Parenthood

It's been a looong time since I've talked about my couch potato ways but have any of you watched Parenthood?

What do you think? I really only started watching because I LOVE Lauren Graham. Still on the fence. I could most def do without Monica Potter (she bugs) which is a shame because I adore Peter Krause who plays her husband. And Erika Christensen not a big fan, but still like much better than Monica.

Have you watched? I know I'm not the only Gilmore Girls fan who watched only because of Lauren.

What are you doing?

If you haven't noticed I've probably spent a little less time blogging and a little more time elsewhere. Although blogging is super fun sometimes it's nice to get away from it for a bit. I've spent more time doing some stuff at Big's school and lately more time at the gym. I need it. As a Pilates teacher I recognize that I also need to spend time working on my fitness. It's so easy to just go to class and then teach without really doing anything else all week. I'm busy with kids and life and that's the one thing that I let slide.

Well that's over (for the time being at least). Not to mention it doesn't hurt that swimsuit season is upon us. It makes me feel much better at the end of the day which I love. So what are you doing lately that's making you happy?

{image via Mary Ruffle}

Do they take lessons to be that cool?

I love how cool this girl looks (minus the cig of course).

I know we've all enviously passed a woman or man with the je ne sais quoi that has you wishing you could pull just a bit of that off. What are the trends that have you thinking, "I wish I could try that?"

{image via The Sartorialist}

Oh and ps go to The Sartorialist to see some fabulous vintage fashion. J'adore!

Love it :: Turqoise

Whether it's a little or a lot I'm totally digging it.

{from top images from Style at Home, Tails Flickr via Audrey Hepburn Complex, Peacock from Made by Girl, Marie Claire Maison}

Dark Chocolate Frosting

If you can't tell Wednesdays are my busy days, sorry for the late posting. After being gone all day I got home and whipped up Martha's Devil's Food cupcakes with her Dark Chocolate Frosting for a family birthday. The cupcakes were good but the frosting is my new favorite. Not only is it tasty it's really pretty. You can find the recipe on Martha's website and in her Cupcakes book but for the sake of ease here it is. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients
Makes about 5 cups
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions
Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days, or frozen up to 1 month, in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.

This recipe makes 5 cups. Yikes, that's a lot of frosting! I cut this recipe into thirds because I only needed to frost 16 cupcakes and it was the perfect amount. Oh and I halved the cupcakes too. I mean really do I need 2 dozen extra cupcakes lying around? Uh no, definitely not.

Pink + Green

What is it about pink and green?

{images via Martha Stewart}

Morning

How was the weekend kids? Mine was good the Mr. and I got out all alone for a quick overnight and the weather was perfect. Nothing like a patio meal on a Spring day. What did you have going on this weekend?

{via Desire to Inspire}

Read it :: Garance Dore

By now I'm sure you know how I adore Garance Dore. Like really adore, want to be her, be her friend or have the tiniest smidge of her talent. She's ultra cool. Her fashion photography and videos are great but her illustrations are my fave.

Barn doors

Go Remodelista for a post featuring my fave, barn doors. Love.

Girly drama

I'm always watching people and if you ever catch me eavesdropping I'm sorry. I don't mean to be terribly rude but I'm just sorta nosy. Lately I've been finding myself thinking thank goodness I'm not a young girl. Yesterday while I was on playground duty I found myself asking girls to use kindness with each other because I overheard the dreaded, "We don't want to play with you." and the inevitable stomp off. You all know the players, there's the Queen Bee/Mean Girl, The Minion/Girl in the Middle, The Outcast and the Nice One who sticks by Outcast. Remember these girls? I'm sure at one point in our lives we've all played each of these parts. Oh the drama, yuck. No thank you.

{Photography by Curioush}

But then this morning I saw two girls on Spring Break out for a walk with huge smiles on their faces, a smile that meant freedom. I could almost taste it. The day when your parents let you walk on your own with your friends somewhere. It could be the the local convenience store for a Coke or the nearest grocery store to get a treat. Either way I loved that feeling, the fun chats on the way somewhere and of course the sugary treats that usually accompanied these walks on the way home.

The thing is being a girl was so fun and hard at the same time and I suppose it makes you who are you as a grownup. Hopefully the drama and the fun work it's magic turning us into kind, sympathetic, tolerant people who fight for the outcast. What do you think?

So not for the birds

In looking through my little stockpile of images I realize that I have a thing for birds lately. Not just Audubon prints but also paintings of birds and apparently taxidermy. Hmmm. What do you think is it for the birds?

{from top Michael Partentio via Desire to Inspire, Jay Jeffers via Coco + Kelley, The Graphics Fairy, Southern Accents, Southern Accents, Southern Living via Two Ellie}

It's too nice out to blog

The kids are on different spring break schedules so Little is rubbing it in that he doesn't have school while Big will have to wait for April. (Which by the way is crazy because Little loves his school, it's just play, play, play but what he does love is bugging his brother.) Since we have some time on our hands we met some friends here today. There's plenty of room to run and play and really yummy food for moms so really it's win-win all the way around. So while we were there we did some digging, played, saw some chickens, made some wishes and I got to chit-chat with friends (for almost 3 hours). I feel like I got away with something...

Somtimes I like fancy

Don't these rooms make you feel fancy? They're not over done, just perfectly glam, girly and luxurious.

{from Southern Accents}

Where oh where are you?

I'm obsessed with these stools? Anyone know the source?

{photo from Southern Accents}

Love it :: Made By Girl

I don't know if I've told you but my little sister is engaged. She and her fiancee have been dating for years and now are planning their nuptials. I'm super excited, the only crummy part is she lives in Kansas City and I live here. So sadly I haven't been able to do the dress shopping or help with the event planning details. Which if you know me personally I love all that stuff. She's been wonderful and always emails me her stylish picks so I feel in the loop. She's getting married in a cathedral and having her reception at a very posh but traditional location so this print probably wouldn't work at the reception but I sure think a shower planned around it's hip color and style would be fun!

Picture it, Niki {hearts} Tom....swoon.

So party/shower planners take note you can find other colors here.

I question

As a mother I often wonder:

{The kids and I had a picnic in the yard for dinner on a particularly nice day. Fun was had by all as you can see with the girl scout cookie remnants on Big's mouth}

Will my kids be happy?

Am I a freak for being the mom that can't deal with Lunchables?

Do I let them eat too much sugar?

Are they happy at school?

Are they learning all they should?

Do I push them too hard?

Will they be nice people when they grow up?

Will my future daughter-in-laws like me?

Will Little be an actor when he grows up? He's not called Drama for nothing.

I wonder if they'll ever be sick of spaghetti?

Will they ever break a bone?

What will happen to them when something happens to our dogs?

Do they have any allergies that I don't know about?

And this is all stuff that I think of driving to the groc. Thankfully for me these thoughts are so fleeting and really I think I know the answers to most of these questions. What is it about these little guys that make us want to be the best possible people/mothers/teachers that we can be? Surely I can't be the only one who thinks these crazy thoughts, right?

Mad Men Barbies?

Am I slightly off my rocker for wanting this whole set?


As seen here.

Read it :: Pinch My Salt

I love reading food blogs. There's always great photography (which makes me a little jealy) and then all those yummy recipes (which makes me a little hungry). I browse these when I'm tired of all of my day to day cooking to find some inspiration. But these oh my the cuteness can't be contained.

Seriously why haven't I seen these sooner?

{cuteness found at Pinch My Salt}

Now these are cabinets

Every now and then I see one room and there is nothing that I don't like. This kitchen from Southern Accents is my idea of the perfect kitchen.

It's not just the look, I mean a white kitchen is classic and gorgeous but I really love the cabinets. They could be painted in any color I would still like them. There are so many other elements about them that I like, I love the glass doors, the nice wide drawers underneath, the open shelves on either side of the range, the closed storage on top and that there's a soffit above most of the cabinets. I loathe that space above cabinets, it turns into a gross dust collector. Now lets talk about the back splash, those shelves are adorable and oh so handy for those often used spices. Appliances, a cooks dream especially the range. And well a chandy in the kitchen that's just icing on the cake.

Brass bin pulls

Did I ever tell you that I found the motherlode of brand new brass bin pulls and knobs at Habitat Restores for only a dollarish each?

And if you're wondering yes they're still sitting in the grocery bag I bought them in but maybe one of these days I'll find a place for them.

{Image via Elements of Style, Southern Accents via Urban Grace Interiors}

Go play!

Can you tell that Big's had the last 3 days off from school? Some sort of weird mini-break, I have no idea. Anyways since Spring is now kinda springing doesn't this make you want to play outside?

Or maybe just settle down outdoors for a glass of wine?

{from top Urban Nature design via Desire to Inspire, Sixx Design and

Helen Green Design via Desire to Inspire}

Fred's + yummy candles

Today I had a shopping day with my mom and grandparents and for lunch we decided to eat at Fred's in Barney's Scottsdale.

It was yum and not crowded (why, I have no idea) so I will now be making it one of my new lunch spots. If you're local you should go. The service was great which is always a make it or break it for me.

While I was there I fell in love with the Modern Alchemy candles History Lesson gift set. With fragrance names like opium den, dia de los muertos, speak easy, ex libris and boston tea party they all hint at their perfect blend of warm, spicy and not too sweet.

I need new spectacles

Last night I went to Spiked with one of my girlfriends and on the way home we stopped at a local watering hole for 1 beer. It was a hole in the wall bar that hosts local bands and lots of indie hipster peeps. We had quite a time people watching, eavesdropping and laughing. One of the girls we saw was wearing these, I loved them.

I don't know if they'll be the same on me as on the bun-wearing dark haired girl with the requisite plaid shirt/skinny jeans combo but they sure were cute.

Style Crush :: Chloe Sevigny

Who What Wear posted one of my favorite fashionable stars last week. I adore Chloe Sevigny.

Who are your style crushes?

What a day.

Thought you'd want to know that Little's 4th birthday wasn't bittersweet at all it was just sweet.

The day started off with doughnuts

and ended with Sprinkles chocolate cupcakes.

Not to mention Big told Little that he "totally" looked taller now that he was 4. Hilarious.

I know I should be excited but I'm not.

Ugh, I'm so dreading tomorrow. It's Little's 4th birthday. It's not possible for my little baby who we've called Bottle Boy, Drama, Buzzkill and we're now on Frank the Tank to be that old. Not only do I not want him to get any bigger because I miss having a baby, I feel old. Like old as the hills old and it sucks. That's all.

This picture from Desire to Inspire really has nothing to do with this post but I like it.

Wishful thinking

Dreaming of a tranquil beachy days because of Fulvia Farolfi's home in the Hamptons.

And she's wearing my hat...

{all images from The Selby}