first grilled pizza of the season

I didn't cut all the pepperoni into little heart shapes - just a few because randomly our heart cookie cutter was out and about and I know that this will make my sister laugh (hi Abbey)!

might explain the extra yumminess though....oh grilled pizza you have my heart I LOVE you!!!

BBQ chicken is our new favorite, soooooooo good!

MAKE SOME your won't be sorry! (and if you stick around here for the spring and summer you will probably start to think I am going to turn into a pizza because I talk about it A LOT - you have been warned :)).
my recipe and technique HERE!

make something monday :: garden markers

I am not entirely sure that this counts as a *craft* today but after a having few days of beautiful spring sunshine here in Seattle I was in the mood to do a little something outdoors this afternoon. I have been sitting on a sweet gift certificate my Mom in Law blessed me with last year to Swansons Nursery - to be honest I was saving it for the vegetable garden I wanted to start this season but after the decision to sell our home and move it seems like a full blown garden isn't in the cards - total bummer.  But I thought I would do a few pots to get my spring juices flowing so we headed to the garden store as family.

I decided on just a few herbs, strawberries and peas. I hope to add some tomatoes and basil as the weather warms up. I had fun cleaning up our back patio a bit and getting my hands nice and dirty. I wanted to add some sort of garden markers to the several pots I filled - rocks and a sharpie did the trick today.

If I had really put my heart into it I would have drug out the paints and all to make my rock markers a bit more crafty but truthfully I wasn't really in the mood - my three year old was making a big enough mess (read - a large colorful pen mural on our carpet) and we are attempting to keep the house under control for potential buyers so I refrained.

I still long to one day get my vegetable garden started and maybe a few chickens too but that will all have to wait for at least another year. In the mean time I have been loving Kari's amazing posts on planting edibles specifically in the northwest I am bookmarking it for future reference - Kari you are my gardening hero!! And my little pots were just the thing to get me even more excited for this new season!

So what about you, what are you planting in your garden this spring?

Happy Monday Friends! xo

easy easter egg garland

Simple + sweet - Levi and I snapped some plastic eggs onto a string of yarn and tied it to the window this morning.

Nothing like an easy diy to satisfy the creative soul. Idea found via family chic and pretty bag of sparkly plastic eggs via Joanne's for $1.49!

Happy Friday everyone enjoy your Spring weekend! xo

have you tried these?

 Mr. Gough is not a big fan of coconut but I myself love it, so these I had to try!

 They even have have palm trees and beach umbrellas on them...I say they are like a chocolaty tropical vacation in my mouth.

Now if only they would add bright pink to the mix - then they would be Miami M&M's - ha! If you like coconut watch out these are addicting, yum!

a little home tour

A few weeks ago Dia from Alice in Designland kindly invited me to share a little home tour on her amazing blog and in light of us listing our beloved home on the market I thought that it would be so fitting to share a few photos (some a little older than others) over there. Thank you so much Dia it is an honor to be featured this morning! Check out the full tour HERE!

It has got me to thinking about doing some posts here about our process and some before and afters of the past three years we've spent making out house a home. I don't want to miss out on an opportunity to capture the blessings we have received here - so stay tuned I might get a tad sentimental on you in the coming days!

make something monday :: fringe necklace

Happy Monday Friends I hope you had a wonderful, restful weekend!

The past few days I have been feeling my jewelry roots rising up again inside of me. I love making jewelry it is always my art form of choice and can be instantly gratifying with only a few tools and supplies! This morning I got out my pliers and some chain and came up with this little fringe necklace. Seriously so easy and in my opinion the perfect statement piece to welcome spring dresses into the mix!

Here is what I did:

For this necklace you will need the most basic jewelry tools - wire cutters and two sets of pliers. You also need chain, small jump rings and a clasp. You can purchase gold or silver plated chain at your local craft store for only a few dollars as well as low end jewelry tools. If you are interested in really getting into wire work a more expensive set of tools is nice but not necessary. And I recommend Fusion Beads as well as an amazing resource for your jewelry making supplies!

1. Cut a long piece of chain that will be your base mine is 26" - then cut a second piece about 3.5" and attach it directly to the center of the long base chain using a small jump ring.

2. The secret to opening and closing jump rings without badly misshaping them is to use two different sets of pliers grip one on each side and gently move the right side up and the left side down in a back and fort sort of motion. This will ensure your jump ring stays nice and round. Now slip the jump ring through the end of the chain and the onto the center of the base chain. Close the jump ring in the same way you opened it using both sets of pliers again.

3. Now you want to cut pieces of chain two at a time that measure just a few links smaller than each chain before. Moving up each side evenly adding chains at every other link intervals. My necklace ended up with 21 lengths of chain so 10 on each side of the longest center chain.

4. Lastly add a clasp to the back of your necklace with two small jump rings and throw it on with your cutest floral dress or t-shirt!!

I hope you enjoy this easy little necklace tutorial - let me know if you have questions I can answer in the comment section!

Find all kinds of other fun project ideas HERE!

for japan with love

there really are no words to describe the recent natural disasters in Japan my heart aches for those devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. I thought it right to pause for a day of silence to remember and reflect and  pray for the people of Japan. Go HERE to join in.