{happy halloween!}

wishing you all a spook-filled halloween, see you Monday! xo

  pic: vintage/FPG

the pumpkin hunt

I helped out at Ruby's school today, hiding pumpkins for their halloween hunt and tending to their winter gardens. I couldn't help but post these funny pics of her and her friend Ella, they're such little hams!

spooky treats

All of these halloween goodies look so festive and {super} tasty. We'll be busy carving pumpkins tomorrow night, but if I have an ounce of time to spare I may need to make at least one of these or a big batch of these...

to do: {force bulbs}

One of my favorite things to do in the Fall & Winter is to force bulbs indoors. It's a great way to satisfy your inner gardener in the colder months, and you don't even need a drop of soil. I usually force freesias, hyacinth and paperwhites. Each variety takes between 10-14 weeks to fully bloom, but the entire process of watching the roots grow and wind inside the glass is almost as fun as the bloom itself.

the harvest party

The second annual Harvest Party was so much fun ~ a day of dear friends, crazy good food, adorable kids crafting, and yes, even adult pumpkin relay races. For the relay race we teamed women against men, the men winning by a landslide - darn those well-balanced men. I had a craft table set up on the porch for all the kids, lots of stickers and harvest-coloring projects. The food, oh the food: potatoes gratin, baked mac 'n cheese with prosciutto, lasagna w/ bechemel sauce, blue cheese stuffed dates, spinach salad, frosted pumpkin cookies, caramel apples - the list goes on and on. I am still full two days later. The decor: I made branches hanging with leaves to hang over the burlap covered tables, vases of sunflowers and wheat placed around the house, and pretty harvest corn draped around the front door. I'm thrilled to have this Fall tradition, it really doesn't get any better.

come-what-may

I went to Anthro the day before our harvest party and left with this dress, a cute top and a big 'ol smile on my face. You have to see it in real-life, it's silk with pretty detail in front and back. I wore it to a dinner party that night, and I kind of adore it! 

Harvest Party Update: it was fabulous! I haven't had a chance to download the photos, but I should have it up by tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who came & brought the most scrumptious food!

pretty pumps {guilt free}

Today I went to Target for the usual household fare, and some things for the party this weekend. Now, I don't know about you, but I can not leave that store with only what I came for. It's been proven impossible. Paper towels? check. Napkins & forks? checkity check. These RAD red patent pumps? super check! The picture doesn't do them justice, the tall thick heel is the best part, and if I didn't know better I'd guess they came straight from J.Crew (but they were $20, not $220). So, since I'm trying to limit my spending lately, I left guilt free and I can't tell you how cute they are with a sweater & jeans. The others were pretty cute too...

busy busy

Sorry for the lack of posts, work has been beyond crazy. Today I'm home making burlap table cloths for the Harvest Party and planting some Fall-ish flowers in the front of the house. It's going to be a very crafty kind of day.

witches brew {drawings}

These Halloween inspired drawings by Irene Sophia are really sweet.

The Dress.

This is quite simply the best dress I've seen this Fall. I need this dress. It has dolman sleeves. It's called "The Rocker". Maybe for a holiday party, sipping red wine, with black tights and heels? LOVE.

{happy friday!}

Have a lovely weekend! I'll be doing some gardening, going to a Halloween party, and collecting Harvest decorations, more on Monday, xo

LC's got style.

Lauren Conrad (aka The Hills chick) just showed her clothing line at LA Fashion Week, and I'm super impressed. Pretty muted colors with lots of draping fabric, all very flattering and nothing too flashy. Oh, and anyone who puts flowers in their hair always gets my vote.

favor bags

These wedding favors from the new Martha are adorable times 10, and they're hung on a clothesline for extra cuteness.

Ashland

Ashland has quickly become my favorite intro to Fall with full days spent hiking, shopping and munching our way through town. We saw 3 magical plays: The Clay Pot, A View From the Bridge, and A Comedy of Errors. Each had such intricate set design and costumes that told beautiful stories.  My favorite spot to shop, Prize, was filled to the brim with goodies (pictured), including an entire table of old fashioned candies wrapped in sweet little bundles, and of course I left with a few bags. The owner, Jennifer, is the sweetest, so stop in if you're in Ashland! 

harvest party {invites}

We're having our annual Harvest Party potluck at the end of October, it's just a fun way to celebrate the season, hang with friends and eat some seriously good food. I just finished up the invites and mailed them off. The leafy save-the-date is just a little goody to post on the calendar or pop on the fridge as a reminder. These were the most fun to make!

{bound for} Ashland

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, I've had a bit of "blog block". But, that's about to change -  tomorrow morning I'm heading to Ashland, Oregon for 4 days to see some plays, eat, hike and shop. This is our second trip, last year I tagged along with my mom and her girlfriends and this year I'm doing the same. I'll be sure to find plenty of pretty inspiration to share with you! xo

charmed {I'm sure}

I'm loving these charm necklaces by Chan Luu. The entire collection is worth a looksy, and scarves to die for.

girly goodness {the beauty bash}

I truly love being a girl. A few months back, after having my brows waxed at Benefit, I entered to win a "Beauty Bash" for me and 10 friends. As luck would have it - I WON! So, Saturday night was the ultimate girls night out, we met early for shopping and dinner, then off to Benefit to get beautified. We all had our brows waxed or lashes tinted, followed by a makeover, all the while oohing and ahhing over how glamorous we had been made to look. Early 90's Madonna blasted in the background while they served up wine, bubbly, cheeses and chocolates. We giggled and relished our time together. It was similar to a scene from the Broadway play "Legally Blonde" though we didn't break into song, but you can picture it, right? Image: here we are with our make up (and goody bags, too!): from left Sara, Me, the other Amber, Lyla, Yoli, preggy Mollee, Rosalie. Front: Jenny & Susannah (Petunia Face).

{happy friday}

It's overcast and a bit gloomy outside and they've called for rain, I'll probably hunker down and get cozy this weekend. More goodies on Monday! xo  image: Elisa Lazo de Valdez

oooh, watercolor fabric

Isn't this watercolor fabric gorgeous? I'd love it as a duvet cover, it looks fresh but not so graphic like so many of my other textiles tend to be...

Rachel Zoe {I die!}

Yes, I did a little happy dance last night when I saw The Rachel Zoe Project was on my trusty Tivo list. This show rocks my world - it's fashion-packed goodness with drama and shopping added for good measure. She works hard and shops hard, but the poor girl needs more helping hands (like mine, for instance), I'd organize those beautiful frocks right up. My only issue is that cute, punky, glam-ess Taylor, I just don't think she enjoys her job and thrives on seeing others fail. She makes me mad. How could you be so uptight when you're surrounded by gorgeous silk tulle, vintage Missoni dresses, and the latest-greatest Zac Posen's hanging within arms reach?? 

sunburst wall paper

Dilemma! This sunburst wall paper is on sale at Anthro right now and I feel like I have to have it. It may look good on a small wall in my bedroom, but it may clash with the paint color that I have not yet chosen. Is this paper too crazy or is it just right??

stuffed squash

All this crisp Fall weather has me craving creamy warm dishes, like this stuffed squash, doesn't it look tasty?

pretty woolies

If only I could knit, I'd buy these pretty candy-like wool sets right up. Imagine the scarves in these colors!

{happy friday}

Have a great weekend, everyone. Be inspired! xo

more {pretty packaging}

These adorable die-cut mustard labels wrapped around chunky jars make me smile. The design is super simple but kind of just right, too. 

Needed: Color!

Color freaks me out. Actually, committing to a paint color is what really terrifies me. But, I need it, I need some color, some accents, something. I'm loving this pale blue for the bedroom walls, love how it looks with the white molding, I just hope it doesn't look too "baby blue". These are some palettes I'm looking at now. 

at-ti-TUDE!!

I love me some Project Runway, but this Kenley needs a serious 'tude adjustment. Her fancy feather hairpieces will only get her so far, if she can't take constructive criticism she shouldn't be in the business!

falling hard {for Fall}

I took a quick gander in Anthro today, and it it just brimming with cozy Fall goodness. These sweaters are at the very top of my wishlist.

the tail end of the trip

The trip has finally come to a close, a 10 day adventure in our tent trailer (and the ER...) with the family, hopefully the first of many! Thanks for all your kind words, we're all doing great, no more nasty strep. We're so happy to be home and spent the first day nestled in our comfy bed watching TV, ahhh life's little pleasures. image: just as the sun set in Malibu

tales from the trailer {del mar}

Ahhh....Del Mar, the most beautiful of beach towns. Miles of rugged sand bluffs line an endless stretch green grass, all leading into the white sand and impossibly warm indigo water. The mornings here are misty, a cool line of coastal fog that clears before noon. A quaint main street anchors the (insane) beach homes and the (view-errific) hilltop homes, all landscaped with the lushest tropical palms and blooming hibiscus. Pink and orange sunsets bring a day of surfing, shopping, and playing to a close. More to come...this town deserves more than one post.

tales from the trailer {Malibu}

Malibu is everything beautiful & pristine - and then some. Our campsite is huge, shaded with an umbrella-like tree that also blocks out the winds. Tiny squirrels, chipmunks, and bunnies run freely through, some even sit at the picnic table with us in the morning. We walked to the beach this morning for some great shell collecting and a bit of yoga, all as the morning sun warmed us up. The strep throat is slowly fading, we're trying to use the mind-over-matter trick to make it disappear. Ruby loves camping more than anything; upon arriving at each site, she locates the water spigot and the bathroom, then introduces herself to the neighbors. Oh, and she doesn't want this to end, she wants to keep on going. She's such a free-spirit, like a little wandering gypsy. I'm headed to Starbucks for some type of smoothie and hopefully some star spotting. Next stop -Del Mar! xo

tales from the trailer {Strep!}

We've hit a slight glitch on our road trip, Dave & I both have strep throat! Luckily, Ruby has been spared, and we're now fully into the first couple days of anti-biotics, so things are lookin' up. After spending an entire day in a Santa Barbara ER, Dave hooked up to an IV for hours on end, we opted out of the campground for a night and got a pretty Spanish-style hotel room with an ultra comfy bed. Camping and strep throat do not mix. Actually, nothing mixes with strept throat, my throat is covered in tiny white barnacle-looking things and I sound like I have a mouth full of marbles. Food? Not so much. Sleep? Most definitely not. Keeping a smiley can-do attitude? I'm really trying....but I swear it's hard.

tales from the trailer {back to basics}

Camping is a true personality test. Everything just takes more work - no flick of a switch for light, no lovely flushing toilets, no running water within reach. Our biggest lesson so far: camping brings us back to the basics. Days begin with long beach walks collecting shells and rocks, a simple breakfast of eggs and fruit, and then back to the beach for some swimming and sunning. Days end with the sunset, we retreat to the tent trailer for light, a game of cards, popcorn and a good puzzle. There's no talk of TV, not even a mention of toys and no mutterings of the "I'm bored" whine. It's back to basics, we color flowers on rocks and make the alphabet using strips of seaweed. With the exception of Dave feeling under the weather, all is good. On to Malibu today....xo

and...we're off! {road trip}

The bags are packed, boards are strapped down, the trailer is stocked and we're making our way down the Southern California coast for the next 10 days. I'll be posting "tales from the trailer" along the way with my trusty laptop, so stay tuned. Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!