holiday scenes

Since Christmas is my favorite time of year, I go a little crazy snapping holiday photos every chance I get and upload them to Instagram. Here's a little collection of my favorites thus far; I can't promise I won't be posting more as December 25th nears! xo.

holiday gift guide | for the kids

The last and final installment of the holiday gift guide series for 2012 is here. This guide is for the kiddos! It was so fun compiling this list of toys, apparel, and room decor for the little ones. I am so drawn to the "old school" toys like basic building blocks that allow children to develop motor skills and imagination rather than fry their little brains in front of an Xbox. I also love gifts that incorporate lots of colors! So without further ado, I hope this guide helps you find some fun and unique gifts for your own kids, nieces, nephews, etc. xo.

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holiday gift guide | for him

Show the special man in your life how much he means to you with one [or two] of these gifts. From rustic, to techy, to sophisticated--there's a plethora of items to please even the "hard to shop for" dads, boyfriends, friends, husbands or brothers! xo.

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holiday gift guide | for her

As promised, here is the second installment of the gift guide series. Here's a few little lovelies to give to the special girl in your life--whether she's a best friend, a dear sister, girlfriend, or mother! My personal fave is the "Holly GoNightly" eye mask, a very adorable replica of Holly Golightly's sweet eye mask in the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany's. xo.

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holiday gift guide | the foodie/hostess

Guess who's back, back again? [as the song goes...]

I've sure missed the blog world! Life has gotten busy with weddings, birthdays, photography, and holiday happenings. But I had to make an appearance in order to share some of my favorite holiday gift picks! I so enjoy curating fun ideas for thoughtful, unique, and creative things to give the people you love during this most wonderful time of year. Below is the first of a few gift guides I'll be posting in the coming weeks; this one is for the foodie or party-thrower in your life! xo.

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monday must haves

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it's got me thinking about what I will be wearing while celebrating with my family! Though it's not quite cold enough here in Texas, I can still incorporate fall colors without adding too much bulk. Here's a few of my must haves for my trip home; reds and golds are cozy hues that are also very festive and perfect for the holidays! xo.

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pumpkin picking

One of my favorite things to do when fall comes around is to get a pumpkin! I'm not really sure why this is--I guess it just brings out my inner child!

Thinking about hunting for the perfect pumpkin inspired me to put together a comfy, cozy outfit for braving the chilly weather at the pumpkin patch. Warm neutrals with a pop of this season's "it" color, burgundy, exude style without being too over-the-top. After all, it's just a pumpkin patch. Which may include a stop at the local Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte. xo.

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BonLook

Attention fellow four-eyed friends, there is now a stylish and budget-friendly way to sport specs. Introducing: BonLook! A similar concept to the [in my opinion] more widely recognized company, Warby Parker, BonLook sells fashionable frames for a fraction of the cost of other optical wear retail chains. Most frames are $99 with free shipping and easy returns.

Anyway, I recently had an eye exam and decided it was time for a new pair of glasses. I'm most often a contacts girl, but every now and then I like to give my ol' eyeballs a rest. Though Warby Parker has an equally adorable array of frame shapes, I ultimately loved a pair from BonLook the most! Here are a few of my favorites from BonLook:

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I went with #1, "Cavelier," in black. See the FAQ page for tips on how to choose a frame that best complements your face shape! For many styles, BonLook offers the option to upload a photo of you so you can try on the frames virtually before you make a purchase. It's pretty awesome! Have you ordered from BonLook before? What are you favorite frames? xo.

*Not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

fort worth happy hour | the live oak

So evidently, my summer bucket list has transitioned to fall. Nevertheless, I'm happy to say I've crossed yet another item off my list! As you can tell from the blog post title, I finally made it to The Live Oak for some happy hour drinks with a friend last Friday afternoon. It was absolutely perfect weather--breezy and cool. We sat on the rooftop [of course] to bask in the autumn glory and look out onto Magnolia Avenue with the Downtown skyline in the not-too-far distance.

Happy hour at The Live Oak consists of $1 off pints, $3 wells, and half off appetizers. We indulged in a few wells and split an order of calamari. I must say the lemon aioli dip was delicious! It was a perfect complement to the calamari. Overall, the atmosphere was perfect for a relaxing happy hour. Next time, I hope to catch some live music!

Pretty lights in the trees! I'll take more photos next time, I promise!

Fort Worthians: Have you been to The Live Oak? What's your favorite spot on Magnolia? xo.

brrrrr

Oh, how I love this cool weather! Granted, it's much harder to drag myself out of bed in the mornings, but it's perfect for coffee-drinking and bundling up in layers of warmth.

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color love | emerald

Glittering emerald hues, 

from vivid kelly green to rich hunter green,

are lively yet sophisticated. xo.

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love & lust | boyfriend watches

Until recently, I haven't been much of a watch girl [I'm guilty of checking my iPhone whenever I need to know the time] but lately I've been loving the style and functionality of boyfriend watches. They are perfect accessories to dress up my wrist candy/arm party. I love that the Michael Kors watch mixes silver and rose gold, so it pretty much goes with anything. However, the price tag is not ideal which is why this Target watch is a perfect wallet-friendly swap, saving you $250! I actually went out and bought the Target watch this past weekend and am L-O-V-I-N-G it. xo.

Michael Kors / Target

Sporting my new watch with some extra wrist bling!

monday must-haves

First of all: Happy October!

Second: I've got wrist candy fever. Any and all sparkly, colorful, and unique wrist baubles make me absolutely starry-eyed! I'm especially into anything with some gold in it, since I've just noticed that I've got plenty of silver jewelry. I rounded up some adorable little treasures from a few of my current favorite online shops but would love if you could share a few of your go-to online jewelry boutiques! xo.

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color love | burgundy

Oxblood, wine, crimson, burgundy... 

whatever you call it, I'm definitely craving more
of this autumnal hue in my life. xo.

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love & lust | wedge booties

I am dying over these wedge booties, y'all! I saw the Jack Rogers booties the other day and fell in love... until I saw the price. Yikes! Not good on my wallet. I decided to do some digging and found a very similar pair for a steal! The Etienne Aigner booties from Macy's have a nearly identical silhouette, a great heel height, and come in a variety of colors.  For $99, you can bet these are on my fall shopping list! Are you into wedge booties for the fall? xo.

Jack Rogers Booties / Etienne Aigner Booties

cookie in a cup

Recently, I was in the middle of a huge sugar craving and decided to whip up one of my Pinterest finds: a cookie in a cup! I'd seen several similar recipes floating around the web and finally went for it. I was not disappointed. In fact, I admit I've made this little snack several times since. It's that good! xo.

Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup

[via Number 2 Pencil]

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Granulated White Sugar

1 Tablespoon of firmly packed Dark Brown Sugar [I used light brown]

3 Drops of Vanilla Extract

Small Pinch of Kosher Salt

1 Egg Yolk (discard the egg white)

Scant 1/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips 

Directions:

Start by melting your butter [in your favorite mug!] in the microwave. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine. Separate your egg and add the yolk only to your cup. Stir to combine. Add flour, then stir again. Add the chocolate chips, and give a final stir. Cook in microwave 40-60 seconds, start checking for doneness at 40 seconds. *Mine takes exactly 47 seconds!

monday must-haves

Right now I am obsessed with vintage-inspired jewelry, structured bags with interesting textures, and demure peplum--especially in emerald and ruby hues for fall. Touches of gold and nude pull everything together. xo.

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color love | cobalt

I've got the blues [in a good way!]

Do you? xo.

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put some grey in it

"Greige" [grey/beige] was a huge nail trend last year. If you ask me, I don't think it's going away anytime soon. In fact, I am seeing lots more of this non-color mixed with other hues like blue, green, and purple. The combinations are truly endless! From a gorgeous, true grey to a dusty blue, here are my top five picks from the web. xo.

1 - Timeless / 2 - Trustafarian / 3 -  Merino Cool / 4  - Greycian Goddess/ 5 - Evvie

the dallas flea

Saturday was an absolutely perfect "fall" day. Overcast, cool, and breezy--it was truly dreamy! My mom and sister drove up to visit for the day and we set off for the Dallas Flea. If you aren't familiar with this event, I highly recommend it! Vintage, artisan, and antique vendors take over the first floor South Side on Lamar [a downtown loft building with a cool industrial vibe] and show off lots of seriously awesome and unique loot.

I could have definitely spent a lot of money there, but walked away with a few treasures that I knew I just wouldn't be able to live without.

Vintage Samsonite luggage bag [hello, new purse!], vintage cat eye sunnies,
some old keys for a future craft project. Pictured with: Trader Joe's 2 [now 3] buck
Chuck and Cookie Butter that everyone RAVES about.

After a couple hours browsing the Flea, we headed back to Fort Worth for some al fresco dining at Shaw's Patio on Magnolia. Being my first time at Shaw's, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, the cheddar/bacon/tomato panini I ordered was delicious. It's definitely made my restaurant rotation! I can't wait to eat on the patio again now that fall weather might be here to stay.

 We ended the day with a quick visit to Trader Joe's, Bath & Body Works [can't get enough of those candles!], and some petite desserts at McKinley's.

Seriously. Best day ever! Can't go wrong with fall + shopping.  xo.

no-bake [healthy] pb bites

I always find the best recipes when I get really desperate. The other day I was really craving something sweet. I remembered pinning this recipe for No Bake Energy Bites from Gimme Some Oven and happened to have all the ingredients on hand except the coconut flakes. Luckily the recipe suggests adding in extra of another ingredient to replace the coconut. Perfect.

This recipe makes 20-25 bites, but since I didn't want that temptation sitting around in my kitchen, I divided the recipe so it would yield 5-6.

The best part about these is that the ingredients are for the most part pretty healthy! It's also easy to make substitutions if you don't have these specific ingredients.

No Bake PB Bites
[adapted from Gimme Some Oven]

*Slightly less than 1/4 cup dry oatmeal [Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats]
*1/8 cup coconut flakes [I replaced with extra oats]
*1 heaping tbsp. peanut butter [crunch or smooth. can use any type of nut butter]
*Slightly less than 1/8 cup ground flax seed or wheat germ
*1-2 tbsp chocolate chips
*1 tbsp honey
*dash of vanilla

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Form mixture into 5-6 round balls. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

Have you tried this recipe or one similar to it? What are your favorite add-ins? xo.

lately

Hey, there.

I know it's been a while. It's been a very busy few weeks; in fact, I've been trying harder to carve out more time for artistic pursuits, which digs in a bit to my blogging time. I'm working on a little project that, if it comes to fruition, I am excited to share on here very soon!

Anyway, last weekend was a fun weekend. It was the first in a while that I was actually home! Saturday started off with the Color Me Rad 5k. Colored dye [temporary], gorgeous weather [hello, 70 degree temps!], and a run along Fort Worth's Trinity River was just what I needed.

I'm rocking the neon green sunnies!

After cleaning off, I picked up some ingredients to whip up this recipe I found on Six Sisters for Copy Cat Chili's Skillet Queso to have during the A&M vs. Florida game. One word: Perfection. My husband is a big fan of this appetizer and gave it raving reviews. I also stopped by one of my favorite local bakeries, J. Rae's, for some Texas A&M themed sugar cookies. Delish. Despite the Aggies' devastating SEC debut, it was still a fun and relaxing afternoon.

Adorable and colorful cookies!

I'll ignore the fact that the apostrophe definitely goes in front of the e. :)

While at J. Rae's, I couldn't help but snap a few pics of the up-and-coming Foch Street area. It's really starting to look great and I'm excited to visit this area a little more often [especially the new Urban Outfitters expected to open soon!]

Wag [pet store] and Blow W7 [blow dry bar]

Reservoir- a restaurant/bar that looks like it'll be pretty awesome!

The Reservoir's patio area. It's huge!

One place on my bucket list I've still got to try!

Hope you all had a great weekend and a wonderful rest of the week. xo.

the scents of fall

Hope you all had the best Labor Day! Even though fall temps won't come around in Texas for a little while longer, I'm already in an autumnal mood with Bath & Body Works' roll-out of fall scents. This weekend, I stocked up on Leaves and Bonfire Maplewood candles [an old favorite and a new one to try] but am already super excited to get different scents during their next 2 for $20 sale!

What are your favorite fall scents? xo.