Thursday, January 15, 2015

Life Lately

Happy Thursday.  I don't know about ya'll but my kids are out of school today, tomorrow , and Monday- it may be a LONG couple of days.  Frances is obviously not thrilled her alone time with me is interrupted by her brother:)


Last weekend Matt and I went out to dinner with a few of our friends for restaurant week.  I am about to give up on restaurant week, the food is just never that good.  We did however have a great time!
The top I am wearing I picked up at local shop Thera M, they have a medium still in stock!

and I have to show off my shoes, I bought after Christmas for 75% off!  They are calf hair and kind of amazing.
My arm candy is my go to comb these days 

Us ladies at dinner.

I snapped this adorable picture of Frances napping with her baby and purse.  Two of her favorite gifts!

I made Gwyneth Paltrow's Slow Roasted Tomato Soup this week and it was so good.  The tomatoes give it great flavor.  I added a little fresh Parmesan and used whole milk for those with her cookbook following.  I served it with cheese toast sticks which is just bread toasted with cheese (I use sharp cheddar and guoda) and cut into strips, perfect for dipping!

Thanks for all the book recs! I just started reading The Langauge of Flowers and I am already hooked.  Such a great read, I am already almost halfway through it!
I also ordered Molly Sim's new book.  I am a huge fan of hers and I have to say the book is really informative, and I am loving it so far.  I am going to make her green soup recipe this weekend and I have been doing her yoga sequence everynight.

We finally booked our first vacation in 8 years.  Besides going on our family beach week and out of town for weddings Matt and I have not had an adult vacation with no kids!  We are going to St Maarteen for a week in June!!  We are going with one of my best friends and her husband and I could not be more excited!  I would love recs from anyone who has visited the island before!
Since we booked out trip all I can think about is resort wear!  Stay tuned for many wish lists on what I hope to pack.  This cover-up is top of my list.

They finished painting our kitchen cabinets yesterday and I am thrilled with the results.  They look awesome.  I went with Benjamin Moore Decorators White.  Next up is a new back splash and we are thinking wood floors instead of the tile also.
Ignore all the crap on the counters- true life crap eveywhere always.


I went on my first run in almost two months this week.  It was beyond painful, I am still sore but it felt so good to really sweat and work out hard.  I enjoyed a glass of the most delicious cab afterwards while we cooked our dinner.  Highly recommend it!

Meet my new favorite jeans, The Emma from DL1961 (remmington wash).  They suck you in and don't stretch.  Love the color and the distressed look.  They run TTS.


We have had the yuckiest weather this week.  Thank goodness for the library, I took the kids there every afternoon.
Frances' Faux Fur Jacket is our favorite and currently 50% off!


Enjoy your day!





19 comments:

Eloquently Emily said...

Congrats on booking your vacation, loving that coverup! I have been getting back to working out but for some reason totally shying away from running again. I definitely need to get to it! Have a great rest of the week love!

Baker Reynolds Tange said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kristen [Playground Prepster] said...

The white cabinets look great! Our kids are out for most of next week - although I never mind not having to get up and out the door with lunches :). Love that coverup! Your trip sounds like it will be so much fun!

Renee said...

Do you mind sharing who did your cabinets?

Marychris said...

Natalie! You must watch this video! And you just so happened to post about GP in this post, too :)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=UU8-Th83bH_thdKZDJCrn88g&v=Bw9knfoGsZM

Unknown said...

that soup sounds sooo good especially with the chilly weather lately. xo jillian - cornflake dreams

Elise @ Her Heart and Home said...

LOVE the kitchen cabinets. We did the same to ours (and next on the to do list is a backsplash, too)...the white makes such a difference! xx

Sarah Brooke said...

I'm loving Molly's book too! Let us know how the Green Soup turns out. I'm curious!

Anonymous said...

So excited for y'all to have an adults-only trip! The cabinets look great

A little bit of this...and that said...

St. Maarten is amazing. We stayed at La Samana and loved it. If you don't stay there the dinner they do in their wine cave is def worth a visit. Also, be a bit careful there are some dangerous parts of st. maarten. Also go have a drink before you leave at the airport and watch the planes come in. It is the shortest landing strip ever and cool to watch. Also St. Barths is a short boat ride and an awesome day trip.

Chelsea said...

Hey Natalie, long time reader first time commenter. I feel the need to direct you to some amazing restaurants on St. Martin :). My BFF's parents bought a house down there when I was in high school and then moved down there permanently when we graduated. Went there every year for about ten years. Tend to stick to the French side as the food is that much better...

-Le Croissanterie (Marigot): if you want THE best damn croissants you've ever had in your life, go here. They also make damn good breakfast crepes (both sweet and savory). Mouth is salivating thinking about this place.
-Tropicana (Marigot): this is fine french cuisine. Right on the marina. So pretty at night and the food is unreal. Desserts are also delicious and pretty presentation.
-Loterie Farm Hidden Forest Cafe (Pic Paradis): kind of a trek but food is legit. French/Caribbean style. It is located in a valley on the island and they do ziplining etc down there. Bug spray is needed but you will forget about that once the food is out.
-Calmos Cafe (Grand Case): casual beachfront dining and live music some nights of the week. Best spot to watch a sunset. Food and drinks are good too. Waiters are nice looking (always a plus). Grand Case is good spot to go and walk around in the shops and then grab a bite and watch the sun go down.

One last rec. Depending on where you are staying, my favorite beach in the whole wide world is Mullet Bay. Long wide beach, no one peddling trash for you to waste money on, and water is unreal.

Hope you check some of these out. I am so jealous as I sit on my couch wearing five layers. St. Martin is by far my favorite island ever ever!

Jennifer said...

I love that you are sitting with a glass of red wine on your area rug ! brave woman !

Julia Ryan said...

LOOOOOOOOOVE the updates in the kitchen! You know I love a black and white kitchen! And wood flooring would be so warm and pretty!

Alison said...

Cabinets look fantastic!! We had wood in our last kitchen and have tile now. I thought for sure I'd always want wood, but the tile is so much better and easier to care for! Especially with my little ones helping me cook and dropping things on the floor constantly ;)
Http://thislifewellloved.blogspot.com

Stephpower said...

Love the kitchen cabinets! Just got back from SXM. I also love Mullet bay Beach. Also really enjoy Pinel Island they have great frozen mojitos and cute french waiters. You may also want to check out Karakter's good food and drinks. Beach chairs are free and you can get a massage on the beach for $40. Also you may want to experience Orient Beach. But be warned you may see completely naked people ugh..Anguilla is a 20 minute ferry ride and St Barts is 30 minute ferry ride. I have to say I did enjoy getting to experience St Barts and check out the Hermes store there. Enjoy.

p.s. Love your Blog!!

Anonymous said...

it melts my heart that you bring the kids to the library. my mom always brought us and i think that's why i'm still so obsessed with it. reading is ALWAYS a good thing. they've value that! xo

Ginger said...

Your children are adorable--love that you bring them to the library. Love that beach coverup, too! Your kitchen cabinets look great! Have a great day! xoxo

Alexandra Bee Blog said...

That last quote is SO true! Yay for a grown up vacay--8 years, wow...you and Matt certainly deserve it!

Anonymous said...

I go to St. Martin with my family for 10 days every March--we absolutely love it (8 years and counting)! Not sure where you are staying, but here are my favorite restaurants on the island:

-Mario's Bistrot in Marigot
-Sol e Luna near Orient Bay
-The Restaurant at La Samanna (amazing hotel--I highly recommend you spend at least a day there and the spa is to die for!)
-La Presoir in Grand Case

And definitely check out Coco Beach at Orient Bay. It is the quietest and has the best food and drinks!