February Etsy finds

Here are a few of our favorite etsy finds this month...

Liven up any partay with polka dotted straws:

If we didn't have so many dang totes, we would surely purchase this ikat version:

A Venn diagram of love could be a fabulous wedding gift or a gift to your sweetheart:

Cherry blossoms are popping up in our neighborhoods and we are obsessed. Enjoy them year-round with this photograph:


And since we're in a springy mood, how about a light and breezy personalized notepad? (Also, how rad is the name "Olympia Biddeford"? So regal!)


Happy Shopping!


All photos from etsy shops as linked in the images above

Introducing Mila Zay

 

On February 16th, Specky et al welcomed Mila Zay Roosevelt into the world.  Much to the delight of everyone around her, Mila was already hamming it up just minutes after her debut.  We are so happy that she is finally here (and can rock a pair of leg warmers!).

Knitting Knerds

As you know, we like to partake in all kinds of geriatric hobbies including, but not limited to: baking, walking (but not to the point of actually breaking a sweat), sending letters via snail mail, falling asleep before 10pm and watching any episode of The Golden Girls that happens to be showing on the Soap Network.  Knitting and crochet also fall into this category and we've just stumbled across a great site for knitters and crochet artists - Ravelry (thanks, Nina!).  Once you sign up, you have access to all kinds of cool projects.

Sally was inspired by a few Ravelry projects and just finished this gender-neutral striped baby blanket:

If you knit or crochet, how do you find inspiration?

Happy Friday

Feliz Friday, party people! Here's to a wonderful weekend for all!

Yessss....it appears we now have free license to purchase those Granny Carts we've been eyeing!

Scholastic just released a list of the 100 greatest books for kids.  Do you agree?

Crash Hot Potatoes may just be our new favorite way to enjoy some spuds. 

A librarian-inspired-onesie (you know you need it!)

We love this cute story about co-bloggers. 

Lunch is the new dinner

Eat your heart out with this tablescape, Sandra Lee!

Last weekend, Sally and her husband hosted an Italian-style meal at their apartment.  Initially, the gathering was going to take place around dinnertime but noon ended up working better for their guests schedules.  The timing was such a success that it has Sally thinking that a weekend lunch is the new weekend dinner!  She loved having plenty of time to prep and clean up, without worrying about it being too late or getting sleepy.

If you're feeling inspired to host a weekend lunch, here's what Sally made - complete with effort ratings (1 whisk = easy peasy; 5 whisks = this could be a while):

Antipasto platter of sliced meats, cheeses, olives and marcona almonds 

This is a preferred appetizer for nearly any meal as all you have to do is open packages and jars.  Guests will think you went through all kinds of trouble as it all looks so pretty, but we can keep this as our little secret.
Effort: Seriously?! Half a whisk, at most!

Fresh pasta with tomato sauce (and meatballs on the side for carnivores)

If you don't want to make your own pasta, buy some of the fresh stuff and a jar of quality sauce, like Rao's.  If homemade pasta is your thang, you can make the dough and refrigerate it 24 hours in advance.  Roll it out in the morning and you'll be able to clean up any flour remnants before your guests arrive!
Effort (homemade): 4 whisks - not hard, just some steps to consider
Effort (store-bought): 1 whisk

Arugula salad with white wine vinaigrette

Embrace your inner Italian and serve salad after pasta, which is thought to help digestion.  It will also make you feel virtuous before you plow through dessert.
Effort: 1 whisk (literally, to make the dressing)

Vanilla Ice Cream with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Ice cream after a meal will likely not ease digestion but it is delicious and we think meals should always end on a sweet note.  If you don't want to make your own ice cream, splurge for a fancy pint and no one will be the wiser.  The sauce is easy to make and you will want to eat it with everything so we do recommend taking the 15 minutes to make this crack.  If you've got kiddos or non-drinkers in the mix, just take a shot of Bourbon yourself and leave it out of the sauce.  Salute!
Effort (homemade): 4 whisks - ice cream requires planning ahead and having all of your ducks in a row, but we know you can do it
Effort (store-bought ice cream, homemade sauce): 1 whisk

Do let us know if you make any of these recipes!  Was Sally's whisk system accurate?

Pneumonia - not just for octogenarians

A few weeks ago, Sally came down with a case of pneumonia.  After she stopped laughing from the diagnosis (Was she caught in a wicked round of The Oregon Trail?  Was she decades older than her birth certificate claimed?), she continued to feel like run-over donkey poo for a solid week.  Here are some tips, conjured up during one of many sleepless nights, should you ever find your health in a similar state:

• If feeling faint, just turn to the customer in line next to you at Walgreen's and ask that they call an ambulance.  They didn't need to get their prescription filled anyway!
• All EMT's are generally good-looking.  Seeing as you will look like death warmed over, their presence will likely make you feel even more awesome about yourself.  Just stare at the floor when they're taking your vitals and be grateful that you at least took a shower and brushed your teeth (you think).
• Should the ER have too many patients on the afternoon you decide to waltz in, just get cozy on a gurney in the hallway.  Privacy is overrated.
• Pneumonia can be a bacteria or a virus, meaning that you can get it anywhere, from anything and anyone.  This will be the most pointless thing you hear from doctors all week. 
• Your body temperature will alternate between the ninth circle of hell and the ideal living conditions of a polar bear.  Doctors will tell you this is normal.  You will feel like an alien.
• Avoid all mirrors unless you're up for seeing Casper, The Clammy Ghost.
• You will subsist on a diet of Gatorade, macaroni and cheese, tater tots and toast.  Anything containing flavor will sound abhorrent.  Once you're feeling better, the thought of any of these bland delights could make you want to vom.
• Some doctors will tell you you're going to feel amaaazing after you've been on antibiotics after as little as 24 hours.  This will not be the case if it turns out that you have an adverse reaction to said antibiotic.  Luckily, there are all kinds of antibiotics out there and they're bound to find one that works for you.  Who doesn't love being a guinea pig?

Here's to our health!

TOMS ballet flats

Have you seen the new collection of TOMS' ballet flats?  While we love the original TOMS slip-on, we're even more excited about this style - perfect for city walks in the spring time. 

Photo: Nordstrom

Happy Friday

Hopefully everyone's gearing up for a nice, long three-day weekend.  If not, we are sorry to be the jerks who rub it in your face...

This lasagna looks like a real labor of love.

Another thought-provoking photo project.

A beautiful article about food memories.

NY Fashion Week trends translate well to interiors.

What a fun confetti tablecloth!

What to do if you have to cry at work. (Sally's technique of sticking your fingers in your eyeballs does not appear on this list but we think it's a solid approach)

DJ Kit-TAY

For all the cat lovers out there!  This Cat Scratch DJ is not only hilarious but functional.  Let's see just how fly kitty can get!

Photo via Think Geek

Bath time fun

We're pretty sure there is nothing cuter than kiddos splashing around in the tub.  Specky found inspiration for a bathroom decor project from Sally's sister who put together a collage of her toddler's bath time photos and hung it in the bathroom.  It was a quick and easy project - the hardest part was choosing which pictures to use!

 

Now there is finally something interesting hanging up in the loo!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, friends!  Did you know that over 190 million valentines are sent each year in the U.S. alone?  Gee willakers that's a lot of correspondence.  Here's to hoping everyone feels loved today, crappy chocolates and cheesy cards not withstanding!

A few related links for your perusal:

Couples who have been together for 50+ years
Valentine's Day Beer and Chocolate pairings
Hysterical, inappropriate V-day e-cards
15 Valentine's Day Recipes
3 Happy Un-Valentine's Meals

A modern day love story

Challenge: No celebrity gossip for one month

Do you get sucked into tabloids, celebrity reality shoes and discussions about celebrities?  Sally is sad to admit that she finds it hard to turn down the Kardashians in favor of CNN.  But...

Happy Friday

Hooray!  The weekend is almost here. A few links to share this week - enjoy!

10 tips for traveling with kids.

Potato chip cookies?  Yes, please!

A beautiful post on dating your husband.

Skip the drycleaners and handwash your cashmere sweaters.

February *children's* book recommendations

The Paper Bag Princess is the antidote to all those fluffy princess stories and will show your children that the "Ronalds" of the world aren't all they're cracked up to be. Perfect time to read this with Valentine's Day on the horizon!

The Snowy Day always makes us want to trounce around in some snow!  It's currently Specky's son's favorite book (in fact, it's the only book he wants to read...)

Caps for Sale is the best! A fun game to play with kiddos is to see how many hats they can stack on their  head.  Fun for everyone!

All images via Books Inc

Dinner in NY

We just came across Miho Aikawa's Dinner in NY photo project which is a series of photos examining the question, "What is a quality dinner?".  How would you answer this question?

If only you had the money

How many times have you been in a store, saw something amazingly hideous and thought, "If only I had all the money in the world, I'd buy this for so-and-so.  They'd think it was hilarious."  Sally and Specky have made a game out of it and started taking pictures of these treasures and sending them to each other.  It's always a good laugh!   So find a buddy and start the game.  There are some really weird/terrifyingly awesome things out there!

Real Talk: What not to say to a pregnant lady

You would be amazed at what people will say to a pregnant gal.  These are all real things strangers have said to Specky in the last 9 months:

• Wow! You're definitely bigger than I was at 25 weeks!
• You're definitely bigger than my friend who is about as far along as you
• From man selling newspapers at the BART station, "You going to breastfeed? It's best for the baby!"(always a weird, extremely personal question, especially coming from a man.  Stop thinking about my rack, dude!)
• Twins?
• Getting close? 
• You look tired.  You couldn't possibly get any bigger, right?

Here's the deal.  You never know what's going on with a pregnant woman and her growing baby.  To play it safe, keep away from size comments.  I mean, they're socially unacceptable in all other situations, why suddenly are they okay when a woman is carting around a growing human?

For the record, if it's not "You look great!" pregnant gals don't want to hear it.  End. Of. Story.

Happy Friday/Superbowl Weekend!

What should I read next? Genius!

20 things to start doing in your relationships. Short and to the point.

This video makes us love Kristen Bell and sloths!

Here's a helpful tool to help you stop wasting food and money.

Have a fabulous weekend!
(Whether or not it involves the unhealthiest crap imaginable is
totally up to you. We don't judge.)

Photo: Someecards

Gift idea: The beginning of a children's library

Sally's book club has begun a new gift tradition for mama's-to-be: help them build a library for their kiddos!  Books are often overlooked in terms of baby shower gifts but can be so helpful to new parents.  It's also a fun, inexpensive way for people to share their favorite stories.  Here are some tips to set you up for success:

• Designate one person to email the group (less the mama-to-be) and ask that everyone select a children's book they'd like to purchase
• Everyone then replies all to the email with their book selection to avoid duplicates.  If people are struggling to come up with a book, Oprah's lists may prove helpful.
• All book are brought to the next meeting and the mama-to-be rakes in some serious literary loot!

p.s. As if we couldn't love this store any more, you can even create a registry for children's books through Books Inc!

p.p.s How about some personalized book labels to accompany your books?

February Book Recommendations

You say you still haven't read Bossypants?  Do it now and thank us later!




In honor of Black History Month, pick up a copy of The Warmth of Other Suns and learn about African Americans who fled the South in search of a better way of life.  A fascinating, important read that we couldn't put down!




We are totally guilty of reading Us Weekly over the New York Times.  Ms. Bloom makes a very strong case for the opposite while offering a lot of ways for us gals to "stay smart in a dumbed-down world"!  Full disclosure: there is quite a bit of self-promotion going on here but, if you can get past that, there are some solid nuggets of wisdom.

Happy Reading, bookworms!

Photos: Books Inc