Counting Our Blessings

Well, Thanksgiving is almost here! We will be going to up to Matt's parents gorgeous home in the mountains for our annual Thanksgiving family get together and I am getting very excited!

I will be making our staple contribution, homemade cranberry sauce. This will be my fourth year making cranberry sauce from scratch (I have been making it since Matt and I were dating) because Matt loves the stuff and used to eat the canned kind (because no one else cares for it!) and when we met I could not bear to buy that stuff because frankly, it grosses me out! I think most people put it on the table to add some pretty color. The homemade version is actually good and it looks appetizing, it is not gelled nor does it look like the mold of the inside of a can, plus it's super easy to make. I will also be making lots of other little treats. I have a lot to do to before Thursday!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

oxox,
lauren

*images courtesy of  Country Living and Southern Living

Sprinkling in Some Glam: Pie time

I am starting a series called Sprinkling in Some Glam. I have found that there are many tasks that can be a bit ordinary but have the opportunity to be a little glammed up. This is not a necessary thing, by any stretch of the imagination, but can make simple tasks a lot more fun and glamorous, like for instance...baking a pie!

Well, it's that time of the year...Holiday cooking has officially begun! I realize that everyone may not be so excited about this, but I happen to really enjoy it...this may or may not be because the time has not come for us to host Thanksgiving or Christmas, we are currently still the travelers who come to visit! With that being said, I always contribute something, even if it is as simple as chocolate covered pretzels! :)

Gotta start with a cute little apron

And a pretty pie dish

As well as this adorable little pie bird to match!

This pie cookbook would make a great gift

Really fun mini pie molds

Even the pie crust shield can be cute!

Another great pie dish

Loving these sparkling gold buck measuring cups

This rolling pin may not be the cutest, but i have it and it works like a charm!

Happy glam baking!

oxox,
lauren

*Cute apron, pie dish, adorable pie bird, pie cookbook, mini pie molds, pie crust shield, ruffled pie dish, gold-tipped buck measuring cups, rolling pin

Swoon

Lately I have been swooning over these gorgeous photos...

This photo is perfect and I'd like to think that it leads to this fairy-tale like table that looks as if it fell out of a dream...

And on a side note, i am really loving these adorable spooled candles from Anthropologie.

I mean really, how cute are these?

oxox,
lauren

*photos courtesy of Google images, tumblr and Anthropologie

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