Friday I'm in Love

I decided to enjoy a little blueberry Greek frozen yogurt and this is what I read on my lid. How cute is this? Loved it.

Here are some other things I am loving this week:
An exposed-bulb strand of lights at a Christmas tree stand. Instantly put me in the Christmas spirit.
Being sought out for a job interview that I never even applied for. It always feels great to be wanted.
Decorating my place for the holiday season. Festive festive!
Peppers on sale 4 for $5. The colorful peppers, not just the green ones! And believe me, I need some veggies in my life.

Not so much love for:
Skipping breakfast one morning because I thought my 9am meeting was to be discussed over bacon and eggs...wrong.
Trying to sneakily take my purse with me to the bathroom and then dropping said purse and all it's contents all over the floor. Sa-mooth.
Sitting in a meeting where I felt like Charlie Brown when the teachers talk and all he hears is wah wah wah wahwahwah wah. Yea, that's how much I took away from the presentation.
And the actual bad news of the week is that my grandpa was admitted to the hospital yesterday for bronchitis and pneumonia. He is doing ok now but is very weak so he will be on my mind for the rest of the weekend until he is back to normal.

I get another dose of family time this weekend as my mom and sister are coming to visit and do some Christmas shopping. They will be arriving this evening so I will have to find a fun recipe to make for their stay. Something involving Nutella I think because well, just why not? It's the weekend!

Wisps in the Wind

[Chambray: PacSun, Shirt and Jeans: Gap, Boots: Bass Outlet, Earrings: Macy's]

My sister took these pictures the other day for me when I was in visiting my family and man was it a blustery day! The wind always ups the ante on the cold factor but for the sake of the outfit, I braved the weather to capture a few shots of a casual get-up I was sporting that day, threat of the snuffles be damned! I was particularly excited about these earrings I had found that same morning so naturally I put them in for the rest of the day. They are turquoise in color and in the shape of arrowheads that I nabbed from the sale rack for less than $10. Can you say score? Love a good jewelry find! But the winds have picked up again today and I am thankful to have my big coat and scarf to keep me warm. Stay bundled up my friends! Unless of course you have pictures for a blog post to take and to that I say snap 'em quick!

Around the Town

It is Wednesday today, half way through the week. Only trouble is I feel that I have already been through an entire week with the amount of appointments and meetings and reports I have been attending and scheduling and churning out each day. Not to mention the fact that my apartment looks like a bomb has gone off. I mean it is all I can do not to collapse by 9:00 each night so those bags I just dropped on my bedroom floor after arriving home Sunday evening have not been touched...in 3 days. Scratch that, I have touched them, more like kicked them, as I get ready each morning. Actually unpacking has absolutely zero appeal. And that huge bag of clean laundry? Yep, you guessed, still leaning against my wall. And don't even get me started on the fact that am almost sure that the dishes have conspired against me and I are multiplying in my sink when I am away. It has just been one of those crazy weeks that feel months long and my personal to-do list has been scrapped for the work to-do list, a swap I am none too thrilled about. BUT I have gotten out my Christmas decorations, the boxes that contain them that is, and I have a glimmer of hope that I will have some free time tonight to actually start to get those babies out and get myself in the festive spirit and out of this tired rut. In the meantime, we are halfway to Friday so let's keep our focus on that shall we?

DIY Cheetah Barrette

I had been wanting to get crafty lately and I stumbled upon this while doing what else but scouring the pages of Pinterest. What did I do before that website, I mean honestly? Anyways, I needed to jazz up my usual hair routine and since I have been on a bun kick lately, I thought these dressed up combs would be just the ticket. They were inexpensive, super quick and easy, and can be completely customized. And just in time for the holidays, you can make these for friends as an easy DIY gift to fit everyone's tastes.
Here is what you will need:
Set of hair combs, found at most drugstores (I used these)
Fabric scraps about 15-20'' in length
Scissors
Super Glue (if necessary)

Cut the fabric into about 1/2'' strips. I just used some spare fabric I had lying around but ribbon would also work. Tie a secure knot between the first two prongs of the comb, covering the corner. Take the fabric and wind it in between each tooth of the comb and then back through, covering the exposed plastic. You can use an additional piece of fabric or ribbon and give your comb an added dimension. Instead of going back with the same fabric, tie the 2nd piece of fabric to the opposite end of the comb and go back through with that fabric. Secure with another knot and a drop of glue for extra hold.

The great thing about these is the ability to match them to just about any outfit. Casual, fancy, parties galore, the list goes on. A thin rope of beads would add some shine for the holidays or some sequence threaded on a string for New Year's Eve for a touch of sparkle. And the best part is...those wispy hairs that seem to always escape an up-do can be easily tucked away. Party on you party animals!

Manicure Monday

While out doing some Black Friday shopping, my sister and I found this fun fall nail color and whenever I buy a new polish, I feel it's impossible for me not put it on right away so here we are. It's called "Very Structured" by Essie and I need a little structure and organization in my life this week so let's channel this into my daily life ok? Ok.

Friday I'm in Love

[Black Friday Outfit]

[Hanging with my sister]

[Captain Crunch Time!]

[Looking Foxy!]

[Warm cookies with milk]

This week has been so relaxing and full of time spent with family which I love.

Here are a few more things I have been loving this week:
My sister and I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and I ate lets just say more than one hot out of the oven. Amazing.
I came downstairs for breakfast and found a box of captain crunch in the pantry. i love sugary cereals! I then proceeded to hear my sister and brother discover the same exciting breakfast option. We were all on the same page.
Thanksgiving!! I ate tons and tons, just as the pilgrims did right?
My little cousins have my grandma's old old fox pelt stole and we all tried it on and I felt straight out of a 1950's movie premiere.
Bringing home some Black Friday deals without getting up before the sun. Score.
Spending so much time with my sissy! She's pretty rad.

I can't seem to think of anything I didn't love in the past 7 days and I think we can chalk it up to this being a holiday week and I'm just fine with that!

Sunburst

[Dress: F21, Cardigan: Macy's, Boots: Target, Socks: Old Navy

I cannot tell you how excited I am to not be at the office today. It feels great to be easing into my day and laughing with my sister and brother before 9am. My holiday vacation has begun! Thanksgiving is just a day away and it is great to be home spending time with my siblings who are off from school. We are going on a little run later and then maybe to the movies tonight with some baking somewhere in the middle. I also always like to go on a walk around town and see what's new in our little part of the world so that will need to be on the agenda this long weekend too. So much fun, food, and laughs ahead and it's only my first day home. Thanksgiving, how I love you.

Burger Zone

[Sweatshirt: Banana Republic, Jeans: New York and Co, Clutch: Thrifted

[How cute is their menu?]

Behold! Zip's Cafe, a cute little burger joint right in the square, walking distance from my place. They have been around for more than 75 years doing simple, fresh burgers in a tiny restuarant and bar, complete with dark tin ceilings and a toy train that makes a trip around its tracks every hour. When my parents and I were first apartment hunting, we asked the locals where we should eat. "Try Zip's!" they told us, "The best burger in Cinci" they cried! And needless to say, we were on our way. We ordered burgers and onion rings (that definitely lived up to the title) while talking about starting my first job and what a great little area we had stumbled upon. Each time I go back, the burgers are just as tasty but I can't help but remember the time spent in that old booth on my first visit with my parents and how extra sweet the food tasted during my first stop at Zip's.

Pedicure Monday

So it turns out, feet photograph horribly. I tried a few angles and they were all weird and funky but I liked the simple pattern I did up this week so I am showing off my tootsies anyways. I also still have the shellac manicure on from last week (even though it is for sure too grown out) so I figured I would do a little something for my feet. I have to always have my toenails painted, its just one of my "things". Otherwise to me, those poor guys just look odd so even though no one will really get to see my feet besides me, it makes me happy to have them done up all the same.

High Five for Friday

[My Christmas cactus has bloomed!]

[My new phone background with a classic cinema quote from a favorite movie]

[Trip downtown for a quick work meeting]

[A pretty sunset on my way home in traffic]

[A few beers with coworkers to celebrate the end of a crazy work week]

I have been invited to a free Mac and cheese bar tonight at this local place that is known for their gourmet versions of this childhood classic. Could there be a better comfort food to indulge in on a Friday night? I think not, which is why a few girls and I will be meeting up to come up with some tasty, cheesy concoctions. I have been wanting to try this place so fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.

Indoor S'mores

Marshmallows: what's not to love? I have always been a fan and I enjoy them in their many forms be it mini, in milkshakes, toasted over a campfire, in hot chocolate, the list goes on. But perhaps the most iconic use of a marshmallow is as the gooey middle of a s'more. "How can I have s'more, I haven't had any yet." Like I was going to get through this post without dropping that Sandlot quote, get real! But what, pray tell, do you do when you want a s'more but have no campfire? Like when the temperatures are in the 30's? I have your solution right here, indoor s'more bars!

These treats were a total hit when I brought a batch in to work the other and I remember as kids, my cousins and I would gobble them up. Plus, it just takes a microwave to make them!

Here is what you need:
8 cups graham cereal
5 cups mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
5 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 additional cup of mini mallows

In a bowl, measure out the cereal. Butter a 13x9 in pan. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine 5 cups marshmallows, the chips, butter and corn syrup. Zap on high in one minute increments for no more than 3 minutes and 30 seconds, stirring after each minute until melted and smooth when stirred. Mix in vanilla.

Take mixture and pour over cereal, stirring until it is completely covered. Add in the extra mini marshmallows (if desired). Spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Let stand uncovered for about an hour or refrigerate if you would like them to firm up faster. Cut into bars and grab one for yourself before they are all gone.

**Full disclosure, I completely forgot to add the vanilla into my batch but no one noticed. With mallows and melted chocolate, how can you really go wrong?