ootd: spring time relaxation

last weekend, my husband, son and i met up with the rest of my family at our cabin. everyone was there except the youngest of my brothers... who i miss a lot by the way. yes - you. you know who you are. you're annoying, but i love you anyway. i can't wait to see you little brother. i was lucky that my other two siblings were there. we always have so much fun together. i am blessed to have you guys in my life, seriously, i love you more than you know. each of you.


we didn't do much other than lounge around. it was kind of cold outside and everyone was still sort of on "winter" mode. you know, slow motion. summer, i. am. so. ready. for. you. the warm weather, the ever-so-bright sun that makes you smile inside, camping, vegetating on freshly cut grass... i can't wait. until then, bring it on, spring!


anyway, since we were all more or less relaxing, i decided to go with a very comfortable, cozy and spring-time outfit. black cami and long cardigan, floral harem pants and pink scarf. for the shoes, i wore ballet flats with sock, cause you know, it was chilly and my little toes were cold.


i don't wear makeup very often, especially when i'm at home or relaxing. so here's me, nature fresh. imperfections and zits included.


shop the look:
jacob long open cardigan
simons racerback cami
ballet flats (similar)
urban planet floral harem pants (similar in black)
le chateau pink pashmina


it was windy the whole time, so i decided to have fun with the photos rather than fight with my clothes. have you ever taken silly pictures during photo shoots?

diy: tricolor pink geometric nail art

i've been having a lot of fun trying out different colors on my nails lately. if you read my last nail art post, then you know that up until recently, i only wore nail polish with my grand-mother. i absolutely love the look of decorated nails. ok, so i'm not very good at it, but practice makes perfect right? so here's my latest nail art, hope you like it! pst... i originally wanted to call it shattered cotton candy. ;)

materials:
mod square by essie
muchi, muchi by essie
blanc by essie
scotch tape


first, apply two layers of mod square nail polish as base coat


second, apply tape at an angle over dry base coat and color with muchi, muchi nail polish

note: make sure your base coat is very very very dry otherwise it will peal off with the tape. i also suggest getting tape that is not too sticky (not too sure if there's tape especially for nail art).

third, repeat step two with blanc nail polish


...and voila. easy and spiffy nail art. obviously, you can play around with the colors and the angles. i'd love to see what you come up with!

happy mother's day

a little late i know, but i hear late is better than never. so, happy mother's day! the lovely nicole from her and nicole had the wonderful idea to ask a bunch of women what their mom, and being a mom, meant to them. this is what i answered.

my mom:
...is the source of my inspiration. she made me who i am today and sets an extraordinary example for me. she always believes in me and gives me all the support i could ever wish for. merci maman, je t'aime beaucoup!

being a mom:
...has put my entire existence back into perspective. it makes me understand what life is really all about; and i rediscover it through the innocent eyes of my child. as a mom, i learned what true happiness is and to love unconditionally. i also discovered my inner strength, and my ability to put another being's needs before my own. i am so fortunate to have an angel in my life.

what does your mom mean to you? what does being a mom mean to you?

diy: jewelry organization display board

i'm starting to have a lot of jewelry. i have a really beautiful jewelry box, but it's not big enough, and my necklaces were getting tangled up. i tried hanging them on a clothes hanger but that idea was a total fail. then i remembered the previous owners had left cork boards in every room. my husband had taken them down and insisted on keeping them... i'm so glad i found a use for one. you can use the board as a decorative item for your room if you add a nice frame, paint it or add ribbons... but mine is in my closet, so i kept it simple.

Materials:
cork board
push pins
jewelry


first, place the pins on the board.


second, hang your jewelry.

note: i filled in gaps with more pins to hang earrings and bracelets.

yup, it's that easy!

note: i used colored push pins in the tutorial so you could see them better, but on my display i used clear and white pins.

what is your favorite kind of jewelry? what is your favorite jewelry store?

spinach, lemon and avocado salad

i've never been the type of person that enjoys cooking for hours (unless sugar is involved). this is probably why most of my recipes only contain 3 essential ingredients. now that i'm a mom, i have even less time to cook and often end up forgetting to eat because i'm so concerned about giving my son all he needs. lately, i often resort to this quick salad for lunch. it's packed with nutrients, and boosts the immune system to boot; what more could a new mom want?

ingredients:
1 avocado
1 lemon
1 handful of baby spinach


first, cut the lemon & avocado. squeeze the juice of half the lemon on the spinach. decorate with the leftover lemon slices and add diced avocado.

Note: i added a touch of salt. Yum.

second, enjoy your quick healthy meal packed with nutrients and immune boosting goodness.