3 Ideas

1.  When we were little, my Dad established a really fun way for us to choose our bedtime story.  Every night we'd ask him to tell us a story from when he was a certain age.  His memory is pretty incredible (and his stories are even better) so no matter what year we gave him, he always had a hilarious tale to tell.  Though I don't think he imparted it intentionally, the whole practice (on top of being one of my favorite memories) turned out to be a huge teaching moment for me on the importance and benefits of reflecting on a specific time.  At some point this week, sit down and think of a specific year or two of your life...maybe when you were 4 or 12 or 75 or anytime in between...the smaller the time frame the better.  Think about the people that positively impacted that year of your life and how they did it...you may be surprised at what you remember!  If you want to take it one step further (and I suggest you do) write them a letter or shoot them a text.  Even if you've said thank you a million times- even if it happened a hundred years ago- there's no statute of limitations on gratitude.  It'll warm your heart and theirs, trust me.

2. Pay a waiter/valet/salesperson, etc. a compliment.  The service industry can be such a thankless place, realize you have the chance to turn someone's day around by taking a moment to simply say, "thank you, you're doing a great job".  Don't forget to tip them generously, too!

3.  Send a care package to an active member of the military serving overseas.  While post 9/11 policy changes make it difficult to send a package without the name and address of a specific soldier (and understandably so), organizations like Marine Parents will send your package for you!  Tons of other organizations will send pre-made care package on your behalf along with your message of gratitude so a little bit of Googling will take you a long way.  One could argue that no group of people is more deserving of our thanks than the men and women so willing to sacrifice precious time with their family, their own personal safety and even their life on behalf of our country and our freedom.  If you're inspired by their courage and thankful for their service then let them know!     

Wanted: Week 3

1. Claw Salad Servers, Target $10.48  2. Cooper Wrap Strap, Kate Spade $215  3. Heavy Weight Cardigan, 3.1 Phillip Lim $630  4. Red & Green Rang Biraanga Scarf, Andraab $425  5. Paramount Dinnerware, Z Gallerie $51.80- $79.80  6. Pecan Pumpkin Butter, Williams-Sonoma $11.95  7. Abel Serving Boards, Jayson Home $150  8. Vibrant Tumbled Ballerina Slippers, Topshop $25

Design Musings

Working For The Weekend

Happy Friday to you and yours.  I think it's safe to say the holidays are officially upon us which I'm super excited about.  I'm in countdown mode at the moment- just can't wait to see my family next week!  Hope you've got a wonderful plan in the works, too.  Enjoy your weekend and the links!

Oh, I sure do love this.

Gorgeous!!

Some good ideas here.

A bit of Thanksgiving fun...

...and our first hint of Christmas (yay!)

The Foodie Files

I was craving a bowl of really delicious soup yesterday and was so excited when I came up with this hearty vegetable and lamb meatball recipe.  It's a perfect way to combat the cold and really, really tasty. Hope you love it!

Ingredients:

64 oz chicken broth

64 oz water

1 zucchini, cubed

1 yellow squash, cubed

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 large red potato, cubed

3 large stalks of celery, diced

1 1/2 large cups kale

1 lb ground lamb

1 TBS parsley, chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour chicken broth and water in a large pot and add zucchini, squash, carrots, potato and celery.  Set over medium-low heat, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.  

Make meatballs by thoroughly mixing ground lamb, parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper and rolling into 1 inch balls.  Grease a baking sheet with extra virgin olive oil and place meatballs at least an inch and a half apart.  Bake for 20 minutes. 

Bring soup to a rolling boil, then return to medium heat.  Add meatballs and kale, cover and cook for 20 additional minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

3 Ideas

(Image via Tumblr)

1. Make Funfetti something...Funfetti pancakes, Funfetti Rice Krispy treats, Funfetti cupcakes, Funfetti anything will do (fun is baked right into the name, what could go wrong?).  Add extra sprinkles just because.

2. Do something active that doesn't make you wish you were dead...for example, dance up a storm, go rollerskating or pay your local trampoline gym a visit (oh, it's a real thing my friend.  Google it...).

3. Go to an arcade.  Seriously!  Dave and Busters is a good time and I'm not ashamed to say it (also, I dug up this coupon in case you want to take me up on the idea).  I went with a small group of friends twice in the last year and laughed so hard I thought I was gonna be sick on both occasions.  Race cars, shoot zombies, win tickets, just generally go nuts.

Wanted: Week 2

1. Pointed Ballerina Slippers, Zara $39.90  2. Heart Wood Board, Fishs Eddy $19.95  3. Checked Soft Scarf, Zara $29.90  4. Knit Cushion Cover, H&M $7  5. Large Selma Satchel, Michael Kors $358  6. Bottega Veneta Necklace, Net-A-Porter $2,150  7. Mogens Hansen Chaise Lounge, 1stDibs

Design Musings

Working For The Weekend

We made it through our week of change relatively unscathed...thanks for sticking with me!  I really, really love how everything came together and I hope you do too.  Enjoy your weekend and the links!

My rockstar brother and his band, Dinner and a Suit, released their new music video this week!  It's legit.

Cool idea...

Love this dress!  Would be great for the holidays.

Such a neat story.

Craaaazy...

The Foodie Files

I made a few minor changes to The Foodie Files, though most weeks you'll still find a test kitchened recipe here.  From time to time I'll also feature some of the snacks and treats I'm currently fixated on (like the post below)...and I may even throw in the occasional restaurant review.  Though the general focus on delicious food will stay the same, I'm excited to have a few more options to share.

1. Trader Joe's Beurre Meuniere Popcorn- Check out this flavor combination: browned butter, lemon, parsley, and thyme.  On popcorn!  Maybe I ate the whole bag in one sitting.  It's possible that happened. 

2. Starbucks' Double Short Mocha- If you've never heard of the "short" size at Starbucks, might I suggest you try it at your earliest convenience.  It's smaller than a tall, though you won't find it advertised on any menu.  The extra shot of espresso makes the chocolate to coffee ratio both perfectly sweet and strong.

3. Pomegranate- My very favorite fruit...delicious, nutritious and finally in season!  

4. Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread Pudding- Not so much a snack as it was a tasty dessert.  I ate a good amount of this with some butter pecan ice cream the other night and it was incredible!

3 Ideas

Welcome to our brand new series, 3 Ideas!  I'm so psyched about it, I can't even tell you.  So here's how this'll work: every week you'll find a different charge here...make this week productive, make this week meaningful, make this week (fill in the blank).  Alongside, I'll present 3 ideas to help turn that thought into an action.  I was debating on where to place this series in the week and after weighing the pros and cons of both beginning and end I decided to go with smack dab in the middle.  By the time Wednesday rolls around there's a good amount of week left to conquer and not always a lot of motivation...consider 3 ideas your hump day treat.  

(photo via Tumblr)

1. Bundle up and go for a walk.  Winter is about to set in big time which means we're all living on borrowed time when it comes to outdoor activities (minus skiing, which I'm vehemently opposed to).  Enjoy the beautiful leaves, take a few deep breaths and soak in everything fresh air has to offer.

2. Light a scented candle and read a book...sounds simple enough but if you actually take time to do it...we're talking soul medicine.  Here's some combinations I'd recommend:

Voluspa Baltic Amber and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Aquiesse Black Coco Havana Candle and Father Brown: The Essential Tales by G.K. Chesterton

Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint and I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloan Crosley

3. Play a soothing cd all the way through...start to finish.  Soothing as defined by you, of course.  My favorites are:

The Pride and Prejudice Soundtrack

The Midnight in Paris Soundtrack (I love a good soundtrack...clearly)

Nat King Cole: The Greatest Hits

Wanted: Week 1

I've got a little bit of bad news for all you Get It Together and Mirror, Mirror fans but I've got some good news immediately following it so just sit tight.  Bad news: I'm retiring our regularly scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday programming.  Good news: I'm combining them into one more relevant post...a roundup of beautiful and interesting pieces with a much better chance of availability should you want to actually purchase a featured item (since I'll be able to post pieces almost immediately instead of having to wait until I place them in a completed outfit or room).  Additionally, this edit makes space for a brand new Wednesday series I really think you're going to enjoy...can't wait to launch it tomorrow.  All that being said, I so hope you love week 1 of our brand new Wanted series!  There's some real gems in this bunch, don't you think?

1. Gold Plated Cabochon Necklace, Net-A-Porter $690 2. Taffeta Midi Skirt, Topshop $96 3. Turquoise Bowls, 1stDibs $13,120 4. Love You Ring Set, Barney's $1,300  5. Sequin Stripe Pillow Cover, Serena & Lily $64 6. Bracoo Earrings, Charm and Chain 7. Lounge Sofa, Crate&Barrel $1,699

A Clean Slate

Remember that time I mentioned I was about to make a few blog changes? Well...surprise! They're (obviously) here. I've got a few more minor tweaks in the works, but I think the overall cleaner vibe we were going for is already pretty apparent. In addition to our new look, I did a bit of housekeeping to our editorial calendar. The changes will help me make better use of the time I spend creating content while still allowing me to produce interesting posts I love...I think it's an all around win-win. You'll notice the adjustments to our Design Musing posts are merely cosmetic but I hope you'll check back in tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week as we unveil each new change. Thanks so much for for your support!

Design Musings

Working For The Weekend

There's some serious change 'a comin ladies and gents...it's good change, but it's first and foremost serious.  Some of it is blog related and will go into effect next week, some is a little more personal and won't come into play for a few months, but all of it has me super pumped.  We'll cross all those bridges when we get to them, but I thought I'd clue you in that I'm about to shake some things up.  As for this weekend, I hope you enjoy it so thoroughly!  We'll catch up Monday.

Whew-eeeee!  Prepare for pretty...

These are at the very top of my 'want' list.

Well these are awesome....

Interesting!

Some gems to be found here for sure!

Neat.  I like it.

I just love this idea!

It's that time again...

Very informative.

The Foodie Files

I whipped up a few lamb burgers the other day and was so happy with how they came out!  The process is extremely simple and the taste is killer...it's a great, hearty fall meal.  I topped ours with a sharp Vermont Cheddar cheese but feta would be delicious, too.  When it comes to add-ons, think anything from sun-dried tomatoes and olives to baby spinach and aioli (which, according to Davey, is just a fancy way of saying mayonnaise...but I like fancy so aioli it is).  I served our burgers plain but use your imagination when you top yours!

1 large shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

24 oz. ground lamb

1 tsp dried Greek seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns

Heat extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.  Add shallots and garlic and cook until browned, about six minutes.  In a bowl, mix shallots, garlic, lamb, Greek seasoning, salt and pepper.  Form meat into six 1" thick patties; set aside.

I cooked our burgers in a George Forman Grill, but you could just as easily make yours over a gas grill or with a skillet.  Cook to desired doneness, set on a bun, top with cheese and call it a day.  Delish!

Mirror, Mirror

First and foremost, so sorry for disappearing on you last week.  It was a long one but a good one and I'm gonna keep making adjustments to the blog and my schedule until neither is too strained.  Secondly, isn't this just the loveliest, most ladylike dress you've ever seen?  I'm determined to pull off the elbow length sleeves with long gloves at some point this season so this look offered some real inspiration.  It's just gorgeous!

1.  Amalia Prince of Wales Dress, Emelia Wickstead $2,338  2. Long Leather Gloves, Gucci $157.50  3. 1950's Cream Fox Fur Shrug, Neiman Marcus $1,700  4. Pearl Frame Earrings, Asos $17.80  5. Leather Bag, Marc Jacobs $818  6. Suede Pumps, Gianvito Rossi $400  7. Gold Plated Pearl Bracelet, Rosantica $320