inspiration lookbook: my birthday wishlist

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10 things i couldn't live without this week

1. after a few weeks of having to skip ballet (due to the hubs insane work schedule), i went at if full force. i felt like i was having to make up for some lost time. i was so incredibly sore come tuesday morning. like 'take one step out of bed and fall on the floor' kinda sore. and i am not going to lie...my calves...they still hurt. they will probably be better tomorrow....just in time to make them sore again.
2. the tuesday duck park followed by taco tuesday lunch date is really starting to become quit the tradition. but this past tuesday, i was pleasantly surprised to find one of my friends, lily, from orlando working at the restaurant. she was in town doing some interviews for managers and was just sitting down to eat some lunch when we rolled up. how awesome for me! so it was great to spend the hour over tacos, swapping stories of how we have been for the past year or so, and chucking over the boys antics.
3. we had an amazing story time this week. the boy has been so good at story time after spending a few months away from it. he sits cross legged and listens and answers questions and tells little stories. it's really cute. we love the lake worth library and story time!
4. the boy and i went to our first real beach playdate of the year. it's crazy to think about it being january and playing in the sand and sun, but it happened. we ran up and down the beach. splashed in the waves. and we both suffered our first sunburn of the season. note: sunscreen expires.
5. i finally opened my etsy store this week. i have talked about and planned for this shop to open for what seems like years. but i did it. i finally did it. if you haven't stopped by yet, please take the time to check it out.  i will eventually adding some vintage clothing and some of my handmade goodies. if there are any pieces that i have made and featured here on the ole' blog that you would like to purchase please let me know and i will list them for you.
6. i was asked this week to be a featured blogger for UK shopping blog called Shopaholic. I am so stoked for this opportunity and it just kind of blows my mind.
7. after the hubs crazy work schedule this month, spending the past two days with him has been amazing! i always love it when he is off, but these have been really good. we've stayed up way past our bed times trying to take advantage of every minute that he doesn't have to be at work.
8. oh man i made the best mac and cheese friday night for dinner (and i can't wait to finish off the leftovers for dinner tonight!) i used this recipe from country living, but added a bit more cheese and an entire package of thick cut bacon. it was amazing! by far the best homemade mac and cheese ever!
9. we took the boy to the fair last night. it was a blast. the last time when just the boy and i went, he didn't want to go on any rides. this time (probably because his daddy was there) we went on tons of rides. at first the hubs and i were super nervous that the ride was going to start and he was going to freak out and we were going to just have to sit there and watch him panic. or as the hubs declared...he would have jumped in front of the ride so they would have to stop it.  so we waited and waited for the first ride to start. i could feel our nerves getting higher. then it started. the boy looked a little unsure at first, but then almost in an instant a smile spread from ear to ear and he was laughing so hard. he loved it. it was pretty much on after than. he rode so many rides alone, and we even found a few that we could all ride together. we ate more deep fried food than i care to admit to. played carnival games. and touched a lot of stinky farm animals. the boy was passed out in my arms before we even got to the parking lot!
10. this may seem silly to some, but i have to say that this is one of the biggest highlights of my week....we finally got a new rug for the family room. i loved our old rug. simple cream colored shag. or at least it was when we got it. over the years the dog and the boy have destroyed that rug. the few beginning months of potty training is what really did it in for that poor rug. but now we have a lovely mustard yellow pee free brand new rug.

storybook breakfast

this morning the boy "didn't want anything" for breakfast. so i knew that if i was going to get him to eat i was going to have to get creative. after assessing what i had to make i offered him some eggs. that was quickly replied to with a very stern "NO".  then i replied...."would you like green eggs? you know like in your book?" his eyes lit up. he couldn't believe that i was asking him this question.  so i quickly jumped on it before he could change his mind (like he has a tendency to do).  i whipped out the eggs, green food coloring, and since we didn't have ham i made him green blueberry yogurt all while chirping out lines from the book. i think he got a kick out of it.... i did anyway. i am pretty sure the hubs thought i was nuts. 

for the eggs i simply added a few drops of green food coloring while beating them before cooking. for the yogurt i mashed up some fresh blueberries, added a scoop of greek yogurt, a few drop of food coloring, and a squeeze of the old honey bear. 

do you have any clever food tricks to get your toddlers to eat? please share them...i'm desperate! haha!

thrifty finds

i couldn't be more excited for this weeks thrifty finds! and with the grand opening of my new etsy store i am finding myself thrifting through a whole new set of eyes. it used to all be for me and the boy, but i am seeing the potential all around me! 

the first thing that  i found....literally sitting out side the door of the store just waiting for me... was this beautiful watering can.  i don't think that it's old, as a matter of fact i am pretty positive that it's not. BUT i have been wanting/needing a watering can for years. i refused to spend the money on a brand new, generic looking can. i told myself that i would wait until i found one at a garage sale of thrift store. currently i have been using a recycled milk jug...you know i am only kinda ghetto sometimes. hehe. but look at this beauty! oh she is just so cute. and $2. perfect. see ya later milk jug.

then i was pleased to find these super cute vintage seafoam green earrings. they remind me of gum balls. they are enamel coated metal, and while huge (they are literally the size of large gum balls) and kinda on the heavy side, they are super unique and retro. and with my current obsession with the color i am not sure if i am going to put them in the store or in my jewelry collection. 

also not pictured, due to the fact that he insisted on taking it to bed for his nap, the boy found a pretty cool monster truck. the owner of the store was kind enough to pull in down out of storage and gift it to him. i think that it was because he was so impressed with his chattiness. the old man and the boy sat on a sofa and talked for a good ten minutes about cars and life while i perused the store. love that place! hope you have a great weekend and happy thrifting!

thankful thursday: share a smile

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do you ever smile at strangers? i do it all the time. it was how i was raised. most people just give a half assed smile in return. sometimes they give a stare like "girl - you must be crazy". occasionally i get a dirty look in return. but it's rare to get a genuine smile right back at me.

i grew up spending a lot of time with my great grandmother, veronica. she smiled at everyone. all. the. time.  she was constantly telling me to smile. and was known for walking up to a complete stranger and demanding the same from them. as a kid i was so embarrassed by her willingness to tell people to turn that frown upside down - but as an adult....well i wish she was still here to help me brighten peoples day.

smiling doesn't hurt. so why is it that so many people walk around with such smug looks on their faces? many would argue that they don't have anything worth smiling for. this is where i demand to interject. 

{i can her my grandma's words running through my head and right out my mouth.} 

nothing to smile for? really nothing at all? you are here aren't you? alive? and well? you have a home? food on your plate? people who love you? is there really nothing in the world that is worth the contraction of a few small muscles in your face? smile!

i get it. i have bad days too. but if i smile out of kindness at you, can you please return the favor? and that's all it is...my inner kindness shining through. it's my inner sunshine. i am not crazy!

and now for you...try it. just for one day try smiling at strangers that you pass. maybe start small and simple. old people in the grocery store are easy....they will always smile back. start with one, then two, shit why not three. try it for one whole day, then the next day, and the day after that. next thing you know it will become habit and you will find yourself sending smiles out to the world (and people will look at your like your nuts too!)

smiles are contagious....and free. give them to everyone you meet. be thankful that you have something to smile about.

huge in the UK! hehe

UK lifestyle blog, Shopaholic asked me to be a featured blogger on their awesome website! Sweet! Check them out!

alterior motives

i am sitting hear mentally planning the trip of a life time! my sister haley will be here in one week. i get 48 hours to spend with one of my best friends. i am not sure that she knows exactly how pumped up i am for her arrival.

as i have mentioned before, i am much older than all 6 of my siblings. they range in age from 9 to 21....and me, well i am about to celebrate my 29th birthday.  haley is the closest in age to me (21).

it's been what feels like years since we have spent some quality time together. there have been a few short visits or getting to see each other in passing, but no real one on one time. and this trip in particular is especially important to me.

for one, i am considering it her birthday present to me! gracing me with her presence is about all i could ask for! and two...well two is my alterior motive. you see haley is recently done with college and at a point in her life where she is ready for a new adventure.  currently living way up in the pan handle she is so far removed from all of her family. i have been there. when i was her age i felt a little removed from my family as well, and i remember how badly i wanted to be with my sisters.

here are some facts about my sister:

• she is incredibly free spirited.
• she is far more beautiful than she knows
• she is a zoologist
• she belongs on the beach

here are some facts about lake worth:

• i describe lake worth as a bohemian mecca
• we can ride our bikes to the beach
• we have an awesome zoo
• the people here are awesome

so if you can't read between the lines here....let me spell it out for you.  i want haley to move to lake worth. bad. my plan? well it's going to be a whirl wind tour of everything awesome about south florida. bike rides, beach trips, zoo visit, maybe some bar hopping, adventures galore.

shops open for business!

drum roll please! it's official....you know all that news that i have been hinting about....well folks here it is. i finally did it. i opened an etsy shop. the shop will be stocked full of vintage treasures and eventually some handmade goodies! please please please check it out and leave me some feedback. if there are any of my handmade gifts that you know for sure you would like to see please let me know! i am so excited about the shop, and it kinda make me feel like i am gonna puke! hahaha

super smoothie

there isn't a frozen treat that the boy loves more than a smoothie. the wild berry smoothie from mcdonalds to be specific.  but packing a whopping 55g of sugar into a small little cup just isn't that appealing to me. so i figured i would give homemade smoothies a try....to see if he liked them as much.

ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1 hand full of frozen fresh blueberries

1 hand full of frozen pomegranate seeds

1 heaping scoop of greek yogurt

1 tbsp local honey

splash of apple juice

the verdict: the boy loved it! this smoothie was packed full of antioxidants and fiber.  in my opinion i thought it was way better than any smoothie from mcdonalds. we will be making more today! enjoy!

inspiration lookbook: seafoam

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10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1.  i have really been missing the cool air and beauty of north carolina. my dad called me this week to inform me that dates were set for a family reunion this summer. it's far off, but it really gives me something to get super excited about! north carolina here i come (in august).
2. we had been going through a few weeks of extreme poor behavior from the boy. not sure if it's because he's not in daycare anymore or maybe it's the behavior sticker chart that we are using, but he's has been an angel lately. when he's good, he is just awesome to be around. he's funny and silly and polite and super smart. i just can't believe how fast it's all going by. he's getting so big and independent.
3. speaking of how big he's getting....i was reading him one of his favorite books (lady and the tramp) the other day, and he surprised me by "reading" it to me. so i went with it. we took turns reading it to each other. i'd start the sentence and he'd finish it (word for word). i know that he's not actually reading the words on the pages, but repeating words he's memorized...but that's how it all starts right.
4. i have had some amazing luck with my thrifty finds lately! i am really excited to share some awesome news with you guys soon! i'll give you a clue...turquoise violets is expanding!
5. are you guys addicted to pinterest yet? i am. i so am. it's so inspiring and awesome to see all these images in one place. but i'll tell you what's really awesome....when complete strangers start pinning images from your blog onto pinterest.  the succulent wall garden DIY that i did a few months ago seems to be gaining some serious pinterest popularity. i think that i need to do another succulent project soon!
6. there has been some seriously good food coming from my kitchen this week. but i can't stop thinking about those banana bread bites. i am pretty sure that i ate my weight in chocolate and bananas this week. any suggestions for the next baking project?
7. the hubs and i finally did it. we got a years pass to the zoo. are zoo is awesome. not too big, not too small. it is mostly shaded which is great for the summer, and there is a giant water fountain for the kiddos to play in. so excited to spend the year at the zoo!
8. the hubs and i had an amazing craft night the other night. i may have tricked him into it, but it sure was fun.
9. have you seen the movie "warrior"? holy smokes....if you haven't your really should. it's a fictional story about two brothers who are mma fighters. such a great story, amazing soundtrack, and half of the movie is fighting. so good.
10. had a great play date with the boys best little boy buddy the other day at gumbo limbo. this place is amazing. acres of natural florida wildlife, a serious observation tower, FAU's marine mammal research facility, and a sweet butterfly garden all in one place. if you are ever in the area i suggest you check it out.

banana bread bites

as i am sure that you well know by know bananas are my favorite baking ingredient. maybe it's because i love them so much, or maybe it's because we buy so many of them. i am very particular about the color of my bananas (i like them still kinda green) so the second they start to turn i toss them into the freezer to be used for a later baking project.

this banana baking experiment came to me when i wanted to some how combine my love of banana bread and my love of  chocolate. normally i just put chocolate chips in my bread, but this time i wanted to vamp it up a bit. i wanted a bit of a candy bar effect. so after baking the bread, i cut it into little mini candy bar sized pieces. then dipped each piece in chocolate almond bark. 

these little guys are just so delicious! the combinations of the dense moist bread and the crunch of the chocolate....yum! i think that next time i am going to try a thin set chocolate so that i can cover the entire bar....maybe i can figure out a way to add carmel too....yum. 

thankful thursday

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you know i tend to think of gratitude projects as just that....a project. and the truth of it all is that sometimes the larger the project becomes the less impactful it is.  but instead why don't we focus on the smaller picture. you know "doing little things for others".  

i don't want this to turn into a "chivalry is dead" conversation, but when thinking about this subject i tend to go directly to holding the door for others. have you ever been leaving a store with your arms full and the person in front of you lets the door go right in your face? it happens to me all the time. it's infuriating! it's become something that bothers me so much that i will go out of my way to make sure that i hold the door open for people. 

another on of the "little things" that comes to mind are notes in the mail. i have a very good friend who is exceptionally good about sending "thank you for no reason" cards. i cherish them. as a matter of fact one is sitting on my desk right now to help me remember that you don't need a reason to be thankful.

so when approaching your next opportunity to show gratitude towards another remember that it doesn't need to be some big project. hold a door, drop a note in the mail, help a friend with a heavy load, pick up the phone just to say hello.  sometimes the littles things go the farthest. they hold the biggest places in the hearts of the grateful.

joys of parenting: facing your fears

so i need to start this story by telling you one very important fact about me: i am terrified of birds. not just like "ew..i don't like birds".....it's more of a scared shitless crippling fear. but for some reason, when the boy asked me if we could go feed the ducks i said yes. it is very important to me that i don't project my weirdness on him. he needs to decide for himself how he feels about those incredibly unpredictable feathered creatures.

so we got to the lake where we were greeted at the car by a flock of ibis. i have come to terms with ibis. we have them in our yard all the time and for some reason i am ok with them. so at this point i am thinking: "it's going to be ok erin....you can do this for the boy".  these ibis were not scared of us one bit (i kind of wish they had been), instead they were quite fond of us.

 the flock followed us from our car....

...and across the street (traffic literally stopped)....

...where it all converged in one giant flock. there were ibis, ducks, seagulls, crows.....you name it. every bird within a 10 mile radius showed up for this feast. and all i could think about was getting my eyes plucked out.

so we started with the bread. at first i was handing it to the boy to toss. then i realized he wasn't much of a tosser and all the birds were getting closer and closer.  i mean these guys were literally stepping on us and pecking at our legs to get at the bread. this is when the paralyzing fear really took over and i snatched the bread bag from the boys hand and frantically started throwing it as far from us as i could.  the ugly ducks didn't stand a chance at the bread. they were too slow next to their feathered friends the seagulls. so instead of even trying to go for it the just stood at our feet hissing and nipping.  all i could think about was what the boy would think about his mother if i was forced to drop kick a duck.

alas the feeding frenzy was over and we survived. this little guy stuck around with us the entire time though. i am pretty sure he was the one to first greet us at the car.

then i let the boy loose to chase the birds and ducks. this was my favorite part. all the fear that they had instilled in me was coming back to them in the form of a wild 2 year old.

 then came the squirrel.

this little critter was brave. we backed down way before he did. i really thought he was going to crawl up the leg of my pants.

this little lady was sweet and i really wished that we had saved some bread for her. she waddled up after all the chaos was over just quacking away.

the moral of the story is that sometimes we have to face our fears for our children, and as promised we will return next tuesday with a bag of bread to feed the ducks again. it's like exposure therapy. hehe.

thrifty finds

had some serious luck at the thrift store this week. i was so excited to find this vintage "p" cloisart pendant and the adorable vintage strawberry broach (that i am going to jazz up to make it double as a pendant). both of these items are going to come with some future fantastic news for you and turquoise violets.

i also found this shirt that i love oh so much. well i actually saw it on the sale rack at the bee's knees on sunday and didn't get it. then i spent the next 24 hours thinking about it and lucky me it was still there when i went back. and now it is mine in all of it's oversized bright red glory!

inspiration lookbook: missing the mountains

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10 things i couldn't live without this week:

1. the hubs was out of town for work early in the week, which is always such a bummer. usually i sulk and whine while he's away just wishing that he was home. i am usually bored out of my mind. but the past few times that he's had to go i have taken it upon myself to enjoy my night. i do all kinds of super girly things. you know like before we were married and i would have ben and jerry/americas next top model marathons. well, my habits of "me time" havn't changed that much, i still love stuffing my face full of ice cream and watching mindless t.v. (except now it's marathons of storage wars) what's wrong with me?
2. the boy has started the "why's". everything i say if followed by his sweet little "why?". while i have already gotten a little tired of the question it is really cool to see his little brain trying to work. i made a pact with myself that i wasn't going to blow these questions off as annoying, or give the "because i said so" answer. he's been asking some tough ones and i honestly think that some times he just gives up because he doesn't understand the encyclopedia explanation that i am giving him, but sometimes you can tell that he's totally piecing things together and really truly understanding.
3. i have been feeling super inspired this week. i feel like everything that i see i am taking in like a sponge and these miny story boards are forming together in my head. i feel like my brain is full of really beautiful ideas and images and words. at the park i am seeing sticks that look like dinosaurs, and standing in front of a wall full of hardware i am seeing really beautiful jewelry. it's funny how the brain works.
4. i came to two really awesome realizations this week. well one really awesome and one pretty sad. the awesome one was finally figuring out what i was going to do with my blue and white polka dot dress. i couldn't be happier with the results. and the other was that what i thought i had figured out to alter my favorite dress (that i have never been able to wear) was absolutely not going to work. it was really sad to have to face the facts: i am never to going to be able to wear this dress. wah.
5. the hubs is opening a new restaurant on monday and the past week was full of training and soft opening events. the boy and i made the journey south to eat some delicious tacos and check out the new spot! it was so much fun and so yummy! we even got to see my best friend and some old friends. it was a perfect date night with the boy.
6. i took the boy to the fair on friday night with some of our friends. i didn't go to the fair much as a kid, not that i really remember any way, and none like this. the south florida fair is by far the biggest i have ever seen. it was so awesome seeing the look on his face as we walked across the fair grounds checking out all the sights and smells. it was an evening i will never forget.
7. my mom and brother and sister came into town for the weekend. it was great spending time with them and so awesome to see my brother and sister finally acting like normal people and getting along!
8. my brother and i did some volunteering for habitat for humanity on saturday. it was so much fun. i love volunteering with that organization. you get to meet some really amazing people and learn some amazing new skills at the same time. i now know how to hang dry wall like a pro!
9. i got the most amazing surprise in the mail this week from my friend kelly. first off i have to say that i love nothing more than unexpected packages! and this one was a double whammy because it included on of my other favorite things in the world....homemade pickles. i can't wait to dig into them....i am waiting for the perfect occasion (ohh....maybe tonight with slow cooked ribs! mmmmm!). the box also contained some goodies for the boy and a jar of homemade sweet corn relish that i want to eat with a spoon!
10. this has been the week of bike rides. the weather has been perfect for toting the boy to the park in the bicycle. this is quickly becoming one of our favorite pass times! he finally has the patience to sit for the entire time and has really gotten into making up stories about what we are seeing along the way. i sure do love that boys crazy imagination.

rosebud earring winner!

drum roll please! 

and the winner of the rosebud earrings

 according to random.org is.....

so congrats to Angela! 

thanks for pinning the earrings on pinterest! 

thanks to everyone to took the time to take a peak at on of my creations! 

wardrobe re-fashion

i would like to start off by just saying that you should never under estimate the power of an ugly dress. in the picture above it almost had the power of making me pee my pants i was laughing so hard. the shoulder pads in this thing are out of control! hahaha

 i found this "beauty" at an estate sale last summer with my in laws. they all looked at me like "well i guess if any one could pull that off it would be you?!?!?!" they must have thought i was nuts, or they were just praying that i didn't decide to wear it to dinner.

 it's been sitting in my closet for months now. i couldn't decide what i was going to do with it. for a while i thought that i was going to sell it. then i was just going to cut it up and use it for scraps. then i realized what a gem i was really sitting on. so with literally about 10 minutes of planning, cutting, ironing, and sewing i came up with this....

thankful thursday

happy thankful thursday everyone! so here's a good one..."every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." why is it so hard to remember this? do you ever find yourself laying in bed reflecting on the days events thinking..."i can't wait until tomorrow?" i do it all the time. it generally starts about 5pm..."i can't wait until today is over". i say it all the time. but why? why not be thankful for the day that i had? so maybe it wasn't perfect, i mean it rarely is with a terrible two monster, but there are always perfect moments. like right now...right this moment is perfect. the house is silent except for the sound of the wind rushing through the windows, the boy is sleeping, i am sitting at my beautiful desk with a nice cold diet coke. right now everything is perfect.  or what about the moments of pure joy with the boy, like yesterday when he wrapped himself around my leg just to tell me that i was pretty. or the days when i don't have to clean any poop or pee off the floor. while maybe they are not perfect days, those are perfect moments and should trump anything else. 

in the bigger picture, maybe if we spent more time being grateful for the "good in every day" we would stop spending so much time complaining about the crap. i mean that's just a simple law of physics. there is only so much time and space that can be filled, only 24 hours, so why not fill as many of those minutes with positive thoughts.  realistically i don't expect myself or anyone else to shoot unicorns and rainbows out there ass all the time, but maybe 51% of the time. hehe.  so with all that said, this week i am challenging myself (and i invite you to join me), i am going to stop before i open my mouth and say "i can't wait until today is over", bite my tongue, and spit out something fantastic about the day. i may even write it down, just so i don't forget.  find the good in every day and make that the defining moment of your day. keep paying it forward!

you've stolyn my heart!

i just wanted to let you guys in on some more of our handmade christmas.  the hubs isn't the best at buying gifts, and that's ok....we are working on it. but there is one thing that he's great at and that's working with his hands. i am pretty sure that he can make just about anything that he puts his mind to. he loves a good project and i love that about him.  so when i fell in love with this necklace from bhldn i knew just the person to make it for me.

while it's not the exact same, i have to say that i love my version so much more! the hubs used an old beat up skateboard deck to make my heart necklace. i love that it came from something that he loved and i love that it was upcycled. i love that it's reversible too. so it pretty much goes with anything i wear, and i have worn it almost everyday since christmas. what do you guys think? amazing right?

p.s. he said he will make more if anyone is interested in purchasing them.

new necklaces

i have been super inspired lately by geometric shapes. there is just something about math and art combined that just really get me going! haha i am suck a geek.  so i busted out the polymer clay and started chiseling away until i had these perfectly imperfect black beads. then i strung them all together into some necklaces.

these are two separate necklaces that can be stacked together like the picture above, or then can be worn alone like below.  i am kinda in love with how beautifully they turned out! simple and edgy yet somewhat elegant. what do you think? have you ever made jewelry with polymer clay?