ribbon

I have been working on Jingle Bell wreaths this week. Early, yes I know. I am getting them ready for a display table for a workshop I am helping with. I want to offer more than ribbon option for the workshop. Here are some of the ones I am considering.

This one I imagine on a smaller version, with small bells.

In my mind I would wrap this one around the top a few times and let the ends hang.

mobile

Since discovering Spearmint Baby this week, I have spent a good deal of time perusing it. I love this mobile, sweet and simple.

recipe makeovers

I found these "recipe makeovers" on Martha Stewart today. They took some classic recipes and made some substitutions to make them healthier. I am intrigued. If they taste good they might become permanent replacements. These ones looked the best to me.

chicken enchiladas


artichoke dip


fudge brownies

history as wall art

Have you ever heard of the silk maps they made during World War 2? They would give them to soldiers going behind enemy lines and some they would package in the back of monopoly boards and send them to the Prisoner's of War to help them escape.

Consider World War 2 silk escape maps added to my Christmas wish list. I know, I am a nerd.

abc

I love this alphabet found via Tangled and True via Spearmint baby.

weekend away

I am back from Kentucky, where it never stops raining! My top recommendation for the Lexington area is the Henry Clay house, Ashland. It was amazing.

etsy on friday

Some of my favorites today.

Peacock earrings

Gold Peacock Earrings

Locket

newest book purchase

For one of my classes I have to do three book reviews. Being lazy, I put some serious time into finding books less than 300 pages long, this is one of them. This marks the beginning of mind numbing reading choices.

riding boots

I have been wanting a pair of riding boots for a while now. I can never seem to find ones that are just right. I saw these two pairs in my searches this week, and I like them, a lot.

Ralph Lauren via e-bay. I just wish the heel were a bit lower.

I saw these ones on Say YES to Hoboken the other day. Who knew Victoria Secret made boots? I like these ones too.

P.S. What do you think of black boots? I have never been able to find a pair that I just love.

up do

My little sister asked me to find some up do's for her. Here are two of my favorites.

As you can tell from these two pictures, I am obsessed with braids. I even learned how to french braid this summer, kind of. I love Nicole Richie's hair in this picture.

Braids make life easier, they are easy and they are almost always pretty. I like the headband with Jessica Alba's hair do. She used a similar hairstyle without it and it looked very bulky.

photos via Celebrity Beauty Buzz

tacos

I think these Veggie Tacos from Simply Recipes look delicious, and easy. I think I will try them this week.

travel tuesday: lexington, ky

This weekend I am heading to Lexington Kentucky to visit a friend of mine. I can't wait. She a website, Visitlex.com, that has tons of information on things to do there, here are some highlights.

Horse farms. I can't remember the name of the one we might visit but Keeneland sounds like a fun farm/track.. You can go see the horses work out in the mornings.
The Shaker Village. An entire restored village, living museum with shops. Could you ask for more?

Hunt-Morgan House- built in 1814 it was the home of an early millionaire and later the leader of the confederate "Morgan's Raider's". It sounds like a well preserved house.

pumpkin dessert squares

It may not be October, but it is fall, which means it is perfectly acceptable to start making pumpkin based foods. I made some pumpkin bars yesterday, but I was wishing I had a yellow cake mix so I could make pumpkin dessert squares. They are divine. Amazing.

Pumpkin Dessert Squares
1 pkg yellow cake mix
3 L eggs
1 tbsp flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/8 c. milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 jar pumpkin butter (1 3/4 c) SEE RECIPE BELOW
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Reserve 1 cup of cake mix for later. Combine
remaining mix w/melted butter & 1 egg. In a bowl, press mixture in
bottom of 9 X 12 pan. In another bowl, mix pumpkin butter w/2 eggs &
milk. Pour this over the cake mixture in pan. Stir reserved cup of
cake mix w/flour, sugar, soft butter & cinnamon. Mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top. Bake 35-40 min.

Pumpkin Butter recipe

1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree
3/4 c. apple juice
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer. Stir
frequently. Refrigerate to cool.

recipe via my sister; photo via flickr,

chalkboard paint

My sister bought a fixer upper. The kitchen is various shades of orange. They are planning to gut the kitchen, eventually. In the mean time, I am trying to convince her to paint her cabinets with chalkboard paint. You might as well have fun with the current kitchen, right?

I loved these other two kitchen examples I found. If I had pretty hand writing I would think about it. Actually, it might still be a fun thing to paint behind the stove.

The more I think about it the more I like it.

photos courtesy of Manolo for the Home and the Kitchn

anemone

I saw a wedding on Style Me Pretty this morning that used ranunculus, poppies and anemones in the flower arrangements, they were stunning. If I can ever find any of those flowers in this town they will be on my table in a heart beat.

photo via flickr

fall decorations

I was looking for some simple fall decorating ideas and these were my favorites.


Wheat bundles. Put them in a vase and on a mantle and voila, you have fall.


Gourd garlands. Hang them on a door, over a door, or where ever your heart desires. I wonder how hard it is to string a dried gourd.

grandpa's farm

I walked outside today and it was one of those perfect late summer/early fall days. Sunny with a little breeze. It is one of those days where I wish I could go out to Grandpa's farm and play around. I wish he still had horses.

The grain is harvested and while they were harvesting one of the combines ( I think the combines are what they use to harvest, what can I say, I grew up in the city) let off a spark lighting some of the fields on fire, luckily it was quickly contained.

I have many fun memories of horse back riding here. I miss the mountains, even if these are really just hills.

link love

I'm out today. Gotta love a good migraine. Here are some links to peruse.

A little P & P at Emily Style

My downtown at Reading My Tea Leaves

Mini Apple Pie Molds at Say YES! to hoboken

Magpie Lovely at A Room Somewhere

Happy browsing.

march

A friend of mine heads a book group in San Francisco. They are reading March by Geraldine Brooks for October. I am intrigued by the concept of this book, it follows Mr. March, the father of the women in Little Women, as he goes to war and his experiences. I think I am going to have to add it to my list...

fairy doors

Have you ever heard of fairy doors? I love them, really, really love them. We happen to live in a town that loves them too. Several businesses downtown have fairy doors, there is even a fairy movie ticket booth. Kids leave treats, money and other small things outside the doors. I want one for my home. I found some places that sell them online here, here and here, if you are in the market.

Also look at the post on the Fairy Festival at Not Too Shabby.

chateau

This is certainly one of the most interesting lamps I have ever seen, perhaps not the most functional...

reading booth

I am doing a booth next Friday on good books to read. I have to make a display poster for my booth so I have been looking at some quotes. Here are some of my favorites.

“To read is to fly: it is to soar to a point of vantage which gives a view over wide terrains of history, human variety, ideas, shared experience and the fruits of many inquiries.”

- A C Grayling,

“The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.”

^{- Autobiography of Malcolm X, 1964}

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries.”

^{- Descartes}

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested.”

^{- Francis Bacon}

“It is well to read everything of something, and something of everything.”

^{- Lord Henry P. Brougham}

Any favorites?

Photo via flickr

raspberry picking

I can't wait for the weekend to begin. We are going to go raspberry picking tomorrow which means a weekend of raspberry jam making and freezing. I love raspberries!

photo via flickr

out with the old, in with the new

This was my last haircut inspiration, it has been a good cut. I loved it. I am ready to move on. Goodbye Anne.

Hello Gwyneth. This haircut is called the Lob (long bob). I think it will be my next.

I thought I had moved past Anne and then I saw this picture, I might take it with Gwyneth's picture.

photos via celebrity sunglasses finder and celebrity beauty buzz

the couch

Remember the couch I told you about in this post and this post? The one my Mom has put into storage for me? I saw this picture today on Emily Style and it looks almost exactly like the one waiting for back home. It started me daydreaming about what I will do with it one day down the road.

I have recently thought about using a simple, classic fabric to recover the couch with, then get fun pillows. I liked this example from Chic Coles. Maybe use a fabric like twill? Or linen?

I still like the idea of using a patterned fabric too though. I love these chairs I found on My Notting Hill. Does it work because they are chairs? Can a pattern like this translate well on a couch? What about stripes like on this chair? It's a good thing I have years to make these decisions.