Creative Soul Spectrum

Charles River Apparel // Giveaway

2015-05-07T12:47:00.001-04:00

It’s an absolutely beautiful sunny day here in Boston, and even though thoughts of rain are probably the furthest thing from our minds right now, I just have to tell you about my brand new Charles River Apparel New Englander Rain Jacket because I love it so much! And, to brighten this day up even more, I’m going to give you the chance to win one for yourself! See, I can talk about rain and still keep things sunny!

I hate to admit it, but I can’t remember the last time I owned a proper raincoat. When Charles River Apparel sent me this lovely buttercup yellow jacket I quickly realized what I’ve been missing! Lucky for me, it arrived just in time for a week of rainy weather here in Boston and I was able to make the most of it right away. Remember that rainy Marathon Monday? My new rain jacket kept my dry all the way through to the 7th inning of the Red Sox game before it was cancelled due to the weather that day. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through without it!

What I like best about this jacket (besides it being my favorite color) is the lightweight material. I feel like a lot of raincoats can be heavy and bulky, but the breathability of this jacket makes it perfect for a warm spring or summer rain. Not only is it totally functional, it’s pretty cute too, and is available in 10 different colors to suit any style. And, if you want to take your jacket to the next level, you can get it monogrammed too!

Charles River Apparel has more up their sleeve than just rain jackets (see what I did there?). I’ve really been loving their Waypoint Birdseye Fleece too! I wore it out for a jog around Castle Island the other day and it was the perfect protection against the chilly breeze. I have a feeling it will be a great addition to my rain jacket on those colder rainy days.

And now, for the fun part! Enter to win the New Englander Rain Jacket in your favorite color! One winner will be chosen one week from today on Thursday May 14th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aragosta Bar and Bistro // Boston Waterfront

2015-04-24T15:38:00.002-04:00

Last week I dined at Aragosta Bar & Bistro for the first time with my good friend Melanie of Young Women in Digital. Having just recently heard of the restaurant myself, I wanted to share our experience so you could be sure to include Aragosta on your list of must-try restaurants in Boston!

Located on Boston’s waterfront at the Battery Wharf Hotel, Aragosta flaunts a beautiful view of the harbor from their gorgeous outdoor terrace. If the weather is right, like it was last week, a stroll through the North End is the perfect way to get there. Of course, my stroll was more of a speed walk, as in typical Amy-fashion I was running a bit late that evening!

The first thing we saw upon arrival at Aragosta was the outdoor terrace, which features urban fire pits and comfy seating. The fire pits add a fun flare to the restaurant as guests can enjoy make-your-own s’mores and cheese fondue from the menu! The terrace continues along to the back of the restaurant where you can enjoy your meal while looking out over the water. The outdoor seating is perfect for dining or drinks in the spring and summer!

Once inside the restaurant, we received exceptional service, and a menu that was to die for! We started with the Tomato & Buratta Flatbread and the Mushroom & Gorgonzola Flatbread which were available in half portions so that we got to enjoy both of them. And enjoy them we did! Upon our waiter’s suggestion, we ordered the lobster risotto to share next. As a lobster lover, I can’t even tell you how grateful I was for the suggestion. Every single bite was mouthwatering, and I wish that I had another bowl of it in front of me right now!

For our main meal, Melanie and I both decided on the Braised Short Ribs which were served with vanilla bean & lobster smashed potatoes, (seriously can’t get enough lobster!) steakhouse spinach, and fried leeks. The short ribs were cooked to perfection, and the vegetables were so full of flavor - I would order this meal again in a heartbeat!

While we barely left any room it, we knew that the only way to complete our experience at Aragosta was to try the dessert. Melanie chose the Chef’s Creme Brûlée with Almond Biscotti, and I had the Sorbetto with Mini North End Cookies. The sorbetto was served in 3 flavors - limoncello, raspberry, and blood orange. Even after enjoying our appetizers and main meal, it was easy to finish every last bite of these delectable desserts.

I highly recommend visiting Aragosta Bar & Bistro, especially now that the nice weather is here. I will most certainly be going back to enjoy my meal out on the terrace and to give those s’mores a try!

BCAE Local Love 2015

2015-04-14T13:19:00.001-04:00

Back in February, I attended the 2nd annual Local Love Market at the Boston Center for Adult Education. As you know, I'm a huge fan of the BCAE and all of the classes they offer, but there is something extra special about this event that they host. Vendors from in and around Boston come together to sell their local goods in one place, and shoppers get to spend an afternoon indulging in the beautiful items they have to offer. Many of the booths feature handmade goods, which as a DIYer is something I really appreciate. For the second year in a row I was happy to support the BCAE by photographing the event for them, and now I want to share some of those photos with you!

Last year at Local Love, I met the ever-talented calligrapher Julie of Posh & Prep, and have been enjoying her work via Instagram ever since. I was so happy to see her back at the market this year with a whole new array of fabulous prints and products. Julie not only sells these items in her Etsy shop, but also recently started selling at Neatly Nested Design & Decor, one of my favorite shops in South Boston. If you're looking for some serious home decor inspiration you should follow them on Instagram too - trust me, you're going to love every single photo they post!

Another favorite vendor of mine was Niche Urban Garden Supply. They had a beautiful display of plants, miniature gardens, and terrariums set up, and I really had to resist bringing all of them home! PS did you know that Niche offers gardening workshops? I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate spring…sign me up!

One of the booths that I spent the most time perusing was that of BCAE instructor, Loni Butera. I just could not get over how clever her sea glass art prints were! I spent far too long debating on which print to buy, but finally chose one that featured the most adorable pair of sea turtles I had ever seen. I’ll be keeping an eye out for Loni’s artwork in the future because just writing this post makes me want another print!

Of course I could not write a blog post about a BCAE event without mentioning my dear friend and expert flea market hunter, Becky of Pop & Circumstance. Becky’s business is all about making life beautiful with unique design and decor pieces that she handpicks or handmakes and sells in her blog shop. She truly has an eye for beauty, and you can see that in each charming piece that she had displayed at the Local Love market. Find her on Instagram for your daily dose of prettiness.

And, finally, a Local Love Market just wouldn’t be complete without macarons! Cameo Macaron returned again this year with their delicious sweets. If you’re in the city, keep an eye out for their food truck!

I love that through this event, the BCAE has introduced me to so many makers within the Boston community, and I'm already looking forward to Local Love 2016!

Lavender & Lace Blog Design Part 2

2014-09-25T10:49:00.000-04:00

If this post seems a a little déjà vu, don't worry, you're not losing it! About a year and a half ago, I did some design work for Laura of Lavender & Lace when she was just entering the blogging scene. She has since built her blog up to be a source of inspiration for creative living, with a focus on the North Shore, Newburyport, and Boston areas.

When I was first designing for Laura, she was blogging on the Typepad platform, and I created a logo, header, navigation bar, and 'about me' section for her. As she developed her blog, Laura switched over to the Blogger platform and eventually decided to revamp her look with some new features. The new features included an updated intro / 'about me' section, new social media buttons, category buttons, a scrolling Instagram feed, social share buttons in the post footer, and an updated navigation bar.

It was so wonderful being able to work with Laura again and to help her evolve the vision she has for her blog as it continues to grow. If you're looking to revamp your blog design, I'm currently accepting new clients! Check out my list of design services here.

Mason Jar Salads And More Giveaway - Spinach Blueberry and Blue Cheese Salad

2014-08-28T11:50:00.000-04:00

Oh, hey guys, long time no see! It seems like it's been forever since I've posted over here. I've had such a busy summer, and now that it's starting to wind down (not that I'm rushing it!) I'm hoping I'll be able to spend a bit more time over here. And, what better way to make up for my absence than to have a fun little giveaway?

A few weeks ago I received a copy of Mason Jar Salads and More by Julia Mirabella and I'm officially hooked. The book features 50 recipes designed to be stored in mason jars to make lunch time meal-planning so easy! With each recipe, Julia teaches you how to layer the ingredients in a way that will keep your salads fresh and not soggy. Brilliant!

I'm sure I'm not alone here, but I typically find preparing lunch for the work week to be a pain in the butt! I feel like I never have the time during the week, and putting something together in the morning before work is far from being an option. The way these salads are prepared in mason jars allows them to stay fresh for 4-5 days. AKA I could make all of my lunches on Sunday night and have them ready to just grab as I'm running out the door to work. Aha! Just what I need!

But, let's be honest here for a second. I am not a 'salad for lunch everyday' kind of girl. Luckily, that's where the "And More" part of the book title comes into play. Julia offers other amazing recipes that can also be prepared in a mason jar. A few that caught my eye: Peach & Strawberry Smoothie, Oats & Fruit in Almond Milk, Tortellini with Basil Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, & Mozzarella, and Asparagus Risotto. She even includes recipes for snacks like guacamole, and mango salsa. Yummm!

So, if you're not drooling already, I'm going to share one of the recipes that I tried out this week. This Spinach, Blueberry, and Blue Cheese salad was incredible and so easy to whip up. I love that the book also features recipes for homemade dressings that pair with each of the salads. This one used a yummy Red Wine Vinaigrette.

"...Fruit and cheese go incredibly well together, and this salad is no exception. Blueberries and blue cheese are the stars of the show in this sweet and salty summer salad. The strength of their flavors elevates a simple spinach salad to something complex and biting — perfect for lunch or as part of a summer barbecue." - Mason Jar Salads and More

Makes 1 serving

1⁄2 cup blueberries

3 cups spinach leaves, divided

1⁄4 cup shaved or sliced almonds

2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

3 tablespoons Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 quart-size Mason jar

Place the blueberries in the bottom of the Mason jar. Next make layers of 2 cups spinach, the almonds, and the remaining 1 cup spinach. The final layer should be the blue cheese.

On top of the blue cheese, make a parchment paper cup and pour in the Red Wine Vinaigrette. Seal the jar and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat the salad.

TIP: If you’re going to eat this salad on the same day you make it, you can put the dressing in the bottom of the jar and eliminate the parchment paper cup. Otherwise, the salad will last longer if the blueberries don’t sit in the dressing.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1⁄2 tablespoon minced shallot

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking, until the dressing thickens.

Ok, now you totally need this recipe book for yourself, right?! Good news, it's giveaway time! This contest will run until next Thursday September 4th. And, don't forget you can receive more entries by tweeting every day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Live Love Lemon Blog Design

2014-06-04T11:44:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, Emily of Live Love Lemon, reached out to me about revamping her foodie blog. She was feeling that the current look of her blog seemed a bit amateur and wanted to step it up with some new design features. We decided to get together over coffee to discuss the direction of the new look, and to meet each other in person. I don't always get to meet my clients face to face, but I've found that it definitely adds a little something special to the process because I can get a better sense of their personality and consider that when designing for them.

Live Love Lemon is a place where Emily shares her adventures in the kitchen along with new recipes for her readers to try out. Her love of lemony treats and yellow accessories lead her to the citrusy name of her blog and she wanted it to be a main component in the new look. She wanted to keep things simple and was looking for a new header, social media buttons, an 'about me' section, and a lemony background. Now, a few more coffee dates later, I'm happy to share Emily's new look with you. Head on over to Live Love Lemon to show her some blog love and maybe try out a recipe or two!

P.S. here's a little fun fact… Like me, Emily is also a member of Young Women in Digital, and actually found out about my design services through a YWD newsletter. This is the perfect example of what a valuable resource this group is, and if you're a young woman working in the digital / marketing field in the Boston area you should absolutely become a member!

Visiting the Finger Lakes: Anyela's Vineyards

2014-05-28T13:47:00.001-04:00

This past weekend I traveled to Upstate New York to celebrate Memorial Day with my boyfriend and his family. We decided that while we were there, we would have to visit the Finger Lakes because it's the area where Kevin and his family spent their summers growing up, and I had never been. On Saturday afternoon, Kevin, his sister Courtney, and I made our way to Skaneateles Lake to visit the beautiful Anyela's Vineyards and enjoy the sunshine. I was blown away by the vineyard from the moment we pulled up the drive.

The vineyard is owned by the Nocek family and was first planted in 2001, but their history begins 3 generations ago in Eastern Europe. In fact, owner Jim Nocek, told us that the vineyard is named after his grandmother Anyela. Jim also informed us that the Finger Lakes in New York is one of the top wine producing regions in the United States. This was surprising to me as I didn't know much about the Finger Lakes before my trip. It's only a 5 hour drive from Boston, and when you're talking about some of the best wine in the country, it's totally worth the trip!

We were greeted in the lounge by Nick, who would be giving us the tasting, and were handed the vineyards wine listing and tasting notes. We were each able to choose 5 wines from the list of dry white, medium sweet, sparkling, rose, reserve red, and dry red wines that we wanted to taste. This was great, because we all wanted to try something a little different! I went with the 2012 Chardonnay (dry white), 2012 Riesling (medium sweet), 2011 Overture (sparkling), 2011 Minuet (rose), and 2009 Shiraz (dry red). I can very honestly say I love each one of them! When I tasted the 2012 Riesling, I thought that it had just the perfect amount of sweetness, and wasn't too sugary. Nick told me that is because they only add sugar before the fermenting process and not after, so it is a very natural sweetness of the grapes.

I actually got to try the 2011 Minuet twice (lucky me!) because Nick wanted to show me the difference in flavor when it was served room temperature and when it was served chilled. When served at room temperature you can taste the full aromatic flavor, but I really enjoyed it chilled as well. I made sure to pick up a bottle before we left so I could enjoy it at home too!

Though I do enjoy the occasional red wine, typically I'm a white wine drinker. But, I knew I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't try a red during our tasting. Unsurprisingly, like all of the other wines before it, the 2009 Shiraz was absolutely amazing. It is oaked for 14 months, and I could definitely taste that in the flavor. Unlike me, Kevin prefers red wines to white and he sampled a few more than I did. His favorite wine of the whole tasting was the 2009 Cabernet Franc which is barreled in French and American oak and is fruit forward with an earthy finish.

Since we were really enjoying the reds, at the end of our tasting, Kevin, Courtney, and I decided that we all wanted to try the 2011 Elation, which is a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cayuga White, and Noiret blend. It's a great wine to try when being introduced to reds. We loved it so much that we decided to enjoy a bottle of it out on the vineyard patio accompanied by a delicious plate of cheese, crackers, bread and grapes. The patio overlooked Skaneateles Lake and 27 acres of the vineyard, and I can't imagine a more perfect way to experience the Finger Lakes for the first time.

Aside from the delicious wine, one thing that really stood out to me at Anyela's Vineyards was how Jim, Nick, and the rest of the staff at the vineyard made us feel so well taken care of. They seemed genuinely happy to have us visiting the vineyard, which in turn made us so happy to be there. They made it very easy for us to enjoy our time there and make the most of our visit. On top of that, they were extremely knowledgeable about the work that they do, and were able to answer all of our questions. What more could you ask for?!

If you're looking for the perfect destination for a weekend getaway, I highly recommend that you make your way to the Finger Lakes and visit Anyela's Vineyards while you're there. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Before we even stepped foot off the vineyard, we were already planning our next trip back!

Spoons and Stilettos Blog Design

2014-04-28T11:47:00.000-04:00

Last month I shared a moodboard for a client project that I was working on, and I'm so excited that today I can share the final product with you! The project was a blog redesign for Agnes, the blogger behind the food and fashion blog, Spoons and Stilettos. I met Agnes a couple of months ago at a blogger dinner at Boston Chops, where we were seated at the same table. In typical blogger style, we spent the evening chatting about food, fashion, and blogging. While on the subject of blogging, Agnes told me that she had been wanting a little blog makeover, and I was happy to be able to offer her my design services.

Over the next few weeks Agnes and I discussed the direction of the design and her personal aesthetic, and I provided her with design options. She was looking for something clean, fresh, and classic. She wanted to stay away from anything that was too busy, and had a preference for a soft spring floral color palette.

Agnes and I were both so happy with how the final design came out. Be sure to head on over to Spoons and Stilettos to see the design in all of it's glory, and give Agnes some blog love!

Del Frisco's Grille // Chestnut Hill

2014-04-18T11:48:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I went out for dinner at Del Frisco's Grille in Chestnut Hill for the first time, and I enjoyed it so much that I just had to tell you all about it. The location is brand new, having just opened in November, and I really had no idea what to expect. When we walked inside, I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant's atmosphere, which gave off a modern upscale yet casual vibe. It turns out that this vibe makes sense, as Del Frisco's Grille is the more casual counterpart to the Del Frisco's in the Seaport, and features a different menu with lower price points.

The service we received during dinner was spectacular. Our waitress, Judy, was very personable and attentive to us the whole evening. We also had the pleasure of meeting the general manager, Sean Mullen, who was happy to tell us all about the restaurant and items on the menu. Here's an insider secret… May is National Burger month and Del Frisco's Grille will be serving up The New England Burger just for the occasion. The burger is topped off with 2oz of lobster meat, a fresh egg, tarragon aioli and manchego cheese, and is only going to be available at the Chestnut Hill location. You'll know where to find me come May!

While we sipped on yummy drinks, Sean sent over some of his favorite appetizers for us to snack on. We tried the Cheesesteak Eggrolls, Ahi Tacos, and Jumbo Lump Crabcake. While they were all delicious, Kevin and I both agreed that the Cheesesteak Eggrolls were our absolute favorite! For the main course, I had the Bay of Fundy Salmon with arugula-citrus salad, and I loved it! You really can't go wrong with salmon, but the pairing of the citrus salad made it that much better.

When I go out to dinner, hard as I try, I don't typically leave enough room for dessert. But, after one look at this dessert menu I knew that turning it down wasn't an option. Without any hesitation, we decided on the Coconut Cream Pie, which came with our waitresses highest recommendation. It was definitely a dessert meant for sharing and it was amazing! I was so happy with our entire experience at Del Frisco's Grille and I can't wait to stop in again soon!

Visiting California: Big Sur Road Trip

2014-04-10T10:57:00.004-04:00

I'm so excited to be sharing more about my California trip with you today, especially because it gave me a chance to look through all my photos again and remember how amazing it was! Since we went into the trip without a set itinerary, we were able to make plans on a whim while we were there. On the second day, the gorgeous weather convinced us that we needed to see the coast. And so began our drive to the Big Sur!

Before getting too far, we made our first pit stop at the adorable Black Bear Diner in Gilroy, CA for breakfast and coffee. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was so fun. How cute is the little bear paw on the napkins?

After breakfast, our journey to the Big Sur really began. We weren't exactly sure where the Big Sur started, but we made our way to Carmel assuming that we'd know it when we saw it. And, when we arrived at Carmel River State Beach, we knew. We pulled right over to take our shoes off and take in the scenery. It was difficult to leave the beach, but we knew there was even more to see ahead of us.

While we didn't drive the entire 90 miles of the Big Sur, we did spend a good 4 hours driving / pulling over to make the most of each stop. It was so hard to not pull over every 5 minutes because the views were so breathtaking! I think my favorite view was of the Bixby Creek Bridge in Monterey. It was so beautiful, and I wasn't surprised to learn that it is one of the most photographed bridges on the Pacific Coast. If you look closely, you can see it in the photo below.

I seriously couldn't get over the scenery along the Big Sur, and could have driven along that road forever! But, as evening was quickly approaching we decided to make our last stop at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was here that I was able to lay my eyes on Redwood trees for the very first time, and they are incredible! This particular tree, The Colonial Tree, is 1,200 years old and is about 27 feet around! Although it wasn't the tallest tree in the park, because as the park ranger told us, it had been struck by lighting multiple times. Still an impressive sight!

The best part about our Big Sur drive was that when we reached our final destination and it was time to head home, we were able to turn the car around and see it all again from the other direction! I would absolutely love to go back to California and drive the full 90 miles of the Big Sur. It is 100% worthy of a bucket list, and if you're heading to the Pacific Coast, do yourself a favor and add it to your itinerary!

Visiting California: A Trip to Swanson Vineyards

2014-04-02T12:07:00.000-04:00

Last week I traveled to San Francisco for the very first time, and it was truly amazing! Before my trip I asked for recommendations on places to visit while in California, and nearly everyone I spoke with said that Napa Valley was an absolute must. I'm so glad that I took the advice, and now I'm going to tell you the same thing ... if you're in the area, I promise that you will fall in love with Napa!

Before traveling, I spent some time looking into which vineyards to visit while in Napa. When I came across the website for Swanson Vineyards, I knew I had found the perfect vineyard for my BFF and myself to visit. My instincts proved to be correct as soon as we arrived in Napa and pulled into the vineyard. The building was absolutely adorable, and we were already in heaven before we even stepped inside.

We were greeted in the yard by Lin, our fabulous salonniére for the day, and then the fun began. The family-owned Swanson Vineyards consists of two tasting rooms, The Salon and The Sip Shoppe. Our tasting was being held in the Sip Shoppe, but Lin gave us a quick tour of the gorgeous Salon before we got started. The tasting room was furnished with beautiful pieces from all over the world. My favorite being the unique chairs and the ornate chandelier. The amazing pink/coral walls were covered with paintings by California artist Ira Yeager and they really added to the Paris flair of The Salon. Can't you just imagine how fun it would be to have a wine tasting here with a group of your girlfriends??

When we finished up in The Salon, Lin brought us over to the Sip Shoppe, and I was charmed instantly. Described as "a candy store for adults", there was so much to love about this space. The family heritage radiates through The Sip Shoppe with it's New Orleans style, inspired by fifth generation New Orleanian Elizabeth Swanson (wife of founder Clarke Swanson). We were pleasantly surprised when Lin pointed out that the walls of the Sip Shoppe weren't walls at all, and that we were actually inside a faux circus tent! Continuing with the theme, the jazz music playing throughout the tent provided the perfect atmosphere for sipping wine.

During our tasting we sampled 5 different wines: Rosato 2012 (from the Sip Shoppes secret stash), Chardonnay 2012, Merlot 2010, Alexis Cabernet 2010 (served with delicious Alexis Bon Bons), and Tardif 2007. I can honestly say that I loved each one of them, and even though I typically prefer white wine, I thought the merlot was to die for! My absolute favorite though, was the Tardif 2007, a late harvest chardonnay. It has the distinct taste of sweet honey which I learned was caused by noble rot, a form of botrytis cinerea, a type of mold that affects white grapes. These grapes are then handpicked at a specific time and used to create this sweet wine! If you like sweet wines, the Tardif comes with my highest recommendation!

We had such an amazing time at Swanson Vineyards, and if I'm ever back in the Napa Valley area, I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again. If you find yourself in Napa Valley, and really why wouldn't you, be sure to visit and tell them Amy sent you!

Client Moodboard

2014-03-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! As you may or may not know, I've just returned from a little vacation in sunny California! I can't wait to share my photos and experiences with you next week! In the meantime, I didn't want to keep the blog in the dark, so today I thought it would be fun to give you a little sneak peak of a project that I'm currently working - a complete blog redesign for a lovely local blogger. The client is looking for a simple, classic look that is clean, fresh, and not too busy. Using her preference for soft pastels, I created this moodboard to kickstart the design process. I'm really loving where the design is going and look forward to sharing it when it's done!

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

2014-03-14T12:20:00.000-04:00

So how pumped are we all now that Saint Patrick's Day weekend is upon us?? I mean, even if you're not Irish you can pretend to be and it's perfectly ok! Between the music, festivities, family-time, green beer, and food, I love everything about this holiday. While I can't get enough corned beef and cabbage, one of my favorite St. Patrick's Day treats is Irish soda bread. No one makes it better than my Aunt Betty, who delivers a fresh homemade loaf to my family every year, but this year I tried giving it a whirl myself. And of course, now I'll pass the recipe along to you.

You will need:

2 1/2 cups flour

3 tbs. softened butter or margarine

4 tbs. sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, add butter and cut it into the mixture using two knives. When the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs, sir in the buttermilk and raisins.

Knead dough on a floured surface until it is smooth (about 2 minutes). Shape the dough into a
round loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet. Use a knife to cut an "X" into the top of your loaf.

Bake for 40 minutes.

I highly recommend serving your Irish soda bread with butter and a hot cup of green tea.

Have a Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

P.S. big thanks to my Mom and brothers who joined me in the baking and eating of the bread!

Printable 2014 Editorial Calendar

2014-03-12T13:13:00.000-04:00

You know that saying "better late than never"? Sometimes I feel like that is the story of my life! Somehow it took me until March to realize that I can't function without my editorial calendar. Remember when I made the printable calendars last year? It's well into 2014 now and I seriously need to get with the program! So, I whipped up a 2014 version of last years editorial calendar and just wanted to bop over here to share it with all of you. Here's the FREE PRINTABLE. Enjoy, and forgive me for the delay!

{hub}LINKS: Shop Locally

2014-03-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about Blog Better Boston's {Hub}LINKS? Every couple of weeks, the girls of BBBos round up their favorite blog posts about a specific topic from bloggers around Boston and share them on their site. This week, one of my posts is being featured alongside some of my favorite bloggers, and we're talking about shopping locally!

This week, we collaborated with local startup Boutikey (a community for discovering the latest fashion trends at local boutiques) on a roundup of posts covering local boutiques and shops. Boutikey's founder, Tiana Haraguchi, carefully selected her top 10 posts and will be rewarding the featured bloggers with a special prize. If you haven't had a chance to check out Boutikey yet, we highly recommend it!

Show these blogs some love:

Everyone needs a little bit of Lilly in their wardrobe. Shell Chic'd colorfully tells us how the clothes, the story, and the brand of Lilly Pulitzer... is everything!

Want unforgettable lips? Boston Mints is your answer. With 12 iconic shades with Boston character, you will surely find one that you can't live without!

Wear it two ways! "A little pretty, a little reckless." Style this amazing ruffled black maxi skirt with a little bit of edge or make it girly and fab!

Walk through a virtual Pinterest board known as the Local Love Market at BCAE. No girl can resist such beautiful displays of flowers, jewelry, gifts, and art!

The Tannery is a Boston fashionista's dream and has many locations all around the city. Mon Petit Chou Chou pays a visit and models her favorite pieces.

Searching for delicious sweets and treats you don't have to feel guilty about? Learn about this North End chocolatier's healthier approach in confection making.

Who can turn down chocolate, especially when it looks pretty? Here are some fun and creative holiday entertaining ideas and display tips.

Mass Musings gives you a quick look into 3 wonderful local Boston fashion boutiques. Shop smart, shop small!

Eager to delve into an adventurous recipe but don't know where to get all the unique ingredients? You can find them at Joppa Fine Foods - a "food enthusiast's Disneyland."

"One of my favorite things about this area is the high value Bostonians place on caffeine!" A local bakery and coffee shop to wake you up!

Want to be featured in the next edition? Sign up for the {hub}LINKS newsletter and submit your posts!

Kelly's Colorful Baby Shower

2014-02-26T12:17:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to finally be sharing some big, huge, exciting news here today! This April, my sister Kelly is having a baby! Kelly and her husband Joe are going to be a Mom and Dad for the first time which means I'm going to be an auntie for the very first time too! My siblings, parents, and I are all jumping out of our skin with excitement to meet this little one, and April can't come soon enough! What's making the anticipation even greater, is that we don't know whether we'll be meeting a little boy or a little girl. Whichever it is, I can't wait!
A few weeks ago we threw Kelly a colorful-themed baby shower. Since we don't know the gender of the baby, we didn't want to go too pink or too blue, so we decided multicolor decorations would be fun. Before the shower, we had a craft night with the future aunties and future grandmothers and made one of my favorite craft projects for the occasion. Using this tutorial from Shoes Off Please, we made an adorable fringe tassel garland out of tissue paper that served as a backdrop for the gift opening.
One of my biggest contributions to the shower was the baking of the cakes and cupcakes. Serving 80 guests was a tall order, but 14 layers for 3 colorful cakes, and 30 cupcakes later, I was really happy with how they turned out! I chose to frost the cakes with homemade white buttercream frosting so that the colorful layers inside would be a surprise. Each cake was decorated with a garland of giant pom poms and the cupcakes with mini pom poms that resembled something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Cute, right?

I really loved the favors that we offered all the guests at the shower. My mother made batches upon batches of marshmallow popcorn balls that we added a pop stick to and packaged in cellophane bags wrapped with colorful craft tape. I designed circle tags that read "Ready to Pop!" that I cut out with the amazing 1.5" circle punch tool I got from Michael's, and we stuck a tag on each popcorn pop. They were cute and delicious!
As an activity at the shower, each guest received a Baby Prediction card where they made guesses about the baby's gender, weight, birth date, etc... and also offered advice for the parents and well wishes for the baby. After the cards were filled out, guests hung them on a string with baby clothespins, using a blue pin if they had guessed "boy" and a pink pin if they had guessed "girl". At the end of the shower it seemed to be pretty 50/50 between boy and girl predictions! Kelly and Joe were blessed to have received so many amazing gifts for their new baby at the shower, and everyone had a really great time.

And now for some more fun news! After a long break, I've decided to dust off the ole Etsy shop and I'm now offering these prints there. If you are planning a baby shower, these prints would make the perfect addition to the special occasion! I'm also offering an 8x10 art print of a baby and mommy giraffe that would totally look adorable in any nursery. So head on over to my shop and check them out! Hooray for babies!!

DIY Gold Vase

2014-02-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

I've had this DIY up my sleeve for a little while now, but have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to share it. That opportunity came in the form of the pretty bouquet of flowers that I picked up at the Local Love market last weekend. After all, a vase (even a gold one), isn't as nice to look at when it's not filled up with flowers.

Before getting the midas touch, this vase was actually a pasta sauce jar. When I had finished using the jar, I thought it was too pretty to get rid of it. So now we have this easy DIY.

You'll need a jar, metallic gold spray paint, frog tape, newspaper, and Goo Gone. If there is a label on your jar, you can remove it by soaking the jar in warm water and then using the Goo Gone to remove any extra glue residue. Make sure the jar is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

Wrap frog tape around your jar wherever you don't want paint. I just did one thick stripe towards the top of the vase.

You want to make sure that no spray paint will get inside of your vase, so use frog tape to cover the inside edges and then stuff the jar with newspaper. Spray the jar with 2 coats of spray paint, allowing time to dry between each coat.

When the paint is completely dry (follow drying instructions on spray paint can) remove the newspaper and frog tape from the jar. Your glass jar is now an adorable gold vase!

I'm going to be keeping my new vase at work since I spend most of my time here and want to actually be able to see my flowers. My pretty valentine flowers have been brightening up my desk this week, and with spring right around the corner I'm hoping to keep this vase filled!

Local Love Market at BCAE

2014-02-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the Local Love market at the BCAE, and I have to say that I was really impressed by the event! Local vendors had booths set up throughout the building displaying beautiful products that were available for sale to everyone who strolled through. Walking from table to table, I felt as though I was wandering through a virtual Pinterest board (aka a bloggers dream)! The vendors themselves were all so personable and happy to talk about their work, that I felt such a sense of community among the creative group.

One of my favorite vendors was Pollen Floral Design, because what girl can resist such a beautiful display as this? Not only were the flower arrangements gorgeous, but Krissy (the gal behind Pollen) had also created an amazing photo booth for shoppers to set up Instagram shots. Of course, I had to take advantage of that, and took home a beautiful bouquet for myself as well!

Some of the other fabulous vendors that I really enjoyed seeing were Adjewelry (see amazing jewelry below), Vessel Candle Co (who had some of the best smelling soy candles I've ever come across), Olives & Grace (and their amazing custom gift boxes), Sarah Wormann Art (see gorgeous prints below), ELM Events (and their LOVE-ly photo booth), and Posh and Prep (see her adorable Valentine prints below).

And, of course, one of my all-time favorite vendors at the Local Love market was my girl, Becky of Pop & Circumstance! Her collection of handmade and vintage items always look so gorgeous and blend together seamlessly. I think I could have spent all afternoon in her corner of the market. Her contribution to the market was so impressive, and she's definitely someone to keep an eye on for future pop-up shops!

I'm very much looking forward to attending more pop-up shops in the Boston area, especially if they're as well done as this one was. If you attended the Local Love market, I'd love to know what goods you went home with!

Wicked Cheap in Boston Blog Design

2014-01-13T10:52:00.001-05:00

A couple of months ago, Molly of Wicked Cheap in Boston, reached out to me about going into the New Year with a new look on her blog. She had a vision for the future of her blog, and I was happy to provide her with the design to get her there. And now, I can share it with you!

Molly wanted an easy to navigate, clean look, using grays and jewel tones. The final look was then to be carried over to her facebook page for a cohesive brand identity. It was such a fun design to work on, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Molly's blog develops in the new year!

UncommonGoods Double Wine Tote Giveaway!

2013-12-16T11:29:00.002-05:00

I'm so happy that in the holiday spirit of giving, I have a fun giveaway for you from UncommonGoods! And, even better news, we're making this a quick giveaway with the winner being chosen on Wednesday so that you can get your goods in time for Christmas!

You know when you want to find that perfectly unique gift for someone that you can't find just anywhere? Well UncommonGoods is basically a treasure trove of all those unique gifts that you're looking for! And, they break it down into categories to make it easy when you're shopping for a specific person; like if you're searching for a gift for your sister you can find it here, or go here if you're shopping for your boyfriend. One of my favorite things about UncommonGoods is the fact that half of what they sell is made by hand, and they aim to support artists and designer. As an artist/designer myself, I just love that! Just to show you how great UncommonGoods really is, I browsed through the site and handpicked some of my favorite items...

1. How much do you love this eyeglass pillow case set? I seriously want them on my bed right now!

2. I've never made my own herb oils before, but with this little gadget, I feel like I'd love to try it.

3. Same goes for this flavor infuser water bottle. I've added lemons and cucumbers to my water before and loved it. But, I think the possibilities would be endless with this infuser. Not to mention how pretty it is.

4. This toggle switch plate is just too fun to pass up.

5. These mixtape glasses are AMAZING! It would be so fun to have friends over and give everyone a personalized tape for the evening.

6. I've always wanted a yarn bowl, but have never gotten around to actually getting one. The itty bitty hedgehog on the side of this bowl basically makes it irresistable. I need it!

7. A duo decanter? Genius! This would make hosting a dinner party that much easier!

So now that you've seen just how perfect UncommonGoods really is, it's time to win something for yourself (or maybe to give to your wine-drinking buddy for Christmas). I'm giving away a double wine tote bag to one lucky winner! Depending on what you're in the mood for, you can choose between either the White Wine tote or the Champagne tote (perfect for transporting the bubbly to a New Years Eve party? I think so) The tote bags have 2 separate compartments so that the bottles don't clink together when you carry them, and feature cute artwork listing different wines of each variety.

You can enter the contest using the rafflecopter options below. And, remember you can tweet about the giveaway each day for more points! One winner will be chosen Wednesday evening. Good luck, and thanks to UncommonGoods for hosting this sweet giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Pinecone Mobile

2013-12-11T10:20:00.001-05:00

Happy Wednesday friends! This week, my blogger pal Amanda of Prim and Propah is hosting a series of guest posts and giveaways on her blog. Last year I did a guest post on a DIY infinity scarf, so when Amanda asked me to participate again this year, I was happy to! Like you guys, Amanda's readers love a good DIY, so I created one just for the occasion. But, since I didn't want any of you to miss out on it, I'm posting it here too. Make sure you head over to Prim and Propah to enter her amazing giveaways this week (today's involves some gorgeous sunnies!) and check out all the other guest posts!

This DIY involves my favorite thing: gold spray paint. Seriously, once I purchase a can of gold spray paint, nothing in my house is safe. This time, pine cones were on the receiving end of my obsession. I wanted to make a holiday decoration that was a little out of the ordinary, so along with the gold spray paint and pine cones, I used twine, white spray point, frog tape, and a branch to make a pinecone mobile.

Instead of hunting down 5 perfect pinecones, I opted to buy the scented ones from Michael's instead. The branch, however, came right from my backyard. Woo nature! So first things first: spray paint everything white. This is going to take a little bit of time since the pinecones have a lot of nooks and crannies, and you'll need to apply a few coats of paint to make sure they're all covered.

Once the white spray paint is completely dried, use frog tape to cover the areas of your pinecones and branch that you'll want to be gold. I chose to keep the tops of the small pinecones white, and make the tops of the bigger pinecones gold.

Now, apply a couple of coats of gold spray paint (I used Krylon metallic gold). Your pinecones should be looking pretty fancy now!

When everything is completely dry, tie the pine cones to your branch using twine. Then tie a piece of twine to the branch so that you can hang it up. And now you're done! Doesn't everything look better with a little bit of gold?

My Pinterest Makeover

2013-11-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

As a DIYer, designer, and artist, I've found Pinterest to be one of my go-to places for finding and sharing inspiration. Recently, when I was looking through my social media accounts, I noticed that Pinterest was the one place that my blog branding didn't carry through. I wanted my main Pinterest page to appear as another extension of my blog, the same way that Twitter and Facebook do.

Design / DIY / Packaging / Typography / Color Theory / Studio / Blogging / Style

Using Adobe Illustrator (Photoshop or something similar will also work), I created a template that was 540px X 360px to fit the Pinterest board dimensions. I then made a simple design using my blog fonts and colors and a photo from each corresponding Pinterest board. In Illustrator I chose File > Save for Web & Devices > JPEG.

Once I did this for each button, I went into Pinterest and in each individual Board chose "Add a Pin", and then the "Upload from Your Computer" option. Since the images I used in the designs weren't my own, I made sure to include the image source for each of these new pins at this point. If you can't find the original image source, doing a quick "google image" search will usually help to find it.

Once all of my new images were pinned to their appropriate boards, I went through and set them all as the cover images. And voila, now my Pinterest boards reflect my blog brand. Woohoo!

wagamama Giftcard Giveaway!

2013-11-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

Last week I got to experience the deliciousness that is wagamama, at a Blogger Dinner at their new Lynnfield location. Having never been to a wagamama before, I was pleasantly surprised by everything this japanese restaurant had to offer! Before dinner was served, the bloggers had a chance to mingle. I was happy to finally meet in person, Laura of Lavender & Lace, the blogger who I had done design work for last spring! I also enjoyed meeting Kat, a like-minded graphic designer and DIY blogger over at Design Lively!

After a little chit chatting, we were seated and prepared for an epic feast! Dinner started with a bowl of miso soup, and for a drink I chose the Super Green juice which consisted of apple, mint, celery, and lime juice. This drink isn't something I would typically order for myself, but it was absolutely amazing and I would certainly order it again. Next on the menu were the starters. We enjoyed edamame, lollipop shrimp kushiyaki, chili squid, and ebi katsu (crispy shrimp), and everything was incredible!

After the starters, we were presented the main course ... about 10 main courses actually. Every meal that was placed in front of us was the tastiest thing I'd ever had. The wagamama menu features curry dishes, donburi, teppanyaki, chili dishes, ramen, and salads. I think my favorites were the teriyaki steak soba, teriyaki salmon soba, and the mandarin sesame salad with salmon. Are you drooling yet??

After having tasted so many delicious things already, I couldn't even imagine what would be coming our way for dessert! And much to my delight, we got to sample 3 of them: coconut reika, chocolate cake, and vanilla cheesecake. I'm being completely honest when I say I couldn't pick which one was my favorite, even if I tried! I'd seriously consider ordering all three of them next time I'm there!

Lucky for you, I'm not just here to talk about how much I loved wagamama (sure seems that way huh?), but I want you to be able to give it a whirl yourself! So, thanks to wagamama, I'm giving away a $25 giftcard to any of their locations! One winner will be chosen next week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Raspberry Brie Bites Recipe

2013-10-10T10:43:00.000-04:00

So, I have 2 things that I'm so excited to share with you today. The first is a brand new recipe for a delicious "Raspberry Brie Bites" appetizer, and the second is that I'm sharing this recipe with my very first video! Now, I'm aware that this video has the film quality of a TV commercial shot in the 1960's (yep I'm a regular Suzy Homemaker), but since we're all about the learning process here on CSS and this is my first attempt, I plan to learn from my mistakes so that future videos will be better. Mistakes like shooting at nighttime with inadequate lighting (duh!) - lesson learned. But, cinematography aside, I'm excited to be able to share this recipe with you in a new way.

Let's get down to the good stuff, shall we? So, this recipe was inspired by an appetizer that was served at a couple of weddings I attended this summer. They were so good that I just had to attempt to recreate them. This final recipe came to be after trying options with wontons, pastry dough, and phyllo dough, each of which was tried in both the oven and a deep fryer. After some serious taste-testing, my roommate and I deemed the deep fried phyllo dough ones to be the very best. They were lightly crisped on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside.

The recipe is super simple and only requires brie, raspberry fruit spread ( I used Hero brand), phyllo dough ( can be found at the grocery store), buttermilk, and canola oil for the deep fryer. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can definitely try baking these in the oven instead. Now, get watching, get cooking, and let me know what you think of these little apps and my amateur video!

October 2013 Desktop Calendar Wallpaper

2013-10-01T11:26:00.000-04:00

Well, October is here, and I'm feeling pretty good going into this new month! I mean, look, it's the first of the month and I've already got a desktop calendar ready for you to download! I haven't done one in so long, but I've been feeling inspired by the change in season and I just couldn't let another month go by without a new wallpaper design. With back-to-school season in full force, I felt like chalkboard was a pretty appropriate theme. Plus, I've been wanting to try my hand at making my own chalkboard background in photoshop for a while anyway.

As always, I've created a wallpaper for both your desktop and iPhone (choose from the download options below). But, this time I've actually created 2 options for you iPhone. I removed the text for the second option so that you can have a blank chalkboard background for your home screen. I love that my apps now look like they're sitting on a little chalkboard. I hope you've all started October off on the right foot as well, and have a wonderful Autumn season ahead of you! Enjoy!

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