aeronautical stationery

here is a an aeronautical stationery design my friend dani commissioned for our mutual friend vanessa as a going away present. vanessa works for an airline that recently got relocated to the fabulous city of chicago, so dani and i brainstormed some travel-inspired stationery for her to keep in touch with all the houston pals that miss her.

the map envelope liners were a no-brainer because vanessa loves to travel. i'm constantly seeing the most amazing trip photos pop-up on her facebook feed. she knows how to take advantage of her airline gig!

juicing on the go & favorite recipes

eek! we're moving this week. as a general rule, we try not to buy groceries the week before we move, but we still want to avoid eating from fast food restaurants.

a great way to burn through some leftover produce is to juice. we do this a couple times a week weather we're moving or not... it just feels nice to know you're cleaning out your liver, getting loads of vitamins efficiently and treating your body well.

i never follow specific recipes, i just use whatever sounds good and is available in my refrigerator. i usually go two ways: sweet & fruity or mellow & slightly savory.

some people are automatic spinach haters.. but the flavor is SO subtle that you can and should add it to any juice. a cup of spinach contains ALL the vitamins you need for the day and tastes like nothing. its protects against eye diseases, has anti-inflammatory properties, is a great source of iron, has tons of vitamin B & C, is loaded with flavonoids to reduce free radicals... and on and on and on.

also, it's best to drink the juice immediately after you make it. vitamins and minerals begin to deplete after the fruit has been ravaged. this goes for store-bought juice too, which drives the point home that juices that have been sitting on a shelf for several weeks isn't very healthy.

don't be freaked out by the color of the juice... spinach makes things green, beets make things awesomely pink and sometimes you'll get a lovely... brown. it's all good for you!


the recipes makes two glasses, so share with a buddy.

sweet & fruity recipe 
half a lemon, peeled
1 cucumber, peeled & sliced (cucumbers help mellow-out any acidic flavors in the juice)
1 large orange, peeled & quartered
2 small apples, cored & sliced
1 cup spinach or kale or both.
handful of berries (blueberries is another anti-oxidant boost)

...want to add kick? throw in half an inch of peeled ginger root!
or just play around with it. add pineapple, pears, mangoes.. whatever is in season.

slightly savory recipe
3 carrots
3-4 medium tomatoes or 1 cup cheery tomatoes
1 cup spinach or kale or both.
2 apples, cored & sliced
3 celery stalks, shucked & chopped
1 clove of garlic (people either love it hate it)
3 beets, scrubbed & sliced
add pepper to taste

 just add water recipe
some people aren't big water drinkers, but a delicious way to get hydrated is to mix some freshly-juiced fruit with water to create flavored water. we had a box of strawberries that needed to be consumed STAT, so we juiced them and added them to a pitcher of water. it tastes amazing (really) and is a tremendously better alternative to drinking soda or gatorade... and a healthful option for kid 'juice' with a fraction of the calories.

do you have any favorites? anything that has surprised you?

 

pastel brights & mother's day

happy mother's day to all the mommies out there! special shout out to all the new moms :) 

here's a photos of us the day before our wedding.. we were turnin' it up to match the azaleas.

had to share some gift wrappings.. my mom LOVES to kick back and relax by spending her free time by the pool & on cruises when time permits. her gift was a little water-related so i made her a card to match. 

it was ART CAR weekend in houston. we've got the oldest, largest art car parade in the world and the enthusiasm behind this event is what makes it so special... many people use their primary vehicle and keep it 'arted-up' year-round. this beach scene was installed on top of a hawaiian-themed car i saw on my way to lunch on friday. loved all the colors!

and i was feeling in the mood for some bright pastels, so i used some tangerine, periwinkle & mint to fancy up my phalanges. i read somewhere that you suggested to paint on scotch tape, cut up the dry tape and use them as nail stickers. then a top coat to seal it down. worked like a charm.

we're off to brunch with my mama right now... i've got to satisfy my lox & bagel craving i've been having all week!!

 

seis de mayo picnic

last sunday we gathered up some friends, bocce balls, croquet mallets and some downright amazing food for a relaxing picnic at the menil park.

it was seriously the most beautiful picnic i've ever been to... amanda brought lots of antique picnic gear from her workplace and we all dined in early-19th-century danish style.

andie came up with a new fun game, where you read the new york times weddings & celebrations section out loud. it's kind of like people watching without being with the people, or our own version of talk soup. ah, if only joel mchale came to this picnic.

and then we abandoned croquet and put our circus skills to use. thank goodness nobody got hurt!

cristina won the award for most croquet-like attire..

double time! russ gets extra points for balancing on his nose.

duh. festive (and sloppy) nails.

 

good & honest marriage advice - bridal shower games

new item in the shop for wedding shower games! there's definitely a demand for non-cheesy bridal shower things to do... am i right? I know I'm not the only one. 

but there's still a way to do something. if you have fun friends and like a good glass of wine, the answers to these questions can be very surprising and funny. especially if there's a divorced gal or two in the mix.  the honest answers are the best!

go ahead, ladies. order them now.

may expectations ( + april wrap-up)

eeeep. it's may. busy time for us as we're moving toward the end of the month, which means we'll be packing-up from here on out. we're not going far, just a few miles south of here.... so i'll be getting up close and personal with a familiar neighborhood.

 i also expect to be outside playing a lot more this month-- we joined a kickball league, and while it seems to be centered around drinking, i'm actually looking forward to the exercise aspect of it (no joke). bathing suit season is coming up and i'll take what i can get.

here's what i was up to in april (and my fancy instagram photos too):

march re-cap

two DIY projects to bring some pink in your life

people who make things - sara lowery ng of noble house designs

my newfound love affair with texas dewberries

stationery shop is open for biz.... charm & fig

totes cray cray & ping pong ( look, i enjoy writing like a tween).

juicing.. this batch had a single beet in it. it's a pretty saturating vegetable & helps purify your blood among other things. plus, make's everything pink for a few days... :)

I'll do a full-on juice post soon!

mas sparkles por favor.

swoon for spoon. hey britt daniel.

margarita at tacos a go go in the heights! we'll miss this place when we move.

me & jon watching a friend play at a crawfish festival. sunny days.

mailing off my friends & family samples for charm & fig.

max was born!

me & max. just a couple hours old.

wahoo! sending off some etsy orders.. clearly, i need to purchase some stamps worth more than 45 cents. 

my home town is celebrating the arrival of its minor league baseball team and brand new stadium. thanks to my dad for inviting us! we had a blast. 

the stadium is gorgeous... it was definitely designed for families. every where you look, there's something for kids to enjoy... and pretty good beers on tap (saint arnold!).