Monday, April 29, 2013

Vegetable Garden
We planted our vegetable garden yesterday!
I am so excited to watch the progress and I am vowing to water it everyday!
Two years ago we planted tomatoes, corn, peppers and a few other veggies and were relatively successful.
Last year we bought all of our plants but never got around to actually planting them. (poor plants just died in our driveway...terrible, I know)
So this year we decided to choose one day...go to the nursery, plant, and get it all done!
{the before and after picture}
No, we are not professional veggie and plant growers. 
I am sure things aren't spaced out as precisely as they are supposed to be...but we are willing to take that risk and see what happens.
Hopefully in a few short months I will be sharing pictures of a flourishing garden.
After a day in our 10'x10' farm we were pretty tired and I can't imagine what it would be like to actually work all day on a farm.
Which brings me to this totally awesome blog... Dishing Up the Dirt....formally known as A Farmer in the Dell. 
If this blog doesn't make you want to become a farmer...well then I don't know what would.
After reading her blog and trying many of her recipes...I actually for a brief moment thought, "hmmm maybe Brian and I should just buy some land and start a farm."
Though, after a day spent in our 10'x10' "farm"...I think I will stick to sewing aprons for now.
I hope you all had a restful weekend and have a great week!

Friday, April 26, 2013


Something to Think about
Over the past week I have been thinking about how many times we hear people say, “you need to just live life to the fullest” and what that actually means…
How do you do it?
How do you live with “no regrets” and a positive outlook?
 .....
I hear sad stories and initially it makes me worry.
I am a total worrier.
I always have the thoughts of “oh my gosh that is going to happen to me” or even worse, “what if that happened to someone I love” and my mind starts to spin uncontrollably.
I don’t have many Bible versus memorized but this is one I think I ought to…
After hearing those sad stories and after the initial “worry session” I then think, “okay I can’t waste time worrying and stressing about pointless things.”
Which brings me back to how the heck do you “live life to the fullest”??
I still am trying to figure that out.
.....
I find myself sometimes thinking…”you know what…I am going to treat myself to that new shirt and we should really just go for it and start planning that trip”
Sometimes this only leads to too much money being spent…
 .....
It is so easy to get wrapped up in our day-to-day struggles.  In the big scheme of things those struggles may not be that big of a deal. On the other hand…I believe that everyone goes through different, varying degrees of struggle in life.
 .....
So after contradicting myself with this topic, I have come up with a simple conclusion...
I think "living your life to the fullest" means this:
And on a lighter note...I thought this picture was really funny of Brandi and had to share!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Finding new spots!
I hope everyone has been having a great week so far.
I was so excited to have found a new coffee shop in Santa Rosa.
Over the weekend we went to this restaurant called Sweet T's (which was phenomenal by the way) and I had no idea that it or this whole little area even existed
 How did I miss out on going to this coffee shop and restaurant for the past almost 3 years
It is called Coffee Kaanapali...it is Hawaiian coffee and it has the most tranquil setting... 
Comfy lounge chairs, a trickling water fountain, coffee and frozen yogurt...
I actually felt like I was in Hawaii (except I wasn't drinking a Lava Flow)
I spent most of the afternoon there yesterday as I did some computer work.
Isn't it great when you find new spots after thinking you have seen and found everything already!?
.....
Speaking of seeing and finding....
If you haven't seen already, I have added two new aprons to the website!
Both incorporate white linen instead of the neutral flax linen. 
Mothers Day is May 12th and will be here before we know it...
So be sure to check out the website for a sweet gift idea :) 
.....
I hope everyone continues to have a great week and takes some time for themselves. 

Monday, April 22, 2013

Gift Show and a New Cookbook!
Lindsay P Designs will officially be an exhibitor at the Seattle Gift Show in August!
I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity and am hoping it will be very successful.
Of course now I have been drooling over so many beautiful, elaborate booth designs and trying to think of creative ways to make my booth "pop!" I am booth #1433 in the Made in America section so stop by if you are attending! I am sure I will be posting about it again as the date approaches. 
.....
On another note...I just received my cookbook from Yummy Mummy Kitchen
If you have not visited her blog...you must! 
My mom actually found her blog a few years ago and ever since...all 4 of us girls in my family have been following it. 
Her recipes are fresh and healthy but ever so tasty! And she went to Westmont College which is where I went! Most people don't even know about Westmont because it is so small. So it's few and far between when you find someone else who knows about it and went there! 
This week's dinner menu consists of all recipes from her book, but I  just had to try something out of it last night...
I decided on the Salted Brown Butter Cookies for a sweet Sunday treat...
 Wow! They were so delicious!!! Brian (who is usually a chocolate chip cookie connoisseur only) couldn't get enough of them! They were flaky and buttery and the sea salt was the perfect touch to them. I can't wait to try some of the other recipes and I have no doubt they will be just as tasty!

Happy Monday everyone!

Friday, April 19, 2013

it's almost the weekend!

It's been a long and strange week and I think we have all been longing for the weekend.
 A time to recoup, regroup and just relax
 I plan on making some good ol' comfort food...
This is my absolute favorite tomato basil soup. 
Growing up we used to always have it on New Years Eve. 
With carrots, onion, tomatoes and basil it is just so tasty. 
I will admit...the last time I made this soup with this pizza...the pizza wasn't my favorite. The recipe I tried had ricotta cheese mixed with a couple other things as the pizza sauce and it wasn't too flavorful.

.....
I hope everyone is able to enjoy the simple things this weekend!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

What Now?
I have always dreamt of running the Boston Marathon.
I tried to qualify for it in my last marathon but didn't quite make the cut.
Running (as I have mentioned in previous posts) has been something special to my whole family and my extended family.

I remember a few years ago at Christmas we all started talking about running a marathon together. We had the crazy idea of getting into the Guinness Book of World Record for the number of family members to run together.
{this was us pretending to cross the finish line}

This horrible event hit a little closer to home.
You think...a marathon!? Runners?! Spectators?! That has been me at one point. 
.....
So what now?
For some reason I can't seem to think about anything else...it's like everything else seems minuscule compared to this tragedy

My first thoughts were, "I am definitely never running a marathon again."

But of course you can't think like that and we all can't just stay in a little bubble and never leave the house.

I suppose all you can do is really learn to enjoy each day and just pray. Pray, pray, pray that things like this stop happening.
.....
My cousin posted this on Facebook yesterday and I thought I would share it also...
It is true...if there is one thing disasters bring out...it is compassion  and people coming together to help others.
.....
I pray for every person and family affected by this on Monday!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Looking for the perfect gift?
I am so excited to share that my new full aprons are on the website

Like all of my aprons...
~Each one is handmade and very flattering
~They are pleated at the waist and have a long linen sash attached to tie in back
~The neck straps are simple and non-intrusive (I suggest making a simple knot with the neck straps so that you can easily slip it on and off every time you wear it) 

Are you wondering who you can buy these for?

I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy shopping at Lindsay P Designs!


Friday, April 12, 2013

The Story of Brandi

Tomorrow is Brandi's 2nd Birthday!
I thought I would share the story of how she came into our family.
It all started with Buddy...
This was a dog we found one weekend while on a run in a nearby neighborhood.
He was running all over the place so we picked him up, took him home, and started making "Found" flyers to post around.
.....
I will admit, selfishly we were hoping just maybe there would be a chance we could just keep him because he was such a great dog! About 5 hours went by after we posted flyers and eventually the owner called...we made the switch and once again we were "dogless".
.....

And that is when we decided we had to get a puppy...so the search began.
I finally found a breeder for golden retrievers who lived about 7 hours away.
Long story short, the price was right (though now we would have paid millions for Brandi....well maybe not millions) and we decided to just go for it.
The only thing was that since they were so far away we picked our puppy out through videos and the breeder describing each personality. They had named one puppy Clarice (Brian always says the name in a scary voice from Silence of the Lambs) and mentioned that she was very cuddly and was cream colored. 
.....
We made the trek down south to meet/pick up our new addition. 
When we got to the house....well it wasn't the BEST experience to say the least.
"Clarice" was as cute as ever and we were sitting on the ground playing with her...only to stand up and have realized the carpet was soaked with pee and we were just sitting in it. 
Not to mention the "#2's" that were just sitting in the house like that was normal. 
We felt like it was almost our duty to get little "Clarice" out of there as quick as possible.
At last she was ours and we named her Brandi.
....
Within the first couple weeks she had Giardia and a urinary tract infection. I have to think it had something to do with where she lived before we picked her up.  
But since then...(and despite her sudden bolts in the opposite direction when she is off a leash) she has been the best dog in the world. She is so cuddly and I really think she believes she is a human.

Happy 2nd Birthday Brandi!!

Hope everyone was a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013


Becoming a Professional Cheerleader

No...not the kind of cheerleader who dances..
{though I did enjoy finding this gem of me in 8th grade from our dance team}
.....
But rather a cheerleader of life..
One who cheers, encourages, and attempts to have the right words when they are needed
.....
A cheerleader lifts people up
Looks on the bright side
And is positive
.....
Sometimes I feel like I am a decent cheerleader
Other times I think I am the one who needs to be "cheered" to
But my goal is to be the best cheerleader for Brian, for my family, and my friends because I think positivity goes a long way
So here is to cheering others on through life!
.....
And on a completely, random side note...this is the latest treat I have been indulging in...
Homemade strawberry sorbet in....a waffle cone! And you can always drizzle chocolate sauce on top which gives it a nice taste :)
My rough recipe
-I made a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water), added lime juice...chilled in refrigerator for an hour.
-Puréed strawberries, a mandarin orange (cutie), and a drop of almond extract (probably wouldn't add the almond again but since I love almond I had to at least try it)...also chill for an hour
-combine everything! And throw in the freezer for 3-4 hours
-re-blend it all so it's not super icy (if you are like me and didn't manage the time correctly the re-blending will take place around 11:00pm when people are trying to sleep)
-put back in freezer and enjoy at your convenience!
OR
Buy a ice cream maker and I'm sure that would be much quicker.

Have a wonderful day!

Monday, April 8, 2013

Giving Back
I love to support companies that give back. 
That's why I am obsessed  with Glassybaby (my friends can attest to this because I tend to give them as gifts a lot)
If you have never heard of them...I suggest you quickly visit there website and fall in love.
.....
Each glass votive is  handblown and no two are identical. They vary in height and thickness and have every color you can imagine.
What I love most about them is that 10% of particular glassybabys go toward various organizations. 
.....
I love that concept of creating beautiful items and being able to give back at the same time.
This company helped influence my idea to give 10% of my sales at Lindsay P Designs to  non-profit organizations
.....
So with that said I have decided to extend 10% of all sales going to Camp Korey through June instead of March!
Camp Korey summer sessions begin in June so I figured why not try to give a little more!
.....
Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!


Friday, April 5, 2013


I have a confession...

I am a planner. 
I like to plan things out. 
Plan out my day. 
Plan out my week.
 And…begrudgingly I will admit…I like to tentatively plan out my next few years or have an idea of what a couple years will look like from now.
..... 
I vividly remember sitting in my dorm room sophomore year of college, talking with friends and wondering where I would live Senior year and who I would be living with. And now here I am again…thinking, thinking, thinking about the future and what it will look like. When will we have kids? Where will we be living? Brian always tells me I need to just chilllllll with all the planning :) Most of the time…thinking about the future is more exciting and fun than anything! 
.....
But there are times I start to feel so anxious and can work myself into a frenzy. That’s when I slap myself (not literally) and remember that I need to trust in God. It is pretty crazy how after I am reminded of that, I always feel a sense of calmness and my heart beats a tad slower.  It always seems easier to trust in God when things are going well and seem to be on the right track (or what we deem as the right track). I try to remind myself to trust always…even when things aren’t bright and cheery! I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday and an even better Saturday and Sunday!

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Matchbook Magazine

This is one of my new favorite online magazines
If you are looking for a fun magazine to "flip" through...this is it!
.....
I actually carve out time during the day to thoroughly read through every page. 
.....
They always do a few interviews with fun businesses which always gives me so much inspiration.
Check out their website, Matchbookmag.com and sign up to receive an email when new issues come out each month(and it's free:))
.....
On another note...here is a sneak peek at my new full aprons coming soon to the website!
Have a great Wednesday!


Monday, April 1, 2013

It's April!

I hope this month I am able to cross some things off on my ever ending goal/to-do list. 
Ready. Set. Go!
Hope you all have a wonderful week!