Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Fun Etsy Finds


I was trolling around Etsy the other day for some baby stuff and as always stumbled upon many amazingly beautiful things. Non of which happen to be baby stuff but beautiful non the less!

Find the items above in these shops: Glitter Cake Bunting {Steph Loves Ben} Fabric Calendar {ARMINHO} Leather Suede Pouch {Corium} Shirokiii Necklace {HOMAKO}

Friday, February 24, 2012

The Growing Bump


Hi beauties! Happy Friday to you. What are your plans for the weekend? What's going on with me you ask? Well I'm just growing and growing by the day. I'm well into my third trimester and have less than 8 weeks to go until our due date. Our babe is growing bigger everyday and is still having his daily dance parties. I can already tell he's just the sweetest and am counting down the days until I meet him!

Have a blessed and beautiful weekend lovelies!
Christina

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Baby's Room...


We have all the main pieces in place for the nursery and now it's time to decorate and style the space for our little nugget. I love the idea of keeping the space soft and sweet but also utilizing touches of bold prints and patterns, whimsical art and some homey vintage touches. When we're done, this could very well be my favorite space in the house. I love this little bean already and can't wait to finish his space for him.

Ceramic Giraffe {Jonathan Adler} Vintage Alarm Clock {Etsy} Rocking Chair {Layla Grace} Frog Pillow {Etsy} Letters {Anthropologie} Dresser Knob {Anthropologie} Art {Etsy} Fabric {Link Outdoor} Alligator {Amazon} Crib {Babies R Us}

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Swoon Worthy Food Photography


I'm a lover of good food so by default am a lover of good food photography. My personal definition of great food photography is when you can almost taste the food popping out from the image. Anna Williams Photography totally does that for me!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Weekend Blessings

One of my dear friends is moving and gave me some amazing vintage items from her collection.

It rained all day Friday and Saturday.

And then Sunday the sun came out and it was beautiful.

The grass looked so lush and happy from all the rain that I had to walk around the yard barefoot.

Then my little baby niece got Baptized and I became her Godmother. What a blessing.


Friday, February 17, 2012

Quiet Rainy Days


It's going to be a rainy one here this weekend and I'm totally looking forward to it. Wherever you are and whatever you do, have a blessed & beautiful weekend!


Christina 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Homemade Vegetable Soup

This soup is so comforting, heartwarming and best of all packed full of goodness. I love to make it and eat the left overs for several days afterwards. It's also great for freezing. 

What You'll Need
2 - 3 cups chopped zucchini 
2 - 3 cups chopped red potato 
2 cups chopped cabbage 
2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced baby carrots
4 - 5 cloves of finely minced garlic
2 - 3 cups chopped kale
2 - 3 cups chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
1 can cannellini bean 
1 large red onion diced
4 - 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
2 quarts organic low sodium vegetable stock
------ Seasonings ------
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Final Touches
parmigiano reggiano cheese
bread for toasting

What You'll Do
Heat the olive oil over medium low in a large stock pot. Add in the onion, garlic a pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes. Sweat the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes or until onion is slightly translucent. Add in all the vegetables except  for the tomatoes and beans. Add the stock and how ever much water you need to just cover the vegetables. Also add in the remaining seasoning and bring mixture to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow the soup to cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Check for taste and add any extra salt or pepper as needed. 

Final Touches
Top with a sprinkling of parmigiano reggiano cheese and a drizzle of good quality olive oil. Serve with crusty garlic toast and your favorite wine.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Love Yourself


Valentines Day is a day to celebrate love. And what better person to love and acknowledge than yourself. I truly believe that true love and happiness begins with ourselves. So today lovelies, celebrate yourself in a special way: Eat chocolate or cheese or whatever you fancy, get a pedicure, gift yourself with something you've had your eye on for a while and perfume your home or work space with fresh pretty petals. And most importantly, take a moment to honor and take notice of your inner and outer beauty.

Love,
Christina

chocolate orange donuts {Heather Christo} gold heart heels {BHDLN} gold ring {Anthropologie} flowers {Plum Pretty Sugar} toes {Seventeen.com} brie and figs {Muy Bueno Cookbook}

Monday, February 13, 2012

Weekend Blessings


Sweet treats, last minute Valentine orders and canvas paintings took up a portion of the weekend. But the majority of the weekend looked like the last image. You see, I came down with a cold and since I'm pregnant, am trying to holistically nurse myself back to health. So that means, lots of tea, orange juice, saline rinses, humidifiers, and rest. Any other suggestions? The lovely part in this is that I got a chance to catch up on a majority of my child birth reading. And that goes to say that there is a blessing in every situation.

Have a blessed week!
Christina

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

A Color Story {Peach & Cherry Red}


I came across the above cocktail and fell in love with the look of soft peach against vibrant cherry red. It creates such a beautifully romantic and feminine palate that I felt compelled to create a color story around it. Peach, cherry red, stone grey and soft creamy off white would make a beautiful color combination for an event, ensemble, room design and so much more.

Cocktail {Martha Stewart} Monique Lhuillier Dresses {Goldwo.com} Florals {Style Me Pretty} Cherrys {Flickr} Cake {Wedding Chicks}

Monday, February 6, 2012

Weekend Blessings


This past weekend was quite eventful. We managed to stay in from the chilly weather and do the following activities: have a date night, re-organize our bedroom, {including the hanging of new art}, cleaned out and re-organized our bedroom closet, attended a lovely bridal shower {where they served that amazing looking neapolitan style dessert} and gathered new and cozy items for the nursery. Oh and we watched a little football, of course! So going back to the dessert, it was four layers of goodness: curacao sorbet, blueberry ice cream, cabernet sorbet and vanilla bean ice cream. I was told that the alcohol was cooked out on most layers and very little quantity on others, so I was good to go. And let me tell you, it was divine! I'm attempting many versions of the icy concoction soon.

xoxo
Christina

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Pretty Finds


Some recent note worthy Etsy finds ~ Ring {Lolide} Journal {Hello Violeta} Tea Towel {Shop Amy Sullivan} French Letter Knobs {Vintage Skye} Pouch {Jenna Rose Handmade} Felt Bow Clip {Sandy a la Mode}

xoxo
Christina