life,lately

Lately I have been....

waking up a little early to enjoy a cup of coffee and pages from the latest book I'm reading before the kids I babysit are dropped off.

taking a break from the computer at lunch to enjoy a book.

making lists of things to do now and in the future.

attempting to stay on track with my new year's resolutions.

adding more recipes to my pintrest board, maybe a little too much.

planning to make lots of soups, breads and whole grains.

listening to michael buble and a fine frenzy.

keeping the thought of school far from my mind.

Things I'm loving

I feel like it's been awhile since I've posted one of these lists, so here you go Some of my favorite things this week, courtesy of my phone,old navy and pintrest.

First things first,these songs are awesome.

this book is a must read, so good and different then anything I've ever read in a good way

I kinda am in love with this style of desert boots

This dog is way to cute, I need one

Polka dots and Pink, do I really need to explain anymore?

I have a thing for wedges, have you noticed yet?

current nail polish

What are you loving this week?

Hey It's Okay

This is a new record for me, I've blogged everyday this week and have a blog post planned for tomorrow. You might wanna write that in your planner because who knows when/if it'll happen again. Once again I'm linking up with Neely for today's post.

It's Okay too....

- Start a wish list for my birthday in March
- To want a fur vest and have your eye on one thats in the girl's department of the store
- be completely hooked on Bones, I've watched the first 4 seasons and now have started reading the books they're based on
- to have 2 comforters, flannel sheets and various other blankets on your bed because its freezing in your house
- to be crafting more things then buying things
- to catch up on some reading
- to have a countdown on the delivery of a package of shoes you've been lusting over for months

What's okay with you guys this week?

-- also don't forget to leave me a comment or email if you'd like to receive a handcrafted birthday card from me!

things i'm loving

This is a scheduled post, as I am probably in the middle of a panic attack during my intro to culinary arts final.

It's that time of the week again to share somethings I love/lurve/am obsessed with.


This blog, the other day Liz posted about creating your own personal style and it totally inspired me. I'm taking note of what she said and putting it into action at the beginning of the year. Also while you're stopping by her blog, make sure to check out her European adventures, I died. Such lovely pictures!

This song, and this one, and this one,
I haven't listened to country music in awhile, I was going through a civil wars phase. So if you have any good country songs that I must listen to, please share!

Essie nail polish is one of my favorite things to buy these days. It's probably because after Friday I can have my nails painted 24/7 until January 20. I'll probably have a different color every week until then.

I think this will be my next color purchase. It's called lapis of luxury.

Im not sure if I've ever done an edition of "what I'm loving" without sharing a parks&rec confession

Lately I'm in love with all leather purses, which is a huge departure from my usual vera bradley. I'm really liking this anthro one, but don't have the $500 to spare.


Lastly this picture, it speaks the truth

A few questions, do you love these "what I'm loving" posts as much I love putting them together? Would anyone be interested in sharing what they love on the blog? If anyone's interested shoot me an email!

Hey it's okay

Once again I am participating in Neely's thursday link up. As finals approach I apologize for the somewhat lacking posts.

Hey it's okay

To wear the same shirt multiple times during the week because its your favorite, its soft and you think v-necks are appealing

To put your hair up in a ponytail and pin your bangs back because brushing and actually doing something with that mop on your head is too much work

To listen to the same 5 songs on the Michael Buble Christmas cd over and over again, in your car, on your ipod and on your laptop

To believe hotty toddys are the only real medicine

To buy jingle bell bracelets and ornament earrings for your cookie swap party

To be anticipating a cookie swap with your mother, grandmother and aunts more then I would anticipate a college party

To block off an hour and a half of your night to watch 30 rock and the big bang theory every night

To have a list 10 lines long of cookies you want to bake for Christmas

Whats okay with you this week?

Things I'm loving (crafty edition)

It's been way to long since I've blogged and since I've done one of these posts so I thought I'd share some of my favorite things currently. And since it's the holiday season I thought I'd share some cute crafts I've been wanting to make for awhile that would make cute gifts.

for the organized gal, customized decorated clipboards

how to make pom poms to decorate your packages

a cute snowman garland, my mom would love this as she collects all things snowmen

cute little bow bookmarks for marking your place in cookbooks

for your friend that loves to bake, cupcake oven mitts

and lastly the friend who loves everything that sparkles, gold polka dot ornament

thinking

contemplating chopping all my hairs off to look like this lovely lady

a lovely may day

today is a day for:
- picnics
- fruity drinks
- windows rolled down
- home made pizza
- making lists
- sundresses
- hours spent in the kitchen baking and giggling
- indulging in new books from the library

hoping everyone is enjoying this lovely may day to the fullest!

life, lately

im slowly counting down the days until i pack up my apartment, never to return to rutgers as a student ever again. tomorrow finals start and by friday i'll be FINISHED, well sorta until i start the culinary arts program in september. until then im packing, studying, writing, pinning, procrastinating and listening to fabulous songs of levi lowrey.


on a random note after reading posts from bloggers, im sharing with you a website to donate to help rebuild alabama. shelter for the south is a collaboration of laken from farmhouse and coco of roost.

its getting to be that part of the semester when i realize i should probably not have procrastinated so much and everyhing is wrapping up. this week i have 2 group presentations and next week are all of my exams. so until then i have sooo much to do for school and start to pack up my apartment. i have so much id love to share with you guys on the blog, like the easter egg garland i made for sunday or how great or garden is now that its planted but i cant find the time to fit it all in. this is basically a ramble and distraction from school work which i should probably get back to now.

this little piggy

my love for pigs continues and has grown, recently i bought a pig charm for my pandora bracelet and im trying to convince my parents how great of an idea it would be to buy one when i move back home. i havent totally won them on the idea but i imagine these pictures could be helpful.







hope you enjoy this silly post today, im getting a little overwhelmed with school this week because i only have 4 more classes til i leave for atlanta thursday, and in those 4 classes i have an exam and 5 reading responses due, wish me luck!

life, lately

4 weeks left til im forever done at rutgers
lots of listening to this and this
pumpernickel, mayo, cheese, and tomato sandwiches
homemade pizza with spinach and carmelized onions
writing lots of papers
temperatures finally reaching the 60's and hopefully it keeps getting warmer
dreaming about wearing sundresses
atlanta next weekend!
reading martha stewart living and dreaming of being as crafty and creative as her

20 while im 20

taking a page out of ashley's book im posting a list of 20 things to do while im 20. little and big goals to achieve and accomplish in the next 364 days.

01. transfer to culinary school (more details to come soon i promise!)
02. better understand how to use my new to me dslr
03. make a pie from scratch
04. make birthday cakes for everyone i love this year
05. start running again (im going to base it off the couch to 5k program)
06. visit more states
07. plant a garden with my father (we do this every year but hopefully we'll be more experimental this year and try to crops)
08. send a surpise package
09. start and hopefully finish making a quilt
10. try out a few different bread recipes
11. organize my recipes better
12. learn to sew a little better
13. have a picnic
14. watch the sunset
15. go camping or fishing
16. visit flour bakery
17. read more
18. visit more farmers markets
19. try new foods
20. meet a fellow blogger

my plans for the next 2 weeks

i've decided to spend the next two weeks in my bed listening to the following songs, i'll come back to blogging eventually


if its the beaches
somewhere with you
some day when i stop loving you
are you lonesome tonight
almost lover
gravity
what do you want
last request
brokenheartsville
i'll just hold on
austin
i dont care
i still miss you
from a table away
almost honest
need you now

sharing

to be honest i never thought i was going to find the link to where i got the recipe for this bread from and i thought id have to retype all the steps because it was so worth it to share this delicious bread with all of you, thankfully after some longgg searching i have finally found it. so here it is hope you all enjoy and while were sharing here, id like some feedback from you readers so if you get a chance fill out this survey itd be greatly appreciated. have a lovely day!

a child tradition

honestly im not really a huge supporter of today's holiday and was not even going to post today but then i remembered the valentines sent out by paul and julia child i learned about while reading my life in france and saw it here the other day and decided to share their valentines day tradition

“Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours, born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards.” - Julia Child, My Life in France.

anticipating

there are only a few things getting me through today and tomorrow when i go home:

- reruns of iron chef america and chopped on hulu
- ina garten who id like to be when i grow up
- making these friday
- getting my toms on saturday

and most importantly seeing these people:



until them im doing reading responses for classes, writing about how lead paint is a political issue and practically ice skating to classes. hope its warmer wherever all of you are :)

awards and lovely bloggers

laura from this is keeping my fingers crossed recently gave me this award:



you can see and read my first seven facts from when the other laura of a pretty plethora gave it to me here.

but id like to tell you seven more facts about me now:

1. lately all i've been listening to is the soundtrack from country strong, im not a huge fan of leighton meesters singing voice, garrett hedlund's on the other hand is beautiful and cant stop listening to the songs he recorded for the soundtrack.

2. in march for my birthday (march 9th if you wanna know) a family friend and i are planning to go to le cordon bleu school for one of their non-professional cooking classes to learn all about artisan breads. this is the website if your interested. im still trying to decide between pittsburgh and boston, although the majority of my friends say boston. id love to hear which city you guys would choose, we plan to make it a weekend trip.

3. right now im thinking after i get done my undergrad and grad programs, i want to maybe attend a school like johnson and wales or le cordon bleu for professional culinary arts training but im not sure how serious i am right now about it.

4. my pseudo family is my life, they really are the greatest. i babysit their two kids finn and mac who i post pictures of incessantly on here. but theyre more like my nieces and nephews and their parents are more like my older siblings. its great we have family dinners together and i wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. lately their father and i have become really close, whenever im having problems hes always there to vent to no matter what time of the day and theres no judgement at all its wonderful.

5. sometimes when i take the kids i babysit places people think they are mine. usually i only have one with me but they just assume its mine. im almost 20 and finn is 2 and mac is 3 they are not my children! my boyfriend finds it sooo funny.

6. lately im reading alot of food memoirs and love them, i just reread a homemade life. in the past i've read my life in france and animal vegetable miracle. any suggestions for some other good ones?

7. i have a twitter account.


im passing this award onto:

courtney of vintch: i know you already go this but your blog is the one i look forward to reading everyday, its so beautifully written and you are so sweet!

ashley of the chic line: her photography is gorgeous and i want to try all of the recipes shes posted

marian of escaping the single life: she is soooo funny and her wedding was beautiful

apirl of april maybe: i love that she speaks her mind and some of her posts always make me laugh

finally abbie of abbiebabble: id love to get to know more about her

national compliment day

when i was looking at my agenda (vera bradley of course) in class today i realized it was national compliment day, i would now like to take the time to thank and compliment all of my readers. you all are so sweet, kind and beautiful! reading your comments everyday makes my days a little brighter! thank you all so much for your support!

hey anthro

im still available if you need me to model especially for these lovely things:









hope everyone has a lovely weekend :)