Happy Birthday Anna!

Off to Seaside, Oregon for the weekend to celebrate my friend Anna's birthday! Woot Woot!

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Leap Year, Leap Frog

Leap year makes me thing of leap frog, or just frogs in general. Leap year is such an odd day, only popping up once every four years, just to keep us on our toes.

I actually have a student this year whose birthday falls on February 29th! The kids had a quite the laugh in class as we explained the concept of leap year, and that technically speaking, according to the calendar, he is only turning 2 today, and not 8 (his actual age).This talk of leap year and frogs is perfect considering my Mom's birthday is tomorrow, and she has a weakness for all things frogs. As part of my birthday gift to her, I picked up this frog Prince inspired night-light at PBK.
While scouring the store for more frog items, I saw these adorable little bath-wraps. And yes, they have frogs! Along with hippos, bunnies, and lambs. While they are a little too small for my mom, I thought these were too cute to not pass along.

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Kate Spadelicious

Green is my favorite color and with St. Patrick's Day rapidly approaching, I am finding a new appreciation for all things green...including this lovely, green Kate Spade clutch. If only I had an extra $325 lying around...

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Chicken Wire + Clothespins =

While blog cruising, I came upon this clever design! Chicken wire + clothespins = a chic memory board. Ingenious!

image/arugulapress

Shabby Chic

My first thought when looking at these gorgeous furnishings was - I want that! I love the homespun feel of Shabby Chic furniture. Their style feels authentic and loved, as if each piece of furniture truly comes with a back story.

I am in love with this funky chandelier, it really gives this room charisma...

This picture immediately reminded me of the Russell Crowe movie "A Good Year," where a high powered London investor inherits an uncle's decrepit estate in Provence. This table and chair arrangement is very shabby chic, but with worlds of charm. Ideal for a lazy summer afternoon, sitting around laughing and drinking wine friends... I want this dresser, it is petite and aesthetically pleasing yet functional. And I'll gladly take that oversize vase and the crown molded fireplace while I'm at it...

images/shabbychic

Sweet Potato Fry

Sweet potato fries appear to be new trendy, healthier alternative to French fries. The last time I was in LA for my friend Lindsay's birthday, she took me to The Counter, a popular Santa Monica gourmet burger bar, where sweet potato fries were the fries du jour, and delicious they were!

Imagine my surprise when my fave Food Network Star - Giada De Laurentiis - whipped up a recipe of "Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise." Not only do they sound amazing, but perfect for a summer BBQ or picnic. Try your hand at these!

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise

5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch "fries"
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potato "fries" on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

image+recipe/foodnetwork

Two Cents

I wandered into Pottery Barn Kids the other day, and saw these cute little elephant and giraffe piggy-banks. While they're perfect for a child with a meager allowance - I also thought they might be a fun for grown-ups too. Perhaps a way to jazz up a boring bookshelf...

image/potterybarn

Almost Spring

With all these blue cloudless skies I feel like Spring is just around the corner. Being the art history nerd I am, I thought I'd share one of my favorite paintings that reminds me of the soon to be changing of seasons.

When I was little my Mom used to find and hang various paintings of young children playing outdoors (a subtle tribute to her three daughters). This John Singer Sargent painting, Carnation Lily, Lily Rose, has always reminded me of those familiar prints that used to hang in our family room. The the beauty of the blooming garden is perfectly accented with the warm glow of the just-lit lanterns illuminating the girls faces. This is my ode to Spring, may it come soon!

image/jssgallery

Once, Twice, Three Times a Bridesmaid

I was just asked to be a bridesmaid in my friend Baillie's upcoming June wedding, bringing my resume of times-as-a-bridesmaid up to 2 for this summer, 3 total, and I'm anticipating a few more to come...

As my calendar is filling up with bridesmaid related events (i.e. showers, bachelorette parties, and the like) I thought I'd devote a blurb to the loveliness of summer weddings. Here are a few of my favorite lovely little ideas for a summer shindig from Martha's latest issue of Weddings. images/MarthaStewart

Sunny Saturday

I woke up (a little too early) this morning to gorgeous sunlight pouring in my window. The possibility of a lazy, sunny Seattle weekend was just too exciting to fathom...I was reminded of this pic I saw on Black Eiffel a few weeks back. Have a lovely, relaxing weekend!image/flickr

Trailer Buzz!!

As all my girlfriends already know (since I emailed them the moment I heard) - the FULL Sex in the City movie trailer is out!

Get excited ladies (and accommodating gents) for the movie event of the summer! I already have an opening night date of cosmos, great clothes, and my best girls planned for the movie's drop May 30th. Mark your calendars!image/screenhead/portfolio

Scrapbooking Fool

I am a scrapbooking fool. My camera is pretty much attached to my hip, and I order prints off flickr more than I'd like to admit. So when I stumbled across Scarlet Lime, via this blog, I knew it was love at first sight.

This site is perfect for scrapbooking aficionados, or aspiring scrapbookers looking for a little creative juice. Scarlet Lime sells monthly kits to aid you in your creative endeavors; patterned paper, stickers, buttons...the list goes on. Not convinced? Then have a look at these lovely little scrapbook pages a few of their resident artists have assembled using these kits to entice you...images/scarletlime

Making Marilyn

Lindsay Lohan is now the latest starlet to emulate American icon, Marilyn Monroe. Shooting for upcoming New York Magazine cover feature, Lohan is sporting a perfectly coiffed blonde bob and posing nude. The shoot seeks to recreate the legendary portfolio of photographs often referred to as "The Last Sitting," taken by Bert Stern in 1962, 6 weeks before Marilyn Monroe's untimely death.

While the idea of Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe came as a surprise to me, she was reportedly handpicked for the part. I'm curious to hear your thoughts, do you think Lohan a fitting candidate to fill in for this beloved blonde bombshell?images/nymag

Cream or Sugar?

While I personally take cream in my coffee, I couldn't help but smile at these darling sugar shapes. Leave it to creative genius Martha Stewart turn a cup of coffee into a delightful experience. For those ambitious wannabes...here is the 411 on how to create your own sugar shapes.

image/MarthaStewart

When in Vail

I just returned from a lovely little getaway to the sunny slopes of Vail, Colorado with my family. We spent our days skiing in fresh powder, and nights ambling about town, window shopping and doing some quality eating.Though I perhaps do not fit all the qualifications, I consider myself a foodie. My definition being - I genuinely enjoy food; the aromas, flavors and the delicious samplings of gourmet cuisine. So fellow foodies, When in Vail...dine at Larkspur!The food at Larkspur had inventive flavor combinations, gorgeous presentation, and was undeniably delicious! Check out the menu for a glimpse. Just to share with you a taste, my dining experience began with the blue hubbard squash and gala apple soup, followed by the heritage farm pork chop served with smoked gouda grits and pomegranate-pistachio relish...and we capped off the night with a lovely dark chocolate fondue. Yum!

So, as I said before - when in Vail...INDULGE! Turns out, there's more here than just skiing!

image/Larkspur/SeasonInStyle

It's the Belt

I'm loving the skinny belt. J. Crew is now featuring skinny belts paired with comfy cashmere sweaters. I don't know what it is, but the belt adds a certain something to an already classic look. This style echoes the Diane Von Furstenberg belted dresses I wrote about a while back.
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A New Look

Thank you many times over to the fabulous Alyson of sunali design for designing such a lovely heading to spice up my blog! For a small flat fee of $25, she provided me with 3 equally amazing proofs to select my favorite from...and voila! Lovely Little Things is now hip to the blog circuit! Check out Alyson's blog unruly.things for further examples of her fantastic designs!

Long Weekend

This long weekend...I am taking some quality time away from the computer to play in the snow! Happy Presidents Day weekend everyone, be back next week.

Topless Undershirt

I saw these Blush topless undershirts featured on Cup of Jo, and while I haven't had the privilege of owning one myself...I am intrigued. Likened to a long, comfy tube top, these undershirts work against our clothes' worst enemy, the washing machine! Too many times I have washed a shirt and alas, it has shrunk an entire size, if not more!

And with long being IN, and short being OUT...these $15 a pop undershirts might not be a bad idea. Testimonies from proud owners swear these babies stay in place, so no shifting or readjusting necessary. I might just have to try one for myself...
image/blush

V-Day

I was just at Target, about to exit after picking up some cold meds, when this lovely little tote caught my eye. Perfect for V-Day, and only $9.99 at that! I couldn't resist.image/target

Chinese New Year continued...

With the 15 day celebration of Chinese New Year now in full swing, I sought out to find a festive thank you card for my student and her mom for sharing their traditions with our class...and came across this.

I was drawn to the simple teardrop of a mouse graphic, and the lovely orange accents. I was also thinking it could be sent as a congratulatory note to a family with new baby born in 2008, Year of the Rat.

image/etsy

Glamor from Utility

I love it when people create glamor from utility. These once functional milk bottles have been retired as such, and put to use as fashionable vases for individual Gerber daisies. Utilitarian style at its best!

image/Real Simple

Sticky Notes

As an elementary school teacher, I have learned that you can never have too many sticky notes. I'm not a fan of writing on student work, and instead prefer to use sticky notes. I write comments in green pen and then tack the stickies on work to be sent home.

I received these fun, kid-friendly sticky notes from a parent as a birthday gift. I'm certain my students will get a kick out of these quirky forest critters. Unfortunately they will probably be more excited about the sticky itself that my teacher comments!
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Fashion Week

New York Magazine online is reporting live from Fall Fashion Week 2008, and posting photos of the latest trends to hit the runway. I love these looks by Diane Von Furstenberg, the feminine dress paired with the chic jacket, peep toe pumps, and skinny belt is just gorgeous!images/nymag

Lovely Lavender

I love this Martha Stewart recipe for lavender champagne. While it may be a bit premature for a winter soirée, I'm thinking it would be perfect for my friend Sarah's upcoming bridal shower. To indulge..take a sip, close your eyes, click your heels, and perhaps you'll suddenly materialize in the South of France...here's hoping!

Lavender Champagne
Makes 16

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender
• 4 bottles (750 mL each) dry Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
• Fresh lavender sprigs, for garnish
  

Directions

1. Bring sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in dried lavender. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Strain out lavender. Refrigerate syrup until ready to serve (up to 1 month).
2. Pour about 6 ounces Champagne and 1 1/2 teaspoons syrup into each flute. Garnish each with a lavender sprig.

recipe and photo/Martha Stewart

Papercuttings

I saw this screenprinted copy of Rob Ryan's papercuttings on {frolic} and found it to be so wonderfully delicate and beautiful, I couldn't resist passing the press along. See also Rob Ryan's book of exquisite papercuttings.

Ideal for the upcoming sorry-excuse-for-a-holiday...Valentine's Day (sigh)...image/etsy

Hello Darling!

I came across Bellamuse while perusing another blog, and was immediately intrigued by the name. This collection of cards and stationary features antique illustrations punctuated by candid little sayings. While I confess, I do tend to stockpile items of correspondence, I might just find the time to send one of these little notes, and share their girly charm with a friend! image/bellamuse

Year of the Rat

In 2008, Chinese New Year falls on Thursday, February 7th. This year I have a student in my class who celebrates this holiday. She and her mom have been gracious enough to include our class in learning about the festivities and traditions their family celebrates for Chinese New Year. To ring in the Year of the Rat, we learned that new clothes are worn to symbolize the new year, many symbolic foods are prepared, and the color red is used in all decorations. We also learned that on the News Years Eve, children received red packets filled with coins or money. Because 8 is an auspicious number, considered to be good luck, the money in the red envelopes is often in the amount of $8. After gifts are given, families feasts together with many special foods, including dumplings "jiaozi" (which symbolize wealth and prosperity), noodles (which symbolize longevity), and "yue" whole fish (which symbolize togetherness and abundance).

It was really exciting to see the kids share in enjoying and understanding an unfamiliar tradition celebrated by their classmate.

images/ChineseNewYear

The Dancer

Opening this weekend, exclusively at the Portland Art Museum, is the exhibition The Dancer. This exhibit represents the union of three artists, all inspired and captivated by the exoticism of dance in fin-de-siècle Paris. Over 110 individual paintings, drawings, and pastels have been loaned from various international collections especially for this exhibit, brought together as an indebted tribute to Degas, Forain, and Toulouse-Lautrec, three artists who sought to capture the modern expression of dance.

Exhibit showing February 2 - May 11, 2008.

image/PAM

Sweet Tooth

In response to the less than stellar week I've had, my Mom brought me a box of frosted sweets from Cupcake Royale, as a sweet, pick-me-up treat. With the Hollywood cupcake fad in full swing, I am here to say my sweet tooth predisposed me to cupcakes long before they became trendy! One reason I like Cupcake Royale, is that their cupcakes boast fanciful names for flavors like "Orange U Glad" and "Mr. Formal," though my absolute favorite is the Southern classic, "Red Velvet." Lucky for us, these sweet treats are sold locally, with locations in Ballard, Madrona, and West Seattle...a perfect sweet indulgence to brighten a bad day.

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