Snips and Snail…and Puppy Dog Tails
Yesterday, I received a very exciting email from a very preggo friend announcing that she was due any day now! I’m gonna be an Auntie!!! In honor of the new little boy she’s about to bring into the world, I put together a board of baby boy inspired cuteness. Little knee patches? Oh my goodness! Keeping you and baby in my thoughts, Ines! I cannot wait to hold him and squeeze him and smother him with kisses. xoxo!
From the Kitchen: Caramel Budino with Fluer de Sel Caramel Sauce
Recently, we’ve adopted a new ritual with two of our favorite foodies. Every Wednesday, we meet up for dinner, either out or homemade, and watch Top Chef together. It’s something that has quickly become my favorite part of the week. At our last gathering, Frank and Denise offered up an incredibly delicious made-from-scratch albondigas soup and I brought dessert, a mouth-watering salted caramel budino (Italian for pudding). To call this dessert pudding just sounds wrong. The term “pudding” conjures up images of a late 80′s Bill Cosby and colorful cardboard boxes bearing sugary powdered substances. With its smooth, velvety texture, elevated caramel flavor and subtle salty notes that surprise your taste buds, this confection has truly earned the exotic title of Budino and is a current front-runner on my list of favorite desserts. Recipe after the jump. Enjoy!
P.S. Check out this recipe for fluer de sel caramels, they’re amazing and make a delicious gift!
Make this: Craft Kit Birthday Gift
Between Christmas and my birthday (the two are only a week and a half apart), I found myself on the receiving end of some pretty awesome gifts. One of my favorites was this craft kit that was thoughtfully pieced together by my good friends, Tina and Sean. I loved it so much that I can’t wait to steal the idea! Not only would this make a great gift for a crafty person like myself but it would be a wonderful activity kit for kids at a wedding or a cute take away at a birthday party or shower, don’t you think?
What you’ll need:
Kraft paper Gable box ( I like these from Garnish)
A variety of crafty supplies….fabric scraps…pens…markers…acrylic paints…strings…ric rac…ribbons…cardstock…blank cards…stickers…etc. BE CREATIVE and know your audience! Tie it up pretty with ribbon or string and you’ve got yourself a memorable gift or takeaway that anyone would love! enjoy!
P.S. here are some of my favorite craft good suppliers// Olive Manna, Happy Tape, Garnish, Paper Source and Paper Mart.
Mischief is in the Details…
…the provocative tagline for the new Jason Wu for Target line debuting on February 5th is a perfect introduction to the campaign and mascot, a curious black cat wreaking stylish havoc (see the print campaign and the very entertaining spot here). My calendar has been marked, multiple alarms have been set on my phone to remind me a day earlier, and I have already scoped out the pieces that I’m hoping to scoop up as soon as the flirty line opens up shop in a couple of weeks. This is serious people…that cat tote must be mine! Above are a few of my favorite looks, but really everything in Jason Wu’s lookbook is worth a few ooohs and aaahs. So, is anyone else out there as excited as I am? xoxo!
Sophie Monet Jewelry
A pin on Pinterest recently led me to Sophie Monet Jewelry and I’m completely obsessed! The combination of grainy woods, raw stones and metallic accents creates a harmonious symbiosis of nature and style that really draws me in. See more of these exquisite pieces here. xoxo!
Mignon Kitchen Co.
The owner of one of my favorite Etsy shops and writer of one of my favorite blogs just debuted her newest endeavour and I could not be more excited or inspired by both her venture and the cute items in her new shop aptly named, Mignon Kitchen Co. For those of you who did not take four years of high school french, mignon means cute and everything in Rachel Ball’s well curated kitchen shop lives up to its name. Go check out Mignon Kitchen Co. and see for yourself! xoxo!
From the Kitchen: Pierre Hermé’s Bitter Chocolate Macaron
I received this wonderful French macaron cookbook by the amazing Pierre Hermé as a gift from my husband for Christmas and I had been dying to try out a recipe. So with the help of my good friend Deanna, who is an amazing baker and cake decorator, we embarked on a culinary adventure and carefully took the 41 steps to make the first recipe in the book, bitter chocolate macaron. I had to cut a few corners with ingredients as Monsieur Hermé calls for ingredients that were both difficult to find and a tad bit out of my price range, but the result was a delicious, crunchy, chewy, über chocolatey cookie that begged to be paired with a cold glass of milk. And while our version of this delicate pastry was not perfect, I learned a ton along the way and I can’t wait to give the next recipe a try. Recipe below. xoxo!
Up in the Air Somewhere
I’m loving these pretty striped ceramic vessels from Up in the Air Somewhere. I’ve had a thing for metallics lately so I’m especially in love with the gold striped pieces. See more of Up in the Air Somewhere here! xoxo!
From the Kitchen: My Favorite Sandwich
When I was in college, I spent a semester studying abroad in Florence. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. My favorite part was the food, of course (…okay, and maybe the underage drinking too). And while I loved the fresh pastas, rustic seafood dishes and unbelievable gelatos, my favorite italian delicacy was a simple sandwich from a local deli called Salumeria Verdi. Originally, this sandwich was made with foccacia but I couldn’t resist the still warm La Brea Bakery baguettes when I was at the grocery store and it was just as delicious. Topped with freshly made pesto (I like this recipe), fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, this sandwich was so good that I made Salumeria Verdi a stop on our honeymoon so that my husband could experience my favorite sandwich in the world as well. And if you’re ever in Florence, I highly recommend you stop by Salumueria Verdi for a freshly made sandwich and a glass of chianti. xoxo!
Pretty Textiles
These pretty bags from Jenna Rose Handmade are simple and beautiful. I love the leather details and clean illustrations. See more of Jenna Rose Handmade here. xoxo!
