So for now my ideas + projects will include some heart confetti, xo sugar cookies with pink + white straws in milk glasses + hang a little xo garland.

Happy Love crafting!

xox

Ricki

cookie cutters-target

sprinkles-local craft store

rolling pin-macy’s martha stewart

twine

straws

Let me add that when the moment strikes, at any given time, I feel grateful for many things in my life but of course this week is special to many of us!

My list of grateful-s:

• Health!  I am 5 months pregnant and everything is going very well and I feel really great (except when it hits 9:30 pm, you do not want to be around me!).  We recently found out we are having another Boy.  My family is very healthy as well and that is a beautiful thing.
• My hubby!  He loves me to pieces, works hard to provide for us, is an amazing Daddy, and finds me sexy while pregnant.  Really, because the lbs are moving on up and I’m not liking it 2nd pregnancy!
• My friends!  Oh my gosh how I love my girls!  They love + support me, know me inside/out, and are just a blast to be with.  I love when we are in a group and the moment begins where it is only US that exist.  The whole world disappears because we are so immersed in our conversation!  Sorry to anyone if we are blocking your way or interrupting a phone conversation but we just can’t help it.
• Our soon to be new home!  Eeeek!!!  This is so exciting, after the new year we will be moving into our own little home!  Into a great neighborhood, very quaint and room for our new baby boy addition, just in time.  I will be posting a few fun projects for sure.
• la Ricki!  The new clients I continue to meet have all been darling and such a pleasure to work with.  I appreciate the new business and the new ideas that keep coming…posts to come on all of it!

Also, random acts of kindness I am grateful for.  The other night we took our little one to see hot air balloons all lit up at night, was very pretty and became a pleasant family evening.  We wanted to eat afterwards and I pleaded for an old diner because my preg-o tummy had a strong tuna melt craving.  My hubby wasn’t so keen to the idea but consented anyway.  Of course we all enjoyed our food, milkshake and the service.  We were ready to pay when our server told us our dinner had been paid for!  She couldn’t tell us how, but it was a really sweet way to end the night.  Thank you to what or whoever!

For Thanksgiving we are headed to L.A.  Yay!  We’ll be staying with my cousin, who has always been like a big brother, and his lovely family.  I’m excited to see their new home in the Palisades (fancy!) and cook with my fav cousin-in-law.  And of course see my sister!  She recently moved to L.A. with her partner and it will be fantastic to be with them (maybe they’ll volunteer to babysit!).

Here’s our menu:

• apple, sausage, fennel stuffing
• brown sugar glazed carrots w/rosemary + pecans
• brussel sprouts w/bacon + shallots
• sweet potato + sage butter casserole
• creamy mashed potatoes
• traditional gravy
• greens w/apricots, fennel + almonds
• herbed buttermilk biscuits
• cranberry sauce w/apples

Where’s the turkey?  I’m not in charge of it thank goodness!  My cousin’s father-in-law, who is famous for his excellent cooking, has volunteered to handle the bird.  That is not my specialty, nor is it for my cousin-in law, I’m all about the sides.  My personal fav is the cranberry sauce-I don’t know if anyone feels me on that one but I could eat all of it.

Dessert will consist of a pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake pie and something chocolatey (life isn’t the same without chocolate!).

So with a busy mommy + wife schedule, and growing la Ricki business, this is what I threw together for a Fall Vignette.  It’s a little similar to Halloween’s but it looks pretty and I’m confident in our new home, with more space, I’ll be able to do more ‘pretties’.  I spray painted a frame and used those super easy velcro strips by Command, attached small piece of fabric from Peru (yes I traveled alone in late 20′s!) glued paper rosettes made from old + yellowed book pages, painted fake pumpkins, added some real mini white pumpkins and kept out the vintage glass bottles, from Halloween, I had found at Sweet Salvage on 7th (love going to their monthly openings-it’s a dream of rustic, vintage finds!).  A few tiny new adds was a card from SugarBoo Designs that I had the pleasure of meeting at Found when they hosted an event for the magazine Where Women Create because they were all in it!  All of the women involved are so creative and special.  The other add is my deliciously smelling hand-poured soy candle made by MAME (to the left) go out and get yourself one and your home will smell divine!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, have a beautiful time with Family + Friends and be well.

xox

Ricki

This is by far my favorite time of year to cook!  I love winter squash, apples + hot lattes.  So, last night I had to make my usual apple crisp with a recipe I use from the america’s test kitchen cookbook.  Their recipes are so fool-proof and super helpful.  My apples came from The Simple Farm, they are the most beautiful people and their urban farm is just incredible, I also got some from McClendon’s Select.  I visit the McClendons on Wednesdays during the farmer’s market at Town & Country, they’ve got some amazing produce.  I experimented with a new ingredient-lavender sugar and it smelled divine!  While I was at the “Picket Fence” event last Thursday evening at JAM I picked some up from La Bella Terre, Terri is the founder and she was a delight to meet.

Tonight I have a new friend/intern coming over!  Yes, someone to finally help me with all the crafting.  Maybe she’ll want to dig into the apple crisp!

I am so excited to meet + work with her and will show you our work this week.  We have a holiday photo shoot for families coming up this weekend with the amazingly talented (and very beautiful) (and about to get married herself!)     Diana Elizabeth.  What a great start to the week!

The bottles-I knew I was saving so many of them for a reason-I went out back and spray painted them with a semi-gloss white, done & dry less than 15 minutes. I didn’t add any washi tape or doilies like the post shows, maybe I will if I get tired of their look. For now I love the white. The mirror I snatched up at JAM , made by Restoration Plantation and his furniture re-dos are fantastic. Go have a look-see!

I hope you like my “inspired-I”, there will be more coming soon.

xox
Ricki

ps-decor8 is worth following, I promise!

Until!! This memorial day weekend! I was determined to finish it and I am so, so happy that I did! It really makes me smile to see it on our doorway. My husband seemed to like it as well-he better.

ps-if you can even see them in the photo, I didn’t mean to make the rosettes match the purple & turquoise stained glass in the door. really!

love,
ricki

I will admit that I had a few dreams leading up to the day where I showed up to the location with absolutely nothing. Nothing! Each time I had to comfort myself that it was just a dream, I am awesome and that I could do it. Silly, right?

Needless to say it all worked out and I’m really happy with the results. I hope you are too!

Enjoy xox

Diana Elizabeth : Photographer (also, amazing friend!)
Lizzy Marsh : Makeup Artist
Salon Sandoval : Hair stylists-Chris Sandoval & Gigi Arredondo
Casey Jones: Cookies & Pies
Rust n Roses : Tables, chairs, small pieces for decor
Uptown Bridal Boutique : Bridal gown & Bridesmaid dresses
Julia Winter : of JewelYa designs-all jewelry

And a big, big thank you to those who have posted our hard work!

Jaimee Rose
Diana Elizabeth
Wedding Chicks

I admire Miss Bliss’ work in such a different way now. We went from kids that acted like a deer in headlights, to happy smiley got every perfect pic in 1 minute, to missing their nap and crying and back to happy. That is a challenging job! But the end result is so many sessions of beautiful children so go check out her site and see these tikes in action.

Pennant banner all paper from Scrapbooks Etc. As is the ribbon. That was the simplest project I’ve done in a while!

I love using mason jars. In fact, I carry one around all the time to drink my water in. On this day I made some quick pinwheels, poked a green brad in them and stuck the pinwheels with a few glue dots on to the jars. I added some twine and a paper straw for more fun and color.

Real lemonade here! My son didn’t want to put his down for his shoot

More things I love! Wood berry baskets and crates. They give such an organic and cozy feeling to things. Then add beautiful fruit and the colors look so alive.

Ahhh the cupcakes. Check out the disco glitter on these babies! Again, Casey had to deal with my specifics. I asked for ’tilt-a-whirl’ cupcake liners and very turquoise frosting. Yes, I know the names of cupcake liners! And she was spot on, they came out perfectly. No child complained about having to eat one!

I hope you enjoyed these pretty pics, I know I have!

xox Ricki

vendors:
scrapbook paper-Scrapbooks Etc
paper straws & cupcake liners-Bake it Pretty
wood crates-Poole and Sons
berry baskets-Garden Time
Casey’s Confections-Caseys Confections
Miss Bliss Photography-Bliss Boutique Photography
SAS-phoenix location