Birthday & Thanksgiving Treat

In honor of my 25th birthday yesterday, and Thanksgiving tomorrow, I thought these cupcakes were the perfect in-between treat. Blending two of my favorite things ever- sweet potatoes & cupcakes- they are the epitome of fall yummyness.

I found this recipe on Evil Shenanigans, which makes these bad boys with a brown butter frosting...And I am huge sucker for anything brown butter. For the garnish, just peel the sweet potato very fine to get those pretty curley-cues.

Enjoy Thanksgiving, your families, and all the little things you're thankful for tomorrow.

xo,
L


*img via Pinterest

Glitter Guide: Maya Brenner at Home

A recent devotee of Glitter Guide, I loved opening up my inbox yesterday and seeing this stunning piece on designer Maya Brenner's LA home. From her book shelves to her eclectically upholstered furniture, the entire home is so stylish yet still comfy. Here are a few of my faves from the shoot:

Do you just love this as much as I do?

xo,
L

Coco Mademoiselle

Flipping through my newest Glamour, I was smelling all the little tear-out fragrances and I stumbled upon Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. How have I never smelled this before? I rubbed some on my wrists and was instantly in la-la land. I kept sniffing for a good few hours- this stuff did not budge.

Usually when I find a scent I love, I wear it and it alone (save a couple switcharoos to throwbacks). Currently, it's Dolce and Gabbana 3 L'Imperatrice (gor.ge.ous), which I get a lot of compliments on, but maybe there's room for one more.

What are your favorite scents to feel pretty?

xo,
L

Marilyn

When I saw these photos from the new movie coming out, My Week with Marilyn, I did a major double take thinking it was Ms. Monroe herself. Michelle Williams looks breathtaking, doesn't she? Beaut.i.ful.

11.11.11

11.11.11 is pretty special. Even more special is Veteran's Day. Thank you to everyone out there near & far representing our country. Special thanks to Gadiel who is about to deploy next month. We love you!

xo,
L

Things Olive Right Now

For some reason, I am welcoming Fall so much this year. Everything from the boots I'm able to wear, to the red leaves on the tree across from my house, to the frothy warm beverages I'm sipping on daily- they all remind me that this year is coming to a close. I love this time of year because I know a lot of family time is coming my way. And I love me some family time. Plus, it's almost my birthday, so that's fun too :). Here are a few things I'm loving right now:

01- pretty fall colored leaves
02- puppy I want (Ross, I know you love him too)
03- hello, pretty braids- so easy and perfect for bad hair days
04- mmm, red wine and a fire (if I had a fireplace)
05- love this sweaters Native American inspired details and chunkiness

*all photos via Pinterest

Happy Thursday and GO BOLTS!

xo,
L

The Little Red House

After reading about this Butternut Squash and Orzo recipe this morning (thanks Jacquelyn!), I had to see what else The Little Red House had in store. What an awesome blog! From her recipes (all from scratch) to her anecdotes about her life (her kids are adorbs), I loved every piece of it.


Here are a few fall-ish recipes of hers I'm dying to test out:

 aforementioned Butternut Squash Orzo

 Roasted Pumpkin Cupcakes with Mexican Chocolate Buttercream

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Patties with Avocado Salad

*all images courtesy of The Little Red House

Sweet Sound

Jessie, of Sweet Thing, always puts up the best playlists. When she put out Sweet Sound, Volume 1 with Nightcall on there as the number one track? Repeat times 12.

(Maybe because the song reminds me of Drive, and therefore this man.)

Enjoy, and head to her blog for some amazing style, design, and more awesome mixes. (Hint: Volume 3 just posted today and her man made it.. How sweet is that?)

See all three volumes here.

xo,
L



*image via Wallpaper Junction

Entertaining

In honor of Entertaining Week (thanks to A Cup of Jo for the insight!), I wanted to share images that reflect my idea of a good time: small groups of good friends, wine, and the occassional sweet treat. One of my favorite things is having friends over, preparing yummy food, and playing games. I can only assume it gets more fun when you have a house & backyard (not an apartment) to do such things in. Until then, I can dream.

 How fun does an outdoor move screening sound with comfy pillows and strung lights?

 Love me chalkboard anything. This looks like my kind of party: cheese, chocolate, and plenty of vino.

Individual smores stations!

What are your favorite ways to entertain? BYOB? Dinner for 8? A little Apples to Apples?

xo,

L

*all images via Pinterest

Steals & Deals

While putting together our new pub table (!) last night, our lovely neighbor Erin came over and we started discussing buying items new vs Craigslist, finding bargains, where to find the best sales, etc. Always one for a deal (my mom and I think we must have lived our past life during the Great Depression), one of my favorite things is telling others where to get a deal. Even on payday, I can not bring myself to pay full price on most anything (except, for some reason, items at Francesca's & fancy schmancy lipgloss...hmmm).

So, every now and then, I will be posting my most recent Steals & Deals I've come across- happy bargain hunting! (Note: If you see me posting full-body mirror shots of my (albeit well priced) outfits- please stop me.)

This week's finds (so far):

Deep plum colored pointelle sweater, Kelley Green lace boy shorts, and sheer purple thong- Gap. Total price for all three= $20 (Regular price for all three=$87)

Black pub table + four saddle stools (Ashley Furniture)- nice Craigslist couple. Price=$100 (Regular price= around $250 plus tax)

Tall 10' decorative hourglass with light aqua colored sand- Ross (the store not the boyfriend). Price= $8.99 (Regular price= $30)

Archeology Mango Reed Diffuser- Nordstrom Rack. Price=$15 (Regular price=Don't know but it seemed like a good deal.)


...and here is something I would pay full price for:

Steven Pembrook boots in Cognac Suede, Price=$129. I want.


Happy shopping!

xo,
L

Fall Salad

I threw this salad together with a Harry & David pear my sweet neighbor, Sarah, gave to me, some crumbled goat cheese, mixed greens, and a delish homemade balsamic. The result? Fall scrumptiousness in a bowl. The best part was that it took a total of 4 minutes (including dressing prep!).

(Cleared bowl..Toasted sourdough and one last bit of of pear makes a tasty after salad snack)

Balsamic Recipe (via A Piece of Toast):

3/4 Cup of Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Balsalmic Vinegar
1 Clove of Garlic
4 Teaspoons of Sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste

I made this batch and just scooped a few teaspoonfuls into the salad, and am keeping the rest in a small tupperware for next time :)

Enjoy!

xo,
L

Slacker + Apartment Craving

That's me.

Total slacker in the blogging department as of late. However, what I have lacked in posts I have definitely made up for in stalking reading other blogs.

Here are some amazingly beautiful blogs that, when I wake up, I zip straight to them to get my daily dose of inspiration and loveliness. A few favorites and some newcomers? Cupcakes and Cashmere, Could I Have That?, Lark + Linen, A Piece of Toast, and Sterling Style.

 Oh, and these have completely inspired me. Thanks to aforementioned cute as pie sisters of A Piece of Toast for the pics (via Society Social). Ross and I need a bar cart. But first, we need a pub table. Hopefully, we can finally cross that one off the list this evening.

I think a gold painted bar cart for my 25th birthday is a completely reasonable request.
 

Happy Monday to all!

xo,
L