Blog Crush :: Brown Dress With White Dots

Or in this case tumblr crush. The images that Brown Dress With White Dots has collected are stunning. These photos of hands are some of my faves.

Me and the week

So Christmas is finally over, anyone with a post holiday hangover? Not quite yet for me other than averting my eyes to my kids' Christmas toy extravaganza. We had a great holiday filled with lots of fun family activities. This week has already flown by too, I'm not ready to send my boys back to school. This may or may not change by Monday but we'll see. 

This is what is on the agenda for this week:

• Make breakfast cookies. I think I saw the recipe in Bon Appetit, but I'm not sure.
• Make round 2 Butternut Squash soup with ginger and curry. I'm adjusting the recipe and when it's perfected I'll share here on the blog.
• Sort/toss/donate the kids' toys. We have lots. Thankfully Little is willing to part with them because he likes his stuff tidy, Big not so much. I will be sneaking bags of  his old toys into my husband's trunk at night I just know it.
• I'm going to Alt Summit in a couple of weeks with Marni and Jaimee and I need to plan outfits. They're having a white party. Yes you heard me right, now I have to find something cute and white for frigid snowy Utah.  Arggh, really people white?! I will most likely look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man because my idea of cold is 60 degrees. 
• Plan something fun for the kids on New Year's Eve. This is not my specialty so if you think of anything please pass ideas my way, I'm hopeless.

What's going on this week with you guys?

Moments

Sometimes I get a little forgetful,I don't stop to savor moments often enough. I just keep plowing through the days, checking my boxes usually with a smile. Generally I'm a pretty happy person, wound a little tightly I suppose but I love having fun.  I'm always just getting through one task and then I'm off to the next like some crazy lady. Today I had a reminder of how one or two things that you do each day affect others and it feels really good. So I think I'm the one who needs a reminder to stop once in awhile.

Enjoy the season!

{via}

Starburst Card Display

I might be the only person in the world without a starburst mirror but if I had one I would totally do it up with Christmas cards just like this.

What a smartie.

{from here}

Make it :: Nativity Set

It's Christmas break so what to do while we're all home? Yesterday we decorated cookies and today this is what we're working on. Printable nativity sets designed by Marloes de Vries, a Dutch illustrator. Fits two of my most basic criteria, easy and free! There's two options just print and cut or color/print/cut. I opted for the coloring ones just to make the activity a little more hands on. Just print them out on card stock get to work.

They're each coloring all of the players in the nativity now, I just need to find another box so they can each make their own stable. 

{via How About Orange}

Last day

The kids get out of school today. I'm excited, so are they.

Like super excited. Cookies, lights, Christmas movies, park days, all the good stuff.

{1,2,3}

Tea Collection

Tea Collection sent the boys each an outfit and here they are in their cuteness.

Little looks adorable in his trendy navajo inspired sweater, he sported it on Thanksgiving.

And Big is loving his ensemble, comfy and sporty at the same time. Win-win in his book.

They both get a little carried away with their modeling moves!

In all seriousness though Tea Collection has the cutest stuff and I was beyond excited when they sent the kids looks to try out. I'd been dying over their collection and now I can honestly say they (and me) love it. This is just the boy stuff, their girl looks are beyond!

Sidenote: I was given clothes from Tea Collection and in the spirit of full disclosure I thought I'd share. I never post about content that I don't personally endorse. For me to share I have to know that you will like/love/want the items that I'm posting about.  Not to fret, I won't lead you down the wrong path!

Holiday Neon

The latest in the "may your days be merry and bright".

{1,2,3,4,5}

Skirt it

For the last year or so I've really been into skirts, long ones with lots of gathers. It has yet to make an appearance in my home but I like to admire from a far.

Are you a tailored or a gatherer?

{1, 2, 3)

Large Scale

The huge framed filled with poloroids is just about the coolest thing ever.

That's all.

{via ideas to steal}

Best days

I'm loving today. Finally cool out with not too much to do. My favorite kind of day.

To-do this week:
Snap some pics of my littles in their adorable Tea Collection togs.
Decide what to make for contribution to Thanksgiving.
We're doing Elf on the Shelf this year so I need to pick one up.
Get out my holiday decorations.
Make holiday gift lists organized.

What are you guys up to this week? Are you madly making lists like me so you don't go crazy during the holidays?

{image via The Cherry Blossom Girl}

Love it :: Brown

Today I'm dreaming of dark leather handbags and herringbone floors.

Maybe thinking of such things will keep my mind off of the fact that I was a crabby old harpy this morning. I hate mornings like that. Getting the kids ready, lunches made and out the door without forgetting something not to mention the arguing that ensues immediately upon arrival in the car it's enough to make a mom nuts. I hate losing my cool, it never makes the situation any better but sometimes it happens. So I will sit and continue to drink my coffee while imagining that my floors are now dark and herringbone and one of these bags is residing my my closet. 

{1,2,3,4, 5}

Love it :: Gold Minx

I've long been intrigued by Minx, a nail wrap that needs to be applied by a professional. Per usual with my crushes I've got it totally stuck in my head that my fingertips are begging me to get the gold ones. 

Can you see why? They're beyond.

{here}

Easy Fall Food

Normally I breeze by the mixes in the stores, everything is better if it's homemade right? Well I've changed my tune because here are two of my new fall favorites in the food department. 

I love the yummy smell of cider simmering on the stove but good ole' Trader Joe's made our lives much easier with their Spiced Apple Cider.  Now we can have it whenever we want, one cup at a time. 

Their Pumpkin Pancake and  Waffle Mix is almost like a pumpkin pie pancake. Totally delish! So go and try and be excited that it's so easy. 

Oh and one more thing here's another muffin mix that's become a favorite at our house. Big was going on and on about the most delicious apple muffins he had at his friend's house so when I asked my friend to send me her recipe she sent me a picture of this box. Ha, I'm eating crow because apparently mixes are sometimes where it's at.

Traditional

I feel like the cool fall days make traditional style seem perfect don't you?

{1, 2, 3}

Want it :: Necklace

Just as I was busy complaining about how lame Hart of Dixie is they go and have one of the characters wear a necklace like this.

Crap. Now I'm still going to have to watch because I love the clothes. I know this image has crappy resolution but Lemon (yes, I know Lemon.Yikes.) is wearing a necklace with pearls and gold spikes. Lo-ove, totally and completely. I must know where she found it. Ideas?

PS - Please don't judge. I can't help myself if there's good clothes.

[pretty sure this is it. woot!]

Snack Freak

I try to be green, I do my best when packing the kids lunches. I always use BPA free (the freak in me) reusable containers but today I fell off the wagon. This year at Target they had individual packages of Pirate's Booty to give out as treats and when I was there yesterday I picked up two boxes because they were on sale. Little has snack duty once a month and they prefer individually divided snacks so that's what I got them for but this morning in a panic I packed a bag in Little's lunch. I loved it, it was so easy!  Aaahhh!! I can not fall under those individually wrapped snacks spell.

Please don't think that I sit at home and make my kids homemade granola bars and stuff because they're individually wrapped, believe me I don't. I just try when possible to keep baggies to a minimum. Freak you say? Yes I know very, very true. But it's things like this that make me crazy. Two minutes in the morning is a lot. 

Today

This is how I'm feeling today. I like feeling like this.

On days like this I pretend it looks like this right outside my door.

Since it doesn't I'll probably wear something like this, because it's still warm here folks.

Then maybe I'll make some tea and play make believe that it's chilly.

Maybe tonight it will get chilly? Crossing fingers.

{1,2,3,4}

Eat it :: Cornbread

Before the Littles hit the street for trick or treating we're having soup and cornbread for dinner. This is my hands down favorite cornbread recipe. When I make it, I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it's gone. With lots of butter of course.  I like to share so here is the recipe just in case you need to make something tonight.

Cornbread

• Preheat oven to 325.
• 1/2 C Butter
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 4 oz Green Chiles
• 1 can Cream Style Corn
• 1/2 C Shredded Jack Cheese
• 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 C Flour
• 1 small box Cornbread mix (I use Jiffy)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Mix butter, sugar and eggs, adding eggs one at time. Then add green chiles, corn and cheese. Mix in flour, cornbread mix, baking powder and salt. Grease and flour 13x9 pan. Bake for 55 minutes.

PS - Why is Trader Joe's so awesome?! Washed and cut Kale? Love it. Thank goodness for them now it's even easier for me to get it into the meals since we like to eat cornbread and all. Are you all in love with TJ's as much as I am?

I'm going, you?

Have I told you all I'm going to Alt Summit? I'm hoping it might just light a fire under my non-blogging arse. Yes I know my posts are rare these days. I just want to go have fun and meet some new peeps plus light that fire we were talking about.

I'm hitting up the SLC with my local blogging buddy Marni. Any of you going? I would love to meet some of my favorite blogging friends!

{image via Design Crush}

Randomness :: TV dilemma

I've watched the new Rachel Bilson show and every time I watch and see this

 I think when are Lorelei and Rory going to show up fresh from their breakfast at Luke's Diner?

Maybe I'm too old since I remember the set from Gilmore Girls, maybe Hart of Dixie just sucks and I need to just stop watching or maybe I have too much time on my hands...I can't decide. Is it weird that I still miss Gilmore Girls? 

Spooky

Just a few of my favorite Halloween images from the web this season.

{all links can be found on Pinterest}

Let's bake

Fall hits and I feel the inexplicable pull towards the kitchen. Baking of course. No cookies, I loathe baking cookies; let's do breads, muffins and desserts shall we?

I know I'm not the only one who swoons while looking at baked goods. What are making this fall? Hit me up with some good new recipes!

{images via Always with Butter, That Kind of Woman, That's Happy}