moving on

Today is my last day in the office. My desk is cleaned out, my pictures and personal belongings taken home, and computer files backed up.

I'm going to miss this place.

But I'm excited for the next new fresh phase of life! Charlotte, here I come!

I'll be moving next week and then taking a few days off to visit family and head to the beach for a few days of relaxation. Posting may be light over the next several days, but I'll be back post-move.

Happy Weekend everyone!



cupcakes by Kate Mathis via Oh Happy Day

Cannelle et Vanille

I'm excited to share one of my new favorite blogs today.

I've been adding more food blogs to my google reader and I recently came across Cannelle et Vanille. Oh my goodness, it is beautiful! Cannelle et Vanille is written by Aran, who not only shares her unique and delicious recipes but beautifully styles and photographs them as well. The photos of her desserts and pastries are truly delightful and the recipes so enticing.

Pistachio and Grapefruit Macarons


Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet with Poppy Seed Ice Cream Cones

Green Apple, Caramel and Milk Chocolate Mousse

Lemon Verbena and Chamomile Creme Brulee

Roasted Pineapple and Passionfruit Charlotte

Chocolate Eclairs

*all photos copyright Aran Goyoaga

my next project?

Like I mentioned before, I'm excited to have a new empty bedroom that I can decorate and make totally different than what I have now. I'm really sold on the tufted upholstered headboard. Its subtle but still adds style and detail. And instead of buying one for several hundred dollars, I bet I could make one myself. Some plywood, fabric, foam and batting and a few tools would be all I need. I'm up for the challenge!







1 from Restoration Hardware; 2 +3 from here; 4 from Target; 5 from Domino

Pretty Shoe Tuesday

It's Tuesday, and that means another dose of fabulous, frivolous, not-always-practical, and totally overpriced shoe love!


These Louboutins may not be practical, but how lovely is that blue pleated detail? Fab-u-lous. I'll take them in size 8!


Armadillo Striped Satin d'Orsay by Christian Louboutin

tea from heaven

I thought to start off this Monday I would share one of my favorite simple pleasures: San Benedetto Peach Iced Tea. The best flavored tea you will ever taste. Light, sweet, and refreshing...it's bliss.


We drank this stuff by the gallon when we lived in Europe. It's made in Italy so it's somewhat hard to come by here in the states. It really is the best iced tea I've ever had. If you can't find it in the stores go to a Brio restaurant. Besides being an excellent place to dine, they'll bring you a bottle of San Benedetto if you order tea. :)

domino decor

I'm eager to move in to my new apt in Charlotte and have been dreaming of how I can decorate my new bedroom. Not that I can go all uber designer chic on it, but I'd still like to create a clean, fresh, de-cluttered and light-filled room.

Domino magazine may be out of print now, but the website still has a treasure trove of photo galleries. I pulled some to save to my files as inspiration; each one with a different element of design that I like.








I'm loving that light seafoam green color on the walls. And white crown molding--love that too.


all photos from Domino

spring in bloom

Today is the first day of Spring. Cheers to the onset of warm weather and beautiful flowers in bloom!





image 1 from Real Simple; image 2 by SDK Photo via Style Me Pretty; images 3 + 4 from Martha

ch-ch-ch-chili

Our office had its annual Chili Cook-off yesterday and I was coerced at the last minute to participate. Having never really made chili before, I turned to my mom for a good recipe. She gave me some general directions to follow but no outright recipe, so I ended up just doing my own thing going off of her suggestions.

Since I'm usually one to specifically follow a recipe, I was worried about just throwing some ingredients together. I thought my first chili would turn out a disaster, but what do you know? It turned out great and I was voted one of the winners!

So I thought I'd share the "recipe":

1 lb. ground turkey
1 pack mild (or hot) Italian turkey sausage (usually 6 links in casing)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5oz can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 14.5oz can dark red kidney beans
packet of Carroll Shelby's Chili Kit seasoning
8oz water
1 onion, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced

Take the casings off the sausage links then brown in skillet, drain, and chop. Set aside
Brown the ground turkey, drain and chop. Set aside with sausage.
Add chopped onion and garlic to skillet (the meat drippings left in the pan add to the flavor) and cook a few minutes until the onions are tender.
Combine cooked onions, ground turkey and sausage all into a large pot.
Add tomato sauce, both cans diced tomato, chili seasoning packet, and water. Stir and simmer.
I let it simmer for a couple of hours before adding the kidney beans.
Once it's all heated through, it's ready to eat!

To bring it in to the office the next day, I took it off heat, let it cool, then stored it in plastic container. Yesterday I brought it to work and put it in a crock pot to heat up. It was a big hit in the chili cook-off--the bowl was scraped clean and I ended up with a Crate & Barrel gift card as my prize!

Note: Italian sausage gives it some kick. I'm not a big fan of spicy foods so I went with 'mild' sausage but if you like spicy you can try the 'hot' kind. I also went with turkey since I think it tastes better, but you could use ground beef and pork sausage to change it up.

i want da gold

I think I've posted this before, but it's only fitting to post it again today.

This video has me laughing every time. Leprechauns, pots of gold, rainbows...crackheads, amateur sketches, magical flutes and all.

Pretty Shoe Tuesday

In honor of St. Patty's Day, I offer up these luscious emerald suede beauts:





Stuart Weitzman Extra emerald pumps

top o' the mornin'!

Happy St. Patrick's Day :)

image from MS

Cheerio!

Here's to a fabulous weekend, if it is cold and rainy!


found here via here

NG Traveler

I'm really yearning for a trip to Europe. It's been about eight years since I was last there, and that is just way too long. Until I can go back, I'll have to settle for looking at pictures. Thankfully National Geographic Traveler has a nice selection of pics from all over the continent.











That last pic is of a fence in Florence. The tradition is for young lovers to attach a lock with their names engraved on it, and then throw the key in the Arno River to "assure them eternal love." How very romantic...and very European. :)

I want one!

One of these custom silhouette necklaces, that is.



By Meg Moorhouse via Design Crush

paper fiend

Yesterday after work I went to the DC Paper Show and walked home with (heavy) bags full of paper samples! For all the paper lovers, imagine a big open room full of tables heaping with paper samples and other goodies free for the taking. Paper manufacturers and sales teams want you to use their paper for your projects and jobs, and so provide free sample swatch books of their latest offerings. It's a great way to get tons of cool, unique, textured papers to use in design/craft projects. A creative's dream!

It was a lot of fun to just walk around and fill my bag with cool samples. Though lugging home about 50 pounds of paper on the metro wasn't so much fun.

My loot! These were heavy!

tea time

I'm kinda sorta maybe seriously lacking inspiration right now. Motivation too. Until I can get my act together...I thought I'd at least share this garden tea party.


from Country Living

Pretty Shoe Tuesday

Today's shoes would fit perfectly in yesterday's Snippet & Ink inspiration board. Soft Apricot and Cream with a satin bow!


Augusta Peep Toes in Soft Apricot from J.Crew

pale apricot, rose gold and cream

I'm digging this color palette.


From Snippet & Ink

bunch o' flowers

When it comes to flower arrangements and bouquets, I really love simple bunches of one kind of flower in the same color. Especially hydrangeas and peonies.















pic 1 found here
pics 2, 3, 5 & 13 source unknown
pic 4 found here
pic 6 from House Beautiful via here
pics 7 & 9 from Martha Stewart
pic 8 from BHG via here
pic 10 found here
pic 11 found here
pic 12 found here