a lovely living

Monthly Archives for October 2013

Kitchen Favs

I spend at lot of time in my kitchen. Prepping, cooking, baking and cleaning for three meals a day (plus snacks!) can consume a lot of my time. There are a number of items in my kitchen that I have become quite fond of using. Some are essential and others are just aesthetically pleasing, a perfect combination for any kitchen.

Here are five items that I would hate to be without:

1. Mrs. Meyers Dish Soap: I have tried out numerous dish soaps and this is the one I am constantly coming back to. One squeeze seems to last forever, cleans incredibly well and rinses without leaving anything behind.

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Make a Statement

My husband gets a kick out of asking me what my statement piece is each day. Often times, I admit, it can end up being one of my sweet children. A statement piece can quickly and easily spice up any outfit. You could add a scarf, a jacket or a fun pair of shoes to make a pop. One key statement piece however is the necklace. They can be worn for the obvious formal affair, but can also be thrown on with a T-shirt or button-up and complete your outfit. I have gathered a few here that would be sure to make a bold statement on anyone daring enough to wear them.

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**Today only (10/16/13) 20% off necklaces at Baublebar using code: necklace

 

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This past weekend we stocked up on apples while we were visiting a local fruit farm. I didn’t have a particular recipe in mind, so I began my search once we returned home. I like trying new things, so I wanted something outside of the typical apple pie or crisp. When I came across this recipe, I knew it’s what I wanted to try. It turned out tasting like apple pie and apple crisp mixed together. Sounds heavenly, right? I didn’t have Bourbon on hand as we aren’t big Whiskey drinkers, but I’m sure it would add even more flavor. And yes, I cheated and used a prepared pie dough…I do that sometimes. (more…)

Back in the Patch

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Over the weekend we made our way out to the pumpkin patches (over the mountain and through the woods on a tractor nonetheless) to carry home pumpkins that were much larger than our children’s heads. This particular morning started out quite chilly and warmed up significantly over the course of the day. Thanks to fall layers, I was able to dress once and remove a few pieces as the sun beat down during the afternoon. While we’re talking layering, this vest is a new favorite in my closet. Versatile, comfortable and cute. You can’t go wrong. (more…)

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday! As I had mentioned, we started off our week in the Poconos with Jack’s family for a mini-family getaway. As much as I love vacations of any sort, it always takes forever for me to feel caught up at home. Maybe by the end of this weekend I’ll be caught up on my reading, the laundry, house cleaning and my emails. At least my kids received the attention they crave and that’s more important than a clean house, right??

Here’s what I captured of my week:

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  1. We never managed to get a group shot of everyone, but here’s the four of us enjoying an afternoon in the Poconos.
  2. I was scrolling through my phone the other day and found approximately a dozen of these selfie’s of my son.
  3. A little gift from my husband. If you’ve read The Five Love Languages, mine happens to be gifts. Lucky for him ;)
  4. An afternoon spent exploring science and digging fossils at The Discovery Space.
  5. My husband and I like to dive into various TV series once they’re over. This allows us to watch episode after episode as frequently as we’d like, typically to unwind before bed. We’re currently in the middle of Falling Skies which is on Amazon Prime. This was my husband’s sci-fi pick, but I’m totally engrossed in this alien adventure.

Hope you had a great week! See you back here on Monday!
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Pumpkin

For the next two months we are going to be surrounded by pumpkins. They’re in every store, lining the doors to the supermarket, growing in the fields, seasoning our lattes and decorating our homes. To show a little pumpkin love, I’ve gathered some of my favorite ideas from pinterest and various blogs to share  with you.

Below are some pumpkin recipes that I’m dying to try and other ideas on what to do with those pumpkins that you hauled in straight from the patch. As messy fun as carving can be, I love to gather other decorative ideas which allow the pumpkins to last a bit longer. From painting, stacking and bedazzling, there are a ton of creative ideas out there.

pumpkin1Caramel Pumpkin Pot de Creme / Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel / Pumpkin Dream CakePumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

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Images via Pinterest

Fall Accessories

One of the best things about Fall is that you are able to add so many accessories to your outfits. In addition to jewelry, belts and bags, you also have hats, scarves, gloves and socks all at your disposal. We’ll leave shoes and bags out of this for the moment because that could take me off on a whole other tangent.

I’m drawn to grey during every season, but especially fall. It has such a warm comfortable feel to it. Animal prints can easily add some attitude to your outfit and if you don’t feel comfortable sporting say, a cheetah sweater or leopard pants, try out a belt or scarf for starters. Oranges are wonderful for the fall and even though it’s an awful color on myself, I know many of you would look great in these shades. As for jewelry, I’m drawn to all of the deep colored jewels that I’m seeing everywhere. Such beautiful colors that pair perfectly with the cooler weather.

Here’s an array of accessories that caught my eye. Anything in particular stand out to you?

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Crossing that Bridge

jcrewpant2I’m really trying to work with this 70-80 degree October weather we’ve been having here in Pennsylvania. I don’t plan on breaking out my shorts again, so I’m really hoping it cools off a bit some time soon. One article of clothing that is getting its wear (regardless of the weather) are these pants. I’ve had them for a few months now and I have worn them dressed up with pumps and a blouse, dressed down with a T-shirt and Converse sneakers, and just about everything else in between. They are such a nice change from denim or skinny pants and are versatile enough for many occasions. Needless to say, I recommend them. This is also another example of how a scarf can complete an outfit. What would we do without them?! (more…)

Baked French Toast

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I hope you all had a great weekend, we sure did! We spent ours with my husband’s family all gathered together in the Poconos. I volunteered to make breakfast as I secretly needed an excuse to make this baked french toast. The recipe comes from a good friend of mine who we’d often beg to make this for us when we’d get together. It’s great to prep the night before and then just pop in the oven the next morning. You may want to invite company because it’s easy to over-indulge ;) (more…)

High Five for Friday

It’s Friday, it’s October and it’s been in the mid 70’s here all week. I started the week dressing for fall in layers and boots, but by Wednesday I gave in to Mother Nature and broke out the short sleeves. We’re going to the Poconos this weekend with Jack’s family and I think we were all hoping to enjoy some crisp, cool weather. Apparently we’ll be enjoying an Indian Summer instead :)

Here’s a glimpse of my week:

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  1. This picture cracks me up because all I can think of is the Prancercise lady!
  2. HomeGoods. Turns out I can’t leave the store empty handed.
  3. When I give up control in the kitchen and let my kids take over. My son is decorating our fall cookies.
  4. Anthropologie sure knows how to do fall. It’s probably best I don’t live 5 min from one any longer.
  5. My daughter can now wear pigtails. This is all happening too quickly :(

Have a wonderful weekend!!

 

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