Friday Favorites

Perhaps due to my overwhelming desire for adventure, the promise of  many upcoming camping trips, little signs of spring, or just restlessness and genuine wanderlust, I've been listening to this song on repeat lately... reminds me of this beach camping trip.

Happy weekend.

xoxo

Free as the birds in flight with weightless souls....

Hi Lo - Casual Crew

While I typically shy away from sweaters because of their boxy shape, I've lately been drawn to the comfortable simplicity of them. Perhaps it's because winter finally showed up {hello 20 degree mornings!} or a result of the sleepy-eyed haze in which I dress every morning. Either way, I've been finding excuses opportunities to work this particular sweater into the rotation. The fit is cozy and the bright yellow fits unnaturally well into my very colorful wardrobe. Whether accompanying pink smoking slippers, suede booties, or wine colored wedges, this sweater has proven immensely versatile despite it's neon yellow stripes.

Old Navy sweater, BDG jeans, Target flats, H&M necklace, vintage bracelet, gifted clutch, Essie Mod Squad polish, Warby Parker glasses

xoxo

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Love Day

While I agree with many of you that today is no more than a Hallmark holiday for a majority of America, there's a sweet simplicity to Valentine's day, I think. When you are truly grateful for encouraging, supportive people in your life, it's important to let them know, even if it comes on a day when the rest of the world is enamored with chocolate hearts and red hots.

So today, I am immensely thankful for the following people {among many others}:

my ever-supportive, dashingly handsome husband
{who surprised me with tulips and made this delicious chocolate cake last night}

my encouraging mother, whose wisdom I hope to one day acquire

my sister, who can make me laugh regardless of the circumstances

my bestie, who is always there for me, even when it's not pretty

Happy Valentine's Day.

xoxo

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Surviving Winter: Paleo Recipe Roundup

We all know that the post-holiday season is the most common time to try and become healthier. And while I am certainly not opposed to this {remember that cleanse?}, I like to think of the winter months as opportunities for building better habits. For me this comes in the form of trying and perfecting new recipes. It's so easy {especially during winter} to fall into the routine of cooking the same meals, and this often leaves me bored and craving all the things I just cut from my diet. In order to combat the winter we-eat-the-same-three-dishes-every-week blues, I often turn to these paleo recipe sites:

Health-Bent

paleOMG

Nom Nom Paleo {added bonus here ~ she's a pharmacist too!}

eat. live. paleo

Some of my current favorites......

pumpkin coconut maple custard
cowboy breakfast skillet
brussels sprouts chips 
balsamic winter bake
coconut chicken nuggets

Happy {paleo} cooking.
xoxo

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Friday Favorites

This week was a tad stressful. From computer problems {hello, non-functional keyboard} to presentations and restless sleep {hello, dreaming of said presentations}, I felt slightly overwhelmed and unproductive. It was just one of those weeks where the only thing that gets you through is the promise of the weekend. That and a sweet husband, a soy latte, a pink pencil skirt, neon flats (I'm completely obsessed), and a good dose of dark chocolate.

Also loving these adorable cookies
the perfect red/orange polish
this scarf (that I am desperately searching for, btw)


Happy weekend.
xoxo

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Day End

You may have noticed a conspicuous lack of outfit posts lately, but I assure you that I am still wearing clothes on a daily basis. {No lounging around in pjs or my birthday suit over here. Not until I'm done with school at least.} Here's my issue: waking up before the sunrise is not exactly conducive to outfit photos. This coupled with the fact that my sweet, but sleepy husband hands me oatmeal and a mug of coffee as I frantically hurry gracefully glide out the door around six am makes outfit photos virtually impossible. Not exactly the best time to ask him to take on the photographer role. Luckily, I made it home one day this week just before sundown and was able to capture my favorite I-wish-it-were-spring pink pencil skirt. Because sometimes dreary winter days just need a bit of color. Don't you think?

F21 shirt, H&M blazer [similar here], skirt via Dillards [similar here], MRKT wedges via DSW [similar here and here], gifted scarf & earrings, HUE tights, vintage & Loft bracelets, Essie Mod Squad polish

xoxo

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Surviving Winter: Little Flowers

Sometimes one of the best ways to combat winter blues is by bringing the outdoors inside. For me, flowers on my desk and on the breakfast table are key. I love seeing life and color in places where I spend some of my most mundane winter hours {read: studying for pharmacy boards}. Dreaming of spring isn't always the best means of coping with dreary days, but when coupled with a mug of hot tea {or cocoa chai} and a good book, a few fresh flowers are an easy yet effective means of lightening one's spirits.

xoxo

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Pillow Talk

I mentioned a while ago that this may be the year that husband and I become home owners. It's not definite yet {that whole I-need-to-find-a-job thing is getting in the way}, but the prospect is pretty exciting. I've already bookmarked a million or so inspiration images for what I envision as our calm, modern meets rustic bedroom. I am leaning towards a minimal wooden bed frame, a mix of white linens, Lucite tables, a grey {chevron?} duvet, and pops of chartreuse to break up the neutral pallet. Here are some of my favorite inspirations thus far.

 {All images (and my commentary) can be found here.}


Sweet dreams.
xoxo

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Walled Off

While I tend to shy away from overly filled walls, collages are one of my favorite ways to occupy wall space. In fact, the only items hanging in our living room are a mixed assemblage above the couch. The other four walls are virtually empty (save for a couple of hooks by the door for storing coats and purses). Our collage consists of a central vintage landscape painting, two metal letters, a set of antlers, a 1800s map of Georgia, a vintage gold and crystal candelabra, and a few bird prints. I like to mix modern with rustic for an eclectic spin and throw in a few printed pieces (both vintage and new) for good measure. Here are some of my current favorites for adding a bit of text (and inspiration) to your walls.

Bloom

Avett Brothers - Murder in the City

Ryan Adams - English Girls

Public School Posters

Pray

Follow Your Dreams

Plato

What do you put on your walls?

xoxo

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Surviving Winter: Workin on My Fitness

Over the past few years, I've noticed that for me {like many others} January and February are the most difficult months to push through. The holiday cheer has long since dissipated, the mornings are dark and the days are cold, and all I can think about is cheerful spring colors and sunshine-filled days. So I've decided to start a series of posts about my secrets to surviving winter. While I do love a rainy afternoon movie marathon, I refuse to let the weather dictate my mood, and after a difficult 2011, I have vowed to try and live my life to the absolute fullest {cliché, I know, but sometimes clichés are just so true}.

One thing that I think is essential to surviving winter is staying active. Whether it's yoga in the morning, lifting a few weights or an evening run, I find that a good workout always boots my mood. And while it's hard to believe, exercise actually gives you more energy, especially when you're tired. It's often hard to motivate myself to get outside in the cold, so I turn to bright colors and warm layers to help beat the winter workout blues.

1. Athleta Malibu Hike Half Zip
2. Merrell Barefoot Running Pace Glove
3. Hurley Under Armor ColdGear leggings

4. Athleta Interval Jacket
5. Buff Multipurpose Scarf
6. Athleta lap shorts
7. Timex Triathlon watch
8. The North Face Sports Bra
9. The North Face Reaxion Shirt

xoxo

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Friday Favorites

This was a somewhat difficult week. Between headaches and a head cold, I spent most of the week feeling perpetually behind at everything. The weekend promises lovely weather and some down time to do a little relaxing, and I'm certainly looking forward to it. Here are some of my current favorite things that made this week just a little sweeter. 

This crisp, clean living room with glass vases and yellow tulips.

Finding inspiration and ideas for throwing a wedding shower in a couple months.

A Saturday evening date with this pretty lady .

These colorful skinnies (that may or may not be mine in a day or so).

This brilliant blue blazer (say that three times fast).

The song above (and this one):

Happy weekend.

xoxo

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French Cuff

A few months ago I saw this post and had myself a good little chuckle. The 'french cuff' is a trick us short gals have been using for years. With everything from skinny jeans to slacks, it's a great way to deal with a slightly too long hemline.

H& blazer & blouse, BDG skinnies, F21 scarf, Target heels, vintage ring, Essie 'Brooch the Subject' polish

Who knew being short could be so vogue?
xoxo

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Little Moments

Last week went by painfully slowly despite having Monday off. I battled headaches during the beginning of the week and came down with a full-blown cold by Friday. And although the weekend was shadowed by grey rain clouds and thunderstorms, it was exactly what I needed.

We made blueberry banana almond-flour pancakes and rode our bikes in the living room. I had Sunday afternoon coffee with my mom, which somehow always manages to make everything right in my world.

Sambo sat on a stool. We saw a pig outside of CVS. Sambo slept in front of the heater while we watched Mad Men and got a vest to keep him warm.

My paperwhites bloomed. I found an incredible chair at the thrift store and white Pottery Barn-inspired plates. I bought a red "brief case" to make my days at the hospital a bit more cheerful.

xoxo

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Detox Recipes

Just a few of my favorite take-aways from the last week and a half of detoxing.

1 - Grapefruit + carrot + ginger juice

2 - My favorite herbal tea with a squeeze of lemon

3 - My New Roots butternut squash + apple soup

4 - (never home) maker's vegetaable broth for breakfast idea

5 - My take on NHM's autum stew - I substituted tons of veggies (yellow squash, cauliflower, carrots, parsnip, a bit of celery) for her lentils and beans and kept the can of pumpkin and blend of spices. Delish. It's my new favorite winter stew. (not pictured)

xoxo

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Pumpkin-Flax Crackers

I've always been a snacker. Growing up it was always a challenge for my mom to get me to eat an entire meal. {My favorite food day was always Sunday, when we would eat an assortment of veggies in the late afternoon.} Even as an adult I tend to eat five small meals a day instead of two or three larger meals {although I do love a good brunch}. So I knew that snacks would be an important part of this detox cleanse. Since wheat and dairy are out of the picture and I didn't want to rely on nut butters, I decided to try my hand at homemade crackers {with almond flour of course}.

The recipe is from this book, which I love and highly recommend. I used chia seeds in place of sesame seeds since that's what I had on hand. The end result was a perfect companion to this delicious butternut squash soup.

xoxo

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