HAPPY FALL

Even though we live in Southern California and don't typically see the seasons change, Fall is by far my favorite time of year. I love it when the temperatures start to drop, when I can finally open my drawer of scarves, pull out my boots and enjoy a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. I am one of those people who actually looks forward to the holiday season, and for me the beginning of Fall is the kick-off to several months of food, friends, cozy nights and lots of family time.

CURB APPEAL

I while back I posted about wanting to update the look of our front door. I'm happy to say that after 18 months, it has been done! I don't have a "before" picture, but I certainly have an "after". And I came up with some ideas around what we've already done to enhance the look even further – a modern look with a traditional undertone.

1. Our new front door after a few coats of paint. 2. Modern topiaries found on Apartment Therapy. 3. Progress Lighting Cylinder lamp. 4. Metal planters from CB2. 5. Monogrammed doormat from Pottery Barn.

SUNDAY GRUB

Sunday football wouldn't be complete without some good grub, so for today's game I thought I'd attempt homemade soft pretzels, a recipe my friend swears by. Although it's a somewhat time consuming process, the end result was a hit. And of course Mason loved helping! Here's a short tutorial on how to make them:


the mall pretzels from rachelchew on Vimeo.

And you can find the entire recipe at elephantine. Enjoy!

THE SWEETEST GIFT

This week I promised Mason we could go shopping for a gift for the new baby, which he got to pick out. Naturally he wanted to get a giant cement mixer or dump truck, so I had to remind him that we needed to get something soft. We headed to a local children's boutique in hopes for the perfect gift - lo and behold we found it within 5 minutes!

Meet Bamboo, the panda Blabla doll Mason picked out. I've always been a fan of handcrafted kids toys (handcrafted anything for that matter) so this is the most perfect gift, knitted out of natural fibers by artisans in Peru. He's so irresistibly soft and cuddly, I think the baby will love him as much as I do.

NEW PROJECTS

My lovely and creative friend, Kelsey from Daisy Dreaming, and I have been collaborating lately on a lot of new and fun projects. We've come up with some really neat ideas around home decor, specifically for nurseries and children's rooms.

Things are just starting take off so we don't have a whole lot for sale yet, but I can offer you a sneak peek of one print we're ready to launch (designed by yours truly). Check out Daisy Dreaming's Etsy shop for more!

NEW & EXCITING THINGS

I know I've been totally MIA for months, but it's been a good thing! Every aspect of my life at the moment is going full speed ahead and I'm enjoying every second.

First of all, we're expecting our second baby - another boy - within the first few weeks of October. So as you can imagine, that's been taking up a lot of my time and energy... getting the nursery all set up, reviving the old baby gear we had packed away in the basement, trying to take it easy and enjoy the pregnancy - all while raising a 2 1/2 year old who is currently being potty trained. Fun! That's actually another big deal for us lately. Mason has entered his official potty training stage. He was a bit stubborn at first, but I think he's getting the hang of it. Yesterday he had his big moment - his first poop on the potty. And I've been putting him in underwear instead of pull-ups to really try and drive it home.

All that aside, there are new and exciting things waiting to be shared, so I promise to post a little more.