Buttons & Cookies

My friend Monia sent me this link from FortySixtatGrace, as it's such a perfect match for the big project:

Cute, right? The recipe card was designed by EvaJuliet (montrealer!) who stocks her Etsy shop filled with adorable prints that might find their way chez nous bientot!

Fall 2010

I'm already dreaming about clothes that I'll be able to wear once I birth this last baby, get back to running and lose those darn pounds I seem to be compacting onto my body.

(me. Isn't my hair awesome?)

me loving red poppies and suede booties

me and the ladies just chilling

me again- third from the left

So there you have it, Alexa Chung's collection for Madewell for Fall 2010. perfect, right? sigh.... Back to my leggings...

House Dreaming

Because I'm insane and I thrive in chaos, I can't seen to move away from the idea of building a dream home. I started playing around with plans which were met with, let's face it, the most lukewarm of reactions. And I thought that I had already solved the dream home dilemma! so back to the drawing board, and thanks to Dwell's awesome archives you can search for homes based on structure types, lot types and location types.
So I'll be building a visual file over here every week, just so I can keep track of them:







All of them from Dwell- maybe next time I'll actually add information about the various houses, but for now, it's just eye candy!

Weekend Recap

Maybe I'm going to change things up over here? I seem to even bore MYSELF with these weekend recaps!! Ok, so maybe the last one...

Knowing that someone you love is having a really hard week
Having that feeling that you can't do anything to make it (above mentioned week) better- save maybe not pestering about meetings and obligations (I failed)
Eating three kiwis in a row (damn, they are TASTY)
Being so excited for B to show up at my parents' house
Adding a RSS feed link to the sidebar- if you actually want this fluff directly in your inbox!
Realizing that the kids are so much easier when B is around
Planning dream houses
Arguing about said dream houses
Catching the gold medal run by accident
Feeling like I've had enough of the Olympics, already? And the CTV coverage? Garbaggio
Admitting to myself that the Weekend Recap is super lame when there are no links
Waiting for the 17th and the 25th of February- DESPERATELY
Ignoring the baby name suggestions (like, really? it's too soon for all this)
Dreaming about this wall unit- again

Flowers over Chocolate any old day

I'm not a big Valentine's Day person. It doesn't really mean anything to me- BUT- since it's an excuse to have/give/receive flowers... I won't poopoo it!
Here are the latest from small stump + studio choo. And how exciting, they opened their doors yesterday!! So any of you peeps living out in San Francisco, I URGE you to buy flowers there and support those ladies!


So have a great weekend, whether it be chocolate filled or not!

Seasonal Anthro Roundup!

Well, here it is! My anthro spring 2010 roundup!









You'll forgive me for the lack of links, prices and whatnot.

Blech, is it still winter?

feb2
Originally uploaded by gemma correll

Ok, so maybe it's the week, or the lack of sleep, but I've had a difficult time getting some QT here with the old cochonet. Like always, there's so much I want to talk about, but so little brain space to actually devote to writing and uploading photos (there has GOT to be an easier solution!).
So I'm feeling lazy- no pictures today. (okay, maybe ONE) BUT if you want your fill of visual inspiration you MUST check out sfgirlbybay's post on Blog it Forward... wow, this project is sure to take up a large portion of my web surfing time- when I actually get some. I've been firing off my right-click bookmark like you wouldn't believe!
I leave you with Gemma- that I love and who always makes me feel happy!

Weekend Recap

Hosting my fav ladies in my house- which I don't seem to hate anymore (the house- not the ladies!)
Baking these brownines
Shivering at the creepiness of this This American Life episode
Starting this book
Wishing for days without any juice spills, or spills of any kind
Witnessing the awesomeness of MissSugarPuss
Cowering at the idea of another week of winter- blech
Excited by the upcoming Blog It Forward
Hoping that the kids' latest phases will be VERY short lived.

Flower Fridays!

Flower Fridays brought to you courtesy of the lovely gals over at Small Stump + Studio Choo...




They also have a recurring feature over at d*sponge that's called We Like It Wild- which is awesome. I have a feeling that their new store is going to be a success! Can't wait to able to post photos like this one soon...
Have a great weekend! (can you tell that we had our first full night sleep in over 5 months??!- NO COMPLAINING- for a change!)

Tight Squeeze

As many of you know, we've squeezed 4 people with BIIIIIIIIG personalities into a 850 sq ft apartment. Sometimes it works, but most often it's pretty tight. Like last night, when I had to sleep on our Ikea couch to accommodate the three male bodies in our bed. Why didn't we buy a king size matress? This question will torment me for the next 10 years.
So when I saw Emily Henson's 750 sq ft California bungalow on Design*Sponge, I almost cried. She MADE IT WORK!! And how...




So I know it's lame to repost the most influencial and highest traffic-ed design blog, but STILL. The birdhouses? The bunk beds? It's perfect!

Something out of the ordinary

I once blogged recipes, like 2 years ago maybe? Do you remember that? I've since given it up as it's extremely time consuming with the camera, and the food, and the writing. Blech. Too much fuss for this munkee. I'll leave the food blogging up to the experts like this gal and this lady, and I'll stick to my own stuff. (Note to self: try to define what this blog is about so when peeps ask you , you don't stutter out crap like "you know, it's about stuff, like stuff that's pretty and stuff that I like.") I make myself barf sometimes.
Well, something changed on Monday. I got a hold of The Perfect Muffin recipe from my friend Jess. It's like the tabula rasa of muffin recipes. I, of course, fudged up the original recipe and the muffins turned out delicious.

So here it goes:

1 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 cup flour (you can half/half with whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

** now as part of my additions:
2 tablespoons flax seed
1/2 cup apple/pear sauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
brown sugar crumbled on top

Preheat oven to 375

Combine milk and oats in small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add egg, flax seed, oil and apple sauce.Whisk together dry ingredients (including sugar) and fold in the oat/milk mixture. Fold over until barely mixed. Transfer to muffin tins/molds, sprinkle brown sugar on top and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Thanks Jess, it's not part of my official repertoire!

today is monday, in case you had forgotten

Today is Monday. Today Luca has yet another fever. Today, I will not change out of my pyjamas. Again. So in the spirit of last week's amazing photos....

Living Etc (via Desire to Inspire)

Skona Hem

Skona Hem

Skona Hem

Some monochromatic spaces that really feel warm and rich. I think the key is texture and a wide variety of it.
So there you have it. Is winter over yet?

Friday Flowers

I think I'm liking this Friday thing...

Carrot-Copia from the girls over at Studio Choo/Small Stump. You can follow the progress on their new shop opening up in San Francisco.. it looks amazing already! Have I ever told you that in another life, I'd open a flower shop and have two big portuguese water dogs in the store with me? Like I said, in another life...

smitten by the smitten

So there are rarely ressources, specially cooking ones, that are "no brainers" for me. My only exception until now, was Marcella Hazan. However, on my sister's recommendation, I started perusing Smitten Kitchen's site with a little bit more interest.
And OMG. The results! The boozy french toast is almost a weekly weekend occurence; the mac n' cheese is on meal plan heavy rotation; the banana bread has eclipsed my old stained recipe from lord knows where; and well, the pictures are stunning and the writing is hypnotic.
So there, my new favorite. Thought I'd share with you.

Living Spaces

So today I left my purse on the sidewalk in front of my coffee joint. It's good that the girls that run it know that I am a) opening a business b) sleep deprived c) pregnancy-related-retarded (otherwise known as PRR). Guys, this does not bode well for the remaining 18 weeks.

In lieu of writing yet another annoying, self-pitying post, I thought I'd share with you some pictures of spaces that have made me feel good lately. Having the kids sick at home with me has made me realize that I NEED some Emeline Only Space. I'm thinking of a reading room/office/boudoir with a big ass clawfoot tub in it.




You know, like somewhere I could retreat to when I feel like I need to get away, but can't? Am I making any sense? I think the sleep deprivation and all the sulfates from the chicken fingers are talking...
Anyways, thanks for being around. I think I feel a whole lot better when I give this space some time and affection.
Oh and all the photos come from Bloesem's Let's Get Personal feature.

Check List for the Week:

1 sick 2 yr old: Check
1 bored 3 1/2 yr old, getting over sickness now transmitted to above child: Check
1 pregnant mama with the beginnings of a flu: Check
1 mother over seas: Check
2 boxes of chicken fingers in freezer: Check
1 father who hasn't been alone in 20 years: Check
1 delayed grant decision: Check
1 loan office delaying disbursement due to above delay: Check
1 lease depending on deposit from above loan: Check
5 guaranteed nightly wakings: Check
1 meal plan missing from my fridge : Check

1 awesome week ahead: Check

Flower Fridays?

Ranunculus, citrus and rosemary...

from Small Stump+ Studio Choo

Maybe we've got ourselves a new Friday theme?

Fun Crafting Vote

Go and vote for your favorite crafters over at PoppyTalk!




Or you could just peruse all the sites of the nominated crafters, like me.
Has it been hour already? You'd think that I lead a life of leisure, what with all this time wasting I do!
Well at least I categorize that time as "inspiration seeking", right? Maybe I could even log those hours somewhere.
(Cute little logo, don't you think?)

Ceramics

Dutch artist Jorine Oosterhoff:
lovelovelove





Again with the ceramics? What's there not to love? One day I'll learn to work in this medium... imagine all the teapots I'll make!
Via Bloesem that has just reinstated my faith in the internet!

Sweet January

Does anyone else feel like 2010 has a whole lot of surprises in store? Some good, some horrible but all necessary. Seems like I haven't had good news in a long time. It actually seems like all we've been getting is news that's super tragic and difficult to make sense of.

Yuck.
I'm in the middle of what feels like a tornado. After 18 months of slaving away at this business plan, things seem to be so close. And I haven't been able to sit back and be proud of all the work that we've done. Not once. Maybe it's because all the steps have been so incredibly difficult? So complicated and annoying? I don't know, maybe it's because going into this kind of project without any money puts you in a situation where you have very little power? Kind of like at I'm at the mercy of the bureaucrats that constantly need more and more from you. With every bank statement I send, or every call I take from my realtor, I want to retreat into my carapace. Yet I think about the finished product and I all I want us to be there. To fast forward.

So today, like many others, was suppose to be a day when I could move forward and cross something major off the eternal list of things to do. As per usual, it got delayed and didn't happen. So now schedules need to be reshuffled, kids relocated, ultrasounds canceled. Questions answered and "WTFs??" adressed.
I guess I'm just so tired of being so close and have it delayed, pushed back, questioned.
Boo. Pity party much? Yes indeed. I just can't find the right balance between feeling on top of the world and feeling weighed down by it all.

And it doesn't help that I'm backed by the most loyal, dedicated man I have ever met? Who almost always finds a way to make me feel better about what I'm doing? And the boys, that despite their distaste for most natural foods and luca's relunctance to fall asleep and STAY asleep, are always ready to make me laugh and try to enjoy the moment?

So yeah, poor me. Boo hoo. But still, why does it always have to be so darned hard?
Stop. Breathe. Enjoy?
Easier said than done!
Maybe I need to go watch It's Complicated- again.
Thanks to Jenna that inspired me to come back here...