Destination: Fair Isle

This winter I’ve been drawn to Fair Isle sweaters. They’re cozy, yet classy; with the perfect pop of color and texture. Forget jewelry and handbags, I want to accessorize them with hot chocolate, wind burned cheeks and a messy braid.

Madewell / ALTERNATIVE wrap top / Splendid knit top / J.Crew j. crew pants / Vera Wang Lavender Label / Minnetonka Womens El Paso Ankle Boot Brown

If you're a bit of a travel nerd like me, you'll appreciate that Fair Isle is not just a classic pattern for a sweater, it is also one of the Shetland Islands (it's located a bit north of Scotland and spans only a few square miles!) 

Fun facts and an island photo after the jump!

Holiday Decorating DIY: Oranges and Cloves

Sunday night, we hosted a dinner for family and a few friends. To kick off the season and add a festive touch, I made a few quick (and inexpensive) updates to my centerpiece.

This is an incredibly easy project (honestly, I think it's a great holiday craft project for kids - I could have used some assistants!) All you need is an odd number of oranges (I used five), whole cloves, and tough fingers - those cloves can be a bit prickly!

Stick the cloves into the oranges, long side first. You can make patterns, or just do random dots like mine. It's an easy way to add a bit of fragrance to the room and a pop of color to your table.

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All That Sparkles

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving -- meaning somehow November is practically over -- meaning it's almost holiday party season. I love the festive look of sparkly dresses, but not sure I can pull off a full frock of sparkle. Here are a few more subtle alternatives to get your sparkle fix.  How gorgeous is the three-quarter sleeve Alice + Olivia dress? Scroll down for dress details. Safe travels to everyone this week!

Alice Olivia vintage dress
shopbop.com

Tea dress
anthropologie.com

Keyhole dress
anthropologie.com

Donna Ricco sleeveless dress
nordstrom.com

LOFT sequin skirt
loft.com

C.Luce Goddess Sequin Dress
piperlime.gap.com

My Favorite Flavor of Fall

I'd like to start with a tasty post: a deceivingly easy meal with DIY bowls and no dirty dishes. Pumpkin is the shining star of fall (and one of my favorite flavors in general), so I'll be dedicating a few posts to cooking with it.

My husband and I don't stick to much of a schedule, so eating dinner at 9 p.m. was no problem for us last Wednesday. However, I would recommend doing a bit of prep the night before or saving it for a lazy weekend if you don't want to make it a late meal.

Here's the end result:

Recipe and photos after the jump!

Hello!

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by. I originally wanted to start this blog about a year ago and document life raising a new (and rambunctious) rescue puppy in the city. I was constantly researching dog training and health, and read most everything Cesar and the Monks have written on the topic. I wanted to keep my notes in one place - and be able to look back and laugh about how stressful the whole thing was. However, I was too busy actually raising a puppy to write about it:)

I kept the title because I think it is pretty telling of my place in life right now: post marriage and  pre babies. This blog will share recipes, entertaining and DIY thoughts, and often just random notes on my favorite things.

And don't get me wrong, raising a puppy is totally worth it:)

Spudley