ferm living ...

i keep coming across this ferm living dotty kids wallpaper, and i'm in love. so cute!

this matching kids apron isn't too bad either.

ratatouille ...

and, you thought it was just a disney movie..

ratatouille is actually one of my favorite dishes. bringing back childhood memories of my mother making it for us with salmon and rice.

i love to be able to use up so many of my garden vegetables in one dish.

check out the recipe for ratatouille on my zupas post today.

click here.

{photo by me}

dinner parties ...

jordan from oh happy day always throws the best dinner parties.

what it would be like to be invited to such a beautiful table!

justin's nut butter ...

no surprise that i am a sucker for good packaging.

that is why while at the grocery store a little while back i picked up some justin's nut butter. pretty much based solely on the packaging.

but, lucky me, it was really good!

i love all their unique flavors!

carey mulligan ...

i was happy to see carey mulligan on the cover of vogue this month.

she is absolutely gorgeous, and very audrey-esque.

while i wasn't in love with the story line of the movie, an education, i thought she was brilliant in it. just darling. i especially loved the scenes from when they went to paris (big surprise).

images: vogue, by peter lindbergh

paris scene from "an education."

free shipping 'til 400 ...

good news!

i am now offering free shipping (usa only) in the armelle jewelry shop right now!

{update: thanks for helping armelle jewelry reach 400 sales!! free shipping is now over}

i have been so happy with all your support with my etsy shop over the last year and a half when i fully moved over to etsy!

the armelle jewelry shop is so close to 400 sales, that i am offering the next 15 sales free shipping in my shop to reach the big 400!

happy shopping!

here's a few pieces i'm liking lately..

daisy earrings (14kt gf), $22, perfect for fall!

kelly locket necklace, coral and blue, $29

cynthia necklace, $34

csn stores ...

i was recently contacted by csn stores to review one of their products. i am a huge fan of their stores! (they have over 200!) they sell anything from cheap bedroom furniture, to amazing rugs, to childrens car seats, you name it, and all at great prices and with free shipping!

i think i'll have a hard time choosing which product i want to review since there are so many options.

here are a few items i wouldn't mind...

this britax car seat booster. we need to buy one for my little ezra, so this would be the smart/sensible choice. plus, you can get an extra 20% off with the code: carseat20

but ... i have also been looking for a new rug for under my kitchen table. this black contemporary cheveron strip rug is nice.

..or this fallon contemporary rug in yellow

i have also been eyeing this smart gear training bike for my little ezra

i also love this stripe duvet cover by dwell studio

...and this chinoiserie dwell duvet

i also love this cooper classics sunburst mirror

and, this lovely colorful kraft tape dispenser is for kids, but mama wants it too! i love colorful tape!

my little norah actually got this darling retro kidkraft kitchen for her birthday this year, but i thought it was interesting that it is available from the csn stores. and, just a hint, if you are planning on getting something like this for christmas, get it NOW. it was sold out everywhere last christmas when i tried to order it.

i've also been thinking about getting this melissa and doug barn set for the kids for christmas.

wow! i had no idea that the csn stores had so many options. (p.s. they even have halloween costumes...)

looks like i have a big decision to make.

what would you get?

rhodes blogger demo ...

last week i was invited to attend a rhodes blogger demo at the rhodes bake n' serve headquarters.

i had a great time, mingling with fellow bloggers, talking with old friends, and meeting new ones.

deborah (she also does the zupas blog with me), heather, me, and susan

we were able to sit down and watch a demo on how to use rhodes freezer dough products.

i loved watching them make the kaiser rolls. i was impressed at how easy you can whip up these fancy looking rolls in no time.

it was good for me to see a few demos, since as i love to cook, baking, especially breads is not my strong point. so, it was nice to see an alternative to making it all from scratch.

the best part of the night was getting to sample a lot of the recipes you can make with rhodes dough.

my favorite was the bacon cheese nibbles, and the butterscotch bubble loaf (pictured above).

oh, and the cinnamon rolls weren't too shabby either.

they also sent us home with a ton of goodies, product, a cookbook, and an apron!

a big thanks to rhodes and dianna for the invite!

{all pictures by dianna of whatever dee dee wants}

homemade canned salsa ...

since last week i shared a great fresh salsa recipe, i decided to share a great canned salsa recipe.

this is great if you have a ton of tomatoes sitting on your counter, and you don't know what to do with them, like i did.

it is always satisfying to put up jar after jar of your hardwork on your shelf! plus, you get to reap the reward of fresh garden tomatoes all winter long, if you are lucky and it lasts that long.

check out my recipe for canned salsa on my zupas post today.

click here.

{photo by me}

fresh salsa ...

we went on a quick weekend trip to denver, so forgot to post my latest zupas post for you on here.

i've been making fresh salsa like crazy with all of our fresh garden tomatoes we need to use.

i can't get enough fresh salsa! and, i love to throw in avocados, yum!

check out the recipe here.

{photo by me}

halloween costumes ...

it's about that time of year where a lot of you are thinking about halloween costumes for your kiddos.

i was really excited as i walked around the store today seeing all the fun halloween decorations out. then, i realize i have to figure out costumes soon for ezra and norah.

here's a few fun ones i came across while browsing.

above, the little bearded garden gnome, from family fun magazine, for instructions click here.

i also found a few on etsy for around $50 if you don't want to DIY it.

from the etsy shop uniquery.

and, another cute one from etsy.

a red cross nurse pinafore from peapodray.

or, there is always a walking s'more. i got a kick out of that!

via better homes and gardens.

so, what are your kids going to be for halloween? maybe you can help me get my act together..

polka dots ...

i wouldn't mind having these two pieces for norah from baby gap.

isn't that polka dot top to die for?

and, speaking of norah in polka dots ...

here she is posing the other day after church. i'm obsessed.

dress: thrifted
shoes: thrifted
headband: lou and lee

a sofa ...

if i had an extra $3,000 lying around with no responsibilities, i'd love to have this sofa.

the nate berkus show ...

i'm excited to tune in to the new nate berkus show.

it started this week on nbc!

DIY: freezer paper stencil shirts ...

wow! i can't believe it's been two and half years since i've made any freezer paper stencil shirts. they really are so easy to make, and fun! i actually found myself in my studio with some free time on my hands. sadly, this hasn't been the case around my house lately. so, i decided to take advantage and make a few shirts for ezra that i've had planned to make him for a while.

doesn't my little ezra look handsome in his new shirt we made? he was thrilled to help paint his new shirts, and has been proudly showing them to everyone.

here's a little DIY, in case you aren't familiar with making freezer paper stencils.

what you will need:
-freezer paper
-plain shirt
-exacto knife
-cutting board
-pattern or picture you would like on your shirt
-fabric paint, found at any local craft store
-cardboard- to put inside the shirt when painting

step one: place/tape pattern you would like to cut out on top of freezer paper, make sure the shiny smooth side is down [that will be ironed to the shirt later]. or, you can just draw your image on the paper side of the freezer paper.
cut the image out with an exacto knife on a cutting board. note: the parts that will be painted is what you cut out.

step two: using an iron on a medium setting, iron your freezer paper to your shirt where you would like your image to appear. next, paint in the open areas with paint colors of your choice. note: i liked using the foamy paint brushes the best. it is best to go up and down in a nice even coat.

step three: this is the hardest part. don't touch it after you've painted it. as much as you would like to see the finished product, you have to let it dry over night. at least 12 hours to be sure it has completely dried. next, carefully peel off the freezer paper, and voila! you have a new fun shirt!

let me know if you try this, and if you have any questions!