On My Rader: A Modern Take on Class Jewelry by GLDN

During this year a lot of information came home with regards to graduation. When the packet came home with all the deets for Sam's graduation gown and cap it also came with an order form for class rings. Sam was not impressed with what was on offer, though we both thought it would be nice to have a piece of jewelry to mark the occasion. 

During a conversation with my lovely friend Emma that works at GLDN we both realized that there were pieces they offer that would be perfect as a modern take on class jewelry. Rings and necklaces that you would want to wear everyday rather than just bring out for reunions. We found there were quite a few pieces that would lend themselves perfectly to commemorate ones graduation while still be modern enough to wear every day. 

So GLDN kindly gifted Sam with a couple of pieces which I thought I would share here! She is so excited she hasn't taken them off since she opened the box! The first piece she chose was the Personalized Memoire Ring. She is able to have a subtle piece that celebrates her graduation that she can wear anytime. And if her reaction to it is any indication she will be wearing it daily!

The next piece Sam chose was the Personalized Marseille Pendant Necklace. This time she decided to have 2018 set in Roman numerals and it turned out so beautifully. My photo doesn't do it justice. Again, it's one that she can wear anytime and feel cool. And I like that these pieces feel like the start of a jewelry wardrobe. Pieces that you can collect over time and wear forever. 

A friend overheard our planning and decided to order a couple of pieces for her daughter. She also chose the Personalized Memoire Ring but decided to do it in a different finish, font, and use Roman numerals. I love that while they are both subtle they have a very personal feel to both. (Again my photo doesn't do this ring justice!)

My friend ordered a second piece for her daughter as well. We were talking about all the feelings we are having about our girls leaving for college and she decided she wanted a piece that would remind her daughter that she was always with her. So she decided on the Mila Disk Bracelet with a simple heart design.

Sam is considering the Kissy Face Friendship Set as a graduation gift for a friend that she will be away from when she leaves for college. It would be a modern and cool update on the "best friends" necklace from junior high!

This idea turned out even better than I could imagine. Everything is made in La Conner by hand and all the pieces come on a card signed by the maker. And the fun part? GLDN has extended an offer of $5 off any order (expires July 1st). Just include the promo code GRAD2018. Let me know if you decide to try them! 

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On My Radar: Creative Flowers for Prom

Now that college is on the horizon for Sam it feels like we are checking off all the last things to do with High School. Last football game, last band trip, last spring break. This weekend will be her last Prom. 

With that we started talking about what she is wanting flower wise and what she has done in the past. She pointed out that she has rarely done anything conventional and we laughed over how true that is! One of our favorites was her first homecoming dance. She was going with a group of friends and we thought it might be fun to be really different. Steve and I found a balloon man at the Bellingham Farmers Market and he was game to help! Who wouldn't love a balloon corsage? 

Another very special corsage/boutonniere combination was the next year's Homecoming which Sam went to with a boyfriend. They both decided to make one another's flowers which turned out amazing!  They both included little special keepsakes to each others flowers that they could keep after the flowers faded. Sam's was made with a leather bracelet and she made her date's with a special metal framing. And Sam's included plants that were actually alive, so she was able to plant them! 

Sam went to a dance with the son of a friend of mine from college which was mind blowing for me! We knew he was easygoing and game for her to go really out of the box for his boutonniere. We had been noticing tropical flowers had been becoming very popular in our favorite advertising so we thought they could be an option. 

We found Rebecca at Rebecca's Flower Shoppe to be incredibly game and helpful. She created the incredible boutonniere above. And she was more than helpful with Sam making her own, helping with the idea of the wire. We are working with her for this year's Senior prom and are so excited to see what she comes up with. The reveal will come soon, but until then I can show you her inspiration. A scene from 16 Candles...

It makes me feel extra sentimental, both for her and for me. This is such a throwback for my time in High School. I can't wait to see it all come together. And to see her wearing her dance flowers one last time. Anyone else feeling nostalgic? 

On my Radar: Goodreads

When it's grey, dreary and rainy outside there is a good bet you can find me immersed in a book. It's where I go when I need to escape from the weather, from myself, from everything. When Steve is feeling extra sweet he will even serve me dinner in my favorite spot on the couch, in my favorite jammies. And usually there is a stinky dog curled up beside me and I couldn't be happier. 

I've been a reader since I was young and in this age of tech I have found an app that is really useful in tracking books I want to read and also see what friends are reading. And since I have found reviews by others so helpful (and sometimes entertaining!) I have tried to write short reviews of my own. The app is Goodreads and I have it on both my computer and phone. Anytime I hear of a book I want to remember to read I can add it to my shelf. And thankfully my library has an app where I can request books to be placed on hold so they go hand in hand! 

And then it's off to the library to bring in a haul of books! I tend to not buy books anymore unless I really love it, or it's a design or a beautiful coffee table book. Otherwise it's really wonderful to be able to have the library to have the access to all these wonderful reads! 

I'm also part of a book group that has me reading books that I would never know to reach for. I have found myself being challenged by new topics, new ways of seeing the world, and touched by stories I would never know I was missing out on. 

And anytime I am looking for inspiration there are also beautiful books to be found. I will occasionally pull cookbooks too, though I tend to go for fiction most of the time. Are you on Goodreads? I would love to be connected to you there! And have you read anything lately that you would care to share about? Please do! 

On My Radar: Experiences as Gifts

Are you all finished with your Christmas shopping? Or are you looking for one last special gift that will make things feel just right this year? I have a couple of last minute thoughts for you that might do the trick. 

A couple of years ago when I realized just how old the girls were getting I realized it would make more sense to make their big gift one of an experience rather than a thing. And most of the time it was something we could do together! 

The first time we tried this was for Sam's birthday. We gifted her a trip on the zip-lines at Canopy Tours NW and of course we all went with her! It was amazing and would make an incredible Christmas gift. And right now they have a special where if you buy three gift certificates you get one free making it feel a bit more reasonable for a family! It was so much fun and truly an unforgettable experience. 

The great thing about this area is there is so much available to do outside. The Gato Verde is one way to explore our lovely waters, a gorgeous catamaran that you can book for a sunset cruise, overnight trips, or more. It's a relaxing beautiful way to experience the bay or further. 

If you prefer to explore under your own power you can go out with Moondance Sea Kayak Adventures. It feels like there is no end to the kind of trips you can take with them. You can take a day trip to explore the tide pools, to learn about seaweed foraging or a night trip to experience the bioluminescence (which we did and it was magic!). They offer short trips or overnight or multi-day trips which we may try when we feel strong enough! You truly experience the beauty of the area. 

If the weather is just not cooperating and you prefer to give a gift for inside there are options for that too. One that is especially perfect for the cold days ahead is a float at Still Life Massage and Float. A pod full of water at skin temperature and 1200 pounds of Epson salts feels incredible and leaves you feeling like a different person once you step out. There are two pods in rooms next to one another so Steve and I have done this like a date which was incredible! 

If you are looking to give someone the gift of ease, Salt+Pepper+Oil for fresh, ready to cook meals. What I love about them is that they are local, delicious and the owner is a great guy. And did I say local? That makes us feel even better when we order from them. 

Then there are memberships. We love The Pickford and find ourselves buying each other memberships for various reasons (Anniversaries, birthdays). It would be a perfect gift for a family as they have such an incredible mix of movies for all ages and tastes. 

We have also been considering buying a membership to The Whatcom Museum. Every time we visit we are incredibly impressed by the shows they bring in. When you become a member you are given admission to all the buildings which all have very different shows. I especially love the heritage shows where they bring out the classic photographs from their collections. And they other shows they bring in are amazing. 

Hopefully these gave you some ideas if they were needed! If not for Christmas, maybe for other occasions! Cheers! 

On My Radar: Surviving Flu Season

I thought I would celebrate Halloween by coming down with the flu! Apparently I needed a whole week of rest, because that's just what it took. And though the cough is still with me at least I'm back to the land of the living. Here are some survival tips! 

Drink a lot of fluids. I mean enough to drown you! I found myself craving cold pressed juices which my husband was nice enough to treat me with. They taste great and you know you are giving yourself a great dose of vitamin C! Whatever you feel a craving for I would advise you get. 

If I'm not drinking juice I'm nursing a hot cup of tea. We found some loose tea called Cold Remedy that tastes great and is supposed to help. And I'll try anything! And hot tea feels great on the throat. I pretty much have a cup with me at all times these days. 

And let's just call Netflix what it is...a lifesaver if you are stuck home resting. I found myself watching a bunch of documentaries, including one on Franca Sozzani. It's a great time for watching the shows no one else in the house is into. 

Another soothing item...soup. I found soup tastes great and makes you feel better. Of course chicken soup is magical. I made one called superfood chicken soup with ginger, turmeric and kale. Talk about getting all the good things in one bowl! 

Another important way to fight the flu? Find someone to snuggle with! Our dog was happy for the heat my elevated temperature provided! Let's just say it's like having a living hot water bottle. He helped make the enforced rest tolerable. 

The one thing I had to steer clear of was social media. It reminded me of all the things I was missing it out. I found if I just hung out in my quiet bubble of tea, soup and Netflix and just focus on resting the time goes faster. And that's the hardest part, giving yourself permission to rest and just get well! 

On My Radar: Tuft & Needle

Steve and I have been long overdue for a new mattress. We would wake up every morning not feeling refreshed or happy. He finally took care of some other sleeping issues (hello sleep apnea mask aka Darth Vader!) we decided it was time to take care of getting a new mattress. Neither of us could face the idea of going thru the usual routine of going to the stores, dealing with sales people and figuring out the right mattress and then paying a bundle of money and still not get the right thing. 

Being that I am on the computer quite a bit a new trend had been appearing. Buying a mattress online. The appeal was huge for us. Decide what we want, order online and have it arrive within a week? Sign us up! When we did some research we found that Tuft & Needle had all the right qualifications. Great feedback from both consumers and the press. A great warranty of try it for 100 days and if it didn't work they help you donate it to a local charity or non-profit. And their price was quite a bit easier to take than some of the other online companies. We decided to go for it! 

And go for it we did. We had a box on our doorstep within a week! It was that easy! And so strange to realize that a queen sized mattress was in the box on our porch. 

Once you get your box inside you bring your mattress into the area you want it and start cutting it free from it's packaging. It almost instantly starts to take form. It's vacuum packed so it's pretty crazy to see it start to look like a mattress! 

The above photo looks crazy, but this it what the mattress looked like right before we fully started to cut it free from the packing. Once you do it starts to look like  a traditional mattress. And we could't believe how plush and wonderful it was almost instantly! 

This is us on it within an hour! It feels amazing. It's plush and firm at the same time. Once we bought it I found out friends have one as well and have been very happy with theirs. They find it stays cool in the summer and it's snuggly in the winter. It's been a very easy transition for us to this from a traditional mattress. We have placed ours on our old box spring which is perfect! We ended up going back online and buying the mattress pad to protect our new investment. It just arrived and makes things feel even more comfortable! 

Have you tried buying a mattress online? Has it been a good experience? Would you consider it? We just found out that Tuft & Needle just opened a store in Seattle which we are hoping to visit at some point. Because they have pillows too! We may need to add to our set up! 

On My Radar: Glossier

I have a new crush and I need to tell you about it. I found myself sharing about it yesterday at coffee and couldn't quick talking about it! It's Glossier Beauty Brand and it's amazing. I dove right in and started with the make up side of the brand, and soon enough our daughter Sam fell in love too! Between us we've build up a bit of a stock pile! 

What is incredible to me is to find a brand that appeals to both me and my seventeen year old daughter. It's minimal, cool and fun at the same time! With a few key items I have found I have been able to whip thru my make up routine in minutes, while Sam has found she can build and play with all the products! 

My entry to the world of Glossier was the Cloud Paints. I bought a couple of the tubes and was instantly hooked. The color Dusk is the one I wear for everyday, while I reach for Haze when I want something with a bit more impact. Samantha ended up getting the color Puff which is perfect on her! 

My next must have from the brand is the Boy Brow. It has become such a part of my routine I reach for it before mascara these days. Samantha now has her own tube and we both find it's a game changer. Brows quietly do big things for us, and when they are defined everything else looks that much better! 

I have always had a problem hoarding lip treatments and now it's getting crazy. I first bought  the Cherry Balm Dotcom which has the perfect amount of sheer red color. Then they had the release of Birthday Balm Dotcom! It tastes a bit of birthday cake inspired by the Milk Bar's cake and has the loveliest shimmer! It's delicious and gorgeous. On the website they show it used on the eyelids and though I haven't had occasion to try it yet, Sam & I have a concert this summer that I think will call for it! 

The part that makes me feel like a teenager, in the best way possible? All orders come with a sheet of stickers so that you can customize your tubes, and for our household we can tell things apart! A beauty brand that works, feels minimal, and fun? Winning all around! Next on our list is the Milky Jelly Cleanser and the Generation G lip color. Have you tried anything? If you haven't and you are interested you are welcome to use my link here and enjoy 10% off! Let me know what you decide to try! 

On My Radar: Valentine's Day Prep

Are you one to celebrate Valentine's day? I have to admit I'm a believer. I don't know if it was the thrill of the possibility of a secret admirer that little Valentine box held in elementary school and it has held all these years. Maybe it's because once I actually did receive a Valentine from a secret admirer...from then on I was hooked. On the romance, the possibility, the fun of it all! 

Valentine's waiting to go out 

These days my Valentine dreams center around our girls, my husband and my friends. Letting them know how much I love and value them. Surprising them with a card, a treat, or a note telling them how much they mean to me. Sometimes we need a prompt to remember to let people know how much they mean to us. This one is mine! 

My Valentine 

And any celebration is either treats and fun at breakfast or a dinner with a special dessert. We love spending the time with the girls, talking about their perceptions of romance, and our changing ideas around it. We are pretty low key these days, though we have a get away later this month that I'm pretty excited about (I'll share about it here, I promise!) 

Vintage Valentines

Every Valentine's Day calls for some kind of special treat. This year I am especially excited about it! We have ordered a cake from my friend Nancy of Saltadena. And if you are in the Bellingham area you can get your hands on one of these beauties too! 

They are 3", three-layer mini cakes for two with the cutest theme..."We Go Together Like..."

Saltadena's Valentine Cakes 

The flavors are (left to right) Salt & Pepper, PB & J, and Chocolate & Hazelnut. (we picked out Salt & Pepper if you are curious!) They are $15 each, come boxed with a cute ribbon and customizable tag and pre-orders can be picked up at Spruce between 4-7 on Valentine's Day. Just e-mail Nancy at the address found here before February 10th! And maybe I'll run into you at Spruce picking up our cakes! 

On my Radar: tattly

I thought that as we approached the giving season that I would randomly share some favorite gifts and at the top of my list would have to be tattly. From discovering them on instagram about three years ago they have quickly become a favorite. You may scoff at being in love with a company that makes temporary tattoos but this is something special. 

Sam with one of her first tattlys

They employ designers of every kinds so there is something for everyone. They have color, they have black and white, they have metallics, they have tattoos that smell good! I mean really...who wouldn't love a peacock to put a little punch to their ensemble? 

Sam sharing her tattly subscription on instagram

And top to bottom they have great customer service, fun media and I haven't found a thing I don't like about them yet. Samantha asks for a subscription every year for Christmas and the happy mail makes the gift last longer! I gave out the scented flower tattoos at my last birthday party and they made the memory last.

I find them to them to be the perfect accent to a card, tag or a little something to give someone when fun is absolutely needed. Sometimes they become the gift. Sometimes the accent. And they always add the perfect touch.

Warrior not Worrier 

A couple of months back near the beginning of the school year they included one of our stories on their blog and newsletter which had us both beyond the moon! We find that most of our friends that we have shared them with have enjoyed them as much as us...so thats why I am sharing this now. No, this isn't a sponsored post. It's just true love. Let me know if you check them out and are as compelled as we are to play with tattly. 

On My Radar: Salt + Pepper + Oil

Thanks to the Downtown Bellingham Partnership's Morning Jam, I was made aware of an exciting new service in town. The Morning Jam brings in people from Bellingham and the surrounding areas to talk about their passions and how they have lined them up with what they do and who they are. 

Oleg Vetkov

Oleg Vetkov is the man behind Salt + Pepper + Oil, a Fresh Ready-to-Cook Meal service. What he shared is that he has a passion for food, and a passion for a well balanced life. He is working to have that for himself and offer it to others in his business! He knows that we are all short on time, but have a love for meals that are nutritious, fresh, and made from ingredients that are sourced responsibly. And that if you aren't burdened with all the prep, there is room to have a little bit more fun in the kitchen!

Sam at the Salt+Pepper+Oil Storefront

Oleg was gracious enough to give my family a couple of meals to take home and try to see how they would go over for a typical family. We are a crew of three, a full time worker, part-time worker, and one 16 year old that is preparing to go back to school soon. The adults in the picture are fairly adventurous, while the 16 year old is working on it! 

Triple Zested Chicken Breast with Caprese Peach Salad (plus utensils)

The first of the two meals we tried was Triple Zested Chicken Breast with Caprese Peach Salad. The ingredients are all labeled to coordinate with instructions on the packaging and in a  really helpful manner, the list of needed utensils is also included. The crew all gathered around to get started! 

Samantha getting busy with the cherry tomatoes!

Though she says she doesn't love them, our daughter Sam was happy to cut the gorgeous cherry tomatoes! The colors were beautiful, and the taste even better! But this was just the beginning of the side salad. Once cut there were ready prepped peaches, fresh mozzarella,  some mint and basil to quickly dice up and a lovely basalmic glaze ready to drizzle over the whole works. Along with the chicken that was ready with an easy coating of the packet of zest and a quick cook we were ready to go. 

Happy Steve with the finished product!

That face you see above? That's a happy guy! This meal was perfect for a summer evening…and the salad was so beautiful. It was like having a restaurant meal…at home. And the cleanup was minimal. What a sweet deal! 

Capicola and Garlic Sauce Flatbreads

Meal two was much like the first! All the ingredients are packaged together and well marked. And this one had us all drooling before we even cut into it…Capicola and Garlic Sauce Flatbreads! We figured it was a great Friday evening meal, because well, pizza! But this…well this was elevated to another level! 

Flatbread ingredients

The flatbreads were incredibly easy to put together. Everything was ready to go and it was a matter of cutting open the packages, and putting everything on the flatbreads based on preferences. We all decided we were game for everything, and just went for it! 

Flatbread with side salad

And we were so glad we did! We made a side salad on our own to go with this meal, but all we could talk about was the flatbread. In our family lingo it tasted like "more" which meant we all wanted lots more of it! It was SO GOOD. The serving of sliced capicola that came with it was so generous that there was enough for Steve to make himself a small cheese plate the next day and include it. But all he could talk about was the flatbread. The heat, the cheese, it was a perfect combo. 

So, needless to say we are all converts to Salt+Pepper+Oil and have already put an order in for a couple of items on his next menu. The ordering is so flexible and having the option to either go by and say hi and pick it up, or have it delivered is really cool. We think being able to eat well, have it be easy, have your family help (bonus!), and feel like you are trying innovative, locally made items is worth our dollar. I hope you decide to give it a try! Let me know if you do and what you think!