Healthy Chewy Granola Bars! And Na-Tee-Na Recipe Cards Too!

I have been busy working on adding items to my Etsy site and one of the newest additions I will be posting later today are some editable recipe cards.

One of the inspirations to create these were some chewy granola bars I made and wanted to share the recipe with friends. But a plain ol' typed email recipe just wouldn't do! ;)

First off, I was looking for a chewy and healthy granola bar to give to my girls instead of buying them with all the additives they put in them these days. And the chewy part was important because my littlest just has a mere 7.5 teeth and no molars.

I found a recipe that I thought would be a good starting point and after several trials and tribulations, I came up with this one you see on my Etsy Editable Recipe Card that I am sharing with you today. I substituted the butter for coconut oil, most of the sugar for brown rice syrup, chocolate chips for dates and figs, and then used graham flower instead of white flour. All in all, I have to say they are pretty good and my girls like them too. Kid tested, mother approved as they say.

The cards come two to a page and you can type in your recipe in the PDF and then simply print on card stock and trim. A great way to hand down your favorite recipes or for gifts...and everyone will be able to read your writing!

Nook Revamped

We've had a few home projects going on around our house lately. One of them that is checked off the list is the addition to our kitchen nook. I am thrilled with the end result too! I have been pondering our existing blank abd boring space for years and was amiss at what I really wanted for that space. I searched high and low for the right buffet or long cabinet, but nothing fit the bill size-wise or style-wise. Finally I stumbled across a photo from Elle Decor from their Miami showcase addition and it hit me - an aha moment! With a few adjustments to the design I knew it would look great in our space as well as blend with the style of our home.

I am ultra fortunate to have an amazingly handy husband and father-in-law so some of the monumental projects are a possibility for us. Over a few weeks my husband worked in the evenings getting the chalkboard wall just perfect, sprayed the cabinets with a prefect finish of paint and aligned the porcelain sconces just so. Oh, and one of the coolest features...there is a TV hiding below and comes up with a touch of a button! I'll love this when we are entertaining and there is a game on that all the guys want to huddle around to watch.



Now that I have lived with the cabinets and wall for about a month now, I have a hard time picturing how BORING the nook was before! I have yet to write on the wall, but will as soon as I am inspired. Maybe our next party I'll put the menu for the evening on the wall.

Such drastic changes creates a snowball effect of other purchases, right? Now I am shopping for a rustic round table (kid proof), modern white chairs (easily wipe clean!!!), and a Flor rug under the table.

Next project: finish our office cabinetry!!

Etsy Launch & Free Printable Mother's Day Card - Oh My!

The last several weeks have been quite busy. Not only did I have my friend's shower I was putting together, but I decided to start a little shop on Etsy called Na-Tee-Na. Timing-wise, I don't know what got in to me, but I was inspired and sometimes when inspiration hits, you just have to go for it regardless of good or bad timing.

I was creating some applique onesies for my friend's shower gift and it struck me that I could sell the templates so others can print them out and make their own variations of my designs with different fabrics. Once that idea got going, I realized that over the last several years of hosting parties and birthdays, I have started to gather quite the collection of invitations and printables that are sadly sitting in no mans land files. I created them out of love for the ones who were being honored and thought it was a shame for them to never be used again. So why not add them to my little shop as well and people can purchase the templates to print themselves?!

So Na-Tee-Na was born and I have been feverishly trying to add and create in my limited spare time. The name Na-Tee-Na came from the game I have been playing with my little girls when I change their cute bums on the changing pad. In greek, Na Tee Na means "there she is" (or loosely based on). It has been our peek-a-boo game and will always hold fond memories for me as the girls grow older.

To celebrate the launch, I am giving a free printable download for a Mother's Day card to share with your moms. Please check out my Etsy site and I hope you enjoy the designs as much as I do! I will be adding more items as the weeks and months continue too!

Baby E Shower

My good friend Stacey is finally expecting a little baby boy! Myself and another dear friend were honored to host a shower for the soon-to-be little guy last weekend. It turned out to be a lovely day with the sun shining and everyone in good spirits. Here is a glimpse of the details we put together...

The invitation was a lot of fun to make. Especially since it was for a boy and I have two girls. A departure from the frilly and pink was refreshing!

Instead of the increasingly getting played out cake pops, I tried my hand at pie pops and they were fun to eat. Like a grown up lollipop...or pie for kids. Whichever way you want to look at it.

I found these Salted Caramel Brownies from another blogger Pink Parsley and OMG - died and gone to heaven! You must try them!!!

Organizing with Martha Stewart Labels

I have been on an organizing kick lately. It's been sparked by the numerous things my kids acquire and/or need as they get older. Whether it be toys, saving clothes for my younger daughter, or my craft supplies accumulating the more birthday parties we have. Recently I bought a Martha Stewart organizing magazine (I rarely buy these types of magazines, but I was in the mood), which had some great little tips in it. Of course it was pumped all of the numerous Martha products, but I didn't mind, because as much I don't want to, I usually love her products over others that are similar.

Lately, I have been struggling with what to do with some of my older daughter's pictures she has drawn or painted (My one year old has yet to successful not try to eat the crayon). I am not one to keep every single little thing, but I do want to look back and remember those times when girls drew me a picture or started drawing actual figures, versus scribble. I saw this idea in the Martha magazine and think it's a great solution that can grow as the girls get older. I went to The Container Store and bought simple white shipping tubes as well as the wire basket. Then I bought the Martha Stewart Chalkboard labels from Staples. They feel more like vinyl, but they really do erase easily...I should know. I erased them numerous times with my poor penmanship!

What I love most about this little project - simple!!! Check out all of Martha's other labels available at Staples too. I bought some of the kraft and white paper ones as well that I am looking forward to using. And aside from the chalkboard labels, most of them you should be able to run through your printer. Bonus!

Hello and Birthday Wishes

It's been, yet again, a long while since I have been blogging. There is something about having little babies, that brings blogging to the sidelines for me. But now my second baby girl just turned one and a little bit of my sanity is returning. There is something to be said for a full nights sleep!

I have planned a few parties since I last posted and wished I had shared them, but here is the latest. My daughter Elise turned one at the beginning of the month and I wanted to make sure I gave her a special first birthday just as I did for her big sister, Vivienne. I am a second child as well, so I know how it goes...






I went with a spring theme with a lamb for the invitation and then took everything else from there. The week prior, a few of us planned a fundraiser for our dear friend battling cancer and I was in charge of the decorations. It was a large undertaking, but something I would do again in a heartbeat. God willing, I never have too. That said, I learned to knit myself a few months ago, and summoned all the knitters I could to help knit all these wonderful sweater vases (idea from Design Sponge) in neutral shades and various patterns. I also had a work party to help make all of tissue flowers to fill the vases. They are super cheap and easy! In smaller quantities of course and not 100+! All of the generous friends and family who contributed were monumental! Given that was the week before Elise's party, I made a few of the leftover vases and flowers do double duty since I was short on time (and energy). Thankfully the color scheme worked for both parties! To round out the rest of the decorations, I did the staple balloon bouquets, made a coordinating garland and party hat.




I pretty much started to really think about the party about five days before hand. Uggh! Thanks to Garnishes fast deliver and reliable and tasteful party garnishes, it was manageable to pull off. I made Barefoot Contessa's chocolate chop cookie dough (always a pleaser) froze the dough in balls and then put them in these Garnish containers with a printed label and ribbon for favors. Then the rest of the menu was a simple salmon salad with ciabatta rolls, sesame snap peas, fruit salad in Garnish soup cups and labels, and last, but certainly not least, Top Pot Donuts. It was all delicious, but there was a snafu with the salad...peppercorns were accidentally used instead of capers. Not all was lost, there was just an extra "bite" to the salad.


This year, I was relieved of the cake duty - yahoo! I have to admit, I am willing to tackle most things myself, but cake decorating is very daunting to me. One of my husband's, good friends has been starting to make wonderful pastries and beautifully decorated cakes. He was gracious enough to make a delicious carrot cake that was SO perfect! He took the invite and made it in to a cake!


It's always wonderful to have your closest friends and family there to celebrate your child's birthday. And no matter how much detail you put into a party, it's the warmth of having everyone gathered that makes the day special. I think that is why I always want to put so much effort in to each event. I want the surroundings to match the appreciation I feel to each and every person attending and sharing their love. With that, I look forward to posting and sharing some more ideas!

Children's Tee Pee: Can I Have One?

Well hello there! It seems that when I am pregnant I have a hard time keeping up with my blog. We have number two on the way and I am pretty excited, nervous and clueless as to what to expect. I think I am getting in to my nesting mode again, but since we don't know if we are having a boy or girl yet, Viv is still reaping the rewards.

I got inspired by a little birdie to make a tee pee for Vivienne and No. 2. After seeing a few online, I what was blown away by the prices. I was not so blown away however, by the designs. I thought it would be fun to design one that was a little rustic and authentic, but with a modern sensibility. So here is my take on a children's tee pee. I used natural cotton canvas, jute twine, bamboo poles and cotton rope for the ties.I was going to wait until Christmas to give it to Viv, but I was the little kid in the scenario and couldn't wait to get in it myself. So we now have a tee pee in our house and I quite love it.

Remember making forts as a child and wanting to have your own private space? Well I think I still want that as an adult and climb in with Viv to read stories. She let's me in for now, but give her 6 months or so and I may be banned from her private abode.

I am thinking of putting them on Etsy, so if you are interested in your own custom tee pee, let me know!

Wedding Shower & Tears

What a week it was! Not only did I have a shower to host for my good friend, but I came down with a cold/flu (not sure which it was) during the week. Having a cold didn't help me pick away at my to-do list by any means. After dragging my feet around all week, I did manage to get most of my tasks accomplished. And the shower turned out to be a wonderful success.

I was mostly worried about making it as special as I could for Andrea. She is a dear friend and I wanted her to know how much she deserved a special day in her honor. I didn't get as many photos taken as I would have liked, but I did take a few. I tried my best at tying all the elements of the party together, from the invitations (see post here) all the way to the end with the parting gifts. I used the flowers from the invitations where I could and thought it made a nice touch on the notepad gift tags reading "Mahalo". She is getting married in Hawaii so I introduced a slight Hawaiin theme without going overboard.


To keep with the Hint-O Hawaiin idea, for the food we served (this was brunch) strata, garlic roasted potatoes, baby green salad, strawberries with lime curd or oh-so-yummy and easy chocolate sauce, vegan coconut cupcakes and vegan mini chocolate donuts from Seattle's Mighty-O. To clear up the vegan bit, my friend is allergic to dairy and soy so I had to at least try to serve most of the food for her to eat. To side step the strata part, my mom graciously made her an omlette sans cheese. And for drinks, we served mimosas tropic style with champagne and tropical juice accompanied with the drink umbrellas I made a while back (see picture here) which were a big hit!


The flowers Andrea's mom brought were just gorgeous and made the table sing! She put them in silver vases that were her grandmother's which made it all the more sentimental. And if that doesn't pull your heart strings, her long time friend Devon put together the sweetest slideshow of the cute couple that had us all teared up at the end! All in all I think it was a success and I just hope that Andrea enjoyed herself and knows how much I and all the wonderful ladies who came love her to bits.

PS - I made her an embroidered pillow which I will share in a few days or early next week. It was way more work I had intended, but in the end I am pleased how it came out.

Outdoors vs. Indoors

Finally we have some sun and heat here in the Northwest!!! We are starting to use our outside patio again and it seems like summer is half over already! In my longing to be outside, I have been looking at outdoor furniture and decorations online. What I have been noticing is there has been a dramatic style step in the outdoor decor department. Many of the items being sold as outdoor, I would gladly have inside my home to offer a rustic approach. One of my birthday gifts that I adore is technically to be dawned outside, but it has found it's home on my living room coffee table. The rustic finial and large scale is just the ticket to offset the more formal lines of my sofa and chairs.


I have even seen furniture pieces I wouldn't mind having in my home. Restoration Hardware recently revamped their outdoor and garden wears and some of their pieces are stunning. My friend actually got this side table for her living room and I absolutely love it! The bonus of finding outdoor decor is that it's usually priced less than indoor decor...it makes as much sense as men's dry cleaning costing less than women's. Don't get me started!!!


Here is another finial from Wisteria that is deserving of the indoors.

Shower Invites. Check.

Here is a follow up on my progress for my friends shower. I finally got the invitations in the mail yesterday - phew! I feel better that that checked off my list. I think they turned out pretty well and have a slight nod to Hawaii without it being in your face Hawaii overload. My new favorite paper to print homemade invitations on is Paper Source's Luxe cover stock. It has a slight texture which adds a little extra professional touch and masks some of the home printer inabilities. But I must say, if you can choose to print between a laser vs. an ink jet, go ink jet!! The ink lays soooo much better and is closer to offset printing.

I also found these sweet beige labels in a random drawer of our laundry room at the last second. They worked perfectly with my invites and added an extra touch to the envelopes. What a find! And in my own home no less. The next step to my party planning is to make labels/tags for the food and then some garland. You can't have a party without garland!

Rainy Day Projects: Rain, Rain Go Away!

I don't know how the weather is for the rest of the country, but here in the NW it has been down right gross! So to pass the time of not being able to enjoy the outdoors and sunshine (I am still wearing long pants and sweaters on a regular basis!), I have been busy with some projects around the house.





I mentioned in my last pot that I got a new sewing machine for my birthday and it has been both fun and frustrating! That's another story. I said I would take some pictures of a few of my frustrations, I mean projects. Soooo...I doctored these curtains I found at Ikea for $15 a pair for our guest room. Yeah, you heard right! $15 for both of them!! They are a bit on the plain side so I found some cream ruffle trim and sewed it along the edges to give it just a hint of interest. I thought about doing a colorful or patterned border, but my commitment issues kicked in and I had to go on the neutral train...again. This room won't be a guest room forever, so I haven't wanted to invest much of anything to it. That said, I still want it to be a comfortable place for guests. Mainly my parents :) Also, in the picture, I made some shams to redo euro pillows I have had for ages. I don't love the tone of green with the green of the front pillow, but for now, it will do. I am trying to find a berry colored throw blanket for the edge of the bed, but it is proving to be a hard color to locate. Is someone trying to tell me something?


Also, I have been planning my dear friends wedding shower next month and am trying to start on making some of the little details that I can do ahead of time. She is getting married in Hawaii so I thought it would be fun to incorporate a little bit of the tropical theme. It forces me out of my neutral world - this is good! We are going to serve mimosas tropical style with tropical fruit juice instead of the typical orange juice. To make them even more festive I found the idea of making my own cocktail umbrellas on Martha Stewart's site. They were super easy and I they will be cute perched in our champagne glasses! The possibilities are endless with these! I'll try and post some of my other treats I intend to make as I go along...I hope my friend will be reading this!?

Gilty As Charged: Gilt Group

Hello there strangers! I have been on hiatus this last month. I have been busy planning for a dear friends bridal shower. It's not for another month, but I want the pots on our deck to look nice since I haven't given any attention to them in the last several years. I think I have them almost up to par. Just one more to consider ;) Also, demanding my time over the last several weeks, has been an early birthday gift from my husband. I got a new sewing machine and so I have been getting to all of those little projects I had on the back burner, ie hemming pants here and there, pillows, and curtain modification. It has been fun, but it takes up "sew" (sorry, couldn't help the lame pun) much time!

Also, throughout the week I have been checking out a new (to me) online designer duds discount site along with all the others I now subscribe too. Gilt Group carries a broader scope of wears that includes women, children, the home, men AND vacation sites. I haven't paid too much attention to the women's section, but the children and home sites have had some wonderful items so far. I am hooked!

I'll try and remember to take some pictures of my recent, but feeble sewing projects. I have also been busy planning for a br

OXO Tot: Smart yet Again

I went to the spring Seattle Home and Gift show this weekend. It was my first time attending something like this and it was sort of a bizarre world. It was made up of all these small showrooms with various products like any other store would be, but the prices were wholesale (yay!). The catch being that you had to order crazy amounts, however I still had fun taking it all in. There really wasn't much there to drool over, but there was one merchant who carried some great children and baby products that was a little more up my alley.

We are all familiar with the OXO brand and the smart designs they bring to the table. They have been continually expanding their wares and I have to say they may have done it again. OXO is coming out with a new line of foodwares for babies and toddlers called OXO Tot. It's not available to the consumer yet, nor is it available for viewing on their website, but I was able to get a glimpse in person and the designs and functionality look very promising. Their bottles transition from baby to toddler (fantastic!) and they have a super cool high chair that I wish were out when I bought ours, which I really don't like...let's just say hate. I don't have any pictures to show you, but you can sign up with their website to be notified when the line is released.

One other cool product that could have proven gimmicky, but actually has merit is the Tiny Tongs. A woman from the Seattle area designed it for her youngster. They are meant to help ease tots in to using actual utensils which can be a tricky transition. To a one year old, a spoon is more like a toy than a tool. I was lucky enough to snag a pair and my daughter has used hers a few times and she actually can pick up a piece of food here and there. She will get better with time of course, but for now she is loving feeling like a "big girl". Pretty clever design I say.

Peacoat from Oliver + S

It took me a while to remember to put Viv's coat on and take a picture and now I remember why I procrastinated. It is so hard to get her to sit still! At any rate, here is the winter coat my mother-in-law made for her and she wore it ALL winter long. She did an amazing job and Viv got comments on it where ever we went. The pattern is from Oliver + S. The only modifications my MIL made were adding a little length to the body, shortening the sleeves (oddly long) and then adding a soft flannel paisley lining.

It is so hard to find classically tailored clothing for little people these days. Sometimes I wish I lived in Europe...just one of many reasons ;) She now has a spring version in camel with a sweet cotton lining of little birds in trees and shell colored buttons and wears it all the time. That is the one thing about patterns - you can just make the next size up when your child grows out of the last.

Berry Cool!: Jayson Home and Garden

Sorry, I missed posting last week. It got away from me and I hadn't been inspired until...I thought these were the coolest thing when I saw them in a magazine! These farmers market baskets from Jayson Home and Garden are perfect for the upcoming berry season. Why not display them on your counter for guests to nibble on in these uber cool baskets that are reusable? They somehow look vintage and modern all in the same vibe don't they? That's always a selling point for me! Hmmm...Mother's Day is coming up ;)

Velvet & Tweed

I don't know about you, but I find most of the clothing for little peeps out there...well...less than desirable. It is so hard to find simple yet sweet clothing for little ones these days and so I am always on the look out. You pretty much have to make them yourself if you want classic childrens clothing in quality fabrics...that's if (big if) you can find a decent pattern and fabric to create such a thing. My mother-in-law made a grey wool peacoat for my daughter this winter. It has been the best coat to wear with anything and everything and she reminds me of a little european baby. It's getting too warm to wear it now, but she has the spring version already made and ready to wear! I'll take a picture of my daughter modeling her coat and post in the next day or two, so check back for a peak.

Velvet and Tweed is an exception however, and creates sweet little clothing that is sophisticated, yet innocent. And if they don't use the absolute cutest models - geesh they are cute little peeps! Currently in Washington there aren't any retailers that carry their wears, but hopefully one day there will be. But keep an eye out on the Mini Social. I have seen them on there occasionally.

Dresser Found!: Ikea...Really?

It is late in the week for me to get to my blog, but I think all of my procrastinating worked out for a reason. I took a trip down to Ikea yesterday for the first time in a long time to look for some basic and inexpensive curtains. And when I say a trip, for me, I have to be in the right mind-set to endure Ikea. It was a rainy afternoon and I had exhausted most of my normal outings I do with my daughter earlier in the week so I thought, let's give it a go.

One of the first few turns along the Ikea subliminal shopping pathway they keep you on, I stumbled upon the Edland dresser that was surprisingly not Ikea-like. It was more traditional in form and painted wood (pine mind you)...not Formica! It got me to thinking that it could work in my bathroom since it was a smaller scaled piece and I wanted either a grey or weathered wood chest for in there. And here is the kicker - $200! Well, you can't beat that! I wasn't however, disillusioned that this is an Ikea piece and won't stand the test of time or be handed down to my grandchildren's grandchildren. Never-the-less, it fit the bill and will serve it's purpose and look good doing so for several years down the road. I was desperately needing something to get all of our toiletries out of the baskets in the open vanity and away from my daughters little fingers. And this will hold me over until I find that "perfect" dresser.

When I got it home and my husband put it together (yes, Ikea is not white gloved delivered or assembled as we all know), it fit perfectly and is less than 20" in depth. I did however, change out the pulls with some mercury glass knobs from Anthropologie (who, by the way, have a fantastic selection of vintagey knobs and pulls). I think they add a bit of extra character and individuality. I guess it was meant-to-be stumbling upon something shortly after blogging (see here) about my long lasting search for a dresser in our master bath.

Oh, and I did find some great basic linen curtains for a song. I will have to modify those too so stay tuned!

In The Kitchen: Spanikopita as the Main Attraction

Lately I have been trying to explore new recipes from my vast amount of cookbooks I have lovingly collected over the years. I get stuck in ruts and tend to make the same things over and over because I don't need a recipe. I am all for experimenting ad-lib in the kitchen, but sometimes trying a new recipe inspires new adventures and pairings of food you otherwise wouldn't have dared to try on your own.

I am a huge fan of Ina Garten, aka Barefoot Contessa. And little does she know we are on a first name basis :) I have all but one of her cookbooks and 9 times out of 10 think her recipes are fantastic. She makes the simplest of ingredients and dishes seem somehow elegant and party worthy. So I set out to try her dinner party spanikopita from her Back to Basics.

My husband is greek, and with that comes a spoilage of spanikopita. My mother-in-law makes THE BEST spanikopita and I am lucky enough to now have it as a staple with our holiday celebrations. So I was skeptical in trying Ina's version, but decided to give it a shot. I spent Saturday afternoon making them and I have to say they were a bit labor intensive, but after trying them, they were well deserving of the wait and the recipe makes enough to put aside some in the freezer to bring out for some last minute dinner guests. Instead of making them in the traditional sheet pan, these were made in to large triangles and that small change made them elegant to serve as a main dish. My mother-in law's version is still the best, but I certainly will make Ina's version again, and it's a nice change to the traditional. She adds a touch of nutmeg and toasted pine nuts...in the words of Ina, "How bad can that be?"

Oh, and I tried out my new cutting board from Epicurean. Definitely reccommend it if you are looking for a lightweight and eco friendly cutting board. They come in several sizes, but I love the large one for even more surface area to make a mess!

Another Reason to Love Scandinavian Design: Ferm Living

I came across Ferm Living browsing through the Scandinavian Design Center and loved the products they offer. Simple and whimsical. I think that pretty much sums up Scan design. They always nail it don't they? Some of their throw pillows are just yummy and the little mobile is so dear. Don't forget to check out their wallpapers too!

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!

Accent Bench with a Punch

I just got this ottoman/stool last week and I love it! It's not for everyone with it's zebra-like print, but I think every home needs a few small pieces that draw the eye and make a statement. I found this one for a steel at World Market Cost Plus and scooped it up when I spotted it. I have been looking for a small bench to have in the living room that was on the bolder side. The only thing I want to change is make it a little shorter so it's level with the fireplace hearth. But I couldn't pass it up and the bold pop it gives the room is just the ticket!