if I lived in san fransisco this hutch would be mine

From Jordan Ferney's Moving to France Sale.

more about ashley meaders

I am very fond of Ashley Meaders. Her success has made me realize the endless opportunities out there for the crafty. She has made a career of being creative. Design*Sponge has an excellent interview with her in their What in Your Toolbox series.

Image from Ashley Meaders.

cozy plant holders

The girls at work and I were just talking about our plants and what we house them in. I like to go with terracotta pots because a) they're cheap and b) they match. But I was starting to fret about getting a little tired of their sameness and this is the absolutely perfect thing to spiff them up.

Found on You are my Fave.

royal tenenbaums + max dalton

The immensely talented Max Dalton created a Royal Tenenbaums series and participated in a Wes Anderson tribute show. Right up my alley!
See more of his work here.

adventures in cooking

I can sum up my cooking skills in five words....I think I can cook.

Don't get me wrong, I like to try. I occasionally luck out and produce something amazing but my go-to is pasta and breakfast. This, however, does not stop me from thinking that I could make homemade soups, fancy and time consuming cookies, or involved multi-ingredient wonders. Furthermore, laziness usually gets the best of me. By the time I get home it's hard to muster the energy to create a culinary masterpiece for a party of one.

I've become pretty obsessed with food blogs. I like the commentary as much as I like the recipes. These expert (or at the least, extremely talented) chefs admit their mistakes and are truthful about how real life effects their cooking and it makes me feel better about my own cooking shortcomings. And now to the point of this post, my new year's resolution is to cook more. I'm not putting any stipulations on the resolution (I'm trying to make it as easy as possible), just that I try to cook something multiple times a week. I'm going to try to document my progress here and I'm sure admit more failures then successes as I experiment.

Some of my favorite recipe sources: Smitten Kitchen, GoodLife {eats}, Serious Eats, and the always reliable AllRecipes, Gourmet, and Food Network.

illustration by Julia Rothman.

2011

My new year is off to a wonderful start. I hope you are also having a great 2011 so far.

photo by Anette Pehrsson, who's photography has captivated me.

happy holidays!

christmas baking

Maybe it's because I've been in a baking sort of mood (it's one of my favorite gifts to give), but I love the food and treats that go along with Christmas. I found They Draw and Cook through my sister's blog and love the combination of recipes and illustration. Sadly, I base a lot about the recipe on how much I like the illustration. Here are some of my favorites.

All recipes from They Draw and Cook.
(click on recipes to make them larger)

christmas ideas

A little taste of some items on my Christmas list.

1. Starlette Crown from Giant Dwarf, $50 2. Baked Explorations Cookbook, $19.77 3. Vintage Raptors Chart, $300 (Saw some vintage biology charts at an antique store a little while back and fell in love!) 4. Denim Tote Bag, $42 5. Dictionary of Embroidery Stitches, $16.47 6. Jensen Wood Turntable, $88 7. Sweater Boots, $25 (I used to hate these but they've grown on me. They look sooo comfy.)

it's beginning to feel a lot like christmas!

After an amazingly productive day of Christmas shopping, 4 hours of non-stop Christmas music to the slight annoyance of co-workers, and a large peppermint flavored coffee, I am in the holiday spirit! I now need to focus on preparations for the 2nd annual Christmas party hosted by the bf that is in just 2 short days. I think eggnog and mulled wine are a must. These photos are so cheery and great inspiration for our party.

Photos by Chris Everard.

globe hunting

I have a bit of an obsession with globes. My collection has been steadily growing and I'm always on the lookout. This version from Upon a Fold is a fun twist on the classic.

applesauce cake

I just made this wonderful cake for my book club girls and it was delicious. I see a whole lot more applesauce cake in my future this holiday season.

Picture and recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

darling oxfords

I've fallen in love with the oxford style lately. I found so many great deals on cute pairs while shopping on Black Friday (yes, I was one of those) and didn't pounce on any but luckily I have found some great options online.





top to bottom:
1. SM Oxford Flat, DSW, $49.95 2. Envy Tango Oxford, DSW, $59.95
3. & 4. Bursley, Aldo, $41.99 5. Ann Marino Library Oxford, DSW, $44.95 6. Audrey Brooke Stake Oxford, DSW, $69.95

longing for a change

I've been contemplating a new hair color lately...red?

Image from here.

weekend project with the sister

Food and crafts. That's sums up my family-time. My sister and I made wreaths based on this tutorial that I previously featured in a "10 things" post.
My apartment is officially Christmas-fied.
Picture by me of my newly decorated front door. (I apologize for my extremely poor hallway lighting).