STYLING YOUR SUMMER TABLE WITH FORAGED FLOWERS

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When it comes to styling a table, I love foraged flowers and leaves. They really give an "organic" feel that commercially-grown flowers don't quite have. Don't get me wrong, I NEED those flower mart flowers, but adding that foraged element just does something special!  

Bougainvillea is wildly abundant in Southern California (it's drought tolerant!) and its stunning color was the perfect fit for the kids' birthday party earlier this summer. [Even though bougainvillea isn't tropical, it went with our Mexican destination celebration-inspired theme.] 

The fun part of styling with these beauties is you just pluck and stick, pluck and stick until you love the look. They fill in gaps beautifully and create a lush landscape.

They look equally great on the table itself or placed strategically on a serving tray.

Design: Twink + Sis

Photos: Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography

Party supplies: Meri Meri

Pinatas: Prospect Goods

Cake and copper cake stands: Whisk and Whittle

Brass cake stands: Borrowed BLU

Tables, benches, blankets, pillows: Yeah! Rentals

FIVE THINGS TO INSPIRE YOUR LABOR DAY CELEBRATION

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When I think Labor Day, I think hot dogs and hamburgers at the beach. Right? But what about things like popsicles and lemonade at the park? We've got you covered! Here's some "non-traditional" Labor Day inspiration.

Popsicles are a great dairy-free alternative to ice cream. We loved Sweet Clementine's strawberry-rose treats at the Hedley & Bennett mini apron launch.

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

Summer is synonymous with fruit, and it looks so pretty laid out on a tray! These beautiful slices are from Heirloom LA.   

photo by Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography for twink + sis

photo by Jenna Elliott of One Eleven Photography for twink + sis

Balloons? Yes, balloons! And some tassel garlands too! Decor by Sis.

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than lemonade. Nothing! Lemonade by Twink. 

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

PHOTO BY JENNA ELLIOTT OF ONE ELEVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FOR TWINK + SIS

And lastly, I could be a vegetarian if it came with farmers' market crudités and homemade ranch dip from Heirloom LA every day. Yeah!

IT'S NATIONAL WAFFLE DAY

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It's National Waffle Day!

I don't know about you but when it comes to waffles, I actually prefer a heartier version to the traditional fluffy, sugary kind. So I've pulled together five beautiful recipes with a focus on paleo, gluten free and grain free, in the hopes of inspiring you today.

If you're hungry for more waffle recipes, Brit + Co. has 26 to share!

GLUTEN-FREE PEACH + BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE

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I am continuing the #NationalPeachMonth party today with this gluten-free and refined sugar-free peach + blueberry crumble. I have been making this a lot lately and it has been quite the crowd pleaser! I like that the crumble is "real food," packed with organic fruit and sweetened with maple sugar, instead of refined or cane sugar. And it's got lots of good healthy butter! Say what?! "HEALTHY BUTTER?!" See my post from last week about the health benefits of high quality, grass-fed butter. So here we go! Let's make a summer fruit crumble for the whole family to enjoy!

Filling Ingredients:

5 - Medium Sized Peaches, cut in 1/3" slices

3 Cups (1-1/2 Pints) - Blueberries

1/2 Cup -  Maple Sugar

1/4 Cup - Pamela's All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

Juice of One Lemon

2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

1 Dash of Salt

6 Tablespoons - (Good Organic!) Cold Butter, Cubed

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Preheat overn to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine peach slices, blueberries, maple sugar, gluten-free flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Gently toss until fruit is completely covered by the other ingredients. Add butter cubes and toss until better pieces are thoroughly scattered around the fruit. Pour fruit filling into a pie dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until the blueberries start breaking. You want to make sure that you see blueberry "goo" before you proceed to the next step. 

While the fruit filling is cooking, make the crumble topping.

Crumble Ingredients:

1-1/2 Cups - Finely Ground Almond Flour

3/4 Cup - Almond Meal

1/2 Cup - Maple Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon - Salt

1/4 Teaspoon - Cinnamon

6 Tablespoons - Butter (left at room temp for 5-10 minutes. If butter is soft, it won't make crumble as well), cubed

**I like the combination of two almond flours for the topping. I prefer the taste of the finely ground flour but I think adding a little course meal adds better texture. If you only want to bother with one type, use finely ground flour and make it total 2-1/4 cups.

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In a clean bowl, combine the almond flour, almond meal, maple sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir until combined. 

Add butter cubes and with your hands, mix into the dry mixture, until the crumble looks like damp corn meal.

Place the crumble back into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown. 

Allow to cool for 30 min. before serving. Serve with homemade or Straus Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for the ultimate summer treat. 

PARTY TIME! EXCELLENT BALLOONS

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We love parties! So I thought we'd dedicate today to party supplies, specifically balloons. There are so many incredible balloons now -- just one gets me in the party spirit. It makes sense that the queen of party crafting, Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day, now has an online party decor shop. I mean, dream come true, right? So lets start with some our favorites from OHD and move onto more great picks!