glass trinkets to beautify your home, or give as a lovely gift.

i stumbled upon this stained glass shop while perusing Etsy.
i just love it all. how great are the mini pyramids? so chic empty or filled with your treasures.
back in his grade school days, d used to be quite the geo collector. perhaps we put an old favorite stone on display?
and that lamp? so pretty. the floor terrariums? bring a little of the outside in. all beautiful. do you agree?

little love notes.

it's february! the month of love.

 time start thinking about how you're going to let your loved ones know how you feel about them. 

i think all women would agree that above all, a thoughtful card and heartfelt message go a long way. 

hell, why not multiple cards? mail a funny one to the office... save a sweet one for over dessert. 

on that note, here are some fun handmade cards i found on etsy. 

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taking our sushi game to the next level.

now that ting and i are getting more confident in our sushi making abilities (our first time seen here), we decided to take our menu to the next level by making our own shrimp tempura. i loved it. we're keeping it on the menu.

a lot of people ask us how we learned to make sushi - it was all by watching online tutorials. we found a great YouTube channel "Japan Housewife Sushi" with great videos - everything from the basics like how to make sticky rice to the more advanced stuff. it's honestly really easy and super fun to make at home (not to mention way less expensive), especially after you have everything!

i've been browsing Etsy for some cool sushi stuff and fell in love with this set... how awesome is it? 

{from this etsy seller}

this woodgrain set also caught my eye... found here. 

also, don't you just love these porcelain fortune cookie chopstick pillows? 

{found in this etsy shop}

handsome little devil.

we're back from a great weekend in minneapolis and happy to be home with this little man.
check out hunter modeling his new leather collar.

pretty handsome, huh?

we've always had a hard time finding cool collars for our frenchies.

their necks are so thick that the collars with the plastic snaps always seem too bulky.

we prefer the buckle ones, but they're pretty hard to find,

so huntie's been stuck with some pretty lame neckwear over the years.

that is, until now thanks to this etsy seller.

french decor.

Late last year we fell in love with and purchased two prints on Etsy (from different designers). They seemed perfect for our family. After a few months we finally found frames, got them matted and hung. 

The first is our little man and my handy hubby painting the house - husband in sneakers. So appropriate.

{French Bulldog Works, through Etsy}

If the beach cruiser bike was pink this would be spot-on me and our late little Sydney.

{Janet Hill Studio in Canada, through Etsy}

it's us!

a girlfriend sent this to me a while ago. said she instantly thought of danny and me. how funny is this?

{card available in this etsy shop}

hot chicks & jam.

JAM, a new & unique boutique in Scottsdale hosted its Grand Opening last Friday night. In their words, JAM is a creative venue bringing together the best - a space of inspiration, magic and bliss. This artisans boutique is also the space for crafts and classes in the arena of arts, social interests and gatherings. 

One of the artisans featured at JAM was my girlfriend, Alicia, and her Hot Chick Aprons. Seriously, they're the sweetest, girliest, customizable aprons - I love the big bow in the back. Work with Alicia to design the perfect gift for brides, birthdays, Mother's Day (here's my mom in one), Valentine's Day or just because you should look fabulous while cooking! Check out her Facebook shop page or Etsy shop to browse, buy or contact Alicia. 

{me and the cutest apron maker}