the sweetest hats.

*red velvet cupcake hat by herbal nights-etsy*

this cupcake hat would make a terrific gift for christmas for my niece + daughter...(yes, i'm already thinking about christmas). i'm tempted to get one myself!

***she also makes the cutest knitted candy cone hats too!

*hats can be found @ herbal nights on etsy

via say yes to hoboken*

whoa.

*mac and cheese sandwich via flickr*

i couldn't believe my eyes when a friend forwarded a photo of a mac n' cheese sandwich on facebook the other day. he said in s.f. there is even a cart that sells them and the lines are super long! mac n' cheese is my all time favorite comfort food, but i'm not sure i could choke this down...

would you eat a macaroni and cheese sandwich?

p.s. there is also a pizza joint, ian's pizza, in chicago + milwaukee + madison, that makes a mac n' cheese pizza... they even have a spinach mashed potato pizza!

*photo by robjtak via flickr

restful.

*weekend resting + breakfast and bed*

the best thing about some weekends are that you have absolutely nothing to do. or in our case, we did have plenty of things to do + places to go, but we passed on a couple of parties, ignored the looming pile of laundry and dishes, and stayed inside almost all day. the days were gray and drizzly + everyone was feeling a little worn out and sick, so it was a well-needed and restful catch-up day.

the best thing about having kids on a restful weekend, besides making it always interesting + fun, is that they surprise you. lana lou made breakfast in bed: toast with the center cut out in the middle and a soft cooked egg in the hole. then she served the leftover toast circles with nutella + served it with hot chocolate! she knows me well! :)

throw in a movie: romeo + juliet (the new one) + snuggling, and it all added up to the perfect weekend...

did you have a good weekend as well?

friday love.

*coin operated boy by caroline (caclite)*

I found this cover of the dresden doll's 'coin operated boy' on you tube. i'm a little bit addicted to this song at the moment... thinking it will possibly be the next song i learn to play on my guitar.

p.s. i love her french accent!

happy friday!

wowee.

has anyone seen the new j.crew catalog for november? it has me super excited for for fall's cooler weather (which has to be coming soon...not that i'm complaining or anything!).

in three words:

tights.

sequins.

layering.

*photos from j.crew

sugar high.

yesterday, i moseyed over to milwaukee to check out my first ever iron cupcake challenge. what a hoot! you walk around and admire the cupcakes + booths and then you get to pick out 10 mini cuppies to try out. we decided it would be a smart thing to divide + conquer: everyone picked out different cupcakes so we could sample more cupcakes! and we noticed that for some serious foodie folks it wasn't their first time heading out to an iron cupcake challenge; they came prepared with egg cartons that perfectly housed their cupcakes (mental note: bring egg cartons next time). after sampling the goods, we voted on the best cupcake + booth! all in all, a sweet way to spend a sunday afternoon.


hope your weekend was just as sweet!

book art.

*recycled book display by paper n stitch blog*

around here, it's no secret books are the bomb~ so i'm really digging this art display. and it's super easy too...just use velcro.

*photo + directions found @ paper n' stitch

m.i.a.

*macaron- a.k.a. little cheeseburger*

i've been up to a lot the past week! i've been trying to master the macaron, boxing up unnecessaries in the house for donations, coauthoring on a friend's beauty blog, applying for a passport {hooray + finally!}, and drawing up designs + patterns for clothing because i'm going to start sewing again. i'm also pondering the possibility of going back to art school or creating a side bakery business. and in the midst of all this craziness, i'm enjoying every little bit of this bonus summer we're having in the midwest! the fall colors aren't too bad either...

have a most lovely weekend!

sidenote: i went anxiously on tuesday to get my pixie cut and discovered i was 2 inches short of a donation. december will be the new target date!

pixie cut.

*jean seberg + pixie cut*

tomorrow i am taking a trip to my hairdresser to look into hopefully getting a pixie cut! i am excited + and i am a bit anxious. it has been a looooong time (sixth grade) since i had my hair this short. and i cried after it was done. this time though, my hair will be measured to see if it's long enough to be donated to locks of love {i so hope!}. i'm excited for a new 'do + i will miss having long hair. but it will grow it out again and i'm looking forward to dressing more feminine + wearing fun lipsticks to balance the short cut! plus, how can i be sad knowing that my hair is going to such a great cause?

photo via~ hair on the brain

times square.

update.

*miz mooz clogs*

whew. i have a lot of catching up to do, don't i? somehow summer became a blip, fall is no longer on the horizon but HERE {can i get a hurrah?} + nyc is now a distant, but fond memory... i promise to post some photos tomorrow of the trip, but in a nutshell, nyc was fantastic- i think it has to be the most energetic + exciting city in the world! my best friend dine + i crammed as much sight-seeing, people watching and eating as we could, but i'm definitely ready to head back...i always say, i left my heart in san francisco. but nyc kind of stole my heart...

on another note, i did want to follow up on the miz mooz clogs i had bought awhile ago- i love em'... they are not only comfortable as heck but they elevate this short girl a little more than three inches- which isn't a lot i know, but i'll take what height i can get! even though it's technically fall, it's been a good transitional shoe and i've been pairing it up with jeans, shorts + lots of dresses. maybe i can squeak by wearing these shoes for another month...fingers crossed{because you never know about the weather around here!}.

nyc bound.

*photo by tim schultz*

it is 2:31 am and i'm still getting things organized and set for my trip to nyc. i am supposed to be "up" by 3:30 am to get ready to leave, but technically i never made it to bed so i will most probably stay up now. do any of you get excited and anxious before you go on a big trip? i am very excited to meet one of my nearest and dearest (and adventurous) friends, claudine, out east. i can't wait to see her and can't wait to explore new york city!!!

p.s i will miss the kids even though it will be nice to have some quiet time to myself!

p.s.s. and just a little update on saturday's concert: i did end up going sans friends because of the short notice. it felt a little weird at first, but then i settled in and the concert ended up being a lot of fun and i'm glad i went! i guess i am a little braver than i thought i was...

hello, new love.

*chuao firecracker dark chocolate*

i bought this on a whim yesterday, and oh my...very yummy and kind of fun to eat! i see eating lots of this over the weekend, packing for my nyc trip and having a relatively quiet night (the kids + their daddy are visiting family). i'll either be watching "an education" + eating some thai food or possibly going to an outdoor concert if i can drag someone to go with me. maybe i'll just wing it and go solo and see who i run into or meet. i'm still on the fence whether i'm brave enough to fly solo...

what are your plans for the weekend?

whatever they are, may it be fun and relaxing!

d.c.

p.s. if you visit any of the fine art museums with small children, don't let them get even a teensy bit close to the art. if the guards (standing from 1000 feet across the room) even think you are touching anything (which i feel compelled to say, we weren't) they will blow their whistles like you are a prisoner escaping from alcatraz...as we found out.

YUM.

*grilled brie + apple sandwich with roasted tomato soup

and little floating basil leaves*

fordy is playing his first season of tackle football *gulp*, and for us this means that 4 weeknights are devoted to practice, and starting in a week another night (or morning) will mean game day. i think it's insane how intense the program is, but fordy loves it...no LOVES it. i mean, he loves it like i love the beatles. it's his thing, and i can't knock it for that reason.

so tonight, time being tight and smack dab in a middle of the summer dinner rut, i asked what could i make? and i fell back on a family favorite that is both fast and easy, but a more *ahem* doctored up version. my criteria was that it had to be healthy and for me vegetarian, and using ingredients i had in-house.

the solution: grilled brie + apple sandwiches and michael chiarello's roasted tomato soup. because of this recipe, i will never ever (never ever ever) eat campbell's tomato soup again. i used canned tomatoes, but if you have an overabundance of tomatoes, please make this soup! the extra step of roasting them really enhances the flavor and it's so fresh, lana and fordy prefer it over any soup that i've made.

here is the recipe if you'd like to give it a go:

michael chiarello's homeade tomato soup (via food network):

Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

*i substituted vegetable stock for the chicken stock and also used milk instead of cream, just to make it a little lighter.

(and thought i'd show and tell a photo of the little man in uniform...the photo doesn't emphasize it, but the shoulder pads are HUGE. makes me giggle everytime i see him).

living in amelie.

*living in amelia via design sponge*

awesome.

love the movie and love the re-creation...

p.s. thinking i need one of those zorro masks and black hat!

clogs.

*miz mooz hazel clogs*

clogs seem to be all the rage right now... and would i love me some swedish hasbeen super high peeptoes? boy oh boy would i ever. i've tried to convince myself that they are worth every penny spent because they are quality-made, comfortable and i'm pretty sure they would compliment almost any dress, leggings, shorts, and skinny jeans that i own or would ever wear. but at over $200 they're a wee bit out of my budget right now...(boo hoo).

after searching quite awhile online on etsy for vintage clogs and i think every possible online shoe website for a suitable substitution, i came across some miz mooz clogs on sale for $79.99 at piperlime. plus i had a $20 reward coupon to go towards it so for the money i'm dishing out, i really can't shake a stick at them. i'm still awaiting their arrival, so fingers crossed they'll be perfect.

happy monday (and august) !

*photo by susan abo photography*

yes, i was m.i.a. last month...july was truly a whirlwind! just got back from d.c. and have one week to decompress + get things back to normal before i whisk off to nyc. i will post some about our trip and adventure to the capital this week. promise.

so just this super cute photo today:

because mondays should be powered by cuteness.

hooray! it's friday.

*the cure- friday i'm in love*

i'm always happy when it's friday + a holiday weekend to boot. no solid plans for the festivities yet, but i know it will include some sparklers and some yummy dessert!

happy friday and hopes for a safe and fun-filled fourth!

opportunity knocking.

*i left my heart in s.f.*

i've been propositioned to fly back to the bay area next week to pick up my niece so that she can spend a month or so bouncing between our family and oma + poppa. my sister and best friend will buy my ticket, i'll have a place to stay, i can have a relaxing couple of days to roam the city and visit the beach. i'm waffling a bit because i was just there in march for a family vacation (which was very, very fun but also very hectic and jam-packed). i was glad that we were able to fit in multiple trips to the city, but as a result only squeezed in a 30 minute stay at the beach- which in my books is a crime. so i'd be able to get some quality beach time in...

trips are already planned this summer for d.c. + nyc, so i'm not sure i can fit this in my already hectic summer already...but i'm sorely tempted!

should i?
or
shouldn't i?

ay yi yi...

*if anyone knows who shot the photo above, please give me a shout as i'd like to give the artist credit.

poached eggs and day one: relearning how to eat.

*poached egg over blinged out toast*

are you anything like me in the morning? checking emails, making breakfast for the kids, throwing that last load of wash left overnight in the washer in the dryer, writing checks out for a couple of bills that need to get out...you get the drift. usually i'm standing up shoveling a couple of bites of breakfast in my mouth whilst multi-tasking and not giving proper respect to the food i'm eating. this summer my goal is not only to break out of my meal eating rut, but to simply just slow down and enjoy my food.

today (day one of not eating on the run) i actually did sit down and enjoy a poached egg over wheat toast smothered with cream cheese, fresh basil from our porch, a sprinkling of salt (no sea salt in the house-alas) and pepper, then drizzled with olive oil. heaven!

it had been awhile since i had a poached egg, but in the past week we've eaten them like three times and can't get enough of them. i have fond memories of my dad making these on sunday mornings and their wiggly, jiggly gooeyness over toast. if you want to hone your poached egg making skills, head over to the heart of light blog where i found my recent inspiration. rachel also has a link to smitten kitchen that shows step by step how to successfully poach an egg sans fancy, schmancy poaching pot.

be warned, if you do make these, you'll prolly be eating these for weeks...

*inspiration for breakfast found at the new domestic blog- a lovely blog, i might add*

currently loving.

*crossover body bag by rennes le chateau- etsy*

i've been looking on the market for awhile for a multi-purpose, leather (optional but preferred), simple, cognac colored bag although i'm willing to fudge on the color as long as it's a brown color. i am picky... so picky! i'm not huge on labels advertising the designer or lots of hardware on my purse. i love me a big bag, but not so big i look funny hauling it around town on my 5'2 frame. price is always a consideration and quality is a must and i love finding exactly what i want on etsy.

this bag fits the bill, the only thing, it's a little bit pricey... oh, poor me! i'll be saving my pennies for awhile...

simple things.

*watching the clouds go by*

this weekend included lots of relaxing and cloud watching (big, fluffy, puffy, summery clouds), fitting in some time playing monopoly in which fordy CLEANED house (understatement) and playing some guitar with my dad which i loved and don't get to do very often. it was fabulous albeit short!

hope your weekend was just as groovy!

yay for fridays.

*miss elena playing in the rain*

we love rain and thunderstorms around here *, and the next week promises a bit of both. as i write this the sky is lighting up with crazy neon zigzags and making the sky look purple. it is awesome to watch.

today it was not so awesome when i got caught in a fast approaching thunderstorm and had to ride my bike home with thunder and lightning on the horizon. i was trying to beat out the storm all the while having visions of me getting pinged off my 1942 airflyte with a stealthy bolt of lightning and zinging through the air.

halfway home it was apparent i wasn't going to make it. hooray for trusting + friendly neighbors to the rescue (i love the midwest)! thanks to amy, the random person that unknowingly opened her door to me and whom i just met. she kindly gave me shelter to wait out the storm and let me use her phone to call someone to help bail me out. amy, you are the cat's pajamas!

needless to say, this weekend started out kind of exciting. i'm all about the sun, but i'm actually looking forward to some rain so i can get some projects done, do a little bit of baking, dabble in some art, and continue an ongoing monopoly game with the family. i'll share on monday.

happy friday and happy father's day to all the dad's out there!

*i should add that everyone loves storms except our poor pup, sake...she is terrified and has an all-around terrible time with the racket. the vet said to have her wear a tight t-shirt to help calm her down...if anyone has any suggestions, i would love them.

oy.

*photo by talia twillight photography*

today was almost perfect:

alfresco dining with charming company on a most gorgeous sunny day and noshing on the best black bean burger i've ever had...fabulous.

smiling at everyone i met whilst doing errands all afternoon with a big black bean stuck in between my front tooth and not having any inkling about it until i got home...not so fabulous.

well, at least i know now why the cute guy behind the counter looked at me funny-like.

a simple hello.

*photograph via tumblr*

hello,

to quote gwen stefani, "i'm just a girl". specifically a girl named dawn and this is my blog of snippets, thoughts, projects, loves and things i am smitten with...basically, all the things that help to continue to define me.

that's all...

p.s. i'm glad you are here!