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Finds and Favorites

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A $4.00 cross-body clutch from Conway that’s surprisingly roomy and well-constructed.  This bag is so versatile, I’m thinking of buying another one in the purple/black combination.

Bowron’s Shorn Wool Baby comforter is unbelivably soft; it stays cool in the summer, warm in the winter and can absorb up to 33% of its weight in moisture. The baby fell asleep as soon as I put him on it, despite having recently woken up from an 8 hour slumber.  This sheepskin comes from the Bowron family in the Australia’s highlands.  They tan the wool using  the same eco-friendly techniques since the 1880s.  Each of these lasts a lifetime, if not longer.

I’ve had to pare down on my subscriptions lately, since there is no way I can keep up with all the reading.  A few things, however, will always remain on my reading list and The Sun is among them.  This little magazine is full of heavy-hitting but elevating little poems, short stories and interviews with visionaries.  Its kind of like a Highlights for adults–I always look forward to and devour each issue.  The Sun is ad-free and is always looking for new people to join their reading community.

Finds and Favorites

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I love incense–it’s a big part of my upbringing and its heady smell reminds me of home.  Lately, I’ve been using a lot of this hand-rolled in incense from Ramakrishnanda.  My favorite scent is Yamuna, which has vanilla, copal and amber in it.  The scent is pretty strong but it’s gorgeous and there’s a lingering after-scent that makes the room smell warm and inviting.  Visitors often remark on how good the house smells when they enter–it’s all because of this incense!  I buy these at a local shop but you can purchase them here.

I’ve been doing a lot of spring/summer cleaning and found this necklace at the bottom of my jewelry box.  I decided to rotate it back into my summer wardrobe because the big, milky blue gems remind me of seaglass–perfect for wearing with a breezy, beachy maxi dress.

If you haven’t heard of it, Rockabye Baby makes baby-friendly versions of rock and pop favorites.  For me, the lullaby renditions of the Smashing Pumpkins are beyond sweet and amazing; I downloaded a few of the tunes for fun post-birth listening.  Check them out!

In Bloom

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I love having fresh flowers around the house.  Here are some quick tips to get the most bang for your buck when buying flowers for your home:

  • Buy flowers that are almost blooming but not quite there yet (see above).  After a day or two of care, they’ll bloom beautifully and you’ll have fresh blooms for longer.  The stargazer lilies above bloomed beautifully and continuously for several days after I got them.  Look closely at the flowers you are buying: if too many flowers are already in full bloom or the stems are mushy and old, your cut flowers will not last very long when you bring them home.
  • Cut the stems at an angle under running water as soon as you get home.
  • Clear away any foliage towards the bottom of the stems–leaves deteriorate faster than stems and can start polluting the water more quickly.
  • Immerse stems in luke-warm water.  Instinctively, I used to always put flowers in cold water, envisioning the thirsty stems drinking up nice cold water.  The truth is that cut flowers actually take up warmish water faster.
  • Use that packet of flower food the florist gives you–it actually makes a difference.
  • Don’t use too much water–just enough so that there’s an inch of water around the bottom of the stems.
  • And finally, change the water every day to keep things fresh.  This can be annoying but it’s key to keeping your flowers fresher for longer.  Otherwise, you may want to invest in a nice potted plant.

Bun Tool and Giveaway

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Some time ago, we discovered what we consider to be the perfect bun tool. This easy-to-use little device creates secure and clean looking buns – much easier than using donuts or socks.  In our video, we show you how to make a simple top knot.  The tool can be used to make a variety of buns and even other styles like french twists!

Giveaway Details

We love the Perfect Bun Tool so much, that we’re giving two sets away this week!

  • Each set includes a small and large bun tool.
  • The deadline to enter is Tuesday, June 26, 11:59pm (ET).
  • Winners will be announced on Thursday, June 28.

Ways to Enter

There are two ways to enter and you can do them both for two chances to win. Otherwise, you can choose one way below.

  1. Leave a comment on the video (if you enjoy it we’d appreciate a thumbs up as well!).
  2. Follow us on twitter @inailablog and retweet (RT) the following message:

    Follow @inailablog and RT to win The Perfect Bun Tool Set! http://bit.ly/NpuhCB

If you want more information on how to purchase your own  The Perfect Bun Tool Set, please email mubina@inaila.com for more information.

An Event and A Photographer

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Some friends and family recently helped throw me an awesome, memorable baby shower at the Queens Botanical Garden.  I knew about the shower well in advance so the one thing I wanted to add on my own was to hire a photographer.  I’m a big fan of hiring photographers, even for smaller events.  I think it lets everyone relax and not have to worry too much about taking photos and, then later, exchanging photos.  It gives me peace of mind to know that important moments are being documented by someone.  It doesn’t have to be complicated: for my shower, I hired the wonderful Mayumi, who offered a really reasonable, no-frills type of package.  Once you have the digital files, you can pick and choose the best images.  And, it’s a good idea to communicate with your photographer about your expectations beforehand.  In this case, I gave Mayumi a short list of “essentials”: photos that I really wanted to see (i.e. foods of the decor, food, photos of family together) and she did an amazing job!

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