Eats: Crepes

In the midst of my recent vacation daydreams and revisiting past trips, I remembered my visit to France in high school. One of the first things I wanted to try when I arrived was a real French crepe. After all, I had been taking French lessons and learning about French culture since the First grade and it was high time I got to sink my teeth into one of those delectable French "pancakes". 

This past weekend, the craving struck! I really wanted a crepe - stuffed with that hazelnut spread, the infamous Nutella, and strawberries. I probably ate a couple dozen of these that month I spent in France and it was finally time to try to make them at home. I used this crepe recipe and then slabbed a good helping of Nutella and sliced strawberries inside. They were delicious and nearly as good as I remember the authentic French crepes I ate that summer to be. Bon appetit!

Weekend Snapshots: A Studio

I didn't get around to taking many snapshots this weekend because honestly, you wouldn't want to see most of them. A lot of this weekend was spent cleaning out and let me tell you friends, it was not pretty. Well the end result is pretty, but wading through 5 years of accumulated "stuff" was not. We still have some work to do, but N and I were able to finally clean out enough to get a working studio set up. Words cannot express how excited I am!

It's not much, but its enough for me: a sunny little room at the back of our house. The natural light is wonderful; the view is lovely and private (if you can overlook the ugly green monstrosity that is a former garage in our backyard like I do); and there is actually space to spread out, work and get all my supplies organized!

I'm a happy lady and my succulents seem very happy with their sunny new home too!

LOOK: Mon Amie Bracelets

Since my mind's been constantly drifting into vacation dreamland recently, I thought it fitting that this week's LOOK should reflect my need to getaway. With my 3 for $20 bracelet special going on, I'd pair a stack of bright Mon Amie bracelets with some summertime essentials for a day (heck, maybe even a week!) at the beach. 

Mon Amie Bracelets/Twist Bandeau Bikini/Drawstring Bucket Bag/Straw Hat/Two Tone Sandal/After Sun Rescue Balm/Alba Natural Sunscreen/Jergens Natural Glow & Protect Lotion/Mara Tunic

Of the Moment: A Getaway

What's been most on my mind recently? Getting away! As summer approaches and warm weather (okay, HOT weather) takes over Austin, I can't help but think about escaping to some wonderful, maybe even exotic place. Granted, it's been over 2 years since I've had a real vacation and at least 4 since I went somewhere really vacation-worthy, I think its completely valid that I day dream endlessly about being on a beach (with lots of SPF 50 on) doing absolutely nothing and loving every minute of it. Alas, since no vacation of my dreams is in near sight, I'll settle on revisiting those that I have been on in the past. Here are some shots from some of my most favorite past getaways!

NEW in SHOP and a SPECIAL!

New bracelets in the shop and a special: Any 3 bracelets for $20! I love the look of bracelets stacked together, so I'm running a special in shop that makes it more affordable and easy to get your stack on! So hurry on over and choose any 3 bracelets for $20. They can be 3 of the same design or all completely different - all bracelets in shop apply to the special!

Here's a peak at some of the new bracelets in shop:

Doesn't this stack look rad?

LOOK: Mattie Necklace

For this week's LOOK, the Mattie necklace is paired with a sweet early summer ensemble - - perfect for a lunch meeting or an evening ballet performance. 

Mattie Necklace/H&M Dress/Ban.Do Pom Pom Flower/JCrew Cardigan/Clutch/JCrew Wedges

Take Notice: Midnight Necklace

Much to my surprise and delight, the Midnight Necklace has been in the spotlight the past couple of days. First, it was featured in The Washingtonian Magazine Shoparound column's "The Best Neon Jewelry on Etsy Right Now". Click into the slideshow and you'll find my necklace is the last image included in the collection - I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it!

Second, it was featured on This Little Street Blog in Audrey's the colors of happiness post. I'm thrilled that she featured my necklace because I was introduced to her lovely corner of the web. Her blog is full of beautiful imagery, handmade finds and simple everyday inspirations. I added This Little Street to my list of daily reads and you should too! Thank you, Audrey!

image credits: My Grammar of Ornament & This Little Street Blog

Inspiration: Creativity

"The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail." - Edwin H. Land, Polaroid co-founder

This is what I keep telling myself over and over: just keep doing what you're doing and success will follow...eventually. 

image credit: Genevieve Simms via Gems

quote via Life

LOOK: Indian Summer Necklace

This week's LOOK post features the Indian Summer necklace. It's the absolute perfect touch of color to add to your laid back summer wardrobe. I'd pair it with a maxi dress and sandals to wear to a picnic in the park or to dinner on a summer beach vacation!

Indian Summer Necklace/Similar Hat/Dress/Bangles/Tote/Sandals

Eats: Mango & Kale

N and I have been making an effort to visit our local farmers market more often. Last week, we came home with a bunch of kale and a few other goodies. Having never had kale before, we decided to pair it with an extra sweet mango and some roasted pumpkins seeds when we found this recipe. It did not disappoint - it was earthy and sweet and made us want to eat good, healthy superfoods way more often!

NEW in SHOP: Bracelet Debut

Bracelets have finally made their way to the shop! The first in a coming series of bracelets is the Satellite bracelet. Fun, colorful and perfect for summer, the Satellite is lightweight and looks great stacked with other bracelets. I'll be adding another series of bracelets soon, so stay tuned!

LOOK: Spring Fling Necklace

Now that the shop is up and running I thought it would be fun to have a new weekly series on My Grammar of Ornament where I feature one of my pieces and pair it up with some things I would wear it with - give it a "look" so to speak. First up: the Spring Fling necklace! A casual yet fun weekend look, perfect for a trip to your local farmer's market or an outdoor evening concert. 

Spring Fling Necklace/Isn't Sushi Lovely? Top/Griffin Sunglasses/Double Skinny Belt/Bridgewalk Sandals/Boyfriend Jeans/Cambridge Satchel

Photography: Creative Captures Week 4

Confession: I haven't been nearly as focused on Souvenir Foto School this time around as I think I ought to have been. Opening the shop the same month as doing this class has left me with little time to pick up my camera outside of photographing my shop goods. I feel like I've been going full speed ahead creatively, but outside of "shop world", I've been lacking energy and inspiration for this class. Hence why I've jumped ahead to week 4's photographs, I'm too embarrassed to even post week 3's photos. Awful, simply awful. Week 4 was devoted to color, so I did get some decent shots this time. The cacti in our neighborhood are going wild with flowers and I scooted down to one insanely gorgeous one and snapped these two pics. Well, I snapped more than two, but these two were my favorites of the lot!