holiday gift guide: ideas for your best friend.

she's fiercely loyal, gracious, laid back, and an amazing listener. not to mention that she sends you hilarious photos from her phone. here are some ideas for your beautiful best friend:

from left to right, top to bottom:

the frankies spuntino cookbook - recipes originating from the famous brick-walled restaurant in brooklyn's carroll gardens, this cook book is filled with ideas for italian american comfort food. yummers! available from amazon. ($16)

wrist worms - perfect for keeping her hands warm (and stylish) while she texts you. made by sandra juto ($49)

twin sailboat prints - she loves all things nautical, so why not give her these gorgeous pieces of art to hang in her dining room? you can gaze at them together as you munch on cheesecake on saturday evenings. made by dolangleman ($60)

painted vintage birds - i love these little guys. wouldn't they be darling hanging from her christmas tree or around her house during the rest of the year? available from cox & cox. ($55)

id bracelet - a nod to the past, these cool id bracelets are making a comeback. give one as a token of your friendship. available from madewell. ($28)

heirloom recipe box - no more bookmarked recipes on her computer! send her a special recipe box made by local craftsmen from locally salvaged hardwood. for an extra special touch, include a few of your favorite recipes. made by rifle. ($125)

blue bag - this purse is described as the perfect companion for jumping in the car with your friend and heading off on an adventure. oh those crocheted embellishments... be still my heart. available at modcloth. ($85)

sweet little zipper pouch - she's the most organized person you know, so treat her to this pretty little pouch. she can use it as a pencil or make-up case, and so much more. available from sammade. ($14)

marfuga olive oil - for the foodie side of her, this olive oil will rock her taste buds. perfect for dipping into crusty breads. available at williams sonoma. ($39)

i'm not going to lie... i want a lot of these things myself! happy shopping!

holiday gift guide: ideas for your hunky husband.

good morning friends!

i'm so excited for today! it's time to kick off this year's holiday gift guide with selections for your guy who brings you coffee in the morning, changes poopy diapers, rubs your feet at night, and makes you laugh until your stomach hurts.

from left to right, top to bottom:

the colbert christmas special - i bought this dvd for simon several christmases ago, and we've made it a tradition to watch it every year while we decorate the christmas tree. it's funny and features musical guests such as feist, john legend, willie nelson, elvis costello and toby keith. (even jon stewart makes a cameo!) available on amazon. ($10)

gorgeous navy blue duffel bag - perfect for those weekend getaways, or for hauling his sports gear around. available at madewell. ($148)

new cedar brown wallet - simple and slim, perfect for his credit cards, a metro card and some cash. available from scabby robot. ($30)

"you the man" mug - because it's true. and because after all these years, you still feel bad that he sips coffee out of a floral mug that you've had since the fifth grade. available from lenny mud. ($16)

vintage coffee decanter - keeping up with the coffee theme, this is a decadent way to make coffee on those lazy sunday mornings while you're flipping through the new york times and munching on fresh scones. available from inmyigloo, ($14) or search for vintage coffee decanter on etsy or ebay.

classic stanley thermos - durable and keeps things hot. enough said. available at urban outfitters. ($48)

john varvatos cologne, vintage edition - rugged, smoky, leathery, woodsy, classic... like a fall day in a rustic cabin. humina humina! available here or in your local department store. ($78)

first edition or vintage book - he's loves reading, so why not treat him to one of this favorite books old-school style? search your local used books store, or scour through etsy or ebay. don't forget to write a romantic inscription on the inside cover. kurt vonnegut's slaughter house five is available here. ($10)

stylish camera strap - so he looks good when he's snapping photos of you on vacation, and stands out among the crowd of dads at the school play. originally available at the classic strap company. ($30) if sold out, alternatives are here, here and here.

so, now tell me... what are you planning on giving the man in your life? please feel free to add suggestions in the comments section! can't wait to hear. xo.

i love this time of year.

hello friends! how was your thanksgiving? ours was lovely... we drove up to maine, spent time with our family, practiced a little yoga, ate a lot, watched movies, snuggled with our nieces and decorated our house for christmas! (we don't waste any time.)

here are a few snapshots from the weekend:

we took a little walk around kennebunkport and stopped into this adorable coffee shop for peppermint mochas.

have you ever seen such a cute to-go cup?

christmas decorations are popping up everywhere and i couldn't be happier. is it just me, or does this fake snow look really good? :) we put our (tiny) tree up yesterday and it makes me ridiculously happy.

the smallest, sweetest little vintage christmas book in the world. i want.

anyway, starting tomorrow, i'll be kicking off a month of holiday-related posts: crafts, gift guides, my favorite holiday traditions and much more. i hope you are all enjoying your weekends! see you soon. xo.

a little gratitude post.

dear christmas, thank gawd you're almost here. i've been waiting for you for, well.... a year.

dear feet, you've taken me so many places and continue to support me in all kinds of awesome yoga poses. i love you.

dear yoga students, thank you for letting me teach you. i have so much fun. p.s. i'm learning just as much as you are.

dear coffee, you rock my world.

dear bestest friends, you know who you are. what would i do without your sweet snail mail, make-up parties, craft dates, noodle heart-to-hearts, phone conversations that last for hours, and all of you just being your fabulous selves?

dear camera, i love having you around. you remind me to really look.

last but not least...

dear husband, thank you for making me laugh every. single. day. you so funny. also, thank you for still writing me little love-notes. i adore that they're getting longer and your hand writing is getting smaller.

dear you, thank you for reading and being a part of my little space on the web. high five.

happy thanksgiving! xo.

(photo credit: indierocket)

a good week.

this week, i...

• taught two yoga classes: one to a group of fabulous ladies who sent me home with banana bread, and one to a beautiful woman who happens to be my sister. (after this class, we partook in some whitewineasana.)

• skyped with a dear friend in germany. it made me just a teeny bit nostalgic for the year that i lived in munich. the holiday markets and snowy roads were incredibly picturesque.

• took a field trip to ikea and stocked up on a ridiculous amount of scandinavian holiday goodies. i swear, i will never tire of pepperkaker (ginger snaps) norwegian mulled wine, and kitschy scandinavian decorations.

• found some new places of inspiration on the web: a beautiful yoga podcast, wee textiles, and an inside garden diary.

• and last but not least, finished this book. highly recommended.

have a nice weekend, everyone!

a special giveaway!

today i am delighted to share this romantic giveaway from fifi du vie. i fell in love with this print a while ago, so imagine my excitement when sweet izabella contacted me about offering it as a giveaway on the blog.

the print reminds me of the sense of adventure i felt when simon and i were traveling around new zealand. there's something so enchanting about having a partner in crime, don't you think?

to enter to win, please visit izabella's shop, and leave a comment below by friday evening, november 19th.

good luck!

baby fever.

oh my goodness. between spending time with my friends' little ones and all the adorable baby things i see on the web... my heart is cooing.

here are a few favorites from my some-day-we'll-have-a-baby-and-i-want-all-these-things collection.


from left to right, top to bottom: vintage model airplane from trampoline, giraffe from anthropologie, norwegian village print from rachael anderson, handmade quilt from bonjour celine, felt hedgehog from sara carr, cloud pillow from lena corwin, solar system mobile from cox & cox, hedgehog baby blanket from pata pri, and book collection from lavender and limes.


xo.

the kindness of strangers.

i stumbled on this adorable note today, and just had to share it. :) if you weren't already in a good mood today, did this cheer you up? love it.

(photo credit: greer chicago)

little things i love.

(snapshot from a gorgeous hike this weekend)

• the smell of pine trees.

• waking up in the morning and immediately putting on soft, thick socks.

• picking simon up from the airport when he's been gone for a few days.

• graham cracker crusts.

• playing holiday music while i clean.

• this nail polish.

• the sound of soup bubbling on the stove.
  

• and last but not least, this inspiring video.
  

what little things made you happy today? i'd love to hear!

xo.

p.s. thank you all for your sweet comments on friday. sadly, the bakery job didn't work out. but i'm fine with it. i spent the weekend cooking, hiking, talking, eating, and lounging. i was also lucky enough to meet fellow blogger, tanya, for brunch. so much fun! in other words, i'm feeling better. :)

it's friday!

hm. the past few days have been... interesting. :) as it turns out, life is full of surprises.

last night, in honor of my terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-mood, i threw myself a little pity party. i curled up on the couch, wrapped myself in a big fuzzy white blanket, and cracked open a beer. and then i sat there for a while and just wallowed. it was good times.

here's the thing: one of the greatest lessons i took away from my yoga teacher training was to embrace emotion. often in life, when feelings start to bubble up, whether it's sadness, frustration, anger, whatever; we push the emotions away because it's temporarily easier. (unfortunately the feelings just come back to haunt us at a later stage.)

so... for better or for worse, when i'm in a crappy mood, i embrace it. and i was. luckily, later in the evening, simon came home and made me laugh hysterically. (is there a funnier word than poopsmith?)

so, tell me, what do you do when you're in a grumpy mood?

xo.


p.s. i may have also eaten a lot of cheese. :)

(photo credit: bubustudio)

on teaching.

this morning i taught yoga to four lovely ladies, and it was... delicious. they were warm and loving, and i felt calm, centered and knowledgeable. simply put, i found my groove and it worked.

but there are also days when i have so many doubts about myself as a teacher. i wonder if i'll ever "make it" (i know... what does that mean anyway?). i worry about whether i am using the correct language and providing enough breath cues. i worry about whether my students are content, enjoying themselves, and getting the most out of my class.

all of this being said, one of the things i love most about yoga is that what happens on the mat is often a reflection of what's happening in your life. for example, if you tend to push yourself too hard on your mat, you are probably pushing too hard in your career too.

as it turns out, the same is true in teaching yoga. i worry about my teaching skills, because i worry about where my career is going in general. go figure, eh?

but anyway, today, i'm going to celebrate. i'm going to let my successful morning seep into the rest of my day and my week. and i'm also going to try to remember that teaching yoga is a process of learning and growing just like anything else.

and even though it doesn't always feel like it... i'm probably doing just fine.

namaste.

(photo credit: keri)

calm in your heart.

it's a gray, rainy day in boston, and i'm sitting here with my mug of coffee, feeling very contemplative. so, instead of waxing poetically, i'm going to share this great quote with you:

peace: it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. in means to be in the midst of those things, and still be calm in your heart. -unknown

so, tell me, what's your mood today? peaceful? introspective? joyful?

(photo credit: clumsy bird)

squashed.

meet my new friend, the delicata squash.


i'll be honest, i'm not a great cook. but when i saw this heirloom squash at whole foods the other day i was determined to make something yummy out of it.


sometimes the delicata squash is used only for fall decorations; but it actually has a nice flavor, a little bit like a sweet potato.

i followed this recipe (with an additional dash of cayenne pepper for an extra kick) and it turned out dee-licious.

so, tell me... what's your favorite winter squash? and do you have a favorite recipe?

xo.

naturally nina etsy store!

friends,
i've finally set up a little etsy store featuring some of my photos. it's been a dream for a long time, so i've decided to just go for it. baby steps and all, right? :)

go have a look-see and let me know what you think. and as always, thanks for being such fabulous, supportive readers! happy hump day!

big 'ol hugs.

out and about.

lately, i spend my days getting things done. so, today, i decided to play hooky from all my responsibilities and have a solo adventure around boston. and it was... divine.


it started with a brief walk: hat on my head and camera in hand.


then i went and voted! (and somehow, mysteriously, ended up in a secure area and got escorted out. seriously, how do i get myself into these situations? ha.)


i spent the rest of the morning reading and sipping coffee at athans cafe. (i particularly enjoyed eavesdropping on a couple nearby who were loudly daydreaming about their next vacation.)


a brief stop into a consignment and thrift shop left me inspired, but empty handed. that's probably a good thing. :)


then, i went to the library. what a concept, eh? books i can borrow for free... oh, the possibilities! (i ended up choosing a couple of titles from your suggestions; thank you so much!)


last but not least, i poked around a new antique store in the neighborhood. it was conspicuously empty and quiet, so i just tip toed around and smelled the old furniture.

and now? well, now i am going to try a recipe from julia child's mastering the art of french cooking.

i know, i know, it's such a cliche for a blogger to even so much as open her cook book. (but we got it as a wedding gift, and i can't help myself. the salade a la d'argenson sounds delectable).

wish me luck!

in the quiet moments.

when all i can hear in our little house is the hum of the refrigerator, here are some of the things i think about:

• my yoga practice is like therapy.... only cheaper.

• being married has already exceeded my expectations. the fact that hubby and i are both ridiculously excited about our new vacuum, that's just icing. :) (p.s. how domesticated are we?! yikes.)

• pie-baking might be my new favorite hobby. does anyone have a favorite recipe? yesterday i was wondering if i could bake a pie with figs in it... hm.
  

• pursuing my dreams full-time is harder than i thought it would be. but i am still so lucky to have the chance.

so, what are you thinking about lately?

happy november, friends!

(photo credit: forest bound)