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{weekend} lovelies

December 1, 2012

Nicole and I thought we would bring you something new….

Throughout the week we both spend time researching for our posts and browsing the web.

During this process, we come across many things we think would be interesting, inspiring, or just plain beautiful to share with you.

Each Saturday morning we thought we’d bring to you our finest picks of the web for that week!

A little mental vacation when you secure a moment of peace to yourself…

We hope you enjoy {weekend} lovelies….


{Music | Ellie Goulding “Your Song”}

{Hair Inspiration | French Braid Top Knot}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


{Beauty | The Perfect Holiday Red Lip}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


{Noteworthy | Nella Cordelia’s Birth Story}

 Genuinely one of the most raw, emotional, beautiful and honest posts I have ever read….

 

{DIY | My Scandinavian Home Advent Calendar}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


{Design | West Elm’s Papier-Mache Deer}

 



{Recipe | Pioneer Woman’s Blueberry Lemon Sweet Rolls}

 

 

 

{Style | Cupcakes and Cashmere}

 

 

{DIY | PS I Made This… Holiday Garland}

Filed Under: Lovelies

Food and Wine Pairings

November 30, 2012

Its hard to be creative when bringing a host/hostess gift to an event.

May it be a dinner, a girls get together, or just a friendly gift in general,

I know that I am always thinking of what to get.  Usually my go to for a social event is wine.

{Not too much as one must be a lady at all times, wink wink}.

More often than not the host/hostess will enjoy it and or will use if at the event.

Luckily, I am blessed with a neighbor that is in the wine industry.

Steve Thomas, {Vice President of National and Retail Sales} of Vintage Point, “Partners in Wine”.

His company represents quite a few labels.  It is a smaller company so they are able to focus

on independent wine producers and the specialty trade that supports them.

With such a wealth of knowledge living across the street,

I thought “Bingo“,  Steve would be a wonderful resource for the holiday season.

The perfect person to find out which wines to pair with food.

Of course the wines that he suggested are the wonderful ones he represents.

They are all incredibly grand and taste worthy.

I have purchased quite a few of them over the years,

as well as I have been a guinea pig trying a few of them out.

{Oh no don’t twist my arm}

Now with not much ado, here are his suggestions:

A dinner party and or appetizer party must start off with a good luck toast,

Luna Pinot Grigio, pairs well with most appetizers and or a great way to start ones palate off.

Hints of Asian spice full-bodied texture carry through a delicious lemony finish from the Albarino grape.

{Photo via Luna Vineyards}

***Steve’s wine suggestion for cheese and crackers and the possible inclusion of prawns:

BR Cohn “Napa Valley” Grieve Family Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc – 2011v,

Gary Farrell “Sonoma County” Russian River Sauvignon Blanc – 2011v.

{Photo via Gary Farrell Winery}

Both wines have notes of honey and vanilla and varietal fruit.

Light and crisp, perfect for an appetizer event!

***Steve’s great suggestion for chicken and or poultry would be a bold.

 Earthy and buttery tones that go well with a poultry dish such as:

Creamy chicken and risotto.

His Chardonnay choices are Garnet “Sonoma Coast”, and Educated Guess, Napa Valley.

{Photo via Educated Guess}

Pinot Noir’s blend wonderfully with salmon or turkey.

His suggestions are, Garnet “Carneros” Pinot Noior-2010 v,

Gary Farrell’s “Sonoma” Russian River Valley Pinot Noir-2010 v.

***Steve recommends for a heavy meat dish such as steak,

a bold Cabernet Sauvignon is good choice to pair with such a meal.

The wines that would be a fantastic choice are:

Educated Guess “Napa Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon 2010-v,

Hidden Ridge “Sonoma County” Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon 2007-v.

Ending your meal with a dessert or sipping wine can help to round out the meal.

Any of these wines can be presented as hostess gifts.

Pinterest, has some creative gift wrapping ideas for wine.

{Photo via Pinterest}

So the next time you have a gathering to attend to,

 you won’t be full of empty ideas in the wine department.

Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: Food

I {heart} Scandinavian Design

November 29, 2012

My design style has completely changed over the years.

I used to be much more traditional,

but now I am drawn to clean lines, no clutter, and an environment that is as simple as possible.

The psychology loving part of my brain has finally figured this one out.

Like any mom, my thoughts are completely consumed with the day-to-day care of my four little ones.

It can be overwhelming and chaotic at times {in my head}!

I am enamored by Scandinavian design.

I love how beautiful and refreshing the abundance of white is…

with just occasional pops of vibrant color.

It is peaceful…  It simply puts my mind at ease.

The following are images of the whitewashed homes I envision in my dreams….

{above three images via: my scandinavian home – malmo apartment} 

{image via: my scandinavian home – gothenburg home}

Love the modern orange chairs…. and of course, the picturesque window.

{image via: my scandinavian home – white swedish apartment}

I’m infatuated with the moose head, floors, chairs, and the wood burning fireplace…

 {above three images via: welke} 

I {heart} the wide open space with natural light pouring in from the large windows…

 {image via: skeppsholmen}

Filed Under: Lovelies

The Case of the Picky Eater and the Holidays…..

November 28, 2012

This past week we celebrated Thanksgiving with both sides of the family.

It was great to be able to do this, as my husband has been on shift the past three years.

I love being able to visit with everyone.

It is a nice time to catch up with what is new in their lives, as well as getting to know

the newer, and soon to be, new additions of the family.

All wonderful things to be thankful for.

It is all grand until it is time to sit down for the meal…..

The part in which I dread the most.

My palms sweat and it is time to answer the question,

“What is Mason eating for dinner, where is his plate?”

Uh oh….

The dreaded picky eater…..

My son is a picky eater and has been for the majority of his life.

He is like most kids on the Autism Spectrum, that crave routine and predictability.

This trait goes hand-in-hand with some children that also have a sensory processing disorder.

The sensory component means that he will eat the same few

meals over and over again without a huge fuss.

I know what you think… the kid won’t starve,

but he will, as it is part of this disorder.

Textures and smells create sensory stop signs for these kids.

Loud full houses and having to sit for extended periods of time

is extremely hard for a child who has a hard time sitting in school, let alone

a crowded dinner table

{I myself get overwhelmed after being around too much noise for an extended period}.

More often than not, it is a battle in which their behavior goes from

zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds.

Believe me I have tried it all… heard it all,

but I know as a Mom that we worked very hard with our son

 and that this is the smaller piece to a very large puzzle.

As per Lindsey Biel, M.A., OTR/L and Nancy Peske’s book

Raising a Sensory Smart Child, if a child has food related

issues try to avoid food related battles at the family meal

and focus instead on pleasure of the company

{this book is amazing for any child}.

We see an Occupational Therapist for help with Mason’s Sensory Processing Disorder

and with his eating behaviors {thank goodness for Wayne Centra at Karate for All}.

Yes I would love to be that mother whose child eats

all of my homemade food and I wish I could say my son

loves all of his basic food groups, but that is something that

I know is in the far off distance… a work in progress.

I know that a special gluten free and casein free diet works for

some children on the Autism Spectrum, but Mother knows best

{well with the support of an educated therapist… wink wink}

I am just happy that my child is eating food.

It may be considered processed and babysitter like, but it is what is.

Luckily I am able to sneak in nutrients in places where I can.

For now I will be happy for the progress he has made and the

obstacles we have overcome, for they have been great… if not amazing!

So when we pull up a seat at a table please don’t ask,

“Is that what he is eating?”

For I am thankful for the boy he is, and not for how I would like the situation to be.

Filed Under: Family

Sweet Dreams, Little Man…

November 27, 2012

This was just too cute not to share.

You see some kids have soft, silky, well-loved objects of affection that they take with them to bed….

not my Finn.

He claimed Sophia’s Ken Barbie doll a while ago and has grown attached to it ever since.

I tried to replace it with something a bit cozier for taking to bed, but Finn wouldn’t have it.

He has renamed Ken….

he’s officially “Da-Da.”

Super cute, since of course that’s what he calls Husby.

The funny part is that our Ken has the typical blond hair and blue eyes….

doesn’t quite resemble his Puerto Rican daddy!

Here is my littlest man…

Mr. Finn…

{aka Mr. Amazing}….

fast asleep with “Da-Da”

whom he clearly loves dearly…

sweet dreams, little man…

Filed Under: Family

The Cookie Swap

November 26, 2012

We are exactly four weeks away from Christmas!

It’s hard to believe the holiday is already upon us!

What is it about this season that makes it all seem to go by so fast?

Hopefully you’ve had time to slow down

and really appreciate this wonderful time of year {smile}.

One way to soak up the excitement of the season and spread joy is to host a cookie swap!

It is a festive, yet simple gathering you can plan with a few of your closest friends and family.

the history…

The cookie swap has been around for at least the last 70 years.

It was typically a “ladies only” event hosted by relatives, friends, neighbors,

women’s groups, social clubs, churches and schools.

Ladies would make cookies to share and then trade and package them at the party.

the basics…

{INVITE FRIENDS}

A rule of thumb is to invite double the amount

of guests that you hope to come.

You should plan on mailing invitations,

or emailing them out,

approximately three weeks

in advance {the time is now, my friends}! 

The above image is a darling online

invitation from Pinng!

{CHOOSE & COORDINATE COOKIES}

Each guest makes only one type of cookie

{make sure you coordinate ahead of time

the various types of cookies being made

so that there are no duplicates}.

{GIVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS}

Each guest brings one dozen cookies per guest

in attendance plus one extra dozen for sampling

{for example… if there are 7 guests total in attendance, each guest brings 8 dozen cookies to share…

if you have more guests than that, feel free to scale back on the amount of cookies}. 

In addition, have each guest bring copies of their recipe to hand out

{you may also want to consider having guests bring a few canned goods to support your local food drive}.

{PREPARE COOKIE DISPLAY}

As the hostess, make sure that you have prepared an area to display the different types of cookies.

Use items like decorative cake stands, trays and plates to hold the cookies in preparation for the swap!

You can also print out cards to present the names of the cookies.

{STOCK PACKAGING MATERIALS}

Prepare an area for packaging the cookies and stock tags, stickers,

ribbons, twine, tissue and cellophane to decorate boxes or paper plates.

You can also ask guests to bring a few of these lovely items.

{Image Via: Dust Jacket Attic}

{FINISHING TOUCHES}

Provide coffee, tea or other drinks along with a few tasty finger foods for guests to enjoy

while sampling, swapping and packaging the cookies!

cookie recipe ideas…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies {Image & Recipe Via: Bakers Royale}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles {Image & Recipe Via: Love and Olive Oil}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars {Image & Recipe Via: Annie’s Eats}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monster Cookie Bars {Image & Recipe Via: Bakers Royale}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thumbprint Cookies {Image & Recipe Via: Martha Stewart – Cookie Swap Favorites}

Filed Under: Food

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About

bioSara and Nicole are sorority sisters that simply “happened” to end up in the same small town. They have many things in common, which have set the tone of their blog. They hope that you will join them in their journey of motherhood, dreams that may be, the daily life, and their passion for cooking, yoga, fashion, and design!

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