Petal & Thorn

Instafriday 3/15/11

Friday, March 16, 2012

It's Instafriday time!

We went to another kids' party last weekend. This time it was at Pump It Up, a crazy overstimulating land of blow up slides and bounce houses as far as thee eye can see. Here she is on the way home, conked out and clutching her big yellow balloon.

She's really into this Pesto figurine lately.

It looks remarkably like the original!

I created a few new items for a photoshoot coming up. Love that bandeau veil!

And this whimsical anenome crown. The stamens are actually handmade tassels. I adore the charcoal tipped feathers and have been waiting for the perfect chance to use them.

Family time on the couch during our night-night routine.

I know it's a phase all kiddos go through, but right now Siena is OBSESSED with pushing her big stroller all over the yard. Of course, I have to spot her the whole time and get the wheels unstuck, over and over. I thought maybe she'd like a little play grocery cart. Something to push that's a little more manageable for a baby her size. Hated it! Even with Elmo strapped in. Oh well!

I finished her baby shoe rack months ago, but procrastinated hanging it until now.

It's really quite useful! Baby shoe racks are hard to come by. I may put together a tutorial, although I didn't measure or do anything scientifically so it would be a lot of "kinda do this, sorta do that. Eyeball this, wing that."

Meet Ellie, the 6th in a long line of security blankets that I keep leaving in grocery carts and malls (R.I.P. ducky donut, taggie blankie, moo cow, bunny-bunny, and duckie II.) Luckily, she easily attaches to whatever new cuddly toy I present to her.

More salmon eggs at sushi night.

Loves this loads more than her toy grocery cart.

Another very satisfying week, with nothing too grand to show for it. Yay for the simple, repetitive pleasures of motherhood!

Baby Olivia's Shower

Sunday, March 11, 2012

My best friend Angel is going to have her baby any day/minute now. I am neurotically checking my phone every 10 minutes for a text that says "It's Baby Time!" I am so excited to meet this precious little babe.

Head over to Angel's full post describing all the details, inspiration, and vendors responsible for putting on this special day! Since the decor was my only real job, I just want to share a few pics of the projects that I talked so much about here. Photos are by the always incredible Jessica Claire.

The entire shower was based on Angel's nursery fabrics, which were persimmon orange, golden yellow, dusty teal and white. Very retro-modern and geometric. I made the pillow on the left, which perfectly matched the invites created by Love and Splendor's in-house graphic designer (and my former bride) Kristin.

I tried to bring in a ton of non-floral elements so I wouldn't need to rely on florals too much. I went for "bang-for-your-buck" flowers like daffodils, hydrangeas, and open roses. I know Angel loves tulips and texture, so I added dutch tulips and berry clusters into the mix. It was SOOO HARD sticking to my flower budget, but after putting back many, many bunches, I did.

The faux craspedia were a bit awkward to make, but look how much they pop on the tables! Definitely worth it.

I loved the felt mobiles so much I'm thinking of making some for Sisi's room. They were soooo easy and fun to make.

Found Vintage Rentals provided a gorgeous lounge and a parade of pillows to complement the ones I made.

A closer look at the thumb tack balls and fabric balls.

Me and Anna, Angel's darling sis. Could be my sis, don'tcha think?

Dress from TJ Maxx :) This is SO not nursing friendly, so I was stoked to finally wear it out while Joe was at home with Sisi.

Ok, this has nothing to do with the decor, but I have to share these braised short ribs with you. The most succulent, buttery piece of meat I've ever had.

Here is the radiant mommy-to-be opening my present, which included that "soc-tapus".

A truly incredibly party to celebrate an incredible woman. Cheers to Angel and Olivia! xoxo

planning, design and décor: michelle and anna of love and splendor, along with kristin of petal and thorn

photography: jessica claire

location & catering: lucques, west hollywood

stationery: kristin, in-house graphic designer for love and splendor

cake & desserts: sweet and saucy shop

vintage rentals: {found} vintage rentals

linens: la tavola

angel’s hair and makeup: fiore beauty

angel’s headband: twigs & honey

Instafriday 3/9/2012

Friday, March 9, 2012

Time to link up with Life Rearranged for another Instafriday photo bomb!

I just returned from breakfast with a girlfriend and am a bit jittery due to that very large iced Vietnamese coffee. Break of Dawn is just top notch!

The poached egg skillet is so amazing- aside from the potatoes, it's pretty paleo friendly. The pesto hollandaise takes it beyond the typical omelette, which is my everyday breakfast.


The fruit cup they brought Sisi was perfectly ripe, and included blood oranges. Yum!

My house lately is a bit of a wreck, with toys and couch cushions strewn about. There are still some areas of my house that are just for me:

White brick mantle with creamy smooth vases.

I light candles on Tuesday while I clean the living room to make the task more enjoyable.

Love my Redoute botanical prints.

Someday she'll probably find a way to climb up to those lanterns. For now, they are safe.

Did you know Ikea makes the cutest, most wonderfully detailed kid toys? I wouldn't have known, but my friend gifted Sisi with this vege basket. So far, I haven't had the guts to brave Ikea with a baby, but I think it's worth it for great steals like this.

We officially switched to 1 nap this week. I'm sure I'll post about it soon. The 2-1 nap transition is pretty infamous. For the most part, Sisi's been fine. But 10am and 5pm are her super grumpy times, and I need to get creative to keep her happy. Hence the tub in the hallway.

I was so proud b/c I completed 4 out of 5 on my "presentability checklist." That means I had makeup on, hair combed, real outfit (no pjs!) and I accessorized. If my nails weren't so horrific, I would've had a 5/5. This is very rare indeed.

I bought that shocking coral blazer a few years ago, and am just now wearing it. I just didn't have the guts to wear neon until I was sure it was "in style." haha

Bathing suit season is coming soon. Sad news for me, GREAT news for Sisi! :) Scored this mermaid green glittery one piece at Baby Gap on sale. Everything is an extra 30% this weekend, btw. After I cut off the tags, I remembered telling myself last summer to get a 2 piece this year b/c 1 pieces and diapers are the biggest pain. Oh well!

I'm letting her attempt spoon-feeding herself. It's been messy, but she's doing pretty well.

Pretty pretty paper.

The weather is so delightful. My heart is happy. Have a great weekend!!!

WAND SALE, starts 3/9-3/30!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

For all the flower girls, fairies and princesses out there :)

Starting Friday 3/9-Friday 3/30, all flower girl wands are on sale. Combine that with our coupon code FREESHIP, and that's one doozy of a deal!

xoxo

Mysterious Sugar Alcohols

To help out my fellow sugar addicts, I mentioned I'd do a quick post about sugar alcohols. I use a spoonful of xylitol in my morning coffee or tea and I use erithritol in my favorite paleo cookies. Before you assume I'm filling my diet with crazy carcinogenic sugar substitutes, don't worry. The names sound a little scary and chemically, but they are safe and occur naturally in a lot of foods. Hopefully when I'm totally sugar-free in 2013, I won't need to rely on sweet-tasting foods at all. But until then, I'm unapologetic in my <3 for sugar alcohol.

Let me give a quick (very unscientific) rundown. For the full scientific description, see this website. For a paleo perspective, see this article.

The Basics: Sugar alcohols are not a sugar or an alcohol, although their chemical structure is a sort of hybrid. They pass through the body without being fully metabolized and absorbed, which means they have less calories than sugar. They don't seem to affect blood sugar or insulin levels. In my opinion, they taste as yummy as sugar, don't have the weird aftertaste of stevia, and aren't nearly as addicting as sugar. Plus, they aren't cancer-causing like sugar and some of the sugar substitutes like aspartame. Sounds too good to be true, right?

I'll start with the most well-known one, XYLITOL:

The Pros: It's a little sweeter than sugar, with half the calories. When I eat a pinch of the granules, it first tastes sweet and then cool on the tongue. It has been proven to protect against dental cavities and there are studies being done on it's positive affects on bone density. It may help with osteoporosis. Joe actually brushes his teeth with it. Crazy, right?

The Cons: even one stick of gum with xylitol in it can kill your dog, it's that poisonous to canines. So watch out! Like most sugar alcohols, it starts to ferment in your large intestine, so it can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc. if eaten in large amounts. If you are prone to intestinal issues, you may want to avoid. I haven't had any of these problems though, and I have a fairly sensitive gut.
Buy It: Xylitol on amazon.com

Erithritol:

Pros: Although it's less sweet than sugar, it is basically zero calories. It tastes a LOT like sugar. It is the least likely to cause gas and bloating. Sisi can eat it without any negative digestive effects. It doesn't harm the teeth like sugar does, and it may also be benefitial to oral health (studies still in the works.)
Cons: Can't really think of any. Yes, it's a processed food, so the most paleo of paleo dieters will not eat it, but I love using it in baked goods. If you eat a ton of it, like a TON, you *might* have some intestinal distress, but it's not likely.
Buy it: erithritol on amazon.com.

Maltitol:

Pros: Same benefits as the others, listed above. Almost as sweet as sugar, used a lot in sugar-free candy bars and protein bars. There is a chocolate bar called "simply lite" at Trader Joes that uses LOTS of maltitol. Which leads me to the cons...
Cons: This is the one sugar alcohol that sent me rushing to the toilet in a panic. Ok, so I ate 5 squares of the chocolate bar instead of one. It was so delicious. Serves me right. But really, a girl should be able to enjoy 5 squares of chocolate without writhing in agony. I guess maltitol is particularly bad for people with sensitive digestion. Use it in moderation.

Any one else a fan? Do you think sugar alcohol might help you fight off sugar binges?

More Happy Customers :)

Monday, March 5, 2012

nested pearls pillow

lilypad and lotus headband, photo by Grace Baek Photo

Couldn't resist a quick post showing off these sweet kidlets in Petal and Thorn gear. Baby just woke up, gotta go :)

Instafriday 3/2/2012

Friday, March 2, 2012

life rearranged Another week flew by! Here are some snippets.

We attended a birthday party. It's pretty surreal attending so many kids' parties! Having a baby has now secured our spot on the baby A list.

As the kids strung fruit loop necklaces, Sisi watched them intently. I wanted to see what she'd do with her necklace kit, and was prepared to let her eat her first sugary cereal (since it was a special occasion). Didn't even TRY them. She's never seen food that looks like that. I was secretly relieved :)

The party was book themed- super cute.

I got brave and tried the turban-esque head-scarf look. I like it :)

True coffee connoisseurs like my hubby need seltzer water to cleanse the palate before partaking (rolls eyes).

The best part of the week: we received a package of adorably fobby baby clothes and toys from my beloved aunt in South Korea. We lost touch after my dad died, but we found her address in a stack of my dad's papers. I send out a care package, crossing my fingers that it would get to her, and it did. I almost cried happy tears when the mailman delivered this. I miss her so much!

Now Sisi has something to remind her that she's Korean.

A super yummy paleo meal- Roman chicken, bacon-wrapped asparagus, and duck fat sweet potato fries. Yes, I'm actually slowly but steadily losing weight on this high-fat diet. Hard to believe!