Brr!

I've been slightly MIA on the blog for a few weeks, but I'm back again.

Michael and I went to the parents house for Thanksgiving and it was nice to be unplugged for awhile.  My mom and I cooked a very delicious Thanksgiving feast and enjoyed leftovers all weekend.  Unfortunately I didn't take too many photos of the weekend :-/ I was (and still am) feeling a bit under the weather, so that's my excuse.  I didn't go shopping on Black Friday, but I did go out on Saturday night and still got some great deals (thank you Kohl's!). I bought a few new Christmas decorations in an attempt to get into the Christmas spirit.  I'm not being Scrooge-like on purpose, but when I have a countdown to Florida going (22 days!), it's a bit hard to feel Christmas-y since I will be spending Christmas on the beach.




The forecast is calling for snow tonight so perhaps a dusting will put me more in the holiday mood? Hope so!
Anyway, this coming weekend will be dedicated to putting up the tree and decorating.  Here are a few of my favorite Christmas decoration ideas for this season:

A creative way to display your Christmas cards.


Spruce up your front door handle:



Another use for Christmas lights:



I wish I could turn my entryway into this:



Happy holiday decorating everyone.

p.s. if you like Etsy, check out this site I discovered this morning. Very fun browsing!

lazy Saturday

Happy Saturday everyone! I was in desperate need of a weekend at home to relax, get things done around the house, catch up on my t.v. shows, bake something delicious, and finish up my book.

Last night, Michael and I went to Boltini for drinks and appetizers.  The ambiance was really good and the drinks were delicious (I had a Ruby Red martini, and Michael (of course) had a caramel apple martini). I love starting out the weekend with a mini-date night.

Ever since the start of fall, I have been on the quest to make a homemade pumpkin spice latte that tastes like the one at Starbucks (my weakness).  I tried a few recipes I found online in the past, but they tasted too pumpkin-y and just off.  Well this week, I came across a baking blog that has some great recipes on it, and just so happens was a recipe for a pumpkin spice latte.  I figured I should give it one more shot, and it was a success. Tastes just  like the one I pay upwards of $4.50 for (I know, I know, ridiculous).

It was super easy, and only took about 5 minutes this morning.  I do have an espresso machine, so I used two shots of espresso, but I'm sure extra-strong coffee would taste just about the same.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Adapted from The Kitchn.
Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond milk
• 2 tbsp canned pumpkin or butternut squash (I prefer pumpkin)
• 1-2 tbsp sugar, to taste (It calls for two, but I found 1 was enough the second time)
• 1.25 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup freshly brewed espresso OR 2/3 cup strong coffee

Directions: In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring,
until steaming. Now bring to a boil and stir in vanilla and spice. You can now transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don’t have a blender, don’t worry- just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk. Some of the mixture fell to the bottom of the cup, so blending it might help prevent this. Pour in espresso or coffee. Add on cinnamon or whip cream on top if desired. Serves 2.

Thanks for the recipe!

Here are some things I am loving this week:

Boutiques.com just launched by Google is wonderful. Happy shopping! (or browsing!)

This video is incredible, it is worth the 7 minute watch.

One of my favorite baking blogs, the recipes and photos are always good.  Last weekend, I made the banana coffee cake with chocolate chip streusel. It was a big hit and will definitely be in my baking rotation.

and finally, this photo was one of my favorites from the National Geographic's photography contest:

Giraffes at Savannah. Unusual perspective shot depicting two giraffes and a tree in Masai Mara, Kenya.
 (Photo and caption by Niko Saunio)

genius little things

Happy Wednesday everyone. I wanted to share a few genius designs I stumbled upon today in blogland.

how great is this tea cup?



love this cozy neckwarmer.



talk about pimpin' your ride:



and finally, this Morse coded necklace is so creative, (this one is "peace"):



Goodnight everyone.

birthday bake!

Last weekend was Michael's birthday.  I knew I wanted to make a cake, and he put in a request for a vanilla cake with raspberry filling.  I got the recipe out of a Martha Stewart baking cookbook, so I don't have the recipe to link up to, but here is one similar.

As annoying as Martha Stewart can be, her recipes have never let me down.

I got up early on Saturday morning and got to work on the cake (with my mom's help!)

we licked the bowl clean, the batter tasted like pure heaven! 

raspberry filling

the finished product!

Happy birthday Michael <3

love this.

mixed media

I stumbled upon this blog of an artist who does mixed media work.
All of the pieces are unique and you can buy ones in the online shop, but you can also commission a piece using whatever items you choose.

Here are a few that caught my eye:


never let go. print 


school girls. print


tickets. print

Great gift idea, very inspiring.

quiet Saturday morning

I love quiet Saturday mornings, especially when I don't have anywhere to be and I can curl up with my book and a nice cup of hot tea.  This weekend I am enjoying reading:


I picked this up after reading another book by Brady Udall, The Lonely Polygamist, which was a great read. I was sad to see it end. The character development was incredible.

I am off to embark on making a layered cake for Michael's birthday. We are celebrating tonight! Pictures to come..

Enjoy this lovely fall weekend.

just lovely

I love finding new blogs that are linked to the current blogs that I subscribe to. It's a great way to discover new stuff online. Here are some sites with handmade jewelry that I think are just lovely:

Inspired Designs:

Custom engraved rings from Heart and Stone:

and finally, Jewelscapes has the most amazing designs and stones:

Have a wonderful Friday everyone!

dexter

My reward after a long day of work, going to the gym, and doing general puttering around the house?

Watching Dexter. I am obsessed. I highly recommend it. Here is a Dexter-inspired poster:

espresso art

One of my favorite things about going to a coffee shop and ordering an espresso drink is when the barista creates a floating piece of artwork in my coffee cup.  Love these:







Have a wonderful Sunday evening!

fireplaces

So it seems our fall season has flown by and it already feels like winter. Brr! I don't know if I'm ready to see my breath when I step outside every morning to let the dogs out.  We are fortunate enough to have a fireplace in our house, however it is gas and I would love to have a wood-burning fireplace one day.  They are so cozy and I love curling up with a good book and a quilt.  On my wishlist:

rustic:



perfect for a cabin:



cozy outdoor fireplace, great for entertaining:

weekend photo fun

Michael & I went home last weekend to spend Halloween with the family and had a great time!

On Friday we went to a bonfire and my mom captured this adorable little face:



On Saturday, we painted and carved (well, Michael carved) lots of pumpkins:




I wish I had Michael's thought bubble over his head. Hah! but he was a good sport:



Liv and I painted masks:



Dad had fun with vampire teeth:



we all got to fawn over Sebastian in his dinosaur costume!



and laugh at this adorable face:



All in all, it was a great weekend!