Month: March 2012

by Allison

World War 2 memorials in Warsaw Poland

I’ve been having a hard time corralling my thoughts about all the World War 2 memorials in Warsaw Poland from our family trip last summer, but it’s time to share.

world war II memorials warsaw poland

Honestly, a huge part of my desire to visit Warsaw while Viktor’s parents were still alive was so my children would learn about their heritage straight from Babcia and Dziadek {grandma and grandpa} in their home country.  The things Viktor’s family has experienced over the last several generations are almost unfathomable, and I needed my children to see it with their own eyes so they would appreciate what kind of life they live due to the sacrifices of their ancestors.

World War II memorials warsaw

We walked everywhere in Warsaw, and every time we left the apartment we came across a memorial like this one.  A plaque in the middle of the sidewalk briefly detailing the approximate number of people murdered by German soldiers in that spot in one day during World War 2.  The first time we saw one of these memorials my sweet Precocious almost threw up.  She’s old enough to understand exactly what it all means and that it happened to so many of her daddy’s family and friends.  At each … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

What’s in your purse series week 82

This week’s What’s in Your Purse Series is from Anne.  Thanks Anne!

If you love this series and want more of it, submit your purse. Take two photos of your purse {NICE, CLEAR, NOT-BLURRY ONES} one of the outside, one of the inside, along with a listing of the contents to:

allison AT petitelefant DOT com

what's in your purse week 82

My purse is a basic black bag that my husband bought me about 5 years ago.  The brand is Longchamp and it has held up amazingly.

What’s in it? Until a few minutes ago, I had no idea.

what's in your purse series week 82
Row 1:
  • -Ziploc bag of extra kid’s clothes, some of which have been outgrown
  • -Central Market gift card
  • -frequent user card from the cafeteria in the basement of the state capitol
  • -business card from the beauty school where I get my hair dyed various colors on the cheap
Row 2:
  • -receipts and my W-2
  • -my Junior League badge
  • -Kleenex, both used and unused
Row 3: 
  • -red luggage tag
  • -purse hanger
  • -Twix (how have I not eaten this yet?)
  • -collar stays from the dry cleaner (taken out of my husband’s shirt)
  • -Coach wallet and my state employee ID badge
Row 4:

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

Perfect Springtime punch

It’s Spring-y out.  Okay, it’s flat out Spring.  Officially anyway.  Utah’s Spring is a little different than it is for the rest of the world.  Here it’s just less cold than it usually is, which is to say: cold-ish.  Which is neither here nor there.  What IS here and there is a perfect Springtime punch recipe I’ve put together for you!

perfect springtime punch

Make it how you want, it’s your party and you can drink if you want to.  I don’t drink so my version of this punch recipe is non-alcoholic, but if you like you can use vodka and a fruit liqueur to spice things up.  This is your rodeo, not mine.

party drink

Let me lay it on you, this thing is all citrus and it is so right.  So good, so right, so perfect for Spring.  This drink will carry you through slushy Spring into magnificent, beautiful, glorious Summer.

Perfect Springtime Punch:

  • 3 cups orange juice, fresh/frozen/pre-made
  • 4-6 limes freshly squeezed, about 3/4 cup juice
  • 1 grapefruit freshly squeezed, about 1/3 cup juice
  • 1-2 oranges freshly squeezed, about 2/3 cup juice
  • 2 limes, 2 oranges, 1 grapefruit cut into wedges for garnish

Start with a base of 3 … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games

The world is exploding right now with The Hunger Games.  Okay, maybe not the whole world, but definitely my corner of it.  Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy?  Suzanne Collins, the author of the series has written what are arguably some of the best novels ever written.  If you haven’t read them, go do it now.  I’ll wait.

Done?  Good.  That’s about how long it took me to devour the set.

Hunger Games - Katniss
The first book, The Hunger Games, was turned into a movie which was released in theaters over the weekend.  I thought I was strong enough to wait until the crowds died down before I ventured into theaters, but I was wrong. 

I am no Katniss Everdeen.

This is the first time, maybe ever, I haven’t been disappointed in a movie adaptation of a favorite book.  The movie was SO good and the 2 1/2 hours {seriously.} flew by so fast I was ready for the next one on the spot.  That never happens.  I’m all kinds of invested and dying a little that the next movie isn’t slated to come out until November 2013.  I’m just not that patient.

I’ll spend the next FOREVER re-reading the original

… >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

Sunrise in the Czech Republic

I leave you for the weekend with some photos of Europe.  Viktor snapped these pictures from our train car as we were headed into Prague for the day.  The children and I were completely sacked out, blissfully oblivious to the whole world {you’ve never slept until you’ve slept on a moving train – I slept like the dead} while Viktor captured the morning calm of a new country.

We have shots like this from every different country we visited in Eastern Europe, slices of the countryside outside major cities.  Farms, animals, people walking to the market with a cart full of produce to sell for the day.  There’s nothing like it, it’s just pure magic looking into people’s lives for a fraction of a second behind the glass.

before sunrise in the czech republic

sunrise in europe

sunrise in the Czech Republic

 Have a happy weekend, even if we aren’t in the Czech Republic looking at a beautiful sunrise.… >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

What’s in your purse series week 81

I’ve been a little under the weather over here at casa Czarnecki, so I’ve missed a few weeks of the What’s in your purse series.  This week though?  This week totally makes up for all my sins of transgression.  This week’s What’s in Your Purse Series was submitted by Cathy who’s purse we checked out on week eighty. Thanks Cathy! Cathy found the purse of her husband’s grandmother with an amazing little peek inside.  Check it out.

If you love this series and want more of it, submit your purse. Take two photos of your purse {NICE, CLEAR, NOT-BLURRY ONES} one of the outside, one of the inside, along with a listing of the contents to:

allison AT petitelefant DOT com

what's in your purse series week 81

The purse itself is pretty adorable.  A little crochet black clutch with a plastic handle, just enough to hold a lipstick and some cash.  And maybe…

what's in grandmas purse

some old {now vintage} silk stockings.

Are you dying?  I’m dying.

in her purse series

Grandma tucked her old purse away with a pair of silk stockings, seams up the back and all.

My grandmother told me all  kinds of stories about silk stockings with seams up the back.  They were apparently impossible to … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

yummy gluten free quinoa salad

A few months ago I announced I’m vegan now and trying my hardest to eat gluten free as well. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a rough four months trying to completely re-educate myself about healthy and safe foods, in addition to incorporating the changes into my family’s meals.

quinoa salad with asparagus and oranges

Surprisingly, eating vegan has been so much easier than eating gluten free. But trying to find something to eat that’s both gluten free AND vegan?

Fugheddaboutit.

It feels like mission impossible, so I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting at home to come up with recipes my whole family will eat. I’m trying new recipes all the time, trying to find a handful of new standbys for my kiddos.

There’s a lot of trickery involved. Wizard hats and magic spells and whatnot.

quinoa salad with oranges

One of my most recent meal successes was a gorgeous, yummy gluten-free quinoa salad with dates and oranges and general deliciousness. I found a recipe I liked and used it as a guideline, adapting it to make it my own.

Magical things happened in my kitchen that day.

You won’t feel deprived for even a second eating this gluten-free dinner salad. In fact, I’ll bet you’ll ask for … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

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by Allison

Some spring fashion for you

Today is the first day of spring. Finally.  In honor of the changing season I put together an outfit I’m dreaming about, some spring fashion for you.  And, I’ll be honest, a little bit for me.

There might be snow on the ground outside but I’m having happy warm thoughts thinking about sunny days ahead.  Days with new sunglasses, fancy lady hats, perfectly breezy skirts and a favorite cold drink.

Spring!

 

 

I really can’t get this maxi skirt out of my head.  And the sunglasses!  Just stop it right now, no you, you stop.  I’ve never owned a straw hat like this one, but I think it’s time; I’m not getting any younger over here.

This whole outfit makes me want to steal away somewhere exotic with nothing more than a weekend bag and my passport.

I can almost feel the ocean breeze in my hair.… >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

by Allison

How to home pedicure tips and tricks

I’m not going to lie to you, today’s post includes a lot of gratuitous photos of my feet.  Not because I have a weird foot fetish – gross – today it’s all about how to home pedicure tips and tricks.  How ’bout them apples?  I really do apologize about the feet, but I couldn’t really find a way to do a how to pedicure post without showing an actual, you know, pedicure.

Whatever.

how to home pedicure tips and tricks

Tomorrow is the FIRST DAY OF SPRING!  Can you believe it?  I usually have a manicure, and I almost always have my toenails painted, but the first day of spring is just another reason to get out the scrub and polish and get my feet in gear.  No one wants to see cracked, dry, yellow toenails in sandals.  No one.

Let’s get started, shall we?

home pedicure

  • 1. File your nails.  Go for a square shape with rounded corners.
  • 2. Fill a small sink or tub with warm water.
  • 3. Add about 1/2 cup Epsom salt.
  • 4. Soak feet for 5 minutes.

home pedicure tips

  • 5. Scrub and smooth heels and callouses.  Rinse feet and pat dry.
  • 6. Use toe separators {you can use toilet paper in a

    • … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.