{Meet Kathleen}

wanted to stop in and let you know i've added a new painting to the SHOP ...

meet kathleen...

{colorful, joyful, and filled with visual depth}

{she's got a touch of glamour to her,
with flecks of gold that shimmer in the light}

{and some pinks, yellows, and emerald green}

you can get a better look at her over HERE...

and come over here to check out the rest of my paintings.

happy friday!

xx

{DIY: Operation Soft Shirt}

recently i've loved wearing mr. w's super comfy, worn-in tee shirt's with a blazer and some skinny pants. it's sorta become my go-to.. it's comfy, stylish, and so easy to move up and down and all around (a major wardrobe requirement for me as i'm a full time mom to a 9 month old on the move, and a hairstylist who has to be able to comfortably move my arms every which way.) i started doing this when i was preggers and refused to buy maternity shirts. 

well, mr. w is too nice to me to say it, but i'm sure he's getting tired of the tee shirt bandit swiping half his closet all the time. 

i decided it was high time i start investing in my own tee collection. 

i started by picking up a pack of basic white men's hanes tees the other day. only problem is, even though they are the exact same shirt i always steal from the mr., it just wasn't the same. it didn't feel soft, and cozy, and definitely didn't feel worn-in...boo..

after a little searching online i found out i could brine my tees, much as you would a chicken.

(not that i've ever done that)

this was supposed to help soften and age it, as if it were your favorite vintage t shirt!

just what i was looking for!

it couldn't have been more simple:

{via}

so that's just what i did.

{i just eye-balled the measurements.
 also, i used warm water to help the salt dissolve}

{make sure your tees are completely saturated}

{hide your concoction somewhere your crawling explorer won't find it}

after it's 3 day soak, i rinsed my tees in cold water, then just added them to my normal load of laundry. they came out super soft and comfy, as if i had been wearing them for ages...
which i now will...


cost of this diy:

pack of 3 tees: $14
salt: already had
water: free

total cost: about $4.50 a tee

i would have to call this diy a success.
it couldn't have been easier and i love the outcome!

xx

{Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Salad}

hi guys!

it's been a wee bit crazy in my casa here lately as the whole family seems to be sick...ugh.

i wanted to stop in though and share one of my favorite easy recipes. 

if you follow me on instagram you probably saw me post a quick pick of my dinner the other night before viv and i gobbled it up..

my original thought was to make my own healthier version of the chipotle chicken burrito bowl.

most weeks i try to have either a roast chicken or grilled turkey breast or some other lean protein cooked as well as some quinoa and veggies to have myself set up to make healthy decisions when it comes time to throw a meal together. (i never plan out my dinners as mr. w works nights and is never home to share dinner with. it's hard to be motivated to cook for just yourself)

this is the easiest recipe ever.

{courtesy of my new chalkboard wall}

it seriously takes about two minutes to throw it together.
i don't ever measure anything so all the measurements are a 'guess-tamation', feel free to change them according to your taste preference. this is for one serving, you can adapt for feeding more people

ingredients:

quinoa (about a cup)
few handfuls of black beans
juice from 1/3 lime
1 tablespoon sliced red onion
one palmful chopped cilantro
 8 grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup corn
palmful of black olives, halved
1/2 chicken breast, shredded
salt, to taste
1/2 avocado
dollop of fat free sour cream

optional ingredients:
salsa
cheese
tortilla chips for dipping


ok, couple things, i don't like cheese, that's why it's listed as an optional.
 i know i'm crazy..
also, i like fat free sour cream because i'd rather get my fats from healthy fats from the avocado.


simply mix all ingredients together minus the sour cream and avocado.
top with sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream (if you prefer) and enjoy!


xx

{Motherhood Mondays...#weneedavacation}

ok, this week on motherhood monday i'm seeking out your advice.

mr. w and i are in dire need of a vaca..

some good quality time together, relaxing, no worries except for wishing that darn cloud to move out of the way of the sun...you know what i'm talking about, no schedule, no rushing to catch the train, no cell phones, emails, yadadada...

well, we originally were thinking maybe we would fly to kc, leave the babes with the grandparents and jet off somewhere exotic for a bit. only drawback is that 

a) flying to kc to drop her off/pick her up would add a good $600 to our vacation cost

b) i'm still breastfeeding so i'd have to figure out a way to leave my 'girls' in kc with her ;) ... (did i really just say that?!?! :/)

c) i don't think i'd be ready to go too far from her as it'd be our first time to ever leave her somewhere even overnight, let alone for several nights. she's always done really well with anyone and everyone (one of the perks of raising your babe in the city and always being surrounded by people) but not sure if we'd be pushing our luck leaving her with people she doesn't know too well (even tho they're fam, and i know they'd be amazing with her)

so, after realizing all that, we decided that if we go somewhere, we are going as a family. after all, the stresses we are wanting a 'getaway' from aren't caused by her in the least. if anything, i think it'd be really nice to spend time together as a family where we can just relax, play and enjoy how fun she is right now. we know we would be slightly more constricted because of her, but we can definitely have her sleep in her stroller until we get back to our room if we want to stay out later than she can stay awake. we've done that on numerous occasions and she always handles it well.

i just realized how long i've dragged this out...

sorry..

i'll get to the point

here comes the q & a portion of the evening:

where to go???

we first thought maybe florida... then thought about having to rent a car, bring a carseat (we aren't used to those bad boys) and it started to not sound as fun

then maybe an all-inclusive resort in the caribbean somewhere?

get there, not have to worry about a thing, relax , soak up the sun, play in the kiddie pool, you know the drill..

we did an all inclusive in turks and caicos a few years back and thought it was lovely. we even said at the time we have to do another when we have kids. 

or....

take a cruise??

the perk for us about this option is we could leave from right here in the city, eliminating the cost and hassle of flying to our destination. and it's the same as the resort, once you board, you have not a care in the world...relax, eat whatever whenever, soak up the sun and play in the kiddie pool. there is even one that goes to turks and caicos which would be fun. the beaches there were so so gorgeous and the water was shallow pretty far into the water which would be great fun for playing with the babes. the potential downside is that we'd be sharing one of those tiny little cabins. it's like munchkin land in there. but

what're your thoughts?

  do you have any tips/pointers for picking a vacation spot when a babe is included?

*if you can't tell, our requirements for a great vacation include the beach, the sun, and massive amounts of relaxing. no stress allowed...

i welcome your thoughts and advice, whether you're a mama or not. :)

xx

{Outfit Inspiration}

totally adore this comfy weekend look.

{via}

have a lovely weekend!

xx

{Kitchen Reveal}

remember last week when i was asking your advice on what i should do to change up our kitchen?

well, i decided on going all out chalkboard paint.

i have always been a huge huge admirer of the high contrast between a dark wall and white cabinetry/finishes. because of that admiration i decided going for the dark and playful walls was the perfect solution to my design dilemma since i have all white cabinets and appliances in our current kitchen.

i got my diy on last weekend and must say i couldn't be happier with the outcome. even mr. w (who was supportive of, but i think fairly unsure of, my enthusiasm to paint our tiny little kitchen so dark) loves it.

{Garden Bliss}

wishing i could wake up to this...

{via}

xx

{Workout Wednesday}

read an interesting article in my health magazine this morning saying that new research shows that the most effective way of making healthy changes in your life is to add one thing at a time. once you've mastered that, then work on adding another. like say, eating a healthy breakfast every morning until it becomes just 'what you do', then add a healthy lunch or a scheduled walk/workout, and so on and so forth. that keeps you from getting overwhelmed and giving up. makes total sense to me.

thinking my new daily habit is to at least do ab exercises.

 on that note, this is what's going down in my living room today, who's with me?!

{via}

*warning* i might not be able to move tomorrow..stay tuned..

i've recently added a few new items from my closet

available for purchase over HERE

xx

{Don't Eat Your Vegetables}

probably not a phrase you really ever heard as a child..
no, no..
instead of eating your veggies, how's about decorating with them, hmm?

we've all seen the way designers and (us regular peeps) use fresh fruits and veggies to help bring a pop of color and life into a space, particularly kitchens. but that's not what i'm talking about today.

here lately i've been noticing how all these buildings throughout the city are using cabbage in their flower beds for a hearty winter decor.
 i must say, i'm loving it! it's so lovely to catch any bit of color and life when walking around in the frigid cold. warms me up a bit.
it's colorful, simply gorgeous, and helps motivate us to make sure we're eating our greens! (just not these actual greens, dogs pee on them ya know...eeeeww....)

{simply stunning}

{this one is breathtaking}

{little bits here and there}

so simple and pretty, no?

would you ever use veggies as a design element in your landscaping?

xx

{Christmas Amazingness}

this is long overdue..

i've finally gotten around to downloading all the christmas pictures. 

our christmas season..condensed down to 14 pictures...

{fueling up on some cheerios before the madness begins}

{is it pressie time yet mom?}

{playing with her new cell phone, she'll have to get your digits..}

{mr. w's dad and susan came out to visit the week before christmas.
it was wonderful to see them!}

{is this how i do it?}

{zingers all for me??}

{roxy wanted to help}

{roxy is begging for attention..}

{mr. w is the bestest ever and surprised us with rockette's tickets!}

{terrible shot, but you have to see them all lined up}

{rockefeller tree}

christmas with a child is the best thing ever..

xx

{Lately}

the other morning i was headed to a client's downtown and my packed, 'morning rush hour' train ended up getting stalled on the track for thirty minutes! i gradually began to get overheated, with sweaty palms and a clammy forehead..., let's just say, claustrophobia was trying with all its might to sink in.

 so i did what any smartphone addict would do..distracted myself as best i could by editing pics on instagram and tuning out all the mumbling and near freak-outs by everyone surrounding me as we just sat there...and continued to sit there...for thirty minutes...

here's a few of those pics and some others i threw in for good measure..

{love walking by this every time we go
to see viv's dr. read the window sign..}

{making a fruit puree for viv's oatmeal. she eats better than i do}

{yikes! someone needs a haircut}

{ok, this looks like a pile of poo, i know. but its seriously
the best cookie EVER! visiting levain bakery is a must}

{channeling a little 90's grunge vibe when out shopping with mr. w}

{least favorite part about undecorating for christmas,
taking down v's boho style stocking}

{one way to reuse old metro cards}

{can't believe i passed these up..what was i thinking?!}

{there was a chip bandit loose the other night, watch out!}

{loving this book by priscilla schirer called "discerning the voice of god"}

{monkeying around}

{funky playful wallpaper in cafe lalo's bathroom}

{date night with mr. w}

{feeding herself...can't believe it..}

you can follow me on instagram here

xx

{Words of Inspiration}

{via}

life has been a wee bit hectic here lately but wanted to stop by and say hello!

i've been working on a little project this week. stay tuned for the big reveal this coming week!

xx

{orajel and ice cream}

it's 11pm and i'm finally making it around to the computer to check in with you guys. 

my hands smell like orajel and i'm eating some ben and jerry's...

ya, it's been one of those kinna days..

the babes is actively cutting her top two teeth thru and has had the hardest time going to sleep. it makes my heart heavy knowing my innocent little one is experiencing pain. i only wish there was a way i could take it for her. tonight was definitely a night to break all the rules and simply love on her, however she needed it. we stayed up two hours past her bedtime snuggling on the sofa with anything and everything that felt good to gnaw on, then bundled up in our fur hat and big blankey to go pick out the ben and jerry's that is now in my hands. she has always loved getting some fresh air anytime she's not felt well.

 i finally orajeled her up and geared myself up for another attempt to go to sleep. as i stood in her room, cuddled up with my sweet little one singing every disney princess song i could think of, i was feeling simply thankful...there's nothing like knowing there is a tiny little person that needs and trusts me so much, that when she feels bad and is in pain, all she wants is to be with me..to have me hold her..to sing to her as she mimics the tunes i'm making, holding my face as she slowly starts to drift off and i lay her down to peaceful sleep..

xoxo

{2013}

happiest of new year's to you!!!!

i unintentionally took a few days hiatus over the holidays..

you know how that goes, the days seem to fly by this time of year.

but never fear, i'm back in the swing of things now!

how was your nye? i must admit..

being a mama now changes things up a bit. although mr. w is always working this night 

(mr. w is a chef. if ya didn't know, now ya know :) )

but i have always gone to a late dinner at his restaurant and waited for him to come out of the kitchen around 11:58pm so we can toast at midnight. the last few years we've run outside to toast at midnight, being that you can see the back of the times square ball drop from the front of the restaurant! it's always been fun to me. i've never been into the whole 'expensive party' 'get super dressed up in glitter and sequins and wear impossible to walk in heels' for nye. 

this year, however, viv and i worked all day, stayed at my last client's for her 'eh, whatever' nye party till about 10pm (she's not so into the typical get dressed up and go out nye too, obvs..) then headed home. viv was partying it up till about 11pm when she zonked out. i proceeded to watch the dick clark's nye special and fell asleep around 1..mr. w got off work around then and had to wait an hour for an open cab then realizing after a few blocks that his cabbie was drunk! buckled up and ready for an interesting ride, he finally was home around 2:30am. i dragged my groggy booty off the sofa and we had a toast. i lasted till about 4am before i crashed in bed, knowing i'd have to be up to feed the little one in about 2 1/2 hours..my how things have changed!

even though we weren't able to go out, we still did our best to celebrate at home..even if that meant being super tired the next day!

what was your nye like?

 did you get all dressed up and go out on the town??

whatever you did, i hope you had a fantastic time ushering in the new year!

cheers to 2013!

it's gonna be a good one, i know it!

xoxo