The Perfect Reminder + Links

I thought that was the perfect photo to end this week of all things fall. I love it. It's relaxing and reminds me of the perfect fall day. It also makes me want to rip out my credit card to purchase one of those Hermes blankets...

So what are you up to this holiday weekend? I have a few things planned, one of which is meeting with my contractor to get a bid on doing a face lift in my kitchen. It's past time to bid farewell to my oak cabinets in favor of something more amazing and much brighter. I'm so excited and am hoping for a good number. Fingers crossed! I will actually see you back here on Tuesday, but here are some good links to browse until then!

Doing something like this would save me at least 10 minutes of jewelry hunting in the morning...

If you are living with your parents, wondering when you will ever get married or if you are a dog lover, click here. Dog lovers, prepare to laugh.

I must remember this the next time I argue with my future significant other. So sweet...

The pictures on this food blog are mesmerizing...

This dress is mesmerizing, too.

I died when I saw these wedding photos. So beautiful and so classic...

An incredibly informative post on when and how to start blog sponsorships.

Have a great weekend!

xo,

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My Style {Fall Fashion}

J.Crew Patent Loafers | Essie "Smokin' Hot" Polish | J.Crew Classic Link Necklace | Versus Ankle Boots | 3.1 Philip Lim Pashli Satchel | The Row Cat Eye Sunnies

As you can probably tell from my posts this week, fall is my absolute most favorite season of the year. The air is crisp and seemingly fresher and the fashion is well, just fabulous. When it comes to fall fashion, I purchase a few trendy things, but mainly stick with the classics - things that seem to come back every year or few years and look just as fabulous as it always has. These are just a few examples of classic things I love  - and want for fall. My faves would be the booties and the bag. Gosh I love that bag... I actually already have the Essie polish, but will need to start a "fund" for the rest. Mom if you are reading this, want to contribute?? :)

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So Ready...

I'm just so, so, so, so ready for fall... That's all. :)

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The Snickerdoodle

So this past weekend, I was in the mood to make something sweet and warm- warm in flavor that is. To me, the warmest flavor out there is cinnamon. I heart it a lot - not as much as chocolate, but I love it. So I decided to step out of my chocolate box this weekend and make some snickerdoodles. And gosh...

There were amazing I tell ya. It was my first time making them, so I used this really simple recipe. They were buttery (2 sticks of butter will do that I guess) and soft with speckles of sweetness and warmth from the sugar and cinnamon coating. My house smelled divine, too. Thank goodness for friends who love snickerdoodles. I gave the cookies to them before they found a permanent home on my hips. :)

Here is what you need and what to do:

2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cup of sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Sift the flour, cream of tartar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and  1 1/2 cups of sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl down. Add the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a rack on the top third of the oven and one on the bottom third. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the cinnamon and the remaining sugar to a bowl. Use a small ice cream scoop to form balls of the dough. Roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Set them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake them for 8 -10 minutes or until the center of the cookies are set and cracked on top (they won't brown). Rotate the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Place the sheets on a rack for 5 minutes to cool. Then transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store the cookies, if there are any leftovers, in an airtight container for up to a week.

Linked with Tasty Tuesdays

Sometimes It's The Little Things...

Sometimes it's the little things that make me smile...

Like...

A quiet lunch at my favorite bakery while other patrons stare at me probably wondering why in the world I'm taking photos of my food with a big camera. I'm still smiling about that red velvet cookie...

A succulent given to me by my neighbor. I love the way the way the water droplets look like marbles... She brought it back from Puerto Rico and has graciously agreed to water it for me. That way we are both 100% sure it will stay alive. 

A pretty new envelope clutch from ASOS. Thanks to Victoria for pointing it out to me...

The colorful floral print on my favorite blouse at the moment...

Drinking my favorite wine and reading a book and a magazine on a late Sunday afternoon...

Did you do anything that made you smile over the weekend?

Just Perfection...

I'm thinking the perfect weekend for me would be to sit in that clean, crisp living room for hours reading my Kindle (I've downloaded 3 books and haven't read the first word of any of them yet) and then moving along to that bed for even more relaxation. Both of those spaces are pretty much perfection to me...

My weekend probably won't be that dreamy, but I'm definitely aiming for some downtime! This week has been slightly crazy for me, so even an hour of reading in bed with some steaming hot tea and a little of this on the side would suffice. I hope you have a dreamy weekend and I'll see ya next week!

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Lust List #8

J.Crew Two-Tone Patent Leather Mary Janes | The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte | Ralph Lauren Carthage Table Lamp | High Fashion Home Wine Bottle Chandelier | Spotted Moth Skinny Secretary Scarf | The Row XL Deluxe Tote | Warby Parker glasses, Langston in Whisky Tortoise Matte

It's been a while since I have done a lust list post, so you can only imagine how long my list has grown! But I narrowed it down to these "few" things that I am absolutely loving right now. I saw that chandy on Erin's blog and I think it's quite the conversation piece. Very creative. My favorite thing on the list though is the Ralph Lauren lamp. It's so classic and has a space on my desk at home with its name on it! The Row tote is a close second. I would love to have it for fall. It's only about $5,000 USD. But no big deal right?? :)

Just A Reminder...

I needed a little midweek inspiration and I really loved this. I think it's a great reminder that today, August 22, 2012, is the only August 22, 2012 we will get for the rest of our lives. So my goal is to make today a good one despite whatever may have happened yesterday or the day before that! Love it. Hope this inspires you, too!

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The Perfect Granola

I don't know about you, but when I'm a bit stressed, I crave snacks that are

crunchy,

slightly salty,

& 

sweet.

If I'm lucky, it might even be healthy. It doesn't always work out that way though. They aren't sweet, but I can down a bag of plain Lays potato chips in 5 seconds flat! However, this past weekend, I kept it healthy. Granola came to mind as it is healthy and meets all of the requirements of my taste buds when I'm stressed. But this time I decided to make it myself. I put a little twist of my own on a few recipes I found and it turned out absolutely divine!! See the recipe and more pics after the jump!

 

 

Weekend Around The House...

A pretty new bowl for my jewelry | My favorite new accessory on my leaning bookcases | Happy daisies | A new $15 throw pillow from TJMaxx that I LOVE | Max enjoying my his new Pottery Barn rug

Hi there friends... I hope you had a great weekend. Last week was plagued with lots of work and a few migraines. But after a few rainy nights of sleep and some serious lounging this weekend, I feel much better now. In between the sleep and lounging, I finally got some decorating done around the house - specifically in my living room.  Most of the big things are done, like the new rug that I love. Although Max is on it all the time looking like he paid for it... So I'm down to re-accessorizing, which to me is the hardest part of decorating! But, I think it's amazing how such little things bring so much life to a space. My living room tells a bit of new story now. I was so close to being done with my plans for the first floor of my house until I decided last night that I want to paint my kitchen cabinets white... Sigh...

Speaking of the kitchen, I baked something for the first time in it that turned out so, so good. I'll share it with you tomorrow!

In Perfect Balance: Darryl Carter

My heart pretty much flutters every time I see one of Darryl Carter's masterpieces. His designs are just pure perfection. This is a fully renovated Tudor Revival home in a D.C. suburb that Darryl was able to plan from scratch along with architect Donald Lococo. How incredibly lucky are those homeowners? The ambiance created by the neutrals, fabrics and the little details (like those nailheads on the dining chairs) just create this calmness that I wish I could come home to every day. Do you feel the same way? I also love how these spaces are in perfect balance. There isn't too much or too little of any one thing. Gosh I wish my bank account balance had a few more digits on the end...

Buy Or DIY: The Adnet Mirror

I need one of these Gubi mirrors in my life! I know these mirrors have been around for a while, but I'm just now showing up to the party and I'm in love. It's a simple yet sophisticated accessory that makes a beautiful statement on it's own. No pictures or additional accessories are necessary.  Love that. However these are quite pricey (of course), so I can't help but to think a good DIY might be in order. Maybe this IKEA mirror, a couple of vintage or vintage-looking thick belts, a tube of good glue and a can of spray paint would work? Thoughts??

Inspired By: Sips & Spoonfuls

Well, I got home from my trip to my parents house last Sunday and barely had one eye open for the rest of the afternoon. So I didn't get a chance to make or bake anything. However, I would like to share a fabulous food blog with you that just makes me melt every time I see a new post. I ran across Sips & Spoonfuls a few weeks ago and well, I'm just inspired by it. The photos are just breathtaking and they are just the cutest little family. Here are some of my faves...

One Bowl Chocolate Cake | Fluffiest Pancakes Ever | Grilled Lamb Chops w/ Rosemary & Garlic | Cinnamon Rolls

Are you hungry yet? I'm starving...

Check out the blog and a full listing of the recipes here!

Weekend In Five Pics...

Hi there! How was your weekend? My weekend was just fab. It included lunch and a movie with my parents and...

 - Shopping. Yep, I broke down people. I had to have that polka dot scarf, this jacket in black and a few, well maybe lots of other things. It was all on sale, though! I also stocked up on some Essie for the fall I'm loving Smokin' Hot and Armed & Ready...

- Great conversation about life with my brother over pizza, beer and frozen yogurt. He has so many good things going on right now, including an upcoming lifestyle website. He just makes me smile.

- Reflecting and relaxing on my parent's back porch. The view is amazing. Everything is just green for days...

- My first DQ dipped cone in over 10 years. I think I scarfed it down in about a two minutes! I forgot how insanely good they are. Do you love them, too?

So it was pretty much the perfect weekend. Oh and Hope Springs was GOOD!! I just love some Meryl...

Now on to what I hope is a perfect week! I hope you have a good one!