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.