906 E. CHIC HAS MOVED!!!

I am all grown up

and have my own 

.com

906 E. Chic

come check it out-

I think it will look familiar...

                             Mid-Century Modern Mikasa Bluebird China

Guys,
this china is a vintage girls dream...
Someone needs to buy it because otherwise
I am going to start slipping it into my own cabinet-
and that will be the end of that.

There are no other sets
of Mikasa Bluebird China
 with this many plates
8 dinner plates
8 salad plates
8 saucers
That is a complete dinner party!
A complete dinner party with beautiful
vintage porcelain dishes,
that your guests will be all,
oohhh,
ahhhh,
where did you get these?!?

And did I mention that I knocked $25 off the price and have included free shipping?!?

Hurry over to 906EChic on Etsy
and buy it
before I buy it from myself...

***FREE SHIPPING***

Mid-Century Modern Mikasa Bluebird China

 Mid-Century Modern Mikasa Bluebird China

 Mid-Century Modern Mikasa Bluebird China

Mid-Century Modern Mikasa Bluebird China

how to: throw a fiesta inspired mothers day brunch...

usually i throw a mothers day brunch.

this year we are mixing it up a little bit 

and going to other people's homes instead.

so i get the day off!!!

but that doesn't mean

i can't share with

all of you

what i would do

if i was throwing a brunch for mom.

Fiesta Inspired Mothers Day Brunch 101

tip #1

find an unusual location. you don't have to stay at home.  find a public park or garden.  there is no law against making your picnic a 5 star dining experience.  see this post OH HAPPY DAY! on how to throw up a pop up dinner party in a pretty public spot.

tip #2

use pretty linens on your table!  be creative i use old curtains, sheets, anything i can get my hands on around the house to make it look like something special.  leave those plastic table clothes for kids parties. i love to find old curtains at Restore and Goodwill.  a good cleaning with some oxy clean and lavender linen spray make a world of different.  you have no idea the power of oxy clean and its ability of bringing old fabric back to life.  i especially love lace curtains because you can layer them over a colored piece of fabric underneath- so chic!

tip #3

use succulents to jazz up your place settings.  i am in love with succulents. i first encountered them on my cousin Jaci's beautiful deck- then  we met again in the clearance section of Lowes this winter and we have been together ever since.  you should hook up with them too.  

you will be glad you did.

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tip #4

make some kind of taco

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tip #5

make a cake and a tissue tassel garland amigo! or just a tissue paper garland...

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tip #6

make sure to have a yummy fruity cocktail to celebrate the day.

10 Unexpected Brunch Cocktails: image source

tip #7

dress up some lindt truffles with a little crepe paper and ribbon as to-go favors.

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now you are all set to impress

mom with your mad

entertaining skills.

and you don't have to break a sweat planning it all.

i did it for you : )

5 easy flowers to use for beginner gardener...

here is something

you probably didn't know about me-

i use to moonlight as a landscaper.

jack of all trade

ladies and gentlemen.

i was a personal assistant 

for a super wealthy lady

who had a minor obsession 

with buying $300-400 worth of flowers

every couple days.

i got to learn a lot about gardening

and got paid to do it.

i really did enjoy it.

there is something extremely satisfying 

about planting and tending to a garden.

except i hate being hot,

so i like to do my work in the morning or evening

otherwise it becomes a chore

and not free zen therapy.

this year i am going with all purple flowers.

i like to use just one color when I garden. 

i feel like this helps give a cohesive look

and has a really high visual impact.

 this year our little grey house

was saying

"i need me some purple up in here!"

so i gave the house what it wanted.

{secretly hoping that maybe it would give me what I wanted-

a dishwasher-

but sadly it did not return the favor}

our house is kind of a cottage-esque

so i went with cottage garden flowers.

here is what will be blooming at 906 this summer:

petunias

these are easy, peasy, can't mess them up lemon squeezy. they grow like weeds, they flower for a loooong time, and you can forget to water them  and they won't die too fast which can be a good thing for beginners.

purple petunias: image source

impatiens

these shade loving babies are great to do in clumps of 3-5, along borders, or even in container gardens.

they are cheap, easy to care, and look fantastic as they grow in, especially if you give them a little extra lovin' with some miracle grow.

variety of impatiens: image source

salvia

these purple beauties will give you some great height, color, and do good in dry soil.  they attract humming birds and again {do you see a theme here?} low maintenance.

purple salvia: image course

creeping phlox

i love these cottage garden flowers because of their spill factor and ability to look like a mound of flowers which is essential to any cottage garden.

emerald blue creeping phlox: image source

hostas

while these are not purple-they are your best filler friends when it comes to low maintenance gardening.  you plant them, you water them, they grow, and in a couple of years you divide them into 3 more plants- for FREE.

hostas: image source

so throw on some gloves and get in the dirt.  it's spring ya'll and it's time to be outside. plus if you wanna sell your house and want some easy curb appeal-

landscaping is where it's at...

My Favorite Mondays {Spring Fling Theme}...

This pretty spring mood board from polyvore.

This adorable tutorial on how to make Coffee Filter Butterfly from MyKidsMake.com.

How to age terra cotta pots by blog Antiques by Joy

And I am OBSESSED with hanging pallet gardens!!!

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The beginning of alfresco dining season!

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And a laundry room make-over with a little inspiration taken from this 

little nursery. Can't wait to share the after pics!

my favorite mondays

hobbit inspired structure photo via flickr

Since I started working from home

Mondays have gone from my least favorite day

to the best day of the week.

I love me a Monday.

Mondays around here are:

quiet,

lazy,

catch-up days.

I love and cherish the freedom 

to pace my own days.

So in honor of my new favorite day of the week

I give you

my favorite mondays

a weekly post of things that have inspired me lately.

So grab a cup of jo,

chant " Mondays are not so bad"

and take a look at this stuff

to make your Monday

a little more merry and bright.

This floral garland really has me jonesin' for our house to sell- so I can throw a house warming party and make one of course...

This amazing story of a girl with autism and her parents who prove that we should NEVER give up on our children...

Love this twisted t-shirt headband and finding myself wanting to rock a headscarf with confidence like Bridget does...

I was inspired by Anne Hathaway to cut 8 inches of my hair- pictures coming soon : )

Saturday we went to checked out some houses and man oh man,

I fell in love with a hobbit style house.
It's not our top choice but
 it is pretty high up on the list.
Can I be totally honest with you?

I want to keep it.
{said like Phoebe from Friends when she tells Rachel she secretly wants to keep one of the triplets}

I love it.

I have decorated,

moved rooms around,

and have a list of projects going already.

It feels like mine.

I saw summers,

parties,

and twinkly lights in the backyard.

Twinkly lights = Home

to me at least.

But
there is another house
ahead of it in line-
maybe 2 ahead of it.
It is better for us long term.
I am reasonable.
But secretly???
I hope those houses that are better sell-
so I can decorate a hobbit house...

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

a lifestyle change

Charlie has decided that she doesn't like processed foods.

Normally I don't let her call the shots 

but when she's right,

she's right.

I can't argue with reason Charlie.

I made most of Charlie's baby food when she was little.

If I didn't make it,

then it was organic with no added stuff.

I waited a long time to introduce a lot of wheat to her because it has been so genetically modified these days that our bodies can't even recognize it as wheat and our bodies attack it causing gluten allergies...

BTW,

that is just what felt right with me-

I'm not preachin' to you.

This is just information I am sharing with you.

What you do with it?

Totally up to you.

No judgements here...

Any time I feel lazy or crunched for time and I cave and I buy one of those Gerber microwave meals-

it ends up being a complete waste of time and money.

Cause Chuck won't eat crap.

She turns her little foodie nose to it.

And can you blame her?

I don't want to eat those mushy pale veggies

and the taste is so bland

there is nothing to get baby excited about food.

I want Charlie to grow up with a good relationship with food.

I think food is a source of comfort and nourishment

but there has to be balance.

It is our job to teach our children how to eat responsibly.

How can I do that when I myself am eating

so irresponsibly?

I eat junk by the ton.

Poptarts,

donuts,

chocolate,

candy,

sugar,

sugar,

more sugar

did I mention

SUGAR?!?!

I am a dentist's worst nightmare,

I know this because I worked for one

and he would cringe every time 

I took a swig of Mountain Dew : )

He would hide my candy

and snacks.

True story.

So if I was going to feed Charlie right,

I had to start with myself.

I am a big believer in do as I do.

I hate the parenting phrase

"do what I say, not what I do"

hate it.

We are the example our children look to.

I am starting to educate myself

on food.

Lemme tell you,

there is TONS of information

out there about the food
we are putting in our bodies.

And as I watch documentary after documentary on Netflix

I felt convicted.

If you know me,

then you know I am not a hippie!
I'm not crunchy.
I buy processed food and eat at Taco Bell.

I love products with all kinds of chemicals and artificial ingredients
I shop at large stores like Walmart and Target.

I love pre- packaged food

and I hate eating fresh fruit and drinking water.
I don't read labels.
I don't think about where my meat comes from.
I drink milk with hormones added
and eggs that come from...
well a chicken is all I know.

But now this information sits in my head

and it won't get out.

It lingers there

making red meat seem icky because

I don't know if it was grass fed.

Chicken tastes bitter

because all I can think about it the chicken inhaling so much of it's own poo

that they have to inject it with antibiotics to make sure 

it doesn't get an infected abscess. 

GROSS!

I know,

but it is true.

I like eating chicken. I do.

But I don't like it so much that I think a chicken's quality of life should be

living and breathing in it's own fecal matter.

When I think of chickens

I think of a little pack running free 

around a farm yard.

Eating good things

and having a jolly time

just being a chicken.

They are giving us something

shouldn't we be kind in return?

The result?

We have eaten a lot of fruit this week.

We drank more water.

Then we had hamburger helper.

So it's an uphill battle.

But I think knowledge is power.

So I am going to keep learning.

Keep adjusting

and pointing my family in a more healthful direction.

One small decision at a time.

Here are some of the Food Industry Documentaries I have recently enjoyed:

Hungry For Change

This documentary exposes secrets the diet, weight loss and food industries don't want consumers to know about: deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. Find out what's keeping people from having the body and health they want.

Food Matters

With a staggering number of Americans suffering from obesity and other food-related maladies, this film takes a timely and hard-hitting look at how the food we eat is helping or hurting our health, and what we can do to live (and eat) better.

The Gerson Miracle

Sharing the stories of nine longtime cancer survivors, this program explores the principles and effectiveness of Gerson Therapy, a holistic method of treating cancer and other degenerative diseases developed by Dr. Max Gerson in 1928. Gerson's daughter, Charlotte -- founder of the Gerson Institute -- also discusses her fight to keep the controversial therapy going despite objections from those who question its effectiveness.

Farmageddon

Americans' right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. This documentary tells the story of farms that were providing safe, nutritional foods to their communities but were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action.

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Focusing on two men whose bodies have been trashed by steroids, obesity and illness, this documentary chronicles the rigorous healing path -- including a two-month diet of fruits and vegetables -- that both attempt in a bid to rescue their health.

Have you already watched any of these?  What are your thoughts and what are you feeding your kids? I wanna know!!!

***also here are three great blogs I love to read about healthy living- your welcome : )

Tales of Me and The Husband

awesome blog about a mom of 5, fashionista, and great natural living tips like stocking your natural first aid kit. She's crunchy and I love her.

The Little Red House

Beautiful food pictures, she proves that healthy can be tasty.   Her posts about running and gardening are so inspiring you will be aching to get your hands in some dirt and have your feet pound a local trail.

Feeding the Soil
Great on breaking down the process of a more simple, clean, and fulfilling life.  I love her monthly Reflections and Rejuvenation. She really stretches me to think about what I am consuming, what Charlie is playing with, and having discipline with money. I don't always agree with her but I appreciate her view point.

An Easter Brunch Carrot Garland

What you will need: 

2  pieces of 9x12 orange felt

4 pieces of 9x12 felt

1 package of small white pom-poms or cotton balls 

 twine

scissors

orange embroidery floss

sharp embroidery needle

crochet hook

Step One:

Make you template. 

The carrot : body is just a simple triangle with a rounded tip, 4.5 inches tall,  3 inches wide at  bottom

  The leaf:  any leaf shape will do, just make sure that it has a little tail! This is needed to tuck leaves into the top of the carrot. You will need to have 14 carrots and 42 leaves  to make a 1 yard garland like mine.

Step Two:

Take the carrot triangles and fold in half the long way.  Do a basic stitch starting at the widest end and working your way towards the tip- leaving about an 1/2 an inch open at the bottom.

Step Three:

Tie a knot and leave a tail of thread.  Take the crotchet  hook up through the inside of the carrot and wrap the thread tail around the hook several times and then pull back through.  This will help pull your carrot right side out.

Step Four:

Stuff with 4 small pom-poms or cotton balls.

Step Five:

Fan the leaves out and do a basic stitch to hold them together. Then attach to the carrot by taking thread back through where you stitch up the carrot body.

Step Six:

Do not cut thread yet! Do a basic stitch along the top of the carrot body and pull taught so that the edges draw together when you pull thread tight, making sure to hide the tails inside the carrot.   Knot.

Step Seven:

Add four slits on each side of the leaves to give it that leafy effect.

Step Eight:

Repeat 13 more times and  then it is time to tie carrots to the twine.

Cut a little more then a yard of twine and tie around the top of the carrot where the top meets the leaves. Pull tight, no need to tie a knot .   I alternated one carrot, then two carrots, then one carrot, ect. for my garland but you can do what you please.

  

Step Nine:

Hang in your home near some little Easter bunnies.  You don't even have to make a garland! Use your sweet little carrots to decorate your Easter table. Stuff with catnip to make a Easter treat for kitty.  The possibilities are endless.  It will make any spring vignette shine!

Happy carroting guys!

: )