Weekly Loves – December 5th

 

It’s been a hectic first week of December. What with the craziness of Thanksgiving and the shopping madness that followed (which I avoid like the plague), I’m still trying to catch my breath. We got cocky and took a mini-vacation to a nearby tourist hotspot with the baby and completely messed up Baby Blue’s sleep schedule. So while we enjoyed playing in the snow, now we’re fighting that uphill battle back to (hopeful) normalcy. Poor kid. I think the inevitable conclusion is that we will never leave our house again.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things that the internet has seen fit to throw in my path (clockwise from top left).

1. Domaine Home’s post on How to Create the Coziest Home Ever, On a Budget. It’s cold. I’m cold. My house is cold. My feet are cold. Looking at pictures of warmth makes me feel less cold. Plus, just look at those doors!

2. Live Simply by Annie’s blog On Restlessness and Rest. Annie’s writing is a breath of fresh air in the craziness of the season. In fact her writing is refreshing whatever the occasion. And that quote by Thoreau is so on point.

3. Blogging Bettie’s podcast and blog is a real gem. Such a good resource for bloggers, plus I can listen to the podcast while I do mountains of dishes / babywrangle / scrape sticky cheerio monstrosities off the floor.

4. Vancouver photographer Sophia Hsin’s Instagram gifted me with this beauty the other day. It’s kind of hard to read so I’ll tell you it says “Let your faith be bigger than your fear”. Love.

Cozy Fall Favorites for Baby Boys

Oh what a wonderful time of year. I know my husband and I are loving bundling up against that November chill, but Baby Blue gets the best of it. Why?

Fleece footies! He’s been wearing these to death because we only just turned our heating on. But I feel ridiculous when we leave the house with him still in his PJs. It’s tempting, I know. But come on.

I’ve gone through moments of joy and sadness when it comes to baby boy fashion. I get a little sad because I see all these cute little dresses and shoes that we don’t get to dress him in, but then when I’m rushing to get out the door to the grocery store I’m thrilled that it doesn’t take any thought to dress him. No need to coordinate. Every pair of pants he owns goes with every onesie and sweater. It’s really hard to go wrong.

I do have to say, little boys look pretty slick in some fall friendly clothes. Like flannel (how I love flannel)! Here’s a few of my fall favorites for little boys.

 

Here’s where I got them: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

How adorable is that little umbrella hoodie? Perfect for the god-awful weather we’ve been having here in the Pacific Northwest. That paired with the flannel shirt, Baby Blue is an up and coming grunge-loving, umbrella-shunning, coffee-drinking Seattleite.

Oh and the bear hat is an homage to the great big black bear who’s been rifling through our trash lately.

 

Modern Yet Feminine Living Room Design

So recently I got the chance to design a contemporary/modern style living room based around Modani Modern Furniture pieces. I was interested in part because the furniture we’ve collected at the Blue Sky House is largely modern style with sleek, simple lines that will (hopefully) stand the test of time.

Mr. Blue has a distinct taste for more masculine, modern style furniture (read straight lines and sharp corners). My style sense drifts toward more feminine lines, and I find some contemporary styled rooms to be cold and impersonal. Needless to say, we occasionally butt heads on the subject. Over time though, I’ve realized that it’s much easier to stick with the simple structure of modern pieces and soften corners and the overall look of a room with texture and accessories.

Here’s the design I pulled together.

That gorgeous sofa, chairs, vase and rug are all from Modani Modern Furniture. If you want to check them out, they have a number of locations in the US and Canada (some of which you can take a virtual tour of a la Google Maps) to get a better idea of their style. Floor pillows are Cost Plus and floral mirror is Pier 1.

Overall, I went with a very neutral pallet. But I like the way the silver of the chair legs is reflected in the vase and mirror as well as the tone of the pillows and rug. You could easily add splashes of color in the textiles or even wall paint. I think this room would really offset a dark colored wall like this or this.

Let me know what you think!

 

Cozy Fall Fashion Favorites

It’s getting chilly out here in the Pacific Northwest. The wind is bringing down all the leaves and I’m breaking out the flannel.

I love flannel, don’t you? I know it’s a little cliche to say that when I’m from Seattle, but still. It’s warm, it’s soft, it adds a little color to my otherwise very neutral wardrobe. What’s not to like? Here’s what else I’m digging this month.

1. Dainty, layered necklaces (source)
They’re so cute and clever, I can’t resist. What’s more is that they provide hours of entertainment for my little guy (just hitting 8 months next week, egads!). I’m also loving that yellow gold is making a comeback, because that’s what I wear for the most part.

2. Essie’s Smokin’ Hot Purple/Gray Nail Polish (source)
Can’t wait to try out this neutral purple color. I’ve been going steady with my bottle of Honk If You Love OPI for years, but we’re in agreement that I should lighten up a little.

3. Flannel Button Downs (source)
I’ve been wearing this Old Navy shirt pretty much every chance I’ve gotten since bringing it home. My husband was teasing me that he’s never seen me do the laundry so fast because I can’t wait to wear it again (to which I said hardy har har).

4. Beige Suede Booties (source)
Lovely, lovely suede with just enough heel that I don’t end up killing myself walking down the driveway carrying the infant car seat. Plus, how nifty is that slightly cowboy-esque design? Yes, very.

5. Camel Leather Biker Jacket (source)
I used to have a jacket almost exactly like this, only way cheaper (I think I got it from H&M more than 5 years ago). I wore it to death (quite literally), and I’ve been looking for a new one ever since. So far all I can find is this (eek) $500 one from Nordstrom, so personally I’ll keep looking. But hey if you like it and you have the cash to burn – go for it.

What are your fall fashion staples? Know where I can find a leather jacket on the cheap these days? I’m dying to know!

Apple Harvest Recipe Round Up

We had a seriously decent haul from our dinky little apple tree this year (I think a lady apple tree moved in across the street). We spent all summer going wow, that’s a lot of apples, until finally September rolled around and I felt we had given the fruit enough time to sweeten up.

Apple picking is one of my favorite things, because it announces that autumn (my favorite season) has officially arrived. We (I) try to make a little event out of it, go out picking as a family, take pictures, and revel in the baking that is about to begin.

Considering we had more apples than we knew what to do with, I had to get a little creative with my recipes. In my search I found some real gems that I thought I’d share with the class 😉

As you’ll be able to tell, I tend to err on the side of baked goods. But I have yet to hear too many complaints. Here’s my list of Blue Sky House tried and true “what do I do with all these apples” recipes. Enjoy.

Salted Caramel Apple Hand Pies

Autumn Apple Cider Sangria

French Apple Tart

Apple Chips

Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie

A Love of Writing

Lately, I’ve really been enjoying SMP Living‘s Behind the Blog series. They are thoughtful interviews of popular bloggers on the subject of their trade.  It’s gotten me thinking a lot about blogging in general; why it’s become popular, and why people do it.

Obviously, there are those who blog for profit or fame – but I can’t imagine anyone really starting that way and being able to stick it out. It always seems to stem more from a love of writing, a desire for a creative outlet and community building. That’s one of the reasons I turn to the internet as my source for the sort of content that I once could only find in magazines. Now, magazines are so ad-rich that it’s difficult to even find the content anymore. I suppose there are plenty of websites and blogs that are headed that direction, but for the most part I’m at least confident that the writer is writing about what they really think. There’s a sincerity to blogging that I really appreciate.

Which made me realize that authentic writing and sincerity is important to me, and I want my blog to reflect that as well.

I’ve also realized that taking great photographs is critical. I’ve never considered myself to be an excellent photographer, but it’s a learning experience I suppose. I want to improve, so I’ll keep plugging away at it.