our weekend

Can you believe that there are only 31 days until Christmas?? Where has the time gone? Lately I have felt the Christmas spirit more so this year than I have in years past and I am trying so hard to hold back on putting up those Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. I caved in my office and put them up early because it was freezing outside and I decided I was in the mood. I'm ready for twinkle lights, glittery things, and a Christmas tree!

This weekend was a little less lazy than last weekend, but we still didn't do that much. Saturday I made the most delicious soup with a recipe adapted from one of my favorite blogs Marshalls Abroad.

photo via

The spicy chorizo vegetable soup just hit the spot and I strongly suggest you make it. The recipe is fairly simple and I was so exciting by all the delicious vegetables it had in it. We have been eating lots of heavy and greasy foods lately so the broth and veggies were a welcome change.

Below is the recipe I used, with the adaptions that I made to the recipe.

Spicy Chorizo Vegetable Soup
{serves 4-6}

1 quart organic chicken stock
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 bell peppers, chopped
1 bunch of celery, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes + juice
1 can cannellini / white beans, rinsed
red wine {about 1/2 cup} (I used a Cabernet and just drank the rest :-) the flavor was so good) 
4-5 cooked spicy chorizo, defrosted & chopped (I used spicy breakfast sausage, it worked perfect!)
EVOO
2 C heavy cream
1 TBS oregano (I used fresh, dried will work as well)
1 teaspoon basil (ditto, above)
dash of red chili powder
salt & pepper for taste

In a large stock pot, on medium heat, drizzle enough olive oil to cover the bottom and saute the onion and sausage until the onions soften and become translucent. Add in all of the veggies and add another glug of olive oil with them. Stir and saute for about 15 minutes or until the veggies become tender. The juices from the sausage, olive oil and evaporating water from the veggies may come to a boil. Stir to allow all of the vegetables to cook evenly. The spice and flavors from the sausage will marry to the vegetables.

Add the tomatoes (the entire can including juice), rinsed beans, wine, chicken stock and spices. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least half an hour, though the longer the better. We cooked ours for about 2 hours total. Add in the cream once simmering.

Served up to friends with generous helpings of my favorite cornbread.


The Best Cornbread (Southern Style)
{serves 4-6}

2 (8 ounce) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 (8 ounce) can creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Mix up the cornbread in a large bowl as directed on package. Add in creamed corn and shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (we had this in the oven longer than this because the center was not setting. Just do the toothpick test and pull out of the oven when it comes clean!)


On another note, I nearly got ALL of my Christmas shopping done online yesterday afternoon. It's sad almost that I do the majority of my shopping online and don't bother to head to the stores anymore. This time of the year drives me crazy and if I can avoid the crazy crowds and grumpy people, I will do it! I am hoping to get out on Black Friday (my one exception) just to see the spectacle.

Happy Monday! A few things that are currently on my "cold weather wishlist":

 Personalized Gold Bar Necklace

How cute are these little necklaces? I stumbled on this Etsy shop through another site and fell in love with how delicate and simple they are. If you had kids, it would be so cute to have one with each child's name on it. OR, for us wedding-minded people they would be the perfect bridesmaid gift! At $45 for a personalized item, you can't beat the price.

 Steve Madden Nyrvana Boots

I have been obsessing over these boots for quite some time. They sell out pretty quickly, but I did manage to find them on Steve Madden's actual site in three colors. I love them all but I think the black ones are amazing. Here's to hoping these will go on sale so I can snatch them up!

 Floral Fit and Flare Dress

Piperlime just released a new collection of holiday dresses, skirts and accessories and I have to say, I love them all. This particular dress caught my eye because of the pretty floral print and I am tempted to get it for any festivities we will be going to on our holiday NYC trip. Gotta love a good clack and white dress and its under $100!

ASOS Striped Blanket Cape

I feel like every season I have something new that I obsess over: this years new obsession is the cape. I have seen them everywhere at every price point, and I finally found one that I love that I bought this weekend (similar here). I love the stripe detail and fringe on this one and would definitely consider it for our long winter ahead {yuck}.

solutions to the teeny tiny bathroom

We have a tiny bathroom....with emphasis on the word "tiny". It's one of those bathrooms where you can touch both walls when you stretch out your arms. It is, in my opinion, one of the major drawbacks in the apartment and no amount of decorating will solve the size issue.

However, I have been brainstorming on little ways to spruce up the bathroom so it at least looks pretty. I have already purchased three fern prints that I absolutely love that will be framed in 8x10 frames that I got on clearance at Target. I am planning to hang two of them over/next to the toilet.

Our main issue and the downfall of all small bathrooms is storage. I am still brainstorming floating shelves or some type of shelving unit that would allow a space for my makeup and other personal items. For the time being, most of my things will reside in the linen closet!

Here are some things on my "wishlist" some of them feasible in the space and some not. So many possibilities!

Towel Hook- Anthropologie

Bathroom Cabinet- Overstock

Trellis Shower Curtain- Pottery Barn

Sconces- Pottery Barn

Letter Hooks- Anthropologie

a house tour to die for

I stumbled on this house tour while skimming through blog posts and saw that another blogger had posted this. I thought it was too beautiful not to share!

I have dreamed of owning some type of beach home since I was a little girl. It may have been because I grew up near a lake and enjoyed those long days on the water. I can also imagine sipping coffee on a big porch facing the water and how relaxing/amazing that would be.

While a beach house is not in the places anytime soon {wedding!} I always enjoy these serene spaces and all their beauty. This one is no exception. I will be taking notes on this one as I think a lot of this clean design could be adaptable in a cost friendly way!

In the meantime...enjoy! xo

View the full tour on Domain Home here


Happy weekend! 

party dresses

We are headed to Connecticut/New York City the day after Christmas to stay with John's parents for a week. I love our trips to the East Coast and am so excited that we have had the opportunity to make it happen again this year. While we won't be doing the whole Times Square for New Years gig , we will be spending a few days/evenings in New York following up to the big event running errands, meeting up with friends and hopefully eating at some tasty restaurants. These are all perfect excuses for me to go out and buy a new party dress!

I have loved ASOS as a company for a while and have always been impressed with the fashion forward and relatively inexpensive items that they have on their site. They are a "go-to" for party dresses and offer a wide variety of fun dresses for special occasions.

Below are a few of my favorites from ASOS that I have my eye on:

one. two. three. four. five. six

Happy party dress season!

etsy art finds

I'm in the process of updating and decorating the little apartment space that John and I will share once we get married. Over the past two years of dating, I have fallen in love with the quirky rounded door arches, beautiful brick fireplace, and gorgeous wood floors and am starting to look past the things I HATE. Namely the massive amounts of dust produced by old apartment buildings (yuck), the large white radiator that takes up half the bathroom space, and the rusty appliances that come with the rental.

In learning to look past the negatives, I am looking into ways to spruce it up and truly make it feel like "ours". I have added pillows and baskets here and there, and have printed out photos of both us and our families. This is a start, and let me tell you I think its come a long way :-)

My next project to tackle is the artwork both on the walls and leaning up against them waiting to be hung. I want each one to have its space, that that takes quite a bit of thought. John's mom has been generous enough to provide him/us with some beautiful pieces, and I hope to find the right place to display these said beauties. While many of the rooms will be taken care of, we still have a few holes (no pun intended!) where I am looking to add some artwork.

The following are some of my favorite art pieces and shops on one of my favorite go-to shopping sites: Etsy!

 K Sarah Designs

I have ordered these and they are in transit. I only ordered three in the series, and hope to put them in a rustic style frame similar to what they have done above. I love the "earthy" feel and think they would go perfect in a bathroom! We are currently looking for some "over the toilet" artwork. Charming, I know.

 Sweet Peony Press

This shop is a sweet as it sounds. The have beautiful calligraphy prints like the one above and the quote rings true to John and I's relationship. I would love to put this one in the kitchen as a daily reminder that no matter where life takes us, we will always have one another (sappy).

 Paris Chic Boutique

Another site with beautiful calligraphy prints as well as charming other home goodies. I love the look of the print in a skinny gold frame and think I will be attacking this one as a potential DIY in the future.

 Elizabeth Mayville

Our art collection wouldn't be complete without some type of landscape. We have currently decorated the place in a lot of traditional elements and earth tones, so this print would fit right in. Plus I love landscapes and the soothing look of this one would be perfect for our living room gallery wall.

LoveTheNelsons

I love this little shop for its unique and interesting quotes it uses on its prints. This is one of my all time favorite quotes and I could see it find its home anywhere in our house.

The Art of Michelle

I have been eye balling this flower pot series for months now as the perfect little 4 picture series for our kitchen. It is sweet and simple, yet is slightly more modern than my tastes usually lean. I love the colors and the patterns, and think these little beauties would be perfect in any kitchen, bedroom, or any space that needs a little livening up.

Happy Etsy shopping!

sausage, bean and spinach dip

photo via

When it comes to cooking, I feel like I am most successful when it comes to appetizers and desserts. It may be because those recipes tend to be the simplest, or they are just darn tasty. I am a dip lover through and through and seriously cannot get enough of this recipe.

It was originally posted by  Southern Living, but I discovered it on Natalie's blog here. I am no stranger to Natalie's recipes. She doesn't disappoint in the recipes she chooses to make and post on her blog. They are (mostly) simple to make and use ingredients that I can get at our local Walmart, Krogers or Martins. This is important to me because I don't have time during the week to run up to a specialty grocery store an hour away from home. Oh, the joys of living in a small town.

Anyways, did I mention how amazing this dip is? A true testament of this is the fact that I made this two times last week. TWO. And it incredible.

 My pictures always end of looking slightly disgusting. Sorry. It's delicious I promise and my photo doesn't do it justice :-)

Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip

Ingredients1 sweet onion diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 (1-lb.) package hot ground pork sausage 

(I used both Jimmy Deans and Bob Evans hot breakfast sausage and recommend either)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine, I used a cheap bottle of chardonnay
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese


Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook diced onion and next 2 ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid has almost completely evaporated.
2. Add cream cheese, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in spinach and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Gently stir in beans. Pour mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

I served this with corn chip scoops but you could also use bell pepper strips, pretzel rods or any type of cracker you have on hand.

Thanks again to Natalie for discovering this one!

DIY project for christmas

I usually am not one to take on a DIY project, I would usually just purchase it in the store and call it a day. That being said, this little project is something that I think I could manage and would solve our problems trying to wrangle all the cards, wedding invites, and postcards and actually be able to display them.

all photos from Lolly Jane blog

This holiday card display requires only a few simple items and you could decorate it different ways depending on the time of the year. Thanks Lolly Jane for the great idea!

Supplies Needed:


2) 42″ 1 x 2’s
2) 24″ 1 x 2’s
4) 1 1/2″ L-Brackets
Chicken Wire
Staple Gun
Wood stain
*Optional: 14″ boxwood wreath


Directions:

Cut wood to length.
Stain.
Screw in L-Brackets on each corner to connect the 1 x 2’s.
Staple chicken wire to the backside.
Display cards by hanging from mini clothespins.
*Optional: Hang wreath in the center.

 The finished product! I will post when I complete my version :)

scenes from our weekend

We hosted the annual  Halloween party at the apartment complex this weekend (using the term "hosted" lightly) and we had a blast. We usually wait until the last minute to decide on a costume and spur of the moment use something funny that we could find in our closet. This year, however, I put a little more thought into it and was pretty pleased with the results!

One of my closest friends was in town for the weekend and it was wonderful to get a chance to spend some time with her on Saturday. Even though she only lives in Chicago, its tough with our schedules to find the time to see one another. I will take what I can get! 

(that gorilla mask does wonders for my hair) 

On another note we dropped our kitties off at the vet yesterday to get neutered and declawed. I may or not be having separation anxiety....sad but true. Excited to get them back home on Friday.

It feels like we are finally full swing in the wedding planning and are starting to knock off the major things on our list. While I feel like we are in a "good" place right now, there is still a lot to be done. I'm looking forward to winter when I can spend lots of time indoors planning. Its hard to believe that we are already in November and the wedding is in June. It feels so far away, yet so close at the same time. 

Some of my inspirations as of late: 

 Anything with watercolor and pink calligraphy is perfection in my books.

source unknown?

I have been toying with whether or not to wrap ribbons around the bouquets. This photo could sway my opinion....

safavieh favorites

console table, pillows, sunburst mirror, rug, bar cart, end table

I was so excited when I hopped onto Target's website and saw that they were collaborating with one of my favorite designer home brands: Safavieh. While the majority of these items are still way out of my price range at the moment, they are treasured items that I think would be great investments down the road when we buy our first home. Some of them are trendy (the geometric pattered rug and sunburst mirror) and some of them are classic pieces (the gold bar cart) that I think tie together the traditional with the modern.

These five pieces reflect the style that I hope to channel when designing my room when I move into the apartment. I'm so excited for that day to come when I can start realistically thinking about some of the design and style elements of that will make our home "home".

Until then, I'll just be rocking and rolling on my Pinterest board :)

scenes from our weekend

We were finally able to sneak out of town this weekend for a short trip down to Indianapolis. I'll tell you, what a different even two hours south makes when you just want to get away. I love Indy for its city feel, yet its still small enough that you don't have to deal with the hassle of pricey hotels, transportation and traffic (aka Chicago).

We stayed right next to Keystone at the Crossing simply because it was more convenient for our day of shopping. Staying there allowed us to be in walking distance to both the mall and dinner on Saturday evening. There is nothing better than parking your car and leaving it for the weekend without the hassle of paying for parking and fighting over spaces.

We registered at four separate stores Saturday and I had so much fun with the entire process (although I cannot speak for John). I'm glad that we made the trip down to see things in person. Being a visual person, I was happy to actually hold things in my hand and try to picture what they would look like in our apartment/future home.

Now onto the good stuff...

Late Harvest Kitchen 

Saturday night we went to the most fabulous restaurant called Late Harvest Kitchen. It came to me highly recommended and it did not disappoint. The meal kicked off with a brussel sprout salad in a delicious tangy dressing. My pork chop was massive and full of amazing flavor. The wine (such a steal at $30 a bottle) was from Tuscany and was amazing. It makes me even more excited for our Italy trip and all the Italian wine we will be consuming in the near future. We finished off the meal, of course, with the most amazing caramelized toffee dessert. If you are in the area I recommend stopping by this chef owned/run restaurant...it truly was an amazing experience!

  

image via

3 Sisters Cafe

Sunday morning we went a little out of the way and headed down to Broadripple Village to go to a little breakfast spot that has been on the "to-do" list for quite sometime. Ironically the first time I heard about it was through Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (yes, the Food Network show) when they featured a few things on the menu. I loved it. 

It was a little quirky restaurant in an old house and was filled with the character and unique dishes on the menu. I had the blueberry lemon corn cake pancakes with lemon curd and homemade whipped cream. I had no troubles nearly finishing off the entire plate. And of course (yes, dessert again) I brought home a piece of blueberry goat cheese pie. 

3 Sisters was kind enough to provide us with the full recipe on how to make this ridiculously amazing combination. You can make it here. Its definitely on my list to make this weekend. 

image via 

So yes, a weekend filled with shopping, good food and good wine. My kind of weekend! 

favorites for fall

Fall is in full swing here in Indiana and I am loving all the changing leaves and cooler temperatures. Last year we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy the fall because it went so quickly from summer to winter (too quickly I might add and it was a long road from there).

We have been able to soak in fall and with that it has allowed me to prolong the heavy winter winter coats and boots a little while longer.

I have always struggled with whether I prefer fall or spring clothing more. I am a dresses girl through and through, and both seasons thankfully allow me to wear them throughout. Fall is full of fun accessories though, like scarfs, boots and tights. 

I have pulled a few favorites that I have seen over the past month that I have my eye on. The list is a long one, but there are some great deals out there this time of the year!

The perfect black fur vest. I have been looking for one of these for years but the price point on fur has always made me shy away. At $89 on sale, this is something I could swing! I would love these with either jeans or leather leggings. So versatile...you can buy it here!

I was so excited to see that Nordstrom Rack was having a JBrand flash sale. You can get this classic skinny jean style for a whopping $80...which is an amazing price when most retail for upwards of $200. They are the perfect jeans for all your fall outfits, and can be paired with tops, sweaters and boots galore! Snatch up a pair here. 

 I am (not so secretly) hoping that these babies go on sale at the end of the season so that I can get myself a pair. I have been lusting over flat ankle boots to add to my collection for some time now and I love that these come in a dark grey version as well as a nice tan color. Dolce Vita nailed it with these.
You can pick up a pair in grey and tan here. They are also sold on Shopbop in a nice moss color.

Happy fall! Weather permitting, of course, enjoy this beautiful weather.
xo

Hotty toddy

With the recent successes of Ole Miss and the excitement of the past 3 weeks (College Gameday, Katy Perry, a top 5 AP Poll ranking) it has made me long to make a trip down south to my Alma mater. Surprisingly, I haven't been back to Oxford since I graduated, and it is hard to believe that almost three years have gone by since I left.

I will be back at some point, and will certainly plan on visiting my favorite restaurants, shopping spots, and campus landmarks. For those who haven't ever been, Oxford Mississippi is probably the cutest town you will ever see. Good people, good food and you are guaranteed a good time! 

Here is a list of my "must visits" if you are in the area :-) 

1. Big, Bad Breakfast 

image via

Yes, it's totally as good as it sounds. Its a little outside Oxford but worth the trip. My favorite breakfast place, dare I say ever. Cathead biscuits, grapefruit with caramelized brown sugar (amazing), and homemade raspberry jam. It's safe to say that food is the #1 biggest draw back to Oxford again.

2. Bottletree Bakery 

Another good breakfast/lunch spot on Oprah's List of must-see's. My favorite is the Bowl of Soul: a crazy concoction of coffee and hot chocolate in a soup sized mug. They have amazing wraps and sandwiches as well for lunch. In the old part of downtown Oxford, this is a great local Sunday after church spot.

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The Grove. To say that I miss this place on Saturdays is an understatement. I may be biased when I say this but I think this is the best tailgating around. I spent many hours here hanging out with friends, eating delicious food and waiting for the games to start. It should be #1 on your list if you are fortunate enough to be in Oxford in the fall. 

Hotty toddy! Tomorrow is game day!

Trip to Nashville

This past week my coworkers and I took a trip down South to Nashville, Tennessee for a conference. I was particularly looking forward to the trip because it had been quite a while since I had actually gone out of town on trip and four days away sounded like heaven.

We stayed in a hotel down the road, but the conference took place in the Gaylord Opreyland Hotel about 20 minutes outside of downtown Nashville. If you haven't ever seen the hotel, it has two beautiful atriums with so much vegetation, brick pathways, and shops that make it feel like its own little town.

Because of the distance from downtown Nashville I wouldn't recommend staying here if you were visiting although it is worth the trip just to walk through! I would absolutely love to come back and visit, stay downtown and fill up on some delicious Nashville barbecue.

 I thought this fall floral arrangement outside one of the restaurants was gorgeous. I even loved the little  pepper plants that they mixed in with the traditional mums, pumpkins and gourds. Making mental note for the future :-)

 

(apologies for the blurry cell phone picture)

I squeezed in a little time to shop in the evening and stumbled upon the most amazing boots. I have been eyeballing the Rag and Bone booties for a year or so but the $500 price tag wasn't within my budget. So I happily scooped these Vince Camuto boots in the Sand color for a whopping $69. They are hard to find online but if your a lucky number ten you can get them here.

I'm Back!

After taking a two year hiatus from the blogging world I am once again going to try my hand at blogging with this brand new blogger format. Bear with me as I am trying to figure out how to use all this! 

So much as happened the past couple of years and it would be nearly impossible to sum it up in one post. Here's a little synopsis of life lately...

I moved from Oxford, Mississippi after graduation back to my hometown. I love my job and little life here, and have enjoyed being back. It's hard to believe I am coming up on nearly 3 (!) years since I have been away. 

I got engaged this past April, which in itself was a surreal and amazing moment. John and I are so incredibly happy and I have been knee deep in the wedding planning already. More on that later! You will probably see our engagement photos plastered all over this blog the next couple of months (see above) as we were unbelievably thrilled at the way they turned out.

image via Pinterest

We have decided we will be honeymooning in Italy in June 2015 and will be making the trip to Florence for 5 days and Rome for 3 days. We will be making a few day trips in each location and Cinque Terre is on the top of my list! I am blown away by the beauty of it all and everyone that I talk to highly recommends it. I am so excited to spend my days sipping Italian wine, eating, eating, eating, and exploring a new place with John. I hope to document the trip through photos, provide recommendations on places we stayed and activities that we did. I have a feeling that a "big girl" camera purchase is in the near future...

That's all for now. More to come!