Five on Friday

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1. I had big plans last Sunday for doing some fall decorating at our place, but ended up spending the day watching a 7 hour marathon of 'The Killing' and nursing a painful hangover. That little project has been moved to this weekend and I'm kind of leaning towards a white vibe. White mums (although I am majorly digging the dahlias here) in the window box planter and white pumpkins flanking the door. I will probably chicken out at the last minute and stick with the more traditional autumnal palette. Martha makes this look tres chic, but I'm afraid it will just look tres boring and uninspired.



2.  We are just few hours away from Quebec City and I am DYING to stay at the Hôtel de Glace. There's something very James Bond-meets-Dr. Zhivago chic about ice hotels. They just seem so cool (har dee har har).

3.  I once read an interview with Ina Garten where she mentioned her favorite cookbooks and immediately added them to my never-ending Amazon wishlist. I am a bit of a cookbook collector (my husband would probably use the term 'hoarder') so I'm always curious to see what is on other people's shelves. My sister-in-law gave me this particular tome for my birthday this year and it is delightful. As the weather has started to get cooler here, I've been cozying up with it on the couch the past few evenings. I have yet to cook anything from it, but Sarah Chase's tone is kind of hilarious. She's endearing and quirky, but also a bit of a snob. Somehow it just works, like she's one of those friends who is a bit ridiculous and you roll your eyes at, but love anyways because they're just so genuine and darn likeable. Also, I can see why Ina is a fan. Girlfriend is not afraid of butter and cream.

4. I bought all of the materials necessary to try my hand (again with the puns) at galaxy nails this weekend. I am thinking this is going to be a disaster of epic proportions.

5. Totally reasonable to spend $800 on this guy, right? I mean, he is just so charming and fun, I'm sure Sallie Mae won't mind if we skip a month of payments to buy an impractical, yet adorable home accessory.

Friday Favorites: Fall Edition

Also known as the Basic Bitch Edition.

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1. Pumpkin EVERYTHING. Last spring, Burlington got its very own Trader Joe's and the novelty has not worn off yet. I am on a quest to purchase every fall/pumpkin item they sell. The problem is I don't really know what to do with all of it. Pinterest to the rescue. How amazing do these pumpkin butter sticky buns look? I would leave out the cinnamon chips because I am weirdly creeped out by those things, but otherwise? YUM.

2. I hate candy corn. It is the worst. So, so disgusting. I always want to like the little mellowcreme pumpkins because they're so adorable, but I just can't. Every time I see candy corn (which is everywhere this time of year) I think of Lewis Black (skip ahead to about the 1 minute mark)...



My thoughts exactly.

3. Normally I avoid Wal*Mart like the plague. It tarnishes the faux-crunchy reputation I've worked so hard to cultivate.  In addition to the fact that they are a terrible company, it's also a downright miserable shopping experience. However...I make an exception in the fall to purchase the best candle ever:

Seriously. I think the biggest size they sell costs like $5 (eat your hearts out, NEST and Anthropologie) and it actually makes your house smell like you've had apple cider simmering on your stove all day. One time I bought that NEST pumpkin chai candle that all the bloggers rave about, and while admittedly it does come in much prettier packaging, it did not smell nearly as wonderful as my el cheapo Wally World candle. 

4. I hated the book 'Gone Girl.' HATED. To this day, it is the only thing I have ever reviewed on Amazon. I was that pissed that I spent money on it.  First half of the book? Amazing. Loved it. Couldn't read it fast enough. Second half of the book? Lifetime movie garbage. So can someone please talk me off the ledge about seeing the movie? Every time I see a trailer for it, I'm like, "Oooooh this movie looks so good!" WHAT?!? I've read the book, I know what happens, and it sucks. Is it just the magnetic draw of Ben Affleck and Tyler Perry? I don't know.

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5. I really want to try the super dark lipstick trend, but am terrified of looking like a Goth chick and don't want to drop the $$$ on NARS Terre De Feu or Tom Ford Bruised Plum lipsticks that I will probably wear once and then be too chicken to ever wear again. I see a trip to the CVS cosmetics aisle in my future...

Road Trip Diet Busters

road trip tunes

Last weekend we packed up the whip {again} and headed off to North Carolina {again} for a long weekend at Topsail Island with my parents and my sister.

We're big on squeezing every last minute of fun out of any trip, even one as short as this one, so we elected to make a stop at Wilber's Barbecue in Goldsboro on the way to the beach.

 One thing you should know about us: we are really into BBQ. And I mean real BBQ. M doesn't really discriminate, but I am strictly a Carolina BBQ girl. I prefer Eastern-style, but I'll settle for Lexington-style or South Carolina if need be.  And Wilbur's is the gold standard for Eastern.

The food was, of course, AMAAAZING, but the real gem was spotting this guy...

In case you can't tell from the blurry picture, his shirt says, "Gas costs so much I can't afford to fart."

We were at the beach for exactly 48 hours, which was enough time to read both of these...

To get my mom hopelessly addicted to Candy Crush...

 To drink plenty of these...

And to enjoy this absolutely beautiful view...

We continued the tour o' delicious with a pilgrimage to Bojangles on the drive home.

Bojangles is strictly a Southern thing.  So Southern, in fact, that it {wisely} does not darken the doorstep of our locale waaaaay up in northern Virginia. So when we see a Bojangles, we pull over.  There were cajun filet sandwiches and seasoned fries had by all.  The only thing preventing Bojangles from achieving fast food nirvana is the fact that they carry Pepsi products. Disgusting. We are Coke people.

Needless to say, we arrived home late Monday night, exhausted and full of sodium,  but happy and relaxed.

How was your Memorial Day weekend?

Friday Favorites

It's been awhile since I've done a Friday Favorites and after all that money talk, I'm ready to indulge in a more frivolous post!

This peplum sheath dress may be my first purchase with my freshly budgeted fun money {and a discount code!}? Perfect for work AND for spring and summer weddings.

Pretty sure I need to order this kit and have this little guy sitting on our bar. 

Mmmmmm.....I love cannoli! Cannoli ice cream? Can't even handle it.

I die. So great for Memorial Day weekend and the 4th of July.

I want to get my hands on Martha's new book . There was a sneak peek in the latest Martha Stewart Living and it looks wonderful, just like everything she does. 

What are you up to this weekend? We're celebrating my little sister's college graduation!

Deal of the Century

One of the items on my 101 in 1,001 list is to invest in 10 coffee table books.  I keep a running wish list on Amazon of ones I want to purchase, and the Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People and The World in Vogue: People, Parties, Places books have long held a place at the tippy top of that wish list.  Earlier this week I learned that a new book had been published, Vogue Weddings: Brides, Dresses, Designers, and I hopped on over to Amazon to add it to my wish list.  And stumbled upon this...

The Greatest Deal of the Century.

Your eyes do not deceive you.  As of this writing, the boxed set of all three books is selling for $29.55. I repeat, all three Vogue coffee table books, in their entirety, in hardcover, for $29.55.  Each book retails for $85, but even if you purchased them individually at Amazon's discounted rates {in the $45-$60 range}, you couldn't find a better deal than this.

Obviously I ordered them immediately.  Amazon's pricing is subject to pretty radical change without any notice, so if you've lusted after these books the way I have, now's your chance!

On My Bookshelf

just finished

just started

on deck

I really enjoyed The Emperor of All Maladies, Quiverfull, and South of Broad.  I was SO surprised at how much I enjoyed South of Broad, because I am not a Pat Conroy fan. Don't get me wrong; there were still multiple point in the book when I wanted to shout, "TOO MANY WORDS!", but overall it was a page turner.  

The Emperor of All Maladies was a difficult read.  It's filled with a lot of data, a lot of names, and a lot of scientific research.  All of it is fascinating and I learned a great deal, but it took me awhile to digest what I had read.  That said, I feel like I have a much better understanding of cancer, its history, and its future.  Really interesting stuff.  

Quiverfull was, in a word, frightening.  I enjoyed it and it was incredibly eye-opening, but it also made me sad.  It's a book that truly makes you think about religion and forces you to examine the negative aspects of it. 

Game Change is the book that the HBO movie was based on, but the book covers a lot more than the epic disaster/SNL miracle that was Sarah Palin.  It also focuses on the relationship between the Obama and Clinton campaigns.  For a political junkie like me, this book should be a quick read.  I can't get enough of stuff like this.

Wolf Hall and The Space Between Us have both been in my Amazon shopping cart for years.  I'm ready to finally bite the bullet and read them.  

Have any of you read any of these books?  I'd be curious to hear your thoughts!  Have you read anything good lately that I should add to my ever-expanding on deck list?

Brain Dump

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None of these are really enough to form a complete post, but here are some thoughts that have been rattling around in the old noggin recently:

1.  I am fascinated by cults and extreme fringe religious groups.  Not in a "I want to join one" kind of way, but I just think the psychology and history of them is so interesting.  A few years ago I went on a Scientology binge and after reading as much as I could about it, I find it horrifically creepy. They have done some shady shit to people.  {NPR's "Fresh Air" had a great interview about a new book on Scientology last week}  Last year I was really into learning about the personality cult surrounding the Kim Dynasty in North Korea.  My new obsession is the Quiverfull and Christian Patriarchy movements.  The Duggars are what really made the Quiverfull movement famous, and although I have never watched that show and never will, I can't. stop. reading. about these groups.  This blog {Love, Joy, Feminism} in particular is what I've been reading.  The author was raised in a QF/CP home, but went away to a large state school for college and ended up leaving her faith.  She blogs about her experiences and keeps a list of other survivor blogs.  She's mentioned Kathryn Joyce a few times on her blog, so I really want to read this book.

2. I'm not sure what rock I've been living under, but I have recently discovered the blog Into The Gloss and I am in love.  I am a closet product junkie and it's written in such a fun, whip-smart tone.  I'm kind of embarrassed {but not really} to admit that I was waiting with bated breath for the conclusion of their series on foundation. The only problem is I am going to have to stop myself from buying everything they recommend.  The Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion is at the top of my list because my pores are seriously OOC.

3.  I am pretty much obsessed with watching French Food At Home reruns on the Cooking Channel.  Does anyone else love Laura Calder the way I do?  She's kind of a bitch and she's a little quirky, but that is part of her charm. Also she has like a Miranda-complex going on, where sometimes she is drop-dead gorgeous and sometimes she is really strange-looking.  Very confusing.  Anyhoo, her show is like escapism for me since pretty much all I ever want to do is make and eat French food and daydream about moving to France.  I want to get every single one of her cookbooks.

4. I've been having random, super intense food cravings recently {no, I'm not pregnant}.  Like last Sunday morning, I woke up and all I could think about was cream puffs.  No real reason why.  I just NEEDED cream puffs. What is that? Does that ever happen to you?

Friday Favorites

First Friday Favorites of 2013! 

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

I received this as a Christmas gift and my girl, Ina, has outdone herself once again.  M was flipping through it and basically dog-eared every page for me to make. Once I have completed my Christmas detox, it's game on.  Do you have this cookbook?  If so, what's your fave recipe in it?

The perfect red lipstick.

I discovered this back in December when I decided in very non-me fashion to do a bold lip for a Christmas wedding we attended.  The saleslady told me that this {Chanel Rouge Allure in Passion} is Chanel's signature red. Sold.  I wore it for New Year's Eve as well and just love it!

Erm, ignoring the subject of Christmas detox, can we talk about these brown butter vanilla bean Rice Krispie treats? I want to eat the entire platter of these.  Aaaaah they just sound so perfect!!

One of my goals for 2013 is getting our house to look like two real, live adults live there.  I love this IKEA hack to make the the Billy bookshelves look like built-ins. I've already bought the burlap for the backing. I just need to find a time to head to IKEA and stockpile on bookshelves.  Now if only I can find someone to style them for me...

And last but not least...

Downton Abbey on Sunday, y'all!!!!!!!!!!!  So. Friggin'. Pumped.

The Dude Gift Guide: First Anniversary

First Anniversary Dude Gift Guide by gesshoo on Polyvore

In a Father's Day gift guide I posted earlier this year, I discussed the dearth of male gift guides for men like my husband.  Most gift guides are for men who are a hybrid of hipster/prepster/dapper.  M does not fall into any of those categories.  His category is more "Boy Next Door."  He likes beer, bacon, sports, and doing stuff.  Stereotypical heterosexual male.  

As I approached our first anniversary, it was important to me to stick with the traditional first anniversary gift of paper.  But naturally a quick Google search for "traditional first anniversary gifts for husband" came up with some truly horrible suggestions.  So once again, I'm doing the heavy-lifting for you ladies with men in your lives like M.  I present to you The Dude Gift Guide: First Anniversary edition:

1. A certificate for an Orvis fly-fishing school.  This was my original gift to M, but after the engine incident, we had to scale back on our plans {read: spending}.  Hopefully we'll be able to make this happen next year.  I've attended the one in Vermont and they are so much fun! 
2. An autographed picture of his favorite sports hero.  I gave M an autographed picture of his other sports hero, Ray Lewis, as a wedding gift and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to top that gift. He loves it. 
3. An e-Reader.  I thought this was a punny play on the idea of a paper gift.  Plus M is always stealing my Kindle to read whatever I've got on there, so it's about time he gets his own!
4. Your DirecTV bill, showing him that you've paid for a season's worth of NFL Sunday Ticket.  I know it's pricey, but I figure M would be at a bar every Sunday spending at least $50 on wings and beers, so in the end, it's cheaper just to spring for the TV package.
5. Tickets to a pro sporting event.  M got hockey tickets last year for Christmas and he was thrilled. I've found that a lot of guys would rather receive experiences as gifts, rather than things, so this is a great option for the guy who has everything.  Now if the NHL can just work out its issues...
6. The New York Times History of [Insert His Favorite Sports Team Here].  This is what I ended up getting for M and it could not have been a bigger hit.  I got him the History of the Baltimore Orioles, and coming off of their historic postseason run, this was such perfect timing.  It's so fun to go through and read the really old newspaper headlines.
7. A cheeky money clip filled with cash.  If you're in a household like mine where the wife is in charge of the money, sometimes it's hard for me to make M feel like he's not on an "allowance".  I know he would love for me to hand him a big ole wad of cash and tell him to spend it any which way he chooses, no questions asked.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  I got my wish from last Friday; we've had gorgeous fall weather here in Virginia all week long.  Something about the switch to slightly cooler temps makes me want to be extra productive this weekend.  I'm working my way through 100 Days To Christmas this year {per my list}, and it starts this Sunday.  Can't wait to get cracking on it! Are any of you playing along?

Some things I'm really looking forward to:

Starting a Soup Sunday tradition. Doesn't this chicken stew with butternut squash and quinoa look divine {and healthy!}?

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taking a leaf-peeping drive down Skyline Drive

reading a new thriller

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going on a ghost tour

finding and making a fun Halloween craft

My List

Kate Spade 'To Do' refills

At the risk of being blogger-cliche, I've come up with my own 101 in 1,001 list.  I first was inspired to do this when I read Design Darling's list.  I started working on a list, but just couldn't seem to find the motivation to finish it.  Then I read The Dirty Martini Diary's list and how Lulu was starting it on her 30th birthday, but thought maybe she should've have started the list to culminate on her 30th birthday,  and that lit a fire underneath me.  Because November 11, 2012 is 1,001 days until my 30th birthday.  Time to get cracking!

1. Find a fitness routine that works for me and stick with it.

2. Purchase personalized stationery. 

3. Buy a house.

4. Cook at least one recipe out of every cookbook I own. {Salmon with Lentils, Barefoot in Paris. White Lightning Texas Chili, Southern Living: Our Best Christmas Recipes. Potato Sourdough Starter, Southern Living 1995 Annual Recipes. Chocolate Chunk Blondies, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. Lemon Chicken Breasts, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?. Fried Zucchini Spaghetti, My Father's Daughter. Orange-Raspberry Trifle, Barefoot Contessa Family Style.}

5. Take a flower arranging class.

8. Develop a filing system for important documents, mail, magazines, etc.

9. Visit at least 3 new states.

10. Be able to better define my aesthetic, in both fashion and interior design.

11. Scrutinize the contents of my closet and donate, store, or toss all the things I never wear.

12. Throw my first Sunday brunch party.

13. Adopt another rescue dog. {Ozzie, August 2012}

14. Buy an Hermes scarf.

15. Grow vegetables and herbs at home.

16. Take a ballroom dance class.

17. Learn to make homemade bread. {Potato Sourdough Bread, March 2013}

18. Buy an Apple desktop computer.

19. Drink eight glasses of water every day for one week.

20.  Learn to speak French.

21. Ask Grandmother for her coconut cake recipe.

22. Take up yoga.

23. Send fifty handwritten notes, not including thank-you notes.

25. Sing karaoke. {VA's Bachelorette Weekend, March 2013}

26. Get some backyard chickens.

27.  Host a major holiday.

28. Get a massage.

29. Make M breakfast in bed.

30.  Go camping with M.

31.  Learn the art of canning food.

32.  Follow the 100 Days to Christmas eBook.

33. Make Julia Child’s Boef Bourguignon. 

34. Make an address book with contact information for family and friends.

35. Join the S***burg public library. {March 2013}

36. Visit all the D.C. monuments.

37. See the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas show.

39. Floss every day for one month.

40. Do a cleanse.

41. Purchase and learn photo editing software.

42. Take a self-defense class.

43. Buy a piece of original art.

44. Cook a meal for my mother.

45.  Visit Montpelier.

46. Put together a home management binder.

47. Find my best beauty routine.

48. Learn how to play Gin Rummy.

49.  See an opera performed live.

50. Invest in ten coffee table books. {1. Vogue Weddings, March 2013 2. Vogue Living, March 2013 3. The World in Vogue, March 2013}

51.  See a Broadway show.

52. Throw my parents a 30th anniversary party.

53. Buy a Goyard tote.

54.  Learn to make my mother-in-law’s marinara sauce.

55.  Learn to make Grandmama’s rolls.

56. Go on a trip with my sister.

57. Visit all of the S***V*** vineyards. {Three Fox Vineyard, October 2012. Glen Manor Vineyard, March 2013. Boxwood Winery, March 2013.}

58. Find a way to volunteer locally {soup kitchen, homeless shelter, SPCA, etc.}

59. Purchase a set of quality luggage.

60. Read every Jane Austen novel. 

61. Learn needlepoint.

62. Get a facial.

63.  Take a sewing class.

64. Try one totally-out-of-my-comfort-zone exercise class.

65.  Buy a pair of Ferragamo Varinas.

66.  Go to a music festival.

67. Order a wedding album.

68. Research and put together a family tree of M and me.

69. Read twenty new books.   {1. Unbroken, May 2012 2. Divergent, May 2012 3. Insurgent, June 2012 4. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, June 2012 5. The Royals, July 2012 6. Sarah’s Key, May 2012 7. Gone Girl, October 2012 8. The Emperor of All Maladies, January 2013 9. South of Broad, February 2013 10. Game Change, February 2013 11. The Space Between Us, February 2013 12. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, March 2013 13. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, March 2013 14. The Night Circus, March 2013}

70.  Make homemade marshmallows. {February 2013}

71.  Lose these last pesky 10-15 pounds.

72. Get in the habit of monthly self breast exams.

73. Turn off my iPhone/iPad/computer for an entire weekend.

74. Buy a nice camera and learn how to use it.

75. Throw a surprise party for a friend. {Happy Birthday, Kristi! September 2012}

76.  Spend a weekend at the Greenbrier.

77. Go tubing or kayaking on the river.

78. Find a skincare regimen that works for me.

79. Take a trip to France.

80.  Create a will.

81. Go on a spontaneous day trip.

82. See ten so-called classic films.

83. Visit Harper’s Ferry, WV.

84. Invest in a classic handbag.

85. Have a picnic. {Sky Meadows State Park, April 2013}

86. Learn how to do a perfect smokey eye.

87. Start a collection. {Spode 'Woodland' China collection started on Christmas 2012.}

88.  Put $10 in savings for every goal accomplished.

89. Visit my sister at college before she graduates.

90.  Take a food styling or cooking lesson of some sort.

91. Try five new foods.

92.  Learn to French braid.

93. Go vegetarian for a month.

94.  Buy myself a beautiful piece of jewelry.

95.  Run a marathon.

96. Pay off all debt.

97. Have a father-daughter date.

98. Go apple picking.

99. Visit 3 new cities.

100.  Attend the Preakness or the Kentucky Derby.

101. Throw a party for completing my list! {Happy 30th birthday to me!}

I started developing this list back in the spring, so one of these I can already check off the list and several others are in the works to be completed before November 11. Plus I've already started making headway on my 20 new books goal.

Are any of you following your own lists?

*You'll notice there are a couple of numbers missing; I left those off because I felt they were too personal or private to share on here. I promise I can count.