Photobird Photography

Please, please do not, and I’m slightly begging here, buy any more Target or Ikea Prints. Just don’t. There’s no reason when there are so many amazing artists out there that offer affordable, beautiful art. And please do not buy mass-printed generic art if you are an artist - support other artists!

And a great artist to start with if you love photography is Jennifer Causey, whose still life’s are so incredible stunning, simple and wonderful in any home or environment. I’ve purchased a print and a set of postcards, both of which have always elicited ooh’s and ahh’s followed by “where can I get that?”

Her work speaks to me in a subtle, beautiful way. It inspires me a great deal to see the ordinary things in a more extraordinary way - and that’s what art should be about. Inspiring your daily life and not just filling up wall space.

Buy at: Photobird

El Naturalista Clog

When I saw these shoes I was instantly smitten and anyone who knows me that’s rare (I’m a boot girl). But the colour (I actually bought them in black), design and shape looked amazing so I had to give them a try. And I was even more surprised to discover not only did they look great, but they felt great too.This Italian company believes in more than just pretty footwear; with a green conscious they create beautifully designed, eco friendly shoes that give support to your feetand the environment.

Listen to this: “The upper is made from Stream Leather; tanned with vegetable extracts, ground tree bark and churned for weeks in a special cylinder. It is treated by hand with animal fat, olive and sunflower oil. This naturally protects the shoes from water, dirt and everyday wear. Insoles are a recycled carbon compound that give added support and breathability. The exclusive Frog Shock System is a specially cushioned insole that absorbs the harsh impacts to the heel. The Comfort Last is anatomically angled. The outline adapts to the natural shape of your foot. The Recycled Rubber Outsole is environmentally conscience.”

The thick soles keep your feed high and dry plus keep you from slipping on wet surfaces. The design prevents your foot from slipping out whilst giving you amazing support. And the comfort? Well, let’s just say I hiked in them in the Big Woods on the West Coast and my feet felt better after than those of my sneaker wearing counter parts (plus I got a lot more compliments!)

Never before have I seen a shoe that had style, comfort and a mission. I know this won’t be my last pair of El Naturalista’s!

BUY AT: Nordstrom and El Naturalista

VillaWare V3200 Classic Belgian Waffler

Now, you don’t think I’d give a glowing review of a waffle mix without including a review of the best waffle maker, did you? So here we go!

A year ago I stayed with a friend who always kept a batter of waffle mix in her fridge to just pour into a waffle maker for a quick and easy breakfast. She’d skip the syrup, putting jam on instead, and eat them on the way to work. Brilliant, I thought, and began my search.

Criteria? Deep pockets. If you’re going to make waffles, make waffles. Price. I didn’t want to spend $100. Ease of use and cleanup. I wanted something nonstick, something that wouldn’t take up a lot of space, something that would heat up quickly and let me know. Something that had control so I could make the waffles crispier if need be.

For under $30, the Villaware Belgian Waffle Maker fit the bill perfectly! After reading rave reviews about it on several sites, I decided to give it a go and haven’t been let down yet (and I use mine a lot. The deep pockets create thick, wonderful waffles that hold the butter and syrup perfectly. It heats quickly and cooks the waffles evenly. And with temperature control you can adjust the crispiness of your waffles.

Breakfast was never so easy - or so good.

BUY AT: Amazon

Namaste Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I firmly believe that a good breakfast should include the four major food groups: waffles, syrup, butter and tea. However, over the last few years my breakfasts have been rather sad as I haven’t been able to eat waffles. Or, if I could find a gluten-free waffle mix they were always too dense, too cakey or just too terrible to eat.

But breakfast is once again beautiful thanks to Namaste Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix. Oh. My. Word are these the best waffles - I’ve even served them to those who can eat regular waffles and they’re converted to these. They’re light, they bake crisp and moist, and the taste? UNbelievable.

All you need to add is water, eggs, a little oil and mix. For non-morning people, this is an easy thing to do. I end up putting a little more water into my mix so that it’s not as thick for my waffle machine and they come out amazingly well. I haven’t tried them in the 5th food group yet - pancakes. That sounds like a good way to start the day tomorrow…!

BUY AT: Amazon, Whole Foods and Namaste Foods

Color of Love

I’m actually not one to celebrate Valentines Day but when I saw this book I thought that perhaps this year I’ll get myself a Valentine if only to give them this book.First of all, The Color of Love is a wonderfully large hardcover book that’s tucked into a beautiful hard case. It’s also an extraordinarily beautiful book because of the warm, colourful pages that were once hand made and silk-screened. The poems (from writers such as Porter, Shakespeare and Rumi) are handwritten and range from sonnets to odes to haiku’s.

Not only is the book beautiful, but also it’s unique which is what I think a Valentine ought to be.

BUY AT: Amazon & Anthropologie

Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

It’s only fair to celebrate this site’s five year anniversary with cake - and gluten-free at that! For those of you who remember its (humble) beginnings on my personal site as “Alex’s A-List” in January 2002, thank you for continuing to read! For those of who have only discovered it since it became it’s own site as Pet the Pretty Things, I’ll have another anniversary to celebrate with you because I need more reasons to keep ordering Mama Z’s Gluten-Free Cake!I discovered Crave Bakery on my recent trip to San Francisco and, after one bite, realised they had the perfect name. Unlike most gluten-free baked goods which can be dry, nasty and hardly ever have frosting, this one is moist, rich and oh so creamy. Containing just a few organic ingredients it combines taste with quality. And the quality is so good you would honestly never be able to tell it’s gluten-free. Which is all the more reason to find as many reasons as possible to celebrate!

BUY AT: Crave Bakery