Pamplemousse!

Week of Love: Easy DIY Anniversary Date Art

2012-02-10T14:52:00.000-06:00

I've been working on the gallery wall in our living room and was wanting something a little bit more personal than the eight million prints we have. I love our prints but I also wanted something that was about us. And so I started thinking about Valentine's Day and love and naturally thought about our wedding anniversary. I wanted to incorporate that date into a piece of art for the wall.

Now I don't get a lot of time to craft/create art with Margaux around so this had to be super simple. I've been hoarding these 12x12 canvases from Michael's for a few months trying to think of something to do with them and this project is perfect. How so? Well, your average piece of scrapbook paper is also 12x12. So you don't have to cut any paper down for the background and worry if it's straight or not!

Now here's what you'll need...

12x12 canvas
2 pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper
Mod Podge
foam brush
scissors

The steps are simple.

Cover canvas in thin layer of Mod Podge and place background paper on it.
Flip the canvas over and from the back smooth out any wrinkles with a bone folder or other flat object.
While the MP is drying cut out your letters, numbers and other shapes from the other piece of paper.
Once the MP is dry or relatively dry (30 minutes or so), attach the letters/numbers/shapes to the canvas by applying MP to the back of them. Again, flip the canvas over to smooth out any wrinkles, etc.
Once the letters are mostly dry, finish up with a few coats of MP over the whole deal and you're done!

I think it's supercute and I can't wait for you to see it on our gallery wall when it's done!

The Friday Five: Week of Love Edition

2012-02-10T14:01:00.002-06:00

Here's my Friday Five for a homemade Valentine's Day. Because we're in the midst of sleep training I don't want to go out and potentially mess up all our hard work so here are some ideas to make staying home more fun. (Actually I prefer staying home to going out but that's just me.)

1. Dress the place up! Make the night a little bit more special by decorating just for Valentine's Day. I love this origami heart garland. 2. The easy dinner for Valentine's Day is spaghetti. BUT spaghetti is an easy dinner any night of the week so why not try something new and exotic and delicious? This recipe for Arroz Con Pollo has my mouth watering. 3. Since the husband's birthday is the day before Valentine's we don't buy each other gifts but we do exchange little things such as a love letter or handmade card. I love the idea of combining the two by making these little love notecards and filling them with reasons I adore my husband. 4. Instead of watching a sappy romance that will leave your significant other gagging, why not watch something you both will enjoy? Drive is exciting and fast-paced and has that Ryan Gosling all the girls are going crazy for. Or at least that's what I've heard. I haven't seen it yet. And I don't particularly care for Ryan Gosling. But the story sounds fun! Another option? Cowboys and Aliens. The husband and I saw it last summer on our first alone date and we both loved it! Great cheesy fun! 5. For dessert try these supercute teeny heart pies. You can even cheat and make them easier with refrigerated pie dough and canned filling. He (or she) will never know the difference!

And there you have it. Do you usually go out for V-Day? If you stay in do you have a routine or do you try something new and exciting?

Thursday's Things: Week of Love Edition

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

In honor of Valentine's Day and Love Week I decided to round up some of my favorite lovey dovey photographs. I have several photography pin boards on Pinterest to serve as inspiration for photo shoots I do and I have a board specifically for engagement and wedding shoots. These are some of the very best ones I've come across and I hope you enjoy!

Source

Wardrobe Wednesday

2012-02-08T17:10:00.000-06:00

Glasses: Derek Cardigan, Cardigan: H&M, Tank & Skirt: Target, Tights: F21, Flats: eBay

A little bit late but we've been dealing with a cranky Margaux and meeting with a sleep consultant. And now I'm off to get Margaux's dinner ready. I think tonight is a good night for steamed zucchini sticks! How's your week going? Ours is a little rough but getting better.

Hope you're enjoying my Week of Love! Also, did you know I'm having an online yard sale? Check out some of my old clothes plus a few baby items!

Linking up with Momma Go Round

Week of Love: Free Valentine's Heart Embroidery Pattern

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Print on the left is from Ello Lovey, print on the right is from Jon Carling

I haven't embroidered in quite a while but I've been itching to get back into it. I find it so calming! So I decided to draw up a little pattern with a heart theme for Valentine's Day. I really love how it came out though I wish I had gone with a more neutral background. Just right click and "save image as" to download the pattern!

Teeny Tutorial: No Sew Felt Arrow Cuff Bracelet

2012-02-07T15:08:00.000-06:00

This tutorial is actually inspired by a Kate Spade enamel bangle I saw.

Isn't it pretty? I wanted to do something similar (ok felt is not exactly enamel and gold but you catch my drift) but I was feeling lazy and didn't want to sew or embroider (my first idea). And so we have this super easy cuff.

So easy you might not even need directions after seeing those pictures, right? Basically you'll need felt in two colors. Luckily I had the colors close to the original bangle so I used those but any colors you like will be great. Cut the main piece of felt in a thick strip and measure to your wrist. Fold it in half and punch two holes at the end for the ties. Carefully cut out an arrow out of the other piece of felt. You can draw it out if you'd like with pencil first. Just make sure to glue the pencil side down. Carefully put fabric glue on the back side of your arrow (not too much or it'll smoosh out the edges) and leave to dry for a short while. Then add some ribbon to your holes and voila! DONESKI.

Week of Love: Free Valentine's Printable

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

Download Full Size Here

Week of Love: A Cookie For Your Cup

2012-02-06T13:00:00.001-06:00

I know this isn't an original idea, and I've seen it around the internet before but last week I thought I'd give it a shot myself. I pulled up my favorite sugar cookie recipe, pulled out the heart cookie cutters I got at Target for $1 and got to baking.

I learned a few things after my baking adventure was over.
1. This cookie recipe doesn't really puff up too much so I had ended up making my slits too wide and the cookies wouldn't really sit nicely on a plain mug. The mug I used in the pictures has a very thick width to it so it worked.
2. Apparently they make cookie cutters with the slits already cut in. You can find them here. Apparently they also sell them at World Market.
3. It's much easier to frost the entire top of the cookie than to try to be fancy and pipe the frosting on. Especially if it's a really easy powdered sugar/milk frosting.

And there you have it. I love how pretty these are and I would totally make them again. I'd love to try to do chocolate chip cookies to sit on the edge of a glass of milk. Have you made these before? Would you try?

Margaux Monday

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Onesie: Gap, Hat: Courtesy of My Charming Colors, Socks: Baberoo

Margaux is slowly but surely getting her crawl on. She doesn't really crawl all that much unless it's something she really really wants. Such as a remote, cell phone, tape dispenser, scissors or some other dangerous and exciting item that is not for babies. Needless to say we don't leave much lying around! She's actually been sleeping a bit badly the past couple days and I think it's because she's really starting to crawl AND she just mastered sitting up by herself. So when I put her in her crib she almost immediately sits up and (Lord help us) pulls herself up to standing and pops her little head over the crib rail with a huge smile on her face. It's been tough getting her to sleep but she's just so darn cute it's hard to be mad.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Get ready because I decided to put together a whole Week of Love in honor of Valentine's Day coming up. I'll have DIY's, recipes and more so stick around.

Also, a quick note, one of my sponsors, Rolled Up Pretty is offering a whopping 30% off their etsy shop with code pamplemousse1983. I'm thinking about snagging this one for the new couch...

The Friday Five

2012-02-03T10:20:00.002-06:00

1. This dress from Anthropologie is so gorgeous. I keep going back to it. Someone lend me a couple hundred buck? Please? 2. Loving this article about business identity/branding from Laura of Violet Bella. It's part of Heather from Just Lovely Things' Love Your Business Series. (Check back later this month for a post by me ;) 3. Can't stop listening to this, this and this. SO GOOD. 4. Meredith's sweet sweater makeover makes me want to try stitching hearts on all my sweaters. 5. I think I need to add this pretty pretty print to the gallery wall going up in my living room.

Thursday Things: Paint By Number

2012-02-02T13:08:00.001-06:00

I'm kind of obsessed with Paint by Number paintings. I have a (small) collection of PBN lighthouses that we keep in the bedroom but I'd love to expand our collection and add some to the gallery wall we're doing in the living room. I just love the idea of a bunch of them clustered together!

Here

The other idea I love but is too much work for me is to do a PBN mural on a wall...how tight would that be?!

Here

So what do you think? Would you ever do a PBN wall mural? Do you even like the look? Is there a particular type you like?

Wardrobe Wednesday

2012-02-01T14:40:00.002-06:00

I think this is the worst Wardrobe Wednesday ever. Even worse than What I Honestly Wore Wednesday. I just feel like this outfit is all wrong after seeing this pictures. The good news? I didn't leave the house so noone saw this monstrosity. The colors clash OH SO TERRIBLY. The blue tights? What was I thinking? Yeesh. The good news is I was going to give this dress away when I realized they go with these shoes. I've been hanging onto this dress for years but could never find a pair of shoes I liked with them.

So something good did come out of this hideous display. The outfit actually isn't bad except for the tights. I only wish I had taken them off for the pictures. Oh well. You win some you lose some. I'm actually still wearing the tights but now they're under shorts with a tank because it's 73 degrees today. February what? It's funny because the WW from almost exactly a year ago was a snow day edition!

Oh, the other thing I don't like about these pictures is the actual pictures are terrible. I got lazy and shot these inside in front of a window because the whole house is pretty much messy as can be. Instead of cleaning I decided to just turn away, ha! So I apologize for the terrible quality. I almost just skipped doing this post. Oh well, enjoy.

Teeny Tutorial: DIY Stuffed Heart Pin

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here's a teeny tutorial that will have you wearing your heart on your chest (or sleeve if you prefer). If you've never embroidered or sewn anything before have no fear! It's super easy! And you can brush up on your stitches by visiting Kam from Campfire Chic's Basic Stitch Tutorials.

Draw your heart, initials and arrow in disappearing ink or pencil if you can't find your disappearing ink pen like me. Stitch up your initials and arrow using just an easy straight stitch.

Double up your fabric and put it back in your embroidery hoop. Stitch around your heart using a back stitch leaving a little opening to put your stuffing through.

Use your pinking shears to cut around your heart. The pinking shears will keep your cut edge from fraying too much AND it looks for fancy than a plain edge. Carefully stick your poly fill in and stitch the open edge closed.

Lastly, add your pin by stitching it to the back of your heart.

Pretty cute if I do say so myself!

Like this post? Pin It

Currently

2012-01-30T21:17:00.001-06:00

Full disclosure, I hate this picture. My bangs are driving me crazy.

Obsessing over…

whether to cut my hair or not. I've come so far but it's kind of driving me crazy. I'm not used to having long hair. Plus Margaux has a tendency to pull on it with her deathgrip.

Working on…

Editing photos and putting together an album for a client of mine.

Thinking about…

Vacations. We have a big long one coming up in April and Margaux and I have a short one in July to visit my cousin in SoCal. SO EXCITED. Also thinking a lot about getting to Alt Summit next year.

Anticipating…

Going back on Weight Watchers. And possibly joining a gym. I'm looking into a couple that have Kids Clubs so Margaux could hang out and I could get a workout in. I just feel like I really dropped the ball. I've gained a couple pounds which is not pleasing to me.

Listening to…

Kanye West and Jay-Z's Ni***z in Paris. That s*** cray.

Eating…

Brie spread. This is why I've gained a couple pounds. Ha. SO GOOD THOUGH.

Wishing…

moving was easy. I've been wanting to move for a long time but we always end up deciding against it. Either because it's too expensive (California) or because we're lazy. I want a new house, yo! And I would love to move to California but it's so hard to justify when Texas is so cheap. Srsly. Cheap to live and no state income tax? Hard to say no.

Linking up with The Paper Mama for her Self Photo Challenge!

Margaux Monday

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Margaux has been sleeping sans swaddle for about a month now. It takes her a while to fall asleep but she gets there eventually. Yesterday we lowered her crib and she had a hard time napping. I think it's because she kept pulling the bumper down and looking at me. I tried taking the bumper off but then she would bump her head on the bars and cry. Soooo we're figuring it out.

The thing I love about her sleeping unswaddled is the positions she falls asleep in. SO CUTE.

On another note (stop reading if you don't want to hear about lady problems) my PMS has been horrible. Like really bad. I've been in a horrible mood most of the weekend. I want to eat chocolate by the pound. I've just been really kind of angry and frustrated easily. I don't remember ever having it this bad. I wonder if it's because my period isn't regular yet or if this is what it was like before I got on the pill. I'm afraid to go back on the pill at the moment because I've heard it messes with your supply but we'll see.

How was your weekend?

PS, thanks for all the music suggestions! I've got a long list to go through :)

Just a couple things...

2012-01-28T17:23:00.000-06:00

Margaux trying pancakes for the first time ever this morning. She loved it even though there was no syrup ;)

Hope you all are having a great weekend! We started our day at our favorite breakfast joint and I gave Margaux some of my pancake without syrup. She loved it!

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that Green Your Air has extended their discount code until Feb. 6 for you. You can see all the info here.

Are you following me on Twitter? Facebook? Pinterest? You can also find me on Instagram and see the obnoxious amount of pictures I take of Margaux.

Tomorrow the husband and I have a date and I think we're going to grab sushi and go see the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. SO EXCITED.

Hope you're having fun!

Halp! I need new music!

2012-01-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

Source

I've been in a musical rut lately. I haven't listened to anything new in a while and honestly I'm not really sure where to look. I don't really listen to the radio and I'm not really in tune with the music world. Soooooo I need your help! Tell me what you listen to. Tell me who your favorites are. Want to send me a mix tape (or cd)? Go right ahead! I love mixes!

As far as what I'm into, I like a little bit of everything. Here are a few of my current favorites...
So what have you got for me?

Thursday's Things: Margaux's Birthday Edition #2

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I shared my first idea for Margaux's birthday party. This week I'm going to share some pins I've been collecting for my second theme...pink and aqua. I shared my love for the color combo of pink and aqua back in October and my love has only grown stronger. Especially after seeing these beautiful party themes!

This one's a wedding but it's definitely an inspiration!

Here

I could still do unicorns and just make the party more girly. What do you think? Which theme do you like better?

Wardrobe Wednesday

2012-01-25T13:22:00.001-06:00

Today is cold and rainy out. I kind of love it, especially since I have nowhere to be. It stormed all last night which I usually love. Margaux woke up to eat around 11:30 but went down again no problem...that was before the storm really started up. She woke up again to eat at 4:30 which was when the storm really started to get going. The lightning was just too exciting for her to fall asleep again. It took an hour for her to go back to sleep and I was cursing myself for not buying blackout curtains for her room. I eventually went and got a sheet and threw it over the curtain rod. It didn't completely block the lightning but it was just enough that it wasn't distracting her. Sheesh.

On the plus side she slept all the way til about 8:15. Not too bad. It's funny. Now that she's sleeping more, I have a harder time waking up. I guess it's because I'm actually getting into the deep sleep stage? Whatever it is it makes me feel even more tired than when I was getting up every few hours.

Sweater & Jeans: Old Navy, Glasses: Dior

Even though I'm not going anywhere I thought I'd put some make up on just for you folks. I experimented with a couple of colors I don't usually wear...purple and lime green. I like it. Although it does look a bit like my eyelids are bruised...hmmm.

And here's a sneak peek of our new couch. We redid the living room and I can't wait to share it with you! I pretty much love it. I still need to put art up on the wall but when it's all done I'll be sure to post it up. I'm seriously loving it, the room feels so much bigger and brighter.

I think I'm going to sit and look out the window with Margaux and a cup of tea. So what's up with you all today?

Linking up with and

Green Your Air

2012-01-24T20:46:00.002-06:00

Hi everybody! I usually don't do many product posts but this is something I'm very excited about. Green Your Air is a mail order plant company. No big deal, right? Well, all the plants that they sell actually help filter the air in your home. I've heard of plants filtering air before but never knew they could be so pretty doing so.

Source

I'm ordering a few for our home including some for Margaux's room. I really love the chevron decorated pots especially. These would also make a great housewarming present or baby shower gift! A lot of the plants are very easy to care for and do well in low light (a plus if you have a black thumb like I do).

Lucky for you Green Your Air has decided to give Pamplemousse1983 readers 25% off with code MARYAMS25 from now until Sunday, February 29, 2012.

Teeny Tutorial: How to Take a Cute Head Shot

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

There are many reasons to have a headshot. If you have a blog you could use it for your About Me page or as your avatar on Twitter or Google Friend Connect. If you have a shop you could use it to introduce yourself to your customers. If you have neither you could use it as your profile picture on Facebook, etc.

Now, it's supereasy to take a MySpace type picture and call it a day but let's be honest, it's neither flattering nor professional. If you put a teensy bit more effort into it you can have a really cute picture that tells your customers/readers/friends a little bit more about you. And I promise it really won't take that much more effort than snapping a bathroom pic.

You'll need a couple things for a really great headshot. A backdrop and a camera. Derrrrr. Good lighting is a must and a tripod is a plus but not necessary. I hope you didn't get scared off yet! I know some people get intimidated by "good lighting" thinking they'll need a studio setup with fancy lights or a flash. Really all you need is a window and a bright day. Seriously. I took all the pictures in this post in my living room facing a window. No lights on, no flashes. Easy. Now, I did wait til it was bright in that particular room so start paying attention to when it's the brightest in whatever room you're going to use.

Next: your backdrop. I used a vintage sheet but you could also use a plain white bedsheet, wrapping paper, an afghan, anything you think would make a great backdrop! Just make sure it's big enough to cover the area you want to be in your picture. Now, I usually use this backdrop stand I bought but I know it's not exactly a common item to have lying around your house, so in the interest of this tutorial I draped my sheet over the television.

What's easier than that?! PS, excuse the mess...we're redecorating. If you can't use the TV, you could hang your backdrop from a curtain rod, bookshelf, on the back of the couch, even off the dining room table. Don't worry if it seems low, you don't necessarily have to be standing. In fact, I was on my knees to take these pictures.

Set your camera up on your tripod or sitting on a surface across from your backdrop. Once you have it set up take a picture to make sure the lighting is ok and so you have an idea of where to stand/sit. If you have a remote, awesome! If not, set your camera to the timer setting to give you time to get from the camera to where you'll need to be standing/sitting. Actually, I use the timer option when I'm using my remote as well to give me time to hide the remote.

Start snapping your pictures! Make all kinds of funny faces whether you think they'll look good or not. A lot of times I like the pictures where I think I'll look dumb much better than the ones where I think I'll look good. Case in point, all three of these pictures.

That's it! Upload your pictures, pick the best ones and if you want you can do a little editing to make them even better. You can use Photoshop if you have it (or you can check out the free trial!) or try an online editor like Picnik (which is sadly going bye bye in April...). And that's pretty much it! Just one more tip, the better you feel the better you'll look in pictures so put on your makeup, fix your hair and even wear that pretty new top. Your confidence will come across!

Margaux Monday: 7 Months Old

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I got back into photo shoot mode this month and drug out the backdrops etc and did a proper shoot. I love these pictures SO MUCH. Seriously, I ended up with a ton of images that I just LOVE. I had to really work for her smiles because she hadn't taken a very long nap and was really cranky but they ended up so so great if I do say so myself. I'm only posting a few but you can see a few more on my photo blog here.

This month Margaux likes...

being read to
Trying to crawl around (she rocks but doesn't quite know what to do with her hands yet)
smiling at people
babbling A LOT
sitting up
playing with her toys

Margaux doesn't like...

the sound of the mixer or blender
having her diaper changed (she's started to flip onto her stomach once we get her diaper off!)

Steppin' Out Saturday

2012-01-21T21:11:00.000-06:00

Top, Jeans + Flats: Old Navy, Coat: eBay

This winter weather is really throwing me for a loop. Friday it was 77 and today it was in the 50s! On the plus side I got to wear my pretty new coat. I seriously love it. I bought it off eBay for $40 and I'm so glad it fits! Yet another reason to always have a measuring tape handy.

Sunday is for IKEA and meeting Kimi from Lovely Magic Stars. Have you ever met another blogger in real life? It's a bit nerve-wracking. Although most social encounters are nerve-wracking for me. I'm kind of awkward and have to work real hard for it not to show. I wonder if that ever goes away...

Anyway, hope you all have/had a wonderful weekend!

photo template from Pugly Pixel

Meet Our January Sponsors

2012-01-20T14:43:00.002-06:00

Blog - Twitter - Pinterest

The lovely Alycia is the voice of The Curious Pug. She blogs about life, crafting, dogs and books among other things. I love her Would You Rather series.

Blog - Shop - Twitter

Lisa is a talented mama who knits, crochets and takes great pictures. She blogs about life and crafts and also includes some great tutorials and patterns. You can check them out here.

Amber is mama to three little babes. Her blog documents her life as a mother and how she survives while her husband is deployed. Can you imagine?! I love her honest approach to blogging and her I Keeps it Real series.

Blog - Shop - Twitter

Susannah is just about the cutest thing ever. I love her style and just want to pinch her cheeks! Her What I Wore Today posts encourage me to step it up a notch.

Blog - Etsy Shop - Twitter

Marcella is pretty much the coolest mama on the block and too legit to quit. She has an adorable daughter, is recently engaged and runs the most awesome shop for kiddos! I love her Yes Please! series where she shares some of the cutest kid things ever.

Shop - Facebook

Heather is a crafty mama who runs Etsy shop A Thousand Hellos. She makes the most gorgeous hairpins and other little cuties. Little known fact, we went to kindergarten together and recently reunited on my trip to Cali in December!

Blog - Shop - Twitter

Jess chronicles life with her husband and babe Judah on her blog. She also runs the Etsy shop My Charming Colors and makes THE cutest crocheted hats like this one modeled by Margaux. She has a custom order giveaway going on right now so head on over and enter!

Blog - Shop

Kimi is a photographer who loves crafting, cooking and her fiance and future step-daughter. I really want to try the potato kielbasa skillet she made here.

Thursday's Things: Margaux's Birthday Edition

2012-01-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

Though it's not her birthday quite yet, I've already started collecting ideas for Margaux's first birthday in June. Yes, apparently I'm that mom.

I don't want it to be a big party but I do want it to be pretty and fun. And mostly DIY. I've been playing with a theme and right now the front runner is Rainbows and Unicorns.

First off, we need to decide what the birthday girl will wear...I was thinking this.

Here

or maybe this?

Here

Or maybe the onesie for the party and the tutu for pictures.

As far as decor, there are TONS of awesome ideas on Pinterest and these are my favorites.

Homemade rock candy in rainbow colors

Yarn balloons in rainbow colors

LOVE this cloud and tulle rainbow setup

Ginormous Balloons

As far as the cake and food goes, I like color coordinating snacks to make rainbows but there are only a few options for unicorns that I've seen...including this gorgeous cake.

Here

And to round it out...

Unicorn horns

Rainbow drawing table

Make your own raindrop party favors

Paint your own favors

I'll share the other theme I've been playing around with next week. If you were throwing a first birthday what theme would you pick?

Wardrobe Wednesday: Mrs. Crafty Hipster Edition

2012-01-18T14:44:00.001-06:00

At least that's what my husband called this outfit. I'm not sure he meant it as a compliment, ha! Whatever I was superexcited to wear this skirt that I got in the mega sale at Anthropologie over the holidays and it's finally cold enough today. I stumbled across this post by Elycia about taking self portraits and I was really inspired by her fun and colorful outfit posts that I decided to kick it up a notch today.

They're a bit silly but I kind of really love them! What do you think? Also, check out the cat eye I did using Jess' tutorial :)

Sweater: Target, Tee: Em & Sprout, Skirt: Anthropologie, Belt: Target, Glasses: Derek Cardigan, Tights: ???, Flats: Old Navy

Shop Update

2012-01-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

In case you missed it, I've updated the shop with several new items. In addition to some prints, I've added these lovely photo necklaces and those awesome photo cubes. Seriously you guys, the cubes are awesome. I love them so much I ordered some for myself to keep. They look really great on a bookshelf or as a paperweight. I'm really proud of them! Anyway, I'm trying to decide which images to use for the next batch of necklaces. Will you help me? Take a look at the shop and let me know which ones you'd like to see on a necklace (or in your hair! I have a new product in the works, hint hint!).

Here

Call for February Sponsors

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

Just popping in to let you know that I'm currently accepting sponsors for February! As usual the XL spot is sold out but March is open if you'd like to pounce on it! For all the info check out the sponsor page.

Teeny Tutorial: Easy Peasy Doily Heart Garland

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

So this is probably the easiest garland I've ever made. All you need are some doilies (I used hearts for Valentine's Day but you could use any type of doily!), ribbon and a sewing machine.

All you have to do is leave some ribbon at the end so you can tie the garland up, put the ribbon on top of the first doily and start sewing a straight stitch over the doily and the ribbon. Once you reach the end of the first doily, position the second next to it and keep sewing.

I used two different sizes and colors of doilies so I alternated them but the configuration is up to you!

Getting to know...Kami of Searching for Serendipity

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Kami! Tell us about your blog!

Truth be told my blog started out as a safe pace for me to explore creativity as I healed from a very depressed phase of my life. It really was more of an online journal for me, but it opened up so many doors! I met some wonderful people, made some new friends (like Maryam!) and before I knew it my little creative space had a following and I was getting regular visitors to my site. Once I became pregnant I began to see my blog as a place for me to combine three things I am very passionate about: creativity/art, mental health/positivity, and women's rights/health. I want my blog to be a place where women, mothers or not, can come and be inspired and feel encouraged.

How has your creative life changed since you've become a mother?

Creativity hasn't left my life, but it has greatly changed its shape and form. I actually just blogged about this recently. My life is full of creativity now that I have Claire, but it is certainly not the "arts n crafts" type, nor do I have time for my Etsy shop right now. But I am creative. I sing. I sing all the time, all sorts of new and old melodies, songs just flow from my lips as I sing to Claire about our day. I am also much more creative in the kitchen! I cook huge meals in my crockpot, put new spins on classic comfort foods (stay tuned for a kick ass meatloaf recipe!), bake gluten free cookies, and I make all of Claire's baby food from scratch. My house is also much more organized and efficient now since having Claire as "baby proofing" became very important and toys took priority over clutter. I do still craft from time to time, I made a pom-pom mobile for Claire's nursery, and I love this dress I sewed her! I even made a wreath for the holidays! Truth be told though, most of my creative energy is now focused on heart and home.

What was the hardest part of transitioning from married with no kids Kami to mom of Claire?

I led the life of a single gal, even those I was a married gal. I loved to party, and boy did I ever! My husband and I were well known for our raging "Merry F'ing Ho Ho" parties that we threw each year, we shot gunned beers together on our wedding day...and there may or may not be a number of pictures of me floating around dancing on table tops with champagne bottles and drag queens. Now that life is suddenly gone. Sometimes I feel like a rug has Ben pulled put from under me, it was such a shock. I have lost some friends, and had to learn new ways to socialize and make more. Truth be told though, I don't miss it very much. The few times I have gotten away to let my hair down I have just wished I was home with Claire, reading board books, blowing raspberries on her belly, and staring into her beautiful eyes. She is my world now. Everything shrunk down into her. She is everything. THAT is a big but very welcome change.

You have blogged about your struggle with post partum depression. Why did you feel you had to share such a personal experience?

I decided to blog about something so private because I myself initially felt so alone in my experience of PPD. I was so scared, confused, and completely overwhelmed. I felt like there was something wrong with me, that I was a bad mother, and wasn't cut out for the role of parenthood. The more mom's I spoke to, the more I realized that I wasn't alone. I gathered an army of strong mamma's around me, "called in the troops" as I like to call it. This support network was so central to my path to healing! I learned that isolation and secrecy only served to make me feel worse. I feel that mom's need to be more open and honest about the experience of motherhood. There are a lot of mommy blogs out there, but I personally don't enjoy happy fluffy fake mommy-talk. I want mommy-TRUTH. I want shared experiences, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I want my blog to help other moms feel good about themselves, feel like they are not alone in the experience. Motherhood is not perfect, it is far from it. The media likes to portray it in a neat and tidy way, not talking about the dirty truths...that sometimes it is HARD. Sometimes you will cry. Sometimes you will want to give up. Sometimes you will not be able to cope, and if you are like me this may lead to a breakdown. BUT, it is from this depth that we rise to become POWERFUL mothers. I truly believe that my experience with PPD has made me a stronger woman, and a better mother. For some people this may be TMI, and I am sure I lost some readers because of that. But I also received A LOT of emails from women thanking me for my honesty, telling me that I helped them. And that why I blogged about it, to help a woman who was in my shoes.

What are 3 posts you are most proud of?

I really like this post I did on my experience of breastfeeding

This one on self-worth for mothers was very important to me

And finally this post on enjoying the rocky ride of motherhood is dear to my heart

If you could make one wish what would it be?

That Claire grows up to become a strong, confident and independent woman. All my wishes are for her now! I hope she can skip out on a lot of the traumatizing crap that I went through as a teenager. I know a lot of that is a right of passage we all must go through, but I also went through a of of it because I didn't have a mother that could be there for me the way a young girl needs. So I guess I wish that Claire and I grow, laugh, and enjoy our adventures together for ever and ever.

You can read more from Kami on her blog, twitter, facebook

Steppin' Out Saturday

2012-01-15T13:34:00.003-06:00

Dudes, I'm on a roll. Yesterday I had an afternoon to myself and decided to dress up for my date. The weather was so so so nice! It was in the 60s and sunny and pretty perfect. I recently found this slouchy beanie in my closet that I won ages ago on Danielle's old blog and I really love the color with my the teal/green/blue in my hair. Speaking of which, it's already fading out. I've only washed it 2 maybe 3 times. Kind of disappointing. At least I still have enough for 2 more dye jobs. Oh well. I wish it would stay the dark blue color or even the peacock color but it's starting to fade to green. Blargh.

Slouchy Beanie: Amyschmamey, Glasses: Derek Cardigan, L/S top: Target, Sweater: Target, Necklace: Violet Bella, Skirt: Anthropologie, Tights: F21, Boots: Steve Madden (similar)

I'm wearing sweats today because it's laundry day. Also because we're going to look at a used mountain bike for me :) The husband is really into biking and he's been trying to get me into it for ages so we're going to pick up a relatively cheap bike to see if it's something I'm going to actually get into. If anything I'll be able to tool Margaux around the neighborhood in her bike trailer. I hope it's the right size/fit. I like the idea of getting into mountain biking!

Hope you all had a good weekend. I didn't get much sleep but I'll let you know about that tomorrow.

Mom Style

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Another outfit post in one week?!

Yeah I'm on FIYA Y'ALL!

Yesterday we went to lunch with my cousin and I kept up my new fashion momentum by trying something outside my comfort zone. Knee high boots with skinny jeans. I'm kind of self conscious about my legs but I threw caution to the wind and I think I rocked it. What do you think?

Jacket & sweater: J. Crew, Jeans: Old Navy, Boots: Target

I also kept up the makeup inspiration and did my eyes.

I went with green this time, lime and a darker green and I like it though I don't think it's quite as pretty as the pink/teal combo from Wednesday. I'm really loving all this experimentation. I think this is the most I've felt like my pre-pregnancy self in a very long time. Maybe since before I had Margaux. And you know what? It feels great!

Thursday's Things: Jason Wu for Target

2012-01-12T17:28:00.000-06:00

Now that I have a newly rekindled passion for fashion I am superexcited for the Jason Wu for Target collection which is coming in February. Who is Jason Wu? He's the guy that designed Michelle Obama's inauguration gown. He also designed this dress which I LOVE...

Source

His style is kind of classic and pretty with unexpected details. I love his style. His designs are easier to wear and more flattering than other designers in my opinion....except maybe the microshorts from his Spring collection.

Anyway, the full lookbook for his Target line has been released and I really hope these pieces look as good in person as they do in the pictures. You can see the full lookbook here but here are a few of my favorites.

All images from here

The Return of Wardrobe Wednesday

2012-01-11T13:01:00.001-06:00

I've been doing What I Honestly Wore Wednesday with Caitlin for a few months now. I think a lot of you responded to it since we all have frump days and not everyone looks like they stepped out of a magazine every day. But I've let the frump get me down. This post baby body is not what it used to be and I've been feeling like wearing my pj's or ill fitting clothing is not helping my body image. While it was fun for a while, I kind of feel like I need to get dolled up to start to feel more comfortable in my own skin again. I hope that makes sense.

I've been wearing my old "fat" clothes for a while and since my body has changed nothing really fits very well. So last Sunday I bought the beginning of my new wardrobe. I bought some skinny jeans (Old Navy's Rock Star jeans are PERFECT! Mid-rise with a good amount of stretch that doesn't end up baggy) that fit nicely, hug my curves and are the perfect length. A bunch of new fun tops that are out of my comfort zone but make me feel kind of fabulous. And a few new pairs of shoes. I've decided to put an effort into looking good when I leave the house, even if it is just to run to Target.

Today I took Margaux to the mall for one of the children's programs the library puts on and I decided to get dolled up despite the fact that she woke up for the day at 5am. I found this new blog Wonder Forest and she has some really awesome makeup tutorials. I saw her tutorial for mermaid eyes yesterday and it inspired the look I went with today.

Top, Jeans, flats - Old Navy, Bracelet - Flourish, Earrings - F21, Glasses - Ray Ban

I had these earrings in my drawer that I bought ages ago but never wore. I saw them this morning and realized they kind of match my new hair color perfectly. I love that! My color was fading out so I went to Sally's and picked up Manic Panic Shocking Blue. I LOVE IT. It was one of the colors that was in my hair but since I was going to do it myself this time I decided to just dye all of it (at least what was dyed before) the one color instead of trying to weave 4 different colors in. It covered all the other colors quite nicely and left a nice variation on the pieces that were pink. I think I'll keep this color for a while.

Free Valentine's Printable For You!

2012-01-10T13:40:00.002-06:00

I've been playing with my Bamboo tablet again and I made up this little printable to share. I know it's not even mid January but I can't stop thinking about hearts and Valentine's Day. Not that we really do much to celebrate since the husband's birthday is the day before but I like the idea of telling people you care about that you love them.

Anyway, it's nothing fancy but I thought I would share anyway. Enjoy!

Click Here to download full res image

Shop update!

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

Lots of new things are going up in the shop! I'm so super excited and just want to share with you a taste!

Margaux Monday

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

Ok seriously, sometimes I really can't stand how cute this kid is.

Margaux is now about six and a half months old and still gets up several times a night. She was getting up every 2-2.5 hours last weekend and I was seriously going nuts. So last week we started sleep training AND weaned her from a swaddle. I've been using the book The No-Cry Sleep Solution as a guide. I'm not following it religiously but am using bits and pieces. I got it in my head that being swaddled was hurting her sleep instead of helping it, not to mention she was almost too big for the Woombie and I didn't want to have to buy another one. So on Wednesday I started leaving one of her arms out during naps and overnight alternating arms with each sleep. My friend Kami did this with her daughter and she was the one who suggested alternating arms and then quitting cold turkey on the third day. So we did that. And it worked! Margaux has been sleeping unswaddled since Friday! And she's currently sleeping in stretches as long as 4 hours! I'm not getting too excited yet because chances are as soon as I publish this post she'll go back to sleeping terribly but I'm enjoying the extra bit of sleep I've been getting. Because even if you sleep for 8 hours total you feel like a zombie when you're woken up after an hour and a half of sleep.

In other news, I think Margaux will be crawling soon. She gets up on her hands and knees and is a master at scooting herself backwards but she's started rocking on her hands and knees AND even made it forward once or twice. Exciting! And scary! Now we really have to get this baby proofing ish in gear...

Yesterday I had some much needed me time. Technically I am supposed to have Sundays "off" but with the holidays and other family stuff I hadn't had any alone time in a month. This is like the worst thing ever for me, even worse than lack of sleep. Before I had Margaux I loved being alone. I enjoy spending time by myself. I find it necessary to maintain my sanity. If I never get alone time I kind of get anxious and just feel kind of blah.

So Sunday I left Margaux with her dad and I spent three blissful hours by myself. I picked up some tiles from the home depot to try out this coaster project. Then I went to Michael's and picked up some canvases and scrapbook paper for other random crafty projects. And then I went to Old Navy and bought myself a bunch of new clothes to help beat the frump. I have been suffering from the frump for quite a while now and I've had enough.

So I bought two pairs of the most perfect skinny jeans ever, one pair of black flares, a bunch of tops and the cutest polka dot sweater ever. Oh and two pairs of ballet flats (they have the best ballet flats) and a pair of cute fair isle sweater house booties. It must have been my lucky day because there was only one pair, it was my size and $6.99. Anyway, I had a really great time by myself and came home feeling refreshed and happy and generally positive. I spent the rest of the afternoon cuddling with the husband and baby Margaux and just enjoying life.

And with that I leave you with a few self portraits I took over the weekend.

Hair clip courtesy of A Thousand Hellos

Working it...

2012-01-06T13:12:00.001-06:00

Just popping in to say hello on this beautiful Friday. It's almost 70 degrees outside and I'm wearing a skirt. This has been a busy week. I've been working on launching my new website for my photo business (check it out at http://sweetvioletphotography.com) editing photos and getting these little pretties ready to go up in my etsy shop. I'm kind of in love with them and I am so super excited to expand my shop.

Anyhow, I'm off to drop off some portrait session discs and visit my aunt. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday Things: Gnome Edition

2012-01-05T14:24:00.002-06:00

I've kind of been obsessed with gnomes ever since I was a little kid. Well, anything magical, really, but gnomes were up there. I used to watch the show David the Gnome and my mom even made me a gnome costume for halloween one year complete with tall pointy hat (I think I was 4?). I even have this very lovely book that I remember looking through at my grandparents' house.

Source

I recently watched the movie Gnomeo and Juliet (kind of silly but cute) and was reminded of my love for these tiny little creatures. I think I want to start decorating our back yard with little gnome sculpture if my husband will let me!

Here are some of my favorite pins of gnome-y things :)

Source

And a couple of ideas for Halloween 2012...how cute would Margaux look in one of these?!

Source

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2012-01-04T12:25:00.001-06:00

This is it folks. This is what you look like after getting up every 1.5-2 hours all night. Sneaking in a shower then having to bounce baby for an hour because every time you try to put her back down she wakes back up thereby letting your hair air dry into a frizz factory.

This look is obviously the most flattering outfit I've ever worn, no? Off to Supertarget for groceries. I think I will be the awesomest looking mom there. Huzzah.

What are you wearing? Link up in comments.

Tuesday Tutorial...

2012-01-03T17:20:00.003-06:00

I've got a bunch of ideas in the works but as we just hit the new year I'm spending some time purging and cleaning our house. Jeez we've collected a lot of "stuff"! While I am doing that, here are some of my favorite tutorials from last year to hold you over til next week. Enjoy!

Cheap and Easy Screenprinting

Stuffed Letter DIY

DIY Origami Bird Mobile

DIY Mini Message Board

Fall Leaf Hair Accessories

Foam Core Stamped Tee DIY

Winner winner chicken dinner

2012-01-03T17:06:00.001-06:00

Thank you everyone for entering my Hello Kitty Fisheye Camera and Danny Brito print giveaway! I was overwhelmed by the number of entries (way more than I've ever had!) and I'm so excited that you all wanted to win. Unfortunately, there is only one winner. Lucky for this gal, she's it!

Congratulations! I hope to have another really awesome giveaway again in March (my birthday month) so I hope you all will stick around until then.

XOXO
Maryam

Margaux Monday: 6 Months Old

2012-01-02T14:55:00.000-06:00

This is a little late, but at least I'm posting it before it's time for her 7 month old post ;)

This month Margaux likes...

being read to (right now she loves the Skippyjon Jones board books)
tummy time
smiling at people
going to Baby Bounce Basics at the children's library
singing Row Row Row Your Boat
Yo Gabba Gabba music in the car
sitting up

Margaux doesn't like...

growth spurts (ok, that's more me than her)
being sleepy

Thursday's Things: New Year's Edition

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm going to talk to you about my New Year's Resolutions. But first, let's see how well I stuck to last year's resolutions...

Be Healthy...This was kind of on and off. It's something I struggle with but something I'm always striving for. This is more of an ongoing resolution and shouldn't be relegated to just one year.
Start a savings account for Margaux...Done! We've been saving money every month.
Sell our house and move to Seattle...After visiting Seattle back in March we decided it wouldn't be a good fit for us so we decided to stay in our house. After much deliberation we decided to keep our house for at least a few more years. We've decided to start fixing up things around the house that we're not happy with and making it feel really much more like home. I'll definitely share when we get around to doing that.
Don't cut my hair other than a trim...Done! I got two trims but other than that my hair has been growing growing growing. I kind of really miss my short hair though and may go back to it when it starts to warm up again.
Make more time for crafting...Done! I started my Teeny Tutorial series and crafted some things for Margaux's room. While I would have liked to do more I'm pretty happy with what I did. Here's to more crafting in 2012!

Now, I decided I wanted to change it up a bit this year. Instead of picking a few resolutions to work on all year I am going to assign one resolution to each month for a total of 12. I really like this idea. I had originally wanted to do a 30 before 30 list but I like doing a 12 a year thing because then I'll get to do fun new things every year!

Here's what I'm thinking for this year:

January: Get second holes pierced in my ears. This is something I've wanted to do since high school but never did.

February: Sew a tee shirt quilt + put up an Ayyam-i-Ha tree. Like I've mentioned before, we don't celebrate Christmas but we do have a time of year when we exchange gifts and do nice things for others. This time is called Ayyam-i-Ha and it is the last few days of February. Since I love the idea of Christmas trees so much I decided that I would start a new tradition of putting up a tree for Ayyam-i-Ha so Margaux will grow up with something exciting and pretty and to look forward to. I've already bought some ornaments and I'm trying to decide on a tree. White or pink, what do you think?

March: Bake macarons + have a Naw Ruz table. I've always wanted to bake macarons but I've heard they're very difficult and I've been too chicken to try. I decided instead of thinking about it and being scared I will just do it. Naw Ruz is the Persian new year and another Baha'i Holy Day (my birthday falls on Naw Ruz because I'm super special like that). Growing up my mom always had a Naw Ruz table and I'd like to continue that tradition for Margaux as a way to share her partial Persian heritage with her.

April: Keep a sketch diary every day. This is the month we will be going on a 3 week long vacation to Belgium to visit family and Israel for pilgrimage. This will be the first time going on pilgrimage as a family and I'm very excited about it. My husband is not a Baha'i but I love that he is open and willing to share in this experience with me. I want to take note of all the things on our trip not only in words or photographs but in my own drawings.

May: Have a backyard movie night. May is one of the few months that we have nice enough weather in Texas (usually) to do things outdoors. We have a projector and I'd love to take it outside, set up lawn chairs and project a movie onto a sheet. How fun would that be?! Now to figure out how to keep the mosquitoes away...

June: Throw Margaux a DIY birthday party with a homemade layer cake. I'm already planning it. It's only 6 short months away!!!

July: Make Margaux's 1st year book. I've been keeping notes and I plan on publishing a book with a page for each of her 12 months. I'm thinking of publishing through Blurb but I just found out that Shutterfly has some pretty book templates as well. Have any of you ever published through Shutterfly?

August: Sew matching skirts for Margaux and I. This is something I've been meaning to do for a quite a while. Now I have a whole month to do it in.

September: Paint 4 paintings. One for each week. It doesn't have to be large or complicated, just the act of painting a canvas is so therapeutic.

October: Go camping as a family. October is another month where the weather is usually pretty nice around these parts. Even if we only camp in the backyard I want to set up a tent, cook over a campfire and sleep in a sleeping bag.

November: Decorate for fall. This is something I see a lot of people do but I never get around to doing. This year all I did was hang a wreath on the front door (which may or may not still be up. To be fair the leaves are still changing here and half the trees haven't lost them yet). I'd like to make a garland, maybe some festive pillows on the couch, etc.

December: Take a cooking class. Something else I've been wanting to do for a long time. Now I have a reason to do it!

While I'm at it, a couple other things I've been thinking about a lot lately...

Write to my grandmother in Belgium once a month.

Visit my grandmother here once a month.

There you have it. There is my current list of resolutions for the new year. What do you think, awesome or lamesauce? Have you thought of your resolution? What is it (are they)?

PS, I purposefully left out weight/body-related resolutions because I think they are counter productive and I usually can't stick to them anyway which leads to a guilty conscience. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I'm just trying something different.

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is what we wore yesterday to go to the mall and grocery shopping. I'm not one to go out in sweatpants or yoga pants so I put on some real pants. A pair of my favorite pants in fact. If you look at my outfit you may not think it's that bad, but here's what qualifies it for WIHWW:

My jean jacket is 10 years old though you really can't tell. I love it so. It's pretty perfect.
The tank I wore over the striped top is maybe 5 years old? Also, I'm wearing a tank top over a tee. The 90's called, they want their layering back.
My pants are over 5 years old and the buttons that used to hold the back flap pockets shut have long since broken off leaving the flaps permanently open. I had the husband take a picture of my butt just to prove it. You're welcome.

As for Margaux, she is always infinitely more stylish than me. PS, OMG THAT BELLY IN THE FIRST PICTURE! I know I skipped MM this week but it'll be back on Monday with a 6 month update.

What are you honestly wearing today? Link up in the comments! And go visit Caitlyn to see what she's wearing!

Teeny Tutorial: Foam Core Stamped Tee DIY

2011-12-27T10:06:00.002-06:00

So about a month ago I was trying to think up something to make for little Judah's first birthday present. And then it hit me, a mustache shirt! Duh! But I didn't want to go through the hassle of making a screen and printing it so I decided to make a stamp. Easy peasy! I didn't think a potato stamp would be that easy plus I didn't have any potatoes but I did have some foam core lying around. Perfect.

All you'll need for this is some foam core (or cardboard in a pinch) a tee shirt (or tea towel if you prefer) and some acrylic paint. Oh and an exacto knife. And a brush. But that's it. Oh and a piece of cardboard to put in your teeshirt so the paint doesn't bleed through. BUT THAT'S IT!

Ok, so the first thing to do is draw your design out on the foam core. It doesn't have to be pretty and as you can see I drew my designs out a couple times before I was happy with it. Then, using your exacto, carefully cut out your shape. Try to keep your design fairly simple since it's difficult to do anything too intricate.

Now, get your tee shirt ready by placing a piece of cardboard or a magazine or something in between the two panels so the paint doesn't bleed through to the back.

Pour a little paint out onto a plate or palette or piece of cardboard and load up your brush.

Paint your paint onto the stamp. Don't put too thin a coat or it might dry out before you have a chance to get to stamping.

Then start stamping! As you can see, I used a fairly thin coat on my first stamp and you can see the brush strokes which is really neat and something I wasn't expecting. You can also see where it was too thin and dried out in the middle there. I used this knowledge to my advantage and started painting the paint on in the direction that I thought hair would grow and I was pretty pleased with the result.

I really really loved the way this turned out! I really can't wait to think up some more stamp designs and stamp some shirts for Margaux and maybe some tea towels for the kitchen.

Acrylic paint is permanent so be careful that you don't get it on your clothes or furniture and allow it to dry before washing the shirt. You can wash the shirt as you normally would after it's dry and it will lose the initial stiffness of the paint.

Meme for youyou

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

I haven't done one of these in quite a long time. It reminds me of MySpace ha! Buuuut Jess of IROCKSOWHAT tagged me and I thought it might be fun to share...

Rules:
1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their blog.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and link them on the post.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have linked him or her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tagging section about ‘you are tagged if you are reading this.’ You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

11 Things About Me:
1. When I was in 6th grade I wanted an undercut haircut so bad but my mom wouldn't let me so I did it myself. Yeah, that didn't turn out great.
2. I hate whole milk. Or any milk other than skim, really. The thickness just grosses me out.
3. I actually lost weight my freshman year in college. I was the thinnest I've ever been. I credit not having a car or junk food nearby.
4. I never had any body issues until I moved to the mainland United States.
5. I want a tattoo so bad but I'm chicken.
6. I hate writing to the point that one of the main reasons I became an art major was I didn't have to write a thesis.
7. I like to eat tofu plain and uncooked.
8. I am a Baha'i which explains why I don't celebrate Christmas.
9. As I get older the more scared I am to do crazy things. I just keep thinking I'll break my leg or neck or something.
10. I love clothes but have a hard time picking shoes. So I have clothes I can't wear because I don't have shoes that go.
11. My favorite thing to eat for lunch is hard salami on a crusty french baguette with mayo, tomato and red wine vinegar, served with chips and a pepsi. Perfect.

Jess' QUESTIONS-
1. If you could get paid really well to do what you totally love, what would it be? It could be anything! Could I be a professional bum? No? Ok, then probably to take photographs :)
2. Who is your celebrity crush? JAMES FRANCO. Or Robert Pattinson. Sigh...
3. What is your dream car? I'm really kind of digging that new Fiat, hehe. Or a 1970 Porche Carrera.
4. What do you wish you were better at? Meeting people in real life. OH THE AWKWARDNESS.
5. What is your food weakness that you will over eat every single time? Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
6. What latest fashion do you hate and wish would just die? Hmm...I can't really think of anything. I don't hate any really, I think everything has it's place. I'm more disturbed by little girls wearing booty shorts and mini skirts.
7. Your favorite iphone/andoid app? Right now it's Hipstamatic.
8. What is the your most favorite website? Amazon.com
9. Your top 3 favorite stores to shop? Forever21, Anthropologie (mostly window shopping), SuperTarget
10. What was your favorite childhood toy? Barbie I think...or Legos...
11. What really freaks you out/scares you? Aliens. Seriously, I have nightmares. I can't look at the night sky if I'm alone. The movie Signs had me keeping my eyes open in the shower. Also, spiders make my skin crawl.

My Questions for the tagged...
1. If you could live anywhere where would you live?
2. Have you ever done something to/for someone that you regretted later?
3. What is your favorite childhood memory?
4. If you could know everything about one subject what would it be?
5. If you could have dinner with 5 people living or dead, who would you invite?
6. What is your biggest worry?
7. What do you hope for your children?
8. What do you spend most of your money on?
9. What is your favorite thing to do when you have free time?
10. Do you prefer the beach, the plains or the mountains? Why?
11. What is your least favorite thing about the internet?

I tag Susannah - Erin - Mandy - Jess J - Elisabeth - Amber - Beth - Lydia - Larissa - Nova - Roberta

It's That Time Again...

2011-12-21T14:29:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! It's time for my monthly call for sponsors. I want to take a moment to thank all my sponsors throughout this year! It's been a great learning experience and I was so excited to be able to host my first big sponsor-funded giveaway this month. I couldn't have grown without you and I truly appreciate those of you who have sponsored me continually.

That being said, if you'd like to sponsor in the new year you can check out the info here or send an email to pamplemousse1983[at]gmail[dot]com. The XL spot is sold out for January but if you'd like to pre-pay for any month after that send an email!

xoxo
Maryam

Teeny Tutorial: DIY Cake Stand

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi Pamplemousse readers! Heidi here from OliveObserver. My best pal Cristen and I made these simple, but oh-so-cute, cakestands earlier this month. They're perfect for entertaining, super inexpensive and made out of stuff you can find at any thrift store.

Here's what you need:

Vintage plates
Vases or glasses for the bases
Gorilla glue
Spray paint, a clear matte and whatever colors you want.

And your directions:

1. Wash the plates and vases.

2. Try some different combinations for the top and bases. When you're decided, line up the vase or glass directly in the middle of the plate bottom, and make some marks so you know where to glue it.

3. Stick that baby on with some Gorilla Glue and let dry for about an hour, as per the directions.

4. Go to a well-ventilated area or, even better, outside.

5. Following the directions on the directions on the spray paint, give a quick, thin coat of the matte paint to the entire cakestand. This helps the color stick better. As long as that was a thin coat, you can apply the color almost immediately. Turn the stands upside down first and give thin, even coats. After letting the underside dry, flip them over and apply thing coats to the top. Let dry at least an hour before handling.

And voila!

One very important note: If you are serving food off of these, be sure to use a doily or paper liner because you don't want that paint touching your food.

Margaux Monday: How to Travel With an Infant

2011-12-19T12:30:00.000-06:00

As you have by now figured out, we made it to and from California unscathed and relatively un-scarred! Margaux actually did really well on our trip and it wasn't nearly as stressful as we thought it was going to be. Oh yeah, except for the fact that we woke up at the time we were supposed to be leaving the house.

Tip Number One: Set two alarms. I totally forgot to take my phone off silent and so the alarm didn't actually ring. It used to but I guess this changed with the new OS update? Anyway, we were lucky that my husband randomly woke up at 5am and looked at the clock, flipped out and woke me up! Which brings me to tip number two...

Tip Number Two: Make a list of every possible item you might need to bring for baby. Especially things you can't pack ahead of time like a specific blanket or pacifier that baby uses to sleep with. For us this was the Woombie. Luckily I had written all the last minute things we needed down so I could just check them off the list as I chucked them into the suitcase. Include things that won't go in your suitcase with this such as the travel stroller or the wrap/carrier. It's easy to forget these things as you're rushing out the door.

Tip Number Three: Try to schedule flights around when baby sleeps. Our first flight was at 6:45 which is around when Margaux wakes up and was less than an hour. Now since we had woken her up nearly 2 hours before her wake up time she went right to sleep on the plane. She woke up right as we were landing and was in a great mood. We had about a 2 hour layover which is conveniently the amount of time she is awake before she goes down for her first nap. We boarded the plane and I strapped her into the Ergo and rocked her and shhh'd her until she fell asleep. She slept for about an hour, woke up and played with us for about an hour and then I was able to get her back to sleep. She woke up about an hour later and we spent the last 40 minutes or so singing songs and just chillaxing. Everyone commented on how well she flew and I've gotta say, we were pretty proud of her!

Tip Number Four: BRING A CARRIER! During that first flight, the husband had to hold her in his arms and bounce her to sleep since she was a bit worked up. He held her the whole time she was sleeping which was almost an hour. Good man. Imagine having to do that through a long nap! Having her in the Ergo the second flight was so great. She felt secure and I had my hands free. Perfect. Also, if, heaven forbid, the plane went down, she would be much more safe and secure in a carrier than being held.

Tip Number Five: Stick to the (Sleep) Schedule. The first day of our travels Margaux was all kinds of messed up in terms of her sleeping. We tried to keep her on schedule but it was basically a big ol' mess. Not only were we on a time change of two hours, but she wasn't in her own bed or room which I'm sure didn't help things. Luckily we stuck to her sleep schedule throughout the rest of our trip and by day two she was sleeping almost as good as at home. We had brought her bedtime books and her white noise and stuck to her usual bedtime routine. The one thing we didn't do was stick to her nap routine, and had her sleep in the Ergo if we were out. I noticed when we got home that the next day or so she was very needy when it came to naptime and just wanted to be held instead of her usual routine of book and me putting her in bed where she would fall asleep. It took a few days but she's back to her old sleep routine.

The flights back were almost as easy, but the last short flight was tougher. The last flight was at 8pm and I tried to get Margaux to fall asleep at the airport but the terminal we were in had a REALLY LOUD speaker and she kept waking up when they would make announcements. So she was pretty cranky but we were able to keep her happy with lots of singing and bouncing. Which brings me to my last tip....

Tip Number Six: Load up on your song repertoire and put some episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba (or the show of your choice) on your iPod. We had an arsenale of songs under our belts but what I should have done was put YGG on my phone. I realized this at the airport but the episode didn't download in time for our flight. I didn't think about what a great idea that would be until we were at breakfast that morning at a kind of hoity toity place and Margaux was kind of cranky so I put YGG on netflix on my phone and she watched it quietly while we had our breakfast successfully avoiding dirty looks and comments from the peanut gallery. Luckily we were able to keep her calm with singing but it would have provided a good break.

One other thing I will mention is not to bring too many toys/books with you in your carry-on if you have a little baby like Margaux (under 6 or 7 months). Like I said she slept most of the time and really wasn't interested in her toys. The one toy we did give her ended up on the plane floor in two seconds flat. Bring toys in your suitcase for your destination but skip the carry-on!

I hope this helps those of you who will be travelling with a little baby during the holidays! I'll be writing another post like this in May when we get back from Margaux's first international trip!

Product Review: My Charming Colors Bluebird Hat

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I received this sweet little hat in the mail for Margaux. I've bought (and traded) a couple things from Jess of My Charming Colors and My Little Mustache before, all cute, but this hat IS RIDICULOUS. Every time I put it on Margaux's little head we get compliments everywhere we go. It really is the cutest hat ever. The colors are bright and vibrant and the little ear flaps keep her ears toasty. Also, unlike some of her other hats, this one actually stays put!

Jess currently has two sizes of the bluebird hat in stock (as of this post) but she's very accommodating and easy to work with if you need a custom size. Or a custom color. So hop to it and check her out! Margaux approves.

Hat courtesy of My Charming Colors

Hello Kitty Fisheye Camera and Danny Brito Giveaway!

2011-12-16T15:31:00.000-06:00

I'm super excited to announce that I have reached 600 blog followers according to Google Reader! I'm so happy that you all think this little blog is worth reading and that so many of you have stuck around for so long! I am really amazed by how much Pamplemousse1983 has grown and I feel like you all have helped me shape this blog into something I can really be proud of. Because of your help, encouragement and feedback I have decided to put together a giveaway to show my thanks. I saved up my sponsor money for December and purchased a few really great items that I hope you'll love.

I love decorating my home with prints and this one from Danny Brito is so pretty. The color is really neutral so it will go with pretty much any kind of decor. I also picked up Danny Brito's Stationary Chubby Book after noticing a lot of people talking about it on Twitter. I love it and just might have to pick one up for myself! It's full of notebook pages, plain pages perfect for sketching and even pretty postcards!

But, what I'm most excited about is the Hello Kitty Fisheye camera! I have a plain fisheye camera but the HK version is supercute! And the camera is so easy to use and yields great results. Here are a few pics I've snapped with mine (some of them look scratched, but that's my scanner, not the camera!)

See how fun they are?! Anyway, enough about me, here's how you can enter:

Be a follower of Pamplemousse1983! This giveaway is really for my readers as a thank you so whether you are a new reader or an old reader you need to click that little Join This Site button to the right. Just leave a comment letting me know and BOOM you're entered!

If you'd like some more chances to win, you could...

Like Pamplemousse1983 on Facebook
Tweet about the giveaway & make sure you mention @pamplemousse83 & leave the link in the comments
Blog about the giveaway and leave the link in the comments
Buy something from the Pamplemousse1983 shop & let me know what you bought in the comments

Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry! This is important because I will only be counting individual comments so if you leave one comment for three entries you're really only getting one entry...make sense?

This giveaway will run through 11:59 P.M. CST on December 31, 2011. Good luck!

Meet our December Sponsors

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hey! I'm Amber.
My Three Bittles is where I rant and rave and vent and ramble.
I share the funny things my bittles have done that week, the delicious recipes I've tried, the crafty things I've made, etc etc.
I'm a 26 year old from the South stuck living in Alaska thanks to Uncle Sam, surviving deployment with my three kids (4yr, 3yr, newborn) in months of negative weather and then a few months of nothing but sunshine.
I take too many pictures, I have a pinterest obsession and I'm a total foodie.

My name is Heidi.
I'm a 28-year-old newlywed living in Fargo, North Dakota, and working as a journalist.
I like photography, crafternoons, kitty cats, holidays, good food and the occasional run.
OliveObserver is a lifestyle blog, so I just kind of write about what's going on and what I'm interested right now.

My name is Jessica, and I live in the Northern Virginia area with my amazing nerd/worship leader husband Scott. I used to work full time in Small Groups/Womens Ministry at McLean Bible Church. I left this dream job to start this crazy but fun journey of being a SAH mommy to our son Judah, who sometimes wears a mustache, or a wig. I adore Judah and once you see him you will to, I own my own crochet business, a self professed thrifter, total encourager and love to meet new people. You can find me on my blog My Little Mustache.

Hi! I'm Jess and I blog at IROCKSOWHAT. Nice to meet you. I'm really into art and design and my kid and my husband.

Hi there! I'm Alycia and I live in California with my husband and dog Monty. I'm a huge bookworm and I love patio gardening. I like to blog about life, crafts, and inspirations from around the web. Come by and say hi!

Hey, I'm Danielle I blog over at Danfredo Rivera! My hubby and I just tied the knot last month and we share all of the awesome things that newlyweds do on our little piece of Internet real estate. Stop on over and say hello!

Wife, mama and musician living in Hawaii.

Green Your Air is a plant delivery company run by two moms trying to make the world a little greener. These plants remove toxins from the air while raising the style quotient of any room. Visit Green Your Air for more info.

I can't help myself from keeping it real about motherhood, womanhood, and personhood at So Dang Brilliant. The blog chronicles my adventures in pop culture, personal nostalgia, mothering, and self-betterment. My interests include being my best self, Elvis Presley, and admiring all things handmade. And boys! And ice cream! And TV! And boys again! I am also your biggest fan.

hello, i am kimi. i live in flower mound - a suburb of dallas, tx. i have been doing photography since 2002.
i love to just take pictures of things that catch my eye, especially things everyone else misses and textures.
i love doing crafts, cooking, hanging out with my fiance' charlie and his daughter kaitlyn and our animals (2 dogs and 2 cats).
my blog is my journey into finding where i belong and the craziness along the way.

Hi Lovely Readers! My name is also Maryam :) and I write a fashion blog for new moms and moms-to-be called Milk-Friendly. It focuses on keeping your style mojo during the precious days (or years) of breastfeeding. Recently, my family and I (hubs and two boys Coral & Sky) packed up and moved to Oahu, HI. We are very giddy to see what kind of new adventures come our way and we 'd love for you to join us!

I'm Lisa and I blog about crafty stuff! I love taking photos and coming up with simple DIY ideas to make life easier and more lovely. I have two little boys and whole lot of yarn. Visit my blog for a random smattering of crafty goodness. I hope you will find something that makes you want to come back.

I'm Shawntae, I am a mommy to the cutest little boy and girl ever!

I enjoy being with my family,taking pictures of our growing boy and girl,baking,trying new foods, shopping,finding new blogs on the internet,

being with friends and the list goes on.

I blog because its the best therapy out there.

This is my journal of my day to day life being

a mommy to Kingston and our new bundle of joy Navy.

My life may not always be pretty but

I wouldn't change it for the world.

Hi! I'm Shana from Shana Crane Design. I started out making accessories for my daughter and it grew into a small business. Luckily, my little one makes a great model to showcase my latest creations :) I adore making so many fun, stylish accessories including tutus, hair bows, blankies, and bow ties!

My name is Susannah Bean, a 25 year old midwestern lady who's crazy about vintage dresses, my kitty Mr. Littlejeans, and playing with yarn! I make winter accessories and crocheted jewelry which you can find in my Etsy shop. I like Tom Robbins novels, polar bears, silk scarves, and I'm forever searching for the perfect brownie recipe.

California in Pictures

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

Thursday's Things: Gifts for Kiddos

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hello there! Elisabeth of Manic Mrs. Stone here to show off some creative gift ideas for the kiddos in your life. These are totally applicable to any kind of gift-giving occasion - not just the holidays. In fact, my daughter's 2nd birthday is the week before Xmas, so I'm definitely using at least a few of these inspiring thoughts in my celebrating ;)

These dolls are absolutely adorable and irresistable!

What a great DIY idea. Kids love boxes and such so much more than electronics. Here is a bunch of tutorials similar to this one (note: it's all in French...but you have Google Translator ;)

Robot attack! Everyone has a baby doll, but does your kid have a robot doll?

What a great idea for entertaining kids while traveling or sitting at appointments!

Why not give crafting kits? What a great "experience gift" - creative learning!

Wise words from the best book series ever. Perfect for the bedroom wall.

A relaxation space is the perfect gift! I know I loved having a special place all to myself to go to when I was younger. Heck I think I'm going to make a tent corner for myself now...

xo, mrs. stone

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2011-12-14T11:23:00.001-06:00

I'm totally in my PJs right now. Margaux did not sleep well last night and I obviously didn't either. I'm spending the day cleaning (I totally just finished scrubbing the shower...holla!) and eventually going to the grocery store. Don't worry, I'll put pants on for that.

What are you wearing today?

Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

2011-12-13T22:59:00.000-06:00

Today I'm linking up with Sandy A La Mode and Much Love Illy for the Cold Hands Warm Hearts swap! I heard about this a couple months ago and loved the idea. I mean, who doesn't love getting packages in the mail? And full of cold weather goodies? Count me in!

I was paired up with Lucy of Chic Mystique. Honestly I was a little bit worried about the pairing because Lucy is more than 10 years younger than I am. I was a little bit afraid of the age difference but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Actually, I was superexcited with what she sent me!

I especially love that she bought the items during Small Business Saturday and a few of the items were even locally made! How awesome is that?! I really can't wait to try the jam and I've already had some of the tea (very yummy!) in the cheery yellow mug. Unfortunately it's warmed up a bit here so I can't wear the mittens quite yet but it should be chilly enough next week.

Did you participate in the swap?

Teeny Tutorial: Anthropologie-Inspired Paper Christmas Tree

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hi there, friends!! I'm Rebecca from A Daily Something, and just so thrilled to be on Pamplemousse 1983 today, sharing this little DIY tutorial. Last week, I was at Anthropologie in NYC and was fascinated with the store decorations (confession: I didn't even look at the clothing) and left feeling so incredibly inspired.

I decided to make my own version of their paper trees, using supplies I already had on hand. Hope you enjoy these little Anthro-inspired paper Christmas trees. (And I promise, it will only take you about 15 minutes per tree!!)

To get started, you'll need the following supplies:

*old book
*pinking shears (zig zag scissors)
*floral oasis
*something to act as the tree branch (I used two different sized knitting needles and wooden skewers)
*gorilla glue

And just follow these three easy steps:

I love the little pointy tops, but you could very easily make a little tree topper out of pipe cleaners or paper!

These are so much fun to make... Let me know if you try them (or if you have any questions about the process)!!

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Thanks so much, Maryam, for letting me share this fun project with your readers. :)

Rebecca

Guest Post: Amber from My Three Bittles Talks About Motherhood the Third Time Around

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

While we're on vacation, Amber somehow managed to find time to write me a little guest post instead of the usual Margaux Monday. Here she talks a bit about having a newborn and two toddlers and a husband who is being deployed.

I do this thing where I over analyze and freak myself out and extra worry for no reason.

So now that you know that little tidbit about me....

Two weeks ago I had a baby.

Cute, huh?!

My third baby.

My third c-section.

Tonight, my husband leaves to head back to Afghanistan.

So far I've managed this whole three kids thing pretty well. I've been pretty drugged up and had my husband here to help.

The pain pills are gone and so is my help.

I'm sure I'll fall into a routine like I did when he originally deployed and I was worried about being pregnant and having two toddlers.

But now, three kids. Two toddlers and a newborn.

I asked my husband the other day to not help so much so I could see how well we'd all do.

I say we managed pretty decently.

I see us falling into a happy little routine.

I'm not saying there won't be issues.

Or tears.

Or time-outs.

Or days I leave the house forgetting to brush my teeth.

But, like I said.... We'll get there.

So far the bittles seem to be adjusting nicely to baby O. And helping out the best they can.

They even made brownies!

Thankfully they were already best friends. So now that momma's a bit busier with little mister and a bit sillier due to sleep deprivation, it just means a bit more play time for them.

I have a feeling this little Christmas present from the hubby will come in handy.

I'm pretty sure I'll forget a million different things and I'm pretty sure wine might just become a very good friend of mine at the end of the day.

So guys, head over to my blog and if you notice I've disappeared for a while, I might just be lost in the wine aisle. *wink wink*

Guest Post: Holly from So Dang Brilliant Sucks at Art

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

The lovely Holly was supersweet enough to write a guest post for me while I'm on vacation. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hello while I'm gone!

Hello! I am Holly from So Dang Brilliant, and I have a confession:
I suck at art.
I know that everyone says that art is subjective, but I think everyone can shove it. If left to my own devices, even my macaroni art would cause people to run in fear. I have come to grips with this fact. And I have the answer for those like me who want to be artsy, as well as naturally artsy folks who want to advance their talents.
Art classes!
There are myriad types of classes for every skill level, and not all of them involve heading to your local rec center or shelling out tons of money. Here are some examples of art courses I have taken—and the results aren't half bad!

In-Person Art Classes
For classes that require a teacher present or specific tools (like ceramics or jewelry making), the monetary and scheduling investment is well worth it. I have always loved ceramics, especially since the boy I crushed on all through high school loved it too! I decided to take a ceramics class and see what happened; I did not have any expectations and I cut myself a ton of slack along the way. The results were beyond awesome—I even entered a small figurine of my friend Tom into an art show and won honorable mention! I gave that figurine to Tom, but I still have a few other pieces I made—a Pirate Pig mug and a Smiling Sun mask. The mask doesn't photograph well because it's pitch black, but you get the idea.

Online Art Classes
When I search for "art classes online" on Google, it tells me that there are almost 300 million choices to choose from. That can be a wee bit daunting for the uninitiated like me. I have sought out courses from people I trust to give me step-by-step instructions, fantastic tips, and corresponding photos. A couple of summers ago, I took a summer camp class from the girls at Red Velvet—in fact, I believe that's how I met Maryam! Anyway, every project was out of my comfort zone but extremely doable. Some projects were more cost-effective than others, but each one gave me confidence that I could get this art thing right. I was even able to make something to display art—these Polaroid magnets were easy, inexpensive, and eye-catching.

Teeny Tutorials
And for those who don't have the budget or time available for artistic endeavors, I highly suggest checking out Maryam's Teeny Tutorials. I absolutely fell in love with the ones that explain art techniques that I may not have tried before. Since Maryam is a former art teacher, she knows how to plainly explain the steps and provide encouragement. The first picture of this post is my attempt at abstract art that ended up looking like Invader Zim and the picture below is my closed-eyes portrait of my son Jacko. He doesn't actually have a Jay Leno chin or old man hair, but I still like it anyway!

So, if you naturally suck at art like I do, then check out your options. There are fantastic teachers out there who would love to bring out your inner artist. I wish I could tell you that I am a regular da Vinci over here now, but I can't. What I can tell you is that I know I can make a pretty good Pirate Pig Mug.

Just a Quick Hello!

2011-12-08T17:12:00.001-06:00

The husband bolted out of bed at 5 am this morning. Lucky thing he did or we would have missed our flight to California! We made a mad dash (of course this would be the one night Margaux didn't wake up) and threw everything in the car and sped to the airport. We JUST made it and since we were flying out of a smaller airport there weren't that many people so no waiting in line.

The gods were definitely on our side this morning because not only did we make our flight, Margaux was such a great little traveller! She slept almost the entire first flight and a good portion of the second flight.

We've made it to California and she's currently taking a nap while we watch last night's X-Factor. I have a couple guest posts lined up til we get back but I wanted to let you all know we made it. I'll be writing a post about traveling with a bebe so stay tuned for that!

Free December Printable: Thank You List

2011-12-07T10:55:00.001-06:00

This month's free printable is something super handy in my opinion. It's a thank you list! Who can remember what you got and from whom? The only time I've really been able to remember is when someone at my baby shower wrote down what we got and who gave it. This way you can keep track either for yourself or for your kids and be that lovely person who sends thank you cards.

I've made the lists 4 inches by 11 inches so you should be able to print two to a sheet of paper. If you don't have a program like Photoshop you can print them in MS Word by pasting the picture in and resizing until you can fit two lists on one page. It helps to change your margins to .5 inch on ever side as well.

I hope you like the lists! I made one in Christmas colors and one in fun colors for the rest of the year. Enjoy!

Download HERE

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2011-12-07T09:14:00.001-06:00

This is about to get real. Today I'm wearing the same thing I wore all day yesterday. And the same thing I slept in last night and the night before. That's right. I'm in my pajamas.

Margaux caught a cold on Monday and did not sleep well night before last. Reason number one. Yesterday I started feeling the beginning stages of a cold. Reason number two. It's flippin cold outside and I wasn't planning on leaving the house. Reason number three. Also maybe I was a tad bit lazy. Reason number 4?

So here I am in my two day old pajamas and three day old hair (which looks quite good here, actually). Enjoy.

Tomorrow we leave my brother to watch the house while we go to California for 5 days. Here's hoping we all feel better by then.

What are you wearing today? Link up in the comments!

Getting to know...Elisabeth of Manic Mrs. Stone

2011-12-06T14:06:00.000-06:00

Hi there! Who are you?

My name is Elisabeth. I am a (very) young mother to a seriously quirky 2-year-old daughter and another little girl that is due in March. I'm married to my b.f.f. that I've been with since we were 14. We live in Seattle and have big dreams of living on land with a companion cow named Madame Bigglesworth + our whole extended family. We kinda dig the community tribe stuff. For now we live in a one-bedroom apartment...and yes that means we are those people that use one, big, happy family bed and has a single dining room space used for 4 different purposes (eating, playspace, office, and library).

You label yourself as a hippie mother. What inspired you to choose this lifestyle and what do you hope it will teach your children?

I was not raised very “hippie” (is there a solid definition for this?) - I watched a lot of TV, ate micro waved steak and ramen noodles, threw cardboard in the garbage, bought only shiny new clothing and items, had ‘pet’ dogs that were sent to the Humane Society upon becoming too ‘annoying’, and used artificial Christmas trees from China.

I became who I am because I had my daughter. I noticed when I had a child that I was suddenly worried about things like hungry people, planetary destruction, [corrupt] corporate control over school systems, diabetes, and car accidents. Suddenly I realized that I couldn’t eat a McDouble without thinking about where it came from, what it was made out of, what I was supporting, and what effect that had on my kids’ planet and health. My choices would be their choices. My actions would be their actions. My attitude towards things outside myself would mirror in them.

Enter hippie mama – a label given to me by my dear sweet family that uses it harmlessly, of course. It bugged me at first to just be brushed off as such and such when I talked about our life choices, but I am pretty much embracing it at this point. All it means to me is that my family first thinks about each choice we make and how it affects ourselves, others, and our planet…then carries on with whatever. To me, it’s as simple as wanting to raise my kids to choose rolling in the dirt over television and choose feeding those in need over a fancy thanksgiving dinner for two. Simple enough…and that’s why I do it the way I do :)

You are a professional photographer turned stay at home mom. What made you decide to stay home full time and do you ever think about going back to work?

There were several reasons I decided to put the photo business on the backburner. One was that my hubby and I share one vehicle which makes things pretty difficult, especially when running a business in such a widespread area. I was also putting a lot more focus than I wanted to on running a business and decided to instead focus that energy on my daughter. It just sounded like a good idea at the time and so far I don’t regret it. Plus it would be super easy to get it going again whenever I’m ready. At the moment I am focusing on how to run a creative business from home with my daughter by my side. No need for vehicles, professional studio spaces, or model releases (ugh). Don’t get me wrong, I was crazy-in-love with my photo biz…but right now I am even more crazy-in-love with singing the ABC’s and having imaginary tea parties with sock monkey, furry rabbit, and Mr. teddy bear.

What are your three favorite posts you've written?

Well I LOVE my 10 Inspiring Thoughts posts that I do every Friday. I love being inspired and showing the world a bit of what's running through my manic head each week. So there's one. I also love this post and this post.

If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

I was sooooo just talking about this with the hubs a couple days ago.

1.) We would buy our home and add on to it so we could move the grandparents and a bunch of adopted companion animals onto the same piece of land, 2.)Trade in our Honda Accord for a minivan, 3.) Pull all of our family and friends out of any kind of debt they are in...clean slates for everyone, 4.) Adopt internationally, 5.) Set aside savings for all our kiddos, 6.) Give a certain percent of the money back to our earth and the people of our earth (charities and environmental organizations) and 6.) Find another lovely young family to help get into a home of their own.

These are a few things anyways...

Anything else you'd like everyone to know?

Ummmmm...I actually am as energetic and jumpy as my writing makes me out to be. This is not internet trickery.

Find Elisabeth on her blog, Twitter, Facebook

Teeny Tutorial: Yarn-wrapped Photo Ornaments

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Hello, Pamplemousse readers! I am Lisa and I blog at goodknits about crafty stuff. I also like to share some of my life as a mom to two little boys. I grew up with two sisters, so raising little guys has definitely been a treat. Who knew life could be so hilarious and smelly at the same time? I surely didn't.

Anyway, like it or not, Christmas is right around the corner! I'm here with a tutorial for little photo ornaments. I can picture myself in a few years crying as I trim my tree because my babies are old and annoying. I'll wish for them to be loud and cuddly again. If you have anyone you want to put on your tree--perhaps a child or beloved parent or grandparent--here's a pretty simple way to do so.

Supplies:
Yarn (fine weight)
2" cabone ring (I used wooden ones by Boye)
rik-rak
scissors
glue gun
your photo
Sharpie

Note: If you only have one ring, follow steps 5-6 first! Also, you might want to plug in your glue gun to get it warm.
1. Pull out a generous length of yarn from your skein and start wrapping around your ring using the free end. [An alternative to the cabone rings are curtain rings!] I like to hold the ring in my left hand and use those fingers to grab the yarn. Once you get into a rhythm of passing it around and through, this goes by quick.
2. If you run out of yarn, grab another generous length from the skein (the other end), snip, then use that end to wrap from the other side.
3. Wrap until the ends meet.
4. Make a small knot. Trim the ends.

5. Position your ring on your photo and trace around the outside with a Sharpie or pen.
6. Your circle doesn't have to be perfect!
7. Cut out your photo against the inside of the drawn circle. Trim it if you need to. Put it against your wrapped ring and see if the size is right. I had to cut a little more off the edge of my circle.
8. Place a thin ring of hot glue along the edge of the circle. BE CAREFUL! The glue is HOT and you can easily burn the tips of your fingers. If you have another preferred method of gluing, go ahead! You want to use enough to get the photo permanently attached to your ring.

Attach the photo to the ring and fill in any open spaces with glue. Snip about 3-4 inches of rik-rak and glue it to the back of your ornament. Write down the name of your loved one and the year, so you can always remember.

These are going to my husband's grandma. She has photo ornaments of my husband from when he was 3 and asked my boys to bring some on Christmas of themselves. I can't wait to show her!

I hope you all get the chance to make an ornament or two.

Many thanks to Maryam for letting me guest-post this month. Happy holidays, everyone!! See you around.

December Sponsor Coupons!

2011-12-05T15:18:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to tell you that a few of my sponsors are offering coupon codes perfect for holiday shopping!

Lisa is offering 20% off in her Etsy shop during the month of December with code HOLIDAY20

Amber is offering 20% off in her Etsy shop with code PAMPLEMOUSSE

Jess is offering 10% off during the month of December in her Etsy shop with code PAMPLE2011

Margaux Monday

2011-12-05T09:26:00.001-06:00

This little girl loves food. She's a whopping 18 pounds now! And not yet 6 months! Actually she's the same weight as her 1 year 2 month old cousin, haha.

She absolutely loves her rice cereal and launches herself at the spoon as it's coming towards her. She also loves bananas. She's had carrots and avocado and yesterday I gave her a chunk of pear-apple that she nommed on for a while. I love that she makes a face when she first tries something but keeps trying it.

Later this week we'll be boarding a plane to Costa Mesa, CA to visit my cousin and his wife. SO EXCITED. I'm also a little nervous about how Margaux's going to do on the plane. Especially since it's not a direct flight. But I'm sure we'll survive! We have our travel stroller and our car seat carrying case thingy and we're ready to go. Have any of you traveled with an infant? Have you gatechecked a stroller? How does that work exactly?

Real quick, my friend Kamika over at Searching for Serendipity is having a giveaway for an Au Fait Mama nursing top! Go over there and enter (or don't because I want to win it!).

Happy Monday!

Holiday Shopping with Stella and Dot

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everybody! So I'm hosting a kind of online trunk show for Stella & Dot. If you haven't heard of them it's a jewelry company that works through sales reps instead of selling in stores. Kind of like Tupperware except chic-er. The great thing is all their jewelry is hypoallergenic and nickel and lead free. Plus, everything is 14k gold or Sterling silver plated except for their hematite pieces. They even use real stones!

My favorite thing though is the pieces are handmade in India in a Fair Trade environment. This means they do not use sweatshops and the workers get paid fair wages. How great is that?!

They have pieces for almost every price point and these are some of my favorite pieces:

The Pegasus necklace is pricey but you could wear it with just about anything. I see it with a plain white tee and jeans or with a little black dress.

Found Here

My absolute favorite necklace is the On The Mark necklace. It's so delicate and pretty and I love how simple it is.

Found Here

If you prefer silver, the Peace Swap Charm necklace is pretty and perfect for the season. Peace on earth and all that jazz.

Found Here

If you'd like to pick up some Christmas gifts for someone (or yourself, no judgement!) shop here and then choose my name (Maryam) as the host when you check out! I'll love you forever!

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Drumsticks

2011-12-02T10:22:00.000-06:00

I've been researching something called the Paleo diet and in my research I found this recipe. I was a little nervous because I NEVER cook drumsticks. I usually just stick with a chicken breast and leave it at that but the recipe sounded so good I decided to go for it. Plus, I found out drumsticks are way cheaper to buy than chicken breasts. Score!Here's the recipe (originally from Paleo Diet Lifestyle)

Ingredients
3 tbsp coconut oil, clarified butter or another paleo fat, melted; (I used coconut oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced;
2 tsp chilli powder;
1 tsp garlic powder;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
10 chicken drumsticks;

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 F.In a large bowl, combine the garlic, chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper as well as the cooking fat. Rub the seasoning all over the drumsticks.Place the chicken drumsticks on a large baking sheet with space in between each to prevent overlap. Cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken is well cooked, turning the pieces once during the cooking process. I actually forgot to turn them and they came out fine, so turn at your discretion.

I served it with steamed spinach and it was SO GOOD. And they smelled amazing while cooking. Plus it was supereasy! I think we had one or two drumsticks left over but they were small drumsticks and we fed 3 people just for a frame of reference.

Thursday's Things: 10 Things I love about Christmas as a non-Christian

2011-12-01T11:23:00.001-06:00

You may or may not know that I don't celebrate Christmas. I am a follower of the Baha'i Faith. Since I grew up a Baha'i I've never celebrated Christmas, except once when we were visiting my paternal grandmother. My husband considers himself Christian but they did not celebrate Christmas either (which was convenient for me).

As a non-Christian you may think I just ignore the holiday (or not based on the title of this post). On the contrary, this is one of my favorite times of the year! You can argue whether Christmas is historically accurate, whether it started as a pagan holiday or not, whether it's over commercialized and on and on but that's such a drag. I really love Christmas and here's why:

1. The music. Yes. I love Christmas music. I could listen to it over and over. I find it so uplifting! Carol of the Bells is one of my favorites, especially the version from Home Alone.

2. The movies. A Charlie Brown Christmas, Home Alone, Frosty the Snowman, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both versions), Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...I love them!

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3. The lights. Oh, the lights. I especially love the white lights. So pretty! I grew up on an island so it never got cold but every year there would be lights on all the palm trees and it was lovely.

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4. The Trees! I especially love white or pink Christmas trees. I love them so much I would put one in my house but the husband is not too keen on the idea.

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5. The Red Cups at Starbucks. I don't even like Starbucks (I prefer our local coffee shop) but I will have at least one drink in a red cup.

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6. People seem more giving during Christmas. While a lot of it is centered around presents for the poor, I think there is a lot more emphasis on food donation and volunteering around the holidays which is something I can get behind.

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7. The shop windows. The windows at Barneys and Neiman Marcus are EPIC. I may not shop there but I sure as heck like to go check out their displays.

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8. The presents. Yes, I love presents. No matter the occasion, or who it's for. Presents are always exciting! Though we don't celebrate Christmas we do have our own gift-giving time so I'm not missing out, but there's something about presents under a done up tree that just gets you!

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9. The decorations. Even if there's no snow, everything is so beautiful!

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10. The sweaters. I love a good Christmas sweater whether it be good, bad or ugly.

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And there you have it. My top ten reasons I love this season. What's your favorite thing about the Chirstmas holidays?

New Month, New Look

2011-11-30T23:24:00.001-06:00

Just a quick pop in to let you know I've got a new look! If you normally read my blog through a reader, pop in and let me know what you think. It took me a long while and I'm pretty proud of it.

I used a free template courtesy of Pugly Pixel and some help from Google to configure some of the spacing but I really love it! I love the clean look and I especially love my new banner designed by Jess of IROCKSOWHAT.

Also, I FINALLY updated my About Me page. You know. Like you care.

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2011-11-29T22:20:00.001-06:00

This is what I wore yesterday. Maternity long sleeve tee under a maternity pullover with week old jeans. Full disclosure: I wash my jeans every 2-3 weeks. I don't wear them every day but at least 2-3 times a week. Is that gross? Also wearing my corduroy TOMS. Needless to say, yesterday was about comfort.

You can't really tell but on Sunday I crossed something off my 30 Before 30 list! #17: Dye my hair a funky color. I went in to my hairdresser and had her bleach the bottom half of my hair and then she put in blue, turquoise, hot pink and baby pink colors in! I seriously love it! Except now I want to go back and do more! I think next time I'm going to do more of my hair (I left the top half natural) and just do the blue and turquoise. I like the pinks but they didn't go on as evenly.

What are you wearing? Link up in the comments and go check out my WIHWW partner in crime Caitlin.

Teeny Tutorial: Easy Peasy Wrapping Paper

2011-11-29T15:41:00.001-06:00

Just in case you missed it, I did a quick tutorial on how to make your very own wrapping paper on The Paper Mama blog on Friday. Click here to see the full tutorial!

Margaux Monday

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

You are about to be hit with baby cuteness from this weekend. We are out and about running errands today as there is nary a crumb left in the house to eat. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend (or just weekend for you international folk)!

Just a reminder, I have a few Large Sponsor Spots and some Small Spots left for December! Click HERE for more info!Also, I'm having a Cyber Monday sale in the shop! Use code CYBERMONDAY for free international shipping on ALL ORDERS! Go get yourself (or someone else) some pretty pictures to put on your (their) wall!

Steppin' Out Saturday

2011-11-26T14:01:00.001-06:00

I actually have something to share today! We met up with some friends for lunch today and since it's colder today I got a bit more dressed up than usual. Tights! I'm wearing tights! I've been waiting for a month to wear these fancy mustard tights! And knee-high boots! And a skirt! Oh my!I'm actually superexcited about the boots because I've been searching for knee-high boots that don't look weird on me and these look great! I also have large calves which makes it very difficult to find knee-high boots that fit and these do. Booyakasha. Target saves the day again.

Jacket: Gap, Tee: Target, Skirt: Odille, Tights: F21, Boots: Target, Earrings: I forget! I got them at the Etsy Dallas Spring Bash earlier this year...

When I went out to take pictures my hubby came out and decided to take a couple with me. That NEVER happens so I was pretty excited. We make a cute couple, donchathink?

Black Friday Sale!

2011-11-25T16:30:00.000-06:00

Everything in the shop will be 25% off all weekend with coupon code BF2011. Go get something to pretty up your space!

PS, I'm guest posting over on The Paper Mama today with a DIY on how to make your own wrapping paper so go check it out!

Recipe: Nutella Lava Cookies

2011-11-25T14:28:00.001-06:00

Hi Pamplemousse readers! I'm Caitlin and I blog over at To Make Love Stay. Today I'm going to share with you a recipe for Nutella lava chocolate cookies. Yes, they are just as wonderful as they sound. As a side note, I have celiac disease so I substituted an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix for the wheat flour listed below--it worked great!

I'd like to apologize for the quality of the photos below. First, my kitchen has sketchy lighting, and second, my "good" camera died in a helicopter over Sedona and I had to use my point and shoot.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Nutella Lava Cookies (originally seen here!)

Yields 8 large cookies

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1 large egg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 scant teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
8 teaspoons Nutella
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place butter and 1 cup of chopped chocolate in a small glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Whisk the melted chocolate. Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir again. If chocolate is still not melted, heat a little bit more and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Then set aside to cool.

2. Beat the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder, then stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture.

4. Chill dough in freezer for around 15 to firm up the the dough enough to work with. This helps makes sure that the batter isn't too goopy to form into balls. Also, enjoy my messy freezer!

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I just use PAM). Scoop up about a tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball. Flatten ball in palm of hand and place a teaspoon of nutella into middle of dough. Seal up the sides of the dough to form a ball again. If you so choose, put a few chocolate chips on the top of each cookie.

5. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 12 minutes. Cookies are best served warm. If cookies have cooled, simply stick them in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Thursday's Things: Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-24T10:00:00.001-06:00

Ten things I'm thankful for (in no particular order):

1. My family (all of it, extended too!)

2. The privilege of being a stay at home mom.

3. Our health.

4. My husband.

5. My husband's job which allows him to work from home and enables #2 to happen.

6. Technology (I'm writing this post ON MY PHONE!)

7. Being able to travel.

8. Having a home and two cars.

9. Not having any credit card debt.

10. Living in a country where I'm free to practice my religion without fear of persecution.

What are you thankful for?

What I Honestly Wore Wednesday

2011-11-23T10:39:00.001-06:00

I have to post this real quick since I'm heading out the door to meet my aunt for lunch and then bake up a storm for Thanksgiving! This is a little fancier than normal since I'm going out but still WIHW. Why? I'm wearing khakis and a shirt I've had for maybe 4 years and a sweater I pulled out of the donate pile.

Shoes are from eBay (13$ shipped people!) and bangle was won in a giveaway on Campfire Chic. My pin is from Sunshine & Carousels and it's my favorite color ;)

No makeup except for a bit of blush and 3 day old hair. How's that for honest?

What are you wearing? Link up in the comments and go visit Caitlin to see what she's honestly wearing!

Easy Art 12: Printed Fabric Panels

2011-11-22T16:03:00.001-06:00

This is a great way to cover a large space in your home or apartment that can be done in an afternoon and is an easy alternative to painting a wall. It's a great idea for renters because the panels are very light and can be attached to the wall with mounting squares. I was inspired by this tutorial but being the impatient so and so that I am I didn't want to wait to collect all those paper rolls and came up with this idea instead.

What you'll need is a foam board or two (the kind you use for presentations), a fabric of your choice cut a bit larger than the foam board (if you choose a patterned fabric make sure to make it a small pattern otherwise it'll be too busy), a toilet paper roll, acrylic paint and a bit of plain poster board.

First you'll want to iron your fabric if it has any wrinkles. Once you have a smooth sheet, place the foam board on the wrong side of the fabric. If your foam board has any stickers or marks on it make sure they are on the wrong side so they don't show through the fabric.

Starting on one end, wrap the fabric around the foam board. You can attach it with a glue gun as I did or with a strong tape. I assume thumbtacks would also work but if they're too long they might poke through the front. Once you've attached on end, work on the opposite end and then the two sides pulling the fabric taut until you've attached the fabric all the way around and it's nice and flat on the front.

Now that you have a nice smooth surface to work on, get your paint. I decided to go with a gray and since I didn't have any I mixed some up. Just an aside, I usually only keep black, white, red, yellow and blue acrylics on hand because you can mix up virtually any color by hand! Squish your toilet paper roll until it makes a leaf shape. This will be your stamp. Place one end of the roll in the paint and start stamping away! This pattern is fairly easy. You start stamping in a circle to make the middle of your flower which should be about 5 or 6 stamps. Then you just continue stamping in the in-betweens.

Once you're happy with your design, you are going to cut out a rectangle of posterboard to make your hook. If you plan on hanging this with mounting squared you don't have to do this but if you'll be hanging your piece on a nail keep going.

Cut out your rectangle and fold in half. Then cut out a little house shape (two straight sides with a pitched roof) with the bottom of the house being cut out of the folded edge.

Use some glue to glue up the sides of your board but don't glue across the top. This will help reinforce the sides of your hook but allow for the top to poke out a little so you can catch it on the nail. Glue or tape to the middle of the back of your board and you're done!

Hang up your panels and enjoy your new art.