21/52

oh, jet lag and then throw in a cough that won't quit and we have one tired kiddo. his temper has been a bit rough and I am trying to keep a cool head but I will be happy when Oliver's body clock is all lined up. I am working on compiling a couple of photo heavy posts about our trip to share in the next few days.  

 not the best image quality but i like the blurry, snuggy faces.

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checking out the sights while on our boat cruise down the canals in Amsterdam. such a cheeky little dude. (note the stern faced Italians behind us...clearly not having as much fun as Oliver!)

7 years.

Today marks out 7 year anniversary! Thank you for being my rock, my travel partner, the spreadsheet maker, fellow coffee snob, the early riser, the dish washer, industrious worker, and of course my love! Let's keep the train rolling. I love you. now and always. 

Amsterdam.

All three of us in one shot. Thank goodness for a timer app, a stroller to balance the phone and me running like the wind to get on in my spot before the picture gets taken. Took us a few tries. But anyways, Amsterdam is lovely. We are enjoying our vacation and we head home early Sunday morning. Loads more pictures and stories to come. 

19/52

My boy. So if anyone told you that the two's are terrible, I beg to differ. I am finding three to be a tough road to haul. At times I feel like I am dealing more with a moody fourteen year old rather than a three and a half year old. The one big problem with this scenario is that you can at least rationalize with a fourteen year old. Not so much with a three and a half year old. So we are slowly but surely trying to wade through these waters together. In fact I sort of had an epiphany moment a couple of days ago which may come off as obvious but for me if put things into perspective. So here goes. When a baby is born so is a mother. So therefore Oliver is a three and a half year old boy and I am a three and a half year old mama. Sure I am clearly older than Oliver but I've only been doing this mom gig for three and a half years. That is not too long and I feel like sometimes I forget that. I forget that I am still learning new things about being a mom everyday. And some days as less pretty than others but we are stumbling along just the same. Perspective. What a grand concept which sometimes gets lost in the daily shuffle. 

Make it: packing lists.

Currently, I am making lists and more lists for our family trip to Amsterdam. We leave on a red eye on Saturday. I am getting very excited but I am always afraid that I will forget something!

Again, if anyone has "must-sees" for Amsterdam (especially family friendly ones) drop me a note!

image via

Link it: Mother's Day!

Here are a couple of last minute ideas for Mother's Day gifts. Oh and ps. flowers are always a good idea! Enjoy the weekend. 

a gorgeous cookbook from one of favourite blogs. 

a unique way to personalize a catch all tray.

a new top for the summer. 

comfy new pajama pants.

Love it: Good, a unique Boston store

Good is a cute little storefront on Charles St. in Boston and anytime that I go to downtown Boston I tend to get off at the Charles/MGH and walk down Charles St. to get to the Boston Common. And I make a point to stop into the shop and see what is new. They have wonderful gifts and the sweetest small and lovely pieces of jewelry. So if you are in Boston and looking for a great, small, well curated shop; check out Good. 

on a sunny day the store is flooded with light, really beautiful

unique baby gifts and toys.

I adore the French enamel necklaces.

window displays are always fun.

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Sullen little dude while Mama does some birthday shopping for friends and family. There is a random assortment of that follows the jump...birthday party, baby animals, gardening, and errands. 

At a school friend's party Oliver tucked into the fruit plate. He would have eaten ALL of the raspberries, had I let him. 

even at a busy party he decides to sit quietly and read a book.

eating some lunch with a buddy from school. two cool dudes.

sparkling wine with raspberries, harkens back to my wedding.

There were baby animals at the party...Oliver was in love.

and a pony named, Merlin...it was a pretty epic party for a 4 year old!

kittens, Oliver was smitten.

waiting for the cake.

wish he was smiling...he was playing with daddy's ears.

mama and her boy.

ohhh there were baby bunnies too, my favourite.

off to Home Depot for mulch, soil and plants!

this way daddy!

chilling. taking it easy. 

plants all picked out and ready to roll.

cutest little helper.

beautiful Spring day in Boston

silly bean in his toy bin.

I found a local rock climbing gym, Brooklyn Boulders and I've dusted off my climbing shoes. I am very excited to get back into rock climbing. 

grocery store run.

Taste it: Festive Shrimp Tacos

Happy Cinco de Mayo...well, a day late. If you've read the blog for a bit and followed my recipes then you already know that we love tacos in our house! So without further ado, here is an amazing, tasty recipe for shrimp tacos with a creamy slaw.  I marinated the shrimp in a coconut mango marinade purchased from Whole Foods and cooked them on the grill which makes this a super fast meal to get on the table. 

Click through for the entire recipe!

Link it: Sony 4K Exploding Flower Petals Video

If you have not seen this video by Sony, then take a minute to watch. It is pretty fantastic. And I love the concept of making something totally destructive like a volcanic explosive and turning it into something beautiful and whimsical like flower petals exploding into the air. Sony is also responsible for the amazing bouncing ball advert a few years ago which was filmed on the the streets of San Francisco. 

It is also worth watching the behind the scenes bit as well because it is like revealing the magic but also gives you a better understanding of the scale of the project.

bonus...the bouncing ball video filmed in San Francisco! Happy Friday and have a lovely weekend.

Love it:Emily Proud, artist

"Grey Arches I"

Emily Proud is a San Francisco artist is who I first came to know through her floral watercolors. Her work is now based around more repetitive, minimal and meditative watercolors which after living in San Francisco is truly reminiscent of the fog that rolls over and blankets the city especially in the summer months. Her work had been also been highlighted on one of my favorite sites, The Jealous Curator and actually the same week that Emily Proud's work was highlighted on her blog, I had it slated in my calendar to write about her as well, so I waited a couple of weeks. Check out her blog for more details about her style and work.

"Blue Rings I"

"Sunrise"

"Moonrise I"

all images via