fancy fridays - hello summer!!

Well, around SoCal, spring usually brings some summer-like temperatures, along with May Gray and June Gloom...its sort of a schizophrenic time as far as the weather is concerned. We've already had a few hot streaks. But I never feel quite in the summer spirit until Memorial Day rolls around. I know its not even really "officially" summer until June, but the onset of Memorial Day is the reality check that bikini(eek!!) and BBQ season have finally arrived!!

We've already had our fair share of BBQs this spring - Carl even whipped up his own BBQ sauce to dress up our drumsticks last weekend. However, I've been feeling less than thrilled about the actual "bikini season" part of things. Not to mention the impending trip to Norway (meeting his family - yikes!) which has put me in healthy-eating and workout mode.

With a good deal of our friends out of town, it means no prior commitments or the tempation of last-minute soirees that we're quite fond of hosting. I'm looking forward to a weekend of hanging out, chilling out, working out and cleaning out our very messy office and possibly the garage. I have high hopes, I know!! It sounds lofty but I'll be happy if I manage to spend some time snuggling my loves and working on some crafty projects I've had lurking around the house.

Prospects for the weekend that I'm most excited about:

A sunset cruise aboard the Double Dolphin with both the kiddos in tow. Sunsets in Santa Barbara are among my favorite things to experience.

A trip to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning is definitely in order. Its the perfect thing to inspire my clean eating, pick up some cilantro and tomatoes to plant, and pick up some picnic goodies. 

With our Farmer's Market goodies in hand, I'm hoping to head over to the Mission to check out the I Madonnari offerings...

 and settle in for at picnic in the famous Mission rose garden.

And that's just between now and Saturday!

I'm also super psyched to try out Brandi over at Mucho Mucho Bueno Bueno's awesome t-short tutorial,
 another T-shirt redo into a pretty dress for Harper,

and something I always mean to do but never get around to...

give myself a pretty manicure!! Although I'm positive mine won't be nearly as elaborate and pretty as these. I'm happy if most of the polish ends up on my nails and not everywhere else. And I promised one very sweet little girl some polished toes too! She got her very first "pedicure" at preschool the other day and now she's pretty much obsessed. There are the cutest pictures up ate her school of her with her little feet in the tub and getting her little toes polished! I just love that sweet little girl!!

And my one last goal for the weekend - buy the stinkin' Tracy Anderson videos already. Kassi and I have been chatting it up about these and I finally need to just do it already (and hope my honey fixes the projector so I have something to watch them on)!!

What are your plans for the long weekend??

XO,

Chelsea

two things...a day late

So it appears I've been quite behind on my blogging and reading! My Google Reader shows 1000+ unread - yikes! A very busy last week and family in town has somewhat prevented me from being on top of the extraneous tasks in my life, but the upcoming 3-day weekend is all I need to get back in the groove!

Lately, I've been joining in Kassi's Two Things Tuesdays and decided that I'd stay on that...even if its a day late!

Right now, I'm absolutely loving having these peonies around the house. They are so huge and have a very faint sweet smell that I find intoxicating. They are literally about the size of dinner plates - just gorgeous!

Consider a strange thing to be loving, but I am so thrilled about this mortar and pestle I picked up yesterday. Carl and I have been discussing how badly we need one and I happened upon one at Sur La Table yesterday and couldn't help wrapping it up and bringing home to my sweetie. We've been pretty geeked out on cooking and kitchen gadgets, so this is the perfect thing to add to our almost perfectly outfitted kitchen.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week so far! 

What are you loving? 

Leave it in my comments, or grab the McLinky and link up!

XO,

Chelsea

wardrobe wednesday - going tribal

A jam packed weekend, a work week that started with a sick day (curse you neckache and migraine!) and a busier than usual schedule at work have sapped me of my ability to really post anything this week. Ooops. I'm sure you'll all live though...

A recently acquired tribal meets 80s geometric print romper has me noticing the tribal trend everywhere.Its a fun summery option that is easy to incorporate into your basics wardrobe. I'm loving the juxtaposition of it mixed with some of the military styles that are out there right now too.

I'm absolutely in love with this dress from Ruche. And thrilled they finally got it back in stock in my size!

Thinking its the perfect thing for my upcoming Norwegian holiday...

I am totally in love with these shoes and wondering if they might be just the ticket to cash in my Mother's Day gift from my sweet little family. So cute with anything!!

Although...these embroidered wedges from Anthropologie kinda rock my world too

And since we're already talking about Anthro, I might as well go ahead and mention this bag

And I'm in love with this bright scarf for dressing up any LBD

And a little something to make you feel like a modern-day Pocahontas

Now, quick, hide my wallet! 

What are you craving for summer?

XO,

Chelsea

the most turquoise water I ever did see

I have never been to the Caribbean. Or Hawaii. Or St. Tropez. I did a banzai drive down from Paris to catch a small peak of the Mediterranean Sea and must say I found it rather uninspiring.

That said, I found Cozumel to have the most beautiful colored water I have ever laid eyes on.

A rather rocky night at sea, the post-party effects of the day after Formal Night, and a particularly crowded and stuffy wait to get off the boat made for a rough start to our day trip in Cozumel. One glance at that crystal blue water though and I was cured.

Strangely, we departed the cruise ship, walked the length of the dock and then boarded another boat to the mainland so we could board our Jeeps, hit the beach for some mexican food and then venture into a cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites and the most amazing cavern pool. It feels a little strange to get off a giant boat and then immediately jump on a ferry.

yup, a Starbucks, right in the middle of Playa del Carmen. And right across from a Lacoste, Johnny Rockets, Mango and some other seemingly out-of-place shops.

(beach photo credits: Carl, nice work honey!)

Swimming in the caverns was definitely the highlight of this day. I'm sad that we didn't get better pictures of it. But it was dark and wet; we were in a cave after all.

I have a serious case of the Fridays today. Got to work extra early today so I could hurry on out of here and go enjoy some camping at one of my favorite spots - Jalama Beach. Kassi can back me up when I say that Jalama is awesome and I can't wait to enjoy a Jalama Burger. Its pretty rare that I eat a hamburger, but its a treat worth having when I go there. Can't wait to cuddle with the little ones next to the campfire and sink my toes in the sand!!

Happy Friday to all!

What are your weekend plans?

XO,

Chelsea

cuban coffee, key lime pie and a game of dominoes

Well, if you read the post title, then you can probably guess I'm talking about Key West. It was our first stop on the cruise and as you can tell, we definitely had some goals. Consider them highly self-serving, but goals nonetheless. Drink a beer while walking down the street, eat a cuban sandwiches drink some cuban coffee and finish it all off with key lime pie. Not lofty goals, but hey, vacation is about doing what you can't do at home. Right?

I love the tropical feel of Key West.

The foliage is bright and lush.

Little chicken families are wandering around all over.

You are dripping from the humidity the minute you step outside. Then again, that's where those cold beers come in handy.

We took a nice climb up an old lighthouse.

Took the obligatory snapshot by the bell.

A swim in the ocean.

Found some awesome dominoes with the Cuban flag printed on back.

Accomplished the cuban sandwich and coffee goal. Finished off with a Red Stripe (try to ignore the fact that I look like a greaseball. This was post-swim).

Got our dominoes on.

Then took the last shuttle to the ship before we set sail once again.

Phew! We made it.

Just in time to get all fancied up for Formal Night.

Check out this handsome pair.

Ladies turn.

After our champagne on the balcony, we all made our way down to the lobby levels for the most hysterical photo taking ever. If you've ever been on a cruise, then you know what I'm talking about. Its like senior pictures and prom on steroids. We made it our goal to hit every photo station, try every pose and even invent a few of our own. More on those in the next post...

Hope everyone is enjoying their week. I, for one, am happy that we're one day away from the weekend!!

XO,

Chelsea

new sport - urban extreme walking

Please forgive me for my extreme laziness upon returning from vacation. I think I've managed about 2 posts in my post-vacation haze. Somehow the saying, "need a vacation from my vacation" keeps ringing through my ears. Which is strange because our vacation was extremely restful and not too over-packed with activity. I guess my main issue was readjusting to the fact that I actually had to do stuff for myself again. No waiters, no steward, no love. Hahah. Truly though, it is an adjustment to be launched from vacation mode to work mode with no happy medium :)

So, in our adventures in Miami prior to boarding the boat, we invented a new extreme sport. Urban walking.
We were told we could each bring one bottle of wine or champagne on board and we certainly weren't going to pass up the opportunity to pick out some bubbles or vino. Trusty smartphone in hand, Carl searched for grocery stores and found that there were several not too far from the hotel. Armed with a strong sense of adventure and a thirst for some bubbles, off we set.

Came across some cool graffiti

We were enjoying our little stroll around the self-proclaimed historic district, although not finding anything but hole in the wall liquor stores where the "groceries" were supposed to be.

After a particularly sketchy little store (along with some neighbors very interested in our happenings there) we decided we better high-tail it out of there. Pronto. Sure enough, that's always when you turn the corner and its a dark walkway under a freeway. Nice. And that's when a very nice individual on a bicycle rode by and tried to sell us a snazzy gold necklace. Our walking pace increased. Ten-fold.

We did manage to finally find an awesome little store with a guy who suggested a great bottle of wine. And we got some pretty awesome exercise.

After completing our new sporting event (we placed first!!), it was time to hustle over to the Port and board the behemoth that was our home on water for the next 4 days. 

I'd never been on a cruise ship before and the whole thing was just surreal to me. The lobby for checking in to the boat, getting your picture taken as you board, and then entering the actual ship was pretty overwhelming. In a good way.

Our little window to the world. Being on the first floor of staterooms turned out to be a good thing when the seas got rough and the boat got to rocking. Some friends up on the 7th floor looked pretty green once that business started.

Our extreme sport from earlier in the day and the shuffle of getting on-board had us pretty wiped out. While everyone else was hitting the deck, giant margaritas in hand. We took a nap. Awesomeness achieved.

back to reality with two things time

Getting back to the swing of things after vacation has definitely been a challenge for me! Just keeping my eyelids open past 9 proved to be quite difficult. My amazing weekend and Mother's Day breathed new life into me though and I'm happy to be back on schedule.

And I'm super excited to join in Kassi's two things Tuesday, yet again. If you haven't joined up - you definitely should. Kassi's blog is super cute and seeing everyone's two things always makes my day! Besides, its always good to show the things around your home a little love. Consider it their moment in the spotlight, their 15 minutes.

Things getting the star treatment today at my home:

Another awesome item that my super-stylish, late Uncle had. I think my dad has held onto this for quite a while, but somehow it made it to my house. I'm pretty sure he threatened to repo it last time he came over, so I better get all the lovin' of this one in pronto!

This super cool tea box has great handmade details that I love. I am especially enthralled with the antique key and mother of pearl adornments. The papered interior of each tea box is particularly cool also.

Also feeling some love today, my Andy Warhol Marilyn glasses. I have always been a huge Marilyn Monroe fan and I absolutely love pop art. Put the two together and I'm pretty smitten. Can't afford fancy, expensive Pop Art? Get the glasses.

I bought these babes when I had my first "real" place back in Santa Barbara. They've seen their fair share of libations and I never get tired of the colorful addition they provide. We keep them in a glass cabinet in the living room. They're just too fun to put away in a dark cabinet!

What two things are you loving today? Leave me a comment of link up below! Can't wait to check out what you are lovin' today. 

XO,

Chelsea

Best.Day.Ever

There is something amazing about being served breakfast in bed, complete with Swedish lullaby (at least I think it was a lullaby...), fresh squeezed orange juice mimosa, smoothie, kanelbullar, some apple tart, handpicked flowers, and sweet little cards by my sweet little family. Sutter had made me several cards and strewn them about the house but he was too excited and instead told me where they were or went and retrieved them for me.

And how could I forgot my awesome card, drawn by Sutter, promising me a new pair of shoes from my two little ones. Apparently it was all their idea, Carl is just the financial sponsor. They certainly know what their mama likes.

After my amazing breakfast, I even got to fall back asleep and get some extra beauty rest. A picnic lunch at the beach, some visiting time with my mom and then some relaxed alone time with my honey made for a perfect day.

I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful little clan to take care of me and remind me of how awesome it is to be a mom.

I hope all you mommy's out there had a wonderful day, felt lots of love, and took some time to revel in how amazing you are for being a mom.

XO,

Chelsea

Welcome to Miami

Its good to be back! I had no idea that I would miss blogging so much and now I feel like I have lots of catching up to do. Bear with me while I inundate you with photos from our amazing cruise adventure!!

Vacation is always good, and I think its even better when its full of trying out new things. I'd never spent much time in Miami and I'd never been on a cruise, so I was super excited this adventure! Our schedule worked out great because we wound up with 24 hours in Miami before we were set to board the ship. It left plenty of time for exploration, something we both love. There's definitely a thrill in setting out in a new city with no itinerary, no idea where you're headed and someone to share the experience with. Armed with very little assistance from the hotel staff, an eye on getting some delicious food and a monorail to board, we were set for discovery!

Miami is definitely colorful! 

The hotels and high-rise apartment buildings in Downtown Miami were full of bright and saturated hues.

Integrating with the art

Jaywalking the bay

And finally, after a good amount of wandering and wondering where all the restaurants were, we happened upon a great little Italian cafe. It was a perfectly balmy evening for enjoying a sidewalk meal.

Riding the monorail back to the hotel and prepping for a night in South Beach!

We figured out pretty quickly that even though our hotel was conveniently located near the Port for the next day's departure, if we wanted to experience Miami nightlife, we'd have to head to South Beach. So that's precisely what we did...its an interesting place to say the least.

More Miami and cruisin adventures to come this week!

Happy Wardrobe Wednesday everyone!!

XO,

Chelsea