29 November 2010

Your thoughts, if you will:


So, the hubby and I are into espresso and thinking of asking for a machine for Christmas.
We're looking at a DeLonghi (in the $200 range).
I've read fairly good reviews about the EC702.
Slim chance, I know, but do any of you have a machine of your own?
Any advice? Thoughts? Machines we should look into?
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated :)

Hope your holiday was wonderful. Happy Monday~

HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY


To the most beautiful, sweet-spirited, generous, kind, loving, fun, amazing sister I ever ever EVER could ask for. Isn't she lovely?! Hope your day is beyond amazing and blessed, pretty lady :) MISS you.

24 November 2010

THANKFUL.


Okay.
We are SO excited.

Yes--we will miss our families terribly. We already do, and we are so sad we cannot celebrate this holiday around a big, candle-lit table with them. Plus, my parents and in-laws both make the most delicious Turkey Day fare. And I will miss it.

But--
We are SO excited.
I've never had the chance to cook a Thanksgiving meal. Someone up the Turkey Day hierarchy has always taken on the big task. So Corey and I planned the above menu around our favorite dishes (some with a twist)--and sides we really love to cook. It will certainly be a feast, and one we're going to share with our neighbor who can't make it home either. It will be amazing, and delicious, and so much fun.

So HAPPIEST THANKSGIVING.
I'm thankful for the most wonderful husband, friends and family, and all that I'm blessed with. Because really--I am beyond blessed. And I'm thankful for the love that I have for cooking, and for this holiday that lets me savor my day-long labor of love.

Enjoy your own :)
See you next week!

23 November 2010

h.i.m. (happy, in the morning)

made entirely happy this morning by:
 (+ my coffee, of course).

{design sponge + anthropologie}

Hope this makes you just as happy.



22 November 2010

Lived-in rooms.





A living room should be just that: lived in. A room that reflect you and the daily lifestyle you live. A room that beckons your time and your friends--where wine can be poured, coffee can be sipped, and really good books can be read.

Loving the rich hues and the cozy textures and fabrics used in the rooms above. So very fall. So makes me want to curl up in front of a fire and really never leave.

HAPPY MONDAY.

18 November 2010

16 November 2010

happy in the morning.


I have the travel itch.
Could you possibly tell?

HAPPY MORNING.
Mine certainly is: writing/designing in a window seat (with red and white cushions), in the most amazing coffee shop in town (where they brew by the cup), on a crisp, cloudy Charleston morning. :)

12 November 2010

Today my iphone spies:




Tulips.
Perfectly prettied tulips in makeshift vessels (I have zero vases...but hey, stemless wine glasses seem to work)...dotting our apartment with seasonal white and orange and making our little abode that much happier.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

11 November 2010

Morning glory.



Clemence Poesy:
Her name. Her face. Her style. Her accent.
Perfection, to say the least.

09 November 2010

In season (and en la cocina) :

It's cheap. It's sweet. It's easy to prepare. And, not only is it currently found in abundant heaps at your local farmer's market--but it makes for a rustic fall side dish that won't soon be forgotten. The perfect accompaniment to crisp-weather fare may just be the butternut squash. Take heed of it's "in-season" peak with this simple (and flavor-packed) recipe:

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash

You will need:

1 medium-weight butternut squash (2 lbs. or so), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
3/4 C heavy cream
4 fresh sage leaves
1 C shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss squash with cream and sage in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix in sage leaves. Place on middle oven rack and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. 

Mix in 2/3 of the parmesan cheese, sprinkling the remainder on top. Roast for 20 more minutes, uncovered, until cheese begins to brown and squash is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving, allowing cream to thicken.

.....................................................................................................................................................................

Mmm...yes...the perfect combination of rustic fall flavors, melded together in a rich, steamy side dish. And, bonus: it looks quite pretty when plated. The perfect new Turkey Day addition? The easiest (and most delicious) means to impress fall guests? 

We think so.

Just wait...your mouth will thank you. 

04 November 2010

The A List.

Move over Bill Murray--there's another well-knowner in town.
Yep, Logan Neitzel, the rockstar of a clothing designer, is boarding a plane to Charleston today.

His destination?
Hampden Clothing, for a greatly-anticipated fashion event and trunk show.

big city, good shoes.







Entranced by the handsome simplicity of this series, and the delight in an airy, crisp day wandering big city streets.  Found via the lovely Dear Musketeer.

HAPPY NOVEMBER MORNING.

03 November 2010

have you seen?


My Tartlette.
Not only is she a purveyor of decadent treats and (clearly) a brilliant food stylist,
she's a French expat taking up residence as a fellow Charlestonian.

Go ahead...get lost in her blog. And dream of caramel-covered chocolate cake doughnuts. I can't imagine a better lunch-break activity.

02 November 2010

of course.



I am beyond devastated that these are no longer being made.

SHOCKSTARS =


Fall has arrived...and with it came a friend. Or maybe more of a foe: my shoe obsession.
If only it was considerate enough to come bearing gifts...
like...
one of each.




01 November 2010

Today is...


clockwise from top left:

vamoose necklaces
fleece-lined leggings (duh.)
fashematics
sequins
pretty pumps

HAPPY MONDAY.
HAPPY NOVEMBER 1.

That just happened.

So, our Charleston halloween was hilarious.

The benefit of living in a nice neighborhood with a pocket of section-8 tucked in?
You're bound to open the door to this:

Two 20-something men, dressed in their everyday garb, wheeling a stroller with a 6 MONTH OLD BABY (with no costume I might add), saying trick-or-treat and grabbing all your candy.

Hide your candy? Hide your wife?