i am the weird plant lady. my favorite date nights consist of good food & a trip to the hardware store for diy supplies & plants. can i get an amen?
today i am over at tend raving about our flower bed & my favorite perennial plants. stop on by & share in the plant love, friends.
love,
natalie
p.s. pssst! don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a fun card kit!
i have this girlfriend who’s the most giving person i know. every time i am in her town & we share coffee together, she always has a little something for me. last week was her birthday & she’s expecting a little one soon. when studio calico contacted me about creating some pretties with their newest card kit, i was just plain giddy. i knew exactly who i wanted to make something for.
when the package arrived with the camelot card kit, my mind began spinning with creative ideas. it was such a surprise to open up this package filled to the brim with papers & accessories in citrus, peaches, yellows & robin’s egg blue.
i am a total newbie to card making & paper stuff in general so i stuck with what i know best – gifts & packaging. i sewed some of my scrap fabric to the bottom of little kraft shipping tags. i then began adding on little pretties from the card kit. those stamps are amazing. with the clear acrylic block, you can create unique stamps. once you’re finished, you just place them back on the adhesive sheet. it’s easy peasy & fun. why have i not ever used these stamps before?! mind blown.
above are the tags i made using card stock, buttons & blue bubbles from the kit. now i have plenty of tags (& tons of supplies leftover!) to decorate little handmade gifts to friends & family.
studio calico was generous enough to offer a card kit to one lucky natalie creates reader!
all you have to do is leave a comment with your email address & how you would use your kit. i will choose a winner this friday, may 2nd.
happy making!
love,
natalie
— giveaway closed! congrats to audra for winning the studio calico giveaway! hooray!
if you don’t follow me on instagram (@nataliecreates), haven’t read my statuses on facebook & haven’t heard me whining in person, you probably have no idea that i’m on whole30! what’s whole30 you ask? well, i’m no expert & i’ve messed up quite a bit (hello, um YES you CAN have sweet potatoes), but this is an amazing resource to give you the basics. some are following my foodie adventures for thirty days while i cleanse my system, rid myself of some pesky weight i’ve been holding onto despite my very best efforts & jump start my metabolism. i’ve got a hashtag #whole30crew where you can share your recipe ideas, words of encouragement or elaborate dreams about cake (i’ve had two pastry dreams so far. i kid you not!) on instagram.
i’m on day 9 of whole 30 (almost 1/3 done!) so i thought i’d share some recipes i’ve loved & tips for surviving your first days:
– we made this pulled pork (minus the cocoa powder & included a bit of liquid smoke) & it really helped to keep the hunger at bay. during lunch, we have been adding scoops of pulled pork to salads for a bit of protein.
– this paleo pad thai was fantastic. the sunshine sauce is amazing. make it right now.
– this recipe for baked salmon with coconut broth was delicious. it was full of flavor & a nice change from our heavier meat entrees.
– this is an incredible resource featuring tons of whole30-approved crockpot recipes (with some ingredient substitutions) that make cooking dinner easy.
– i’ve enjoyed eating a sweet potato with dinner. it helps keep me full longer.
– some larabars are whole30 approved if you can’t handle your sweet tooth any longer.
– always make more than you will eat for dinner. those leftovers can be added to tomorrow’s salad during lunchtime. the power of leftovers is huge.
and don’t forget to head on over to tend for a delicious whole30 creamy lemon, chicken & kale soup recipe. with homegrown kale! yay!
love,
natalie