Deck the Halls

My first new ornament of the season!

Black Friday Purchase

The only thing I bought on Black Friday was online. I finally broke down and joined StyleMint and couldn't be happier with my striped tee. I'm looking forward to seeing the December styles later this week. I think a ShoeMint subscription might be soon to follow!

Spring-Like Sunset

November temps hit 70 today! I can't believe it, but I'm definitely not complaining.

Fall Flowers

Pretty Thanksgiving tulips from M's mom.

Make a Wish

Meet my favorite part of the leftovers.

Brunchin'

Homemade baked spinach + egg cups. Nom nom nom.

Bird's the Word

I have to say that I'm so pleased with how well the turkey came out this year!
Hope you're having a great Thanksgiving!

Little Thanks

After seeing Taylor and Taylor's posts about the little things that they're thankful for, I had to join in and complete the Taylor trifecta (cheesy, I know)! So here are 27 little things I'm thankful for right now (in addition to the major players: my family, boyfriend, friends, and health)

- surprise letters and packages in the mail
- reading a text from one of my sisters and being able to picture exactly how they'd be saying it
- caramel apples
- Sunday morning coffee runs and grocery shopping
- being tucked in at night
- Coldplay's new album
- sushi dates
- witnessing a parent's reaction to their child saying their first word or taking their first step at work
- cozy winter sweaters, mittens, and hats
- holding hands
- finally listening to Christmas music
- furry earmuffs
- cinnamon raisin Ezekiel toast
- encouraging fantasy football messages from my dad
- personalized stationery
- words with friends
- new bracelets, especially when they're sparkly
- Bayou Bakery's French press coffee and beignets
- accomplishing a home diy project on my own
- neat handwriting
- heirloom tomatoes
- the Muppet movie
- Pinterest
- Chuck Bass
- peppermint Pinkberry
- trying a new recipe and having it turning out really well
- mulling spices

What are some of the little things you're thankful for this Thanksgiving?

image via we heart it

Movie Snacks

Between Monday's pigeon fiasco and tomorrow's Turkey feast, I'd say this candy goes along with the theme this week: birds!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Stocking the fridge for Thursday's festivities!

Bad Omen

You know you're having a bad Monday when a dead pigeon spirals down from the sky and gets stuck in your roof rack.
I can't make this up!

Effortless Seafood Supper

These shrimp tacos are my new go-to dinner. They're so easy that I didn't even follow a recipe! I simply seasoned up some diced raw shrimp with Old Bay, garlic, and cumin, sauteed them in olive oil and a pureed chipotle, and piled the mixture in a blistered tortilla. If you want to get fancy, mix some of the pureed chipotles with sour cream and use that as a dressing for broccoli slaw, which makes a great crunchy filler. The tacos are topped with lots of fresh cilantro, scallions, and a squeeze of lime juice. So easy and less than 15 minutes from start to finish. I promise!

Going Gray

The best part of painting is witnessing the drastic transformation of the room. When M saw the (almost) finished product, he said it felt like a completely new living room. I can't wait to see what it all looks like when the furniture is back in place and the pictures are up on the walls. I have a fun Pinterest-inspired project in store for above the fireplace, too!

Tedious Taping

Well, it's Friday night and the living room walls have been washed, sanded, and taped. The cutting-in has begun and the rolling will commence tomorrow bright and early! I'm excited to see the transformation. I hope I like the color!

No-Shave November

It's in full swing over here!
P.S. Why are boys always blessed with the fullest eyelashes?

Decisions, Decisions

Just looking at this gives me major anxiety! It's so hard to choose. And who knew there were so many variations of one color?!

Sesame Soy Goodness

I'm currently just a little bit obsessed with this sauce. It's great as a marinade for chicken, a dipping sauce for dumplings, or even to flavor a stir fry. What would I do without Trader Joe's?

Wild Crew

I, like so many others out there, took advantage of the J. Crew 25% off online deal that was going on last week. Part of my order was this funky leopard iPhone case. I usually keep it simple with a solid color case in boring black, but couldn't resist this spotted number. I was so happy to see that half of my order had already arrived today when I got home from work. I feel like my phone is all dressed up now! Did any of you make a purchase last week?

Matte is the New Ombré

Completely obsessed with the new Chanel matte topcoat. Thanks to Quyen for making me run out and track it down as soon as I heard about it. And can we talk about how perfect Essie's Cocktail Bling is, too?! I think I've found my go-to winter shade already.

Home DIY in the Works

I love deliberating over paint samples. It's about time for the living room to get a fresh coat, pending landlord approval, of course!

I'm Not Ready!

I enjoyed having today off and made the most of it by waking up early and making pumpkin spiced pancakes, running errands, meeting a friend for a Pinkberry date, and catching up on Grey's Anatomy. I may have even snuck in a couple of work reports, too! I was so surprised to see a huge table of Christmas ornaments on display at Nordstrom. Usually, they wait until after Thanksgiving to put all of their decorations out. I spotted a few that I'd like to add to my tree this year, though! I can't believe the holidays are already upon us.

A special thank you to all of the veterans today, especially my Pop-Pop and good friends Bill and Devin.
Your service to our country is much appreciated.

Brûléed Baubles

Currently in love with my newest J. Crew bracelet seen here in rose dust. I love how sparkly it is when paired with my prized '3' bracelet and ombre link one. There's no such thing as too many bracelets, right?

Architecture Appreciation

Living in Rhode Island has really made me enjoy some of its older buildings and history, like this library in downtown Pawtucket. It looked especially regal on this perfect sunny fall morning.

Work Perks

Sometimes a little downtime at work can be incredibly useful. Today I had an appointment cancel at the very last minute, so I used the time slot to create some fun adapted books for the kiddos that I work with. We use them for matching, building vocabulary, and increasing imitation!

Monday Unwind

I love when the holiday catalogs start pouring in, especially from Nordstrom! I'm curling up with this after a long Monday back at work. Luckily, it's a short week since I have Friday off.

Game Day

Today was the perfect fall day for tailgating! Even though the Patriots lost, I had a good day in my fantasy league and lots of fun at the game. Thanks again to Jessica and Shannon for getting tickets and driving up from NYC for the weekend!

Minty Fresh

I tried the new peppermint Pinkberry this afternoon and it was surprisingly refreshing! It reminded me of candy canes and the pale pink color is really pretty. I'm actually starting to get in the holiday spirit!

Collectible Cards

Look what I found while cleaning today! That's right, ALF trading cards, circa 1987. It was one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. I wish they would bring him back!

Pile It On

'Tis the season for expert layering! Today I wore a gingham button down with a lightweight sweatshirt and a puffy vest. Sadly, it's almost time to break out the scarves and mittens!

Loose Waves Simplified

Ever since finding this tutorial on Pinterest, I've been practicing with my curling iron and I'm getting much better at giving myself some loose waves. It's a lot easier than it looks and the best part is that the curls hold up pretty well overnight. The internet really can teach you to do anything!