That's a wrap : Featured on Green Wedding Shoes.

This morning our anniversary shoot of Courtney and Laren was featured on Green Wedding Shoes! I have always loved this blog, even though I am already married it is addicting to go to and see all of the beautiful weddings and inspiring ideas. Anyway, we are so thrilled to be featured and as always so thankful for your support.

Go HERE to see more of our feature!

And you can see more of our work HERE!

xo.

She + He = We : Friday night dinner dates.

Last week we had our good friends Lacey and Patrick over for dinner. We always like hanging out with them because we can just be casual and it is easy. You know what I mean? Having friends that are just easy to be around is the best kind of friend. We made shish-kabobs, which I have found are one of the greatest dishes for a group of people. Whether you are a vegetarian, meat lover, or a seafood enthusiast (that is me) you can create your own unique sticks and be happy with your meal. Another plus is that they are cooked on the grill, which means Lacey and I enjoyed a glass of wine while the guys handled things out on the deck.

We spent about four hours at the dinner table chatting, eating and playing games. That night we chose to play Taboo. I had not played it in a while and it was a blast. Girls v. Boys... and the gals took home the win! Stone and I would much rather share dinner with friends at home than go out. Of course, occasionally it is fun to try out a new restaurant, but we end up having the best conversations when we are relaxed around our dinner table :) Do you agree?

xo.

(oh ya, Lacey and I are both working on our close-mouthed smiles... still need some improvement...)

(another thing... we actually ended up polishing off those shish-kabobs, and from that photo you can tell that there was a lot there! yikes...)

PATTERN and POP!

Welcome to March and the beginning of rainy season! Decorate your front entry with this PATTERNED porcelain umbrella stand and add a POP of color on a dreary rainy day with that umbrella!

Happy birthday Texas.

Woah.

I almost went the entire day without recognizing Texas Independence Day... my years of living out of the state have started to rub off on me I suppose. Happy birthday dear Texas, oh how I love you and miss you so...

Photos from left: Postcard, Sign, Cutting Board

Food to Love: Ham and Artichoke Quiche

Last night I was in the mood for quiche. There is this restaurant in Texas called La Madeline and it is the best place to go for quiche, salads or Croque Monsieur. Sometimes I get cravings to go there, so I try to make a dish that is similar to what I would be ordering if only I could. Does this happen to you? You move and all of the sudden are longing for one thing at one restaurant that you cannot get anymore? The worst.

Well, you would think that at the mention of quiche last night husband would be groaning and perusing the freezer for frozen goods that he could have instead. But no, he really likes this meal too! And it feels healthy, so it is a win for all of us. Sometimes I also make these at the beginning of weeks and then have a piece for lunch every day, it makes for a great left over :)

Ham and Artichoke Quiche

1 pie crust (I get the pre-made pie dough from Trader Joe's)

4 eggs beat and add 1 1/2 cup of milk, then add 4 Tbl flour - mix well

1/3 cup sliced ham

1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts, cut

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shaved parmesan

Cover bottom of crust with cheddar cheese. Add ham, artichokes, and mushrooms. Then, pour egg mixture into crust. Sprinkle parmesan and black pepper on top.

Cook at 375.

Check at 40 minutes, with knife inserted into center of quiche. Should be just slightly soft. If completely firm, it has cooked too long. If too soft/runny, add more time. Cover crust with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes if it is getting too brown.

Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Inspiration board : Stripe love.

Stripes are slowly taking over my wardrobe.

No, scratch that, they are taking over my entire house and I love it. Stone used to say that if you put a ruffle on anything I would want to buy it, well I think that has changed. Now if I happen to like something and they sell it in a striped pattern I am immediately sold. Maybe that has something to do with the way Stone has taught me to look at things with a photographers eye in series of lines. Either way, I am into them. And for those of you who are thinking 'wearing horizontal stripes is fashion foul number one' well, you are wrong. Have you noticed that all fashion rules are out the window lately? Want to wear white after labor day? Go for it. What about a pair of thin socks with open toe shoes? Well, if JCrew does it, we can do it. You just have to have the confidence to pull it off, and I am positive that you do. I have not gotten into the socks with sandals yet, but, perhaps they are like skinny jeans and I should just ease into them slowly :) xo.

1 : Love everything about this room. From the striped comforter to the wood framed windows. I also think it is pretty sweet that they can write messages on their wall for sweet dreams.

2 : Striped wedges. Yes please! Well, really all wedges, love them all, but if you add some stripes I am sure not going to complain :)

3 : Husband has been making smoothies lately like it is his job, and I am thinking they would be that much tastier with a cute straw. Right?

4 : Natalie Portman, on a cruiser, wearing stripes. I have a photo of myself that is almost exactly this one, but then again I don't look quite like Natalie. She is presh.

5 : Pink and yellow striped pillows. I love the color combo and have been into decorating with pinks lately. Only the good kinds of pink that is.

6 : A wearable rainbow. There is nothing more fun than that dress.

7 : Stripes on stripes. Yes, it can be done and it does look nice.

8 : I saw this photo on Pinterest! Have you explored that site yet? It is pretty incredible, just a flurry of beautiful and inspiring images.

9 : Mark Rothko is one of my dad's favorite artists. He always paints block colors in a series of thick and thin lines. Simple, but beautiful.

Above is my photo similar to the one of Natalie Portman... if only I were riding on the streets of Paris ;)

Tuesday tunes : Lovely ladies.

Photo taken by Stone :)

It takes a lot for me to like a girls voice or style of singing. I don't know why, I am usually just not naturally drawn to it. Maybe it is because I feel like a lot of girl singing can be cheesy... don't get me wrong, I love a little cheese here and there (cough, cough Taylor Swift). One time I went to a concert with a huge group of girl friends to see Mandy Moore and Rachel Yamagata. Such an unlikely pair, but they made fora really great concert, probably one of my favorites. I think it was all elevated by the fact that we came in a huge pack of girls and spent the night dancing and reminiscing on old Mandy favorites :) Either way, above are some girl singers I have been into lately. Hope you enjoy. xo.

Look of the Week: Oscar worthy.

Photos found here.

I always tell Stone that I wish there was a function one time a year that I could go to and wear a fancy gown and get dolled up. Now that prom is WAY over and all of our college formals are past I feel like I will not have an excuse to wear fancy dresses anymore. So, I will live vicariously through these beautiful famous ladies...

What were your favorites? Cate Blanchet, Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis win my vote for best dressed. I love, love the nudes and purples.

Weekend wrap up : Fun with family.

We had a whirlwind of a weekend.

Stone's parents were in town from Colorado, and we spent the weekend enjoying the beautiful California sunshine :) We took them to some of our favorite spots around town, "hiked" at Torrey Pines (nothing like actual Colorado hiking, but still...) and even made our famous homemade pizza (okay, so really it isn't famous, but it is so good that is should be!). Having guests is one thing that makes me dream about the day when we own a home with more than one bedroom and bathroom. I will be so thankful when that happens. Also, I will totally use this as an example to our children... "Your dad and I used to live in a house as big as our living room and you are complaining about sharing a bathroom with your sister, you should be thankful"... you know those stories that are so annoying to you when you were a kid, but you will most definitely use when you are a parent yourself.

Anyway, did you watch the Oscars? Not my favorite year of movies, except for Toy Story 3 of course. Also, I could definitely do without Anne Hathaway hosting... not my fav! Stone and I have not seen The King's Speech, but are definitely wanting to catch it while it is still in the theaters because of all of it's wins! Plus, I think Colin Firth is pretty great, but after 'Bridget Jones's Diary', what girl does not like him?

Happy Monday everyone, xo.

Have an adventurous weekend.

Photo taken by my sweet, sweet husband.

Happy Friday!

My in-laws came into town last night from Colorado, and even though this weekend the high is only in the 60s (brrr) they feel like they are getting a break from the cold. So far we have had breakfast at our favorite spot and gone to Bull Taco right on the ocean for some burritos with a view! We love to have visitors and Encinitas is definitely a fun town to play host. I also like when people come visit because you get to do things you may normally not, and are a bit more adventurous :) Last year for our anniversary Stone and I went to Denver and stayed at a hotel then kind of played visitor in our own home town. Have you ever done that?

Anyway... in other news, the Oscars are this weekend! I have to say that I am mostly looking forward to the red carpet... but, aren't we all? We don't have cable so I am hoping to find somewhere online that is streaming it live. Honestly, I am not too up on my movie watching so I have not seen a lot of the nominees, but these awards always give me a good idea of what I need to rent. If you have not seen the nominations you can go here to check them out.

Here are some links to keep you busy this weekend. xo!

A trendy bracelet... DIY!

Pizza essentials, yes please!

The dream closet! So much style inspiration... I am loving this.

Sunday brunch, anyone?

Some beautiful jewelry to add to your lust list.

Not sure how I feel about this. No scratch that, I am sure and I think it is gross.

Food to Love: Pulled Pork Tacos

This is my go-to recipe. I know it is always delicious, it requires very little hands on time and makes enough for us to have left overs for a few days after. All good things! I also make it for friends a lot and have recently had a few people email me for the recipe, so I thought I would go ahead and share it with you all. You will need a crock pot for this one, so if you don't have one it is an investment worth getting. Trust me, the return on that purchase is a good one :)

Pulled Pork Tacos

2 - 2.5 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 white onion slices thin

1 c BBQ sauce

1tsp minced garlic

salt & pepper

Sprinkle tenderloin liberally with pepper and sparingly with salt. Place tenderloins in a slow cooker. Combine onions, BBQ sauce and garlic then pour over tenderloin. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-9 hours.

Using two forks shred the meat and place in a large bowl with remaining liquid. Toss to combine.

I usually slice some avocado, add some corn and squeeze a lime on top. SO delicious!

Now, let me tell you about the special tortillas featured above. This is a little trick we just learned from a friend and I think it takes this meal to an entire new level. Heat 1/3 cup of olive oil in a skillet on high, place your flour tortilla in the skillet for 30 seconds then flip. 30 seconds on the other side. Pull the tortilla out and it will be a bit crunchier, but still moldable and make them into little shells. It's the best :)

Enjoy! xo.

PATTERN and POP!

Decorate your table with this PATTERNED dinner plate and spice it up with a POP of color and fun like that salad plate.