a year in pictures

a few favorites from 2009

december

november

october

september

august

july

june

may

april

march

february

january

merry merry!

francais

i know i have posted before about european dressing, and specifically, bonpoint.

but seriously, every time one of their emails lands in my inbox, i get goosebumps.

gorgeous.

i hope that someday, i will have a little girl to spoil with the pleasures that the french offer us!

reading

one of my new year's resolutions is to read more.

(more resolutions to come...)

my bedside stack is getting unreasonable and my library requests insane.

in the age of all-digital, i am so drawn to this :

a book-due calendar! LOVE it....

you can personalize, and keep track of all that you read and aim to every month.

via designsponge

late december

i really did have much better intentions for my blog this month, but life just... took over.

a lot of ups and downs- my grama in the ER, rehab and finally HOME!, penelope is growing in leaps and bounds, but is officially a "teenager," christmas crafting (still half finished, typical!)...

but then...

an amazing thing happened.

we got buried in snow.

and everything...

slooooowed down

and it was lovely.

but, just as quickly... we drove to the cape, shoveled ourselves in, loaded up a uhual (with INSANELY heavy furniture), drove it back to providence, got stood up by some craigslist movers, the locks froze, unloaded... yeah... and in retrospect, probably would CANCEL such plans during the next blizzard.

seeing the good in the experience?

my dad's beef bourguignon.

a glowing fire.

the lit christmas tree.

george winston's december.

and now... it is christmas.

and my projects aren't done.

and the gifts aren't wrapped.

oy.

images ryan schude and brain morris

mid-december

9 days until Christmas.

wowsers.

seriously... where has this month gone?

the saying really is true, "time flies when you're having fun..."

good things thus far this december:

weekends free of waitressing

birthday celebrations-

local 121 girls dinner

sakonnet point club with moms and dads

winter beach walks

christmas cards (giving and receiving!)

red wine

grama home

christmas crafting

house wheeling and dealing

baby showers

school plays

new york city

puppy love

...

it's going to be a busy week +

stay tuned!

(and hopefully I can be a better poster!)

baby shower brunch

a brunch is such a perfect type of part of a baby shower... a fresh new day, guests happy and energized, yummy food. but there is always the question of forbidden sweets in the early pat of the day. enter the perfect applesauce "cakes."

i was introduced to this recipe (which I've since adapted) but my mother-in-law, as it was the "family" birthday cake.

when i was invited to my dear friend Deb's recent baby shower brunch, i was quick to beg to lend a hand. these cupcakes were requested.

guilt-free for morning time, but wonderfully sweet and delicious, they are perfect any time of day, but extra- wonderful for showers, baby birthdays and the like... a minimal amount of sugar, whole wheat and organic... kid tested, mom approved!

for this batch, i wasn't sure of a party theme, so a simple pale blue and green was perfect. with white non-peril sprinkles and toppers made from martha stewart paper seals stuck double-sided on a toothpick. SO easy and chic.

Recipe Here...

Enjoy!

baby boy b.

my dear friend deb is expecting her second child, a boy, next month after a very stressful pregnancy. i've been pulling images together for her for months wanting to get this board up for her before they moved... better late than never, i suppose. at least it's here before the baby!

at long last, my ideas for baby boy b.'s nursery...

matouk crib bumper and sheets * an elephant bank * simple, clean, fun + CHEAP hanging lamp

love this photograph * modern yet comfy rocker * wonderful use of reuse- the rug

rikshaw's ultimate baby gift * nightlight * the bookcase he'll be taking to college!

much love, deb. we cannot wait to meet the little guy!

xoxo

babies

this, is an obvious MUST SEE on my movie list.

looks fascinating and adorable.

welcome december!

things i love...

weekends off

winter farmer's market

snow days

hot cocoa

flannel sheets

a good book in front of the fire

beef bourguignon

mittens

holiday decorating

sunday morning waffles

image

safety chic

my cherry red vespa is my favorite summer accessory
(not to mention THE BEST way of getting to + from the beach and beating the cape cod crowds)
but my boring black helmet is a bit of a bummer....

this helmet would just be the ultimate top-off

sewing class: project one

i started teaching kids sewing classes in my studio here in providence last spring. after a fall of the flu, the girls were ready and rearing to start up again earlier this month.
i wanted to do a project that required pretty basic sewing skills to get them going again, but also something that would get their creative juices flowing.
with just a two meetings before thanksgiving day, the girls pulled out some pretty unbelievable table runners (and managed to keep them a surprise from their moms!)...

i pulled a bunch of festive, fall-like fabrics from good ol' jo-ann's and had the girls start by sketching. they assigned each fabric a colored pencil and went to work designing their own patterns for the runner, which was put together like a quilt-top.

we made a team effort of cutting the pieces, they arranged them according to their diagrams and got busy sewing. and ironing. and sewing. and ironing. ironing. ironing...


once the top pieces all came together, they pressed it all again, sewed on a backing n their favorite fabric (the one with sparkles, of course!), turned them inside out, pressed again and stitched the bottoms closed.


the girls were THRILLED with their results, moms almost in tears, and, i have to say, i was blown away as well. they were GORGEOUS.

off to plan week three...

thanksgiving week

a hint of fall in our living room

shelves above the couch serve as my apartment "mantle"

favorite family pictures, wedding gifts and seasonal goodies, along with a little handmade love-

i am crazy for the "pumpkins" i made after seeing some of martha's

penelope taking a late afternoon snooze...

she is high on my list of things to be thankful for this thanksgiving

love love love my little lady

happy thanksgiving!

5 fab gifts

i met catherine, of rikshaw design, last year at a trade show and i was immediately i was blown away by her gorgeous products, and how friendly she was. seriously, she's got it all going on...

not only is she gorgeous, and unbelievably stylish...

but her line of block printed bedding for children is off. the. hook.

rikshaw just introduced twin sizes, but i'm still hoping for some full size sets

OR

shower curtains!

can you imagine?!?

well, this cool chick has a super chic blog that gives me dreams of glamour, even when i'm blogging from bed in sweats.

so, i was blown away and over-the-top excited when she asked me to participate in her "5 fab gifts" series.

check my suggestions out today!

sweet sixteen

cover girl on december's teen vogue, and just shy of her sixteenth birthday, dakota fanning is back in the spotlight for a role in the newest twilight film.

i suppose it's still early for her, but isn't it refreshing to see a young a-lister famous for their work, rather than their DUIs and sex tapes?

i've always been a fan, and i think these pictures are GORGEOUS and, age appropriate.

looking very kate hudson

still a little bit, "little girl"

pure chic-ness

thinking...

that my dear friend Pat would have loved this.

via dossier

renter's reality- the BIG reveal!

way back in june, i posted some suggestions for amanda, about her living/dining/ meeting space in the house she and her husband rent.

well, the room is finally pulled together and, i have to say, a HUGE improvement.

fun and relaxed, but "grown-up" from the college dorm days.

and, definitely presentable enough to meet with clients in.

without further adieu...

dining space

from dining looking to living

living space

from entrance looking to living

well done amanda and jeff!

more details about all that they did on amanda's blog.

all photos orchard cove photography