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Artisanal chocolate bars

February 3, 2015

Compartes Chocolatier artisanal chocolate bars

A few years ago, Jordan was sent on a last-minute work trip overseas and missed Valentine’s Day. Thankfully, he was only away for a couple of days, one of which he spent in London. Although we don’t usually exchange Valentine’s Day gifts, he brought me home a giant chocolate slab from Hotel Chocolat as a romantic gesture.

Yes, one of the ways to my heart is through my sweet tooth. If I remember correctly, the artisanal chocolate bar (which weighed more than a pound!) was a mixture of milk, strawberry, and white chocolate topped with a chocolate heart and other edible embellishments.

It was almost too beautiful to eat. So I didn’t.

That gorgeous piece of chocolate sat in the pantry until the following Valentine’s Day. Ridiculous, right? I repeatedly, deliberately chose not to break into it when I needed a chocolate fix because I thought such a gourmet treat should be saved for a special occasion.

Then, after a while, I sort of forgot it was there. By the time we ate the Hotel Chocolat slab — which, now that I’m thinking about it, was probably the following summer — it was well past it’s “best by” date. Sadly, it wasn’t even that tasty, although I’m sure it was absolutely delicious when it was fresh.

Compartes Chocolatier artisanal chocolate

I’d like to think I learned my lesson. That if somebody gifted me an artisanal chocolate bar now, I’d make sure to enjoy it right away. Especially if it was a Compartes Chocolatier chocolate bar.

Have you ever heard of the Los Angeles-based chocolate factory and chocolate store? Recently, I’ve been noticing beautifully packaged Compartes chocolate bars appearing in my Instagram feed and had to investigate.

Oh my god, their flavors are as unique as their eye-catching wrappers: White chocolate with cereal and marshmallows. Milk chocolate with donuts and organic coffee grounds. Dark chocolate with biscuits and honey (Say what?!)

I doubt I’d be able to resist devouring a Compartes chocolate bar for a whole year, but I’d still try to savor it slowly — each bar costs between $10-$13!

(top images from Instagram, bottom images from the Compartes website)

 

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Home Tour: Levi’s Blue & White Striped Nursery

January 20, 2015

blue and white striped nursery | a girl named pj

blue and white striped nursery | a girl named pj

Before Levi was born, I shared my inspiration board for his nursery design but never followed up with photos of his actual room. Although it’s been a while since his bedroom looked like this (we don’t even live in Omaha anymore!), I’d love to show them to you now.… READ MORE!

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5 food gifts to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth (and other holiday cravings)

December 13, 2014

Food gifts for the holidays | A Girl Named PJ

I used to think that sending somebody a food gift was a cop-out because buying something edible required less thought (and was therefore less meaningful) than a non-perishable present. Given all of the delicious and inspiring food gifts on the market, I now recognize the ridiculousness of my logic! Here are five food-related gifts I’d be excited to give — or receive! — this holiday season… READ MORE!

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How to Create a Comfortable Guest Room for Overnight Guests

December 10, 2014

Although I received compensation for writing this post, all opinions are my own. Be sure to check out the $500 Wayfair giveaway at the bottom of this post!

How to create a comfortable guest room for overnight guests | A Girl Named PJ

I’d like to think I’m a hospitable host. When friends and family came to stay with us in Omaha, I always made sure there were clean sheets on the guest room bed and clean towels hanging in the bathroom.

Of course, there’s more to creating a comfortable guest room than doing a couple loads of laundry. Based on my experiences as both hostess and guest, I have a few tips on how to prepare your house for overnight guests — welcome baskets excepted.

The good news is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money on decorating the guest room. In fact, it’s often best to keep things simple, as your guests may not necessarily share your taste in decor. You don’t want anybody to worry about accidentally breaking a delicate piece of antique furniture or to feel claustrophobic in a room painted black.

You get the idea.

Here’s all you really need to create a welcoming guest room for overnight guests:

A comfortable bed, a set of nightstands, and some lamps for nighttime reading.

A couple of empty dresser drawers, plenty of hangers (and extra space) in the closet, and a full-length mirror for getting dressed.

A throw blanket and fan for guests who prefer the room to be warmer or cooler at night.

A luggage rack isn’t necessary, but it’s a nice touch. It’ll keep suitcases off the floor…and off your clean duvet.

And to prepare the bathroom for guests:

A set of matching towels. Since I typically use two towels when I shower (one for my body, one for my hair), I also appreciate it when a host offers a bath sheet and bath towel (or two towels), in addition to a hand towel and washcloth.

A towel rack to accommodate all of those matching towels.

Extra rolls of toilet paper in an accessible holder so guests don’t have to rummage through your cabinets looking for some.

A toilet plunger. Because shit happens — and guests don’t want to have to ask.

Looking to go the extra mile? Brand new travel-size toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, and mouthwash, and a fresh bar of soap are lovely to leave in the bathroom. In the guest room, a small bouquet of flowers, some bottled water, and a piece of paper with your Wifi password are always appreciated.

Giveaway

I’m partnering with Wayfair to give away a $500 gift card to Wayfair.com. Enter using the giveaway widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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How to Mix and Match Pillows

November 21, 2014

how to mix patterns at home | a girl named pj

Hanging out in my sister’s apartment in New York City earlier this month, I had the sudden urge to redecorate — or, at least, rearrange a few things.

First, a gorgeous (and enormous!) painting by her friend, Angela Costanzo, that was hanging in the hallway replaced the gallery wall over her living room sofa. These photos seriously don’t do justice to the beautiful artwork. Then, I moved a tall standing lamp from one side of the sofa to the other in order to fill the corner.

It’s all about small changes, friends.

Excited about this mini makeover, my sister asked for my help replacing the mismatched green and purple throw pillows, which she didn’t think coordinated with the rest of her living room.

how to mix patterns at home | a girl named pj

how to mix patterns at home | a girl named pj

Keeping in mind all of the rules I’ve read over the years about how to mix patterns in your home — set small patterns against large ones, limit your palette, include one big solid — I began browsing Wayfair for some decorative pillows. I’ll admit it took a long time to narrow my search; there were so many options and I wasn’t sure whether to pull color from the rug or the painting.

That the shade of the hand-me-down sofa is indeterminate (I think it’s black, my sister claims it’s dark purple) only made my decision-making more challenging. I wanted something that would pop against the dark couch but wouldn’t compete with the busy pattern of the rug. Mixing and matching decorative pillows has always been hard for me, even when I try to take the “don’t over-coordinate” approach to decorating.

Eventually, I landed on the pair of embroidered Safavieh decorative pillows in the photos above. The indigo lattice motif complemented the blues in the rug, and the linen background seemed to work with the neutral shades in Angela’s painting.

What do you think?

how to mix and match decorative pillows | a girl named pj

1 / 2 / 3

Some other decorative pillows I was considering include these three options. I still like the idea of bringing in a metallic accent, like pillow #1.

I may suggest my sister add one or two of those pillows to the mix because I think they’d all work together, but I’d love a second (or third…or fourth…) opinion.

Do you prefer any of these choices? How do you mix and match pillows on a sofa?

Thank you to Wayfair for providing me with a gift card to buy these decorative pillows. As always, all opinions are my own. If you’re looking to update your own living room, take 15% off any pillow, pouf, or throw with the code WFPTP15. Offer expires November 24, 2014.

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Home Tour: Basement Playroom

November 20, 2014

You need to explain because it's a new company to us, it's been assigned to you for review so you need to receive a press sample of the product to be able to evaluate.

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that I took a train into New York City on Monday to visit the #nodfamilyhome — a gorgeous 5-story brownstone furnished entirely by The Land of Nod. While I was there, I got a sneak peek at Nod’s Spring ’15 collection (amazing!) and got crafty with the incredibly talented Lotta Jansdotter.

I had so much fun exploring the kid-friendly home and getting ideas on how to create spaces that are both playful and sophisticated. While I was there, however, I started feeling nostalgic for our house in Omaha, especially for the boys’ rooms and our basement playroom… READ MORE!

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Making healthy choices during the holidays

November 17, 2014


Healthy snack options while working | A Girl Named PJ

My sweet tooth loves this time of year. Starting with Halloween candy and ending with Christmas cookies, there’s no shortage of confections to be eaten this season…which is why my waistline is usually less than thrilled during the holidays.

This year, however, I have an excuse to enjoy a few extra treats. I’m still breastfeeding Asa, and since milk production burns approximately 500 calories a day, I can add that many calories back into my typical diet. Pumpkin pie every night!

OK, so that only happened for one week last month. (Costco’s pumpkin pie is SO good!) I know I shouldn’t be indulging as often, especially because I’m in the habit of grazing throughout the day and eating dessert before bed… READ MORE!

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Five Faves: Upholstered Benches

October 22, 2014

upholstered benchesAfter a family dinner date at the diner Saturday night (try saying that five times fast!), we popped into Target for a couple of essentials… READ MORE!

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How to Brew Coffee with a Chemex

October 21, 2014

how to use a chemexIt’s time for our third lesson in manual brewing methods: How to use a Chemex.

Before JB and I learned how to use the various manual coffeemakers, including a French press and Clever, we decided we’d purchase whichever one we liked best. I’ll admit I was hoping the Chemex would be my favorite simply for aesthetic reasons. The hourglass-shaped glass with polished wood collar and leather tie would be a beautiful addition to our morning coffee ritual.

The design is so iconic, in fact, that it’s on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, among other institutions.… READ MORE!

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