just another Manic Munday ...

Coming January 2014.

(consider this my excuse for lacking all motivation the past few months.

i heart the second trimester is a lot easier???)

{ simple things } bays mountain

wade and i are awful about taking pictures especially when we're traveling. i lug the camera around w/ me everywhere - but in the excitement of exploring a new place ... i always forget to actually use it! ho hum.

luckily i did capture our visit to bays mountain. it was the perfect time of year to visit northeastern tennessee as the leaves had just begun to change and it was 75º and sunny! the park has miles & miles of hiking trails and several "habitats" for rescued native wildlife - including wolves, bobcats, otters, deer, turtles, racoons and birds.

i simply love a hike in the fall ...

{simple things} a short happy list

1) fishtails. one major advantage to looooong hair ... all the fun 'dos you can pull off. i find fishtails to be so whimsical and lovely. definitely sporting one today!

{source: julie lansom on flickr}

2) work days sans the office. i promise i haven't been avoiding you all. i just haven't had much time in front of my computer! yesterday i spent the day on set art directing a photo shoot for one of our artists. then i spent this morning at a fitting. AND i get to spend tomorrow on set as well. hooray! i love being free from my little 10'x10' office for a day - and spending time w/ spectacular, creative people.

3) goldenrod cardigans. i've had my eye on several goldenrod cardigans for weeks now.

{source: jcrew}

but let's be honest ... i already blew my share of this month's fun money. ho hum. a quick trip to goodwill - and a couple of easy alterations later. and i have a perfect "new" goldenrod cardigan:

oh & ps ... it's the exact same cardigan shown above - still in stores at jcrew. amazing what you can find at goodwill for $2.50.

4) this quick easy "faux macaron" treat. (modified from bakerella.com)

ingredients:
1 box of cake mix
1 stick of butter
2 eggs
icing (i whipped up a small batch and added some pink food coloring!)

step 1) mix ingredients
step 2) roll into 1" balls on a baking sheet

step 3) bake for 10-12 min.

step 4) after the cookies cool, add a spoonful of icing to one cookie. take another cookie and press the two together until the icing meets the edges.

i used a basic chocolate cake mix for this batch. but am already daydreaming of a remix w/ strawberry cake mix and a hint of lemon in the icing! maybe a touch of baking powder to give the cake a bit more "fluff". a quick knockoff of the macaron (another of my french obsessions):

{source: my salty sweet}

post-lent, i think i'll give the original macaroon a go ... w/ this recipe from martha stewart.

5) embroidered sayings.

i saw this t-shirt @ the loveless cafe when my folks were in town a couple of weekends ago. rather than spending $40+ bucks, i decided it would make a perfect little embroidery for our kitchen. a couple more humphrey bogart films and i'll have her finished!

{someday}/{simple things}: clothesline

my best friend laura and i finally exchanged christmas gifts on sunday morning after an early morning walk down belmont blvd. we used to walk 2-3 miles together everyday - sweet memories.

laura is super practical (get this ladies & gents - she buys 1 christmas gift each month all year long. doh - why didn't i think of that!?! great idea!!) ... so in true laura fashion, she bought wade and i a second set of sheets off our gift registry. love.

which got me to thinking of another sweet memory ...

{source: dom o'donnell}


{source: linda jackman photography}


{sourc: elena baca}

someday ...

wade and i will have a backyard ... and in that backyard - a clothesline. lots of benefits of hang drying your clothes. here are a few:

* conserve a bit of energy. people that line dry save aprox $100 buckaroos on their energy bill each year by not using their dryers. AND in the summer, dryers cause extra heat increasing the temp inside your home - this can up your cooling bill too!
* sun bleach & soften our towels & sheets w/o chemicals. {Lord knows w/ my allergy attacks lately, i could benefit from this!}
* lengthen the lifespan of our clothes. dryers cause wear and tear, shrinkage AND thin fabrics.

and of course ...

* enjoy relief from the heat beneath the clothesline. perfect for summer naps and daydreams. love.

{shop}/{simple things}: free people

i am a sucker for anything free people (if only it were actually free!) ... and happen to be fancying these pieces right now. so fresh in ivory!

{lace tunic + curtain call tunic}

{desert peasant tunic + serena's sleeveless vest}

and of course i saved the best for last ... my absolute favorite:

{snappy tunic}

pretty little girlie details:

and in typical free people style ... expect the unexpected: