{weekending}

this is the first weekend in quite a while

where i don't have ridiculous amounts of work to complete.

woohoo!

needless to say, i already have my weekend chocked full of things i want to do:

bake raspberry cream cheese breakfast buns

go for a long trail run in the gorgeous 70 degree sunshine

image credit: Flickr

stop into h&m and check out the jimmy choo collection

image credit: wwd

finally make it to see where the wild things are with husband

take time to paint my nails

image credit: the gloss post

decorate our apartment for christmas

image credit: martha stewart

granted, i may spend the weekend lounging around with husband,

baking, sleeping, and just being at home.

what are your plans for the weekend, my lovelies?

xoxo

copyright Hiking in Stilettos

sequin sensation

something that i cannot currently {or ever} get enough of:
sequins

i have always gravitated toward sparkly, shiny things,
{i blame it on my ballet days of sparkly pink tutus... or just my innate girliness}
and sequins are pretty much always at the top of my list.
that being said, i am in heaven with the current sequin trend.

sequins add a layer of glamour to any outfit,

from casual jeans and a blazer to a party dress for the holidays,

and they are showing up everywhere from the runway to ann taylor loft to F21.

here are some ways to include sequins into your wardrobe:

i will definitely be breaking out some of my favorite

sequined items for more than just holiday parties,

but what about you, lovely readers?

will you be exploring the new sequin trend

or do you think these pieces are just too over the top?

xoxo

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unique

all of you know that i like a lot of color in our home,
from quilts to walls to furniture and accessories,
but i also need for our home to be comfortable, cozy, and inviting.
sometimes it is hard to find the line between stylishly decorated
and a bit too cluttered.
i am definitely not a minimalist when it comes to home decorating,
but sometimes a few unique pieces can say quite a bit.
that is my favorite way to decorate...
to find unique things that i love and incorporate them into our home.


it can be something as big as architecture and wallpaper/painting:
{unfortunately i can do neither of these things currently,
but i am really looking forward to being able to in the future.}


it can be an eclectic piece of furniture:
{my personal favorite is finding unique, mismatched reading chairs}
{i love how the twinkle lights mimic the glow of a fireplace}


it could be mixing eclectic rugs with other patterns or styles:
{i love the bear skin rug and dainty chandelier in the top photo,
and the mixing of patterns in the bottom photo.}


or it could be something as simple as unique vases or wall hangings:
{i love the maps on the wall in this cozy den
and would really like to add some to our office.}


i think that it is also important to note that
these kinds of rooms don't have to be accompanied by a high price tag.
as much as most of us would love to walk into anthropologie
and furnish our homes with their couches, chairs, and chandeliers,
it is really just not practical.
besides, i think vintage and antique items have more character.
{sorry anthro.}


i know i am a nester,
so most of you may not care about all these home-inspired posts,
but ina garten summarized my feelings perfectly
when she said this about her home,

"all day long i feel as though i'm batting back the baseballs that are being hurled at me: decisions to make, places to go, cranky people to deal with... and when i come home, i want my house to feel serene and beautiful, like the way you feel when you get into a bed piled high with down pillows: you're safe.

a good home should gather you up in its arms like a warm cashmere blanket, soothe your hurt feelings, and prepare you to go back out into that big bad world tomorrow all ready to fight the dragons."




images found here
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winter squash

i love vegetables. i really do.
so i was pretty excited to figure out a simple, but delicious way
to prepare acorn squash.
it's a bit intimidating to figure out what to do
with odd vegetables like winter squash,
but this paula deen recipe was quite scrumptious:
{and quite simple as well.}


cut the squash in half and pull out the seeds and pulp.
{but don't throw the seeds away! you can roast these in the oven with a bit of salt & pepper for about ten minutes for a really great snack!}
mix together 2 tbl spoons butter, 2 tbl spoons brown sugar, and 1-2 tbl spoons maple syrup
{i only used about 1 tbl spoon syrup to keep it from being too sweet}.
to make a paste, and spread over the squash cavities and rims.
bake at 400 for an hour.

the squash will come out a golden color,
and mine had melted butter/sugar mix pooled in the center,
which solidified into a yummy, sweet glaze.


sometime this weekend i plan to try a recipe
from one of my favorite chefs,
giada's roasted acorn squash and gorgonzola pizza
{i am convinced she and i would be friends if we met in real life. don't laugh.}
i think it will be another addition to my growing list of wonderful recipes.

i'll let you know how it turns out!
xoxo



copyright Hiking in Stilettos

variations {on a ragamuffin theme}

between the cool, wet, dreary weather

and my ridiculously large pile of schoolwork,

i feel like lately i have been living in variations of the same outfit:

cardi and tee, Target; scarf, Ann Taylor Loft; jeans and earrings, F21; boots, Rack Room Shoes

let me talk about this scarf for a minute...
it's from the loft, and i am in loooove with it.
so soft, so colorful, and from my bestie.

for rainier days spent indoors studying
i substituted black cotton leggings from my ballet days
and sweater boots for an even more cozy look {and feel}.

i am also quite attached to this headband.
it's a great way to pull off a quick up-do
without looking too much like a ragmuffin.

variations were always among my favorite

pieces to dance to as a young ballerina,

and my recent obsession with tights, long cardis, and sweater boots

must have something to do with my missing the dance studio.
lately i have been reminiscing about my ballet days,

and these outfits are a fond reminder.
i really think it's a comfort thing.

dancing was always my safe haven,

so dance-inspired clothes put me quite at ease.

what do you wear when you want to be your most cozy self?



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softie

we all know that i have a soft spot for cynthia rowley,

especially when it comes to dresses,

so it is so surprise that i have quite a few favorites in her spring 2010 collection.

british vogue says that

"bleeding neckline dresses, slashed pants, shattered sequin sweaters,

purposely threadbare tanks and shredded canvas belts and mules

made it feel like we’d just stumbled into a Tim Burton movie,"

but i must add that it is a very glamorous
and feminine tim burton movie,

and one in which i would gladly play a starring role.

images courtesy of cynthia rowley


i love the shorter but full skirts,
the asymmetry of the dresses,
the layering and broaches,
the bleeding of colors into white ,
and the ruffles and tiers of fabric.



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halloween 2009

this year husband and i spent halloween with two of our faves:
my girl kindredly and her husband JG.

husband, JG, and i know each other from high school,
and kindredly and i are like two peas in a pod,
{as my grandmother would say}
so it's always a good time when the four of us are together.

JG smoked a pork loin and made bbq sauce from scratch.
it was heavenly!

then they handed out candy to very few trick-or-treaters.
i think their doorbell rang a total of seven times.
it was a weak showing this year, i have to say.
{don't worry, that's not JG's real hair}

i tried on the creepy mask, but i wasn't too convincing,
so i left the majority of the spooking to JG.

it was a really fun night,
although, i wouldn't recommend watching the strangers
at midnight on halloween.
it tends to make ones imagination run wild....

i hope you all had a spooky but fun halloween!



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coloring {inside} the lines

i am absolutely dying to paint the walls in our apartment,

but unfortunately, it is very much against the rules.

still, i am so inspired by these lovely images

and wish that i could paint our walls turquoise.

in a living room or den:

image credit

image credit

in a bedroom in combination with chartreuse:

image credit

in a vintage kitchen with pops of red:

image credit

behind the sofa with a "keep calm and carry on" print:

image credit

in an office with black and white contrast:

image credit

or perhaps a turquoise door somewhere?

image credit

definitely in our next home.

the only problem would be deciding which room....

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happy happy halloween!

Boo!, originally uploaded by Dimpleicious.

husband and i are spending halloween
with some of our favorite friends...
watching the ga/fla football massacre,
grilling out some delicious food,
and handing out candy, of course.

what are you doing on this haunted holiday?



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