Catty Crush

I love leopard print. There is just something about it. Used tastefully of course. And in small doses, not head-to-toe. It just looks so chic.

Love this, it's so unexpected

Great dress for all the upcoming Holiday parties

I really like this faux-fur vest

Perfectly pretty wedges

If only I had unlimited funds

Adorable little flats. I love the little pops of color!

Really fun welly socks

Great belt that goes with so much

I hope y'all had a Happy Halloween! One of my bff's, Catie came to visit last weekend. I love when she comes to visit because we always have a great time! She arrived Thursday night so we could have all day Friday and Saturday to shop and eat and drink and eat and shop some more! We had a ball. We had a late dinner at Nava in Buckhead on Friday night and yesterday morning Matt told me about an article he read in the paper about how Jennifer Aniston (who has been in town filming a movie, that just wrapped) had dinner at Nava on Friday night as well. We must have just missed her...dang it...if only we had the opportunity to meet her, we could've become her new bff's and she could have dropped that unfortunate looking (i mean, really, how gorgeous is she!?) Courtney Cox like a hot potato! ;) Maybe next time!

oxox,
lauren

*Unexpected staircase, chic black dress, fabulous faux-fur vest, gorgeous wedges, amazing handbag, adorable flats, fun welly socks, skinny patent belt

Boot loot

Oh, the bright side of cooler weather...boots, adorable jackets, pretty scarves, gorgeous coats, warm sweaters, and back to boots! I love boots and I always get very excited to see the new collections that come along each year! This f/w there are some amazing boots out there and lots and lots of trends (one in particular that i am not a huge fan of is the peep-toe bootie...why? i think my toes would freeze off and I don't think a sock (no matter how fabulous) would look cute poking out, but that might just be me!) Here are some that I am currently coveting and may be drooling over...

I cannot stop looking at these...i am in love

Classic, but with a wedge?! How fun!

Pretty, simple and classic riding boot

I think this pair of moccasin-style booties are too-cute!

I feel like i'm too tall and not bold enough to wear otk boots, but if i were a bit shorter and more bold, this would be my pair!

This preppy little pair of high-heel tweed oxford booties is adorable

Gotta have a classic western pair

Tailored little black booties...i really like the contrast of the natural wood heel.

i reeeaaallly love this pair of riding boots

Pretty suede lace-up booties

Love classic Hunter's, but really...Jimmy Choo for Hunter...umm, yes please! And leopard lining too?? That just sealed the deal for me!

oxox,
lauren

*Fabulous quilted boots, suede wedges, classic camel riders, laced moccasin-style booties, strappy otk's, tweed high-heeled oxfords, classic westerns, wool & suede black booties, amazing riding boots, lace-up suede stacked heel boot, gorgeous Jimmy Choo for Hunter rain boot

A little sunshine

I love this room...it makes me so happy :) Isn't it pretty? I just love the great use of yellow.

The season 4 finale of Mad Men was Sunday night (already...i can't believe it! i mean it feels like the season just began!) and i am sad about that. Really though, how insane was that episode??? I did not see that coming! But i have come to expect nothing less from that incredible show! The writing is fantastic. Okay, we're ready for the season five premiere! I don't think Matt & I can wait!

Oh, and we saw Social Network on Sunday evening and i thought the movie was great! Although it was pretty insane to see how Facebook came to fruition.

oxox,
lauren

*image courtesy of Southern Living

Better than your average apple a day

One of my bff's, Catie, sent me a sweet and thoughtful "bag of random" (that's what we call it because it's a bunch of random little goodies) a couple of weeks ago! Catie is such a dear friend of mine and we always have the best time together! Well, in this particular "bag of random" she included this super delicious recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread!

Ummm. hello. YUM. :)

This recipe rocks! I made it two weekends ago and Matt went through that loaf of bread so quickly it seemed as if he was scared a "bread thief" was going to break into our home in the middle of the night to steal the bread away from him! He absolutely loved it, and so did I! This bread is great for the Holidays, would make a wonderful hostess gift and is perfect to whip up when expecting company!

So, imagine my sweet hubby's delight when he gets home today and opens the door to the amazing smell (this bread smells sooooo scrumptious, but Warning: it will make you hungry!) of this yummy bread baking in the oven...he is going to be one happy man!

The prepared batter almost ready for the oven

But first, a sprinkling of cinnamon/sugar and oats on top

Ta-da!

Mmmm...soooo good!

Here is the recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread if you would like to bake some up yourself...

Equipment needed:
Stand mixer with paddle attachment
9x5 loaf pan, lightly coated with cooking spray
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 ounce quick oats (about 1/3 cup) *plus more for sprinkling on top
2 eggs
1/2 granny smith apple (cut into small chunks)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)
1/2 cup raisins, or nuts (or both if you prefer)
cinnamon/sugar mixture to sprinkle on top
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light & fluffy
Mix in the applesauce, cinnamon & oats
Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well each time
Stir in the apple chunks
Fold in the baking soda and flour just until the dry ingredients are incorporated
Add the raisins and nuts, folding gently
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar and oats on top
Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean
Remove from loaf pan & cool on wire rack
Enjoy!

*I chose to add both the raisins and the nuts (my go-to is pecans) in mine and it's delicious!

Thanks again for this tasty recipe Catie...i have a feeling this one is going to become requested pretty frequently around here! Love you dear and I can't wait to see you soon!!! :)

oxox,
lauren

Brewing up a little Halloween fun!

I can't believe it's already October 6th and Halloween is quickly approaching! Where exactly is the time going? Time to get a little festive if you're into that sort of thing, which I am, but who am I kidding because I am into decorating for anything! I find that decorations just make me feel even happier and I think they're so fun :) I have seen many homes with great decorations up around our area and a lot are looking so cute! I know Halloween has a lot of spooky and scary decorations, but I like the more charming and whimsical! Here are some festive Halloween ideas that I find inspirational and think are great for getting into a little Halloween spirit...

So, I have been excited about all of Alexa Chung for Madewell's pieces, but this fun tee dress is perfect for Halloween!

I am obsessed with this sparkling display of pumpkins!

I think these are the cutest Halloween party invitations

I know this is a teeny tiny bit ambitious, but this is my dream setting for a great outdoor Halloween party!

I love these gorgeous black beaded pumpkins

Really pretty Halloween house

A pumpkin bookshelf tree?! I love this idea...i have never seen anything like this!

How fun are these coasters?!

These little bat salad plates are so cute, and I don't normally think that bats are so cute!

Well, this stand mixer is a bit too festive for me for year-round use, but it would look great on the counter during the season!

Use a bright orange (or any colored!) mixer to whip up some adorable cupcakes like these!

What a great pumpkin display!

I hope these photos help to get you in the spirit!

oxox,
lauren

*Adorable batty tee, pretty sparkling pumpkin display, party invites, ambitious party setting, lovely beaded pumpkins, pretty Halloween house, amazing pumpkin bookshelf tree, catty coasters, cute little bat plates, orange KitchenAid stand mixer, fun cupcakes, incredible carved pumpkin display

Mighty Tighty

So now that it's fall and the temperature has been slightly dropping around here (even though it will fluctuate like mad for the next several weeks before it decides to stay put!) i am thinking about cooler weather wear. Fickle weather can be a wee bit frustrating when deciding on daily attire! I love wearing tights in the fall and winter. I think they are so cute and comfortable. There are sooo many options out there now, which is fantastic and I'm loving it! Here are some that I have currently been eyeing...

Aubergine is one of my favorite fall colors

I love the oversized gingham!

Fun and wavy

Feelin' foxy

Cute and dotty

Chocolate + black houndstooth!

Fair Isle fun

Glamorous retro back-seam

Super-cute plaid...i love this color combo

Giddy-up!

Sweet little hearts!

Okay, now I'm really getting excited for the cooler weather! :)

oxox,
lauren

*Aubergine argyle, great gingham, grey and wavy, fun & foxy, adorable spots, houndstooth print, Fair Isle sweater tights, flirty back-seam, pretty plaid, galloping ponies, cute mini hearts

Falling for Autumn!

Today marks the beginning of Autumn! I love every season and I enjoy living in a place where I get to experience the season changes. I am always excited for the transition into each season, so right now I am delighted to welcome fall and the weather change it will bring! I am thrilled to be watching football with my sports loving husband, loving the fall decorations I put out around our home today, and ready to bake some delicious pumpkin spice bread! I think it is a lot of fun to embrace the joys that every season has to offer :)

Time to start pulling out the outerwear! This may be a little too heavy for early fall, but I just love this coat!

 

Light and pretty scarves are perfect for early fall! I love the color palette of this one!

Love this gorgeous wreath

 

Lovely tablescape for a fall get together

I think this is the cutest pumpkin display ever!

I'm really excited to make a big pot of hot soup for those cooler fall nights that are just around the corner

I love when the leaves start to change colors!

So excited for our home to smell like fall when I bake some pumpkin bread!

 

Pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere!

S'mores...traditional, or in brownie form!

 Really cute faux taxidermy arrangement

 

I love this dessert idea, it's so pretty!

Happy fall everyone!

oxox,
lauren

*Gorgeous camel coat, light & pretty scarf, leaf and gourd wreath, fall tablescape, cutest pumpkin display, pumpkin soup, lovely fall tailgate, pumpkin spice bread, rattan pumpkins, s'more brownies, adorable faux taxidermy display, pretty pumpkin dessert