Mo Pie, Please

Ad Astra Per Aspera

2012-01-29T10:49:00.000-06:00

Today, January 29th, marks the day which my home state was admitted to the union. Every year on this day I feel the need to celebrate all things Kansas. I think that might stem from the fact that Kansas day was a really big deal in elementary school - we always had an assembly and spent the learning day celebrating the best of the state's history. This day reminds me of many good times in my life, of good people I celebrated with who still remain my friends and of all the things that bring a smile to my face when I think about my 22 years in the sunflower state.

Even though the Jayhawks lost this weekend, and I can't come close to having a beer from the best brewery in the world, I'm still going to celebrate. I will listen to this band (reminds me of my years in Lawrence), maybe try to hunt down a sunflower or two to brighten up our home and think about all of my friends and family back home.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!

Have a Funny Weekend!

2012-01-27T16:42:00.000-06:00

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Sorry for the extra delayed post today - our internet has been down all day and we've been suffering ever since! Well not really, but the husband does work from home so it was a little stressful for him. We're back up and running now so we're all good. I just couldn't leave you all hanging without wishing you a great weekend! And I figured a little humor couldn't hurt in the process, right? Also, I just watched this video earlier and I can't stop giggling. Oh Chicago...

Thursday's Randoms

2012-01-26T10:49:00.000-06:00

These sprinkle spoons from my favorite baking blog - Sweetapolita, are filling me with happiness and giddiness reminiscent of my childhood days. She seriously always has the coolest ideas, especially for her kids. I just love how fun and exciting these look!

Tiffany pinned Ralph Lauren's pool today and it's got me yearning for a vacation right about now. Last night I brought up the fact that I'm dying to go to Mexico sometime soon and this photo (even though it looks nothing like Mexico) just reinforces that desire. I love how RL's pool looks just like a pond or part of a river. Must be nice, right?

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This guy was totally in my dream last night - talking to another animal that does not exist. It was so strange - and I have no idea what he was saying to me but he talked to me alright. It was an altogether strange dream that did not leave me feeling that good upon waking up, but a dream is a dream and nothing more. Although they say..."To see a rabbit in your dream signifies luck, magical power, and success. You have a positive outlook on life....If the rabbit is hopping in your dream, then it indicates fertility. You will be surrounded by children." Interesting, right?!

I'm loving the simplicity of these teardrop-shaped terrariums. Etsy shop TallPoppyGardens has some great stuff you should check out!

How incredible is this? You can snatch one up today on Fab.com (if you need an invite, let me know!). Even if it is originally for a Norwegian magazine article about a mass murderer...it's still a cool print.

How are your week's going? Sorry I've been a little silent. That changes today!

What's been inspiring you this week?

Puppy Love

2012-01-25T07:42:00.000-06:00

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Seeing as though we've pretty much been all things puppy lately, this post seemed more than appropriate. I'm particularly smitten with the puppy lamp - the "Albie" puppy lamp by design duo JamesPlumb. Wouldn't it be amazing to display anywhere?!

If only puppies were all cute and no work....sigh. ~~I'm serious~~ I kid, puppies are the bee's knees.

Except this one. This one is rotten.

Oh Stevie.

White Washed

2012-01-24T07:32:00.000-06:00

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I dream of having a space like this - white washed and dreamy, neatly organized and simple. I'm beginning to doubt it's even possible for me to have something like this but thanks to the interwebs, I can pretend. But seriously, I want all these rooms. Bad.

Weekend Recap

2012-01-23T07:59:00.000-06:00

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Happy Monday, everyone. Here we are again. Monday. Goodie.

How were your weekends? Mine was delightful. It was very laid back and relaxed. Some highlights include ::

Dinner at The Silver Dollar - I love going out to eat. I want to every Friday. Pretty much without fail. The husband does too, so we decided to try something newish that would be worth the drive (because everything "cool" is a drive now). The Silver Dollar was pretty tasty, I must say. There's something for everyone and the decor was so cheerful. Plus my whiskey cocktail totally hit the spot.
As usual, we lit the fireplace as often as we could. We had family over on Thursday and lit the fire, we stayed in and snuggled on Friday and lit the fire and Saturday we had friends/family over and...you guessed it, lit the fire.
Stocking up on wine at Trader Joes.
KU victory - just barely, but it'll do.
PUPPY LOVE! She pretty cuuuute
The Logo Game - have you played it? It is awesome.
Delicious homemade food including lasagna, quiche, lettuce wraps and twice-baked potatoes
The newest addition to the Badger side of the family is here - on Friday afternoon, baby Ava was born! We haven't met her yet but we get to this week and I'm excited!

Hope you guys got up to some fun this weekend! Here's to a great week ahead!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Lovely Weekend!

2012-01-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

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Happy Friday, friends! I'm so glad the weekend is upon us as it's time to snuggle up by the fire and relax all weekend long. That probably won't happen (and it's supposedly warming up this weekend), especially if Stevie has a say in it - we'll likely be running laps in the backyard and playing tug-of-war all weekend long.

This week's Friday's Fancies is all about outfit inspiration. I think I needed this theme because I've been so uninspired by fashion as of late. Is it just me? I haven't enjoyed my clothes in awhile and haven't been inspired to go looking for new ones. There's something weird about that! I'm a pretty big fan of Marianna's looks in general, but this one is perfect for the wintery day many of us are having.

What are you up to this weekend? Something fun, I hope. We're waiting with anticipation on the news of a new arrival - the mister's stepbrother is having a baby today (at least that's the hospital's plan) and I'm kind of hoping to rope a certain somebody into getting started on a bathroom project. We'll see how that one goes :)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Thursday's Randoms

2012-01-19T10:28:00.001-06:00

I've been smiling ever since I spotted this vintage poster. I imagine it must have been pretty cool to have this hanging in your room as a young teenage girl back in the day. Part of it is also kind of gross, too. Hah! Whose lips would you be smooching? My vote is for George. Via

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The color combination that is gray and aqua is by far one of my favorite color combinations ever. Comine that with paneled walls and pops of color here and there and I think we've achieved perfection. Now I just need to find a way to incorporate this into our home!

I've been pouring through Old Loves today and couldn't stop laughing when I came across Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh on their wedding day in 1989. Look at that dress! Oh. My.

This beautiful grecian gown from designer Katie Jean is quite lovely, and I'm rather fond of her styling in the rest of her shop. If you're a bride-to-be and want to support an up-and-coming designer, be sure to head to her shop and check out her designs. It could be a perfect match!

Are you as intrigued by this as I? I found this recipe from 101 Cookbooks for lemony olive oil banana bread. I love a twist on any classic recipe - and I just so happen to have an overstock of frozen brown bananas perfect for bread. We also just so happen to be hosting the in-laws for dinner tonight so this may end up on the menu.

What's inspiring you today? And what are you up to? It's been a CRAZY week around here. The husband was out of town, Stevie hit her "ohmygodI'macrazypuppyandIcan'tstopbitingyouandcryingandbarkingandI'mgoingtodriveyouallstarkravingmad" phase and there were 4 reported tornadoes in the Louisville area on Tuesday. Then it snowed a bit that night. Crazy, right? One of the tornadoes just so happened to be a few miles away from our house/the doctor's office. We were all huddled in a windowless room at work, with patients and people who work upstairs. The sirens were blaring, a funnel cloud was looming over the city and there was a calm before the storm. Holy shishkaballs.

Yee-Haw!

2012-01-17T13:22:00.000-06:00

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I feel like I talk about biscuits and gravy a lot on this blog of mine, so when I stumbled across this amazing print, I had to share. I think I need it. Because it totally rules. Yee-haw Industries, baby!

Etsy find :: Statements2000

2012-01-16T22:19:00.003-06:00

Artist Jon Allen really has some serious talent and it shines through all the pieces in his Etsy shop, Statements2000. Here you will find abstract metal art - items such as clocks, wall hangings and sculptures. The sculptures are very reminiscent of architecture such as Frank Gehry in my opinion, and what's not to love about that? If your house (or say your folks house?) needs a little sprucing up in the fine art department, be sure to check the shop out.

Weekend Recap

2012-01-16T07:22:00.000-06:00

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After being dazzled all night by the Golden Globes, it's hard to return back to reality today. Did you watch? I found it enjoyable and particularly loved seeing Octavia Spencer win best supporting actress for her role as Minny in The Help. I am so glad she played the role instead of Queen Latifah (phew) - and she most definitely deserved to win. What are your thoughts about the Globes? Best dressed? Worst dressed? And most importantly - how were your weekends? Mine was rather lovely. Some highlights include ::

Friday night mexican food + margaritas! You know how this goes, chips + salsa, margaritas, cheesy deliciousness.
Chill time w/Stevie - this happened pretty much nonstop throughout the weekend and it was awesome all around. Her aunt came over to hang out and giggled over her all night.
Both Saturday + Sunday mornings were spent in pj's til lunch time, reading books and magazines while sipping coffee and petting the pups. With occassional (okay, very often) trips out to the yard.
I didn't leave the house Saturday at all and on Sunday, it was only for a quick trip to get cat food. I loved it.
Good Will Hunting - I had only seen this movie once and it was in the late 90s, so thanks to Netflix instant watch we were delighted.
Sweet curry, biscuits and gravy, chili. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
No more cords exposed - okay, this sounds weird, right? But husband is the best - per my request (begging) he puppy-proofed/aided my neurosis and mounted the power strip and all the cords (with command hooks) to the back of our media console AND we finally organized the top and arranged it just right. Now if only we could get around to actually rehabbing the console.
Golden Globes!

Here's to a good week ahead! My sir is away on business so it's just me and Stevie pup until late Wednesday. Wish me luck - it's the first time she's alone all work day. I could be done for ;)

PS - isn't she cuuuute?

Friday's Fancies + Have a Cheery Weekend!

2012-01-13T10:32:00.000-06:00

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This week's Friday's Fancies is all about color crushing. Lately I've been smitten by Chanel's Orange Fizz nail polish - I can't get enough! So when I saw this blouse, I fell pretty hard. Isn't this outfit chic and tough all at once? I wish I could wear it out this weekend.

What's in store for you this weekend? We don't have any plans so far (I'm not complaining) and with the roads being sort of slick out there, I'm not too inclined to drive anywhere just yet. We'll see where it takes us.

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you make the most of it! Enjoy the snow, Chicagoans. It's about time you had a good amount on the ground, I say.

Thursday's Randoms

2012-01-12T10:29:00.000-06:00

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The mister and I have been in talks about the bathroom in our bedroom and how we will fix it up. Right now it's pretty "meh". The paint is not at all appealing to me, but it's been tolerable. The countertops are perfectly fine and so is the shower, but it's not very tranquil and that is something I definitely long for. Plus, it doesn't even begin to match our bedroom, as that was the first room we painted. I would love to be able to recreate this bathroom - view included. Although our view is pretty rad if I do say so. It overlooks a meadow and many mornings I have looked out and watched groups of deer frolicking, with their fluffy white tails bobbing up and down. I'm thinking we'll paint the walls the same shade of minty blue green as our bedroom and hang wainscot halfway up the walls. We'll add some shelves and pops of red and voila, the perfect bathroom shall transpire!

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Between taking care of Stevie, work and well, taking care of Stevie, there hasn't been much motivation to knit. I've been trying to work on finishing up a last-minute Christmas gift (that obviously didn't really turn out to be a last-minute gift considering it's mid-January practically and it's no where near being done) and still have a lot to do, but when I'm done, I'm thinking this beautiful pattern is my next project. The last hat I knit for myself was definitely a learning project. It was completely unwearable even though it looked good over all.

How chic are these mittens? I love the zipper and I love how warm they are making me feel. They're on sale, too!

I purchased a bar of soap a few months ago from a boutique here in Louisville and I've been loving the way it feels and smells. If you're in the Brooklyn area, check out Saipua - a family-owned soap and flower shop with amazing scents. They're carefully handmade in the store and they have some pretty great packaging too, might I add. If you're not in Brooklyn, the soaps are sold across the US! I have the gardener's soap and I love it, but I really wish I could wash my hands with the coffee mint right about now!

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So many of us are experiencing winter today - finally. Since I have the day off, I'm thinking that curling up by the window with a book is the best idea.

Happy Thursday, everyone! What's inspiring you today?

Etsy find :: Sophia Clothing

2012-01-11T07:39:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling rather smitten with today's Etsy find - Sophia Clothing. Designer Sophia Zhang has been making clothes for 15 years - and you can definitely tell. Her outfits are unique and look very well made, don't you think? I could stand to switch a few of the stylings - for instance, get rid of the flip flops! They're in every summery outfit it seems.

What do you think? Do you ever support designers such as Sophia?

Solara

2012-01-10T07:32:00.000-06:00

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I'm dreaming about soft winter pastels for my wardrobe lately. To me, these colors are quintessential January. Even though it doesn't quite feel like January outside, I'm aching for the weather to satisfy my mood. Also, the walls of my home are aching for this print, seriously.

What is in your January wardrobe these days?

Weekend Recap

2012-01-09T07:31:00.000-06:00

{she was studying hard}

Good morning, everyone. Too bad it's Monday again, but it's sometimes nice to get the week going. The weekend was really good - it was productive and relaxing at the same time. Some highlights include ::

Pooch session! Canuba and Uncle Dubs stopped by for a play session with our mary puppins. It was as adorable as it was chaotic, especially with Gus in the house. I loved it though and it was great to see Stevie interact with them. Watching her grow has also been pretty incredible. She's got a big ole belly now and her face is changing every time I look at her.
Yoga, puppy love, reading on the couch
Family dinner - we were all treated to a lovely dinner which was followed by exchanging Christmas presents since our schedules coincided finally. Christmas was good to us!
Hot tub!
Lazy Sunday
Another pooch session! This time she got to go on adventure AND meet Lucy AND play with Canuba and Uncle Dubs again. Man, life is pretty good for her so far. And we got to eat more good food.

Sorry for all the puppy talk. It's obviously consumed my life. I promise to tone it down...soon. I mean, come on. She totally poops and potties outside lately. I feel so proud! You know you would too ;)

What do you think about the new look? It's still in progress, so expect another change or two. Have you heard of Blogmilk yet? I recommend heading over to Ana's site and exploring her new templates. I had a hard time choosing!

Happy Monday, my friends. Hope your weeks are all swell!

Friday's Fancies + Have an Awesome Weekend!

2012-01-06T10:54:00.000-06:00

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Happy Friday, everyone! I'm so glad to be back to my usual blogging routine - especially Friday's Fancies! It's been so long! This week's Friday's Fancies theme is "best foot forward" and because of that, I couldn't help but fall in love with these embellished Brian Atwood pumps. Aren't they gorgeous? They're my favorite color (and color combo, honestly) and would look great with so many things. And there's that scalloped clutch again - calling my name!

What plans do you have this weekend? Tonight we're having some people (and dogs) over to love on Stevie. We're trying to socialize her as much as we can from here on out, and Canuba and Dubie coming over is the best way to do so (because we get to reap all the benefits, too). She has been doing so good for us - she's sleeping through the night now, although that does come with accidents. We're hoping to get a baby gate/play pen area to keep her enclosed so her potty training works better when we're asleep (and you know, so she doesn't destroy anything...). So our weekend is naturally going to be centered around her. We're also finally celebrating Christmas with the Badger family and going out to eat with everyone. Should be a good weekend - and if there are no trips to the ER this weekend, it will be about a million times better than last!

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you have an amazing few days! Happy Friday!

Thursday's Randoms

2012-01-05T11:05:00.000-06:00

How cute is this? I can't bear it. It's too cute for words. As is pretty much everything from this awesome Etsy shop, Red Red Completely Red.

Hello, yumminess! Even though the mister and I are on a bit of a detox (yeah, how could we not be after Sunday's events?), I think this cocktail might be a nice treat once it's over. I mean, could it be any more apt? This honey badger don't care!

I recently ordered myself a Christmas coat from Anthropologie. It was on major sale but was also on backorder. I have been waiting and waiting for it to ship but was saddened to receive an email saying the item was cancelled. I guess it wasn't meant to be after all. So I got to thinking about how I've been carrying the same purse around for well over a year and a half (who knew an Aldo bag would stay in perfect condition with every day wear for this long?). While this scalloped clutch from Topshop isn't exactly ideal for every day use, it is pretty irresistible. `

I could really use a little r n' r in this spot right now. It looks so calming, relaxing and breezy. Le sigh. Via

We have decided to name her Stevie! After both my stepdad and our friend Daniel suggested we name it Steve in two entirely separate emails, we figured why not go with Stevie? I like the idea of a boys name used for a girl and it has a feminine ending, so why not? Lil' Stevie Nicks, Lil' Stevie McQueen, etc. She even slept through the night on her bed and only made a couple of accidents. She is getting bigger already and smarter by the second!

Cute puppy, name unknown

2012-01-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

Introducing ::

Well...hmm, we still don't have a name.

Even though she kept us up most of the night, we are in love. Even though she poops everywhere, we are in love. Even though she tries to nurse everything in sight, we are in love. I have to admit though, she's getting pretty good at peeing on her training pads.

She's pretty much full of personality. She whines a lot (hence keeping us up all night) but that's because she's so young and misses her doggie mama. She cries when one of us leaves the room, and she was right there in the action when I did some yoga earlier. She's starting to play with her toys and she is sleeping in her bed. What's not to love?

We're studying up on training so we can have the best little pooch this side of the Mississippi. Because seriously, I don't want to be the person who goes to the bathroom and comes out to find this ::

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So considering the fact that I'm on a dangerously low amount of sleep, do you have any tips for making our next few nights a little easier? It's funny how quickly I believe everyone saying puppies are like having a baby. Man. Oh. Man.

Gus seems to be doing well with her to our surprise. He stares at her. A lot. And moves around to get better views. But I have high hopes for a future best friend status. Then we can get some more animals and one day have a portrait like this ::

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Or not. But I needed to share this with everyone so that your Wednesdays are that much better.

I promise more pics of the unnamed pooch are to come. I tried taking more but the lil' booger wouldn't hold still for a second. Which makes me smile just thinking about.

More to come, I promise. And more regular programming when things settle down and more sleep is had.

Til' tomorrow...happy tails to you ;)

PS ::

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNA-MARIA!

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I love you!

Another Long Weekend Recap

2012-01-03T07:48:00.000-06:00

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My goodness, what a weekend. This post was supposed to be brought to you this morning, but due to unforeseen circumstances, that didn't happen. I'm happy to be back to normalcy now, back to routine, back to what we know. Because that means that everything is okay, we're all here and healthy and we can put some stuff behind us. Are you confused yet?! First, some highlights ::

Our friends Hadley & Ryan came to visit us with their adorable son and incredible dog. They spent a few days with us, we laughed, we ate good food, drank good wine and played some fun games. It was a great time and I am so so happy they came. I miss them like crazy already!
Saturday was spent in our pajamas watching college basketball - it was nice, even if all the teams we were rooting for didn't get the W.
A champagne toast at home with friends started off our New Years Eve night, and Ghostbusters was on in the background to make us laugh.
Zazoo's - we went to the bar for the night and listened to some good bands ring in the new year. When the countdown began, we had a free glass of champagne in our hands and balloons rained down on us when we reached 1. It was pretty much awesome. Then dancing broke out and a lot of fun was had.
After I cleaned the kitchen like crazy, I found something we've been looking for for months now. A PUPPY!! To my surprise, the husband agreed to drive to etown and pick one out. I felt totally underprepared but both of us knew we had to just go for it. Kind of like having kids - you're never really fully ready, right?
The most adorable German Shepherd/Beagle puppies were waiting for us, looking as adorable as possible. We picked the one who kept staring at me (and the one licking the hamper). She is so so so cute. She has a mainly black coat with a tan face and feet. With a wee bit of white on her. We are in love, needless to say. But we still haven't named her. She laid on my lap for most of the ride home, but the ride home was stopped because of what I was alluding to above.

We spent the remainder of Sunday night in the ER - not because of a wreck or anything, but because as my husband was driving us home, his muscles cramped up and his speech slurred. Luckily he pulled over right in time because it all happened so very fast. I called 911 but even though they said help was on the way, an ambulance didn't come for an hour. And they only came because I called back. Twice. Seriously, so many things are wrong with that. The one ambulance said they never received our dispatch. I really hope that's the case because if he were in serious danger (which who knew?) then he might not have been here today. They took him to the closest ER and there he spent the next 6 hours hooked up to an IV to try and retain fluids he had lost in the process. Poor guy. My heart completely broke seeing him laying on the hospital bed. Supposedly he was attacked by a stomach virus which left him completely dehydrated. It didn't help that NYE was the night before and we had had our fair share of booze. Followed by coffee, followed by greasy food (him, not me). Who knows what's to blame, but the lesson here is learned. HYDRATE, hydrate, HYDRATE! 24 hours later, he is doing fine. A little tired and weak, but fine. The puppy has the best aunt in the world, who took her home and got her food and toys. She also took her to the vet for us because the poor little thing hadn't been dewormed. Man. What a way to welcome the new year, eh?

So now here we are, resting in our home with our two furry children. Trying to think of the best name possible for our new little trooper. Who is lettting out cute little whimpers in her sleep.

Suggestions are welcome :)

Happy 2012, everyone. Hope your year is off to a better start than ours!

Feeling under...

2011-12-27T20:59:00.001-06:00

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Under the weather, that is. It's Tuesday night, I've been at home for about 4 hours (minus sleep) since last Tuesday and I'm exhausted. My throat hurts and I'm feeling whiney. Sorry about that last part, everyone.

Lately I've been feeling bits of guilt for not giving my all to this blog of mine. It's nothing personal, I'm just feeling so overwhelmed by it all and it's sometimes hard to sit and write a post so late in the evening when all I want to do is sleep. I hope you'll forgive me - and continue with me as a new year begins, things slow down and the land freezes over. I hope to be back in touch this week (most likely), however, some very special friends are headed our way for a quick visit on their way back home. I'm giving them my undivided attention because quite frankly, they deserve it 110%.

Hoping you are having a terrific and healthy week!

Long Weekend Recap

2011-12-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

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Hello, everyone! I hope you all are doing well! We just got back from a 4 1/2 day stint in Kansas and it was definitely well worth the 11 hour drive. My family was awesome and I felt truly blessed as I looked around and took everything in. Knowing I have all of them in my life makes me ooze happiness and I am thankful for each and every single one of them. Some highlights of the trip include ::

Extended family Christmas - all the siblings between my mom and stepdad (there are 5 of us and we're all married) gathered at my folks house to celebrate a few days early. All 9 of the kids opened presents, we had some incredible bite-sized peanut butter pies and sat around for hours chatting and making each other laugh. It was the perfect welcome home!
My brother had a work party on Friday afternoon so I insisted my nieces and nephew come over to play. A nerf war ensued - for hours, my husband, mom, stepdad and the kids hid behind forts and army crawled around the basement, laughing hysterically the whole time.
Friday night pizza and a game - my favorite kind of night
Friday Night Lights the movie - it is weird to see Billy Bob Thornton play the role of coach. The movie is good but it's just not the same seeing Connie Britton married to BBT and not Eric Taylor. I did however learn that my stepdad lived in Odessa, TX during Permeon's hay day. He described everything about it and I couldn't help but listen in awe!
Saturday my husband took me out to visit my father's grave. Last Wednesday marked 18 years without my father. I hadn't been to visit his grave in a long while but it felt really good.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - holy me oh my, this movie ruled. If you're a fan of the book or just a fan of Daniel Craig (oh, Mikael), I suggest you clear an afternoon/evening and spend it watching this film.
Christmas lights! We drove through a display, checked out a house with lights set to music on the radio and admired it all. While listening to Christmas music the whole time, of course.
Baking - my stepdad and I made pumpkin pies, I made a raspberry chocolate trifle and we all worked together in the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Family arrived late afternoon, we opened presents and ate, then spent the remainder of the evening playing nearly all the boardgames we all got for each other (can you tell what kind of family we are?!)
After we said our goodbyes, we journeyed over to my stepbrother's house for their annual Christmas night party. I reunited with a friend I've known for 22 years (whoa!), made friends with a childhood friend of my brothers and ate the crap out of Georgia's world-famous hummus.
We finally made it back home to Louisville with just enough time in the evening to exchange gifts with each other.

What a holiday! How were all of yours? I'd love to hear! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I'd still love to hear how your weekends were!

Here's to a terrific last week of 2011!

xoxo

Traveling

2011-12-21T08:06:00.000-06:00

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Today we leave for Kansas to visit my family for Christmas. I am excited to see everyone again, to get together with extended family and to stay cozy and warm in my parents home. We'll play lots of board games, eat lots of food and play with those cute lil' kiddos. I just wish it didn't come paired with a 12-hour drive. Here's hoping the weather is good the entire duration and that our audiobooks and new music will make the time fly by.

Posting will be sparse until we return. If you don't hear from me, I wish you a very merry happy holiday!

Etsy find :: Lucius Fine Jewelry

2011-12-20T07:56:00.000-06:00

Recently, Christy of Lucius Jewelry traveled to one of Chicago's airports and showed off her fine jewelry. Lucky for me (and all of you), my awesome stepmother-in-law (seriously, there should be easier terms for these kinds of relationships to people) happened to be traveling that day and happened to have me in mind when she spotted these lovelies. I'm completely in love with the longhorn skull necklace and I'm pretty sure I would wear that ring all the time. The earrings are such a nice touch of sparkle and considering I have birds tattooed on my body, I'm a fan of the bird necklace. What do you think? Do you see a Lucius piece of jewelry in your life soon?

Be sure to check out her blog and Etsy store (after Christmas). Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Recap

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

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Good morning, everyone! We're back to reality after a blissful weekend and I'm already counting down the days until my work week is over. Christmas is SO soon and we leave for our trip to Kansas on Wednesday! Yowza's. This weekend was excellent and I'm really in the Christmas spirit big time. Some highlights include ::

Holiday music + baking whoopie pies and "chicken" buffalo dip
Holiday party! The potluck was a success and we merrily partied the night away
Cozy Saturday in our pj's
Dinner at the Village Anchor - it was incredibly cozy inside and quaint on the outside, it was decorated for Christmas and the fire was lit.
Yahtzee in front of the fireplace. Even Gus hung out in the box...
Sunday fun day - friends/family came over for dinner and we all watched Home Alone. Sunday's are really pretty great when spent like that
A new dresser! The mister's grandpa made us a beautiful walnut dresser and it was dropped off as an early Christmas present. It smells so wonderful and looks absolutely stunning. I'm in love!

How were your weekends? Festive and warming, I hope. Here's to a lovely week, my friends!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Cheery Weekend!

2011-12-15T23:07:00.000-06:00

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Happy Friday, friends! This week's Friday's Fancies is all about sparkle and shine - two things I happen to love in small doses (unlike my mother these days). Since it is the holiday season after all, what better excuse to don this amazing Alice + Olivia frock (that's for you, Anna)? Paired with red suede Yves Saint Laurent pumps? Yes, please.

What have you planned this weekend? I'm very excited - tonight I am headed to my first holiday party! My lovely sister-in-law and her 2 best friends are hosting the shindig and I am totally going to enjoy every last bit of it. If only I could wear something so lovely as this. The rest of the weekend is wide open, so I hope we get up to awesome things. After all, I've been holding down the fort while the mister is away and he leaves yet again on Monday for a holiday party of his own. So we better make the most of it ;)

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope it's amazing! xoxo

Thursday's Randoms

2011-12-15T09:46:00.001-06:00

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I want to go to there. So magical. So so so pretty!

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This guy is ready for snow and sledding. Yet he doesn't look amused in the slightest...

After Tuesday's post on my newest sponsor, Judy Kaufmann, a sweet reader clued me in to Elizabeth Graeber and I am definitely smitten. Perhaps you will be, too. So check 'em out.

I may have already posted this cake before - but friends, it is DELICIOUS. I made this for my husband's birthday the other day and I can't stop drooling. It was a whole process, but it was an enjoyable process and I am getting better at decorating! It might not have been prettily piped like she did but it was tasty nonetheless.

Today The Beauty Department has a tutorial on the basic manicure! I find it to be very nice timing because my nails are too long and are making me uncomfortable at the moment. I'm totally going to use this today and hope for the best!

I love the color palette in this cozy bedroom. It's a rainy day today - maybe this looks more lovely than normal because I'm in a snuggly mood?

Happy Thursday, everyone! What's inspiring you today?

Sponsor love :: Judy Kaufmann

2011-12-13T06:02:00.000-06:00

Introducing ::

I wanted to officially say WELCOME to my newest sponsor, Judy Kaufmann! Judy is a Barcelona-based illustrator who creates some incredible things - specifically illustrations of quirky celebrities (ahem, Woody Allen). Not only does she run her amazing Etsy shop, but check out her website full of goodies including things like prints, t-shirts and iPhone cases!

Just in case you were wondering, Judy has an awesome blog as well - so good luck not spending hours of your day browsing through it :)

Lovely readers, please take a moment to welcome Judy Kaufmann to the Mo Pie, Please family! I'm so glad to have you!

Don't forget to visit her shop, website and show her blog some love, too. Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Last but not least...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUSBAND!

Weekend Recap

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

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Good morning, everyone! Although I wish it was still Saturday morning, it's nice to say hello again to all of you. The weekend was great - it flew by as fast as possible (as it always does), we had a lot of fun and I'm sad it's over. Some highlights include ::

Dinner + high school girls basketball - the in-laws treated us to dinner and took us to see my husband's stepsister beat their rivals in some bball. It was pretty freaking awesome.
Lazy Saturday - I wrapped Christmas presents, ate chilaquiles, took a long, hot shower and had a mid-afternoon cocktail.
KU victory over Ohio State! Oh how sweet it was. Then it was followed by IU beating UK and I was in heaven!
Birthday dinner! The mister turns 30 on Tuesday so our friends came out to dinner with us and we feasted on deliciousness at Ramsi's.
Mini birthday party! Just the way we like it.
Christmas shopping - we're getting so close to being done now. There are a lot of presents wrapped under the tree. Needless to say, there are some lucky family members, ha ha.
Our Idiot Brother - it's really pretty funny (although, as with every movie in this genre, it gets cheesy/sappy toward the end) and I enjoyed the cast thoroughly. It's the perfect movie for Sunday nights when you need a good laugh (we did, we watched the Bears blow a 10 point lead in the last couple minutes against the Broncos. No good, Bears, no good.)

How were your weekends? Excellent, I hope! Here's to a great week!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Festive Weekend!

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-06:00

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Happy Friday, everyone! While I may not be going to a holiday party this weekend (it's NEXT weekend) I still couldn't resist taking part in this week's Friday's Fancies theme - Holiday Party! I've really got in the Christmas spirit again this year and have been anticipating the events coming up. If money were no object, I'd totally sport this look (along with some black tights and a dressy coat). It's not too dressy and not too casual - so perfect for the occasion.

What are your plans this weekend? We're hopefully getting together tomorrow night with friends to celebrate the mister's birthday a few days early - he turns 3-0 on Tuesday! Other than that, we'll see where it takes us. Whatever you get up to, I hope you have an excellent weekend!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-12-08T10:05:00.001-06:00

I think I might have to copy this. If the candles really do make the house smell like coffee, well then I am 100% sold.

Isn't this garland + red house combo just delightful? I love how cozy it feels and how rustic it looks. Surely they painted that red just to achieve perfection during the holiday season!

It's time to get a new calendar for the coming year, and this simple but sweet one from Anthropologie is looking like the new front runner.

This artwork is so stunning. That's all I can say.

It's that time of the year again. Time to make sugar cookies and put those cookie cutters to use. To ice and decorate - of which I am no good at. But I will still try. I've got one batch of crinkle cookies made and ate, I guess it's time to start making more. If only I could do half as good as the Flourishing Foodie.

What's inspiring you today?

Gift Guide :: Boys + Girls

2011-12-07T07:17:00.000-06:00

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Bear leggings, badger finger puppets, sophie the giraffe and train sets! I think I might have had a certain little booger in mind for this one (he loves Sophie, or at least used to), but I couldn't resist.

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The Velveteen Rabbit, American Girl costumes, Adorable Modern dresses and a personal growth chart. So. Freakin'. Cute!

P.S. - to make you laugh, check out what my nephew snuck onto his Christmas list!

Gift Guide(s) :: Him & Her

2011-12-06T07:48:00.000-06:00

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Here you have it, friends. The beginning of this season's gift guides! I know I'm a little late compared to many of you, but truth be told...I haven't even started shopping yet. Woah!

I figured I would start with him and her, she and him. There is so much stuff out there these days and it's hard to know where to even start. I figured I'd ignore the fact that I'm probably buying nothing like this for my husband, nor he for me. So you know, I'll embrace it virtually, or something like that.

Is anyone else kind of at a loss as to what to get or where to start? Do you have someone special in your life with a birthday near Christmas? Boy, it sure does make it hard sometimes. Not only is his birthday 2 weeks before Christmas, he's also turning 3-0. No pressure. But I digress.

Anybody have any ideas to share? I'd love to hear!

Weekend Recap + A Winner!

2011-12-05T07:16:00.000-06:00

{we did it!}

I can't believe it's Monday again. The weekend flew by - probably because I had an amazing time and did things I love with people I love and ate good food. I mean, that's all it takes for a weekend to be terrific, right? Some highlights include ::

Christmas tree!!! We picked ours out at a lot down the street and supported the marching band for a local high school. Our tree was $10 cheaper than we ever paid in Chicago and we know where the proceeds are actually going. It's all big and fluffy and even though it doesn't smell like a fresh tree should, it's still perfect.
Decorating! We bought the biggest outdoor bulbs we could find, bought a few wreaths and a couple strands of garland. I had fun, needless to say. And the mister did too - it's not every day he gets to climb out on the roof with a staple gun in hand. We also couldn't resist the urge to light a fire while hanging the stockings and lighting the tree. Total warm and fuzzies.
Lunch with Nanny, my husband's grandmother. She treated us to an afternoon in Shelbyville, KY, eating at The Science Hill Inn (which totally weirded me out, I felt like I was on the set of The Help and it was rather uncomfortable) and looking at very expensive antiques.
Bardstown Aglow - Shop local was the theme of the night. Even though we didn't buy anything, we enjoyed "shopping" the local bars afterward.
Wild Eggs - see where I'm going with this? Lots of good food was consumed this weekend. Lots. My mother-in-law treated us "kids" to brunch at one of Louisville's finest spots - Wild Eggs, all for taking our picture. Luckily we live down the street from their newest location because - It. Is. Superb.
Last but not least, we stocked up our holiday bar (well, somewhat) and sampled our newest selections. It's bad how much fun it is to go on a shopping spree at the liquor store. I promise though, we're not as bad as it might sound.

How were your weekends? I'd love to hear!

Finally - to announce our winner of the Marissa B. giveaway! Congratulations, Erika of Tiptoe Butterfly! May you rock those beautiful earrings all year long!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Great Weekend!

2011-12-02T12:44:00.001-06:00

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Sorry for the late post today, lovelies! But I couldn't go another week without creating a Friday's Fancies! In honor of World Aids Day yesterday, the theme this week is (RED) - in order to help spread awareness. Be sure to visit the website and do your part to spread the message ;)

I couldn't resist choosing the fun, cropped, bright red J.Crew pants, especially paired with those gold-toed flats. Swoon! The weather is warming up this weekend here in Louisville so an outfit like this would pass perfectly.

What plans have ye this weekend? Tomorrow we're going to brunch with my husband's grandmother, Sunday we're having brunch and taking a family Christmas card photo and hopefully we'll find some time to hang Christmas lights on the house (I'm so excited about this!). We're getting our tree this afternoon/evening and I'm also on the hunt for a pretty wreath to hang on the front door.

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you have a terrific one!

Be sure to enter the Marissa B. giveaway!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-12-01T09:36:00.001-06:00

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I'm finding it hard to believe it's December 1st today. But I'll get over my disbelief and will quickly get into full on holiday mode. I'm thinking today, my day off, is the perfect day to make the husband go pick out a Christmas tree and outdoor lights. Don't you agree?!

Thinking about copying this idea somewhere in the home. I mean, what a big impact for such a little price. They make it look so chic!

My goodness this looks good. I mean, really, really good. Hey, I got some new nikes the other day, I'm bundling up and hitting the trail so I think I could have a similar version of this today, right?

So, husband and I are in the process of finding the perfect doggie to add to our family. We've been sold on German Shepherds for awhile now because of their intelligence and beauty, but we've had some mixed reactions when telling people that's what we want. Then my coworker told me a story about her sister's dog being mauled to death by the neighbor's GS and well...now I'm not so sure what to do. Last night we found Maddie here, who is described as one of the sweetest dogs around. She's at a foster home in Lexington and you can read some more about her here. I think she's beautiful and by the description, she sounds pretty perfect for us. But we're hesitant. What do you think? Any thoughts on German Shepherds? I could just really use some advice! Our other option is going to the humane society and checking out some adorable border collie pups they've got. Eeps! But that means housetraining, ick. ~~Minka~~ Maddie (oops, I keep getting her confused with another GS named Minka) is already trained!

This dress needs to be in my closet as a winter staple. I love the cut and the print both!

Last, don't forget to enter the Marissa B. giveaway! She is graciously giving away a pair of her crystal pom pom earrings in chrome - perfect for the holiday season! I think they're so beautiful and would look lovely on all of you!

Happy December, everyone!

A Giveaway + Sponsor Love :: Marissa B

2011-11-29T21:42:00.001-06:00

Introducing ::

Marissa B!

I wanted to officially say WELCOME! to my newest sponsor, Marissa B! I can't get over how beautiful Marissa's jewelry is. From the colors to the style, she's got a good thing going on here. I think we can all agree.

"Marissa B. has been designing up-scaled fashion jewelry from a new perspective since 2002. The collection of earrings, bracelets and necklaces reflects modern artistic style.

From her Boston-based studio, Marissa works with a delicious array of colorful semiprecious gems and metals. Each piece goes through a rigorous design process of crafting and perfecting before it is turned over to the hands of the skilled and talented artisans she works with to create the final work.

Marissa B. jewelry sells in independent boutiques and department stores worldwide.

Whether you crave a simple line or a bold statement, Marissa B. jewelry satisfies every time."

Welcome to the Mo Pie, Please family, Marissa! I'm so glad you're here :)

Now on to the best part of all! Marissa has kindly offered a giveaway for all of you readers!

For a chance to win these beautiful pom pom earrings (right in time for the holidays!) simple do the following ::

Mandatory Entry

Visit Marissa B. and comment letting us know what your favorite item in the store is
Be a follower Mo Pie, Please on GFC

Additional Entries (leave a comment for each)

Follow Marissa's blog, A Side of Sparkle
'Like' Mo Pie, Please on Facebook
'Like' Marissa B. on Facebook
Follow Marissa B. on Twitter
Blog about this giveaway (leave a comment with the link)

The giveaway will close next Sunday at 10 p.m. est, so be sure to tell all your friends! Best of luck!

We didn't start the fire

2011-11-29T07:38:00.000-06:00

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Creamy whites and raspberry! Navy blue tights and boots! It must mean that the holidays are upon us, what with my brain focusing on these colors. They have me thinking party - I would love to attend a holiday party sporting this number, would you?

Just because it's Tuesday, let's all listen to one of my fave Arcade Fire jams.

Weekend Recap

2011-11-28T06:26:00.000-06:00

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What a week! I think I am alone on this one but a part of me is slightly relieved it's Monday. But let's pretend I didn't really just say that. You see, I had a very wonderful week, full of the 3 most important f's = family, friends and food. For over a week, we had family and friends staying at our house, keeping us company and full of warmth. But now Monday is here, we are back to our same ole routine and the kitty can peacefully sleep in his favorite spot(s). Normalcy has returned and I'm feeling thankful for both warm and fuzzies and also normalcy, sweet normalcy.

Some highlights of the last week include ::

Games! We played so many we lost count. I won pretty much all of them, and that is fun to admit.
Bourbon's Bistro! We treated my folks to a gourmet Kentucky meal for my mom's birthday. All of our food was prepared with bourbon, naturally. We ate with smiles on our faces and laughed about the Scotty Davenport show being filmed behind us.
Birthday karaoke! Our friend Alex turned the big 3-0 and to celebrate, we all put ourselves out there and jammed some karaoke tunes to a broad audience. It was pretty fun, needless to say.
TURKEY DAY! Holy me oh my was Thanksgiving good. My mister is seriously the best person ever. He woke up and started churning out one success after another. By the time I woke up and had my coffee, mostly everything was done or in the oven. I was impressed. We successfully hosted one of the best Thanksgivings of my life and I am so thankful for that. I'm also so very thankful for so many things - but most importantly for every single person that was there that day. How great is it that both the mister and I's folks are fun for our friends to be around?!
Mammoth Cave + Jim Beam Distillery Tour! We trekked down south and embraced my stepdads geology love. We walked through a mammoth cave and stared in awe at all the beauty. It all blows me away! Jim Beam was on the way home and what better way to end your stay in Kentucky than to tour a distillery! We took a quick tour and sampled two of their top shelf bourbons.
My folks left early Saturday morning so we spent the remainder of our weekend with visiting friends.
Vegging on the couch. It was truly needed. Such a great way to end such a crazy good week.

How were your holidays? I'd love to hear! Again, congrats to Erin for winning the Shabby Apple giveaway! And hello to all of my new followers - so excited to meet you!

Last, if you live in Louisville - don't forget to go to Proof on Main tomorrow to meet myself and Alison of {long distance loving}! Sign up here!

A Winner!

2011-11-27T14:46:00.001-06:00

Erin is our lucky winner! Congrats, Erin! I'll be in touch :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:58:00.001-06:00

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I wish you all the best today - the best pie, the best turkey/ham/tofurkey, the best of family times and more. Today I am so thankful for my wonderful family and the fact that they're getting to come together to celebrate in our home. It's sure to be a good time - but in the meantime, man, we have a lot to do...

Have a great holiday, everyone! Don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway! You have until Sunday night!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!!

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

I finally get to host my own Shabby Apple giveaway and I am so excited about it! I chose to giveaway this lovely Nothin' Like A Dame dress to one very lucky reader. You're definitely bound to look stunning, whoever you are.

Shabby Apple is an online boutique full of hip and adorable dresses, skirts, jewelry, etc. Bloggers are their biggest fans and Shabby Apple is the biggest online retail supporters of bloggers like you and I! Even if you aren't the lucky winner, I highly suggest you check out their shop and maybe even do a little Christmas shopping (he he).

To enter - Mandatory ::

'Like' Shabby Apple on Facebook
Follow Mo Pie, Please via Google Connect
Visit Shabby Apple and leave a comment below with your favorite item in the store

For Additional Entries ::

'Like' Mo Pie, Please on Facebook (one entry)
Blog about this giveaway (one entry if you leave a link in the comments)

One lucky winner will be chosen at random next Sunday evening, November 27th at 10 p.m. est. Best of luck!

Weekend Recap

2011-11-21T07:25:00.000-06:00

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Hello again! How are you? How were your weekends? Excellent, I hope! Our weekend was one of the best weekends and I'm feeling so very warm and fuzzy as a result. Some highlights include ::

Chicago visitors!!! Some of our bestest friends came in for a weekend visit and it was glorious. The time flew by unfortunately (as it always does) but we made the most of it.
Pizza + wine/beer + fire. Oh yes. So. Cozy.
Morning coffee + chats. I can't get enough!
Baby shower - only two more months to go until we meet the newest addition to our extended family.
Champagne + euchre = perfection (except for losing to the boys)
MY PARENTS!! They arrived safely and right in time for dinner!
Tofurkey roast/pot roast dinner. It was so tasty and so awesome to have the dinner table completely full with so many of my all-time favorite people.
Taboo night - Taboo is super fun with teams of 3, let me tell you. Us girls totally ruled that one.
Apple pancake brunch - a great way to send off the friends.
Bears victory!
Delicious manicotti followed by some awesome r n' r. I love weekends.

It's good to be back, it's good to be with family and it's good to be excited about Thanksgiving! Here's to a wonderful week ahead!

HELLO!

2011-11-20T13:17:00.001-06:00

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Hello, friends!!!

I am SOOOOOO sorry about my unexpected silence last week. Lightning struck our modem, the husband was out of town and our internet provider and I couldn't work out a time for an appointment. It was frustrating to live without the internet and be away from the blog, but I'm back in business. I'm sad to see that a few of you stopped following during the downtime...but I do hope you'll come back. Regular programming is scheduled for the week and I will try my best to make the rounds as well. My folks are in town for Thanksgiving and I am oh so excited about hanging out with them and eating loads of delicious food!

Hope your weekends have been swell!

The Listeners/These Train Tracks

2011-11-15T07:54:00.000-06:00

The Listeners/These Train Tracks is an awesome children's book and 7", handcrafted by artist/musician, Michah Middaugh of Breathe Owl Breathe. If you haven't heard any of Breathe Owl Breathe's stuff, you're missing out. Seriously.

If you're a fan of cuteness, music and well-crafted art, please check this out. You won't regret it.

Take a listen.

The book/7" is set to release on December 6th, for $28.50. Pre-order your copy here!

* When we have kids, I promise you, they're totally gonna jam to stuff like this.

What do you think?

Sponsor Love :: Coni Lab

2011-11-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

Introducing ::

I wanted to officially say WELCOME! to my newest sponsor - coniLab! Coni's Etsy shop is filled with lovely screen-printed sentiments, sure to brighten up your day.

"After working with diverse designers for many years I started my own journey creating and printing my own designs. My chosen technic: completely handmade screen printing… the type of work that makes your hands hurt… and gives you a lot of joy after seeing the printed results!!

I love language and typography. I love old etchings, viynets and signs, simbols and icons! In my artwork you will find a little bit of all these things."

Please be sure to head over to her shop, browse around and order everything ;) I find it hard to resist!

Lovely readers, please take a moment to join me in welcoming Coni and coniLab to the Mo Pie family! We're so happy to have you!

Want to advertise or sponsor Mo Pie, Please?

Email me for a very low rate (and not just for a month!) @

Meaganpie (at) gmail (dot) com.

Weekend Recap

2011-11-13T22:04:00.001-06:00

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Good morning, lovelies! How were your weekends? Wonderful, I hope. Ours was pretty good - aside from the fact that I spent most of it just trudging through, feeling a little off. I still haven't become officially sick, but I can't tell if the fatigue and scratchy throat is going away or if it's just going to be kept at bay for awhile. Does this happen to any of you?

Anyway...'twas a good weekend. Some highlights include ::

MEETING DOGGIES!! We're seriously starting the dog adoption process and on Friday evening we ventured down the street to meet a few pooches and to introduce ourselves to the foundation. They're on the look out for the perfect match and I couldn't be more thrilled!
Cumberland Brews - we decided to go out to eat afterwards and enjoy some casual hang time with good people.
Brunch - the husband's grandma came over and we served her biscuits + gravy. Seriously, he makes the best biscuits and gravy. He also watches a lot of Good Eats...
Spending the afternoon going to LaGrange for furniture shopping and also the mall for other shopping. I can't remember the last time I can honestly say I went to the mall. It was enjoyable and we totally got some double doozies from the cookie store.
Saturday night veg fest. Since I'm not feeling 100%, I opted to stay in on Saturday while the hubs went to a bourbon party. It was nice, I rested on the couch, knit, watched some of this and played some of that.
Homemade french toast.
U of L basketball! Raegan treated me with a ticket to the Louisville men's basketball game vs. Lamar. I loooove going to NCAA basketball games and she knew it. It seriously made my month! Even though the seats were so high up it felt like we could plummet, it was totally worth it.
Bears victory! I may have missed the majority of the game but that's ok.
Chinese food + veggin' with friends.

All in all, a terrific weekend. Add to it a 70+ degree November day and you've got some serious perfection going on. I'd love to hear about your weekends! Here's to a great week ahead of us, my friends.

Friday's Fancies + Have a Brilliant Weekend!

2011-11-10T22:08:00.001-06:00

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Happy Friday, loves! I would be a little more thrilled today that the weekend is upon us, but I'm sad to admit that I'm feeling under the weather. I thought about how I haven't been sick in ages yesterday and boom, a cold hits. It was bound to happen working at a doctor's office. Oh well. 'Tis life.

This week's Friday's Fancies is all about gold! This week marks {av}'s 50th week of Friday's Fancies (holy moly!) and to celebrate, what better way than going gold for the golden anniversary? When I saw this J.Crew number, I knew the only way to enjoy it was virtually. Same with pretty much everything else you see here. The sex appeal of those Louboutin pumps is pretty out of this world, right?

What are you all up to this weekend? We don't have much in store (thankfully) but we are hosting my husband's grandma for brunch tomorrow (at least we are supposed to, I'd hate to get her sick). Hopefully I'm feeling better and can enjoy myself! Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope you have a brilliant weekend!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-11-10T09:58:00.001-06:00

Seriously, how amazingly delicious does this cake look? I"m drooling! It looks like perfection in every bite. I think I must add it to my list of cakes to bake. Via Sweetapolita, where else?!

Love this print of woodland creatures from Etsy shop Chasing the Crayon. I think it's easy to say that I'm just really into stuff like this, but I mean...how can you not be?!

I am totally itching to buy new sweaters, and J.Crew has a lovely selection right now. I think everyone needs at least one new item per season and I have been a very good girl with our money lately. This honeysuckle one in particular is pretty great. It's about time...right?

Many of you have experienced your first snows of the season recently. While I am not at all jealous, I am getting slightly excited for what's to come. Then again, I think back to that 2 feet of snow dumped on us in Chicago and I still shudder...Via

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we're already in the process of planning our menu. I'm so so so excited to be able to host the holiday in our house and to have my parents drive all the way here for a week long stay! It's going to be glorious, and I think for us vegetarians that there will be many dishes like the one above (broccolini and feta galette). I can't wait!

I still can't stop thinking about this k.slademade clutch. It looks a little monstrous in this picture but I think that makes it all the better. I may not carry clutches too often but I would carry this all the time! I LOVE IT.

I Couldn't Think of a Title, So this is the Title

2011-11-09T07:42:00.000-06:00

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"All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites." - Marc Chagall

Oh how I am a sucker for the photograph above. It possesses a quality that ignites something within me; a fiery passion that wants to seep into everything I do. The vivid colors spark chaos and excitement, creativity and wanderlust. I'm in love with this photo and want the world to know it.

RC for Kids

2011-11-08T07:18:00.000-06:00

Vintage inspired unique couture kids knits pretty much sums up everything about RC for Kids. I mean, just take a look at how soft and fuzzy those cardigans are! Not only are these knits handmade and hand-dyed, but they're mighty stylish too. Look at those elbow patches! That's so this season, right?

Be sure to head on over to their Etsy shop, browse around and just try to resist the temptation to adorn all the wee ones you know in one of these adorable pieces.

Here's the best part ::

Robbie is offering Mo Pie, Please readers 15% off in her store by using code "MOPIE" at checkout! Just in time for the holidays... :)

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Weekend Recap

2011-11-07T09:44:00.000-06:00

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The ole weekend recap. I can honestly say, it was another good weekend. But really, when are weekends not that good? It was a lovely fall weekend in Kentucky, with friends and family and a little bit of Johnny Depp. Just the way I like it. Some highlights include ::

Hang time at Z-Bar - 'twas lovely to be in the company of a lovely lady
Family lunch - I think it's still so strange (but in a good way) to just be able to go to these things now without a lot of travel. We celebrated the mister's stepbrother's birthday with good food, followed by a trip to the casino (which I did not join in on). The mister won $250!
Since it was such a gorgeous and sunny day, I opted to not spend it inside a dingy casino with no windows, full of cigarettes. I don't like to gamble anyway, so the sister-in-law and I went and popped some bubbly and hung out backyard style.
Since the mister won $250, he treated me to a lovely tapas dinner at North End Cafe. From the ginger mojito to the rosemary and olive oil sauteed shrimp, it was a delicious and tasty meal.
We went back home, drank some Chimay and enjoyed a lovely evening at home (and some Charlie Day on SNL)
Sunday was another lovely day so we woke up and went on a 2 mile hike around Anchorage. It is seriously so pretty this time of year.
After a relaxing afternoon, we went and saw The Rum Diary at the last matinee showing. After all, if your mister randomly wins $250, you celebrate by doing things you don't normally do (especially when you've been on a spending freeze). The movie was pretty funny and Johnny Depp was enjoyable as always. You don't necessarily need to see this in theaters but if you're itching to go to the movies like I was, this is a good pick.
We ended the weekend with some Dr. Mario and beers and yes, it ruled.

How were your weekends? Wonderful, I hope. Here's to a great week ahead!

Friday's Fancies + Have an Exciting Weekend!

2011-11-04T11:19:00.002-05:00

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Happy Friday, lovelies! What are your plans for the weekend? I'm not sure entirely what's in store for us, but I do know that the weather is to be sunny and mild and that we have no projects we have to tackle. Hopefully we'll have some fun, do some relaxing and just enjoy ourselves.

I went rogue for this week's Friday's Fancies and created an outfit that I'd love to be able to wear out and about, day or night. However, the rests of the Friday's Fancies posse has created looks from Lilly Pulitzer's Jungle Glam Resort collection. I couldn't bring myself to look at it all, as it feels like a giant tease for a vacation in the tropics. Instead, I chose to create something based off the current weather so that I could be excited for the chilly temps. I love the LP resort look, don't get me wrong! Be sure to head over to {long distance loving} to check it all out and to enter her amazing Lilly Pulitzer big giveaway!

Whatever you get up to this weekend, enjoy yourselves! Have a great one, my friends!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-11-03T10:24:00.000-05:00

Apple + Smoked Mozzarella Calzones? YES, PLEASE! These sound like the most delicious things ever. You probably don't even need desssert after snarfing down a meal like this. That might be a lie though, you always need dessert. Via here via Sprouted Kitchen

Today might be the perfect day to actually sit down and start learning how to embroider. I have all the supplies but have not had the patience. It's a cold, rainy day and I am not at work - so why not? Via My Different Strokes

I love Pinterest for so many different reasons. Seeing genius wrapping ideas such as this is just one of the many things that Pinterest does to spark my creativity. Via here via Design Sponge

I am lusting over this dress hardcore, people. With all its shine and beauty, what's not to love? The color may not be that flattering on me, but that's ok. They have it in navy, too. Oh Free People, I love you.

Can you imagine spotting a bearded fellow wearing this and not swooning? That's just me? Okay, whatevs. But I would love to see my man walking around in this Mt. Rainier Design Inyo Jacket. Too bad it'll never happen - the price tag is $685! And I thought North Face was pricey!

This is all my heart yearns to do - but alas, it is cold and rainy. No autumn picnic in the works for me. But perhaps this weekend I could make it happen. I mean, afterall...a very sweet lady recently gifted me with a vintage picnic basket and a perfect plaid blanket. It needs to happen! Via

What's inspiring you today? And how have your weeks been? I've got a free day today, so ready or not...here I come!

Ring Leader

2011-11-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

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I'm loving the idea of stacking giant cocktail rings on multiple fingers these days - mainly because I can't get enough of all the gorgeous options out there these days. I know many of you have been sporting beauties on your fingers in clusters for quite some time, and I totally adore you for it. I just think it's time I jump on board as well.

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PS - I love you all. I'm sorry my comments have been light so far this week. That'll change come Thursday ;)

November

2011-11-01T07:24:00.000-05:00

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Today begins November.
The month of excitement and dread.
The month where you look forward to the holidays, but dread the darkness that winter brings.
We have less than a week 'til we set our clocks back.
But only 23 days until Thanksgiving and all the sweet, delicious pies.
November, I've got high hopes for you. So don't let me down.

I saw the lovely arch
Of rainbow span the sky,
The gold sun burning
As the rain swept by.

- Elizabeth Coatsworth, November

Weekend Recap + Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T21:04:00.003-05:00

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What a whirlwind weekend! It was a good one, that went by in the blink of an eye. A lot of fun was had and I'm sad to see it over so quickly. Some highlights include ::

Paranormal Activity 3 - I know you're probably all tired of hearing me talk about seeing this movie, but I must say it was pretty amazing. Not only was it terrifying, but it had humorous parts that are making me laugh still.
Pizza!
It was a Z-bar kind of night, full of birthday celebrations (happy birthday again, Ann), a John Lennon cover band, a Velvet Underground cover band, and all of our Louisville friends in the same place with 2 Chicago friends to boot. 'Twas good times, my friends. Good. Times.
On Saturday morning we had visitors, two of which were little and adorable. It was nice to meet you, Maggie's family!
We managed to fill the bed of our S-10 up entirely with firewood from a man in our neighborhood. We immediately went home and stacked it up nicely for aesthetics reasons, of course. And later on that night we had totally had a delightful fire.
We finally bottled our homemade brew. Fingers crossed...
Mexican Chili Pie - mmm
Apples to Apples - it was epic and hilarious.
Family birthday dinner + ice cream cake + Balderdash. Certainly a lovely ending to a lovely weekend.

The weather was beautifully sunny and warm for a late October weekend. My favorite :)

How were your weekends? Wonderful, I hope! Here's to a great week ahead!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Going to a Sock Hop + Have a Spooktacular Weekend!

2011-10-28T10:08:00.004-05:00

Skirt / Blouse / Oxfords / Glasses / Socks / Lipstick / Bag

I can't believe today is already Friday! This week pretty much flew by for me - which is great, because I've been looking forward to today for good reasons. Not only is it my sister-in-law's birthday but we have Chicago friends visiting this weekend! This afternoon I am going to see Paranormal Activity 3, which I am slightly nervous about because I had a scary dream last night. Our friends arrive just in time for dinner and after, we're all celebrating the birthday with good live music and drinks!

This week's Friday's Fancies is a little different than normal (is it obvious?!). Today we're all creating a budget-less Halloween costume fit for the holiday on Monday - can you believe it's only a few days away? Are you sick of me talking about Halloween yet?! I have never gone as a Sock Hop girl - is that even the correct term? Something about this costume is appealing to me this year though. I love the skirt + it looks very warm, as does the blouse. They both look soft and comfy, too. Usually, if I were to dress up as something traditional, I would spice it up in my own way. For instance, when I was 21, I dressed up as a flapper girl (for like the fifth time in my life) but this time I was shot in the head, i.e., a zombie flapper girl. The year before I was a fallen angel, complete with my own handmade wings (my 2 best friends were fallen angels as well, it was awesome) and we really amped up the dead factor. So if I were to really wear this sock hop/poodle girl costume, I'd likely wear some zombie makeup just to make it feel a little more like me.

What are your plans this weekend? I'm not entirely sure what our weekend is looking like but I hope we get the chance to see lots of costumes and have a few laughs over my husband dressed up as Abe Lincoln. He seriously fits the part so well.

Whatever you get up to this weekend, have a fantastic time! Be safe and enjoy the festivities! Also, be sure to check out all the other amazing FF costumes over at {long distance loving}!

Thursday's Randoms :: Halloween Edition

2011-10-27T10:25:00.001-05:00

Something about this image is so beautiful to me - I think it's just the pretty red barn in the background, honestly, but I do love the staggered tombstones immensely. We have 2 tombstones in our front yard, along with a skeleton poking through the ground. Did I get carried away? Maybe. Am I ashamed? Not in the slightest. Via

This has to be one of my favorite Halloween costumes I've seen. How creative does it get, you know? Via

I love this Whoo-Hoo Hooty! He's made out of cheese, apple slices, nuts and capers. Via

I love this monsters print! I would love to stare at it while listening to Monster Mash all the time. Via

You could really get away with leaving this skeleton flamingo print up all year round. Via

This beautiful and very expensive ring is the perfect touch of creepy meets elegant.

PS - check out these three makeup tutorials for Halloween from Refinery 29. Happy Thursday, friends!

Etsy find :: Bookhou At Home

2011-10-26T10:06:00.000-05:00

Totally crushing on all things Bookhou At Home. I mean, just look at that tote and that pouch. Total beauty. The colors and prints of the tea towels are pretty much everything I want our decor to look like. Don't even get me started on the calendars. I think an order might be in place as soon as the family spending freeze has passed.

In other news, you can also find me today at Lara's lovely blog, Simply Irresistible. Hop on over to see what I love (so far) about my (new) city - Louisville, KY!

Speaking of Louisville....

Do you live in or around the Louisville area? If so, be sure to check out Blogger Blitz Louisville on Tuesday, November 29th! Alison of {long distance loving} has kindly organized a night of fun for local bloggers to mix and mingle at Proof on Main. For $10, you get guaranteed admission, a blogger directory, a name tag and most importantly, a chance to make some pretty cool new friends. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email Alison or myself!

Sponsor Love :: Flowers From Fatima

2011-10-25T07:15:00.000-05:00

Introducing ::

I wanted to officially say WELCOME! to my latest sponsor, Flowers From Fatima. Fatima's Etsy shop is chock full of chic hair clips with a beautiful meaning behind them ::

Growing up, my father decided to pursue a family run program for the improvement of our neighborhood. Alone, my family and I transformed the neighborhood into a paradise. We attracted exotic butterflies, birds, and a certain positive energy that seemed foreign to the complex and this beauty lasted for many Summers. It was then, 12 years ago, that I found an attraction for natural beauty and have grown to connect with our Mother Nature in all ways possible. In mid-December of 2009, my father passed, but his dream lives through my flowers.

"Where there are flowers, there is life."
-Fatima

If you are on Twitter, well today you're in luck. Simply follow and mention this post Flowers From Fatima at FlowersFFatima for a chance to win a set of Almond Brown mum hair clips (a $24.50 value, pictured above)!

Not on Twitter (like me)? Well you're not completely out of luck. Fatima is offering new customers a 10% discount at checkout with the code EMPRESS.

Thanks, Fatima! Lovely readers, please take a moment to join me in welcoming her to the Mo Pie family :)

Want to advertise or sponsor Mo Pie, Please?

Email me for a very low rate (and not just for a month!) @

Meaganpie (at) gmail (dot) com.

Weekend Recap

2011-10-24T07:01:00.000-05:00

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This print couldn't be more apt for me . The weekend was a good one, but it was one of those where I really proved that I'm not perfect. But don't worry, I'm still pretty awesome. You like how vague I am? Some highlights of the weekend include ::

A night out with friends
Scoring a sweet mattress at an even sweeter price (thank you, liquidation) for our guest bedroom
Clean windows so we can stare at the snow this winter
Paranormal Activity 2 - we're going to see the 3rd one this Friday!
Homemade biscuits + veggie gravy
Painted kitchen!
Catching up on Project Runway (I can't believe some of the things that have happened and I'm so excited for the finale next week)
Chillaxin'

I'm looking forward to the week ahead. I have tons of apples to use for baking (yay!), Paranormal Activity 3 to see with a birthday girl and Chicago visitors next weekend! What are you up to this weekend? And how were your weekends?

Be sure to check back in tomorrow for a very special post. Here's a hint - look to the top of my sponsors :)

Friday's Fancies + Have a Fun Weekend

2011-10-20T23:16:00.000-05:00

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I'm not normally a big proponent of the color pink, but when it comes to the month of October, I'm totally on board. Especially when I see pretty little numbers like this Sonia Rykiel color-block dress. Who's with me? I'm really into the fall feeling that this colorful outfit evokes within. Also, look at me using a blazer in my Friday's Fancies outfit! I can hardly believe it myself.

Last week when we were visiting my family, we went and saw my nephew play football. There is not much more adorable in life than seeing a bunch of 9-year-old boys playing football and wearing hot pink socks. All for the ta-ta's as some like to say. So endearing.

So what are you all up to this chilly fall weekend? I have no idea what our weekend is looking like but I do know it's going to be quite cold. I've been enjoying it the last few days - the cat has stopped begging to be outside and he is seriously down for snuggling. I made some apple cheddar bread. We had a fire last night. See? So lovely. Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope it's terrific! And that you stay warm.

Thursday's Randoms

2011-10-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

I love how these "dwarf guards" really cater to my love of gnomes. I think every house should have one or all of these, don't you?

Can't stop laughing over this one...

It's reasons like this that make me wish there was an Urban Outfitters here in Louisville. Most days I really don't care, but when I see a pretty red sweater with elbow patches on it that won't completely break the bank, I get a little sad. Thank goodness for the internet, right? PS - it comes in navy as well!

Hello, beautiful DIY project! What a great way to arrange some frames. I'll have to keep this in mind when we go to put ours all up.

The Pioneer Woman made Indian fry bread and Indian tacos and I am feeling quite nostalgic. You see, growing up, kids in Wichita, KS would always get to visit the Indian Center. It was a given that you would eat their incredible tacos while you were there, and it made for the best of times. So naturally I'm pretty pumped over her post on how to do this. With fake ground beef, of course :)

Oh how I am in love with this terrarium and its eccentricity. The billy buttons are the perfect touch! Be sure to check out other arrangements from Etsy shop Sea and Asters.

Home Invasion

2011-10-19T07:34:00.000-05:00

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I wouldn't mind having any of these in my house. I love animals but I love the way utilized in all the decor. Would you add playful touches like these to your home decor? I personally can't get enough of that dog lamp, and it would be so aesthetically pleasing to have cat scratchers like those...

On the Lake

2011-10-18T07:33:00.000-05:00

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When my friend showed me the photos of a college professor's recent wedding, I was immediately smitten. Every last bit of the wedding was incredible - from the bridesmaids' cowboy boots (hehe, personal favorite) the wedding party fireworks, the doggie ring bearers and the 4th of July-themed reception, I was sold. If only we could go back in time so I could attend this lovely wedding with what must certainly be a very lovely group of people. Photographer James Moes knows beauty when he sees it, don't you agree?

Turning art into fashion seems to be an absolute joy to me lately and I hope it resonates with all of you. If only everything in my life could be in such bold and distinguishable color.

Weekend Recap

2011-10-17T07:26:00.000-05:00

{my mom's haunted living room, and this picture does not do it any justice...}

Being home means two different things to me. The obvious is being home, where I live, in my house. The other is being home in Kansas with my entire family. I enjoy both and can honestly say it's amazing to "be home". I am so tired and exhausted and thankful for a safe journey, and I am also so overjoyed and full of love from being home. Not to mention I already miss them all terribly. It was a great trip all in all. Some highlights include ::

Coffee talk with my mom
Play time with the kids
Family dinner with homemade lasagna and cupcakes that the girls and I made/frosted
Family game time
Family bowling
Dinner out with my cousins (one of who just got engaged!)
Drinks with my stepbrother & stepsister-in-law
Watching 9-year-olds play football (my nephew looked great out there, even though they lost)
More Aunt Mimi time - the littlest one and I got a lot of hang time in and it was pretty much awesome.
Halloween party! Our whole family came over, the kids dressed up and my mom created tons of game stations for them all to win tickets. She put out a ton of prizes like an arcade and they went nuts. It was hilarious!
On our drive home we listened to The Great Gatsby in its entirety.
Bears win!

How were your weekends? Heart warming, I hope. Even though I'm not nearly ready enough for it to start, here's to a great week!

Have a Heart Warming Weekend!

2011-10-13T22:51:00.000-05:00

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I can't get enough of this hipster kitty. Ain't he adorable?!? Meow.

You may notice my lack of a Friday's Fancies post this week, but there's good reason for that. Also, there's a good reason for my radio silence. You see, we're several states away. Hanging out with family and enjoying every last second. It's rare. I dig it.

I promise I'll be back in full swing next week. Pinky swear. But in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the laughter of my nieces and nephew. We're going to go bowling. There's a football game Saturday morning. And a Halloween party Saturday night. Life is pretty grand, so I'm bidding you farewell for the weekend to thoroughly enjoy my always-too-little time here.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-10-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I could really feel the smiles several states away when I heard the news that two of my good friends got engaged! It's left me grinning ear to ear :) Via

Speaking of getting engaged...I love this photo. And I'm definitely feeling it. The love, that is. Good ole Max Wanger.

Gus just wanted to let you know that yes, this is very true, and, yes, he is indeed the brains behind this work of art.

Doesn't Gwyneth look gorgeous in this photo? Her loose waves and giant smile really draw you in! Via here found here

This dress is screaming my name. I love the cut, the fit, the print, the simple colors. It's such a fun dress to embrace my inner astrologist. The price isn't half bad, either!

P.S., wouldn't any of these look great paired with this dress right now?

I love leaving you all with a sweet note most weeks, and this week is no exception. Ali has so many amazing recipes on her blog, Gimme Some Oven. These caramel apple cider cookies have me drooling. I can't get rid of the desire to bite into that gooey caramel center!

Anything inspiring you today? I hope the weather is nice wherever you are and that your day is happy! We're here with my family now and I'm all smiles :)

Etsy Love :: Giardino

2011-10-12T07:35:00.000-05:00

It's no surprise that I am quite fond of adorable illustration, feathers, rustic tea towels and anything that reminds me of Italy. So imagine my enjoyment when I stumbled across the lovely Etsy shop, Giardino! There's a little bit for everyone in this shop, from block prints to chevron pillows to food and drink cards and art. I can see a few of these items looking real good in this old house...

House of Color

2011-10-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

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Top / Jeans / Oxfords / Clutch / Nail polish / Lipstick

I love playing with color, especially when it comes to these pastel colors on houses in Burano, Italy. Photographer Irene Suchocki's photograph of colorful houses, sweetly titled, 'Nursery Art, C'mon Get Happy' makes my head do a little happy dance. The colors are so dreamy and it truly translates well into a dreamy outfit, don't you think? Oh outfit, won't you be mine?

Weekend Recap

2011-10-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

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What a beautiful fall weekend. The weather was absolute perfection and my days were filled with wonderful fall things. Some highlights include ::

Wrong turn turning out to be a beautiful tree-lined drive through a new-to-me part of town, windows down and music up. Love.
Pizza + movie date. We ordered in and watched An American Werewolf in London.
More beautiful fall weather enjoyment
Fox Hollow Farms fall festival - the drive down Sleepy Hollow was totally worth it. What a gorgeous strip of land a few miles away.
Pumpkin gelato. Much to our surprise, we were able to treat ourselves to a few scoops of the best use of pumpkin I have ever tasted. Here's how to make your own.
Roadside pumpkins!
We now have a cemetery in our front yard, full of spiderwebs and a skeleton poking through!
Fish tacos for dinner followed by pecan waffles for brunch
Patio beers
Long walks
Quiet Sunday nights at home :)

How were your weekends? Most excellent, I hope. This week is a short one for us because Wednesday afternoon we're hitting the road for a ridiculously long journey to see my family. I'm so excited to see them all, to enjoy Halloween a bit early and to see my favorite 9-year-old play some football.

Here's to a great week ahead!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Fun Weekend!

2011-10-06T23:02:00.002-05:00

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Happy Friday, friends! If only I were heading into the weekend sporting this little fall ensemble...it would be the perfect weekend. However, it will still be a pretty amazing weekend. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous and it's my favorite time of year. With that combination, what's not to love?

This week's Friday's Fancies is all about blazers. I personally have never worn a blazer, mainly because I have yet to find one that suits me. But for this outfit, I envisioned a certain Kristin Wiig in a certain movie who had great style. I can't get over some of the pieces Alexa Chung created for Madewell, like this dress. It's such a playful print and a fun cut, and everybody loves to wear a LBD for every season, right? The blazer is a silence + noise design, who I happen to be a big fan of. Perhaps this blazer is what I've been looking for all along. Perhaps. I can't get enough of all the Madewell booties these days, but this black pair seemed to suit the dress nicely. Throw in a brightly colored Rebecca Minkoff bag and you've got a sweet outfit. Who's with me!

What are you all up to this weekend? I'm hoping to eat lots of good food, toast some beverages to the weekend and sit back to relax with my special someone. Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope it's wonderful!

Thursday's Randoms

2011-10-06T07:33:00.000-05:00

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RIP, Steve Jobs.

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Hello, gorgeous photo. You'd look so great hanging in my house. You also really, really make me want to go spend time in nature. Photo, I ~~think~~ know I love you.

Perfection.

So. Very. True.

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I love this look. I know it's not for all, but it's for me.

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"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” - Albert Camus

Sugar Coated

2011-10-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

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These awesome coats are the only thing making me anxious for winter. Well, that and maybe Christmas. I'm always a sucker for EmersonMade coats (I'm still dreaming of winning a spree) and I think it's rather apparent that I'm a sucker for a certain kind of coat these days. I'd feel so chic wearing any of these - it would certainly take the edge off the coldness, am I right?

The Sky is Not the Limit

2011-10-04T07:38:00.000-05:00

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cardigan / dress / bracelets / clutch / tights / boots

A dreamy photo deserves a dreamy outfit, no? The print of this city-inspired dress was hard to resist, the toughness of the boots felt appropriate and the harsh lines of the bracelets represent the amazing architectural lines of the city skyline.

What has you inspired today?

Weekend Recap

2011-10-03T07:31:00.000-05:00

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Oh, sweet weekends. I love you so. You come too late and leave too early. I guess that's part of your allure. Somehow I always manage to make the most of you and this weekend was no exception. Some highlights include ::

Haunted House - we stood in the chilly line, built up anticipation and entered the maze of horror. It was...funny, partly scary and some parts were impressive. Considering the cost, it should be longer than 5 minutes though.
We finally painted our hallway/entryway! It's cozy and I like it.
We finally hung a few things on the wall! And finally cleared things off the dining room table. Finally. Geeze.
Family dinner - we fixed a feast for everyone and ate ourselves into oblivion. I made the rustic apple tart you see above (that's not my version though) and it was scrumdiddlyumptious.
Bears victory!
Cozy Sunday night watching a movie in front of a warm fire.

How were your weekends? Awesome as always? Here's to a great week ahead!

P.S. - have you heard of Joss & Main? I've been a member for awhile now and actually bought a chair from the website. It's pretty amazing! Click here to become a member!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Spooky Weekend!

2011-09-29T23:29:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday, my lovely readers! I've been eager for Friday's arrival due in part to my fun plans for the evening. I'm going to a haunted house and I am pumped! It's been awhile, so I had better prepare myself for the worst, right?!

This week's Friday's Fancies is centered around the most fabulous pair of booties I ever did see. Rachel Comey gets me every single time. It's obvious, I know.

So what have you planned for this last day of September/first few days of October? Aside from getting the bejeebus scared out of me tonight, we're planning on painting (oh joy), baking and cooking a family feast. Here's hoping it's delicious!

Whatever you get up to, I hope it's fabulous! xoxo

Thursday's Randoms

2011-09-29T10:13:00.000-05:00

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I've totally got Halloween spirit this year, thanks to the ability to really decorate. I've already hung decorations on the mantle and I can't wait to start scouring my options for the front porch. I just need an endless supply of pumpkins so I can make these fanged guys. They're too funny to not!

My goodness, I love this.

This coat rack is nothing short of awesome. Isn't it amazing how something so abundant (or maybe not so these days) and natural could be transformed into something so extraordinary?

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Sigh. I want to go to there. And stay. For like, ever. How do I make this happen? It's so beautiful.

Well, it's official. I've found a new coat to lust after this year.

Nan Lawson's mountain man has me in stitches. I love every last bit of it - including that patch of chest hair peeking through! So detailed! I love her stuff, and every time I lay in bed I look over and see our portrait and smile. She is too good, that Nan.

What's got you inspired today?

Fall is for Knitting

2011-09-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

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I've recently been working on a project that has me so excited for cold nights. I've been going through yarn faster than ever and each and every stitch gets me more and more eager to finish. But after I finish, I know I'll want to start another project. I'm just not sure what.

Thank goodness for the internet ::

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Mayhaps I'll knit a blanket with bold blocks of color. Or intricately knit the most adorable booties in existence. Or perhaps I'll finally knit my main squeeze a manly gray cap (I've knit hats, I just never have for him. Poor thing) or really get into the Halloween spirit (too late) and knit up a witch!

Hope the weather is treating you nicely wherever you are - our weather is fall at its finest right now :)

Art Muse, Meet Fashion Muse

2011-09-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

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When I first saw this image on Pinterest via {wit + delight} via artmuse.com, I was in love. I knew countless amounts of creativity would spark from the image alone...and lo and behold, a swoon-worthy outfit was born ::

blouse / pants / cape / studs / socks / shoes / bangle / bangle / bangle / bag

I for one adore the colors in the painting and love how they work so well together in the outfit. The peep of mustard makes a fun pop of color, especially when used in a place that the eye normally does not draw. The shade is so subtle in the painting and I love it. Now if only I could get my hands on a pair of those cable knit socks, my fall wardrobe would be all set...or something like that.

Any color palettes inspiring you lately? I'd love to hear...

Weekend Recap

2011-09-26T07:28:00.000-05:00

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The first weekend of fall was a great one. The air was crisp, I baked, I bought mums and had some candy corn. It pretty much ruled. Some highlights include ::

Seeing Raegan dressed up for the Head Accessory Party. Who knew a painted on cat face could look so creepy? Who knew she could look so amazing with a drawn-on trucker 'stache? Good times.
The return of the mister!
Margharita pizza!
Nulu Fest - listening to The Broken Spurs play while hanging out with a friend we haven't seen in ages (we're obviously a proud supporter of Billy)
Weekend projects tackled. Solar lights in front of the house? Check. Autumn flowers on the porch? Check. Paint for the hallway/entryway bought? Check. Paint for the kitchen bought? Check. Sanding + painting kitchen chairs? Check. Check, check, check.
R-E-L-A-X-I-N-G. Double check.

How were your weekends? As good as always, I hope. Here's to an enjoyable autumn week ahead!

Friday's Fancies + Have a Cozy Weekend!

2011-09-23T09:57:00.001-05:00

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Happy Friday, friends! I'm so excited it's finally Friday - the mister comes home (late) tonight! It's just not the same around here without him, even if the cat gets extra snuggly. It also means it's time for another much needed weekend, spent laying around in our pajamas drinking coffee and enjoying each other's company, hanging out with friends and toasting a couple glasses of <insert adult beverage> to the arrival of my favorite season.

I love Autumn whole-heartedly. The only thing I wish were different about this beautiful season is that a) winter did not follow and b) the time change did not happen. I hate when its dark out in the 5 o'clock hour.

What have you in store this weekend? We don't have any definite plans other than to watch that Bears v Packers game (oi). I want to do some more decorating (especially for fall) and I hope that tomorrow we could possibly finally hopefully get around to brewing our own beer. We've only been talking about it for nearly a year now...

It's been a gray, rainy morning here in Louisville. So I thought what better way to ring in Friday's Fall Fancies than by pairing a cozy sweater with some beloved Hunter rain boots. It's a classic look, one that I love to sport time and again and one that is perfectly suited for today's weather. I think I just might have to bake something today in honor of fall and the chilly temps and soak it all in.

Whatever you get up to this weekend, I hope it's a great one! Til Monday...