Category Archives: lovely links

my instagram life – year in review

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This year was full of big trips, big moves, and big plans – such a whirlwind – and there are still some moments left to share from it! It’s always fun to look back at my most liked media – these images are a great synopsis of 2015, and represent some of our happiest and most treasured memories. You can follow the links below for details – can you guess which one of these was my most liked media ever? I can’t wait for all the memories to be made in 2016!

prêt à voyager…morning light in paris…first berthillon…ma famille

rosewater waffle…third birthday love…donut croquembouche…loft living

agent needed…disneyland duo…cable car trio…painted ladies

yes please…heartbroken…this is fall…wonderment

love + joy

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I really enjoyed designing our holiday cards this year, and was thrilled to partner with Minted again. We just had to use an image from our Paris trip – and this one, captured by Ashley Ludaescher, is a favorite. Taken during our memorable afternoon at Notre Dame, we were all feeling pure love and joy, which is what led me to choose this beautiful card, designed by Melanie Severin. The card shines and sparkles, thanks to the gold foil-pressed text! Many thanks to Minted for making these gorgeous cards possible, and for nudging me to get them done early this year (psst – they have some New Year’s deals right now)! Wishing you all a holiday filled with love + joy…I’ll be back next week with a recap of 2015!

 

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cards c/o Minted…as always, all words and opinions are my own

a lofty christmas

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This is our first Christmas in the loft, and we may have gotten a bit carried away with the tree. I should have had the kids stand next to it for scale (they helped select it), but that sucker is around 11′ tall! Our former home was a 1948 cottage, and while super cozy, I dreamed of our next place having soaring ceilings – you always want what you don’t have, right?! My tastes have grown more minimal over the years (for many reasons), but this year especially, I wanted to keep things as simple as possible. As much as I love our ornament collection (many vintage, from my grandmother), I just couldn’t stand the thought of decorating this giant tree the second week of December, only to have to undo the entire process shortly after. So, a naked tree (with lights) is what we ended up with, and it’s actually quite refreshing and lovely.

 

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I always look forward to styling presents – I literally just finished wrapping everything yesterday afternoon. This year is a mix of black + natural with gold accents (I know, shocker). The big, fun, colorful present under tree is apparently a gift from the kids to me (no clue what it is). Clearly they had a lot of fun making it special for mommy. I can’t wait for Santa’s gifts to appear Christmas morning – Santa doesn’t gift wrap, did you know that? He likes to give moms + dads some time for coffee first (oh so grateful for that). Let the Christmas countdown begin! And here’s a few more glimpses of our place…

 

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all they want for christmas

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Every year I share Henry + Marie’s wish list, in the hopes that Santa is a blog reader. For the first time, they actually wrote a letter to the big man himself and mailed it to the North Pole. They both asked for instruments (to our delight) – a violin and a guitar, to be exact. Oh – and scooters (perfect for our more urban situation). If you’re looking for more children’s gift ideas, you can browse their past wish lists here + here, as well as this pinterest board. The kids have been sweet about donating older toys, and we also make a donation to a charity each year – here is one of our favorites. As with every holiday, it is such a gift to experience the magic through their eyes. It is the best part of this season, by far.

 

1…G NANCY black + white stars pajamas…they’re both in need of a new pair (we love them).

2…WALNUT ANIMAL SOCIETY ruthie the deer holiday edition…obsessed with everything about this.

3…KIKO hikoki jet…to remind them of our adventures + to inspire more!

4…Y.R.SEASONS 1/4 size ebony acoustic violin…for mes enfants + their wooden food collection! 

5…ALEKSANDRA + DANIEL MIZIELINSKA  maps…for our little bookworms + explorers.

6…ROXY MARJ lilbow pillow doll…to inspire sweet dreams + imaginations.

7…BLABLA KIDS super hero finger puppet set…both M + H are into all things super hero at the moment!

8…SOOPSORI wooden robot…well, because it’s just so cool.

9…ODETTE WILLIAMS denim + gold kids apron…for baking christmas cookies!

10..OLI + CAROL small spotty ducks…I love all of their natural, chic bath toys. 

11..MICRO KICKBOARD mini micro scooter…don’t worry, Santa will bring helmets too – bring on the fun!

paloma’s nest

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Ever since discovering the beautiful handmade goodness of Paloma’s Nest six years ago, I’ve been in holiday decor heaven. Our personalized stockings are among my favorite Christmas decor…they are the first to go up, and the last to come down. Handcrafted of organic natural canvas + flannel and personalized with a white ceramic tile, they are meant to be cherished for years. I have no doubt that they will be, and plan to pass them along to the kids when they – sniff – leave the nest. It’s not too late to order some for yourself – personalized orders placed this week will ship (free) for delivery by Christmas Eve within the states! Don’t forget to get one for each of your family members, so Santa knows who’s who!

stockings c/o paloma’s nest, all words and opinions are my own.