lusts for the week…..
Mish Mash
I have a mish mash of topics for today to share.
First of all, a delayed Monogram Monday. I received an e-mail last week from a reader named Lauren and it made my day!
She is a southern transplant that recently moved to Chicago, and she and her friend have an incredible shop called Nico and Lala featuring customizable gifts, stationary, custom invitation, and event branding.
monograms in the envelope liner? yes, please!
Obviously my heart when pitter-patter when I perused all of the amazing things they sell online, not to mention how incredible the custom invitations of theirs could be for upcoming showers and parties! With friends weddings coming up, a new set of stationary would be the perfect gift.
all photos via Nico + Lala
Their blog is also great – it features amazing parties and weddings on a regular basis. So go check out their items – they are having a 20% off flash sale right now with code FLASH20!
Next up: Book Club.
The last month or two I have been reading like crazy (well… everyday. For me that is crazy. I normally stare at the television until my eyes cross.)
“They” say (you know…. those people everyone always refers to but no one knows who the hell “they” are) using electronics before bed can mess with your head and mess with your sleep schedule, so I have been trying to avoid perusing blogs, instagram, and pinterest before bedtime.
Instead, I shut off all the electronics by 9 and start reading. {I feel like such a grown up. Does dumb crap like this make other people feel old? Like…. Making the bed in the morning? Who am I and why do I suddenly care about the damn pillows!?}
okay sorry…. so the first edition of old lady book club: I try to alternate “chick books” with more mainstream “intellectual” novels so that my fiance and friends don’t judge me too much.
The same author as Gone Girl (the greatest book ever). I found it creepy and disturbing, but I also was always interested to find out what would happen and how it would end. A very quick read. Her other book Dark Places is on the list of ones to read.
Like most of Sophie Kinsella’s books, it is super cheesy and lighthearted, but sweet and funny too. It’s a quick read, probably because not many brain cells are required, but that makes me like it even more.
I loved, loved, loved this book. My future mother-in-law gave this to me and she always gives me the best books. It takes place in the 40’s and has romance as well as history all mixed into one. Each chapter alternates from the present to eight years prior in the past. It’s the perfect beach read – and a warning, it’ll leave you wanting to drink gin and tonic and smoke the whole time you read it, because they are doing it constantly.
This is another one of the NYT Best-Sellers. It was different than expected….. It tells the story of a few friends over the course of a few years. It was not as good as I had hoped…. I kind of never understood what the point of the book was?
In my opinion, do not read this. Another NYT best-seller, but it was completely opposite of what I was expecting. The review says it’s about “the impossible, haunting power of love – obsessive love, illicit love, fading love, maternal love.” Umm…. right up my alley! But no. Every other word is a curse word (and I don’t mean f-bombs or sh*t, or even the horrid c-word…. it was all kinds of bad language). Each chapter is a story about losing love, and it was NOT the kind of sappy-crap I was looking for. It was sad, yes, and I’m sure in a critically-acclaimed-writing-way it was well written, but it was truly filthy. No gracias.
I love, love, loved The Devil Wears Prada and this did not disappoint either. Like the first, it is a quick read, but it takes the characters down paths you don’t expect and it perfectly picks up where the last left off.
This is my current read…. I’m in the beginning of it, but so far I like it. I love books that span a length of time, past and present, and this is just that – friends from summer camp but in the present day.
What are you all reading?
What should be next on the list?
Was this enough rambling to annoy the crap out of you?
weekend recap
I hope you all had a great weekend!
Sorry for the lack of posts at the end of the week – it was a crazy week filled with nights out almost every night with friends and I didn’t have enough time to cram everything in.
Thursday night I went out on a sailboat – first sunset boat ride in years.
Makes you remember how amazing Chicago is.
dining al fresco
Took in the air and water show.
I just realized it looks like I have a FULL BLOWN unibrow in this photo.
The Blue Angels didn’t come this year, so compared to others it was very less exciting, but still amazing and fun to watch as always.
And of course topped the weekend off with Lilo on Oprah’s Next Chapter.
I really didn’t feel like it was that great…. the previews were kind of misleading.
I felt like it was a lot of Oprah talking? And answering the questions? Am I alone in thinking that? No shocking answers at all – other than admitting to being an addict with alcohol I suppose.
I did like the orange dress with white and black spotted pumps though.
wedding wednesday
I think everyone can agree that Pinterest has made our lives oh so much better.
I don’t know what I would do without it for a million reasons, boredom being the main one.
But one of the best aspects of Pinterest is how it has completely changed wedding planning and became a huge source for wedding inspiration.
Well…. meet the Pinterest that is strictly Wedding Boards.
My brother-in-law actually told me about this site a few weeks ago when he read an article about it. {see USA Today’s great article + video here}
It is a combination of Google + Pinterest, but completely weddings. Make a profile if you like on Lover.ly’s website or pin onto your pinterest wedding board.
If you think that Pinterest is a giant black home that consumes you for hours, imagine planning a wedding and having Loverly. It’s unreal. Browse by color, category, theme, designer, etc.
I think I searched something as basic as “navy” and was lost for about 2 hours, being linked to this wedding website or that wedding blog. Also, clicking “trending” at the top gives you a ton of other search ideas.
I could say more, but there’s no need. Lover.ly. It’s insane. Oh, and there’s an app too!
Crack of the Week: Healthy Edition
On a totally unrelated note, I posted last weeks Coffee Talk a day late, so check it out i you haven’t yet!
It has been way too long since I’ve posted any recipes!
It has been way too long since I’ve posted any recipes!
Sorry about that.
Today’s Crack of the Week is better for our waistlines than my usual 3 sticks of butter recipes (this is a good thing and a bad thing I know….these recipes are good, but obviously not as “crack” as the buttery-fatty great stuff).
I was in the baking mood this Sunday and decided to make two healthy snacks for the week:
Breakfast Muffins + Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies.
Both were delicious! And, as always, so easy.
Check out the recipes below.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup organic chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, use an electric mixer to cream peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- Add rolled oats and baking soda to creamed mixture, and mix well.
- Line two baking sheets with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
- Roll dough into two-inch balls, and press to flatten on the cookie sheet.
- Bake for eight minutes or until the cookies turn slightly brown.
- Cool cookies on a rack, and store leftovers in an airtight container.
**According to the recipe, they are only 87 calories per cookie! So dig in!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
And you know I need to share my stunning food photography.
I mean….. I should be winning awards for this talent.
weekend recap + giveaway winner!
Some scenes from my weekend:
celebrated a birthday with friends
enjoyed a summer saturday on my friends rooftop
their homemade booze table is incredible
and their dog could not be more obsessed with kip; I’m slightly jealous
and baked some healthy treats! I’ll share the recipes tomorrow!
and now…. the winner of the $50 Shabby Apple Giveaway!!!
The winner is…… April of A. Liz Adventures!
{I don’t know how to do the screenshot of the random number generator – Ah!}
Congratulations! E-mail me your information and I will get your gift card sent your way!