Instafriday 6/22/12

It's time for instafriday, where I link up with Life Rearranged and show off my cell phone pictures from the week.  Apparently, there in an instagram app for droid now, so I might start using that to take pics.  But I'm always hesitant to join new social media thingys.  Do you use instagram?  Is it awesome?

It's been busy in the Petal and Thorn shop! These nest ring pillows are the cutest.

When I bought my silhouette cameo cutter, I vowed to never buy another greeting card.  If I just make cards for every occasion, that saves a few bucks a pop, and the machine will pay for itself in a year or so.  That's my logic.  (Yes, I used nail polish on this card, then went ahead and did a few coats on myself and Sisi's big toes.)

 My dear friend Marysia was married last weekend, which gave me an excuse to rock the bumpit AND the no heat curl :) 

 Her wedding was simple, charming, and very crafty... just like her. 

 She looked gorgeous, and I was honored to create a special hair flower for her made of layered silk, tulle, lace, and chiffon...

I saw this orchid purple nail polish on my friend Jenny, and just had to copy her.  The color is Essie Play Date.

 We had a bbq on Father's Day at Joe's parents' house. They have a ginormous yard to explore.

This tote bag is the perfect size for transitioning out of a diaper bag.  I get so many compliments on it, but instead of saying thank you, I immediately tell people it was 30 bucks at TJ Maxx.  I do that all the time, it's like a reflex!  I'm proud of my bargain hunting skills, but people don't always need to know how cheap my stuff is.  I'm so tacky sometimes. 

 Speaking of tacky, look what I found at the local floral supply store?  Just in case you need fat-lady-in-a-bikini ornaments. 

I was checking out at Barnes and Noble, when I look down and see Siena hijacking my latte!  Thankfully, it was mostly watery milky slush by then.

Kumquats thinly sliced taste delicious in salads.

 My childhood best friend Julie is in town, which is always a treat.  Her parents' garden is one of my favorite spots on Earth, and the location of my photo session with Jasmine Star. Now Sisi is old enough to begin exploring it herself, although there are still so many nooks and crannies she'll discover when she gets older. The house next store is up for sale, and I seriously considered buying it just so Sisi would grow up next to that garden.

I *just* got back from a playdate at the fake beach, and still have sand between my toes as I write this.  Now I'm going to make some kumquat iced tea and paleo baked something or other.  I'm in the best mood- must be all the vitamin D I just got.

Also, check out my new post on the Paleo Plus One blog about how I know the paleo diet is working for me! 

Have a joyful weekend! 

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Paleo Blog Launch

I'm super passionate about the paleo diet. It's been kind of a life-changer for me and my little family of three.  I wish I could shout it from the rooftops to everyone I know! 

I've written a few paleo bits here and there on this blog, but I figure anyone reading Petal and Thorn is probably more interested in ribbons, sparkles, cute babies, sleeping puppies, etc. so perhaps this blog isn't the best tablet for my paleo musings.

Joe and I decided to start a husband and wife paleo blog called Paleo Plus One.  We hope it's a valuable resource to anyone curious about the primal diet and how to implement it in a real family in the real world. Joe and I are soooo different.  He's a big time paleo nerd who relishes every scientific detail.  He writes beautiful, poetic, philosophical posts.  As for me, I honestly have very little grasp on the science or philosophy, but I  love writing quick posts about the daily struggles, cheats, triumphs, favorite recipes, and all the emotional stuff. Should be a fun ride!  Visit us here :)

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Bye Bye Onesies!

There comes a time in every baby's life when onesies become irrelevant.  Sisi still wears them from time to time, but I know the onesie phase is quickly coming to an end. I found this wonderfully simply tutorial on turning onesies into bubble dresses/tunics from my favorite sewing blog, Make It and Love It.

You basically cut the bottom off the onesie, make a bubble skirt, gather it using a basting stitch, and then sew it to the onesie.  For all the details and step by step pictures, check out the Make It Love It post. 

 I was ambitious and cut up 3 old onesies hoping to make 3 dresses, but only had the energy  to do one. I used an unwearable t-shirt of Joe's (paleo diet = grease stains galore!) for the bubble part.

Since I hate to measure or use straight edges, I just eyeballed everything and went scissor happy.  It turned out wearable, but hilariously uneven (especially when she turns around!)  Someday I will invest in a nice cutting mat and rotary cutter. For now, I'll just pretend it's from Naartjie, that crazy kids store with all the assymmetrical hemlines. 

Bonus points for adding a cute flower out of the leftover t-shirt material.

 Machine sewing is still really stressful for me, and I had to use the seam ripper and redo the whole thing once.  But even so, I was able to complete this project AND blog it in a few hours. Sure, I could have bought one at Target for 8.00, but then I wouldn't have learned about basting stitches or helped save the planet by upcycling old greasy t-shirts. :)

EDIT:  My  friend came over when Sisi was wearing this last night, and she LOL'ed over my crazy hemline, so don't think I'm just being modest on this blog!  I figure babies can pull anything off, but it's not so cute when teenagers are forced to wear wonky homemade dresses made by their moms.  I have plenty of years to get this sewing thing down :)

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Instafriday 6/14/2012

Have a peek at my week, through my droid...

I mentioned before we have an aphid problem.  We chose the most "green" way to solve it.  Buy  1500 ladybugs on amazon to eat said aphids.  I know ladybugs are cute on their own, but 1500 of anything becomes just creepy.  I made Joe unleash the critters as I almost gagged.

 From the garden to the tabletop.  Don't assume we're great suburban farmers or anything- that lettuce is the only successful produce we've grown.  I guess all the vegies that have died in that planter allowed that lettuce to burst forth. Thank you, sacrificial vegies!

Enjoyed a playdate with church friends!  Aime made a delicious lunch and spent at least an hour blowing up this kiddie pool for Sisi and Aurea (who I'm forcing to be Sisi's best friend.) 

 Joe is AWESOME and built an epic 8 foot sandbox for Sisi.  He also lugged all 30 bags of sand (50lbs each) to the backyard without a wheelbarrow.  With a sprained knee.  Such a manly man!

 

I suppose I do feed him well... "pizza" frittata, sake steamed mussels, bacon-wrapped meatloaf :)

That's all I got right now.  Have a beautiful weekend!

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My Tiny Dancer

Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man
Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand...

  And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand


Let me never forget these blissful summer days!!! 

Here's Sisi around this time last year...

 And here's Sisi, next year :)

photoshopped (obviously) by my cousin Jason

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Instafriday 6/7/12

On a whim, I met Joe at the beach after he got off work. 

Joe swam and climbed some rocks, the dogs sunbathed, and Sisi and I frolicked. Not your typical Tuesday evening, but it was seriously rejuvenating.

I call this photo series "Robinson Crusoe Baby"...

 

 A dear friend sent me a little pedicure set via snail mail "just because."  Who does that?  Super thoughtful people, that's who!  Thanks for making my day!

 I got my whole milk iced latte with one pump of mocha, and enjoyed about 4 sips before dropping it on the floor of Forever 21.  It was so embarrassing for sure, but I was mostly mad I lost my coffee.  I blame my Peg Perego stroller, which has the world's wussiest cup holder that only fits bottled water. What about us coffee drinking mamas? I'm forced to put the latte in the stroller's back pocket, which is quite precarious and sometimes ends in disaster, like today. Arg!

 Housewife fail!  The ONLY time I bust out my iron is when someone orders this belt and I have to iron the flowers flat.  The iron was so dusty.   Good thing hubby wears t shirts and shorts to work.

 Two noteworthy paleo dinners:  orange chicken,and shrimp skewers/sweet potato fries/salad with homemade ranch <-- the ranch tastes wayyy better they day after once it's thickened and the flavors have melded. The day of, it wasn't even edible.

 Siena is finally old enough to play in the fountain with the big kids!  It's hilarious how parents come so prepared with rash guards, swim diapers, water shoes, etc.  We didn't.

The kid loves water! 

Happy Friday, Peeps!

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Best Sippy Cup for Sisi and Me

Anyone else searching for the perfect water bottle?  I've gone through 4 or 5 in the last few years.  We've tried nalgene, metal, plastic travel cups, even the sexy glass bottles.  They were all either too big to fit in my car's drink holder, hard to clean, leaky, or way to breakable for my butterfingers.


This stainless steel insulated bottle by contigo is PERFECT.  We got a twin pack at costco, but it's available here on amazon.

Why I Luuuuv It:
-I left it in my hot car for hours- water was still ice cold!
-The flip top is well designed.
-The straw is more like a big nipple, or an adult sippy cup.  A little weird, but it's a pretty efficient way to drink and you don't have to lean your head back.  
-It's sleek and easy to hold- fits in my cup holder just fine.
-No condensation!
-Best part- Sisi can even drink from it super easily!  We use the tilty cup for Siena at home. It's a great, easy to use training cup for babies. But it's awkward to travel with, so now Sisi and I just share the contigo when we're out and about.  One less thing to carry! 

Or you could just stock up on coffee shop cups, which for some reason make water taste super delish! (i'm remembering the days when a plastic cup could entertain this child for at least 30 minutes. now? not so much!) 

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