DIY Wooden Bead Garland

Trend alert I have been seeing wood garland pop up all over the place – mostly in styled interiors on Instagram, but most recently available at Target in their new bohemnian Spring line (I actually don’t like they version AT ALL - see below).

I decided I would make my own and I couldn’t be more proud of it! I was able to customize the size of the wooden balls, the length and the tassel ends exactly to my liking, which made it worth the little time it took to plan and put together.

I purchased the birch dowel caps online thinking the hole went all the way through, only to open them and discover the hole is one sided – they are intended to be caps on a pole/rod. All you need is a drill, the right sized drill bit, and a sturdy vice to hold the ball to take the hole all the way through, allowing it to be strung on the rope.

I also found leather tassels at Hobby Lobby (I couldn't find it online), removing the key chain to leave me with the perfect ends for the garland. I knotted it between the last two balls so that the tassel would be flush with the end - does that make sense? I tried to show it via pictures below.

I’m so excited to find endless ways to style with the garland and I personally think it gives any vignette an effortlessly, sophisticated look.

Newborn Photography: Hani Haddad's Sip 'n' See

A few weeks ago, sweet baby Hani made a cross-country trek all the way from Seattle to see family and friends! Instead of jumping around all over the NorthEast, his parents hosted loved ones in the center of Cambridge to give hugs, catch up, have lunch, and meet the new sweet baby boy. I think a sip 'n' see is just a brilliant way to welcome the baby to world and also get some great photos of everyone. The mood was cheery and joyful and I was happy to capture it.

Babymooning - all by myself

In truth, Paul is with me on our babymoon. But it's actually a work conference so he has meetings, dinners, and tee-times to attend (don't feel too bad for him, he still managed to enjoy the pool, gym, and golf). But for the most part, I have been by myself. I ate by myself at the hotel restaurants, got ready by myself, sat at the pool solo, and even gave myself my own hour long yoga class - no teacher, no phone app - just me and the mat. I did very little talking and a lot more thinking. It's been incredibly restorative.

I think moms in general could use a solo vacation, almost more than a getaway with their partner. I had a girlfriend who, before her second baby was born, took a solo trip to the cape. She rented a tiny, cute airbnb space and had 3 full days of solitude. I found it incredibly inspiring and admired her for it. I've also read of couples who intentionally book 1 solo vacation a year, without their partner. The idea is intimidating at first but I think there is really something to it. You many think to yourself, "but what will I do??" You were a single person once, maybe forever ago, but she/he is still in there. Trust me you will find things to do...just for yourself, or maybe you don't do anything at all for a full 24 hours - can you imagine? 

Paul and I have found that balancing alone time when we are "together" really keeps our relationship healthy. While on this trip, we had some time together at the pool and later in the afternoon he went to the gym for a few hours while I went back to the room, turned on Rachael Ray (I've started watching her show recently, and kinda love it??), had some time to pick up our room which instantly calms me, and took pictures for this post. I actually told him not to come back to the room until after 5pm - I wanted some quiet time.

The predictability during this trip has been comforting. I told Paul on Wednesday night that I couldn't wait for Thursday, because I was going to have the exact same day as I just had. Walk for a coffee, Today show while browsing blogs and drafting my own posts, breakfast at 8 by myself, yoga from 9-10 and then setting up poolside for the remainder of the day. And ending the night with ice-cream delivered to the room while watching Real Housewives. yes, yes, yes. 

The conference is at the Four Seasons in Scottsdale Arizona this year, which is quite luxurious and is just such a special treat. I have loved the dry heat during the day and crisp, cool mornings. I'm still trying to decide which cactus is my absolute favorite out of the thousands covering the grounds. I knew I would be spending 100% of my time on resort grounds so I packed very simply -  prioritizing comfort and simplicity. 

Below are details of items I used most on the trip - again very simple and thoughtfully chosen. I hope this inspires you to intentionally plan some time by yourself. Even if it's just a weekend in your own home while your husband takes the kids to his parents - you will be better for it I promise! 

While I love the sun and pool time, my skin pays for it. To avoid too much damage, I use babyganics mineral based sunscreen SPF50 with a large brim hat to protect my most vulnerable spots, my face and chest. I also end every day with a soak in the tub using Trader Joe's Lavendar Salt Scrub - the light exfoliant removes damaged skin from the day and the remaining oil on my skin is better than lotion.

With Paul at dinners most nights, I have plenty of time for self care in the hotel room - My favorite face masks, touching up my pedicure if needed, and Bravo TV.

I packed the most basic color palette for this trip - Navy, Black, and only two other colors - the pink and gray dresses pictured above. It makes getting dressed for dinner a mindless task, leaving me more time for an extra yoga class, a nap, or whatever I please really.

It's a baby moon and I know no one, so I wore a black two-piece with my bump on show and never looked back. Links for bathing suit and cover-up (I wore an XL in the coverup)

I intentionally didn't pack tennis shoes or any sort of heel. I decided a hike isn't for me this time (rattlesnakes!) so I wore my sandals (similar here) on my walks to the restaurants, spa, yoga room, and pool - and that's all I needed. 

Kitchen Update: Shiplap Backsplash!

The room with the most updates in the 5 years I have lived in our townhouse is BY FAR the kitchen. I can't stop changing it! The cabinets and backsplash were the first thing I changed after we were married in 2012 and I think I liked my impulsive, colorful choice, for maybe a year. We updated our stove in 2014, and then I repainted the cabinets to an off-white last year, 2016. And now, the most recent change was to rip down the tiny, multi-color, tile backsplash and replace it with the most simple, whitest of white shiplap. 

Below is a pretty good documentation of the progress!! Unfortunately I didn't take a straight on shot of the most recent version - and now I'm in GA and have to just use what I have from shooting last Sunday.

Paul and his dad completed the reno project while Roswelle and I were in GA for a weekend in February. I literally left the house with the old tile backsplash and came home to new wood shiplap - and I didn't have to see one speck of dust from the project (helped that Paul hired a cleaning lady after they completed). 

The overall cost was only $130 which included 3-4 2x6 wood planks, nails, and a thin backing between the insulation and the wood. When they tore down the tile backsplash, the drywall came with it. I painted the wood with white Benjamin Moore semi-gloss paint - which can be wiped clean easily.

I think some changes that may be ahead...because why stop now...new hardware? And the shade of the cabinets, in person, is just a smidgggeee cream. I've thought about painting them one more time, just one more coat of white. But then am I just making a mess? Paul jokes that our cabinets are like a box of chocolates...you never know what color you are gonna get :) 

Below are some pictures of different views of our kitchen. The wall gallery in the dining nook has two empty frames, waiting to be filled with pictures of baby girl #2 soon! The benches are from IKEA and i love them as we needed the extra storage. The table is something we made up, between ikea legs and a top we took off another table we had. I'd love a tulip table one day. Bar stools are from Home Goods and were so popular I'm sure you can still find something similar. And the butcher block island is a treasure we inherited from Paul's parents. Paul's mother fondly tells stories of Paul and his brother, Rob, playing/eating at the base of the island when they were little.

A few sources:

white frames / similar benche / table legs / table I want

The only appliance that is ever on our countertops is the kitchen-aid mixer, mostly because I like the way it looks. We store our ninja blender (even though we use it everyday) and cooking utensils in the cabinets below. It helps that our coffee maker and coffee mugs have their own station in between our kitchen and living room. It makes me feel really good to have clean, clutter free counters when I walk into our kitchen every morning. 

I styled the countertops with a teapot from Homegoods, a pitcher from Goodwill, and some marble cutting boards, one a gift and one from Target. The white tray for the lemons and sparkling water is from Ikea. I didn't buy anything to style the shoot, but instead went around my kitchen rearranging and repurposing. The styling process is so good for me, allowing me to be creative and is actually my favorite part of any blogpost. I encourage you to do the same in your home! 

Links for style items:

Cake stand / cork pitcher / similar pink pitcher / similar white tray / tea pot / marble cutting board

How cutting back on TV improved our routines

In January Paul and I cut cable TV. And it was really scary. As a stay at home mom, I considered TV my personal pal helping me make it through the day. Not so much for Roswelle to watch, but for background noise so I wouldn't lose my mind talking to myself and a toddler all day. 

We weened ourselves off television slowly. We cut cable, but kept Netflix, Amazon prime, and bought this antenna for only $19 (which are so sleek now!). I'm able to watch the Today Show in the mornings and we can watch the Bachelor if we feel like it on Monday nights. We also added the Sling TV app on our Roku, which allows me to watch Bravo and Paul to watch the NFL network - a win win for both of us. We plan to unsubscribe to Sling in the summer when we are home less, and then pick it back up in the winter months. 

The first month was tough - I found myself quite bored... However, slowly but surely I started realizing I didn't miss it as much...in fact TV started to not interest me! I started meal prepping and trying new recipes during Roswelle's nap instead of sitting on the couch. And recently I've been writing and creating more blog content, as well as moving the blog to a new website host! In the end, I'm feeling more fulfilled.

The biggest change has been our new bedtime and morning routines. Now that Paul and I aren't endlessly searching for something on TV to watch at night...we pick up the house, prepare for the morning, and go to bed! We have been reading more and falling asleep by 9pm on a regular basis which means we have been getting up early in the morning, getting ahead of the day, before Roswelle wakes up. Paul goes to the gym in the mornings and comes home earlier to hang out at night, allowing us to have sitdown dinners as a family between 6/6:30 most nights. I have been waking up a good hour before Roswelle which allows me to drink my cup of coffee quietly, read a few blogs, and catch up on my to-do list for the day - even knocking some things off before 7am like ordering a wedding gift I've been putting off.

If you are considering cutting back on TV, this is me encouraging you!! At least try it, if you are miserable, then by all means add it back, but you'll never know what is waiting on the other side of the black mirror... haaaa. good ol' TV pun to end this post. 

Flower Arranging 101

To be honest, I'm a little intimidated to write this post! Similar to a recipe or "how-to" post, I can lay out as much detail as possible, but it will never be the same as doing it with you in person. To simplify things, this post focuses on two basic flower arrangements with some overall tips and tricks along the way.

Some overall points....

- Don't be afraid of the flower! Yes, flowers are delicate, and yes they will bruise/wilt, but they can handle you handling them. :) Make the flower stand the way you need it to by pushing, tugging and twisting the stem. 

- If you have been reading my blog or follow me on Instagram, it's clear I have a favorite color palette of white, blush, and a pop of blue/purple/gray. However, some of my favorite arrangements I have made are ones using "different" flowers. Always lean into your style/color palette, but don't be afraid to add something new that you have never used before. For this post I used dusty miller, seeded eucalyptus, peach/pink David Austin Juliette Roses, white & pink standard spray roses, light pink stock, lavender, carnations, and anemones. 

And now to the 101s...

Where to Purchase: 

Most wholesale flower shops only sell to licensed florists. If you don't have any connections in the floral industry, there's still hope! I buy from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Costco, and Kroger (for my southern friends). They all have great selection of standard flowers such as hydrangeas, roses, seeded eucalyptus, and carnations. Carnations have gotten a bad rep as a flower to buy or give, but they are wonderful in arrangements. 

Prep, Clipping, & Preserving: 

As soon as you get home, you should clip the stems and place them in fresh cold water with flower food. This should be the first thing you do, even before you unload the cold groceries! Depending on when you want the flowers to open up will determine when you strip them of their greens and separate them. I purchased the flowers in this post on Tuesday morning, but didn't want to arrange them until Friday. I kept them in their packaging and in a cold dark room until Thursday night. The day before/or day of arranging is the best time to unwrap them, strip them of all leaves/thorns, and place them in a new container with fresh water w/ food. {as pictured below}

As I mentioned in an Instagram post, sometimes the flowers style themselves. Don't be afraid to let that happen and go with it! Both the picture above and below were taken after I had simply unwrapped, stripped the stems, and placed the flowers in a new container.

Large Arrangement: 

Begin with a shallow container with a wide opening. A trick of the trade is to create a weave over the top of the container with tape. I would suggest using clearer, thinner tape than what is pictured, but as you can see, any tape works. Try to cut the tape so that it barely wraps over the edge. You never want your "mechanics" to show in the flower arrangement. This includes oasis, wire, and floral tape.

Start adding the greenery around the outside edge and continue to work your way to the center. I inserted the stems at a very hard angle. Clip as much greenery/leaves/stems as needed to get the stem good and secure.

Small Arrangement:

This technique can be used for a bouquet or a small arrangement as pictured. The idea is to arrange the flowers in your hand and then place them in a container. Move the flowers around, add more, add less, this is all about how big you want the bundle to be. 

Once you have the flowers styled the way you want, measure the stems next to the container and cut. Tip: always cut a little long at first, and then little by little, continue to shorten the stems to get the correct height.

I usually end here, but because my mom had flower tape, I wrapped the stems to give the arrangement a more stability. 

This type of arrangement is great for a smaller space such as a gift/cake table or placed amongst a spread of food. This is the size I most commonly have around the house - including on my bedside table as a warm welcome to the day in the mornings!

Single Stem Arrangements:

The idea is so simple, yet it has a big impact. You can place them as a group on a table (use an odd number of vases). Also, place them in bathrooms or in small corners that needs a sweet touch. This is a great solution for left over flowers or flowers that were cut too short for another arrangement.

Gluten-Free/Lactose-Free, Homemade Mac-N-Cheese!

Last week, I was craving Mac & Cheese and headed to the grocery store with full intentions of buying a gluten-free/dairy-free boxed version. I looked at the back of the box to read the ingredients and immediately felt discouraged (many of the ingredients I could not pronounce). I decided I would make it myself, using items I felt comfortable with - the fewer ingredients on the list, the better. 

As someone trying to navigate a healthy diet while enjoying a normal lifestyle, I find balance really important. I don't want to be a slave to junk food, but I also don't want to be a slave to healthy/raw/organic/non-gmo/paleo food. When I dine out, I try to enjoy the experience while not worrying if my food was cooked in canola oil. When I'm home, I find joy out of cooking with healthy ingredients that I chose for myself and my family.  

This mac n'cheese recipe isn't paleo, or whole30, or even that healthy. But it's gluten free/soy free/lactose free and its DELICIOUS.  The recipe (which is at the end of the post) isn't perfect, I literally made it up and I'm not a trained chef so I encourage you to tweak it to your taste - more cheese, different brands, more toppings? Have fun with it!

So simple!

I've been preferring this New Barn brand of Almond milk because of the short list in the ingredient section. I would never drink a glass of it (not enough taste for me), but it's a great addition to smoothies/cooking/baking.

Grass-fed is best, and ghee is lactose free!

I chose jarlsberg cheese as it is naturally lactose free, as well as a grass-fed sharp, well-aged dubliner, the longer a cheese is aged, the longer the lactose has to break-down and become more tolerable (over 18 months). You could also use gruyere, almond ricotta, or a sharp cheddar.

Remember all that balance I was talking about? yeah...I added ketchup to my mac-n-cheese because, pregnancy.

Recipe //

1 1/2 cups brown rice pasta

1/2 cup Almond Milk

3/4 cup Jarlsberg

3/4 cup Cheddar

2 tbsp Ghee

Cook pasta according to the package. Combine cheese, milk, and ghee in sauce pan until melted completely, stirring often. Strain pasts and add to cheese sauce. Salt & Pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Newborn Portraits: Baby Cameron Michael

Baby Cameron Michael was born to my friends, Tara and Todd, on Thanksgiving Day last year. Their joy, pride, and love for Cameron, and each other, is infectious. He will be supported and cherished...and a Bruins hockey fan :) 

If you would like to contact me for a newborn photo shoot - email me at saralaurenw@gmail.com

Valentine's Prep for Yourself!

Over the weekend, we traveled to Paul's parents house to lock down some babysitting (so thankful GiGi & Pops are always willing to watch Roswelle) while Paul and I went out to dinner & a movie, for an early valentine's celebration.

This will be our 7th valentine's together, and while I'm not going to purchase a new dress or get a hair blowout for the date, I did want to do something special (and free) to make myself feel like I put in a little extra effort for my valentine. 

{I pulled out a heart locket from my childhood, I believe my parents gave me this when I was 10 or 11. The sweet sentiment and obvious shape felt appropriate.}

{I typically only wear chapstick or an understated lip color, but for Valentine's I think pink or red is always a good choice}

{Tonight, while watching the Bachelor, give yourself a manicure or pedicure. Make use of the two hour long show and take your time applying a pink or red hue to your nails, giving them plenty of time to dry}

{I didn't wear this slip dress on Saturday night, it was just too cold here in Boston, but I plan to wear this combo in the future. Adding a lace camisole so that it slightly shows under any garment, even a sweater, adds a special element to the outfit}

 {I'm usually not a fan of fragrance on my skin, but Saturday night I added the smallest amount on my wrists. It made the pizza and a movie seem like a very fancy occasion. I was recently gifted Tory Burch Love Relentlessly and have really enjoyed the light scent.}

Whether you are celebrating with your partner, heading out for a "Galentine's" dinner, or staying in with your pets, doing a little something for self-care is never a bad choice. And of course, more ideas such as false lashes, a spray tan, fancy stilettos, or lingerie would be valuable additions for celebrating Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Styling Around the House

I love the color pink, always have and probably always will. So naturally, I really enjoy styling our home in the month of February. I have to demonstrate some restraint when it comes to adding the color in our house - I have yet to use a pink rug in our house, although I think they are fabulous!

This year I went up into Roswelle's room and grabbed a few pink things that would transition well throughout the main floor - a frame, a throw, and some of her books. I grabbed a few candles and bowls from the attic which gave me a good start for styling. The only purchase made this year was the wool garland from Target which I laid on our new storage bench as well as some roses with a pink hue. 

It really doesn't take much to make your house festive, I hope you feel inspired to give it a try! 

xoxo

Roswelle and I are going to make her Valentine's cards with some stickers (which I've used as a decorative confetti on the kitchen table this week), markers, and craft paper. I may even take a stab at making some paper garland for our mantel.