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FREE SHIPPING (domestic only) on all Petal and Thorn products, now through the January 1!  

Stop by the shop!

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10 Months Old

I can't believe her first birthday is just 2 months away.  Is it normal to burst into tears at the thought?

 

Siena at a glance:

• Has perfected her crab walk (crawling on hands and feet with legs straight) and cruising.
• Does crawling donuts (crawls in a circle over and over)
• Constantly humming little ditties.
• Able to eat bits of meat, like chicken, beef and pork.
• If Sisi sees, Sisi wants! I must eat my own treats around the corner, like when I used to sneak cookies as a sugar-addicted child. 
• The "mo mo mo" thing was a phase, and I was probably reading into it too much.  Her official first word is "da da".  Pretty standard!
• Is really into immitating us- she claps, drums, waves, pats her own head, and makes a "down" motion to the dogs.  She makes a raaaarrrr sound when she sees her lion.  
• When I'm brushing with my sonicare, she puts her cheek against it to feel it jiggle.
• Nursing 4 times a day (plus 1 night time feeding most days), and napping 2x.  Night sleep is a bit whack.  Let's change the subject :)
• Opens every closet and empties it's contents.   Forces me to keep clutter under control!
• The mini-tantrums have begun!

Her headband was inspired by the flower mart flower bundles that they wrap with newspaper and tie with twine. It's available here, at the Petal and Thorn etsy shop, along with the newly listed boba headband. Also, how much did Joe rock it out with these pictures?  The window one may be my favorite Sisi picture EVER.  Thanks hubby! 

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Flowers for Rachel

My good friend Rachel married her Jr. High School sweetheart on 9.10.11.   It was a lively, colorful and cozy affair, so fitting of the couple.  Rachel DIYed most of the decor, so I offered to do the personals.  Fresh flowers are the hardest thing for a bride to do herself; I know this from personal experience.  She took me up on the offer, and I was honored to be even a small part of such a cleverly-crafted wedding.  I had no plan really, I just headed to the mart early with a rough recipe, and tried  to pick whatever seemed Rachel-esque.  Gorgeous photos by Fresh in Love.

 Joe and I had such a wonderful evening eating tacos, gobbling Rachel's homemade cookies, and dancing under the stars.  They were such hospitable hosts. Rachel had to pick and choose what details  to focus on, as all brides do, and the ones they chose happened to be the ones guests care about most- tasty food, great DJ, yummy cocktails, and enough desserts to satisfy even me. Some brides buy a $6000.00 dress and $2000.00 shoes, but serve cold costco appetizers, because "it's MY day".  This wasn't one of those weddings!

See all the planning that went into this wedding on Rachel's blog Heart of Light, and 100 Layer Cake. 

*In case you're wondering, the paleo diet goes out the window at weddings and parties, and I'm ok with that!
*Also, I have nothing against Costco appetizers.  

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The Making of a Cocktail Hat

Pick out fabrics and form. 

Fleece it, then cover with silk dupioni (this takes some patience and perhaps bloody fingers.)

 Adorn with a veil poof and hand-singed roses in the prettiest anenome shades. 

Add the finishing touches.

Don't forget your signature!

Find a willing model.  Tres chic!

P.S. Thank you for your patience with my very rudimentary picture taking.  I'm a very many things, but photographer is not one of them!

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Paleo Breakfast Frittata

Joe and I switch off cooking breakfast every other day so that it doesn't become too much of a burden.  My go-to breakfast is a paleo frittata.  It's fast to make, uses up all the random vegies and meat in the fridge, and only requires one pan. I love my hubby's breakfasts, but he always manages to use every pan and utensil in the house to cook it.

KRISTIN'S PALEO FRITTATA  

(illustrated with crappy cell phone pictures)

*serves 3-4 people, although my husband could probably polish off the whole thing.*

Ingredients: 
1/2 small onion, cut into bits
4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces (Trader Joe's sells "bacon ends n' pieces" if you don't feel like manhandling bacon)
1/2 pound other meat of your choice (we do ground lamb, ground beef, or chorizo sausage-whatever is in the fridge)
2 cups of random chopped vegetables (anything you might put in an omelette)
10-12 large cage free eggs
salt, pepper, mixed herbs to taste (we use Trader Joe's "Everyday Seasoning")
1/3 cup cheese, grated (raw or grassfed is most nutritious!)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400*
• In an oven proof pan, cook onion and bacon together until onions are translucent. 
• Add meat, sprinkle salt, pepper, and seasonings, and brown (about 2 minutes).  
• Add vegetables, and saute with the meat (about 2 minutes).
• With a spatula, smoosh down the mixture so it forms an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
• In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together with salt, pepper, and herbs.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the meat mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese over the eggs.
• Put the entire pan in the oven, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until eggs are fluffy and cheese is crispy. 

 You will have no desire to snack before or after lunch, if you can even eat lunch!  Joe is down to two meals a day.  HUGE breakfast, and HUGE dinner, thus cutting down on our "eating out" budget so we can pay for things like grassfed beef and cage free eggs.  It all evens out in the end!

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Paleo Diet Update

I have indeed been going more and more "paleo" as predicted in this post.  I am now 9 pounds BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight, and my digestion has been fabulous.  At Joe's prompting, I even got a blood test to make sure all my levels are fine.   The only downside is that my hair is insanely oily, which I've heard is a common result of a high-fat diet. Yuck! Like all the butter I eat is coming out of my head?

I'm now 80% paleo, which essentially means I eat:

• mostly protein (only top notch stuff- grassfed beef, free range chicken, new zealand lamb)
• vegetables
• certain starches (sweet potato, squash, taro, and yucca)
• some dairy (kefir, raw milk, heavy cream, and butter.  Lots and lots of butter.)  
• Oh, and coconut EVERYTHING (milk, oil, water, etc.)  

I don't (or shouldn't) eat:

• pasteurized milk
• grains
• legumes
• white potatoes
• peanuts (which are a legume)
• oils made from vegetables, nuts, seeds (olive oil and macademia nut oil are the exception)
• soy (unless it's fermented, like tempeh)
• sugar
• processed foods

 In moderation, I eat:

• fruit
• nuts

The 20% of me that isn't paleo still loves iced mochas, pastries, an occasional coke, and small amounts of white potatoes and rice. I'm definitely still addicted to sugar, but eating so much good fat and protein has made it so most of the time, I just want sugar, not need it.

My #1 piece of advice to anyone thinking of going paleo/primal/gluten free:
EAT A BIG BREAKFAST.  HUGE!  Filled with all the things you've been told to avoid- oils, bacon, sausage, and eggs, raw cheese, etc. Even if you don't really feel like eating breakfast.  It's THE reason I've been able to stick with the diet. There's something about starting the day off with a large, nutrient dense meal that helps curb snacking and sugar cravings.  It's as if your body knows it's gonna be ok, and doesn't need to seek out food constantly to keep it going throughout the day.  Read a more scientific explanation of this phenomenon here :)

I'll be back in a day or two with a super tasty paleo breakfast recipe!

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Milk Glass Headband

After working on nothing but baby headbands for months, I had a burst of energy for bridal hair pieces last week. Sure, baby accessories are fun, but there's something very serious about creating bridal headpieces. I get nervous and inspired just thinking about it. 

(I used to feel this way ALL THE TIME when I did wedding flowers.  I let my assistants do centerpieces, corsages, bridesmaid bouquets,  but they NEVER touched the bridal bouquet.  That was something I did on my own, usually in the quiet of the night after they had left. The bridal bouquet is the most special bouquet a woman will ever touch!)

To me, the bridal hair piece is just as important as the bouquet.  It's that perfect finishing touch that frames the face and makes a bride look truly bridal. When else do we modern gals have a chance to don a veil, feathered hat, or a bedazzled bug?

As I was supply shopping in LA, I came across some opaque white-ish crystals and milky stones, and I immediately thought of milk glass vases on antique store shelves. 

 via nobiggie

Then, as I twisted the beads randomly into clusters, forming an intricate garland, I imagined the Milky Way Galaxy, in all its grace and mystery.

Find it at the etsy shop!

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First word?!?

A few days ago, Sisi started making this funny panicky sound whenever there was food around.  It's different than the "James Brown grunts" she does before nursing.  It's a very intense "Mo, mo mo mo, MO!" type sound, that turns into a crying fit if I don't give her whatever food I'm preparing or eating.

Then it hit me. I'm pretty sure she's saying "more!"  And she gets very upset if I don't meet her request accordingly, and in a timely manner.  Yikes! I'm catching just a glimpse of what the toddler years will be like.

So much for "mamma", "dadda", "ball", and the other typical first words.  Joe joked that we must have a little princess on our hands.

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Chunky Sparkle

Two sleek silver combs encrusted with twisted bits of glitz.  (Hmmm, a tongue twister I'll be teaching Sisi one day.)

The icicle and pearl comb was created for a friend of mine who is getting married this winter.  The rose quartz and blush crystal comb I created just for fun.  It started as an excuse to watch Felicity on netflix, but it turned out sorta magical. 

I think they would be stunning tucked into a bride's loose, tousled updo.  They are basically the comb-in versions of my crystal bridal tiaras (the Snow Queen Tiara and the Mercury Glass Tiara).

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