Little Pumpkins

This past weekend we were b-u-s-y!  The hubby and I were lucky enough to see Argo at the Mill Valley Film Festival which was amazing.  Sadly, Mr. Affleck called in "sick" (strep throat, really? he seemed fine the night before at the LA premiere) but he sent Brian Cranston in his place which made my man extremely excited as he's an avid Breaking Bad fan.

  Argo

Saturday we took the littles to the Nicasio Valley Farms Pumpkin Patch.  Only a short drive from downtown San Anselmo, this little farm had everything that we were looking for including ponies for our very first pony ride!

This is fun, right?

So many pumpkins to choose from!

We topped the weekend off with an amazing ride on the San Francisco Bay on our friends' boat.  Not only were we right below all the planes during their Fleet Week stunts, we were also front row for the America's Cup races.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday in my opinion!

Relaxing on the deck watching the races

And how was your weekend?

Thursday Traditions

The Thursday San Rafael Farmer's Market has quickly become a weekly tradition in our house.  I love the early morning sun, grabbing my coffee and indulging in a waffle.  I seemed to have passed along my pastry love to Lady Baby and Mr. Baby as well!
 

Waffles make Lady Baby very happy

Morning croissants

Fresh flowers for the weekend

Musical interlude

Hello Photograph

Do you ever have those moments when you see a perfect photograph standing before you?  If it's a person, I think, "Should I ask them if I can take their picture?", "Is that weird?", "What if they think I'm a crazy person?" and so on until usually the moment has passed.  A few months ago I was walking across the street in downtown Toronto and Alice Cooper was standing on the street corner talking to several people in his entourage wearing a golf shirt and white fedora, it was sort of unnerving.  I'm not a fan (at all. sorry.) but to see him just hanging out in very non-Alice Cooper attire was exciting, and I wanted to take his picture.  But I didn't.  And the moment was gone.  I encountered another moment today when I was running errands in Union Square in San Francisco (well, really I was at the dentist but "running errands" sounds more glamorous, right?) and I hesitated.  But I turned back just as these three sailors were turning to catch a better look at a giant poodle sauntering down the street and I got this.  Perfect.

Photo by me via Instagram

Lemon-Basil Linguine

We're in the middle of a heat wave and I wanted something light and refreshing for dinner, so I whipped up this recipe that I found on Pinterest.  For someone who is a self-proclaimed non-cook, it was surprisingly easy and tasted delicious.  You have to remember to save some of the pasta water to mix with the pesto you prepare, but other than that, it's fool proof.  When I make it again, I'll probably double the amount of lemon-basil pesto sauce as I definitely wanted seconds!

Photo courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Birthday Bagels

Clearly, I love toast. And candy. But toast is hands-down my favorite food. When I was in college in Montreal, I basically survived on bagels and thankfully, Montreal is home to the best bagels in the world. There are many a debate on whether New York or Montreal bagels are best but to me, there is no comparison. Soaked in sweet water and then baked in a wood-burning oven? There is simply nothing better. Earlier this week you can imagine my delight when a CASE of Montreal bagels arrived on my doorstep for my birthday. How do you say... best. husband. ever!

You can order yours here from St. Viateur

My Love

It's been 14 years since our mutual innocent crushes blossomed into a whirlwind romance on a fateful trip to NYC. Long-distance love, a move to California and two beautiful babies later, I still feel like it was yesterday that we frolicked through the city nipping in and out of museums and theaters and falling more head over heels for one another. Thank you for making my life so magical, I'm so glad you're mine.

Sweet Scents

I nipped out to run some errands and passed a display with L'Occitane Mom & Baby Body Lotion. With all the bottle washing I do, my hands are an absolute mess, so I slathered it on and went on my way. Well, that was over 2 hours ago and I'm still sniffing my hands every few minutes. The scent is intoxicating (in a good way). It's a must for my next trip to the mall.

Winter Getaway

We've had an amazing winter here in Northern California filled with sunshine, flowers and chirping birds. It's a far cry from where I grew up in Eastern Canada where my mother assures me they are having a mild winter but are still covered in snow and ice. (No thank you!) So, I don't really need to "get away" from anything per se but a change of scenery is in order. We're packing up the family and heading to Palm Springs for a long weekend to celebrate my hubby's birthday on Friday and I couldn't be more excited. We travel regularly to Palm Springs where we always stayed in one of our favorite hotels but unfortunately they don't allow little guests. We're bummed but excited to try something new. Hello Parker Meridian!

Parker Palm Springs

I Have No Idea Why...

But this song often gets stuck in my head. J'adore Vanessa.

Mosquito by Vanessa Paradis

Missoni

When I logged on to Target.com earlier today to find the server down, I immediately had to go to Target to see what all the Missoni fuss was about. I naively thought I could pick up some towels and possibly some clothes for Lady Baby. When I got to Target, this is what I found...



Nothing! EVERYTHING had been cleared out. Shelves were bare. No Missoni for me.

But then I ran into a friend near the checkout who had just come from a different location and she was bragging about her haul. I followed her to her car to find this...



She had bought it all! Luggage, stationery, laptop case, rubber boots, plates, clothes... Seriously. She had it all. And best of all, she had scored a tiny Missoni dress for my Lady Baby. Thank you Carrie!

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People Reading Books

My dear friend @tweetsweet just started this amazing blog, People Reading Books in Pubic Places. I love it. It's deliciously voyeuristic and sucks me in imagining what the person is like who is reading the book and I giggle thinking about my friend taking these stealth photos. I don't have much time for reading books right now (although I'm finding I really like to do so on my iPad when I can steal a spare moment) so this allows me to archive all the books that I want to get to. I have a few on the go that I need to finish already!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (started long before all the movie hype)

An Inconvenient Wife by Megan Chance (for my bookclub, but I didn't finish it before the meeting)

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman (my next bookclub selection)

What are you reading?

Robots are Awesome

I just came across this adorable print on my friend's blog and I must have it for little H & H's room. It makes me happy.

Robots in love by thebigharumph

Hello Universe

Yesterday I came across (and bought) these lovely fall boots from House of Harlow on Gilt.


Today, I came across this vintage Hudson car for sale on my morning walk.


The Universe is telling me it likes my baby names.

Oh J.Crew...

I love J. Crew. I do. I love the quirky ways the outfits are styled and the fresh take on classic pieces. I often want to purchase an entire look from head to toe including shoes and accessories from the catalog but I've never done it. Maybe I should start. Here's what I'm loving in the latest catalog...

Dream Open Cardigan

Clipper Cardigan in Cream


Pia Calf Hair Pumps

Marlow Hobo

The Booker Boot

The Hacking Jacket

The Matinee Trench

Fall Is In the Air

I know it's only mid-July but the past few days have definitely had a hint of fall in the air. I was walking back from the grocery store last night and couldn't help daydreaming about sipping mulled wine and eating pumpkin scones. Of course, with Fall comes fashion. The September issues will be hitting in a few weeks and I'm getting a head start on what I'd like to update my wardrobe with and get ready for the chilly days ahead. This gorgeous bag has definitely made my list.

CHELSEA FLAGSHIP EMBOSSED PYTHON DOWEL FLAP by Coach

Eggie Goodness

With the little ones at home, I have very little time these days and eating a balanced meal is not the easiest thing to achieve. Luckily, I came across these yummy breakfast egg muffins on Pinterest a few weeks ago and I stole a few minutes this week to whip them together. It was super easy and healthy as well. The perfect meal to take when you're on the go.

Scallions & Zucchini from the Farmer's Market, sauteed.

Separate the egg yolks from the whites (this was the trickiest part)

Stir in the feta with all the ingredients

15 minutes and you have the perfect breakfast treat!

Heart Art

How amazing is this beautiful piece made of paper hearts? I might have to order it and tuck it away for Valentine's Day. Pulling this out after months of hiding in my closet will be better than finding a $20 bill in my coat pocket.

Little Vintage Hearts found on Etsy via Emily Henderson

Mommy Daze

Much has changed since my last post. I gave birth at only 29.5 weeks to twins on April 1st. Now that was an April Fools Day to remember! After a terrible scare and 77 days in the NICU, our little ones are finally home. We're simply over the moon with joy and feel like the luckiest people in the world to get to spend our days with these two little peanuts.

Harlow Eve

Hudson Alexander

Life will never be the same but I couldn't be happier with the new direction it's headed.

Books as Art

I just love these beautifully illustrated books by Penguin Threads releasing this Fall (the next endeavor from the creative folks that brought us the brilliant Penguin Classics series that line the shelves of Anthropologie). Artist Jillian Tamaki illustrated each cover before stitching the final design. The final covers are embossed to imitate the feel of the stitching. Simply stunning!

Spotted on The Atlantic, courtesy of Shelf Awareness.

Pretty Spring Flowers

I'm getting pretty tired of all this rain but at least my garden is happy!



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