SPRING FASHION 2013, part two

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spring is an exciting time for fashion. it's a refreshing time of year to kick off your riding boots, shed a couple layers, and tweek your wardrobe to look bright & fresh again! yesterday i posted about 3 Spring 2013 Trends that i am currently loving, and today i've posted about the remaining 3 trends that i can't wait to wear. the trends being........ 1)) Bold Stripes, 2)) Bright Prints, 3)) Coral Pants, 4)) Elegant Embellishments, 5)) Lady-Like Lace, and 6))Pretty Pastels ! phew! 

**if you missed the part one, make sure to check it out here. 

elegant embellishments:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via   

pretty pastels:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via  

lady-like lace:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via  //  via

so which trend do you love most???

SPRING FASHION 2013, part one.

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spring has sprung! (or at least this week it has). so it's time to spring-clean those closets ((donate, donate, donate!)) and start thinking about the Spring Trends YOU want to hit. hit those trends gals! don't be afraid to pick up a bold stripe blouse, a bright floral printed piece, or a pair of bright coral pants! my favorite places to pick up these trends is JCrew, Anthropologie, and H&M. here are a few fun trends that i stand behind this spring...

** see last year's Spring Fashion Trends here.

* tune in tomorrow to see the Part II of my favorite Spring 2013 Fashion Trends... to wear now!

bold stripes:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via

bright prints:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via

coral pants:  via  //  via  //  via  //  via



tune in tomorrow, for more!

HAPPY FRIDAY.

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yesterday i popped into a couple of my favorite shops (CJrew, Anthropologie, and H&M) and noticed... spring has sprung! colors are bright, t-shirts are striped, collars were embellished, and jeans are every shade of the rainbow! even though it feels a bit too chilly to start dressing for spring, i believe adding layers of bright colors to your warm winter pieces is a great way to start transitioning! a perfect example is the photo above... how great are those two looks?? i love em. 

here are some fun n' springy links to take you 

into your weekend...

my favorite top i've seen in a long time... a rhinestone sleeveless oxford?! oh me oh my.

this is my kinda t-shirt!

grilled cheese croutons??? genius.

a new area rug can change the look of your living room for spring.

bright pillows can brighten your home up too!

dishonest artwork, i kinda like it.

these tacos look delicious. me like tacos.

not sure if you're ready for this one yet... but here is a killer spring cleaning checklist, for your home.

if you hot hot hot pink, you'll like this tote.

a Parisian dinner party seems like the perfect party for spring!

i plan on getting my DIY on this weekend... neon plant pots sound perfect!

the perfect pop of pink.

have a great weekend.

CREAM of BROCCOLI.

i have a major weakness for warm homemade soup on a rainy day. cloudy grey rainy days are my ultimate favorite weather and a good homemade soup is one of my favorite foods! i know it sounds a bit strange to enjoy rainy days but i love the feeling of having to stay in, get cozy, and make something. whether it's baking, finishing a craft project, or making some comforting soup. i made this super simple Cream of Broccoli soup with this recipe but added salt/pepper/garlic powder to the first step... and it turned out great! for my croutons i sauteed Trader Joe's onion rye bread in butter until they we golden brown & crunchy! 

what's your favorite homemade soup?

WE LIKE FOOD: Son of A Gun

Son of A Gun, LA 

finally! a new cool restaurant in LA that's name is just as awesome as their mellow hip vibe, amazing customer service, and killer (i mean, killer) food!! Son of A Gun in LA has to be the fireman & i's new favorite foodie spot... aside from their sister spot, Animal (near the Grove in LA). we were greeted at our seat with 'on the house' sparkling & flat water by a server that was energetic, optimistic, and super informative. (i mean, come on... nothing says amazing like free sparkling water! i'm serious.) once we sat down we felt like we were at a friend's house for dinner... like a friend that can really cook and has some serious interior design skills. the restaurant is small and quaint with awesome vintage treasures that are used as decor, jars that are used as cups, and a vibe that was authentically cool. these guys know exactly what they're doing... and they are really good at it. AND the food was kind of amazing too!! it was actually the best part. the menu is created daily with the freshest and most creative combinations of seafood (raw & cooked), farmers market fresh salads (the kale ceaser was awesome), and desserts that are full of fresh flavor. every single thing we ate had a unique zing! i don't even know how to describe it... a party in your mouth? let's just say these two chef's Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shook (who were recently guest judges on Top Chef) are a head of the curve and have some serious serious thinking out of the box, kinda skills. we will definitely be back. 

*ps: Animal is like the meat version of Son of A Gun... and is just as yummy.

**Vinny Dotolo & Jon Shoot also just wrote a cook book together called Two Dudes One Pan, i got it for the fireman for Valentine's Day... it's one we'll for sure share.

check out more WE LIKE FOOD's here.

VALENTINE'S DAY, at home!

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do you typically stay in on Valentine's Day or go out? the fireman & i have done both over the years, but this year we're staying in! we are going to cook a dinner full of food we love, but don't usually make... like oysters! yesterday i learned how to shuck oysters via Cupcakes and Cashmere's pre-Valentine's post. oysters are pretty much a new thing for me. i just came to realize that these intimidating little guys are pretty harmless and are basically just an amazing vehicle for delicious condiments... like, french fries! and i am a HUGE fan of condiments. now what do i make for the rest of our v-day meal??? 

*check out all of my valentine's day gift guides, here.

recipes:  raw oysters via  //  blue cheese walnut pear crostini via  //  brie with strawberries + honey via
. . .

recipes:  heart shaped beet salad via  //  caramelized pear & blue cheese salad via  //  caprese salad via
. . .

recipes:  heart shaped four cheese ravioli via  //  beet ravioli with goat cheese, hazelnut, & chive via  //  lemon garlic shrimp via
. . .

recipes:  no bake raspberry lemon via  //  chocolate cake via  //  homemade s'more via
. . .




ok, now i'm starving.

5 things: AT HOME

one. my milk glass cake stand is sitting on our front table with a perfect peach rose in a mercury glass cup... feels a little romantic for valentine's day.

how was your weekend?? did you watch the super glamorous Grammy 2013 awards? we did! and i must say, it was a great show! now i know i need to go see Mumford and Sons in concert, that JT is back (who says he ever left?!), and that the red carpet was full of amazing cut-out dresses. my best dressed gals (in a cut-out dress) were definitely Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, Natasha Bedingfield, Taylor Swift, and Kelly Osbourne! i loved all their dresses. now less about them... and more about these 5 things.

 **check out more 5 things here.

two. this coffee table book Edible Selby, is awesome. such a great gift!

 three. our homemade pizza! we finally got the crust thin & crunchy enough. success!

 four. our fabulous friends (& wedding photogs) sent us our favorite Stumptown Coffee all the way from Portland! i mean, come on!! (it's the goooooooood stuff.)

five. someone got a cozy new igloo (see in the background) but still insists on lounging in her favorite spot on the couch... and who can say no to those puppy dog eyes??!! i'm in wuv.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

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morning + happy friday! i hope you had a fabulous and productive week. hopefully you can find a little time to kick your feet up, get cozy, and enjoy the warmth of your home this weekend... since a storm is a comin! (or so they say) i'm excited for a little rain! any excuse to cuddle up inside with the fireman & the frenchie. 

still need Valentine's Day gift idea's?

here are a few gift guides... incase you missed em.

Gift Guide: Jewelry for YOU!

Gift Guide: for your HOME!

Gift Guide: for HIM!!

have a great weekend!

Valentine's Gift Guide: FOR HIM!

1 ||  Searsucker Stripe Bow Tie... $54

2 ||  Vagabond Antler Magnifying Glass... $56

3 ||  Soundview Millworks Steak Board... $170

4 ||  Pendleton Chief Blanket... $308

5 || Personalized Old Fashioned Glasses (4)... $56

6 ||  "You're a Fox" card... $5

7 ||  Schmidt Brothers 15-piece Block... $199

8 || The Shelby is in Your Place by Todd Shelby... $35  

9 ||  Roost Jumbo Hourglass... $18

10 ||  Izola 'Tick Marks' Flask... $35

11 ||  Izola Jasmine Candle... $35

12 ||  ZGallerie Deer Head... $50

13 || Izola Maritime Coasters... $15

ok ok, now less about us and more about him. it IS Valentine's an all! i've taken a little bit of the stress out for your v-day shopping (or at least i hope i did) and put together this gift guide for you.  the fireman gave all these goods a MAN-THUMBS-UP. so you're golden. if you're not seeing the perfect present here then check out this, this, or this Man Gift Guide. i hope you find some goodies that your main squeeze will love. now get ordering... because Valentine's Day is one week (& one day) away! 

what are your Valentine's Day plans???

FLOWERS at HOME.

arrangement via

*check out the DIY

happy monday. how was your weekend?? lately i've been pretty good at keeping fresh flowers around our home. so i am always trying to come up with new creative ways to take an inexpensive bouquet of flowers (usually from my farmers market) and arrange them to look like a million bucks. i typically arrange my flowers in a cluster of vintage bottles, jars, or even my vintage silver (ice cream) dishes, see here! so over the weekend i browsed around the World Wide Web to find a little inspiration and found a few simple but gorgeous arrangements i'd like to try at home.

**learn how to make a Valentine's Day Flower arrangement here!

pink + white arrangement via

*check out the DIY

tea cup arrangement via

the LOVE cups via

*check out the DIY

succulents in silver dishes via

creative spring arrangement via
*check out the DIY

clear bottles via

jade tea cup via

*check out the DIY

HAPPY (Super Bowl) WEEKEND.

image via late afternoon

happy friday peeps! will you be watching the Super Bowl this weekend... or at least the amazing commercials AND Beyonce??? i know i will! now we just have to see if Beyonce can top Madonna's half-time show from last year. never the less i am PUMPED to see this half time show & the commercials that haven't been aired on YouTube yet. and i've got to admit, i'm pretty excited to see Ray Lewis (from the Ravens) play! it's his last game ever after 17 years in the NFL & he's pretty entertaining too. 

check out today's links for recipes + inspirations for 

Super Bowl Sunday drinks, food, decor, & an awesome BINGO game!

drinks.

a salty bloody mary sounds like perfection to me!

a lemonade mojito, yum.

need to impress any cute boys on sunday??? this IPA will do the trick.

appetizers.

sweet potato + sea salt chips, say no more. 

everyone loves a good artichoke spinach dip & a jalapeno popper dip!

these individual 7-layer dips were a huge success at our Super Bowl party last year.

main dish.

a make-your-own panini bar could be the perfect way to feed a bunch of peeps while staying creative.

what about a make-you-own beef, chicken, & bean taco at half-time?

ever heard of a wingless buffalo chicken pizza, ummm yum! (and i'm a veg!)

dessert.

these brownie/cookie hamburgers could potentially steal the show from Ms. Beyonce, seriously.

mine as well just stick with the beer theme, right? chocolate beer truffles, boom.

these chocolate chip salted caramel cookie bars (longest name ever.) look amazing!

decor + games.

astro-turf coasters, mini footballs in potted wheat grass, & a chalkboard football field table cloth, wow!

an astro-turf table cloth -or- astro-turf koozies are inexpensive & easy to make.

we are so printing out these amazing Game Day BINGO cards!!! can't wait!

.................. and last but not least, the WINNER of the Burke Williams Spa

Valentine's Day massage -or- facial & pedicure is:

MEG HENNINGLOVE!!!

@http://henninglove.blogspot.com/

congrats!!

and have a great weekend.