FLAMINGO FRIDAY

Happy Friday - woohoo!!! I'm so excited for the weekend! We have friends visiting from St. Louis & Boston and the weather is supposed to be perfect :) We're heading to a Yankees game on Saturday and will come home for a good ol' summertime BBQ. The menu is still developing but here's what I got so far:

appetizer: some pickies and a new favorite: tomato, avocado, and crabmeat towers with truffle oil
dinner: grilled corn, tomato and mozzarella salad, cuscus salad, london broil
dessert: watermelon and...???? something I can make ahead of time...homemade ice cream sandwiches?

Anywho, enough blabbing, let's move on to today's featured flamingo shall we?

Hand Beaded Flamingo Clutch - Anthropologie

cool, isn't it?

Have a great weekend everyone!

One Love One Heart

 I've added some new Bob Marley love to the shop :)

One Love (anchor) One Heart

and a custom version for the bride and groom :) 

Prints can all be customized with your choice of colors:

shop here :)

MOTHER'S DAY CARD PRINTABLE

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all you mommies out there :) I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that in one year, I will be celebrating this day with my little monkey (who is currently training to be an olympic gymnast right in the comfort of my very own belly)!

I'm working on some new stationery designs and thought I would share this downloadable card in case you're in last minute need of a mother's day card.

link to download card

Instructions to print:

Click on the link to download the card and print on size A2 folded cardstock. If you don't have any folded blank A2 cards, most probably won't, take a nice thick piece of paper and cut it down to size: 5.5"wide x 8.5"high. Print the design from your printer and fold down the center :)

Enjoy your weekend! 

MAKING WHOOPIE...PIES

Last weekend we were invited to a friend's house for dinner and I offered to bring dessert -- I decided to try the good old whoopie pie because they look so ridiculously delicious every time I see them it's almost painful to look away...and they were.

Here's how it went:

I cheated and used a box of cake mix for the chocolate part - The truth is I love boxed cake, it always has the perfect texture of light and moist and the taste can not be beat.  

I baked the little sandwich halves in a muffin pan, pouring only enough to cover the bottom of the shape. This way, all my halves would be the same size. I first tried pouring a teaspoon out onto a cookie tin but the shapes and sizes were all so crazy and different when they came out of the oven.

Next I made the filling -- 

1 1/2 cups of marshmallow fluff (I've been craving this stuff since I got pregnant, great excuse to buy it!)

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick of butter 

After the filling is complete, you simply make your sandwiches and serve! Also very easy to transport :)

St. John Bliss (USVI)

 Brian and I just returned from a beautiful week in St. John...pause...daydream...and it was nothing short of magical. The beaches were incredible, landscape nothing short of gorgeous, island architecture done to perfection, the food was delicious and fresh, and the tropical drinks (from what I witnessed) looked and had nothing but the most perfect tropical potions. We were there for our dear friends Kelly and Carlo's wedding on Caneel Bay and made a babymoon of it. We stayed in the beautiful Tennis Villa with 11 others and had the best time, it was the perfect combination of relaxation and fun and I would go back in a heartbeat!!!

I've never seen water so pretty

taking a breather on the veranda

We took a day trip to the BVI's and had a blast at Foxy's and the Soggy Dollar (yes, only virgin drinks for this mamma)

There is nothing like that blue...

or this aqua...

our Jeep rental

We went to this little bakery every morning for iced coffee and mango muffins, which I feel in love with - recipe to come!

That is a sunburn on my arm and the heels had not been put on yet, but you get the point...

lunch at Skinny Legs

followed by relaxation on the beach

Smoothies 

Sunset

We can't say enough good things about St. John but here are a few key pointers:

 Definitely try and fly direct into St. Thomas -- we took a connection and it made the journey too long for what it should be.

Rent a Jeep

Our favorite beach to spend the day was Hawksnest because it was super convenient. Cinnamon Bay was great, too for water sports.

Definitely eat at ZoZo's and La Tapa

Be prepared to be indulged in nothing but relaxation and decadence in the form of nature's most tropical beauty :) 

GREG NORMAN'S EASY BREEZY HOBE SOUND GUEST HOUSE

I feel in love with the laid back easy breezy home of golfer Greg Norman situated on the beach in Hobe Sound, Florida, just minutes up the road from our beloved Jupiter.

Doesn't the surfboard in the corner of the room just set the tone of, "take it easy, nothing else matters because you're on the beach"? The view doesn't hurt either...

Like those nautical flag prints hanging above the bed? You can purchase them in my etsy shop!

sold here!

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of eye candy and beach house inspiration today :)

Images scanned from Coastal Living Magazine, May 2013

GOING COASTAL BACKPACK

I love a cute backpack and think it will be the most convenient option once I'm pushing a stoller or have a baby in my arms so I decided to invest in a little tester :) 

How sweet are these Going Coastal backpacks from Roxy??

Perfect for riding your cruiser to the beach, walking around town, as a carry-on for vacation, you name it! 

On sale for 35.99 here :)