deliciously organized

+ CABO WEDDING: PART 1

2013-05-17T08:44:00.001-07:00

We are back from celebrating our friends wedding in Cabo...and, it was stunning! I was really looking forward to getting down to Mexico as I hadn't been since a high school "senior trip". Which means, besides being ecstatic to celebrate our friends nuptials- I was especially excited to get back to the bright blue water, warm white sand, and rich colors that grace all of Mexico.

When we got to our room we had some very fun treats waiting for us. Monogramed sunglasses, shot glasses and koozies!

Then we stepped out to our patio to this. We were pretty happy and we hadn't even left our room yet!

The hotel pool was where most of the wedding guests spent their time. Sitting at a swim up bar with a fresh Paloma (my new favorite drink) in hand, eating delicious sushi, all while chatting with good friends- was almost like a dream. Here is what Chris rather be doing while I'm sipping a Paloma. If people are playing volleyball at the pool/beach, Chris will find them (serving in the red hat)...

When we needed a break from the pool (is that not the silliest line you've ever read? a break from the pool?), we all headed down for a quick dip in the sea of cortez:

Missing this view. A lot.

Now to the wedding events!

The bride & groom hosted an incredible rehearsal dinner in old town cabo at a place called La Osteria. I don't know how they found this place, but I was in love with it. From the rich leather, to rustic wood tables, to the bright canvas pillows- there were several layers of texture which made for a very lovely spot.

Those chairs.

the happy bride & groom welcoming their guests:

again, everywhere we looked there was something interesting that caught our eye:

even that cross behind us is beautiful!

loved the lanterns hanging from the tree:

and to end this perfect evening, the most unreal sunset was peeking over the wall:

When the sun went down, we still really enjoyed this venue! a shot of those awesome sunglasses in action late into the evening (and a shot proving to the bride & groom their guests were all having a lot of fun...). One last thing to note about this photograph. All the bridesmaids had adorable handmade mini sombro hat/headbands on:

so much fun!

be back soon with the wedding photographs, and if not today, hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

+ DELICIOUSLY ORGANIZED CARRY ON

2013-05-05T16:50:00.001-07:00

When it comes to packing for a trip, I like to have all the essentials in my carry on purse. Valuables, items I need in flight, items I know I can't "pick up" if my checked bag was lost, and items I want the second we land. I've never been able to find a stylish/lightweight bag that could keep me organized, zips up entirely to keep my items secure, and straps to my suitcase to keep me hands free (and shoulders free) while getting through an airport...until I found the OG bag by Lo & Sons! It's an avid organizers dream!

They've thought of everything you could possibly need in a bag (and more)! It has multiple pockets/sleeves for all of your items to keep organized. No more digging for your wallet to find your ID/Passport at the security line (p.s. obsessed with the gorgeous gold details and lavender lining!):

love that your laptop stays secure, protected and hidden:

& it even has a hidden place for a second set of shoes...Flats for when your dogs are barking or heels for going straight out from the airport:

plus, you can fit a ton of traveling essentials in it (it's also amazing for weekend trips/used as a gym bag/camera bag):

Here are some of my favorite items to have on hand when packing my Lo & Sons:

1. Water Bottle with a built in filter - water is one of my absolute most needed items when traveling- but, I don't want to spend $ on a water bottle once I pass the security line.

2. Snack & Gum- The worst thing is being starved- rushing to catch a flight, only to find an expensive non nutritious meal once I get on the flight. Carrying raw almonds is my way to get ahead of this.

3. Clothes- a wrap/scarf, one item (like a dress-navy & white maxi pictured above) I could wear if my checked bag was lost, extra pair of shoes and my sunglasses.

4. Beauty essentials- I keep my makeup bag, lip balm, eye drops, evian spray, and non-scented lotion, vitamins/supplements with me in flight (never would want to buy new makeup when I land).

5. Valuables- Any valuables I'm bringing with me (laptop, jewelery bag- that is a roll up tiny version above, camera, etc.)

6. Chargers & Headphones! Hate having no headphones OR having a dead phone. I wrap my charges up and place them in a sunglasses case.

7. Reading materials- magazines, books, kindle- whatever it is you like. Sometimes I also bring a small journal with me if it's a trip I want to write/sketch on.

8. Eye mask, neck pillow and earplugs- for international flights

Lo & Sons is offering 15% OFF all products on their site in honor of Mother's Day- just use the code "MOMSRULE2013 at checkout.

What's the one item that has a guaranteed spot in your carry on bag?

*this is a sponsored post but all opinions/words are my own

+ PUT A FLAMINNNGOOO ON IT

2013-05-03T15:17:00.001-07:00

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |

Doesn't seeing a flamingo on something just immediately make you feel happy? As summer approaches us, I am seeing them grace more items in the stores. Above are some fun picks in case you need some flamingo in your life!

1 | Would be really cute next to a candle on the patio this summer!

2 | Such a playful bag to pack up your makeup essentials- and wouldn't look too shabby displayed in the bathroom

3 | How fun would it be to get your organize on with this funky organizer?

4 | Spice up passing the salt with these shakers...

5 | The classiest of all things flamingo. A gorgeous print for your wall.

6 | A preppy tie for a summer wedding.

7 | The bathroom just got a little bit brighter & your hands a little bit happier.

8 | You can't go wrong with anything flamingo by Lilly P.

9 | Nothing screams summer like a flamingo suit. Purchased this one a few weeks ago and love it (it's by Pink- Victoria's Secret which means the sizing is super small- go up a size or two)

Have a lovely weekend!

+ VINTAGE SEED PACKETS STAMPS

2013-05-02T15:12:00.001-07:00

did you all see the gorgeous new vintage seed packets stamps that came out?

just in time to dress mother's day cards!

find them here.

*thank you lovely little details for the heads up

+ RECENT RECIPES

2013-04-30T14:49:00.004-07:00

Thought I'd share a few recipes I've cooked up lately in case you need a few ideas! I know I always do. I've been cooking a lot more since we moved out to the burbs. We eat out a lot less out on the island, and we really don't do takeout anymore because it's so expensive to deliver out where we live. Which is actually a good thing because we are eating much more healthy.

In addition, about 3 weeks ago I wanted to radically change what I ate during the week due to lingering health issues. Which means: Monday-Thursday I try to stay away from refined sugar (using raw honey or agave to sweeten), dairy, gluten, liquor with the occasional meats (trying to do fish more & only buy free range/organic lean meats) I've had to get really creative and cheat a little (you'll see I had a weeknight meal with panko bread crumbs) but overall it's been amazing. Here is one of the first things I whipped up (most of the pics are taken with my i-phone):

Kris Carr's chili:

This is Kris Carr's chili with the addition of organic ground turkey, instead of zucchini & tempeh since we both are not zucchini people. Thought it was really tasty, but I let it simmer for 2 hours rather than heating up quicker like suggested- for a shorter amount of time which sorta cooked out the flavor of the jalapeno. I recommend not letting it simmer for hours.

With Style & Grace's Gluten Free Pad Thai:

The above dish is by far one of my most favvvooorittte dishes I've had in a while. This is With Style & Grace's Gluten Free Pad Thai. It's easy. Not that expensive to make. And, super super tasty. I've made it twice in a month. Chris loves it too. That's always a win.

Panko & Parsley baked Cod:

The above recipe was a cheat for the week night meal but worth it. I can't find the exact recipe, but this one is very close. I used olive oil instead of butter. You pretty much mix up some parsley, panko, garlic, lemon and then set aside. Use a brush to coat the cod with olive oil (don't use too much or your fish will be soggy), dip both sides in the mix, then set it on a lightly coated (with olive oil) baking sheet and bake. Believe I baked it at 350 for no more than 12ish minutes. Really delicious.

Baked Cod & Avocado/Mango Watercress Salad:

The cod & salad recipe is from here. I added avocado to the salad and switched out tilapia for cod (as you can tell cod has been a good price for me at Whole Foods lately). Very fresh and easy to make.

Quiches: non veggie version & veggie:

Last but not least, I made my first quiches a few weekends ago (definitely not on my M-T diet). I thought they were pretty easy, although a bit crazy making two completely different quiches at once in a tiny kitchen. And, we only have one rack in our oven right now so I had to cook them separately. This was the non veggie version, and this was the veggie (I added bell peppers to the veggie version for some more color). I didn't make the crusts from scratch- but instead by using the refrigerated pie crusts. For both I rolled them out onto the pan, put them in the freezer, then took them out right before I baked and filled them up with their jazz.

Anyone make anything delicious lately? Always love new recipes!

* you can find more recipes on my recipes page, here

+ GUEST BEDROOM: WE HAVE A HEADBOARD!

2013-04-29T10:24:00.002-07:00

Our first piece of furniture has arrived at our new place- the guest bedroom's headboard (from here in a full- this is a very tiny room and the bed works best placed in front of this window)! It's not much, but it's a start. We have been super busy lately but when we have extra time we hunt for furniture for our new place. It has been much harder than I had imagined. I feel like EVERYTHING looks the same from online, to big box stores- and I'm not having any luck at flea markets, garage sales, craigslist, etc. finding any unique pieces. I'm excited that Chris is on board with really taking our time to find stuff we love vs. filling our house up with stuff that just "works" in order to get it "done". I just need to be patient and I'm sure something wonderful will surface. Hope you all had a great weekend and I'll be back soon with a fun giveaway!

+ HAPPY EARTH DAY!

2013-04-22T09:07:00.002-07:00

a handful of photographs from my i-phone from the past few weeks

hope everyone had a nice weekend, and happy earth day!

+ FOR SALE!

2013-04-15T10:50:00.004-07:00

Lots of stuff is slowly going for sale from our place! Clothes included... If you live in the Bay Area follow this link for more items. Clothing items will be added soon & can be shipped!

SOLD

Currently, our headboard is for sale!

Shop HERE (again, all items will be added soon).

be back soon with updates/recipes/etc.

hope you had a great weekend!

+ STARTING FRESH & MINTY

2013-04-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a nice weekend. I had a blast in SoCal...even though I got sick the first day we were there. Been sick for days since then. Sucks. Not that I have to tell you all that- I'm sure you know what it feels like to be sick. I'm starting to finally feel better. Kind of.

Although, being sick can be a good thing. For me, it reminds me I need to slow down- eat cleaner, get more exercise, and most importantly get more sleep. Which means- I'm going to try my VERY best to eat clean again. And, what better time then Spring to do that? Anyone else interested? I realize I haven't posted any health/recipes in a long time- not sure if you are all into that sort of thing anymore?

At any rate- in my journey to feeling better, I made this smoothie that I can't get enough of.

Here's what I did:

+ handful of organic mint

+ lots of organic kale (as always, to your taste- I do a little more than half a bunch)
+ banana

+ tablespoon or so of organic raw coconut butter

+ ice & water (to the consistency you like- I prefer my smoothies super, super thin- like juice so I do a lot of filtered water)

+ camu powder (for immunity)

Put all ingredients into a vitamix or blender. Blend until smooth.

Drink it while it's really cold. It's beyond refreshing. My batch made one mason jar's worth of smoothie.

Enjoy!

+ HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND!

2013-03-29T10:37:00.002-07:00

via

We are off to SoCal to visit my mom, sisters and brother- should be a fun trip (although the drive down 5 is never fun- at least you can look forward to the In N Out!).

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Anyone doing anything fun?

+ ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, AND THEN ORGANIZE SOME MORE.

2013-03-22T11:06:00.001-07:00

I am organizing like it's my 2nd job these days. No joke, I have gone to the Container Store twice this week- which is actually fun to me- even if I can barely keep my eyes open. And, although I love this organizing stuff, I will admit, it's much harder to organize several rooms within a week. You kinda start to lose it after staying up late unpacking the kitchen- and then to turn around and realize there are 3 more large boxes of kitchen trinkets you didn't realize you missed. Needless to say, my jar collection got the boot this week. Please tell me I'm not the only one that has saved salsa jars for "future organizing projects". By the way, I'm not the only one with collections around here. For every jar I have, I think Chris has a hot sauce bottle (and we don't have all his sauces yet- we still have some more of his favorites to purchase):

At any rate, we are in love with our place and our new neighborhood! We might be a little tired (and Chris on top of this move has been traveling to the East Coast this week!) but we are at least getting closer to having the boxes unpacked.

image from our ran last night in our neighborhood

I have been hitting up some magazines for a little inspiration. Have you seen this one? Style at Home put out a special organized issue. It was a fun surprise to see the sweet Jen Ramos from Made by Girl too.

Love how she keeps her space organized, but still so stylish and livable:

image: MadeByGirl


image: MadeByGirl

I have been doing little DIY projects here and there in my delirium... Under the kitchen sink needed a little boost:

So I used white paper to add a few black leopardy looking spots to spruce it up a bit:

I'm still working on organizing under this sink, but I'll be sure to shoot some pics when it's done.

Anyway, wish us luck- we have to clear out our second room tonight (the room where we have stuffed every single item that we haven't wanted to deal with for a week) in order for a mattress to be delivered at 8:00 a.m. !

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

+ TINY KITCHEN

2013-03-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

sunset from the new place last night

Our boxes have been moved, we've finished the last bottle of champagne from our wedding (at our old house)...and we're ready to start getting settled.

The organization that needs to happen in our new kitchen is almost beyond me. We are going from a very large (city living large) kitchen, to a kitchen that is now 1/4 the size. And, we have accumulated more kitchen appliances over the years than I could have ever imagined. I will need to get very creative on how I put our things away. I've been looking at pinterest for some ideas and came across this image:

It reminds me that you really don't need much to get by. A tea pot, a few cups and plates and some knives seem appropriate. This will be my inspiration on purging.

I think that keeping things monochromatic seems to be the trick, though:

In my search for inspiration, I also came across this little nook. Makes me happy:

All right, enough stalling- wish me luck on tackling this kitchen.

+ SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR CITY & THE LOMBARD COTTAGE...

2013-03-15T16:16:00.002-07:00

Wow, I can't believe tonight is our last night in this city (ok, not the real last night, but last night living here)! We are looking forward to meeting up with a few of our friends for one last hurrah tonight (and a much deserved glass of wine after all of this packing!).

This week we've tried to visit some places that are near and dear to our hearts in our neighborhood- all the while savoring some of our favorite sounds (the fog horn on the bay), smells (fresh bread baking up), and sites (the view from our street- Lombard, has the most beautiful sunsets).

We will miss our little place tucked away in North Beach, but are excited for the new adventures to come!

Have a great weekend, and I'm sure I'll be back soon with updates on the new place ;)

*pic by Gem Photo in front of our front door

+ TV IN THE BEDROOM?

2013-03-06T08:31:00.001-08:00

I never had a TV in my bedroom until I lived with several roommates and wanted a space to escape and watch a movie with my then boyfriend, now husband. Or, just a quiet Sunday night to watch a good ole' fashioned romcom. Unfortunately, ever since that day I can't kick the tube in the bedroom.

Fast forward from living with roommates- In Boston, Chris traveled at least once a week and now he still continues to travel a few times a month.

My point: it can be scary alone in your dark room at night & the TV makes it seem...less frightening.

Although, I'd really like to put a stop to it. I would love the bedroom to be a no electronics zone...but, what can I say, I'm addicted. Plus, sometimes it's nice when you're really, really tired...to watch a movie in bed on a Friday night. Clearly, I'm torn on this issue.

Tell me, do you have a TV in your bedroom?

*all images pinterest- i'll come back to credit them soon

+ A SMALL SPACE TO YOURSELF

2013-02-22T07:23:00.001-08:00

I came across this image recently and thought how peaceful it looked. A small space to enjoy a cup of coffee, get a blog post up, and perhaps write a letter to a friend. Although it looks serene, you can see this is the hub of the house. Above the small desk there is a calendar, cubbies for paperwork, etc.

It's amazing how keeping a space free of clutter (and organized) allows it to be functional, yet stylish and inviting.

Anyway, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and thank you so much for sharing in the excitement of our move! We are thrilled. Except for the packing part. That part is never too thrilling :)

+ GUESS WHAT?

2013-02-18T18:31:00.001-08:00

WE. ARE. MOVING!

(a view from our new cities downtown)

After years of city living, the Lombard Cottage and San Francisco are officially in the rear view mirror. We're headed to Marin...well, Tiburon to be exact. Not an easy pill to swallow, but it'll probably never seem the perfect time and this opportunity doesn't come around twice! Onto the important stats!

the living room opens up to a patio with views of the hills and small view of the bay on the far left:

the master bedroom:

a tad smaller than our current bedroom, but it's o.k. when you have a second bedroom!

Above will be used as a guest bedroom...and Chris' doghouse ;)

Also...one of my favorite elements (besides having 3 closets!) ?!

The fireplace! Sitting by a fire is one of my absolute favorite pastimes.

Can't wait to start sharing all the updates (the kind of updates you can do in a rental) next month when we move in!

+ LOVE IS

2013-02-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

{one of my favorite verses I painted years back + love how the sun is shining in- even though it's cloudy in SF right now}

This year we decided to forgo any gifts, going out to dinner, etc. to purchase a Nespresso machine.

I'm in love with it! lattes and capps made in seconds & works well with almond milk! really frothes it up.

Made Valentine's Day cookies last minute and used almond milk, confectioners sugar and a dash of water for my new favorite frosting and then dipped them in my cappucino this morning (totally fine on Holidays to have cookies for breakfast).

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

+ DIY: LAVENDER DRYER SHEETS

2013-02-12T09:40:00.002-08:00

I happen to be a very finicky laundry gal. I really like soft, static free and delicious smelling laundry when I grab it out of the dryer. Over the years, I've tried to lean more towards the natural products- but, the problem is...they never work (for me at least). And, paying $7-8 for Meyers sheets that leave my clothes with static- was sorta driving me nuts.

I decided to try adding my own scents to bounce free & sensitive dryer sheets and I think I've finally found something I like. My clothes come out static free with a very light scent of lavender.

Here is what I do:

Add around 10-15 drops of your lavender oil onto the sheet and let it set for the duration of having your clothes wash. Then pop the dryer sheet in the dryer with dryer balls (obsessed with dryer balls and will never go back- they make your clothes even more soft than you can imagine). That's it...and,you could easily do this with any scent. Orange is up next on my list.

supplies:

+ dryer sheets

+ lavender oil

+ dryer balls

*this is not a sponsored post for bounce

+ A DEEP CALMING BLOGGING BREATH...

2013-02-06T09:39:00.002-08:00

At the beginning of every month I have several ideas that I can’t wait to post about. I have multiple conversations with myself about what I’ll make, what I’ll organize, which DIY project I’ll start, and the list goes on. BUT, sometimes my non-virtual life gets in the way. Working full-time at an online media company, trips away, social life, actually taking care of myself and going to the gym (there was a time when I chose blogging over taking care of myself and I had to make the decision that my health was more important than getting a post up)…all get in the way. And I’m not complaining, I’m just saying it’s hard to find time these days. I envy the people who get a post up three times a week, or better yet- the people who post every. single. day?! I applaud these people and I am truly inspired by them. Anyway, my point is- I want to get more posts up because I truly love blogging…. I just don’t always have the time to do it.

Jenny did an awesome post the other day about when she originally began blogging- she said she used to share more unfinished projects with her readers, but over time she has felt more inclined/pressure to post more finished projects. I could not agree more with her. I think I’m going to start sharing projects, recipes, etc. that are not styled, shot beautifully, etc. (which is very hard for me) so that I can just enjoy getting a post up and discussing the things I love most . When I have time to style and shoot something, I will but I don’t want it to keep me from connecting with you all, which is also my favorite part of the blogging process. The community.

To start this “letting my hair down” deal, I’m going to show you a project I re-organized a few weeks ago. Again, the project is not post worthy in my eyes, but I’m going to take a deep calming blogging breath and let that go for now.

(this is looking out from our kitchen- there is space to walk between the counter to the left and the small black side table)

We live in an apartment with 1 closet (not a walk-in by the way- a real bedroom sliding door kinda closet) and a tiny tiny tiny bathroom closet that only fits the essential bath/towels/etc. items and we have no storage space. As in, no storage in a garage, no storage down the street- what you see is what you get. We decided to purchase an Ikea Pax unit when we moved in and designed the inside to function for what we needed it to do (I should do a post on the inside later).

The inside has ski stuff, camping gear, golf clubs, all of our christmas decorations, and the list goes on. Above the Pax unit is where I organized again recently. Each box is organized and labeled with crafting supplies, my painting gear, fabric, boxes of ribbon, cd's (need to go through them and toss most) stamping/embossing stuff, and a few boxes of wedding paraphernalia. It feels so good to have all the boxes cleaned out and newly organized!

Well, that was a lot of words and if you stuck around, thank you. I always appreciate you reading and look forward to more unstyled/unfinished posts in the future ;)

+ THE NEST: 100 DAYS OF ORGANIZATION

2013-01-28T16:38:00.004-08:00

Excited to be a part of the panel amongst so many wonderful bloggers for The Nest's 100 Days of Organization. Check it out for some fun organizing tips in the next 100 days!

*first deliciously organized tip shared seen here

+ 14 VALENTINE'S DAY TREATS

2013-01-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun putting together a list of some of my favorite (or on my wish list) pink, red and heart covered items in light of the upcoming holiday! Naturally, there are 14 items...

1. Have you all heard about Mark & Graham ? A new company under Williams Sonoma- dedicated to all things monograms... there are a lot of wonderful items, but I've had my eye on this bag for a while. p.s. just saw that they have a free shop code today only- the code is FREESHIP

2. Very excited to recently find out about the new "it" flats, Tieks. I'm currently on their waiting list for the ballerina pink and can't wait to try them out. I'm hearing a lot of good things about them (Oprah even put them on her favorite thing list)! I'll have to report back.

3. How awesome is this I love lists notepad by Paper Source? You can even personalize it... need it.

4. This candle will always be one of my favorites. The smell is soft and romantic but not overbearing.

5. My friend swears by these eye masks but I've yet to try one!

6. It's no surprise that I've added a Fresh product to this list- the Rose color is perfect for Valentine's day.

7. Love this delicate pave heart bangle from C-Wonder.

8. How cute are these heart pj pants? The price isn't too bad either!

9. A friend here in the city started an awesome company that produces stylish (yet functional) flannels and I've had this one on my wish list for a while. The foxes on the cuff are fabulous...

10. This heart mug is perfect for sipping a cup of coffee on Valentine's Day morning. p.s. they have free ship today as well

11. I could LIVE in all of my Old Navy Rockstar jeans. Now I want them in every color they sell them in. The pink is a must for February. I've talked about them several times in the past, but I still can't get enough of them.

12. My scrub making could sure use this rose oil. Might need to purchase this and whip something up!

13. Hunter boots are the perfect travel accessory but sooo bulky. Pain in the butt to pack. Stoked they came out with the packable version.

14. I will always love Rifle Paper Co. cards and this one is perfect for Valentine's Day.

+ 11 ITEMS- ORGANIZING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

2013-01-11T08:59:00.003-08:00

via

At the beginning of every year, I find myself taking care of the following tasks (seen below) and figured I'd share my list since there could be an item that triggers something you need to take care of as well ;)

1. Schedule all annual dental, medical, etc. appointments.

2. Check the fire alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and any other emergency sensors in your home.

3. Confirm and go over your emergency plan. Living in San Francisco it's very important to have an earthquake emergency kit (this is the kit I own, I've added things to it- feminine products, playing cards, etc. and placed an old pair of tennis shoes near the back pack), place of where you'd meet in case it happened, and a clear plan of what you and your loved ones would do if an earthquake were to hit.

4. Clean out all expired beauty products from your bathroom and linen closet (even in the shower and your travel bag).

via

5. Same for medications, clear out all the expired and make a list of what you need to purchase.

6. Go through your spice rack, toss all expired spices and make a list for the next time you go to the store.

via

7. Go through all your condiments in the fridge, toss and then make your list.

8. Edit your wardrobe- donate or toss whatever you don't need.

via

9. Ensure all your documents are up to date (passport, license, etc.).

via

10. Also check to see if you've insured the items in your home that need to be insured. Engagement rings, wedding rings..etc.

11. Clean out your trunk. Ugh. This can be the worst chore if you haven't done it in a while. I use these bins to keep everything organized:

via

11. Add one small "healthy" item to your routine. Whether that's taking 5 minutes in the morning to stretch, get a quick walk in during the day, etc.

via

Anyway, this is what comes to my mind right now, but I may update this list over the next few weeks as I remember more items. And, please feel free to leave a list of "to-dos" you like to take care of at the beginning of the year as I'd love to hear them.

+ HAVE YOU ENTERED THE GIVEAWAY?

2013-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

because the deadline is Thursday... and you'll want this cookbook because it's filled with recipes like: Chickpea Crêpe (Farinata) with Mushrooms and Artichokes (above) found here.

& recipes like this, found here.

oh, and like this.

enter the giveaway, here!

*giveaway closed

+ CRAZY SEXY KITCHEN GIVEAWAY!

2013-01-08T09:05:00.002-08:00

*giveaway closed, winner is belle on heels, thank you to everyone who entered! wish I had a book to give to everyone!

As a Happy New Year gift to my readers, I wanted to host a giveaway to show my appreciation to you all for supporting Deliciously Organized in 2012. Since I'm loving my Crazy Sexy Kitchen book, I thought you might all enjoy it as well and figured it would the perfect giveaway item to kick off 2013 right!

to enter the giveaway:

1. make sure you're a follower of deliciously organized & leave a comment below with your info

2. post about the giveaway on social media or your site and leave a comment for an extra entry

3. become a follower of Deliciously Organized on twitter, facebook, instagram, subscribe, etc. and leave and additional comment

5. giveaway ends on January, 17

good luck!

+ 2012 FAVORITE POSTS!

2013-01-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late on getting this post up, but I've done it for the past couple of years and felt off because I hadn't yet. I also realized that it's way too long, and quite possibly not that interesting because you've already seen all of these photos before, perhaps more than once. Starting to feel like this post is more my own (public) diary of the past year, which I'm fine with. By the way- I don't know how 2013 can top 2012...it was such an awesome year. Anyway, here are my favorite posts of 2012 :)

In January, I curated a sale for Joss & Main, helped with a Refinery 29 organizing article, and organized my makeup brushes:

I also spent more time with my camera that same month and took maternity photos for my friends Adam & Elaine (who now have the cutest baby I've ever seen).

I also spent time organizing my handbags in a storage bench:

made some valentine cookies in February:

In March I went to Park City, UT and received a sweet gift from Patricia over at pve...

Finally completed our wedding invites in that same month...

Organized my necklaces in April:

and made Easter cookies:

took a trip to the Farmers Market for some bright flowers:

had our couples shower (thanks again to our friends for throwing):

took engagement photos with em the gem:

got our luncheon invites out for our wedding:

made goodie bags with diy canvas bags:

and celebrated my bach in Tahoe!

framed our guest book poster from our couples shower:

made a few smoothies in June:

oh, and did that other little thing....got married !

did some organizing, got a new planner, and celebrated 4th of July...oh, and went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon!

made my FAVORITE scrub after being inspired by our trip. No joke, I've made a lot of scrubs (as seen on this blog), but nothing beats this one. And it's still going strong 6 months later!

made some summer salads in July, here , here and here

went to Capitola in August for a bach party:

also in August made a fun DIY monogram for over our bed:

which I changed up the letters recently, like them this way a bunch better:

was also excited in August to see our wedding in Style Me Pretty:

had so much fun at events in San Francisco, one hosted by Rue & GAP- here with Stacy from hello cupcake:

and with Leah at the Benefit Cosmetics event:

in August I also shared pretty much every single planning detail of our entire wedding...

In Sept. we enjoyed san francisco to the fullest with friends + organized + added the c's from our wedding to our gallery wall (which is now gone- ha)

went to a beautiful wedding in central california:

then went to another gorgeous wedding the next weekend in Napa:

posted about my love for money plants- this one is still going very strong!

In October we had a blast at Fleet Week:

took down the gallery wall and started over...

and started creating mini gallery walls all over the house:

took an epic trip to Tahoe that same month...

organized my denim in Oct. and happy to say this is still working out very well for me...

the Giants WON in Oct and the city was on fire!

went to Napa for a very fun wine tasting trip:

in November I was thrilled when my sweet photographer let me know my bouquet was in Southern Weddings:

made my first gingerbread smoothie in Nov:

in Dec made cream cheese filled snickerdoodles:

in Dec. Chris & I went back to the town we were hitched in for a little 6 month anniversary ;)

we decorated the house for Christmas...

went to a winter wonderland wedding, celebrated 7 years of dating, and celebrated Christmas with friends and family. And, had an amazing New Years Eve in Napa this year! Haven't posted any pics yet, so there are a bunch...

oh, and one last thing in December. Made multiple batches of this saltine toffee:

and I can't get enough. super easy, super tasty. recipe here.

wow, that was the longest post I've ever done...thank you for sticking around if you made it to the end.

Here's to 2013 being a great year!!! Happy New Year!!!!