10 things: getting to know

It has been AGES since we've had a "10 Things" post, and so I am so excited to kick off another round of my little question and answer game with Annie of Elsa May. Can I just tell you how much I lurve Annie's blog? Top to bottom eye candy in every post.

Onward to Annie's 10 Things...

The last thing I do before bed is: check on my sleeping boys and kiss them goodnight.



If I didn't have to work, you'd find me: gardening or horse riding.



The last time I cried was: when I was thrown a good four metres off my horse - ouch!

My signature dish is: probably apple and berry crumble.



When I need to blow off steam I: head out for a brisk walk somewhere green.

The best place to be in the fall is: walking in the woods, or out in the paddocks on my parents farm. And the best time is late afternoon when the light and temperature are falling, and you can smell the woodsmoke from the chimney as you walk home.



I could spend the whole day: gardening or horse riding. A truly indulgent day would be spent curled up with a book - no interruptions, and no have-to-be-somewheres.



The book I can read again and again is: hmm...this changes from time to time, but Jane Eyre is a good "comfort" go to.

The farthest I've been from home is: technically (as in the most miles) it would have to be Edinburgh, Scotland.

The best thing about my family is: that they are always there for me, no matter what. And that I can talk to my parents about absolutely anything.

The words I live by are: treat others how you'd like to be treated. Oh, and try to remember to be kind to yourself (easier said than done).

You'll always find in my pantry: dark, dark chocolate.





Annie - thank you SO much for taking the time to do this. Means a ton. Your photos and thoughts have inspired me to get outside and breath in some fresh air!

xo, Kristin

(Images from top: Annie's "wonderful-mad-crazy boys"; garden; crisp; horse; walk; chocolate)

thoughts

I had a few ideas swirling for what I might write about today, but then I started reading this blog, and now my heart just hurts. Everything else just seems too fluffy now.

What I really want to do is shut off my computer, go pick up my bunnies from daycare, take them home and hug and kiss and hold them tight. And I want my husband there with us. He's been working late the last few nights, you see, and I miss him.



Life is so, so precious.
I hate that it takes tragic stories like Anna's to remind me of that.

Pinky-swear that you'll go home tonight and tell those special people in your life how much you love them, K?

xo, Kristin

(Image via here.)

october's gone by in a flash

Happy Friday, Friends!

Our weekend activities will be very Halloweenie -- we're kicking off the weekend by watching "The Great Pumpkin" tonight with the kiddos (followed by the third episode of "American Horror Story" after the kids go to bed -- sooo scary!), and I'm heading to the farmer's market tomorrow morning with a dear friend for pumpkins and mums. On Sunday I am taking my first Reformer class at a local pilates studio. Looking forward to the burn!

And I'm very happy to say hello to you again.

October's almost over, and I've been super busy with all sorts of stuff...

There's been cooking. Making our tummies happy and my house smell oh so good. Now if only I could convince Henry & Millie that mommy's cooking skills go beyond boiling water for their much loved "noodles."

We devoured Skillet Rosemary Chicken earlier this week. Delicious.



There's been baking. Something about the cooler weather makes me want to be in the kitchen every moment I can. My latest creation was Ricotta Breakfast Bars. My kitchen smelled amazing while they baked, and I didn't feel quite so guilty eating 'just one more piece' because they are chock-full of good-for-you stuff.

And now I'm busy narrowing down the list of treats I want to bake up for Monday's neighborhood Halloween party. I'm thinking a platter of S'mores Pops will be perfect, especially ones topped with black and orange sprinkles.



I've also even crafted a few projects. Like these ghosts. We turned them into Halloween cards. I've gotta tell you there is nothing funnier than painting your kids feet and listening to them giggle because it tickles. I'm smiling now just thinking about it.

What have you been up to? Any fun plans for the weekend? Maybe a costume party or a scary movie marathon?

xo, Kristin


(Top photo via Minimally Invasive Blog; bottom photo via Tip Junkie.)

my twosome turned two

It was just two weeks ago that we were singing happy birthdays, opening presents (scooters! yay!) and gobbling up homemade rainbow chip cake.





My little peeps are two now, and I am the proudest, happiest mama in the world.

spotlight: BHLDN

Somebody better stop me before I go off the BHLDN deep end.

They have everything you need to make a wedding or celebration special - plates, stationary, and things you never even knew you needed...





I could get lost in here for days, and I'm not even planning a wedding!

(Also straws, pedestals, and pitchers.)

PS - I am so excited for Dionne and her new job with BHLDN - I know she's going to do an amazing job!

style file: midi skirts

Totally loving the midi length skirts out this season...










(From top: Goldie Pockets Skirt, Denim Wrap Skirt, Button Pocket Midi, Colorblocked Sweater Skirt)

welcome fall

It happens every year. The mercury stops its climb at 70 degrees, and before I know it, I’m daydreaming of afternoons spent at apple orchards and eating homemade pumpkin bread just out of the oven. I wake up with a renewed energy to head out for my morning run – because there really is no better run than the kind where the grass is wet with dew, and the air is chilly enough that I’ll leave my long-sleeved tee on the whole time – and I have the urge to listen to Ella and Bing again.

What ratchets this year’s fall season up a bit higher on the ‘special’ scale is that I get to spend it with my newly two-year olds who are busily learning every new thing there is to know about their world. What a magical time of year for them! Things are changing. Leaves are falling, geese are honking up above, and Mommy’s busy baking tasty treats again. This fall will mark the first time they run through a leaf pile and pick their own pumpkins at a patch; this fall they get to taste how delicious hot cocoa is after playing outside on a chilly afternoon.

It's the simple things that make me so happy, and I can't wait to share these special first moments with them.


Welcome fall!

guest post at reverie daydream

Hi Friends - I'm so excited to tell you that I've got a guest post up over at Reverie Daydream. Scoot on over if you get a chance, and if you haven't seen it before, I just know you're going to love Mel's little space.

And sorry that I have been a bit absent lately, but my days have been crazy-busy. I'm hoping that changes next week.

If I can't get back online before then, have a wonderful holiday weekend!

xo, Kristin

wednesday inspiration

Images like this inspire the heck out of me...






(Via here.)

design inspiration: a gardener's balcony

Isn't this balcony - full of potted plants and flowers - a delight?



Kinda makes me want to grow eggplants because they're just so pretty to look at.

(Image via here.)

spotlight: perideau designs

Ah, birthday parties.

We've got a two-year old birthday party on the horizon (for two!) and already the wheels are turning for this year's theme.

Whales, perhaps?



I think Bridgett's use of bold colors and modern, simple designs is brilliant.

(For more from Perideau Designs, click here.)

coconut bliss ice cream

I think I might need to try some of this coconut milk ice cream...




YUM!

(Available at Whole Foods. For more info, click here.)

Have a great weekend, Friends! Do you have plans? Wade is going out of town on a golf outing and my days are wide open. I'm happy to fill them with long walks, a visit to the farmer's market and the zoo, and plenty of cuddles with the kids. And it must be that the weather is feeling more comfortable because I've suddenly got the urge to bake something. Hmm... perhaps this?
xo, Kristin

spotlight: farmaesthetics

I've read about Farmaesthetics online. The farm-grown, organic skincare products have gotten a lot of buzz lately. I never knew there was a shop, though, until we started on our run down Bellevue Avenue in Newport last Saturday. There it was just across the street from our hotel. I popped in on Sunday morning, and the apothecary boutique was every bit as charming as I would have imagined.

Every inch of the small space was considered - from the black-and-white striped awning on the storefront to the antique mantle at the fireplace. There was one whole wall of glass-front cabinets holding rows of glass bottles and stacks of tins. No detail was overlooked, and the result was a crisp, quiet space with a very old-world feel.

Listening to jazzy tunes in the background, I could have spent the entire morning perusing the lotions and potions. (And probably would have if Wade wasn't with me.)

I wasn't able to get all the things I would have liked (darn those carry-on rules!), but I still came away with a few goodies and a handful of samples the sales girl graciously threw in.




Next time? I am so signing up for a facial.

(Farmaesthetics Apothecary 144 Bellevue Ave Newport, RI)

newport

I've got to add a new favorite to my list... Newport, RI.


Cresting the bridge into town took my breath away as the view opened up to amazing beach houses, sailboats in the harbor, and vibrant, colorful flowers galore. It was postcard pretty.

We stayed in a lovely old hotel that stood among shops, restaurants and the mansions on Bellevue, which were so enormous my idea of mansion is forever changed. (Think 140,000 square feet!)

We wined, we dined (on plenty of fresh seafood) and even got a chance to catch a flick on a rainy afternoon. Oh, and how could I forget this? We slept in! (I haven't slept until 8:00 since before the kids were born. What a treat!)

It was the perfect long weekend away, and after only a few days there, I completely fell in love with this little city on the sea.

All that's missing was The Twinkies. It was the first time I was away from them for so long, and I missed them loads. I was so happy to see them when we got home! (and it made leaving all that much easier.)

(Image via here.)

spotlight: little brown pen

The Paris Color Project.

Capturing the loveliness of Paris one photograph at a time...







Wouldn't it be amazing to go on a picture-taking adventure with Nichole and Evan of Little Brown Pen?

(To see the rest of the collection or to purchase, click here.)

recipe to try: banana cream pie

Mel wrote about this pie over a month ago, and I am still thinking about it!

(I suppose it doesn't help that I have it saved in my favorites, and the words banana! cream! pie! stand out to me like they're in neon.)

I think it's high time I make one...




And I am definitely going to follow Mel's advice and save a piece for breakfast. yum!

design inspiration - white bath

Probably my favorite thing about a room is when there's a mix of old and new. Pieces that have been well-loved and with a story to tell that are living side-by-side with new pieces that have been thoughtfully selected.

Kind of like this bathroom with its old, chipped bench and sleek glass-walled shower.

I'm going just a little bit gaga over it...




Just a titch.

I wish I could see the rest of the room!

(Image via here.)

a weekend in newport

[UPDATE: sorry that i'm posting this again, but i'm trying to figure out why there are problems linking the photos. argh! any suggestions?]

A few months ago over dinner at my sister's house, she casually mentioned that she'd love to take the kids for a weekend so Wade and I could get away and celebrate our anniversary. Of course we are thrilled to take her up on it! (I honestly could not leave them in more capable hands.) And I'm so excited that our weekend away is nearly upon us -- next weekend, to be exact!

We're heading to Newport, RI, which I have heard nothing but good things about. I'm already daydreaming about lobster rolls, lazing at the beach and sleeping in.

And now I've got to think about what to pack.

Here are some day and night outfits I put together that I think would be lovely for a weekend away with the hubs...








Are any of you familiar with Newport and do you have some recommendations for things to do? I'd love if you shared!
xo, Kristin

(For day: tank, sunglasses, espadrilles, earrings, shorts, purse)
(For night: dress, necklace, clutch, sandals, perfume)

chicago fave: the doughnut vault

I would like to introduce you to a new favorite place...


(The Doughnut Vault)


I don't know how long this little spot where heaven meets earth has been open, but I've gotta tell you, the doughnuts are so good! And I don't even consider myself a doughnut person. Well, until now at least.

There are only so many delectable doughnuts churned out each day, and so if you get there late you might just be out of luck. It's genius, actually. Tell someone that she might not be able to have something, and of course she's going to want it more! Most mornings you'll see a line of hungry peeps out the door waiting to get their doughnut fix.

Lucky me, The Doughnut Vault just happens to be down the street from my office.

And yes, I am more than willing to get in line...



Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!
xo, Kristin

precious metal

Oh my!


Love.love.love this heart necklace handmade by Rebecca Overmann in her San Francisco studio and available here. Wouldn't it be cool to see her in action on a studio tour? Jewelry making is definitely on my bucket list.

If you have time, check out the rest of Rebecca's latest collection. Her wedding bands are gorgeous!


PS - Builty By Wendy is having a summer sale. Happy shopping!

vacation

A week away from it all...



The kids and I took a trip to my parent's house in Wisconsin last week for a much-needed vacation. A week away in a quiet suburban neighborhood with nothing to do but play outside in the fresh air did wonders for us all. (I don't think my kids have ever slept better - or gotten dirtier!) My biggest concern was to remember to reapply our sunscreen. It was easy, breezy vacation living.

And for the first time in a long time, I can honestly say that I feel rested. Really rested. Since I've become a mom to twins, I've gotten used to feeling at least a little bit tired (if not completely exhausted) much of the time. They wear me out! I guess it's a rite of mommyhood.

So this little break from normal, this little trip away where we didn't have anything to do but enjoy each other's company was everything I could have asked for.

(My daily afternoon naps were pretty nice, too.)

PS - Happy belated Fourth of July! Hope you had a spectacular holiday weekend!

(Image via here).

beach beauty

A little slice of heaven...


If I concentrate hard enough, I can almost hear the waves rolling in.

(Image via here.)

spotlight: rikshaw design

Beware the cuteness!

When you click through to Rikshaw Design, you may start to feel a little giggly and find yourself imagining all the little people in your life donning pieces from their block-printed apparel collection...



Especially those bloomers! I'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't melt at the sight of those little ruffly bottoms toddling by.

(Click to see more sundresses and bloomers.)

a happy moment

I had one of those moments yesterday. One of those aha! moments when my mind was completely, 100% focused on the present. And it was wonderful.

I'm sorry to admit that these don't happen very often for me. Most of the time, my thoughts make up a confusing cobweb of must-dos... remember to take the chicken out of the freezer, add graduation cards to the Target list, do I have time to do a load of laundry? And unfortunately, that doesn't leave much room for smelling the roses, so to speak.

But yesterday. Yesterday, my friends, I was standing in the kitchen, putting together the ingredients for a strawberry rhubarb crisp, when I looked out the window and noticed how beautiful our neighbor's birch tree looked blowing in the breeze. How the sunlight filtered through the leaves onto the bricks behind, and I just stopped. My breath caught up in my throat, and I felt so happy. I was doing exactly what I was meant to be doing at that moment. And as that feeling of contentment flooded in, I had this wonderfully profound feeling that my life is so good. And I am exactly where I am meant to be. Right here. Right now.

As with all aha moments, it went just as quickly as it came, but not without leaving a little dent. I did get back to baking my crisp and tackling the ump-teen dos on my list, but even today, over 24 hours later, I still haven't forgotten about my happy, quiet, fleeting moment.

And I look forward to catching more of them.



This kitchen looks like a family kitchen, and because my family kitchen is one of my happiest places, I thought it was a nice picture to post.

(Image via here.)

paper art at paper trail

Perhaps it's the designer in me, but I am just loving the paper art over at paper trail...



Those iconic chairs!

(Mid Century Chair, Louis Chair and Cafe Table available at Paper Trail.)

design inspiration - pink room

Really loving this bedroom decorated for a little girl...



(Image via Tiny White Daisies.)

raspberry brownies

My parents spent last weekend at our house. It had been a pretty long time since they visited, and so I wanted to mark the occasion with a special treat. And since I come from a long line of sweet-tooths, I knew it had to be really, really good.

While I was weeding through my recipes, I kept coming back to these Raspberry Brownies. The recipe looked simple enough (kind of a necessity now that twins are underfoot!), and I'm such a sucker for the combo of rich chocolate and tart berries. So the decision was made, I mixed up the batter, sprinkled some fresh berries on top, popped them in the oven, waited - very impatiently - for the timer to ring while the smell of dark chocolate filled our entire house, and then proudly brought them to the table once our dinner plates were empty.

Oh. my. gosh. Let me tell you about these brownies. In a word, perfection. Rich, chewy, dark chocolate. Not too sweet. And with little bites of fresh raspberry flecked throughout...



Needless to say, they were a hit. ;)


PS - the only thing that can possibly make these better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Of course I speak from experience.

(Recipe from Sweet Paul Magazine.)

summer styles at lands' end canvas

I can think of a whole lotta reasons to add these to my summer wardrobe...



Starting with... they're so pretty, I could wear them everywhere!

(Dress and wedges from Lands' End Canvas)

loving sea green

I didn't realize it until I looked at them all together... but it seems that almost every thing that is inspiring me lately or that is on my wish list is a lovely shade of green.


Like this statement necklace...

This swirly pillow...

This scalloped dinnerware...

And this seaside bathroom...

It must be that spring is here.

bold bedding

Morning, Sunshines! Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Speaking of sunshine... we had NONE for the past three days. It was quite possibly the coldest, rainiest, dreariest, windiest May weekend in history. (Well, that I can remember at least.)

But walking out to sunshine and blue skies and the greenest, green grass and brightest spring flowers (thanks to all that rain!) put a big smile on my face, and so I guess our lazy weekend at home wasn't quite so bad...

And all that spring-ness outside made me think of this...



Bold, bright, colorful. Just like a spring garden. It would be a treat to wake up in this bed every morning.


(Laelia Bedding. From Anthro, of course.)

fuzzy head

Without fail, every time I sit down to write you something today, the minute I poise my hands over the keyboard to type, all the thoughts that were swirling about in my head just disappear. Poof! Gone.

I've got nothing to say.

(you don't even want to know how long it took me to come up with that paragraph.)

Because I'm feeling much too lazy to force words that aren't there, I'll just leave you with this...



This is exactly where I'd like to be on a day when I just can't make sense of my thoughts. Here's hoping a good night's sleep will give me a little bit of focus tomorrow.

(Image via here.)

it's hummingbird cake, y'all

A few weekends ago, Wade took me to Table 52 for dinner. Dinner was outstanding, but the real show-stopper was dessert. We finished our meal with one of the most delicious, won't soon be forgotten slices of cake I have ever eaten. It was Hummingbird Cake, which from what I've heard, is a pretty popular cake down South. And now I can't stop thinking about it!

The love child of banana bread and carrot cake (except with no carrots at all, but with pineapple) and with thick layers of cream cheese frosting, this cake has very quickly staked its place in my top five favorites list...




And I am so excited that I found not just the recipe but HIS recipe! online.

Now I need a special occasion to make it. Perhaps because tomorrow is Tuesday would be a good reason, no? I'll let you all know how it goes. And if you happen to have a recipe for Hummingbird Cake that you love, please share!


PS - Everything about dinner was uh-mazing, and I highly (highly!) recommend it to anyone in Chicago.

(Photo from here.)

wedding weekend

I am so excited to watch the Royal Wedding tomorrow!




I've got to remember to set my DVR tonight to start taping it from the start.


(Photo of these fabulous cupcakes by Caroline via here.)