Botanical Inspiration: Dahlias

Last week, Natalia and I ventured to the San Francisco Flower Market for a much needed botanical inspiration.  While she checked out seasonal pods and interesting objects for her Pod Art, I became immersed in the rich colors of the Dahlias that are ever so bountiful this time of year.  Although I'm most often attracted to foliage plants, I couldn't resist the deep burgundy hue of this season's petalled beauties.  After selecting a perfect sampling of them, I added some sedum, eucalyptus branches and weeping celosia to create a weekend arrangement for our home.  There's something deliciously self-indulgent about creating something beautiful for oneself, and that's precisely why I highly recommend you try it.  Here's how:

What To Wear: Autumnal Updates

 

With the upcoming change of seasons, I've been eyeing a few fashion items for my Fall repertoire.  Not in need of much,  I thought a new handbag would update my wardrobe nicely, perhaps a cozy sweater in an unexpected color, a scarf or two for cooler temperatures, a pencil leather skirt and, of course,  a new pair of boots.  Wedges seem to be all the rage these days...

What's your approach to dressing for the cooler days and nights ahead?  Is it an all-out shopping spree credit cards in hand or is it focused on a few key pieces that transition well from season to season?

I have a new [shared] Pinterest Board titled "What To Wear".  Let's get started pinning and sharing our favorite Fall fashion looks.  Can't wait to see your pins!!

Sources:

Round Necked Knit Sweater, Rainlight Cashmere Scarf, Matisse East Booties, Faux Leather Skirt, and the Big Buddha 'Grayson' Hobo

Sources:

Off The Counter: The ABC Salad

Before the last long weekend of the summer comes to an end,  I'd like to share with you the avocado, beet and cucumber salad I've been obsessed with lately.  Combining salty cucumbers, boiled golden beets and firm avocados with a bit of fresh mint, this salad transitions perfectly from this season to the next.  Ingredients and instructions below.

Ingredients:

Golden beets, California avocados, Persian cucumbers, mint, salt, pepper, olive oil and seasoned rice vinegar.

Instructions:

Chop the cucumbers (peeled or not), salt and let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients.  Trim the stems and leaves off the beets and boil till they're just slightly soft.  Run the beets under cool water and peel.  Once the beets are completely cooled, dice them and put in a salad bowl.  Add cucumbers and diced avocados.  Sprinkle in some fresh mint leaves.  Season with olive oil, rice vinegar, salt and pepper.

Enjoy!!

Slow Parenting In A Routined World

 

Summer has officially ended.  With the start of school this week, our calendar is quickly filling up with volunteering obligations, after school activities and doctor appointments.  While I enjoyed  our  non-scheduled summer, I must confess experiencing a moment of panic a few days ago.  This happened as I was learning all about the amazing camps my children's friends attended this summer.  Our children didn't go to any!  Granted we did travel up and down the New England coast during July, but for the rest of the summer we stayed pretty local and took each day as it came.  We camped out some, hiked some, we ventured into the city some, went swimming some and entertained friends some.  Some days we just stayed home and enjoyed being lazy. Granted, my work allows for a flexible schedule, but l still prefer to keep our days as free of routine as I do during the school year.  I limit sports and other activities to the degree that the kids don't feel over-scheduled and I am not running/driving around like a harried maniac.  At times, I wonder if my "slow it down" approach to parenting is inhibiting my kids' experiences, and whether they are able to keep up socially and physically with the children that are involved in more activities.  I guess time will tell.

Managing time and maintaining a feasible routine no matter how many children in one's family, can be challenging and difficult for any parent.  How much is too much and how little is too little.  I would love to hear how other parents handle the demands of a "routined world".

This could be the beginning of an interesting dialogue, don't you think?

Loving Lately: Round Mirrors

Lately I've been loving the look of round mirrors.  So much so, that I just ordered one for the kids' bathroom.  The soft curves of the reflecting glass soften a space while expanding it.  Take a look at a few examples on how the circular shape can make any wall look more interesting:

Stay tuned to see how a new round mirror transforms our children's bathroom!

Images: 1./2./3./4./5./6./7.