iced gingerbread cookies

This past weekend, in the mood for something sweet and seasonal, I made a batch of these iced gingerbread cookies. I didn't care for the icing the recipe called for, so I made my own simple variation by adding a little milk to powdered sugar. The cookies turned out wonderfully; they were spicy but still soft, and made the whole house smell like the holidays.

life lately

After a ridiculous round of finals these past two weeks, I am more than ready for this weekend and the break that follows. I'm looking forward to some well-deserved relaxation and time spent catching up with friends and indulging in holiday traditions. Here are a few things that have been on my mind lately.

{caffeine-fueled study sessions at a favorite cozy coffeehouse}

{new arm candy: anthropologie bracelet + marc jacobs watch}

{fresh flowers to brighten up dark winter days}

splurge gift guide

Here is part two of my gift guides featuring splurge-worthy ideas for a really special someone.



1. Coach Legacy Double Universal Sleeve, $228 + Apple iPad with Retina Display, $499
2. Hermes H Bracelet, $630
3. Tory Burch Eddie Leather Bow Flats, $250
4. J.Crew Collection Leather Pants, $850

sweet gift guide

Christmas is officially one month away, and I am officially slacking on my blog-posting duties. In order to address both of these issues, here is my first of two gift guides (for whichever holiday you celebrate) with ideas for giving under $50.

1. Kate Spade Set in Stone Earrings, $48.00

2. Domino The Book of Decorating, $32.00

3. Capri Blue Volcano Candle, $28.00

4. Target Woven Floor Pouf, $49.99

5. Aerie Lace-Trimmed Robe, $49.95

bow details

I am currently completely smitten with bows. On anything and everything. I already have quite a few items in my wardrobe with this sweet little detail, and if I'm not careful I may venture into Little Bo Peep territory. At any rate, any of these pieces would be a welcome addition to my closet.

{j.crew bow collar necklace}

{bhldn genteel gloves}

{lc lauren conrad jaquard dress}

{madewell bow sweater}

spooky scary

Happy Halloween! Since I already celebrated (in costume) this weekend, I'm planning on spending tonight watching the movie below and handing out candy to the neighbor kids. But in the holiday spirit, here are some cute ideas that I came across on Pinterest as a little treat.

DECOR

{image via martha stewart}

SNACK

{image via disney family}

WATCH

{image via imdb}

boot kick

I found these gorgeous boots while browsing one of my favorite stores online.  I love the fold-over and buckle details, and the heel looks both sexy and substantial enough to walk for hours in (verdict's still out on whether or not that's true, though... they haven't arrived yet).

{zara spat heel boot}

mr. and mrs.

One of my very best friends got married this weekend. I'm all for registries, but since I stuck to those for her shower gifts, I wanted to make sure her wedding gift was something more special and personal. I stumbled across these adorable pillows from Ballard Designs and loved the idea of Mr. and Mrs. pillows. Rather than buying those particular ones, though, I wanted to recreate them myself with some cutesy touches to make them more fun and suited to her and her new husband's personalities. I'm super happy with how they came out and hope the new couple will enjoy them!

handbag lust

I spied this bag on a recent trip up North and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. Its pretty wine color and structure make it a perfect bag for fall, and I have decided it may have to make its way into my closet. Until then, I'll keep visiting it in cyberspace.

{YSL chyc east-west ranch bag in cranberry}

one fall day

It's been a while since my last post, and I don't know where the time went. All of a sudden, it feels a lot like fall around here, and I'm full-on embracing the season (particularly when it involves pumpkin). Here's a look at life lately:

{dia de los muertos-inspired bouquet} 

{current favorite snack: popcorn + fruity candy} 

{essie geranium: so obsessed with this fiery red

that i have it on my nails and toes right now} 

{cute packaging for a birthday treat}

labor day

 I spent the long weekend visiting my best friend and pretending summer hadn't ended. Morning TV marathons in bed, leisurely meals, and picking up a few little treats for ourselves here and there were just what we needed to forget school is, in fact, in session. Now that it's back to the grind for the week, I'm putting up a few reminders of my restful, rejuvenating weekend. Hope everyone enjoyed the day off!

{state fair food: battered and fried candy bar}

{pretty elastics to fancy up a ponytail} 

{new-to-me vintage jewels}

fall must-haves

Fall is my favorite time for fashion- cozy sweaters, fantastic boots, all in rich hues and ready for layering. As new merchandise begins to fill the stores, I get just plain giddy. To help contain my seasonal excitement, I put together a quick list of my five must-haves for this fall. I'm absolutely smitten with each of the items below. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out Rachel Zoe's entire jewelry line (available here). It's BA-nanas good.

{left to right}

Charles Jourdan Caroline Pump

Aerie Vintage Lace Bralette (no longer available in this color)

Rachel Zoe Tassel Bracelet

Frye Billy Firebird Boots

Mossimo Coated Denim

vacation: boston

On the last leg of my summer trip (you can see the first two here and here), we traveled back into the US to Boston and the surrounding area. Our main priority was checking out an incredibly large number of historical sites per my father's request. This proved to be interesting, but my favorite parts of our stay were a Red Sox game at the famous Fenway Park and a trip to Harvard Square. Harvard Square is an area of adorable shops and restaurants in Cambridge, right by its namesake university. Parking was a nightmare (we later learned you can, and probably should, take the subway in), but it was definitely worth it.

{the coop, where i couldn't help but buy a harvard sweatshirt} 

{quick example of harvard square cuteness} 

{pub across the street from where samuel adams is buried} 

{obsessed with this vegetarian restaurant in harvard square} 

{see why? this was my amazing chickpea fritter plate}

{pre-game fenway park atmosphere}

vacation: montreal

Here is the second part of my summer vacation recap (you can see the first one here). After exploring some of northern New England, we headed up to Canada and stayed in Montreal for a couple of days. I thought Montreal was wonderful- it had a very European feel and I loved all of the French influences around the city. We walked a ton so I had ample opportunity to snap pictures; believe me when I say I easily could have doubled (or tripled) the number posted below.

{this welcome sign was as close as i got to an actual moose} 

{intricate detail outside the basilique notre-dame} 

{obsessed with these antiqued gold leaf candle holders inside the basilique} 

{chic storefront + funky poster art} 

{row of houses, row of rent-a-bikes} 

{perfectly refreshing peach-lychee cocktail after a long day of walking} 

{beyond gorgeous exterior of the four seasons}

team usa

As the Summer Olympics come to a close, I can't help but dwell on the metals- er, medals- of the Games. As much as I'd like to bring one home for the good old U.S. of A., my lack of Olympic-worthy athleticism means I have to settle for other shiny treasures. I'll accept any of the below as a consolation prize.

1. Lancôme 24 Karat Eyeshadow

2. J.Crew Desert Bloom Necklace

3. Vince Camuto Amoby2 Booties

4. Sam Edelman Gwyneth Sandals

5. Michael Kors Runway Crystal Topring Watch

vacation: maine

I've been back from my summer trip to New England for about a week now, and so I figure it's about time to put up some pictures. I had such a great time seeing new parts of the country, as well as a little bit of Canada (I'd never been before!) that I'm going to split up the post into three parts. I don't want to overwhelm anyone with vacation photos. The first part here is from coastal Maine and Vermont. We drove around a lot here, and my favorite locale was Freeport, Maine. The downtown was incredibly charming, filled with cute restaurants and outlet stores, and the homes in the area, especially by the ocean, were to die for.

{peaceful pine trees and water} 

{i loved all the picture-perfect coastal homes like this one}

 {lobster traps in the bay seemed very maine-ish}

{surprise lumberjack at a roadside stop} 

{a souvenir from the ben & jerry's factory tour}

it girls: florence welch

Beside an out-of-this-world voice, Florence Welch has an amazing sense of style. She's not afraid to dress in big bold shapes and dramatic silhouettes. Take, for example, her gravitation toward skinny bodysuits with giant embellished shoulders. Gotta love it! Her style has even piqued the interest of the great (and famously hard-to-impress) Karl Lagerfeld. Even if her style isn't something you can see trying for yourself, we can all mimic Florence's sense of self-assuredness in our own fashion choices. That's what makes her such an It Girl (see my other It Girl picks here, here, and here).

heavy wrists

Lately I have been seriously coveting some new jewelry. I have an abundance of earrings and necklaces, but it seems I have missed the boat in the bracelet department. Luckily I have come across some great pieces recently that I would gladly use to supplement that department. Case-in-point:

{j.crew square links bracelet}

{michael kors hinged bracelet}

{j.crew cabochon fan bracelet}

These, plus a couple of colorful bangles (of which I have an inexplicably large number) and a big fat watch, would look great together and go with almost any ensemble, which makes accessorizing in a hurry super easy. And I'm all about super easy when it comes to accessories; otherwise, I tend to leave home without them.

seasonal dining

A couple of nights ago I was in the mood to try cooking something new, and I came across this recipe for zucchini cakes. We had an abundance of summer squash laying around so I substituted that for the zucchini and was delighted with the result. The cakes were flavorful and really simple to make. Paired with Rachael Ray's corn and black bean salad and glasses of Skinnygirl sangria (with added fruit), it made for a perfect summer meal.