Hey Little Birdie!

Forget those tasteless (although cute) sugary Valentine’s Heart candies. I am in love with these customizable cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma. How perfect would these be to bake and make for your sweetie?

Make them with your favorite shortbread or sugar cookie recipe. Here’s mine. Then stick them in a little cellophane bag and tie with baker’s twine!

Although I have to confess, this post is like torture for me. I am doing a Daniel Fast with my church for the next three weeks. Which means no sweets, dairy, meat, processed foods. Instead fruits, veggies, whole grains and nuts will become my best friends for the next 21 days. I’ll be using this time to pray and focus more on God instead of food. Which for me will be unbelievably tough. (I might have made a Nutella Chocolate Cobbler last night as a farewell of sorts…) But I am also sure it will teach me, change me and develop a discipline that I never knew I had before. And my will would be tested even more if I made some of these pretty cookies for friends this Valentine’s Day without sneaking a taste! Dare me?!

There comes a time when a little birdie has to leave her nest and fly away on a new adventure…

Today, that little birdie is our very own founding contributor, Josie. We are sad to announce that she is leaving the HLB Team to devote more time with her family and to her art. (Did you know Josie is an amazing, crazy talented artist?) We will miss her beyond words! I know it was an extremely tough decision for her. After all, there would be no Hey Little Birdie without Josie! It was because of her that Jina and I and now Katrina have formed this lovely blogging team. She has taught us, made us laugh, inspired us and become a dear friend.

Thank you for everything you have done at Hey Little Birdie, Josie. We love you!

P.S. I take solace in the fact that this isn’t the absolute, final, shut the door goodbye to Josie at HLB. I may have heard a rumor that she will be around from time to time as a special guest blogger. Hooray!

I noticed in my inbox yesterday that one of my favorite brands has a slightly new look. And unlike the Gap logo fiasco of 2010, Kate Spade has gone and updated their logo in a subtle but charming way.

Of course I adore it. In my eyes, Kate can never do wrong. Especially when it comes to design. I mean look how perfect their new ad with Bryce Dallas Howard is!

Colorful stripes just might be the happiest thing on earth. My only reservation with the logo is the focus on red. I hope is doesn’t mean they are changing their signature shade from kelly green. I’m thinking it’s just for the upcoming Valentine’s season since the logo in the Spring ad is bubblegum pink.

What do you think of the new logo and ad campaign?

I am not a morning person. Never have been. I think I always wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Just ask my husband. Ha ha! I like to wake up slow, have it quiet, and most importantly rouse myself to life with some coffee. Of course with a toddler, this is not usually possible. And while her adorable little self helps me overcome my grouchy ways, it still doesn’t change my true morning routine preference.

This past weekend, I had to try extra hard to be sunshiney sweet on a overnight getaway with my girlfriends. What kind of friend would I be if I growled at my buds first thing in the morning? So I faked it- it wasn’t easy. And once we trekked to the coffee shop and I got some caffeine in my veins, only then was I properly awake.

For awhile, my husband (a fellow coffee aficionado and former barista) would indulge in store bought espresso drinks almost every morning. After trying to trim our budget, we noted how much we were spending and changed our habits to brewing our own at home. My husband (being the manly man he is) takes his coffee black but I prefer something slightly sweet. At first, I used those premade flavored creamers. I always felt like they had an off taste and noticed that they are not really cream at all and full of oils and fake flavors. Yuck! My new favorite way of making my cup is by mixing in natural turbinado cane sugar and a splash of half and half. It really is so smooth and delicious! Give it a try!

So now that you know what a grumpy grump I am in the morning, you can see how much meaning this print would have in my life.

My personal synonym for “I love you.” (Side note- the shop where this print is featured, Keep Calm Gallery, is a joy to browse through!) It’s a must have for my kitchen.

Found an inspiring video clip and post via Don Miller and thought it was a fitting way to kick off the New Year at Hey Little Birdie.

In what ways can we become more a part of our communities in 2011? I hope our blog inspires you to take action and show love to those around you. Whether it’s making a gift for a friend, baking cookies for a neighbor, hosting a fabulous party for your kids- there are countless ideas for how we can make this world a more beautiful place together. It may sound cheesy but I really believe it’s true!

I like to see my New Years Resolutions more as a to-do list than as lofty goals that I am likely to ignore. This is for a couple of reasons. First off, I am addicted to lists. My house is scattered with notebooks full of various list making adventures. The normal shopping and chore lists, favorites lists, places I want to go, restaurants I want to try, baby names, interior design wish lists. You name it, I have probably listed it! Secondly, a to-do list seems more intentional to me. Resolutions can often be unrealistic or easy to dismiss (I can’t even tell you the number of years I have promised to lose x amount of weight by x amount of time. And then blew it off.) But a list can be checked off, broken down in to smaller steps, and is a visual reminder of what needs to get done. All of this to say, here is a peek at my New Years List.

1. Bake more, cook more. Eat out less. I love baking and cooking so why do we often order out? It’s not as healthy, not as economical and makes me feel grumpy. I hate making a decision about where to eat (I am not only picky but also very indecisive- bad combo), and then I feel bad about eating that/wasting money/being a lazy cook. Ways to achieve this are menu planning (more lists!), scheduling grocery shopping trips when my mom can babysit, and keeping a recipe file on my computer.

2. Go on a walk 3 times a week. It’s good for me, good for Claire, good for my dog. I’m starting out small here. No promises of ‘I will go to the gym everyday’ or ‘I will exercise for 45 minutes’ when I know that is too much too soon. I have been slowly losing weight because of better food choices and my 100 or so trips up and down my stairs everyday, and walking will only further that process along.

3. Organize, de-clutter, live with less. I will assign a different room each month to be the next victim of my purging plan. If we don’t use it, we don’t need it, and someone else might. That means more donating, a prettier home, and being purposeful in our possessions. We (like most of you, I’m sure) have way too much stuff. We’re spoiled, we’re wasteful, and I want to make small steps in changing that. No area of my home will be safe! Under the sinks, pantry, closets, my husband’s office (eek!) You don’t even know how excited I am about this one!

Lastly, a good thing about posting this list on a blog is that it is public. That means you can hold me accountable. And I want you to! Feel free to call me, email me, bug me about these three items until I happily tell you of my successes. And if I am slacking off, I give you permission to pinch me. Just not hard please.

And If you love list-making like me, check out these cute mini chalkboards from Mary Kate McDevitt.

Snow Flurries from ISphotography

My shopping isn’t done, my wrapping not even started! Every year I tell myself I won’t procrastinate- yet I do! Here’s a few fun things I’ve discovered whilst in time wasting mode.

1. A couple interesting ways of telling the Nativity using Social Media. One is more serious here , one more clever here

2. Gift wrapping ideas from The Kitchn and Creature Comforts

3. Last minute gift ideas from decor8

4. May I suggest these ideas for your next holiday card? Hee hee.

For me, it will be a busy week filled with wonderful traditions like tamale making, parties and family meals but I always want to remember the real reason why I celebrate Christmas. “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Merry Christmas!

I’m hoping after this post my dear husband will be making a list and checking it twice. Ha ha! So much for subtle hints, right? Anyway, here is a smorgasbord of items that I would delight in discovering in my stocking!

Twirl by kate spade perfume rollerball

Pride and Prejudice Ornament by Brookish

Divine Twine

Emily Bracelet by Tamar

Slurtles (choco-beer-pretzel caramels!) from Liddabit

Once you are smitten with something really truly good, it is so hard to go back to mediocre. Right? Whether it is with beauty products, food, hotels, shoes, whatever- it is too easy to get spoiled. And it doesn’t help that I am a big supporter of the notion that quality wins over quantity anytime. I admit it, it certain areas, I am definitely a snob.

One such area? Chocolate. A few years ago, I was roaming the aisles of Cost Plus World Market feeling blue. Because when I am blue, I shop. And also crave chocolate. So there I was staring at the designer chocolate aisle and a bar spoke to me. It was called Barcelona. A place I have always wanted to visit. But better yet, it had sea salt in it. Chocolate + salt might be one of my favorite things on the planet. The perfect choice for when you want something salty and sweet. Plus, it had roasted almonds- yum! So I bought it and devoured it in the car and felt so much better. I also was treated to such an amazing piece of chocolate that I can never go back!

So imagine my delight when the creator of my beloved Barcelona bar, Vosges Haut Chocolat, asked me to review some of their Holiday chocolates. (I might have squealed.) Vosges has the most unique and delicious chocolate creations ever. Things you would never dream of pairing with chocolate like curry, wasabi, peppercorns, chipotles, bacon. They make chocolate special. Just look at some of their artistic truffles.

For the holidays, any chocolate lover would swoon at finding these adorable Chocolate libraries in their stocking.

Each Holiday flavor was amazing! But my hands down favorite was the Bapchi’s Caramel Toffee. They also were kind enough to send these tiny Bombalina Hazelnuts. I think they were made just for me. It’s like Nutella married some espresso but in snack form. So addicting!

Is your mouth watering yet? Consider it your lucky day! Just for HLB readers, Vosges is offering 10% off any order with the code BLGF10 at checkout! So head on over to their site, fulfill your (or a loved ones) dreams of perfect chocolate bars, truffles, caramels, marshmallows, cookies, nuts, heck- even tortilla chips! If you are on a budget, check out the gift section from $10-$30. Enjoy! (Because believe me- I did!)

Just a snippet of the countless memories, people, and things I am thankful for over this past year. I hope you all have a wonderful, amazing, and crazy delicious Thanksgiving!