DIY Garland

I recently made a garland out of a print I purchased in 2009.

photo via Lena Corwin

It was the limited edition Lena Corwin + Mociun print.
Unforunately part of the print got destroyed in our move, but I hung onto the
print because I loved it so much! To give it new life, I decided to make a garland out of it.
A print is already printed on thicker high quality paper so it is ideal for making a garland.

Here's how I did it:

Mmmm Sweets!

We love our desserts here! Every night after dinner we always have dessert.
Whether its just a bowl of fresh strawberries or orange wedges, frozen yogurt
or a piece of chocolate, we have something. Once or twice a month J brings
back something special! He loves to do his research and surprise us with a
nice treat. Here's what we've had recently....

apple pastry

L'Amande Bakery is a cute French bakery located in Torrance, CA.
They have amazing croissants...so buttery and flaky. We've tried everything from their ham and cheese, almond, chocolate, raspberry and cream cheese croissants and they were all really good! Their croissants with their fruit preserves are all made in house. I recommend eating breakfast and lunch there as well. Absolutely delicious and they serve great coffee too.

L'Amande Bakery / 2553 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance, CA 90505 / 310-326-8980

Strawberry fruit tart

Angel Maid is a local hidden gem! They supposedly have really good cream puffs which I have yet to try! Their strawberry tart was delicious and not too sweet! The strawberries are fresh, the whip cream is homemade, and the crushed pistachios on top was a nice touch. Yum!

photo via Joy Z.

Angel Maid Bakery / 4542 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, CA 900665/ 310-915-2078

If you're craving an authentic "danish" go to Copenhagen Pastry. They are the first authentic Danish pastry shop in Culver City, CA. Their danishes are very moist and delicious! Everyone loves them too.
They have a whopping 5 stars on Yelp! even after 340 reviews. Wow!

They have the cutest storefront too!

Copenhagen Pastry / 11113 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 / 310-839-8900

Milk chocolate Mendiants

These are creamy discs of Belgian milk chocolate with embedded macadamia nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and dried fruit such as cranberries and apricots. Ciel Chocolatier Mediants made the perfect "after dinner" chocolates!

photo via Grace K. 

Ciel Chocolatier is in the strangest location. It is located right along Valley Blvd. in the City of Walnut, which is a major thoroughway for commuters. In a somewhat industrial area, stands this unique chocolate shop.

Ciel Chocolatier / 20615 E. Valley Blvd., Ste. D, Walnut, CA 91789 / 909-869-7800

A day in San Diego Part 1

The kids are on Spring Break so we decided to take a day trip to San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. 

The zoo was Jaxon's idea since he's our little animal lover. Maya on the otherhand wanted to visit a Gem Museum or similar since she's very drawn to stones and gems....she collects them! 

I thought San Diego would be perfect! The San Diego Zoo is right alongside Balboa Park with its tons of museums. The Spanish Village Art Center located within Balboa Park is literally a short walk from the zoo and happens to have the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society museum and store right in the village.   

We woke up at 6am in the morning and took the 2 hour drive....  

Mr. Polar Bear

sweet photos

Soft shades of pink in photographs reflect a sweet calmness. 

Here are a few of my favorite photos via my Pinterest collection. 

via Opcion tumblr

via Jellysundae tumblr

via Studiovoice, Japan

via Foreverfaith3 tumbler

Lulu

Our Lulu is 1 1/2 years old now. We cannot imagine life without her....

Father Daughter Dance

This year's Father Daughter Dance for Maya's school was themed Teen Beach Movie.
Teen Beach Movie, a Disney original, is about two surfers who mysteriously wind up in a classic beach-party movie called 'Wet Side Story'. There, it's surfers vs. bikers for control of the beach hangout-and everyone spontaneously breaks into song and dance.

Maya wanted to wear the red polka dotted dress one of the main character named "Lela" was wearing in one of the scenes of the film.

We ironically had a red polka dotted dress given to us by a friend ( a hand-me-down) that we decided to alter to create the "Lela" dress.

I first removed the sash/tie, collar, and lace applique in order to start with a blank canvas.

I cut and sewed the neckline to shape then used the sash as straps for the dress.

The collar was reused as the decorative piece along the bodice.

The dress came out really cute and it was quite easy to alter.
Sometimes moving a few things around makes a world of a difference.

As you can see, Maya had great fun at the Father Daughter Dance. She's gettin' down with her classmates in this shot taken by her daddy.

Beautiful Shop : Neest

Beautifully handcrafted products made from wood at Neest, France. 

* * *About Neest* * * 

 « Natural style of life » is at the heart of Neëst. This trend finds its inspiration in the new Japanese design which in turn was founded upon a strong Scandinavian influence. This « Natural style of life » is about enhancing everyday items by mixing vintage and contemporary objects.