An Afternoon with Ronin

Readers, meet Ronin! I had the pleasure of going on sunny little photo adventure with him {and his mama} last weekend. Is he not one of the cutest pups ever? He was so chill and relaxed throughout the whole shoot. A natural! I had to capture a few special moments he shared with his mom, Jessica. He wouldn't leave her side, it was quite adorable. Today is her birthday by the way, so Happy Birthday to you, Jessica! I am sure Ronin is dishing out extra charm today. Enjoy his sunny session!

Coco was eagerly waiting behind the scenes for play time with her new friend!

Bloom Theory Camera Straps

Every so often I come across a product that makes me shriek with giddiness. Which I just did when I discovered a link via one of my favorite photographers Simply Bloom to their new line of camera straps, Bloom Theory. I am head over heels in LOVE! Can I just say thank you to them for making these, it is like candy for my eyes. I rarely purchase the fun finds I share with all of you lovelies, but I am going to have to make an exception here. I can't wait to order. Now here's the tough part, which one do I choose? They are all so beautiful! Which one is your favorite?

Bohemian Belle

Ocean Mist

Washed Ashore

Moonshine

Stardust I

Ballet by Degas

I thought I was captivated by Simply Bloom before... lets just say they have a big fan on their hands.

Where to find Bloom Theory: 
Shop their Website 
Like them on Facebook
Follow them on Twitter

Beauty Tips w Coco Bean: Mattie & Margot

Coco and I are so excited to share with you her new favorite fashion accessory, collars by Mattie & Margot. These collars are so sleek and modern, we just love them! They come in almost every color imaginable and are very affordable, which means your pooch {or lovable cat} can easily have a different color for every season. They have also added new striped and bandana patterns just in time for summer! Mattie & Margot's collars are handmade using lightweight, but durable, grosgrain ribbon and their oversized metal grommet buckles make for a trendy look. 

This photo shoot was so much fun! The beautiful array of colors put Coco in such a cheerful mood, she decided to tell her friend Amelia about them. Let's just say miss Amelia felt quite trendy too!

Mattie & Margot collars are handmade in California by Rachael Chiseck, who is not only a dog loving collar designer, she also happens to be one of my very best friends, an interactive designer for Apple {yep, thats right!}, and my co-founder of Spared.org. Really, this girl is awesome, and so are her collars. Want to know what makes Mattie & Margot even more special? 10% of all profit goes toward the startup of our non profit network, Spared.org. 

What is Spared.org? It started out as a our senior design thesis, and now we are working towards making it really happen. Exciting stuff! I'm sure you have all been in a situation where you've had extra blankets or towels laying around the house that you thought a local animal shelter or rescue could use, but did you have a hard time finding their website/wishlists/contact info/donation goals/etc? We did, and we thought we should do something to help out. 

Adorable cat photo featured on our homepage by Thank Dog Photography

Spared's mission is to aid animal shelters + rescue organizations, by involving the community, so they may run more efficiently and ultimately reduce high euthanasia rates. Basically, if you have an extra blanket, pet food, cleaning supplies, or even some spare time or cash, you can donate it. Local animal shelters are always in need of extra supplies and volunteers. With a few clicks of your mouse, a connection can be made, all in one place!

We are so grateful to have had so many talented pet photographers from all over the country offer to donate their images to the site, which has added the perfect touch to our web design. Photographers featured on Spared.org include: Thank Dog Photography, Doodliebop Photography, Blue Mutt Photography, Sarah Beth Photography, Off Leash Photography, Bethany Giannini Photography, and Kelly Coultas Photography. Now we are in the process of finding a developer in hopes for a future launch, which can be quite pricey. For now, we have a demo available on our site that you can click through. We hope you enjoy it!

Coco's Beauty Tip: Color is in! Seize the day and explore collars in every color by Mattie & Margot, you might just find a new favorite, AND you will be helping support Spared.org's future launch. Hooray!

xoxo

.  .  .  .

Where to find:

Mattie & Margot - Etsy + Twitter

Spared.org - Website + Demo + Facebook + Twitter

All Images by Chic Sprinkles

We are thankful... and sort of channeling Cleopatra

This week was a rough one for our little family. I am always checking Coco Bean for anything and everything on her body + skin {you know, just being a mom!}. Well, I noticed a small pink dot on the very top corner of her nose earlier in the week and didn't think too much of it since her eye pigment has slowly changed over the years. I made sure to keep my eye on it, and within a couple of days it rapidly morphed from a pink dot to a pink tumor like lump about the size of a pencil eraser. It didn't seem to be bothering her, but I called her vet right away to make an appointment. It was a long 4 days of googling bumps, lumps, and tumors, and watching her behavior very closely. Needless to say I was a complete and utter worry wart. A million different scenarios raced through my head, and cancer was lodged in the back of my mind. There was no way I was going to get it out of there until I had good confirmation. 

After a long week, we arrived at the vets office on Friday. Bean was nervously shaking, like most dogs at the vet, only to find out I had written the time down wrong and had to wait another hour. An hour wait when I was already so anxious was not what I was wanting to hear, but we made good use of our time by driving around the corner to the pet supply shop. Coco and I walked in and she picked up off the shelf a mini plush alligator toy and walked it right over to the check out counter, getting a lot of oohs and awes while doing so. 

We arrived at the office again, this time her nerves were gone since she had her new little buddy with her, which made me feel a tad better about the situation. We went straight back to the room and proceeded to tell them what was going on. They decided to take some sample test to see what we were dealing with. Since the lump was located in such an awkward spot, they decided to take her in the back room so she wouldn't be distracted or move too much. On the first one they didn't get enough of it to get a good look at the cells, so they had to take her back for a second. The thought of a needle going into her little tumor made my stomach queasy, and even more so thinking of the unknown. The staff could tell I was nervous, and offered me water and lots of comforting words, which I greatly appreciated.   

After the second sampling they left Bean and I in the room alone while they took a look under the microscope. It felt like hours we were waiting, but in reality it was probably only 15 minutes. It seemed like forever, and we both just sat there. Me staring at her and her staring at her new toy. Finally they came back in the room to let us know they would need to send the sample out to a lab because they weren't seeing what they wanted to see. This meant more waiting. They said to go home and have a good weekend, and "try not to think about it". But that's all I did. 

Over the weekend my husband had to go out of town, so it was just Coco and I {and her neighbor boyfriend who we were puppysiting}. I made sure we kept busy and tried to stay positive with lots of prayers and cuddling, and constantly fighting off the tears, which I failed at that several times. Looking at her, it really hit home how important she is to us. She's like the little staple of our home, of our life. She's there for all the ups and downs, always happy and wagging her tail, loving us unconditionally. She has impacted both of our adult lives so much and neither my husband nor I ever wanted to picture our lives without her, but this weekend it gave us a tiny glimpse, and I hated it. To lighten things up a bit, I had a mini photo session with her in our living room. She looked so swanky and stylin' in my pink beaded necklace. It definitely perked up the mood a bit! It's hard not to smile when looking at her furry face. You can't see the tumor in the photos since she has so much fur around it, and I think she probably prefers it that way.

This afternoon I was elated to get a call from our vet letting us know that to all of our relief her tumor was benign histiocytoma, not cancer, and it would slowly go away over a few months. Hooray! I think I let out a little giddy scream over the phone. The Dr. said she was just as anxious as I was to get the news, and called the second the results came it. I think our little Bean definitely had a fan club rooting for her good news! 

This whole scare makes me feel so proud that we have started Coco on a path to a healthier lifestyle. But at the same time, I can't help but think to blame myself, and to think if we had started this a little sooner that it wouldn't have happened. Not that we were loading her with sugar and greasy foods before, but knowing what her ingredients were in her food and treats, and using organic products on and around her. Everything matters, anything can have an impact on your dogs health. We have recently started her on a grain-free 5 star dog food, and are incorporating organic raw fruits and veggies that are rich in nutrients and antioxidants into her diet. Hopefully this is the first and only health issue we ever run into, because I wan't to see her white furry face, pink eye and all, for years to come. My heart is happy, tonight we celebrate!!

xoxo

.  .  .  .

Do you know whats in your dog's food? See the reviews, it might surprise you!

Blue Eggs & the Vegetarian

Hello all! How was your Easter weekend? Lovely, I hope! Since we live so far away from family, our holiday weekend was a somewhat quiet and relaxing one. It consisted mostly of bookstore browsing, reading in the sunshine, fresh air + walks with Coco Bean, and shopping the colorful aisles of our favorite organic market. We are there almost everyday for their fresh veggies and fruit, which brings me to my next announcement: I have officially become a vegetarian, hooray! 

I've pondered the idea for years now, but I was always too nervous since I didn't have much knowledge on nutrition, and I wanted to make sure I was going about it in a healthy way. My main reason back then was because I loved animals too much to eat them. Now, after learning more and more about where the majority of our meat comes from, what the animals we are eating are in fact eating themselves, and how it gets to our plate gives me just as strong of a reason. Not to mention the conditions + treatment most animals have to endure, and that animal protein is a hot topic around heart disease. I am happy to have learned that we can obtain every protein, vitamin, mineral, and nutrient from plant-based foods, and it can do wonders for your body and health. This makes me much more confident in my choice, knowing by eating my fruits + veggies {even by juicing} + nuts + seeds, I am having a balanced diet. 

I've already noticed a world of a difference in my health and overall appearance in the past couple months from not only cutting out meat, but also cutting out grains, gluten, refined sugars + flour + oil, and of course, toxins. It may sounds super hard and complex, but really it is quite simple. Does this mean you can't enjoy food? Of course not! You can still bake and prepare yummy meals everyday. There are plenty of fresh natural alternative ingredients out there that work and taste just as good, and most importantly, are good for you because your body was designed to eat them.

Just to note, I haven't gone vegan, but pretty close to it. I have been able to replace most animal products with healthy superfood substitutes {i.e. coconut and almond milk over dairy milk}. I am still quite fond of sushi, raw honey,  and vegan-diet {no grains} range-free organic eggs, so I won't be giving those up anytime soon. Speaking of which, we have recently been buying blue eggs and they are delicious! Normally I can taste some difference in eggs, but these are just wonderful. They are from Ameraucana Hens, which gives them their gorgeous blue and sometimes minty green color. If you see them in your market, give them a try. They are a little pricier, but you can definitely taste the little splurge. Happy Tuesday, friends!

{Also, I am working on a couple of new sections to add the the blog menu way up top. Keep your eye out for the new additions!}

.  .  .  .

Good reads + documentaries:

Eating for Beauty

Food Rules

Food Matters

Hungry for Change

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Label Designs

I was extremely flattered earlier this year when Heidi from Foodie Crush Magazine asked me to design the printable cookie labels for her and Two Peas & Their Pod's new ebook, Cookie Cravings. I have been a huge fan of Heidi's gorgeous food photography for some time now, so this was an honor for me. There are printable labels designed for every month of the year, and they are adorned with cute sayings like September's 'Dunk Me'. I have to say September's labels were my most favorite to design, they ended up reminding me of an indian summer. I do love me some chevron and warm days in autumn.

Cookie Cravings is now available for download and is jam packed with budget-friendly recipes from Maria Lichty and many other food bloggers. Plus every page is graced with the presence of Heidi's crisp and clean photography and compositions. Definitely a treat for those holidays and special occasions!

Egg Crafting Roundup

It's spring, and who doesn't love a good egg project?? There are so many fun things about springtime, and egg crafting has always been an enjoyable favorite! I have gathered up some of the most creative and eggcelent (had to throw that one in there) DIYs for you and your loved ones to try this week, and just in time for Easter. Your friends and family members will be so impressed by your skills and creativity!

One:
Succulents + Pastels + Eggshells? I must be in heaven because the finished product is just too darn beautiful for words! You can find Jess's whole Indie Twist Easter Egg tutorial over at her beautiful design blog, Roy Joy.

Two:
Confetti Eggs! These bring back so many memories for me. My grandmother use to mail them to me all the way from Texas every Easter. I never really played the 'confetti game', where there is only one glittered egg out of the bunch, and whoever gets it has good luck for the year. My grandma always made sure all 12 eggs were glitter filled (12x the luck!). Gotta love grandmas! You can find Jordan's whole Confetti Egg Tutorial over at Oh Happy Day. She always has such good stuff!

Three:
Tape + Eggs, ooh la la! This is a creative alternative to the traditionally dyed easter egg. How simple and pretty, plus the possibilities are endless! Check out Chelsea's Washi Taped Easter Eggs Tutorial over at Lovely Indeed.

Four:
Dogs love Easter too! Let's not forget about the fluffiest members of the family. Pretty Fluffy has created an easy and fun Doggie Easter Egg Tutorial. Serena + Soda always have the best dog-friendly projects. Don't forget though, this is made with carob, not chocolate. However, your little pals will never know they didn't get the real stuff, they will feel so special!

Enjoy your projects and make some memories!

Beauty Tips w Coco Bean : Bocce's Bakery

A warm springtime hello to the lovely readers out there. I am happy to be back to blogging and ready to share with you the newest segment to the blog, Beauty Tips with Coco Bean. This segment is where Coco and I will share with you all of our personal tips on keeping your dog happy, healthy, and beautiful, inside and out, based on what we have stumbled upon on our journey together.

While the blog was on hold, our little family spent some time learning more about nutrition, toxicity, detoxing, and how important it is to know what we are putting in our bodies because it affects us in more ways that we can imagine. Everything I was hearing about the things that were harmful to us made me stop and think. If they are bad for me then they are certainly bad for Coco! Oh no. Since we are taking the time to change our lives for the better, how could we not include the smallest {and cutest} member of our family? 

After learning and changing my view on food, I was so happy to learn that Bocce's Bakery NYC shared the same view! You might have seen them featured on the Today Show or in People Magazine and many other places. Their treats have been a hit since they are organic, all-natural, and baked with only local healthy ingredients. We were so happy when Andrea & and the super cute Bocce offered to send Coco some of their favorite flavors: The Big Apple Pie, Truffle Mac & Cheese, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and the classic PB'N'J. 

Spring is in the air and what could be a better time to start anew and begin a fresh healthy lifestyle. We picked a springy setting for this healthy treat tasting, equipped with fresh water to cleanse the palette between bites... which Coco took full advantage of! 

Coco's Beauty Tip: Ingest healthy and nutritious foods and minimize toxins by buying organic. You will start to notice a change in your appearance for the better, a shinier coat, less allergies, less itching, more energy, a better attitude, and a better overall health! Also, read ingredients, if you can't pronounce it and it doesn't hold a nutritious value, then you probably shouldn't be eating it.

I think it is safe to say Coco is officially a Bocce's Bakery fan! She loved all of the flavors, especially the The Big Apple Pie, what can I say, the girl loves her apples. Visit Bocce's website to shop and explore all of their flavors. Also, be sure to follow them daily on Twitter & Facebook to keep up with all of their fun adventures and seasonal flavors. Their new spring flavor is The Buzzzz, and it looks delicious!

Stop back by the blog for upcoming healthy recipes and I'll fill you in on what ingredients we are avoiding and why, what foods we are stocking up on, and what the benefits are to detoxing. Have a lovely day!

Photography by Chic Sprinkles

A New Logo & More

Happy Monday, friends. I have exciting news to share, did you see it up there? I finally have a new logo, hooray! I have been wanting to create some new branding for a while now, and fortunately I had some extra time this weekend to sit down and do it. I felt it was definitely time to give the site a little facelift. When I first created Chic Sprinkles, I had no idea I was going to fall in love with blogging so much, so I felt like I owed it to the blog and the readers to create a logo more worthy of the name. I do hope you like it, I'm really digging it! 

One thing I wanted to keep throughout was this pale peachy-pink color. I have been a big fan of the color ever since we got our dog Coco Bean. The connection? Her eyes! She has the most unique eyes, which I completely fell in love with right away. One is outlined in black with the longest black eyelashes, but the other eye is surrounded by this pale peachy-pink color with white eyelashes. It is usually the first thing people notice when they meet her (even though sometimes they think she has some sort of an injury, ha). To me it is absolutely gorgeous and the color will forever remind me of her, so for the logo it was a must!

Not only has the blog gotten an aesthetic boost, I'm also planning on pumping up the content. Quality vs. quantity. I know we all have busy lives and for me so far in 2012 everything has been in high gear. However, I want to dedicate a little more time to the blog and start writing more. Disclaimer: I'm not the best writer, really, not even a little bit. Despite that, I do have lots of little things happening recently that I would love to talk about! 

For one, I'm not sure if written it in a post yet, but my husband is getting his doctorate in chiropractic (thats why we are living down south). So proud of him. He has been teaching me so much about nutrition, toxins, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting me to realize and ask myself 'what the heck is really in my food?'. Needless to say our diets have completely changed along with the items we are buying. We have gone completely organic, yay! I am excited to share with you some of our recipes and favorite products we are finding along the way. Since I am a real newbie, we can learn together, and even better, I would love to hear what some of your favorites are too! Also, if you've noticed there have been fewer and fewer cupcakes to be seen on the blog, now you know why. Don't worry, I am already on top of finding healthy, gluten free, organic, and only naturally sweetened alternatives. Trust me there are plenty of delicious things out there that won't tighten your skinny jeans ;]

Photo by Cannelle et Vanille {love her!}

Oooh, but let me throw this out there now. I am still completely obsessed with food photography. It is too gorgeous not to be. 

Also, I am adding a new segment! Drum roll... Beauty Tips with Coco Bean. This is where miss thing will share any and all of her tips on looking young, feeling great, eating right, and the latest trends in all sorts of accessories and products. She will ham it up I'm sure! Plus, we want to hear your tips too {yes, all you chic pooches out there}! I'm very much looking forward to this.

And as always, any chic finds I come across, I will be sure to share. Have a great day! xoxo

Happy Saturday!

Coco and I wanted to wish you a happy day. The morning light was so soft and pretty when she popped up from her beauty sleep that I decided to capture the moment. Wherever you are and however you are spending your day, we hope you enjoy it! 

Five more minutes, please Mom?

Okay, I'm up!

Images by Chic Sprinkles