Flora +

a 5 year old comments on popular logos

2012-01-31T10:59:00.000-08:00

made me smile.

16 -17 weeks & some movement!

2012-01-26T19:13:00.000-08:00

Here's the first baby bump pictures!! yay! also I officially felt poppy-seed last night for the first time!! I've been waiting for this moment since we first heard we were pregnant! I knew it could happen anytime now, as a lot of moms feel their baby first at around 16-19 weeks... They say smaller ladies feel them first, which makes sense.. so I was paying close attention this whole week! I've felt all kinds of things before, but last night, in the middle of the night it was undeniably poppy-seed moving around! I've read it feels like butterflies, or popcorn popping inside of you, to me it felt just like a tiny frog jumping up and down inside my uterus! It only lasted around 20 min. But it made my day for sure!

Here's a series of questions that people ask constantly so I figured I would answer them periodically to keep everyone in the loop.
How is mom feeling? Wonderful! I never had any nausea to begin with, so I feel just as good as in the beginning, except no more tiredness! I'm back to normal!
Are you showing yet? Barely! there's a tiny bump that's taking way to long to grow! I have all kinds of maternity clothes ready go, but right now I just look kinda ridiculous in them :)
Cravings? Nothing in particular, I'm just hungry all the time! any sort of food sounds good at anytime of the day! I now eat two lunches a day instead of one! yikes!
How big is the baby now? Around 5in! already! he/she fits in the palm of my hand.

Sex of the baby? We will find out on Feb 25th, I'm convinced it's a boy, Chris is pretty sure its a girl. We are throwing a party with all our friends and find out in front of everyone! fun times!

*ps. this last picture might have been more bloating than actual bump... but we were excited that day thinking this is it! only to discover it was half gone the next morning :)

Cozy Up the House

2012-01-20T07:31:00.000-08:00

Fabulous writer guest Christina Johnson who works remotely for Elliman Prudential in the New York City Apartments and Rentals market, wrote this great article for today's post! She is using her journalism major to combine what she loves most, writing and her career. Her specialties include home decor design and DIY home improvement projects.

If "your home is your castle," you want it to be cozy and comfortable. Cozy is a feeling you get when comfortable items and situations surround you. Comfortable is what soothes, consoles or relaxes you. A cozy environment is organized and free of clutter and stress. A comfortable home provides a safe haven for the family and reflects the personality and style of those who
live in it.

picture via: sweet as candy

Make the family room a haven
Most likely, the family room or den is the center of your living space, where everyone gathers for relaxation or entertainment. Fill it with whatever interests your family, but don't go overboard. Bookshelves are more attractive when trophies or collectibles are interspersed among interesting books. Display photos and items you cherish where you can enjoy them. Place lamps where they give readers ample lighting. Play music that suits your moods. Arrange comfortable seating with handy snack tables for good viewing of the television. The game table and chairs should be at an appropriate height for all players. Allow ample space for movement around the Wii, pool table,
or exercise equipment.

picture via: elledecor.com

Study/Business at Home
If possible, use the home office only for business or study. Organize all supplies
and files so they are within easy reach, but keep the desktop free of clutter. Baskets and bins look nice and work well. Hide computer wiring with plastic tubing, but remember to label the wires so that you keep them straight. Set up an orderly filing system with labeled folders and purge it regularly. Allow enough space in the file cabinets e to maneuver the folders inside. Make certain that reference materials are handy and electronic equipment is functioning, especially when needed for students who balk at doing their homework.

picture via: HouseBeautiful

Stress-free environment
Frustration occurs when you can’t find something you need because it is buried
beneath clutter or it is not in its designated place. Removing clutter can reduce this stress. Eliminating clutter often prevents accidental tripping and falling. Each room in your home should contain only what is either useful or meaningful; anything else tends to get in the way. Being organized is another key to alleviating stress. Whatever isn’t being used should be in its designated location. Alleviate concerns for safety by installing safety devices, such as sprinkler systems and alarms or placing fire extinguishers and flashlights where they can be found easily if needed.

picture via: anna sigga

Make the kitchen appealing and efficient
Bright, cheerful colors make the kitchen a happy place where the family can gather to share their meals. Using shatterproof dinnerware can reduce the fear of breakage and injury, especially for families with small children. Fabrics and dinnerware with coordinated patterns are more appealing than mismatched ones. Above all, the kitchen must be clean and organized. Create an appetizing aroma by using air fresheners and sanitizers. Choose a pleasant scent to cover any objectionable odors.

Make the kitchen easy for the cook. It should be well equipped and everything needed for cooking should be easily accessible. Drawer organizers help keep silverware and other utensils separated. Pull-out drawers help alleviate backaches from bending to lift heavy pots and pans. Lining the pantry with shelving for staples and clearly labeled canned goods make it more convenient and useful.

picture via: pinterest

Personalize your Decor
Room furnishings and fabrics should wear well and feel good. Paint the walls with soothing colors that appeal to you. Earth tones provide a feeling of warmth. Lean toward cooler shades for summer and warmer ones when it’s cold outside. Look through current magazines to find what is in fashion, and then pick the styles and themes that you like. Select furnishings and accessories accordingly. Surround yourself with whatever appeals to your senses of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. When you are happy in your surroundings, you've made your come cozy.

picture via: houzz

Rocking Sheeps & Lambs

2012-01-17T08:52:00.000-08:00

I am loooving these!! I would love one of these in the baby's room.
The Rocking Sheep is made in varnished pine wood upholstered with foam and covered in lamb skin. Povl Kjer gave the first Rocking Sheep to his niece as a tongue-in-cheek reminder of her parents’ rural background. The Rocking Sheep are hand-made in small series to preserve the high level of quality.The Rocking Sheep come in various colors.

Rare natural phenomenon

2012-01-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

One of Austria’s most beautiful hiking trails turns into a 10 meter-deep lake, for half the year. During the cold winter months, this place is almost completely dry, and used as a country park. But as soon as temperatures rise, the snow and ice covering the mountaintops begin to melt, and the water pours down, filling the basin below with crystal-clear water. The waters of Green Lake are highest in June, when this extraordinary place is invaded by divers, curious to see what a mountain park looks like underwater. Fish swimming over wooden benches, a grass-covered bottom, trees, roads, roads and even bridges create a surreal setting that feels like it belongs on dry ground. That’s because for half of the year, that’s exactly where it’s at. How cool is that?
source

A Very Modest Cotage

2012-01-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

That's the name that Tereasa Surratt gave the book she made after her amazing restoration story. They bought the property in 2004, when she got engaged David Hernandez. A ran down lakefront resort in Elkhorn, Wisconsin- 90 miles from their Chicago home. They bought it planing on getting married right there after they restored everything, with a time frame of only 6 months! yikes!

After many months of hard work and a wonderful restoration process. The results were magical! They even managed to build a beautiful tree house! with an amazing story behind it. Teresa's dad christened the property when they bought it, by hanging a rope swing from one of the trees. He later passed away, and the tree came down with a disease. Teresa couldn't bear to cut it down, and learned that despite the branches dying, the trunk was still strong. So, they build their amazing tree house around it. I love it!
story & pictures found: here & here

Scented Bunnies?

2012-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

The Glow is my new favorite blog, its not updated very often but when it is, its good! I love getting ideas from all the cool moms the featured there.
My favorite idea so far was from Zöe Buckman, she bought these adorable bunnies when she was pregnant and slept with them the whole time until her daughter was born, hoping that they would take on her scent and be a comfort to her when she was first born. Now she loves them and can’t sleep without them.

Is this the cutest thing you've heard or what? I'm already on the look out for some cute bunnies because I'm definitely gonna try this as well!

Poppy-seed

2012-01-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Poppy-seed is the nickname we've given our little baby for the time being. Because that's how big the baby was when we found out we were pregnant!
It was merely a bunch of cells bunched up together! hard to believe little Poppy-seed is now 3 inches long!! I could not be more excited and honored to have the blessing to grow this little one inside of me, and as you can imagine.. I will be blogging a lot about babies, now that the world knows :)

From one of these teeny tiny little seeds....

To this!

I was surprised to find out he or she is already looking long & skinny
just like daddy!

Our Holiday Cards 2011

2012-01-03T15:08:00.000-08:00

This year I got our Holiday Card idea from the talented Amanda Jane Jones .
I love the whole info-graphic style to catch everyone up on what happened this past year. I loved the map idea, since this year we actually did some considerable amount of traveling... and I added a little extra envelope to share our most special news :)

ta-dah! we are expecting our first baby!!

and a little picture of one of our trips.

Holiday Gift Tags

2011-12-01T12:08:00.000-08:00

Super cute free printable tags from "eat drink chic" by Amy Moss
perfect for the Holiday Season! download them here

Lucy Chadwick -A Selby film for ZARA

2011-11-16T14:10:00.001-08:00

Very inspirational video. I would love to own a barn like that in the country, to go take a break from the busy city. Sounds like heaven.

25 ways to wear a scarf

2011-11-15T11:08:00.001-08:00

This is brilliant and so well done. Just in time for winter! via: northen lights

Nest

2011-10-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Nest This is the coolest thermostat I've ever seen. We are getting one as soon as we get a home.

via: The Donut Project

Venice- part II

2011-10-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more photos from our trip, we loved the teeny tiny skinny streets, it was so fun to be in a super busy street one moment, and then one turn and we found ourselves in a quiet mysterious street.

watching the gondoliers maneuvering the water streets was mesmerizing, we would just sit there and watch.

this is a shot we took in one of those quiet streets where the locals live, I loved the color pallet.

The textures on most walls were so interesting. I couldn't help myself touching them when we got close enough..

we found ourselves drinking wine at all times of the day, since the wine was literally cheaper than water.

This is one of the many pictures we took on bridges, Chris insisted I would go pose in front of every other bridge.

Did I get lucky with this handsome husband or what?

I miss those cobble streets and dim street lighting, very
romantic.

you gotta love their outfits! :)

Chris + Flora Chicago's Frech Toast Tour

2011-10-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks back Chris and I tried yet another restaurant's french toast! This time it was Le Peep their banana french toast was pretty decent! moist, sweet and perfectly paired with coffee. we love french toast!

Venice - part I

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Venice was our second destination, and one of our favorites! It took us quite a while to find our hotel, it turns out, a lot of the streets in Venice have no name! and the street numbers only make sense sometimes! Luckily we encountered the most kind local girl, she not just directed us towards our hotel but she took the time to walk us all the way over there! (it was a very long walk!) she said its almost like a challenge for her and she enjoys it! awesome.

The first morning we woke up and heard an accordion player, we looked out the window and sure enough there he was! every morning! what an amazing way to wake up huh? it felt just like a movie! ( a very romantic one )

Every morning we would have breakfast, and then go get lost! we had very little set plans here and it was a great experience, thank God for Chris' sense of direction, the trip would've been a mess without it! I don't think we ever took the same path to go from and back to our hotel, every day was a different path! and a different experience for sure! so much fun!

we bought some art from this lady,

and of course the lovely gondolas! (more to come on that)

Mast Brothers Chocolate

2011-09-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

I first heard the story of this two awesome, bearded, chocolate making brothers through this video on Devour. watch it! it's an inspiring story of two brothers that had a passion and they actually did something with it! (Plus who doesn't like crazy beards and chocolate?)

The Mast Brothers from The Scout on Vimeo.

image via: antenna mag

Barcelona- part II

2011-09-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

We spent some time at La Boqueria! a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district, with an entrance from Las Ramblas, the market has a very diverse selection of goods, fruit, meats, nuts, spices and much more.

We also stumbled upon the Sardana Dancing! a type of circle dance typical of Catalonia, Spain. and that was great fun!

Then we hiked up to Montjuic Hill, had a nice lunch with a view of the city, and took the funicular down the Barceloneta beach.

And of course we had to make a stop at Parc Guell- a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, it was designed by Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914.

Then we did some more walking around the city, exploring the little streets

and finally one of our favorite spots to eat Princesa 23

Coming soon, Venice!

Barcelona- part I

2011-09-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be uploading loooots of pictures and a few trip notes on our Europe trip. Starting with our first destination Barcelona! We arrived at around 8:30am completely exhausted after the 13 hr. trip from Chicago, just to figure out check in at the hotel was not until 2pm! yikes! we were able to drop our bags off and then.. the eternal walking began right away! we had no map at this point.. luckily Chris has some mad skills getting around, so we just went exploring the little streets of Barcelona for 5.5 hours!

One of our favorite spots in Barcelona was La Sagrada Familia it was just ridiculously impressive, we spent a lot of time in there. There was just sooo much to look at, details everywhere. We even got to see Goudi's tomb at the bottom of the Cathedral! that was pretty exciting!

We went up a teeny tiny elevator all the way up to the top of one of the towers! 394ft up in the air! just to realize we were walking down! this is one of many little open windows in the tower.. and this picture was taken just a few minutes before I realized I am afraid of heights! I never knew this.. I've worked and lived in high-rises for years.. but there's something sooo freaky about breathing and feeling the air so high up!

Chris of course was loving the heights and the views.

Then we had tapas and sangria right outside the cathedral! delicious!

Barcelona part II coming very soon!

2011-09-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

I loved this quote, and I couldn't help dropping it into illustrator and use my new found love "verlag font"

moncler

2011-09-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

The tempertures are slowly dropping here in Chicago! It's nice and chilly outside and I love it. I hear so many complains from tons of people but I truly enjoy this "stay at home with a comfy sweater next to the fireplace" weather! it's so cozy. I specially love when all the stores start rolling out their winter wear! I am in love with all these Moncler coats!!

Chicago's Renegade Craft Fair

2011-09-07T23:18:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about this weekends' Renegade Fair! This year I wont just be attending but also participating! me and a few of my co-workers got together to sell Teeny Screenies!! Teeny Screenies is a new startup project made up of graphic designers to raise money for the charity The C.A.R.E. Initiative. The primary items Teeny Screenies sell are small silk screen printing kits. Each kit is made of a small silk screen stencil, a small squeegee, and a small amount of water-based ink. Those who purchase a kit will have the ability to print on virtually any type of flat substrate. The screens and squeegees can be washed with water to allow them to be reused later. Visitors to the Teeny Screens booth will find over 100 micro screens to browse. The content of the stencils will range pop culture quotes to first names. Simple hand-drawn sketches and gently polished typography phrases will be a fun way for someone to customize their apparel or personal items. So if you live in Chicago! you have to come check out our Teeny Screenies!

Outstanding Field

2011-09-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

I might have the opportunity to go try something very similar to what Outstanding Field does. Their mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, everyone settles in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table. How cool is that? If I do end up going, I will post pics soon.

Lemon aid

2011-09-07T06:37:00.000-07:00

Amazing Package design by BVD ! I love how clean an simple it is, I also love the way they photographed the bottles in order to get a shot of the whole design.

via: moxee

Branding 10,000 Lakes

2011-09-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

I love love love this. Nicole Meyer designs a logo a day! this is the description of her amazing project: "Lake logos have a tendency to be, well, fairly ugly. This project was created to rethink what they could be. One Minnesota Lake. One Logo. Every day." She is brilliant. via: the lovely Emmadime