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