In My Cart: Williams Sonoma Memorial Day Sale

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, friends! This weekend is one of my favorites, as we unofficially officially kick off the summer season. It’s time to dust off the bbq’s, break out the party buckets, light the sparklers and head to the pool/beach/lake.

It’s also time for SALES! Here’s everything in my Williams Sonoma cart right now!

Favorite Foodie Podcasts

To know me is to know that I love podcasts. Like, really love them. Sometimes I listen to them so often I forget how much I love music. If you’re not into podcasts (who are you), all you really need to know is that there’s a podcast for everything.

I have a whole lot of favorite podcasts in totally different genres, from true crime to business to beauty and of, course, to food. Check out this list and let me know if you have any others I should check out!

Baby’s First Easter Basket

Harper’s first Easter is going to be a strange one with this quarantine. I wasn’t going to do an Easter basket this year (she’s a newborn, so who’s going to open it?!). But as the holiday comes closer I started to feel like she needed – needed – an Easter basket. I guess I needed her to have one to find some kind of normal, and start our own traditions as a new family.

For Harper’s basket, I took the approach of “something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.” I *tried* not to go crazy, which, let’s be honest is such a challenge with baby anything.

What We’re Watching on Netflix During Quarantine

Oh, the times we live in, huh? Crazy to think this will be in history books, like the Black Plague. I’ve found myself watching far, far too much news and really needing to take a break. So, cooking, baking, long walks and lots of Netflix are just a few of the things helping to keep us sane.

(PS Bon Appetit is my fav and it’s $5 for a year on Amazon!)

Nursery Inspiration (& a Little Sneak Peak)

This whole being pregnant thing has felt incredibly surreal – even though we are under two months away from meeting this little bundle of joy. In fact, it still doesn’t feel real! Decorating the nursery has for sure started to make this sink in a little bit, and has definitely been fun!

Our whole house has taken on a neutral palette, sticking with blues, grays, neutral tones, whites and lots of texture. I knew I wanted the same for baby’s nursery, especially since we don’t know the gender and won’t until he or she arrives (my money is on he!).

Styled Snapshots’ nursery was one of the first I pinned that really captured the whole vibe we wanted to run with. I can’t wait to share the finished room in the next few weeks! I just love the combo of colors and textures – it feels sophisticated enough to go with the rest of our house but not to sweet.

Wild Flower Arrangement

I can’t tell you how much I love fresh flowers. I day dream about running through fields of wild flowers bursting with colors so naturally I need flowers in the house at all times. All over the place.

These are actually not wild flowers, but all different types of filler flowers from Trader Joe’s. They really have the best price on flowers if your heart isn’t set on a specific bloom.

It’s so easy to put together a beautiful stunning flower arrangement from grocery store flowers. My first tip, don’t over think it!

 

2 Simple Ways to an Elegant Easter Table

When I planned our Easter table, I wanted to find a few special ways to elevate the spring tablescape to be a little more elegant. Flowers can go a long way, I mean, check out those peonies and ranunculus!

I think of hosting gatherings as an event for our guests – how can we make every detail a little more special to really make a meal be an event for guests? It almost always comes down to taking one little extra step for a pretty detail.

Pretty ice cubes have always been #goals for me, but for some reason they always feel like so difficult to pull off. I’m here to tell you that’s not the case! Grab a bunch of edible flowers (here’s a list, super important to check first and not poison your guests) and toss some petals in an ice tray, topped with water. So simple, but so special!

My other favorite way to elevate a meal is a drink in a pretty bottle. I found these adorable bottles of elderflower sparkling water at World Market. It’s my new favorite place to find specialties to make my table feel elegant and I can’t wait to have an excuse to go back and find more goodies! Use a unique vessel to house the bottles, such as a large punch bowl filled half way with ice.

 
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2018 Resolutions

Each year, people make resolutions – big ones, little ones, easy ones, hard ones and ones they never even work on. I’ve never been big on resolutions. Why? Because I hate to fail. I really hate it. I hate it so much I might even be a little scared of it.

There’s that saying “never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” So this year, I’m making all sorts of resolutions. Ones that scare me a little, and ones that I know I can stick to. Some of my resolutions, if I just make it a little easier for myself or lower the bar just a tad, I know I can crush it.

Hang in there with me, I promise these random stamps are about to make sense!

This year, Hubby and I actually worked on our resolutions together so we can hold each other accountable but also work towards the same goals. It’s funny though, whenever we make lists of dreams or goals, we have so much over lap – we are truly two peas in a pod.

Here are our resolutions:

  1. Finances. Since I left my job in April 2016, we’ve not been doing as great a job at saving money as we want to. Mid-2017 we started to get back on track and reminded each other of the big savings goals we have. One is to be able to fix the upstairs of our house – it’s a home built in the 1930s and needs some work. A closet in our bedroom would be clutch.
  2. Routine. I have my nighttime routine down pat (more on that to come!) but we both really want to get into a morning routine together. Reading up on entrepreneurs and their success, it always seems to hinge on that morning routine. Getting up before most, accomplishing a workout, a healthy breakfast and prioritizing the day will help us get on track.
  3. Explore More. Running your own businesses comes with a lot of responsibilities, especially to stay home. While we haven’t been able to travel as much as we like, I think sometimes we forget that we are in a great place for staycations. With Philadelphia only a few hours away and NYC only an hour train ride away, we want to get out and explore more this year. The key to us actually doing this is going to be putting it on our joint calendar!
  4. Learn New Things. Hubby wants to take a few classes to help him better his business. I want to take a photography class. Oh and sign up for that adult learning French class once and for all!
  5. Read More. When I was commuting 3+ hours a day, I was reading 3+ hours a day. Instead of putting this expectation on myself to read several books per week, I am aiming to read one book a month. I’m trying to get the Hubster to read 1 book…in 2018 (lol).
  6. Celebrate Others. Cue my stamps! Okay, so I love cards and I love the special effort someone gives you to send you a card and not just for your birthday. A handwritten note shows someone has taken the time to think of you, write your name and address, place a stamp on the envelope and tuck it into the mail. How many people actually take the time to think of someone else so intimately? I always have the best intentions of sending those cards I hoard, but I never do. To make it easier and more excuse-proof, I’m keeping stamps in the car! I don’t have to purchase one every time I send a card, and I keep a stack of birthday and event cards in our office
  7. Unplug. As business owners, this is so. hard. to. do. But we’re both trying. It’s our goal now to spend 1 hour per week together without our phones. For example, going for a hike with our dog and leaving our phones behind (minus Hubby’s smartwatch that can place a call…just in case).
  8. Giving Back. I’ve been searching for a non profit that aligns with my own goals and beliefs and interests. It’s my goal in 2018 that we both dedicate time and/or monetary support for non profits that we believe in. And if I don’t find one? I’ll start my own.

Tell me your resolutions & how you plan to get after it! I would love to hear them and add to my own list!

ladies who brunch

i love brunch and late summer is my favorite time to host. i think brunches are so lovely and relaxed when you can be outside, especially when the weather starts to break. this weekend will be a little cooler than the 100 degree weekends we had in july so i thought it was the perfect time to host a brunch. here are a few tips on pulling off a seamless and seemingly simple brunch…

ladies who brunch

1. send an invite! it makes your event feel a little more special than a text, “hey u want 2 come ovr 4 brunch?” (ps i hope none of you really abbreviate like that). i love paperless post for this. try it out if you haven’t already.

2. cute plates! i am happy to report i do have a cabinet full of fun dishes – i like to mix things up, so i have a variety of patterns and colors that can suit any occasion. i do love these polka dot dishes from anthro. might have to pick up a few!

3. a signature drink. this is a blood orange mimosa, but bellinis are my usual go to. just peach juice and your favorite champagne!

4. a breezy dress that’s easy to throw on to run to the market first thing in the morning, but dressy enough to wear through brunch. i love this one from calypso st. barth.

5. a simple pair of sandals that will take you from those early morning errands through until clean up. don’t wear a pair that aren’t comfy! i love these simple joie sandals. i need them in every color.

6. salads. prep your ingredients the night before when possible. they are easy to eat and look so pretty on the table. try this watermelon feta salad. i love having a wheat berry salad to compliment on the side – i love the different texture and the nuttiness. ask your ladies to bring pretty pastries for a sweet treat. simple eggs and homemade bread for toast all come together for a nice light brunch!

7. cute napkins in pretty colors. or prints. or pretty paper napkins in a pretty print – what?! yes. just go the one extra step to have a pretty napkin. it can really bring the whole table together.

and 8. the tip that isn’t in the picture, but it is. stick with a certain color palette. you can let your invite lead you! if your invite has red, try to pull that color through your event, even in little ways. accentuate it with complimenting colors. be sure your food is bright – nobody likes a dull colored brunch, everything you taste with your eyes just feels blah!

be sure to share your tips in the comments and feel free to tweet/instagram/email me pictures of your brunch! or just invite me. i know a great little pastry shop…