friday favorites

i hope you are having a fantastic summer. last night we attended a concert at the park around the corner and it was so much fun. there were kids everywhere and it was fantastic!
tomorrow i will be in aptos for lilly and bill's wedding. i have a feeling their wedding is going to be a lot of fun. plus, this will be my first time shooting a wedding at sand rock farm.
this cutie pie is my cousin's little girl, sarah. sarah flew up from southern california with her mom to attend the shower last weekend.

friday favorites
remember doing spin art when you were a kid? what do you think about adding a big one to your wall? i think it is so festive! (found on the ruby press blog)

i would love to have one of these! i can't seem to give up the old fashioned address book! the idea of putting everything in a blackberry or iphone makes me too nervous. there is something magical about getting a new address book and sharpening a new pencil! this one can be found at lovely design.

timeless treasures is an amazing store in san francisco. i stopped by a few weeks ago and i fell in love instantly. they have so many fun and unique items for your home. joan, the owner, finds really great pieces from around the world and she has a great collection of letters. i picked up an 's' for sam as well as an 'r' for ryan. you must go to this store if you are in the neighborhood!

remember the distinct sound from an old phone? what is the best word to describe the sound of the dial going back after dialing an 8, 9, or 0? remember when we didn't have area codes? am i dating myself? wouldn't this be a fun to have around? i am afraid my children will grow up thinking that phones have always been mobile. this was found on three potato four. check out the site when you can because they are always adding fun items.

a new boutique is open in los gatos which sells organic baby items. i haven't had a chance to go to babycoo but it sounds like heaven. our toys, clothing, and food is full of unwanted chemicals and it is scary to think about the future for our children if we don't clean up our act. buying organic is a good way to start. plus, i love supporting small business and it feels so much better to support the businesses that are choosing their products carefully.

easy desserts

as promised, here are two recipes from the shower. both are super easy and very, very tasty.

peanut butter squares
bottom:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

top:
7 ounces milk chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

9 inch square pan

stir all ingredients for the bottom together until smooth. press the mixture into the brownie pan. melt chocolate and butter together and pour on the peanut butter mix. put in the fridge to set. cut into small squares - try not to eat too many!

graham cracker treats

1 box of graham crackers
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

pre-heat oven to 325
line cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. place graham crackers on cookie sheet in a single layer. in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. add the brown sugar. boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. pour the brown sugar mixture over the graham crackers and spread evenly. bake in oven for 8 minutes. turn oven off. remove pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the pan and place back in oven for 8 minutes. remove from oven and spread chocolate in an even layer. refrigerate for 1 hour. break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
enjoy!

baby shower

good news...all went well for the baby shower on sunday. the weather was super hot on saturday and we were a bit worried that the plan to eat outdoors would have to be changed. sunday turned out to be a perfect day for sitting outside. the weather was great, the food was yummy and most importantly my cousin got to spend time with friends and relax for a bit. i picked up amazing flowers at the farmers' market plus trader joe's had peonies which is my new favorite flower. we used lanterns and paper flowers to dress up the tents. the menu:
scones with lemon curd, jam or cinnamon honey
a greek style frittata
spinach and artichoke dip with sliced baguette
fruit salad
a cheese plate with nuts and dried fruit
for dessert we served my husband's amazing chocolate chip cookies as well as homemade peanut butter chocolate bars and a super yummy chocolate graham cracker treat.

friday favorites

the end of the week is here...hooray! plus, it feels like summer with the warm weather. love it! love it! love it! my sister and i are hosting a shower on sunday for my cousin and her beautiful new baby. we are going to be cooking up a storm tomorrow. i promise to share pictures next week.
have a fantastic weekend!
friday favorites in my former life (before photography and kids), i worked in the advertising biz. the ad world is still fascinating to me and i love keeping tabs on new ads and designs. these ads were found on a lovely blog that i read daily, black eiffel. wouldn't it be fun to see these out in the neighborhood? if i had an unlimited budget i would definitely like to hire miles redd to decorate my house. i love how his style is elegant yet livable.

la petite chaise is a wonderful vintage store in mountain view. they are only open once a month because they spend the rest of the month shopping for items for the store. as much as i like pottery barn and crate and barrel, i love the idea of giving new life to old furniture.

i am really looking forward to the renegade fair. plus, my friend paula is coming with me and she has such a good eye! this is going to be a fun field trip!

look at this! method has a line of baby products! sign me up!

last day of school

today is sam's last day of school and he is so excited about summer.
i can't believe the little guy has finished another year of pre-school! where does the time go?
these photos are from his very first day of pre-school in 2006. what a cutie pie!

sneak peek

the shakespeare garden in golden gate park was the background for this lovely ceremony on saturday. stay tuned for more pictures very soon! so much to do, so little time!
on a different note, i am sending a big thank you to eleanor over at 2inspire for posting a nice note about my photography. eleanor does absolutely beautiful calligraphy and you can find her work on her etsy site : 2inspire.etsy.com

baby shower

i am so excited to host a shower this weekend for my cousin and her new baby. we are planning on serving yummy food and setting everything up for an outdoor garden party. i am still trying to figure out how to create shade because my backyard has only a tiny bit of shade at noon. the design of the invitation will tie in to the decorations for the shower...i will share some pictures after the shower!