happy 4th!

Made some scallion pancakes earlier this week to go with some noodles for dinner. Not the healthiest thing, but oh so good!




And a new summer dress for the 4th of July! I've managed to find cute non-maternity wear that fits over my growing tummy, otherwise I'd be wearing yoga pants and long t-shirts all the time. I don't feel so bad knowing that I'll be able to wear these after the baby.




Have a happy 4th everyone! Oh, and here's the recipe I used for the mango cucumber salsa. (Unless you like spicy, I'd recommend going with just 1 jalapeno instead of 2!)

lazy sue knits & other new shops

My buddy Susan, aka knitting superstar, finally opened an Etsy shop of her own! Here I am modeling her awesome neckwarmer.

Speaking of cool Etsy shops, have you guys checked out Casey's new shop? She's got a calendar and some cards with super fun illustrations. And what about Adele's new shop? I love her clean and simple aesthetic and really like her valentine card designs. These are very talented ladies and I've been enjoying their blogs for some time now - it's exciting to see them open their own shops!

fall in california

The pods on our wisteria tree has been popping now that fall is here. They snap fairly loudly when they pop, and on the ground you can find many open pods and seeds. I picked a few up the other day and was surprised at how hard and sturdy both the pods and seeds are. Charlie is teething and seems to enjoy gnawing on the pods.



The weather hasn't cooled down much during the day even though it's fall, so I let myself buy a couple of summery tops from Target recently. I like to layer anyway, so I figure even when it cools down a bit more, I can still wear them under cardigans, especially the vintage-y floral one.





I've been working on some new things, and hope to update the shop in the next couple of weeks or so. It's been taking a bit longer than I had expected (I forgot how long it takes me to finally be happy with a series of designs), but I'm excited. I'm getting a bit tired of looking at the old designs!

Oh Target..

I went to Target this past weekend for some toiletries and walked out with this shirt. They've really had some great pieces this summer. I've been drawn mostly to grays and other very delicate colors and patterns lately, but somehow this shirt caught my eye and wouldn't let go. They also have it in a white/light gray plaid .. which, um.. I also bought. I almost never buy the same shirt in multiple colors, I'm not sure what came over me.



Also, I've been working on a couple of new card designs. I'll be adding them to the shop this Thursday morning, so stay tuned!

New summer hat

I've been looking for a floppy hat since last summer, and wanted something that would be comfortable and easy to match. This hat at Anthropolgie was perfect and the gift card I had was more than enough. I love the wooden buttons on the side, and since it's cotton I can just fold it up and stuff it in my bag.



This weekend I finally gave a friend her belated birthday gift. I really love how the yellow string looks against this brown paper package.

I love Target

Over the weekend I saw a dress on sale at Target for only $7. I liked the cut and the fabric, but it was really long - about mid-calf - which made it look a bit stuffy. It seemed like an easy fix and $7 is just too good to pass up. So I took it home, hemmed it, and took the sides in a bit at the bottom since it was sticking out and forming a very stiff triangle. It also had a sash that was strung through 2 loops on either side. It was a bit unruly so I cut off the loops and sewed the sash to the front of the dress to keep it in place. And now I have me a new summer dress!

Wiksten Tova dress

I was incredibly fortunate to get my hands on a Wiksten Tova dress last week. Jenny had announced a sale, and when the time came for the items to appear in her Etsy shop, I was armed and ready to click my way to this dress. I saw the items appear, views increase rapidly, and the items disappear - all in less than a minute. I missed it! A couple days later, on a Sunday night, I happened to be checking my email just as an update came in from Jenny saying that she has enough material for one more dress, and was putting it in the shop right that second. I jumped over to her shop right away and couldn't believe that I actually got it this time - pure grace.

Well, it came in the mail yesterday and it really is beautiful.



The material is a soft, lightweight wool, is super comfortable and drapes well, just as Jenny said. And as expected, it is very well-made and fits me perfectly. I'm thankful that the weather is uncharacteristically cool for the bay area right now so I don't have to wait to wear it.



Jenny shows herself wearing it with black knee-high boots, which I have and does look great, but I think it also works well with skinny jeans.



This is my first handmade clothing purchase, and I must say that I love the fact that this was handmade just for me, based on measurements I sent to Jenny. It's more than I normally spend on a piece of clothing, but it's definitely worth every penny. I love my new dress.

Loveliness in the mail

Today I came home from work and found this lovely package from Tia in the mail. I had found her awhile back and loved the clean, moder look of her work.



I had gotten my ears pierced not too long ago and had a hard time finding earrings that I really liked. There was a particular pair of earrings I had asked her about at the time (but wasn't yet available in her store). I was beaming when I opened the package to find that exact pair.



I'm seriously floored by her kindness. (Tia - thank you so much, you totally made my day!) The earrings are absolutely beautiful - I love them. I love the look of the wood and how the little loops are free to swing to and fro.

Almost-spring scarves

I've been wearing these new scarves almost everyday.



I love how they're thin and light, not too warm. I'm excited that spring and summer are coming!