Category Archives: Holiday

Marzipan

Marzipan is a totally delicious treat with Scandinavian roots. In it’s most simple form – it’s ground almonds and honey. You work the two ingredients together into a sticky dough and then make balls or a loaf that you cut into slices. I remember as a kid making marzipan.. I don’t think you could get almond meal/flour in the stores where we lived in Norway so this was quite the cooking project.. First you had to blanche, dry and grind almonds (or just grind them with skins intact) with a hand held grinder until you had a fine almond meal. Then you would work in the honey. The best part was making shapes with mini cookie cutters. We would often make marzipan for Easter. We would roll the dough into small egg shapes and dip them in chocolate. After they were dry we wrapped them in tinfoil and hid them outside for our Easter egg hunt!

You can definitely make the honey/almond version, but the recipe below is a total winner. You use almond meal (yes, from a bag! :)), powdered sugar, egg whites, almond essence and the secret ingredient – rose water! Totally delicious and tastes like marzipan from a gourmet candy shop in Europe. I’ve made about 5 batches in the last few months but they kept disappearing (house elves?). I finally got a chance to dip them in chocolate and take some pictures! 🙂

Have fun, unleash the creativity and enjoy!

Ingredients

1½ cups almond flour/meal
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3/4 teaspoon quality food grade rose water (it is strong!)
1 egg white (this is a few tablespoons and I used pasteurized egg whites from a carton)

Instructions

Place the almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined and any lumps are broken up. Add the almond extract, rose water and egg white and process until a thick dough is formed. If the mass is still too wet and sticky, add more powdered sugar and ground almonds. Keep in mind that it will become firmer after it’s been refrigerated.
Turn the almond marzipan out onto a work surface and knead it a few times. Form it into a log, wrap it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
This will keep for at least a month in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using in any recipe.
Makes about 12 ounces of marzipan or almond paste

I modified this from the original – thanks for the inspiration Daringgourmet.com

Leather + Animal Print for the holidays…

What we wore for our holiday pictures…

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I’ll preface this to say…our family pictures were more along the lines of those viral forwards that everyone laughs about and says “thank GOD that wasn’t us”. And just wait for it. The truth is in the pudding. Really, I don’t even know what that last phrase means, but…it sounds better than the truth is at the end 😉

And yet… I’ll start of with what we wore, because well…that’s what this blog is mostly about 🙂I scored this top from The Oxford Trunk for $10 (!!!) when they had a big sale. I got it in both white and black, and I looooove them!! A post with me wearing the black version is coming soon. These next two are a little out of focus (we missed our mark in the excitement), but I don’t care 🙂 She’s been extra into giving kisses lately, and I’m not complaining!! And…here’s our holiday card 🙂 Not at all what I had planned, but it’s what we got. And…I kind of think it’s perfect 🙂SO….keeping it real ahead of the real “Keeping it Real” at the bottom. All of the above pics of me and Maya were taken a few days ago. The holiday card…3 weeks ago…

I have a list of suggestions for clients before we take family pictures, and I absolutely LOVE when they put some time and effort not only into what they wear, but how they want their pictures to look. That said, my number one goal is to make sure everyone has FUN…and then I capture that.

Well….none of that usually happens for us haha. What’s the phrase “The cobblers children have no shoes”??

I’ve been insanely busy doing everyone else’s holiday pictures, and we’ve had a LOT of stuff going on personally so I honestly wasn’t sure we’d even have time to take ones for ourselves.

ANYWAY. I had a last minute cancellation about 3 weeks ago, the weather was actually clear, so we scoured everyone’s clothes to find things that were clean and somewhat went together, I grabbed the tripod and away we went. Maya is always so excited when her brothers are in the back seat with her, so she was chatting and laughing the whole way there. I was getting hopeful that we would get some great shots of everyone…

We all get out, and I get a few pics of the boys with the Huz. Again thinking “This is going to be great!!” Maya was just running around happy as a clam, playing and then trying to get in their shots. As I’m getting the tripod set up to get a group pic, Maya starts howling. Like a hysterical crying that I’ve never heard before. I make sure she’s not hurt (she’s not). All she wants to do is have me rock her on the bench. Um….are you kidding me?! The kid that gets her picture taken almost every day of her life, and is totally used to having it taken with a self timer and tripod is now flipping the F out! Inconsolable even??! I tried taking a few and playing with her like I always do. NOT WORKING. At this point, I’m losing my patience and am getting totally frustrated. Tears may have been shed from both of us. Honestly, I really just wanted to get ONE picture of all of us, and a few of Maya with her brothers! It sounds like something that would be easy to get, but with teenage boys and us all being so busy. It just isn’t… Oh well. I Photoshopped two images together to get the one for our card, and honestly, that’s all we needed. I got a few of the 3 of the kids at Thanksgiving, and that is better than most…

On me…

Top- The Oxford Trunk (sold out, but similar here)

Jeans- DL1961 Emma in “Cellar” (thrifted, but similar on sale here)

Boots- Circa Joan & David “Kirstin” (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket-Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Gap (thrifted, but love this one here)

Tights-H&M (old, similar here)

Boots- Zulily (search Link Boots)

Keeping it Real…

This is what really went down… hahaha. I can somewhat laugh about it now :{

And here’s the Huz finally calming her down, and honestly my favorite picture of the entire shoot… She looooves her Daddy!! Sadly, it was too late to get all of us into this moment. I don’t care though, because THIS…was all worth it for me 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya and her Daddy :))

Little Black Dress from day to night…

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I feel like I keep saying I’m not a dress girl, yet whenever I make myself wear them, I love them! They are so easy, and comfortable. At least they can be… Yet, for some reason I think they are more work than they are? I don’t know why that is, but I’m happy Dressember spurred me onto thinking differently. I for sure didn’t make it on the wearing a dress for each day in December, but a few days for the month already is a big step, and I’m planning on trying for more!

But in order to make it really count, I thought I’d go for a twofer 😉 Day to night dressing is honestly a Mom’s best friend. Although…I rarely do anything at night, so whatever. BUT…if I DID have plans, this would be a great transition outfit! 🙂 And then for night…remove a few layers, add a classic pump, apply a little make up, go from a no shower top knot to a twisted side bun, and voila….ready to go to holiday party!On me…

Dress- Rhyme (old, but loving this here here)

Top-StyleMint

Leggings- Forever21 (similar here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, similar here)

Heels- Via Spiga

On Maya…

Dress- Zulily (search Yo Baby)

Leggings- Gap (thrifted, but similar here)

Boots- Zulily (search Link Boots)

Keeping it Real…

I could lie and say we went to some fancy party, but truth be told I just ran outside to take the “Night” pictures after I put Maya down for her nap. The Huz (who also works from home), came upstairs and was like

“WOAH! Where are YOU going?!!”

“Oh, you know…party on the sidewalk. Whoop whoop!” 😉

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Leather Jacket + Sequins + Coated Denim….Holidays are coming!

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I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving surrounded by ones you love! I’m listing some of the things I’m most thankful for in the “Keeping it Real” at the bottom 🙂

The holidays are coming, and that means parties! Well, for some of us. It used to mean a few parties for me, but now…not as much haha. That said, there are still times when we do go out, and I want to make sure I’m ready! So….I thought for the next month, I’d do a post a week that wasn’t really as much “mom friendly” as it was “get me out of the house and party” friendly 😉

I wish it meant a fun dress (I have a ridiculous amount of them waiting to be worn!), but I really just don’t feel comfortable in dresses. I LOVE them, buy them, and then 30 minutes before we are about to leave…rip them off and change in a panic!!

For me, that means black or coated denim, something a little fun/sparkly on top, and a leather jacket. Oh…and HEELS!! Becuase…those really only come out for special occasions and they make me feel like I’m stepping it up (HA, literally and figuratively) 🙂I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that if you are reading this blog that you are either my family (haha) or that you like fashion, food, or ridiculously cute little girls (ha!) Anyway, for those of you that are fashion minded, you will appreciate this. I coveted these jeans for soooooo long, as I talked about here and when I finally scored them from Nordstrom Racks “Clear the Rack” here,. And yet…I’ve only worn them ONCE! What the heck??!!! They are comfy, repel toddler gook, I LOVE THEM, yet…I save them/never wear them? I need to get over it!! I really have been trying to work things into my wardrobe that I’ve been “saving” aka…most of my clothes, but this blog is actually making me stick to it a little more…little by little. I still tend to wear the same jeans 3 days in a row when we are not taking pictues (for whatever reason) In the beginning, I was all about taking pictures every day to show what a day in the REAL life of a mom was, but…A) who wants to see that?? and B) I just don’t have time for that! So…now, it’s a mix of boring reality and fun 🙂 By the way…I’m TOTALLY open to suggestions of what you might want to see if anyone has any!!!All that said. Leather + Fun Top + Coated Denim = My Happy Place/Comfort Zone And THIS…is our happy place 🙂 Um, yes. She is the cutest thing in the world. Just in case anyone was wondering! 🙂 On me…

Jacket- Doma (old, similar here)

Top- Velvet “Vonnie Sequin Top” (similar here)

Jeans- Paige Edgemont coated (Nordstrom Rack)

Boots- Paul & Joe (Old, similar here and less expensive option here)

On Maya…

Jacket- Amy Coe (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, but similar here)

Leggings- Zulily

Shoes- (thrifted, and DIY glitter toe shown here)

Keeping it Real…

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!! Things have been a bit crazy in our life lately, so it was even more special and nice to just relax, overindulge, and be thankful. It’s so easy to focus on the daily grind and get overwhelmed with what’s not going the way you want. That’s the best thing about Thanksgiving. Hopefully, you have the day off from work, are surrounded by loved ones, eat way more amazing food than you every should, and…reflect on what you are thankful for.

This is what I’m most thankful for…

1- Family– I am so incredibly blessed the have an amazing family. They say you can’t choose your family, but if I had to pick mine out of a ginormous book, I’d choose mine in a heart beat! Which…is kind of my 2, 3, and 4 🙂

2- The Huz- I not only married my best friend, but I married the yin to my yang. We have enough in common to understand each other and have fun, but also have completely different strengths, that allow us to navigate through this crazy life in a way I never even dreamed was possible.

3- My Parents- Before the Huz, they were my best friends. Still are… I’m so lucky that they now live only a few blocks away and that both Maya and I get to see them almost every day.

4- Our kids– Two teenage sons and a toddler… It can be tough at times, but we are so lucky to have 3 genuinely good, caring, NICE, kids that truly all love each other. What more could you want?

4- Life– It can be crazy at times, but I am soooo lucky to be able to do something that I love to do while getting to spend the majority of my day with my favorite partner in crime (and play!).

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Happy Little Ghosts Kid Craft

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Looking for a super cheap, super fun Halloween craft that you can involve the kids in? My soon-to-be 4 year old and 18 month old had a blast making our “Happy Little Ghosts” craft. All you need is a box of tissues, cotton balls, thread and a needle (you do the thread and needle part, kids can do the tissues and cotton balls part)! 🙂

Supplies (makes 10 ghosts)

10 tissues
10 cotton balls
Spool of white sewing thread
Needle (for sewing thread)
Scissors (for cutting thread)

Directions

Thread needle with 2 feet+ of thread, and center the needle in the middle of the thread
Tie the ends together in a knot, so that you now have a double thread
Lay a tissue on a flat surface (kid activity!)
Place a cotton ball in the center of the tissue (kid activity!)
Gather edges and pick up tissue, holding it so that the cotton ball is completely covered and cinch up the tissue where the ghost neck will be (kid activity!)
Stick needle just below covered ball and make two circles around head and cinch up (parent activity here and rest of craft! :))
Stick needle into ‘neck’ and up into cotton ball, so that it comes out on the top of the head
Pull upward, cut needle off string, tie strings together with a knot
Voila! One done! On to the next one! Ava was running such a little ghost craft factory that I could not keep up. Anders meanwhile was having lots of fun pulling tissues out and tossing cotton balls all over.

Tip: You get a different effect if you wrinkle the tissues a bit (which is why this is such a great kid craft) and you can do this at the first step or even after the ghosts are hung! 🙂

Getting all dressed up for a great cause…

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One of my best friends is the CEO of Alpha Supported Living Services. It’s an amazing nonprofit agency providing supported living and group home services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in homes in King County.

To say I admire all that he does would be an extreme understatement.

One of the fun ways to support him and the agency is their annual benefit dinner. It’s always a beautiful moving evening that leaves you not only thankful that your children are healthy (as selfish as that sounds), but also so relieved to know that there is an amazing place that will truly care for them if they need it in some special way. Also, having been to other events involving their clients, it makes you realize just how special each and every one of these individuals is. That even if they are lacking in certain developmental ways, they make up for it in others. And don’t get me started on the parents. Wow, is all I have to say. Wow. I find myself complaining about daily parental struggles, but the love that all these parents have in their heart and the patience they’ve had to develop. Admirable to say the least!

It’s so hard to pick and choose who you donate your money and time to. Every story that you hear tugs at your heart! I think we all chose things that have meaning to us in some way. I’ve always donated to things that involve children (young and old). Even when having them was not even close to being on my radar. I could go on and on, but in case you want to know more about Alpha, you can do so here.

SO…in a rare occurrence on this blog, I’m in a dress, I actually have make up on, AND my hair is not in a bun SIMULTANEOUSLY! All that happened literally 15 minutes before we were supposed to leave, so there was no time to set up the tripod and do my usual self timer shots. My parents came over to hang with the kids, and my mom was nice enough to run out and take these pictures really quick 🙂 Patiently watching…Ok, in reality, she was just running up and down my neighbors hill in front and in back of me haha 😉 My new favorite picture of me and Maya! Then at the 5 minute mark, the Huz came outside. I asked if he would take a few pictures, and almost fainted on the spot when he agreed! LOVE!!! Now, sadly one of the boys was working and the other was playing video games. Guess that means we get to do another real family shoot for our holiday card!! 🙂

And then of course, I had to get a few more of just the Peanut.On me…

Dress- Karen Zambos (ebay, loving this high neck similar style ONE SALE if you’re a P here)

Shoes- Nine West (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket- H&M (thrifted, but similar here)

Dress- Gap (thrifted, it’s actually a size 5/6, but I love how long it is 🙂 couldn’t find similar style)

Boots- Xhiliration (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

There are a lot of reasons I take a majority of our posts myself with the self timer and tripod. I’ve talked about my control issues before a few times ;). One of the nice things, is that I know when the picture is being taken. Although, one of the funniest things about when someone else takes the pictures, is the outtakes! The look on my face on the left?? And, on the right, I was trying to figure out how to show off the cool sleeves. THAT was not the correct way haha!

(all pictures taken by my mom, except ones of Maya at the end :))

Happy Mother’s Day!

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I’ll start off warning you that this is a monster post. Every year I ask for pictures as my present (SHOCKING haha). Now that I’ve figured out the self timer, I have plenty of me and Maya pics (but really, I can never have enough ha!), but getting the Huz in there requires a special occasion 🙂 Luckily my mom asked for the same thing, so it was a given. Now…that’s not saying it was smooth sailing. I mean, what family photo shoot ever is?? BUT…so glad we persevered and got some images that we will all treasure for years to come.

Probably didn’t even need to snag these outfit pics, but we did anyway… Loooooove the back of this top. No shocker there 🙂 Although, I’m not 100% sold on the high rise skinnies :{ I thought I liked them, until I looked back on these images. NOT the most flattering. Oh well. They do keep you all sucked in, which was very helpful after brunch! Could my mom be any cuter? Nope 🙂 Might be my new favorite picture of me and Maya…

“I can fly, I can fly, I can fly” Yes, she’s been on a Peter Pan binge lately 🙂 These were from our first stop. It was super sunny/aka horrible for pics and Maya would NOT sit still or be held for more than 2 seconds. But…I’m quick haha. LOVE this one of her and my mom. And this of her and the Huz… LOVE THIS ONE!!! And then these are later in the evening… When I realized that I hadn’t gotten ANY of just Maya!? On me…

Top- ASTR (Nordstrom Rack, similar here)

Jeans- J Brand “Maria” (thrifted, similar here)

Shoes- Miz Mooz (old, similar here)

On Maya…

Dress-Old Navy (thrifted)

Shoes- Zulily

Keeping it Real…

I found this quote, when I was trying to think of something to say about motherhood. Yesterday was a tad stressful because Maya just wanted to RUN, RUN, RUN. Can’t blame her! But…trying to wrestle her back wasn’t always the easiest and a few different times, I almost threw in the towel and said let’s bag it. BUT…we didn’t, and I’m so glad.

“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.”

― Gail Tsukiyama, Dreaming Water

That’s not so say a Father’s love isn’t just as strong or special! Really, the last sentence is what resonated with me the most yesterday and really lately. I’ve never experienced love, joy, patience, and fear to the level that I have with Maya. I love that she calls me her best friend, and we tell each other “You’re my favorite in all the world” and it’s true. I am forever grateful for the experience, and could not possibly love this little nugget more. That said, motherhood is hard (insert apology to my mom and dad for all the shit I put you guys through :{) I wouldn’t trade all the hard moments in the world though, because one little “Sorry Mom” and a big hug, and it’s all mostly forgotten…

THIS is what the 1st 20 minutes of our little shoot looked like…

With a little monster roaring mixed in here and there… 🙂

Such is life…and I’m glad it was documented along with the hugs and laughter 🙂

(Pictures taken by my Dad, Mom, Huz, and me-basically whoever wasn’t in front of the camera or chasing Maya. Most of the time it was my dad chasing Maya, so thank you Dad ;))

If we were going out for New Years Eve… (we’re not :))

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I couldn’t even tell you the last time I stayed up til midnight on New Year’s Eve. Wow…I sound old 😦 It’s been even longer since I went out. It just get’s so crazy out there, and my days of dancing til 2:00 am are few and far between.

That said. I thought it would be fun to dress up as if we were going out! Isn’t that the best part??

This is Maya’s “Happy New Year!!”As a side note. If I were really going out, I probably wouldn’t wear my hair like this, but our power was out for 4 hours this morning and it was the best I could do 🙂 I’ve been dying to wear these faux leather pants, but had no where to wear them. In front of my house seemed perfect haha. I love this vintage coat. It even is signed on the lining by the woman who made it. How cute is that? It has a fun sash too… The best part of Maya’s outfit? That sweater! I found it at a thrift store in the kids section, but it’s really a woman’s wool sweater that got washed, dried, and shrunk! It fits Maya perfectly though haha. So…if you happen to shrink a sweater, try it on your toddler 😉 Hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year!