Fashion | Cardigan Frenzy

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I've been thinking about what to put on my Christmas list, and decided tonight that a new cardigan is a must. They serve me so well. It doesn't hurt that the world is being overtaken by total genius cardigan designers, and these are just Gap and Banana Republic! Don't get me started on Anthro cardigans. I can't even handle it.

What is top on your wishlist?

Food | May your weekend be filled with tasty things. And I don't mean candy. Also, the best way to prepare baked chicken!

For some reason, all I can think about lately is food. I wish I had an endless food budget and loads of time to slave away in the kitchen, because there are just so many good things that I want to make. We had some new friends over last night and I made baked chicken, boiled potatoes, green beans, and pumpkin pie. I will be the first to admit that it wasn't terribly extravagant, but it was good. It was one of those homey, lovely sorts of meals. The most time-intensive-but-worth-it parts was the chicken. It took me what seemed like a millennium to fight this slightly frozen chicken into giving up it's "wholeness." And then there were several steps in the marination process. They go like so:

1. Brine your chicken pieces in a mixture of 1/2 c. salt + vinegar or water enough to cover, for one hour

2. After patting your chicken dry with paper towels, rub each piece in a mixture of:

1Tbsp. Poultry seasoning

2 tsp. Salt

Pepper

3. With a pastry brush, marinate the chicken in this sauce:

1/2 c. Vinegar

Rosemary

Sage

1/2 tsp. Salt

1Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1/2 c. Olive Oil

Re-brush chicken a couple times during baking.

4. Bake uncovered at 325F for 1 hour, and then 400F for 30 minutes. Bake time and temperature may vary depending on how close your chicken pieces are in the pan.

Cody and I both exclaimed several times today how tasty and flavorful this chicken was. My mom copied this recipe from a book, but can't remember the original source. If you know, please clue me in!

Some other recipes I'm dying to try:

Easy Mac & Cheese —Thanks, Sonya!

Beer Mac & Cheese — Oh my heavens

Baked Southwestern Eggrolls —Thanks, Alissa!

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Food | Soup Weather

It has finally cooled down in the South. I haven't been here long enough to know if it will last (it must! it's almost november!!), but I'm enjoying it nonetheless. My daily walks with Seb are so pleasant now.


And as always, cool weather brings with it the most mom-friendly food known to man: SOUP!


I make a huge pot of vegetable soup almost weekly and we dip out of it throughout the week. I love making our favorite beer bread with it, but unfortunately, a loaf never lasts as long as the soup! 


As tasty as veggie soup is, I would love to get a bit more adventurous and try some different ones. Do you have any favorites? What soup should I try next?


Here are a few Smitten Kitchen recipes that look delicious:
Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar
Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
44-Clove Garlic Soup


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Home | Fall Reading Week, Part II, Hillsdale Homecoming + Weekend Inspiration

Homecoming was so much fun. It was short, but still very much worth the trip. We got to see so many friends, but unfortunately my camera documentation is pretty shoddy. I so wish we could see these friends more often. I'm looking at you, Lawrence.

P.S. See that sneaky little guy in the bottom left picture?

P.P.S. I'm handing over this weeks "Weekend Inspiration" to Shaun the Sheep. Heard of it? You see, Seb and I have been slightly obsessed with this phenomenal claymation series.  You must check it out/Let it inspire you this weekend. Claymation is so so fascinating.

The making of Shaun the Sheep.

 

Shaun the Sheep Images

Home | Fall Reading Week, Part I or "Preparations"

Over the next week I'd love to share some photos with you of our week away (10/7-10/16), in which we hit HILLSDALE, CINCINNATI and WILMINGTON, OH. Hope you enjoy seeing photos of our adventure!

For starters, the only thing Sebastian wanted to pack was himself. It got exhausting, though, so he rested up on his lounge chair.

Weekend Inspiration

I fell in love with this blog instantly. It just so happened that the top post on With Two Cats was about Textiles, so how could I help it? I checked back the next day and was delighted to see that this lovely blogger had posted about Collegien products, of all things. This lady has taste. Collegien's cozy slipper socks have long been on my list for Seb. In addition to these cool things, she writes frequently on home and baby related topics. Yes, please.

I hope you'll pop in and visit With Two Cats sometime this weekend.

What inspired you this week?

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Home | Fall Reading Week

We have been traveling all week, as Cody has been on break, and unfortunately make our final drive back down to N.C. tomorrow. It has been a glorious week, and I am eager to share more photos of our time with friends and family. These photos are in Hillsdale, and heading out. The only thing that lifted my spirits as we drove away was Cody telling me that he would choose to stay too, if we could.

Pregnant | Maternity Photo Inspiration

These are hands down the most attractive, respectful and endearing maternity photos that I have seen. Photographer Kelly Hicks captured her pregnant little sister at home, in her bedroom, wearing simple, soft, and comfortable clothing. The poses are pretty, not showy, and do a great job showcasing the simple beauty of pregnancy, and the lovely ordinariness of it all. Doesn't every pregnant woman want to feel like everything is still normal, even though it's undeniably different?

Would you or have you done a maternity photo shoot? I wasn't feeling up for professional pictures when I was pregnant with Seb (or any pictures!), but now I do wish I had a few, especially in Kelly Hicks' style.

Textile | Small Batch Production

Etsy shop, Small Batch Productions, has a collection of classic dish towels and aprons in simple designs and natural colors. This linen citron dish towel (above) would make a charming addition to a bridal shower or housewarming gift, no?

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Little DIY | Pentagon Ball & Dollhouse

I was very excited to rediscover this soft ball pattern. I had seen it ages ago, but much to my distress, lost track of it. I also love the simplicity and charm of this homemade doll house.

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Art | Birds & Herbs

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I am taken with these prints from Cake With Giants. I could find so many places to put these.

Style | Simple Palette

You can't go wrong.

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Television | Say Yes to the Jess

Zooey Deschanel

+

Vera Bradley Duffle x2 

(Makes me feel awesome 

about my Poppy Fields bag 

while traveling this week)

+

Sweet ride

+

Nerd glasses

=

LOVE LOVE LOVE

I have become more or less (more) obsessed with the brand new sitcom NEW GIRL. Have you seen it? Catch it this Wednesday on FOX at 9:30 p.m. (EST), and catch up on missed episodes here.

P.S. The trailer will probably make you pee your pants.

Seb | Fruit, tea & sunshine

This morning Sebastian and I sat on the rug in front of the glass doors to our balcony and enjoyed some sunshine and the rest of the fruit salad with mint that I made for our small group last weekend. It was such a lovely time sitting with him, and sharing pieces of deliciousness. I love the way he backs up to sit on my lap and goes, "Mmm mmm mmm!" when he is ready for another tasty bite.

In other news, tomorrow we head North, so prayers for our trip are much appreciated!

Hillsdale, here we come.

Home | Toby the Tortoise Returns & Other things.

Cody has a night class on Tuesdays, so it's just me and Seb in the evening (He still thinks DaDa is way cooler, though). So tonight we went on a long walk, snuggled on the couch after his bath, Seb in his cozy dinosaur sleeper, and watched Disney's Silly Symphonies. He couldn't stop giggling during Toby the Tortoise Returns, and true to form, danced to the music.

On a broader scale, I've been working diligently on life goals. Nothing earth-shattering, but things that I need to make habitual, like fitness, having a meaningful bible study time, investing in friendships, and staying off the computer while Seb is awake. On Sunday, our pastor challenged the congregation to ask ourselves a few questions. One of which was, "What do you think constitutes a fulfilled, happy and meaningful life?" Well that's a lot to think about right there, but then he went a step further and said that although our answers to this question may sound good and right, the way to really know what your answer is to this question is to see where you are investing your time and your thoughts.

Frankly, I invest a lot of time in this blog, and since I'm not getting paid to do it, there is only so much energy that I should be pouring into my latest blog post. But it should be something fun, and something through which I can occasionally share beautiful discoveries and thoughts on life, and not something that causes me to stop living and investing in things that have eternal value.

Then tonight I spent two frenzied hours cleaning our apartment. It needed it BAD. Now I'm feeling loads better about lots of things, and hope this will be the start of me maintaining a more acceptable state of cleanliness and organization.

What have you been up to lately?

The major downside to me not blogging as much is that I have a growing list of things I want to share with you. So here is a little collection of nice nice things.

What do you think of this MOD CO-SLEEPER CONCEPT?

TEN HELPFUL TIPS TO STARTING AND LOVING A VERTICAL GARDEN. Yes, please.

Attention New Yorkers: Please take THIS CLASS for me!

DESIGN TONIC INTERVIEWS EMERSON MADE.

Cloth vs. Disposable, A COST COMPARISON.

INDIANFEBER. I've got it, too.

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Weekend Inspiration

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Although I have a long list of blogs that I've found recently and am waiting to share, I bumped this one—which I found today—up to the #1 spot. Found While Walking belongs to a multi-talented artist who loves nature, textiles, prints and weaving. In my book, these are all fabulous reasons to love it, and pass it on. It shares the same style as some of my other favorite blogs like Lena Corwin, Odette NY, and Wiksten Made.

What inspired you this week?

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P.S. #2 may seem crazy considering my current pixie style, but I'll have long hair again someday. And when I do, this style is totally going to happen.

Happy weekend, friends!