hope and honey

handmade giving - wood bead barrettes

happy wednesday, folks! i am over at la famille today with a simple, quick, but oh so good tutorial for wood bead barrettes. alicia is one of my favorites and it won't take long over at her place to see why. and this handmade giving series she is running is chock full of lovely ideas for all sorts of people in your life. go take a look if you are still in need of christmas gift inspiration or pin away for future occasions. happy making and giving!

xoxo,

annalea

uniquely you for modcloth

an afternoon with my sweethart by annaleahart

Bea Dot mixed print dress / POL brown cardigan / Nylon stocking / Chelsea crew oxford / Zipper bag / Earrings / Red belt

i was recently contacted by modcloth to participate in their uniquely you polyvore challenge. (um, yes!) as part of a group of other "fashion-forward bloggers", i was given one signature piece of modcloth clothing of their choosing (the playful staple of your style dress) and was asked to create a look around it with up to seven other items from their shop. the winning ensemble will be announced next monday and featured on the modcloth polyvore page. super fun, right?

now i felt a bit lost when i first saw this dress. while adorable, it is not something i would normally choose to wear. but i am a sucker for a fit and flare. plus polka dots. i chose to go with a sweet afternoon date look, which makes me just want to find a babysitter and have my jesse whisk me away for a couple hours.

thanks, modcloth, for the chance to play along.

holiday home made lovely tour

would you like to come on inside our casita for a little holiday home tour?

then pop on over to heather's place for a visit.

i'd love to have you over and share a hot drink next to the twinkle lights.

xoxo,

annalea

thanksgiving 2013

it has only been a week since thanksgiving, but we are in full advent mode at casita hart. before beginning an influx of holiday/winter inspired posts, let me spend a moment on one of my favorite holidays of the year.

i think i love thanksgiving so much because it is the start to a sweet season of celebration that lasts through the new year. also, i love to eat good food. and to spend time with others. and to pick out a christmas tree the next day.

for our first new mexican thanksgiving, we hosted a friendsgiving feast for 18. it was so so great. lots of cooking, lots of eating, and lots of thankfulness for these new relationships. it is still crazy to think how much has changed in the past year. this holiday almost felt like the start to our rooted life in the southwest.

the brined roasted turkey was so pretty and even tastier. so much yumminess was brought and enjoyed. through the use of danielle walker's thankful i was able to make all of my dishes paleo or gluten-free, which was quite an undertaking, but not as difficult as i imagined. i highly recommend the recipes in that ebook. the smoky candied bacon sweet potatoes may be my favorite. i could eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.