Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!  Though we dressed up Saturday, it still counts.  Did you or our animals (or children) dress up?

{looks thrilled, doesn't she?}

7 Hour Long Tailgates Equals...

My poor friends.  The longer we go without seeing each other, the more they are subjected to endless photos, good and bad, when we are reunited.  

Those were new sunglasses so I was anxious to get as many pics with them on as possible.  What can I say, I can be vain.  I think every girl secretly is...

Sometimes I Wonder...

Does anyone ever find themselves crossing their fingers in hope that a new catalog will be waiting for them in the mailbox on their walk to it?  I do.  Constantly.  I found myself more excited than I should be when it looked like the new jcrew or pottery barn or anthro catalog might be waiting for me, but I wasn't so lucky.  Just boring ones for brands that I don't even buy from.   Sighhh.

Do you also go through magazines on plane rides faster than you can read 50 pages in a book?  I went through 3 magazines, cover to cover on a 2  hour flight.  And not thin ones - Elle Decor (US & UK) and In Style.  Now if only I could apply my talents to reading other things this fast...

Polished Pumpkins

I'm not much of a Halloween decorator, but I do appreciate a cute pumpkin or two around my house once fall hits.  This year I thought I would spice it up a little with some chrome spray paint and thumb tacks.  I have little pumpkins scattered all throughout my place - on my TV stand, nightstand, vanity counter...  I love fall!

Hello, There

Why hello there adorable Anthropologie clutch.  I think I might like to pick you up and keep you forever.  You would be such a fabulous accessory to my life...

Cooking with Mom

Last night my mom and I went to a pasta workshop at Sur La Table and it was a ton of fun!  I never would have thought that fresh pasta would be so easy to make since there is such a HUGE taste difference from boxed, dried pasta.  Here is a look at the night (and if you want the recipes, let me know!):

{getting the classroom prepped}

{spaghetti with tuscan sausage & caramelized onion ragu and spaghetti with walnut-sage pesto}

{goat cheese & ricotta stuffed ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce}

{wild mushroom fettucini with sun-dried tomato, rosemary, and pancetta cream sauce}

{mom and i after the class}

And I forgot to mention the best part - you get a 10% discount the week of the class that is reusable and applies to everything in the store, even sale items!

That's Chic

Casual Friday/Weekend Wear

Fall is by far my favorite time of year.  The weather is cool enough to bring out boots and blazers which are a welcome change from summer dresses and sandals.  If I were allowed to wear jeans to work on Fridays, this would be something I would pull together, but since I'm not allowed (oh, Corporate America) these ideas are reserved for weekend outings.  What are your favorite fall looks?

{purse, blazer, shirt, cuff, boots}

TGIF and Happy Weekend!

West Elm Love

By now, I'm sure you have heard of West Elm (owned by the Williams-Sonoma Group) and if you haven't, you need to check it out.  The Company has an awesome selection of stuff at great prices with a contemporary vibe - great for people like me that need different pieces to break up more classic furniture.

When the fall catalog came to my house a few weeks back, I fell in love.  Over the past year or so, West Elm has really started to come onto my radar and the fall catalog has put them on the map as one of my go-to housewares stores.  Thanks, West Elm!

{favorite throw at a great price}

{lacquered tray and butler stand}

{gourd soup tureen, soup bowl, and pitcher}

{adorable thanksgiving dessert plates}

Stay tuned to see what my purchases were!

Polish Picks!

Anyone who has been around me more than once quickly realizes that my nails are constantly painted.

When I lived in LA, my roommate and I would go to the beauty store around the corner from our house and browse their huge nail polish selection which we affectionately titled the Candy Shop (since the hundreds of bottles  looked like a candy store with all the colors).  I don't think we ever left that place with less than 3 colors...

Since part of the name-sake of this blog deals with my love of nail polish, I wanted to share both colors that I love and colors that I am currently wearing in a weekly post.  This week, I am wearing a Butter London color called No More Waity, Katie which is part of the brand's Fall/Winter 2011 collection - it adds the perfect touch of sparkle without being too flashy in the work place.

Butter London colors are a little more of a splurge than Essie or OPI, but they have some unique colors that make you want to spend the extra money every once in a while.  Here is the rest of the Fall/Winter 2011 Collection (google the names for a laugh):

Curried Carrot Soup

One of my favorite fall soups.

Ingredients:

2T butter

1 sweet onion, chopped

1T curry powder

coarse salt & ground pepper, to taste

2 cans chicken broth (abt 3 1/2 cups)

3 cups of water

2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2T lemon juice

2T fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted, add onion, curry powder, 1T salt, and freshly ground pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft (about 5 mins).

Add broth, carrots, and 3 cups water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes (until carrots are tender).

Once the carrots have finished, transfer soup (in small batches) to a blender and puree until smooth.  Continue until all of saucepan has been pureed.  If consistency is too thick at the end, add water as desired.

Finish with fresh lemon juice and chopped cilantro on top.  Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Favorite Things

I cannot get away from my obsession with red this fall.  Here are some things that I have my eye on:

{one, two, three, four, five, six}

Last Week in Pictures

Some of the highlights of last week:

{fall pumpkin arrangement}

{wine & cheese party}

{friday lunch spot}

{taylor swift concert - cowboys stadium}

{B.O.B. was the special guest}