obsessed to the maximus...

i love art. i love kids. i love clothes... so why, oh why, oh why didn't i think of this brilliant little company?

well....there are probably several reasons as to why i didn't, but it makes me damn glad that megan & sophie did.

meet mini & maximus... probably the coolest kids line i've ever come across. 

it's inspired by the wild, free and pure hearts that kids explore the world with. 

it's fun. it doesn't take itself to seriously. it champions the creative spirit and takes pride in uniqueness.

if you're not already clicking thru and checking out their collections, then take a few moments to read this...it will make you love them all the more.

curren loves to draw (and hopefully beckett will too) so you can bet your bottom dollar we'll be submitting our scribbles to them soon!


** photos: mini & maximus

on repeat...like a lays potato chip.

...bet you can't listen just once.

they've been around, but they've never been so good. 

hacienda's newest album shakedown proves that there are actually some good things that come from texas.

hope you're ears are as happy as mine...

girlie radness...

girly print dress... check

ballet flats... check

scooter... check

helmet for safety & style... check

bad ass italian confidence while while showing a little leg during a commute...check

pretty much a perfect recipe for a morning (or afternoon) commute. i bet this little betty was turning heads (and hopefully not causing accidents) as she weaved in and out of traffic in milan.

love her.


**photo:the satorialist

i blame him...

well, hello!


look at me... here i am...back after a 3.5 month hiatus! 

what happened you ask? well, i just went and had myself another bundle of joy and decided to soak up every minute of my newest little pickle... meet beckett indy.

i didn't plan on going m.i.a. but i did... but now, i'm back to work. and with work comes a little more time to myself... which means more time for pompoms & peonies!

maybe...but better thanks to jimmy

if you haven't heard this song (or if you're denying its power to get ingrained in your head on constant repeat)  then this rendition may be just what you need to start belting a little carly rae from the top of your lungs... 

...i heart me some jimmy fallon and hope you enjoy! 


happy friday!!!

a little summer d.i.y...

with summer (and maternity leave) quickly approaching, i find myself daydreaming more and more of sandy beaches, the smell of suntan lotion and the lazy carefree aloha feeling that summer sparks in me.

in prep for summer (and fat post-baby feet) i recently treated myself to a few new pairs of soludos and got inspired to take on a fun little do-it-yourself-er.

step 1:

purchase pair of white (or any solid color soludo)

step 2: 

be inspired with sharpies, paint, thread or dye and create your very own one-of-a-kind soludo

step 3:

step back, give yourself a pat on the back, and get ready to be the envy of all those who stop to notice your dazzling design

...and if you're really inspired, try making a pair for a friend. they'd make the perfect gift too!

**photo: soludos

sending all our love...

the untimely death of adam yauch had a pretty profound impact on just about anyone who grew up listening to the beastie boys drop their beats since the early 80's.


my husband was sooooooooo bummed. so bummed that he told me he hoped that every band having a concert that night did some sort of tribute to the beastie boys.


well, just so happens that chris martin must have picked up on my husband's request and belted out this familiar lil' diddy to his friday night crowd under the stars and the magic of the hollywood bowl...

hot & bothered...

if you haven't heard whispers (or been whispered to) about the 50 shades of grey trilogy, then you've probably been living under a rock. 

e.l.james's series is the latest trilogy of page turners that's keeping ladies up at night because they can't.get.enough.

i've heard all about the book from quite an astonishing amount of people and i figure it's about time i see what all the hoopla is about.  and from what i hear... the hoopla has a lot to do with hot & heavy detailed sex scenes complete with nasty bits, s&m & the like all wrapped into a story about innocence and romance. 

the effect this book has had on the ladies i've talked to is quite funny. 

everyone whispers like it might be wrong to be reading it... and NO ONE can talk about this book without getting flush in the face, a tad hot & bothered or stuttering a bit. 

pretty amazing if you ask me.

the whole thing has me giggling to myself because if there are THIS MANY LADIES running around ready to hop between the sheets and get their nittiest grittiest groove on... there MUST BE a ton of VERY HAPPY & SATISFIED men, husbands, fathers, lovers, etc. thanking god that e.l.james got these puppies published. 

and since these books seem to be sweeping their way across the states, it looks like there should be a lot of happy, whistling, smiling people moving about their day.


i just downloaded the first book to my kindle...not sure what i'm getting into but this should be fun.


photo: n.y.times via Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, N.J.

four-eyes has never been so cool...

as a kid, being told you need to wear glasses must be pretty deflating for that little budding ego.  

we all know kids can be cruel and that a pair of glasses floating on the rim of a child's nose is just one more piece of ammo for someone to fire away at an innocent wee-one.


well... very french gangsters is single-handidly out to change that. 


this french company must be owned by a group of kids, who as children, wore glasses... and now that they're all growns up, got together and decided that if they had a say in the matter glasses would be made cool and that kids who needed glasses would become the envy of the rest of their peers.


get a closer look here and tell me you don't agree!

get on my wall...

dear jeffery harrison,


just putting it out there... i'd really love one of your brightly colored inspirations to hang in my house... i swear it'll make me smile every time i pass it & will catch the eyes of everyone who walks in my front door.


i like your style and i hope to have you on my wall sooner than later.


thanks.
-s.


















* source: jeffery harrison. feel it all, 2012

from the bario-neal...

ethically responsible makers of beautiful jewelry... now THAT is something that i can get behind.


bracelets & necklaces, rings, and beautiful packaging to boot (you know i'm a sucker for that)!


i'm leaning towards adding the aldine band to my finger flair, but the options are quite endless.


go ahead, take a peek...

the sticky-icky...

for all of you who know and love instagram... check out this genius gem of a company.


they'll help bring those gorgeous photos of yours to life.


and, wouldn't these make the sweetest little gifts?
think... housewarming, birthday, new baby, mom/dad's day... just because?!


yay!! long live the magnet...




**photo credit: stickygram.

on repeat... of monsters & men

they used to be birds but now they're monsters... and i just.can't.get.enough.


they follow in the footsteps of other icelandic talent, here & here... and are just on the cusp of taking the summer festival scene by storm. 


listen...
fall in love...
get out of your chairs and dance...
and wish, hope & pray that these monsters make their way into your closet or city soon.

nauty & oh-so-nice...

oh paper source. you never ever disappoint...


this time it's the anchors. sailboats. octopuses. schools of little fish and the gentle giants that i love so much all done up in one place and just waiting for me to find reasons to wrap.


i'm not sure about you, but i'm  ready to sail away with summer...

highfalutin sneaks...

a great collaboration and on the birthday wishlist...

inspiration icon... caine monroy

meet caine. he's my latest inspriaton icon...

he's nine and he runs his own business...an arcade. 

that in itself is pretty cool but i haven't mentioned the coolest part... he actually BUILT every game within his arcade. 

caine's story has been making its way around the internet, but if you haven't yet had the chance to watch, i promise you it's worth every second of the ten minutes.

i can't quite tell you how touched i am by his story...

in my 2.5 years as a momma i've thought this everyday, but there really are endless life lessons to be learned from children. they are incredible...

my ten minutes watching caine has inspired and reminded me of some pretty powerful things...

- imagine.imagine.imagine

- dare to create
- believe in the goodness of people

- charge forward in times of adversity

- take pride in what you do

- believe in yourself

- vulnerability is the key

thanks caine. i can't wait to see who you grow up to be...

free bird...

sanna annukka is cooler than you and i combined.


she draws. she designs. she's working on illustrating a children's books. she's got some pretty amazing collaborations under her belt. 
....oh, and she's insanely pretty, too.


...and i bet if we met her she'd be really cool to hang out with on top of it all.


she's found her niche and she creates amazing work and if i had to guess i bet she's going to get big... real big.


which means i should probably fork out my $$$ now for her limited edition soul bird.


it speaks directly to my heart... and as a momma to an amazing little soul with another bundle on the way, i definitely believe that the sielulintu hooked me up bigtime. 


seems only natural that to bring him into our home to watch over my precious little souls.

inspiration icon... lisa congdon

i am continually amazed by the playful expressions of lisa congdon's work. i admire her devoted-ness to doing what makes her happy and for taking the leap of faith in following her happiness.  she is a prime example that it's never to late to begin and that if you truly love something you can make it flourish.


in 2010, she captured the chronicles of her "collections a day" and this year she's committed herself to 365 of  hand lettering. 


this project, above all her work captivates & inspires me. i love the personal touch and different iterations that putting pen to paper can create. it's something i find passion in and something i want to continually push my boundaries in... needless to say, this is going to be a source of daily inspiration.


...can't wait to see how this unfolds over the next 280 days!!

aging with advanced style...

ari cohen is doing something great. 



in an age where we are bombarded with street style fashion bloggers capturing today's hottest and most stylish, ari takes it one steps further by focusing on those who have been cultivating their personal style for years.


they probably go unnoticed by many, but really...aren't they the truest of the gems? the ones that have had style and have been living joyful lives for years longer than any of us???


in his own words, 
" I roam the streets of New York looking for the most stylish and creative older folks. Respect your elders and let these ladies and gents teach you a thing or two about living life to the fullest. Advanced Style offers proof from the wise and silver-haired set that personal style advances with age."


i smiled. i laughed. and i found myself hoping that as i tack on the years, that i advance with style... enjoy!

entertain-tip #11: pizza party

inspired by the march 2012 issue of bon appetit, with dough-god jim lahey's no-knead pizza on the cover, we decided to have a few friends over for a pizza party that included a little friendly competition...


rules were... 

• keith and i would provide dough and pizza staples like olive oil, san marzano tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil & oregano.
• each couple/team was in charge of concocting their pie and bringing their ingredients
• upon arrival, each team was given an apron and prepared for had their turn in the kitchen... assembling, baking and serving their competition pie. 
• when a pizza came out from the oven, the entire group would sit down together, dive in, discuss the deliciousness, chat a bit, sip wine a lot, and then tag the next team into the kitchen.
• at the end of night, one team walked away with a fun little prize for their extra-ordinary pizza perfection!

it was super easy, a great way to spend an evening among friends, and a really nice way to enjoy a meal.


for those foodies out there... lahey's dough DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. you need to start the night before, but his no-knead process is incredibly simple with top-notch results.  because dough is essential in creating an amazing pizza, i tied in the prize by giving the winning team a copy of my bread.  this book, btw, is incredible...i may have also bought myself a copy because his process is fool-proof and too good for even non-carb eating fools to resist!!!


hope this inspires a pizza party in your home soon!!!

for those of you with wee ones, i highly recommend you check out this ahhhhh-dorable line.


i'm completely obsessed and am wondering if the swedes ever have a miss...

reduce...don't use...don't eat...

  

i try to do my part in the whole reduce. reuse. recycle movement. there is always room for improvement and after watching this video, i'm feeling very empowered to cut the plastic out wherever i possibly can... even if that means that i don't get my daily cup of coffee unless i have my own mug with me.

and i never knew their official name, gyres... but i had heard of these large masses or whirlpools of plastic that gather in the ocean. and, in my head, i pictured large pieces of debris floating and congregating in one place waiting for someone to invent a big giant vacuum to suck it all up and be whisked away for recycling.

of course it turns out that my vision was pretty far off from what's actually happening... in this video the lovely mary, anna & dr. marcus explain and show first hand examples of the breakdown of debris and the small pieces of particles that are being ingested by the birds, the fish, and ultimately us. 

it's gnar-gnar. so much so that  it's making me rethink eating fish.

it also makes me sad. and it makes me wish i could find some way to invent that big giant vacuum that would clean up this mess and help momma earth get back to where she deserves to be... not only for our sake, but more for my little ones... and for all the other innocent kids out there who shouldn't have to clean up after our mess.

the gift of paper...

i think it's true... the best gifts are always the heartfelt kind.  it doesn't take lavish spending or extravagance (although, those are nice too!), just some goodness and t.l.c to bring smiles of the lasting kind to a friend's face.

i whipped these up for a friend's birthday and sure hope they'll make her smile as she pens love notes or just general hello's to whomever she feels.

...and it's kind of the gift that keeps on giving because who doesn't like to see a handwritten note tucked between the junk and bills of your mailbox??

throw me that pillow...

these little critters looked like they jumped out of a children's picture book... i am enamored with the cutesy vintageness of these thomas paul throw pillows.


i'd love to find a place for all of them somewhere within in our home, but for now i might just have to settle on plopping the chubby dude into some hidden nook to watch over us.


he makes me chuckle every time.

ala the berenstain bears...

growing up, i loved the berenstain bears. i mean, who hates cute, cuddly, fuzzy bears that dress up and live like humans? 


and even as an adult, i still have a soft spot in my heart for papa, mama, brother & sister and the little life lessons they teach & learn in their daily adventures.


so when i recently came across these little bear paws, my heart melted picturing them on the itty-bitty feet that will be entering our home this july. 


then, once i saw they come in mama & papa sizes too, i started thinking that maybe... we each need a pair!


just call us papa bear, mama bear, big brother bear and baby brother bear glynn..

finding found...

i got married about three years too early... don't get me wrong, i married the perfect fella, in the perfect place, and it was truly a perfect day, but as far as wedding planning & inspirations goes, i was too soon.


"web 2.0" as they called it back then, was just on the brink of blowing up and the endless wedding blogs, sites and inspriration boards of today were all lumped into something not quite defined, but was dubbed "community" within our industry.


fast forward five years and there is just endless amounts of inspiration out there, which has made it easier to find and execute on exactly whatever vision you might conjure up in your head.


i recently found one of these types of sites, found.  had i known about this gem of a site when i was wedding planning, i may have been able to find the comfy vintage couches that i had wanted...  or something more fitting to define our alter under the dawn redwoods... sheesh! 


you brides out there are very lucky to have all these gems of sites hidden out there in the world wide web for you to find. 


as for me, i'll keep begging my husband for a re-do of our wedding and take pleasure in getting to help one of my favorites plan her big day.

heart bomb...

heart attacks in the typical sense are 1000% serious subject matter, but a heart attack of this kind is something i can get behind.


- super simple
- has a great element of surprise AND shock-value
- is as sweet as the powdered sugar its made of


SO perfect and easily executable for tomorrow... just makes me wish i had a lawn (or friends with lawns) so that i could bomb them with L-O-V-E!!!

on repeat... alabama shakes

new bands are a dime a dozen these days, and as thankful as i am for the various channels that provide artists a way to bring their music to life, it can be overwhelming to sort thru the sea of mediocrity to find the true gems.

if you have a few moments, please check out the soul-shaking meets rock n' roll beats of alabama shakes.  britney howard's voice will send shivers up your spine.

heart shaped everything...

if you're not already acquainted with shauna and stephen, i'd definitely recommend you check them out.


be warned tho... they will make you sick.  not only are they uber in love and spend every single minute together as best friends, business partners, and boyfriend/girlfriend BUT they are incredibly talented to boot.  and when i say incredibly talented, i mean it. they are perfectionists in pretty much any craft you'd want to learn, letterpress, woodwork, sewing... 


oh, and they also have a dreamy apartment, that doubles as a workshop, that they are constantly renovating and recreating for themselves.


oh, and to boot, they are super dooper in love and love to find creative ways to express their love to each other.


with valentime's day coming up, i thought i'd share one of their sickening ideas with you.  so simple, yet so brilliant.

even tho these hearts were CUT.OUT.BY.HAND... i just bought myself a mini- heart shaped cookie cutter and will be pressing little hearts of love out of anything and everything that i can come next tuesday, to show my boys just how much they mean to me. 

years from now...

i can only wish that years from now, when my kids are all grown up, that they'd come across some picture of me all dolled up and be able to think to themselves, "wow, mom had style"


this photo is of scott schuman's mom, at age 17!  it's awesome to think that the originality of personal style is something that can be passed on from generation to generation. 


i can't wait to see how my boys grow into and find their own style... and that, maybe one day if the star's align, there might be a baby girl in my life to watch, and maybe pass a few very coveted items of mine on to.

p.o.c's...

not sure about you, but i love me some brad-brad. 

heart him. 
always have and most likely always will.


i've been watching, and in one of his first episode's he mentions his adoration for P.O.C's.






POPS
OF 
COLOR



love it,  love the acronym, and couldn't agree more. 


p.o.c's make winter a little brighter and are going to make spring even better.

flatbed to nowhere...

a little glimpse into a super dreamy kinfolk shoot...


i know just the group i'd have sitting around this table with me for a magical evening under the stars...in a field...in the middle of nowhere... on a flatbed.


Kinfolk Mag - Supper Shoot from Son of Shark Pig on Vimeo.

permanent ink...

i've been told a time or two throughout my life that i have nice  writing...printing...cursive...whatever it may be.

...because it's mine, i tend to love it sometimes and hate it sometimes, but in the grand scheme of things, it's legible, fairly uniform, and yeah... it usually tends to look decent on paper.

but today...one of my best friends took our friendship to another level and had her girls names tattoo'ed in my writing onto her wrists. i've spent the last two months trying to talk her our of this and into the billions of gorgeous fonts and typefaces available, but in the end she.chose.mine... and even though i might cringe because i don't think my cursive is worthy of being permanent...i'm beyond flattered.

guess this means i'll be a part of her life forever....

hee.hee.hee. sucka! 

xxoo.

missoni me!

i'm pretty confident that i don't have the talent, patience or ambidextrous-ness to pull these off all on my own... 


i mean, i might be able to get my left hand to look decent, but my right one would look a little more, well... abstract.


BUT... a few of my favorites and i are sneaking away for a night this weekend, and with a forecast of rain we might have just found the perfect rainy day DIY project to take on.


so...if you're in calistoga and happen to see three ladies with matching sets of missoni nails sipping champagne, giggling the night away, and cherishing their coveted time together... that's us, come join.


...and thanks to those lovely ladies at thebeautydepartment for the how to lesson!!

white is right...

while reading one of my faves the other day, i stopped dead in my tracks when i saw these simply fabulous cake toppers from potter & butler.

...but more than the cake toppers, i loved the juxtaposition of the bright white frosted goodness and the pops of color within the cake toppers.

so simple & so pretty, with a hint of dramatic worked in.

february is a BIG birthday month for my family and friends which means you might find me baking up one or two of these.

... OR if i get reallllllllllly crazy one of these! how cool would it be to find that hiding behind the blanket of white. 

eeek!!! where's my apron!

four eyes...

oh blake... you are such a do-gooder and with your one for one movement you help make it easy for the rest of us to help do-good too.

first... you made a simple, canvas shoe spread like wild fire with your generous shoe matching, and then upped the anty when you started making different styles and incorporating fun colors and fabrics into the mix. 

and now that we've got lots of feet covered, you've honed in on a new "need worthy" body part, helping bring the gift of eyesight to those who don't have the luxury of an optometrist or access to the world of eye wear that we do.

thank you for TOMS and for doing what you do. 

i bet your momma is so super duper proud of you.

i am...2012

ahhhh, 2012... a new year filled with fresh beginnings, revived purpose, and resolution upon resolution being made. i love that the new year symbolizes wiping the slate clean and preparing yourself to put your best foot forward. 


they say that we've lived our whole life to prepare for this moment. each moment. each brand new day. but often times, kind of like new year's resolutions, we end up taking it for granted and wasting it away by getting consumed in the pettiness that lurks around every corner.  


we all know better and sometimes it just takes something or someone to whack you over the head and get you back on path... well over new year's, i got whacked over the head. so much so that i want to share it with you too.


my parents, husband, and i sat down one night to watch a movie and came across this documentary, I AM. we watched the preview and decided to watch the whole thing. from minute one until the closing credits, i was sucked in (and this is HUGE, because anyone who knows me knows that i tend to fall asleep in pretty much any movie i watch at home).


I AM is inspiring, it's smart, it's enlightening, and downright amazing. yet, it's so simple. 


everything in this world is made of the same stuff and we're all connected. we have more power to help and to change than we think we do. so be kind. be a community. cooperate. love. it's all we need to make a difference.


so, as you sit down to write your new year's resolutions. i encourage you to watch this movie and embrace it's message. I AM ready, are you?