Photo Overload and Other Updates

Ever misplace your camera adapter for over two months (eeeek!)? Good, me neither! Here are some extremely overdue photos from the holidays and my trip home. 

Downtown Salem, Massachusetts.

Freshly roasted coffee beans ready to be ground. I can almost smell them just from looking at this picture!

Raisin-studded brioche from Seven Stars sliced for French toast.

Thistle + tulips from the Thanksgiving table.

Orange + dark chocolate chip scones sliced and ready to go into the oven. These made a great take-home favor at a Christmas get together with friends.

Our Christmas tree that we tagged and cut down from a local tree farm. I miss the holiday decorations!

My favorite vintage ornament from the 1950s that was gifted to my by my grandma.

Santa's suit + matching sparkly nails.

Newest s'more obsession from Brooklyn's S'more Bakery.

My family's hand-stitched stockings lined up on the mantle.

Colorful wrapping paper + glittery ornaments.

The best ombré birthday cake ever (made by Tiane's talented sorority sister). 

Fun joint birthday celebration with Tiane and Alex.

The decadent oreo in a blanket cookie from Bakeshop.

Spiky NYE decorations on my mom's table.

Lighter-than-air homemade doughnuts for brunch on New Year's Day.

Colorful tassel garland hanging over my Washington, DC poster in the guest room.

So that's what's been going around in these parts over the past few months. I can't believe Christmas has come and gone once again and I'm another year older. I actually forget how old I am sometimes now. If that's what happens when you're officially 'old' then I'm there! I have been hard at work on my 30 before 30 list. There are some simple things I'd like to accomplish (ahem, getting the courage to chop my hair) and of course some loftier goals (like take a trip outside of the country and brush up on my French skills). I think 2013 came so fast that I haven't had enough time to fully process all that went on in 2012. I'm still working on reflecting on last year's resolutions and building from there. I hope you all had a great end to the year and that 2013 is starting out strong for you!  

Adventures in Northern Michigan-Part One

I spent the early part of August vacationing in northern Michigan with M, my two sisters, and my dad. It was such a relaxing ten days spent reading by the lake, trying local restaurants, cooking leisurely meals at the cottage, and playing board games into the wee hours. My family has vacationed in Michigan since I was a little girl, and there are certain things that I have to cross off the 'to do' list every year, such as eating an ice cream cone from the Cool Spot and watching the sunset at the town's light house. This year we tried a few new activities that will surely be added to the long list of annual traditions. 

Freshly made doughnuts from Crescent Bakery. We always fight over the nutty crescents!

One of my dad's fish sculptures on display at the antique shop.

Scuba diver swimming into a trumpet.

Old encyclopedias for sale at the shop.

Horned fish sculpture suspended from the ceiling.

Vintage tabletop at Trick Dog, a local gallery and coffee shop.

Enjoying a cup of coffee and an oatmeal treat overlooking the harbor.

This definitely summed up our trip!

Overlooking Lake Michigan.

The Garden theater in downtown Frankfort. I saw ET here when I was a kid!

Sparklers on the beach at dusk.

Afternoon treat of coffee/hazelnut and raspberry gelato.

Morning dew collected in a spider web outside of our cottage.

My sisters swinging on the swings and eating ice cream on a cloudy evening.

Let the Birthday Celebrations Begin

Just got home from a fun pre-birthday dinner at Zengo in downtown DC. We shared a fun meal of Asian and Latin American-insired tapas. The meal ended on a sweet note, with churros and Mexican hot chocolate. It was delicious! I love birthdays, especially when they're stretched out for a whole week.

Kneading in Action

Excited for oodles of homemade Christmas cookies when I get home on Friday. The rolled out sugar sand tarts are a family favorite.

Holiday Potluck

I whipped up a batch of these peanut butter blossoms for work tomorrow. They were so quick and easy to make and always remind me of my elementary school Christmas parties!

Peppermint Swirls

I cannot get enough of this seasonal peppermint flavor. It tastes like candy canes!

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!

Chewy Caramel Apples

Waiting for these freshly dipped apples to cool before giving them a drizzle of dark chocolate. I can't think of a better football-watching treat!
Super easy recipe found here.

Pretty Packaging

I swooned over the nautical packaging on this chocolate bar!

Sunday Sweets

I love Sundays, especially in the fall. M and I have a regular routine where we wake up and go to one of our favorite bakeries for coffee (and sometimes a sweet treat). We plan out all of our dinners for the week and then go straight to the market to get the shopping out of the way so we can make it home in time for football. I love it because it's something to look forward to, plus it saves a lot of time with making dinners during the work week. This morning we had iced coffees and I stole a bite of M's old fashioned cinnamon roll. It was so good, and reminded me more of a cinnamon-sugar donut.

Do you have any Sunday routines?

Skinny Pumpkin Goodness

I made these cookies using this recipe and you seriously can't even tell that they're low fat. I think the secret might be using good quality vanilla and dark chocolate chunks instead of chips. I can't wait to try more recipes from the site!

Weekend Snapshots: Welcoming Fall

The perfect day for apple picking at Barden's Orchard.


Oversized heirloom tomato.


Crates of miniature gourds.


Sugary apple cider donuts made the perfect post-picking treat.


Reaching for the perfect apple!


Clusters of the honey crisp variety.


Sunday NFL special: lemon-pepper grilled wings.


Hot deep-dish apple pie straight from the oven.
(recipe here)

This weekend was the first one that really felt like fall, which led to a trip to a local orchard for apple picking and the first Starbucks pumpkin misto of the season. I love everything about fall: changing leaves, football, layering clothes, tall boots, Halloween, heartier meals, and crisp temperatures. It means the holidays are coming, which always gets me excited! What are your favorite things to do in the fall?

Channeling Campfires

I'm not ready for summer to be over quite yet, so I'm milking the last few nice days and snacking on these amazing smashing s'mores from Trader Joe's. They're basically bite-sized smores: marshmallows with a graham cracker base and covered in chocolate. They're pretty perfect when warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds. No campfire needed! I first spotted them here and finally happened upon them at my local TJ's this afternoon. Hope you have a fun weekend. I'm off to enjoy take-out sushi and Sex and the City reruns with the girls!

If You Like Piña Coladas

You will absolutely love these popsicles! They've been my favorite after-dinner treat since I first tried them last week. I love that they have a creamy texture, like frozen yogurt or ice cream, but they're relatively guilt-free (like a popsicle). It's the best of both worlds!