up north

I spent the beginning of the week in Minneapolis (if it seems like I go there quite a lot, it's because I do). It's a bit of a drive for me, but the reward is a nice little getaway with good shopping, great food, new things to do, and friends that feel like family. I always feel inspired by fresh ideas when I'm there, and this time was no exception. Here are a few of the things I loved this time up north:

{super cool place setting idea at arhaus} 

{new perfume obsession: slightly woodsy and oh-so-addicting} 

{mushroom and pancetta pasta from here that i'd love to recreate at home}

strawberry lemon bundt cake

I made this amazing strawberry, lemon, and yogurt bundt cake for my family for Easter (recipe here). This cake is perfect for a party because it looks beautiful and is so delicious. It was such a big hit, I can't wait to make it again. If you haven't made a bundt cake before, be sure to really butter and flour your pan before pouring the batter in. It makes a huge difference! I have ruined many a bundt cake by thinking I could get away with just buttering the pan.

texas

I decided I couldn't resist my travel-bug urge (mentioned here) to take a trip to the Lonestar State. I just returned from a nice little getaway to Dallas and Austin. In the Dallas area, we did a few touristy things like the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Cowboy Stadium tour (favorite stop: the cheerleaders' locker room. Anyone else watch Making the Team religiously?) and of course filled in our free time with lots of shopping. In Austin, we had a blast experimenting with food truck delicacies and listening to live music. It was all I had hoped for from my long weekend, and I'd love to return for a longer trip sometime soon!

{creative lighting at the cowboys players' entrance} 

{delish red velvet cupcake from la bella in fort worth} 

{took a tip from tory burch and tried mi cocina} 

{amazing scenery at the dallas arboretum} 

{lovely bright blooms always put me in a happy mood}

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}

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}

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: 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}

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.

strawberry pizzettes

One of my favorite parts of summer is always the variety of fresh seasonal ingredients available. Last week I picked up a huge package of almost-too-good-too-be-true strawberries at the store, and to prevent them from going to waste, started cooking up ways to use them right away. My first were these pizzettes, basically individual-sized portions of fruit pizza.

This recipe is super easy and a great summer dessert. Start with a package sugar cookie dough mix and prepare and bake it according to the directions on the package for roll-out cookies. Once the cookies are out of the oven and have cooled, mix up the topping: 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and 1 tsp. of vanilla. Then spread on each cookie and top with sliced strawberries. Also you'll want to keep these refrigerated until serving, since the cream cheese topping will get melty if you don't.

up north

Here's a little snippet of the fun I had while visiting the Twin Cities last week:

{canoes lining lake harriet where we went for walks, as promised}

{vanilla malts and "juicy lucy" cheeseburgers at casper's and runyon's nook} 

 {funny little mismatched-leg stool spotted here while shopping}

easy does it

The other day I wanted to whip up a batch of brownies that were a bit more special than the boxed variety while still being just as easy. My solution? Embellishing. I started with a boxed mix (my favorite is Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownies) and prepared it according to the directions on the package. Then I poured half the batter into my pan and topped it with toffee bits, broken-up chocolate bars, and caramel pieces before pouring the other half of the batter on top. I popped them in the oven, baking them for a couple more minutes than I usually do. When the brownies came out, they were a hit, and I don't think anyone cared that they were less than homemade.

 {topped and ready for the second half of the batter}

{fresh out of the oven}

pancakes

Yesterday I mentioned my love for weekend breakfasts, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite pancake recipes. I usually make a big batch of these and freeze the leftovers. Then they can be warmed up in the microwave whenever I feel like having something special without the extra work.

BANANA-CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 Tbsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/4 C. Milk
1/2 C. Banana, mashed (about 2 small ones)
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well. Add milk, mashed banana, egg, and vanilla and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Cook pancakes in a butter-greased pan over medium heat (I usually like to make little pancakes and cook them for a few minutes on each side). Enjoy!

sleeping in

With a (well-deserved) spring break just around the corner, I find myself dreaming of lovely, lazy mornings complete with all my favorite indulgences: whimsical pajamas, tv in bed, and homemade breakfasts. I can hardly wait to have a few refreshing days off to lounge around, try out some new recipes (like the amazing-looking french toast below!), and work on some jewelry projects I've been meaning to get to.

{nick and nora postcard sleep tee}

{peanut butter banana french toast}

cleanse

In lieu of resolutions this year, I decided to ring in 2012 with a two-week detox. I thought it would be the perfect way to feel better after all the holiday junk food I ate and have a fresh start to the year. I found a great cleanse in Whole Living magazine (you can view the web version here) and condensed it a bit because I'm going out of town next weekend. Frankly, I don't have the willpower or desire to detox while on vacation.
Actually, I'm learning, I may not have the willpower or desire to detox at home either. Today is day 4 of the cleanse, and it's been a difficult one. The novelty of the super-healthy meals has worn off, and I'm running out of smoothie ingredients. I could have sworn I smelled cheeseburgers at the gym. I consider myself to be a pretty healthy eater normally, but I appreciate an occasional indulgence. Indulgences are not included in a cleanse. Bummer.
On the upside, the magazine included lots of really delicious recipes that I think I'll continue to make after I'm done detoxing. And despite my yearning for foods I'm not supposed to eat, I don't feel hungry all day or anything. I know that if I keep going, my cravings will decrease and I will feel great by the end of this. I've got to keep at it- so wish me luck!