Falling in love...

This Fall has been absolutely breathtaking, one of the most stunning that I can remember. The trees have changed colors and the leaves have begun to fall but in California most of our days have remained in at least the 70's. Because of the warm weather I have just not felt like wearing the darker typical shades of Fall. That was until I discovered Zoya's Pixie Dust Collection.  

:: Dahlia :: London :: Godiva :: Electra ::

This special edition textured nail polish is simply divine! My three favorite colors London, Godiva and Dahlia, are each as rich and decadent as they sound and they look incredible.*Electra is a discontinued color but I've been combining it with these and it sort of fits right in. I've been wearing them or a combination thereof for about two months straight now and I have never gotten so many compliments on nail colors. 

:: London & of course my trademark pink toes ::

This past week I created a color I've named Paved in Gold. It's a combination of layering London and Godiva. The Godiva brightens the already stunning London and adds just a touch of warmth. 

 :: Paved in Gold ::

One of my favorite things about this collection is that it is like super glue and lasts for a good two weeks! I wore Godiva for our entire trip to Hawaii and it stayed looking incredible even when being slathered in sunscreen, and going between the beach and the pool! 

xo, 

A Warm Winter Meal

Last night I hosted a girls night to watch Pan Am. It was a casual evening at home, a great bottle of wine, fabulous company and a simple meal. I don't consider myself to be very skilled in the kitchen but this was a relatively quick, easy and delicious meal. 

I combined two types of handmade ravioli from Whole Foods, winter squash and sage in sage pasta and goat cheese, pear and arugula. I boiled them and then finished them off in a pan with a dash of olive oil and some blanched asparagus. I topped them with fresh Parmesan cheese, dried cranberries, arugula and toasted pine nuts. Yummy!

Home for the Holidays II

I love the holiday season! This year holds many firsts for my husband and I. While we have been married for over a year, our first year of marriage was a whirlwind of traveling that didn't seem to end until a few weeks ago. Crazy and insane I know, but it made for a great first year! 

This year will be the first in our new home, our first Christmas tree together, our first time putting holiday lights up on our house, well you get the idea, many firsts. The day after Thanksgiving we put up our holiday lights and decorated our tree. I just love how our house feels!

Our Tree

My husband's mom brought over all of his childhood ornaments and together my husband and I went through them. He shared his special memories of each one before we put them on the tree together. 

The Stockings

I have not yet managed to get our stockings embroidered. That is on my to do list for this week. I am going to put our names on one side and our nicknames for one another on the reverse side. I think this is a really cute way to make them both traditional and uniquely special. 

The Hanukkah decorations have not gone up yet, but they will be coming shortly. I have been keeping my eyes peeled for anything really wonderful but I have yet to encounter much. I did find an absolutely beautiful candle sculpture that I plan on using for a menorah. Stay tuned for more holiday decorations!

I know I will always remember and cherish this holiday season with special fondness.

Beginning Our Traditions

Rituals and traditions enrich our lives and make them unique and special. This year will be our first year in our new home and the day after Thanksgiving my husband introduced me to a new tradition, one that I know I will cherish for many years to come. 

From this year forward, every day following Thanksgiving we will go out together and choose a special ornament for each other. My husband's only instruction was to look for something that reminded me of him as he would do the same and choose something special for me. What we chose may surprise you!

When I saw this ornament I knew that I had found the one for my sweet boy, a green tractor. There's a country song about a big green tractor that sparked his love for these objects. Ever since then, whenever I see one I think of him. This summer while in Italy we found a model of a vintage green tractor and it now sits in our living room. I knew this ornament would conjure up many wonderful memories and when my husband saw it I knew I had made the right choice! 

A Big Green Tractor for my Boy

As for what my husband saw that made him think of me...he could not have chosen a sweeter or more meaningful ornament. He chose a black London taxi cab, fashioned after the old style London cabs. You may be thinking this seems like an incredibly odd choice for me, but let me explain. My grandfather was my entire world and he passed away a little less than five years ago. Patrick and I met shortly after  and therefore they were never able to meet one another. Patrick has always known how special my Grampsie was and how much he meant to me and he has always made a concerted effort to include him and honor his presence in our lives together. 

My Grampsie brought an old London Cab over from London years ago. Our family still has it and it has long been a goal of mine to restore it and bring it back to its original glory. Having recently visited London my sweet boy explained that when he saw this it made him think of me and Grampsie. 

My London Cab

I feel truly blessed to have such an incredibly thoughtful husband and I look forward to beginning many other wonderful traditions of our very own :) 

A Table for the Ladies

Tomorrow evening I'm hosting a girls night at our house! It's going to be a casual evening with the girls but I wanted to do something fun for the table. I love candlelight, sparkles, and let's not forget bows so here is how I combined some of my favorite things...

The Table Theme

 Napkins folded into bows accented with sparkly napkin rings,

 mercury glass votives,  

pine cones for a seasonal touch, 

set against a plaid metallic linen. 

 Place Settings

Metallic plaid linen napkin, 

large white square plate,

simple silverware

The Table

Candlelight, bows, sparkles

 Little Touches

I love these mercury glass votives, these are from Pottery Barn but many retailers are now carrying them. Also, I used one my favorite silver bowls to display a gathering of pine cones from one of our trips to Lake Tahoe. I like the juxtaposition of the pine cones dark colors and rough texture to the delicate features of the rest of the table. I like to create contrast and depth and I think this is a great way to achieve both. 

Thanks and Giving

Thanksgiving is almost here and as I prepare to celebrate with my family I am reminded of how fortunate I am. One of the things I am most thankful for is my health. I became sick when I was 18 and I continue to struggle with health issues. There are good days and better days, never bad days. I believe we choose to see things and live either positively or negatively, and I choose to see and live the good. 

In the spirit of giving thanks, one cause that I have always admired and supported is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Their holiday Thanks and Giving campaign is a great way to give back this holiday season. Any store bearing this logo will make a donation to St. Jude's for selected products. Whenever possible I try to purchase these products. 

Yesterday evening I purchased these wonderful candles at Pottery Barn. They smell delicious and come in pretty mercury glass votives.  I use small candles in our kitchen and these will look great in front of the pictures I have on the counter. 

These candles are excellent gifts for the holiday's. I love being able to give gifts that have a deeper significance.  Every donation makes a difference and helps to spread awareness. 

Out in 10...

One of my best friends and I were able to connect for an impromptu dinner tonight! Only catch, I had just finished a long day and had taken a shower and thrown on some sweats. I didn't have time to spend hours getting ready so here is what I put together to get myself out the door in about 10 minutes...

Jewelry
I tend keep my jewelry either simple or I like to wear multiple pieces and layered them. Tonight I was in the mood to stack some of my favorites.

Michael Kors watch, tennis bracelet that was a wedding gift from my parents, David Yurman cuff bracelet, green beads, gold link bracelet with my initial from my sister.

All together

Handbag

Burberry Large Tote

Shoes

Black Suede Booties

(I changed the coloring so the details could be seen better, they are a deep black)

The Outfit

Black leggings, a black poncho top and a persimmon cashmere wrap
No makeup, just blow dried my hair and ran out the door!

Pumpkin & Spice

Fall is in the air and it has gotten me in the mood for some seasonal treats! When I do cook or bake which isn't too often I like to keep things simple and healthy. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Bread online and gave it a go. It turned out really well and I have made it several times in the past few days. 

The recipe was pretty healthy to begin with and uses egg whites and yogurt, however it called for oil which I substituted with apple sauce. I think this recipe is a keeper for sure, it's easy to make, turns out nice and moist and has a great flavor of pumpkin and spice. 

I made a second loaf and added chocolate chips as a sweet treat! 

The Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large egg whites

1 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 canola oil *substitute with apple sauce

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt * I used non-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

* 3/4 cup chocolate chips = sweet treat!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray metal loaf pan with nonstick spray

Mix brown sugar, egg whites, pumpkin, apple sauce, yogurt and vanilla

Add flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda

Stir until combined

Pour batter into pan and bake 45-50 minutes

Let cool 10 minutes

from Good Housekeeping somewhere online :) 

Snuggling with Fall

I find Autumn to be a peaceful time of the year. I'm not exactly sure why but there is something about the leaves changing colors and the crisp of the air that make this season especially appealing to me. I also feel like September and October tend to be the calm before the craziness of the holidays. Here are a few of my favorite things that make Fall especially cozy. 

  

I found these pillows last year at Pottery Barn and they are by far the softest pillows I have ever encountered. They are so plush and cuddly that I purchased one for the pillow I sleep on. Their basic color and simple texture lend themselves to being accented with a variety of colors and patterns.

Another Pottery Barn find and favorite are these woven chenille throws. I had a very hard time finding throws that I liked but when I found these I was pleasantly surprised. They are incredible soft and I liked the texture of their herringbone weave. I purchased them in two colors, smoke blue and the deep green. I use the smoke blue in Spring and Summer and the deep green for Fall and Winter. They make cuddling nearly irresistible. 

There is simple nothing like curling up with a cup of tea and a good book. While I find myself doing this throughout the year there is something that I love about this ritual during this time of the year. A while back I discovered Tea forté and it is simply my favorite tea, Oprah Winfrey is also a big fan. I love their Earl Grey blend and all of their teas comes in the most adorable triangle shaped infusers. 

The Colors of Fall

I love playing with color, especially when it comes to my nails. Recently I have grown tired of my usual colors and felt that it was time to transition from Summer to Fall. Essie's Fall Collection is currently satisfying my need for something new while also fitting in with the palette of colors I'm loving this moment. 

 Mochacino

 Power Clutch

Case Study

This season I'm particularly fond of nudes and earth tones. They're versatile and transition effortlessly from day to night. I originally wanted to try the color Case Study but I couldn't find it and so I improvised. Mochacino was a bit dark for my taste and so I layered it with a pearly white color to create the color below. I'm fairly satisfied with the results but I was able to find Case Study and I'm excited to give it a try!

The combination...