actually likes them to even look like fast food fries... you don't have to cook them as long as I did, that's it!

Breakfast Bars from Scratch

My entry in the Outside the Box Challenge:

I have been really making a greater effort to make what we eat from scratch. But my biggest desire and hurdle lately has been trying to eradicate Nutri-Grain Bars from the cupboard.  Both my husband and son (2yrs) absolutely love them.

I scoured the internet trying to find a suitable replacement replacement and it was pretty difficult to find something but I came pretty close when I saw this recipe on Smitten Kitchen.

I made a few edits:

*Substituted Whole Wheat Flour in place of All Purpose Flour

*I only had 10oz of Organic Raspberries in my freezer so I added 6oz of a mixed bag of berries including, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries.

I’m going to attempt to freeze these and see what happens because the ability to pull them out whenever would be a plus.  I’m also going to really play around with the recipe now that I see how it works and try and make it more of a fruity nutritious bar instead of a sugary treat…  It’s nice to have the taste of grains in the morning.

Beany Cuteness

We are absolutely in love with these bean bags from Cocoon Couture.  Visit their site for more cute gifts for kids with really sweet designs!

Valentine's Day Wreath Fame!

 

Megan's Valentine's Day Wreath has gained some notoriaty via Sweet Home Style!  We all keep telling her she should sell them!  So festive!!

A Lemony February Birthday

Saturday was my Grandmother's Birthday and we celebrated with homemade pasta I made with my new pasta maker, and a yummy chicken parm recipe from bon appetite. We topped it off with my great-grandmother, Lola's famous lemon cake. When you have a February birthday it is sometimes nice to remember that spring is right around the corner!

Hummingbirds LIVE!

My absolute favorite thing right now is watching these hummingbirds on Ustream.  The Mom hummingbird is named Phoebe... and she is sitting on her little one named Sassy.  Sassy was just hatched on January 19th!
You have to check this out for yourself.  It is so soothing and beautiful.  Follow this link to view: http://cam.dellwo.com/
Enjoy!

Gingerbread on Another Level

via:http://www.designmom.com/

This is amazing and so creative (did I mention they look totally delicious?)

Pretty as a Peacock

Lollia Life

A beautiful site, beautiful candles… and we love the peacock!

The Golden Egg

Gold-lined quail egg by Stephanie Simek

I have absolutely fallen in love with this necklace.  The egg is coated in resin and there is also 23k gold leaf inside of the egg.  I really want this in my life.

And to kind of talk to ourselves here: Megan, do you see that it’s resin?… we were talking about that remember… time to research more about it!!

Lens Cuff

How much do I love this and want one!  Camera lenses recycled in South Australia by Craig Arnold. re:vision brings old school cameras into an entirely new focus

re:vision recycled camera lens bracelets - Oye Modern. Unique, funky, limited edition jewellery.

Red, White and Blue!

July 4, 2009: Meg made these festive little treats to celebrate The 4th of July.  The are chocolate and cake yumminess!

You could alter these easily for Christmas or Valentine's day by just changing the M&M!