Beautiful Blackbird

So my darling husband decided to join me on my quest for a more cruelty free way of eating. It has been a couple of months now and I have to say I am quite enjoying it! I have been dying to try out all of these great recipes I have come across but it’s not always fun  making it for just myself. I have been spending so much extra time in the kitchen that I have discovered a few tools missing from my culinary collection. These are just a few of the things I must have right away!!

citrus zester (William Sonoma)

Veggie scoop (William Sonoma)

baking dishes (Le Creuset)

measuring cups set of 8 (Sur La Table)

tofu press (tofuxpress.com)

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For the past five weeks or so i have been working with my Naturopath to figure out some food allergies and sensitivities. Which happen to be a lot more common than i ever realized. Having a mostly vegan diet i was afraid of giving up any of my regular go to foods. When i figured out one of my sensitivities was to corn i wasn’t surprised. Never felt that great after eating it anyway. When i discovered wheat… i didn’t know what i was going to do. Luckily i had kind of prepared myself for worse case.

You hear so much about gluten free anymore i figured i had options. So yesterday I made lasagna with rice flour lasagna noodles, almond cheese, tofu and TJ’s marinara. It was pretty good and the noodles cook themselves! No pre-boiling.

I also found that TJ’s has a printable list of their no gluten food items found here.

Maybe old news to many but new to me so i will continue to share new discoveries along the way. Just in case it is new to someone else too!

Here is a yummy and satisfying breakfast:

The tapioca bread is only 45 calories per slice. They are tiny little pieces but add some raw almond butter and flax seed and you feel satisfied!

I’ve been trying to do some pinning to my boards lately and I came across this simple yet chic summer look. It’s a Tumblr photo so I couldn’t find where to get any of the pieces. So I started looking in some of my favorite online shops and this is what I found. . . .

J.CREW $59.50

J.CREW $45.00

Michael Kors at Nordstrom @250.00

Marc Jacobs at Bloomingdale’s $395.00

Jeffrey Campbell at Nordstrom $164.95

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Heres whats been going on!

We were invited to the Children’s Museum of Tacoma for a birthday party and it was a ton of fun. Recently the Children’s Museum moved to another location downtown so it was our first time! Jack had fun climbing the Voyager and exploring in the Woods!

Thanks to my dear friend Christy for the invite!

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This past weekend was full of planning and prepping for a post baby shower for my very best friend Kelli! The menu was full of little bite sized appetizers, tea and sweets ❤  We even had a beautiful view of the snow coming down outside. It was a fantastic afternoon with some fabulous women that I have known and loved for more than 20 years! YIKES!

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Love love love when my 5 year old says “here mom I made this for you!” I don’t think there is anything sweeter than children’s drawings. Love you Jack ❤

Today in my son’s preschool class, those sweet “Little Muffins” will be handing out treats to all of their friends. I really REALLY do not like the cartoon Valentine’s cards and know it’s just a matter of time before Jack (my sweet, loving, adorable 5 year old) will be asking for them. I like to be crafty and a DIYer!! This is a little more my style…

Better Homes and Gardens had these cute printable tags.  And then I followed a very easy recipe. 

❤Happy Valentine’s Day❤

Every month i get together with a small group of friends for dinner. We all contribute something to the menu to make it a complete meal. Its a fun night to try out and exchange new recipes. All the kids are around the same age so there is a little chaos in the mix. Instead of a Christmas gift exchange we do a Valentine’s exchange. Nothing over-the-top, just a little token gift to celebrate our friendship! This year I decided to make my gift. Its super easy and super cute…

this is what you will need  -

self healing cutting mat, exacto knife,

ruler, sponge, mod podge, all purpose glue, felt

4×4 ceramic tiles

4 sheets coordinating craft paper (cut to size of tile or slightly smaller)

• brush mod podge on tile
• lay paper on tile
• brush mod podge on paper
• let dry
• spray with acrylic sealer (optional)
• cut felt slightly smaller that tile
• glue felt to bottom of tile to create scratch free bottom

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I simply do not wear it enough. I have beautiful shades of red lip color. It is the one element my makeup is missing. Why do I only think about it when I am getting ready to go out at night? I love the light eye and red lip for daytime. It is time to incorporate it to the daily routine…. don’t you think?

I start with my fave…

NARS  (jungle red)

give it a blot

and there you have it

just in time for my Valentine ❤

…. I would redo my dressing room right now! In my quest to redirect my life to Organized City I have come across so many great ideas. I suppose I can integrate some of these ideas to my existing room.

shoes

(I don’t always keep the boxes, so this would work for me)

clothes

(i love that these little hangers don’t stretch the shoulder)

jewelry…..♥

or

(my current solution)

hats

(my husband has become a hat guy)

drawers

(i have some…..need more)

and my fave….

(i will find a place for this)

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I know cocktail rings have been blogged to death but what can I say… I’m a girl who is willing to be a repeat offender!  I really love turquoise blue rings (not to be confused with turquoise rings). Don’t get me wrong, turquoise can be very beautiful, it’s just not my thing. Here’s what I ♡…

Kenneth Jay Lane

Mark Jacobs

 asos.com

blue topaz

and any of these

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