much adoo

I feel like I have been selling futures on a personal level lately. For the past year, it's like I have been advertising being married and having this little family, but open my blog, Facebook, Twitter, and it's just me and Teemo chilling in an all-white apartment I can't paint because we all know better than to let me paint. I'm the worst - you should have seen what our house floors looked like after I painted (thankfully, we re-floored afterwards). Anyhow, it's a lot like buying a size two dress while trying to lose weight and I'm finally at that point where I'm going to fit in it. I have a long list of things I am excited to have my husband around for - like taking photos with the dogs, going shopping with me, going on trips, and giving me back rubs when I get home from work because seriously my back hurts so bad these day it's not even funny.

coat :: rachel by rachel roy remixed

sweater :: gap outlet remixed

belt :: forever 21 (similar) remixed

skirt :: anthropologie yarn plumes skirt remixed

tights :: target

heels :: seychelles remixed

bag :: hobo via modcloth remixed

rings :: modcloth remixed

necklace :: target remixed

bracelet :: kate spade remixed

The most powerful wand in Harry Potter was the Elder wand, so it makes sense that the game changing ingredient here is St. Germain (which is made from Elderflowers which come from the tree the Elder wand is made from...that's....nerdy?). If you are bored of mixing rum into apple cider just like every one else, try this simple cocktail. I made this for Jeremiah and Becki when they stopped by after their engagement, and they were in love with it too.

The weather has turned completely. The trees are barren, partly helped by the massive winds brought in from the hurricane. My pixie cut is becoming impractical for this time, and I have been wearing my knit caps for the whole day of work. I cannot decide if I want to grow my hair out or not. I end up looking back at photos when I have long hair and missing my French braids but then promptly remembering that it takes me like 30 minutes to actually dry my hair.

coat :: tulle

sweater :: loft remixed

dress :: dear creatures mia dress remixed

tights :: target remixed

booties :: seychelles clue booties via gilt remixed

ring :: kiel mead forget me knot remixed

bunny necklace :: crave jewelry design remixed

hat :: handmade

bag :: loefller randall for target

AKA French onion soup using fall ingredients found in America. I have actually posted this before. It's okay - you can see it here - I had no detailed imagery, apparently told you to use too much salt (I don't measure unless I am photographing and ensuring for the blog, and this was done before I did that!), and had one sub par image of what I consider to be the most delicious dish I make. It takes awhile, I'll say, but it downright yummy. So here it is!

Also - vote for this on Modcloth here!

I really hate inclement weather because it mostly makes everyone all excited and irrational. I've always been the person who ignores weather. I drove to Louisville and around the strangely amazing and dead city while it was covered in ice in 2009 and like all the street lights and power were out (see here). So I still find it weird that my work was closed for two days and that I made the decision to leave for a day so that in the high chance all hell broke loose I was in Ohio and not trapped in Harrisburg. It was worth it just to get good pizza and bagels and some of the awesome apple cider spice blend that was sitting in my in laws home when I got there.

So when I end up at Target and there is no water left, I buy nail polish, because obviously, that's gonna help me. To my defense, Essie's winter collection is totally adorable.

hat :: handmade remixed

scarf :: handmade remixed

sweater :: gap outlet remixed

dress :: tucker for target

belt :: target remixed

tights :: target

flats :: asos remixed

bag :: ebay remixed

cuff :: target remixed

earrings :: kate spade remixed

Jason got to fly in for basically a day this weekend, and we went to New York City for a wondrous few hours of events. Our first stop was 'Say Cheese' in the Upper West Side to kick off our little grilled cheese tour (<- info) in style. I thought it would be fun to visit grilled cheese places within the area and already am building a list of places to visit! Say Cheese was pretty darn good, although a tiny little place. It was a good start to our little journey to find the best grilled cheese. You can read my review of it here.

But the main reason we visited was even bigger! One of my best friends got engaged over the weekend, and I got to be there to experience it! It was all I could do not to allude to my visit to New York for this long, let alone keep all my excitement about the event bottled up. Becki has been my friend forever, since the first time we met when I ran up to her exclaiming to be her Myspace friend to when we stripped down to our underwear to swim across the Little Miami River because we thought we saw a cat but it was really a beaver to chat roulette-ing in Mickey ears. Becki's my wild child, the free-spirit, the real life manic pixie dream girl, and this had to be totally picture perfect (you know, since I was photographing it!). Her fiancee Jeremiah is a gem who treats her well and is organized - a perfect complement to her.

It was perfect weather and fairly warm - about 10 degrees above average for this time of year! This was right before the hurricane and it's crazy to think what New York is like now. It was nice not wearing tights at all - much more comfortable for the 3 hour drive there and back anyway. I was thankful to have Jason there with me as well to eat with me and make this a lot less stressful. And take my photos.

cardigan :: j crew factory diy-ed

dress :: trashy diva remixed

flats :: old navy

watch :: relic remixed

bag :: ebay remixed

headband :: forever 21 remixed

necklace :: via noto remixed

Happy Halloween from me and my little family!

-236 : ice cream!!! (6 days til halloween!)

Raynor as a banana split in 2010

Poko (RIP Little Buddy) in a candy bowl in 2008 and Teemo as a devil in 2011.

It has been warm enough to not wear tights, and really, not even wear a jacket. It's been two months since I have had heat or air on in my apartment. My energy bills are so low I celebrate it every month. I just wish it would stay like this forever.