choices.

This week has used up every ounce of mental energy in my being.

Back and forth, back and forth. Big decisions, priorities, life, kids, family, my career....
Choices have been made, and we're going full speed ahead.
There's construction along the way, so the speed may be limited, and I'm learning how to have patience.

Sorry for the absence this week. Sponsor Feature posts will be up asap, and I'll be leaving the September ads up for another week. Thanks for reading.

make me smile.

 ♥On repeat.♥
-I am loving the new Anberlin. Lots.

-Morden is beautiful right now, the trees are golden and gorgeous.

-The weather is crisp yet warm, so perfectly autumn.

-We're going to a corn maze tomorrow.

[photo source]

-Blythe & LPS? Fabulous. Look at the scooter! My little girl at heart swoons.

Hope your weekend is lovely too.

[Food File Etc.] - wish list.

1. Le Creuset Dutch Oven

2. KitchenAid Blender

3. KitchenAid Mixer in Pear

4. Emile Henry Artisan Pie Dish

A girl can dream right? My kitchen and I would appreciate these pretties. ;)

[Food File] - Rainy days.

♥ Soup & Pie ♥

What better comfort food than soup and pie on a rainy fall day? One of my favorite soups to make is Corn Chowder.  It pairs nicely with pumpkin pie for dessert, or any kind of pie, really.

Corn Chowder

2 tbsp butter
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp thyme (dried, or 6 fresh sprigs)
1/4 cup flour
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups half & half cream
2 potatoes, diced
2 cans corn
salt & pepper
1/4 chopped fresh parsley, or a tbsp or 2 of dried

Heat butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, and thyme and cook for 8 minutes. Sprinkle with flour to coat everything and stir.  Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add cream and potatoes and boil hard for another 8ish minutes. Add corn. Season with s & p.  Simmer for 10+ minutes.  Stir in parsley and another bit of olive oil, and enjoy!

When I make a pot, Ryan and I usually enjoy the leftovers for 2 more meals.  It's wonderful to heat up for lunch the next day.

And for dessert?....

[source]

[Love to Wear] - Brown Gingham Dress.

While I was in Springfield, I got this dress from the Red Velvet Shop! I love it. That store is seriously like a huge treasure chest full of beautiful vintage items!! I tried this one on, and knew it was for me. The pockets and box pleat at the front give it character. I'm happy to add it to my small vintage collection. I'm getting more comfortable in vintage, and can't wait to expand my vintage wardrobe. Elsie is a huge inspiration to me in the wardrobe department, and I can't wait to see the shop after it opens, and maybe find some more dresses! Check out the selection they have on the RVA site!

Dress: Vintage from RV

Cardigan: some mall store

Tights: Talula from Aritzia (borrowed from Jenna) ;)

Owl Necklace: Vintage

Boots: Aldo

Headband: Candy Thief

fall manicure.

I thought it would be fun to share with you my nail polish picks for this fall! Fall is my favorite season, and I love autumn colors.

1. Red My Fortune Cookie

2. Lincoln Park After Dark (my very favorite, for any season really, but it's the perfect rich eggplant shade for autumn)

3. You Don't Know Jacques (try this in Matte!)

4. Suzi says Da!

5. Ski Teal We Drop (new shade for f/w'10)

6. Barefoot in Barcelona

I had a mani today, and went with Ski Teal We Drop. It's a dark teal blue with grey and green tones. (hard to see the color with a photo booth pic...lol)

Nothing like a manicure to brighten a cloudy fall day. xo

[Etsy*Loves] - Marisol Spoon.

Another week, another cute Etsy seller! Marisol Spoon is an adorable shop with prints, wearables, and more! The prints are so pretty (the one above being my favorite), and inspiring.

I particularly fell in love with the lockets.



This one is my personal favorite, not only because of it's name 'Evelyn' which is my Mom's name. Charming, right?
Visit their website to see more beautiful work, and follow them on twitter.

[Food File] - Baked Salmon

(photo from Everyday Food, because I forgot to take one myself)

A family favorite of ours is salmon. My personal favorite is Cedar Plank Salmon. This summer I've been grilling it on the bbq, but yesterday I baked it due to the rain. Simon even loves it, and Ryan likes the sweet sauce. I know it's a pleaser, and it's super simple too!

Filet of Atlantic Salmon (enough for 2 people)

1/2 cup Honey Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Brush filet with olive oil, and season with salt & pepper. Whisk mustard with vinegar and sugar, and pour over the filet, in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

I like to serve this with potatoes and peppers. Cut up a few potatoes, a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper, and toss with italian herbs, salt & pepper, and olive oil. Top with shredded cheese, and bake for up to an hour, so put them in the oven before you bake the salmon.

The salmon is also really good served with a simple salad. :)

Bon appetit!

[Fancy Friday] - Orla Kiely Preview

my. dream. sunglasses.

If I wanted to feel fancy, everyday, I would just need an exclusively Orla wardrobe.... I can dream right?! These photos are previews from a mini cinema showing of a film preview for the SS11 line. Beautiful. I'll need those sunglasses.

Watch the *very* inspiring video here. It's amazing. One of my dreams in life is to go to the store in Covent Garden for a lil shopping spree. :)

Photos via WishWishWish.

To Ryan

[Inspiration] - Children's books.

Simon loves to be read to. He was so lucky to receive so many great books from family and friends for his 3rd birthday. He's been asking me to read to him a LOT these past few days, and I've found myself inspired by them! I feel like a kid at heart, and I really enjoy looking at the illustrations. Eric Carle's books seem to be Simon's favorite. He added The Mixed-Up Chameleon to his library, as well as A House for Hermit Crab, The Tiny Seed, and of course The Very Hungry Caterpillar. :)

My friend Tamara and her family got him this cute pop-up book. His favorite page is the one with the pop-up airplane.


The Octonauts & the Frown Fish is one of the books I got for Simon, and it's my new favorite! It's a difficult read for kids, but I love reading it to him! Simon laughs at me when I read the big words. The illustrations are so kitschy and adorable. I'd eventually like to get him the whole collection of Octonauts books, The Octonauts and The Only Lonely Monster, The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade, and The Octonauts and the Great Ghost Reef. Aren't they cute?

What books do your kids love to be read?

[Love to Wear] - Moccasins.

I am very inspired by fall fashion this year. It's my favorite season for that reason (no rhyme intended).. as well as coffee drinks and pumpkin pie of course. I fell in love with the look above. I love how it combines a cape with moccasins.

Moccasins by HollySarah. featuring an orla kiely bag

Here are some other pretty moccasins:

Darlingtonia Moccasins by Katie are SO beautiful, and well made. Look forward to her exclusive designs coming to Red Velvet soon!

[source]

Also, check this site for beautiful handmade moccasins made right here in Manitoba! I love the Metis beadwork, it's unbelievable.

[Etsy*Loves] - Foxy Cute.

Foxes have my heart. Here's some great foxy cute items from Etsy.

This adorable print by The Poppy Tree

I NEED this shirt!

Pretty Little Things has some cute masks just in time for Halloween...

iPhone sleeve.

These clutches are amazing! I'm so drawn to them. I'd love the copper one, and bring it with me everywhere. ♥

and a sweet locket.

A little foxy love would be the perfect accessory for fall, don't you think?

[Weekend Recap] - Party!

Ryan & I attended a wedding this weekend. I wore my Starlette Crown by Giant Dwarf. It was fun doing the bride's hair in the morning, and then dressing up to attend the wedding. It was a lovely day.

Saturday was Simon's 3rd birthday! I can't believe he's 3!! Ryan managed to get his room done enough to sleep in for his birthday, and it was fun to show him his new bed in a big room all for himself. Some details of his room thus far: Paint is 'Coventry Grey' by Benjamin Moore, and the bedding is Dwell Studio for Target.

Sunday was party day! Not sure why, but I planned both of Simon's birthday parties on the same day. It was a lot to prepare for, and made for a busy weekend, but everything turned out awesome. I dressed Simon in his vintage jacket, and made him a make-shift felt bow tie that I stitched to his t-shirt prior to leaving to church. He was so CUTE.
We had his friends over for his first party. When I asked him who he wanted at his party, he told me right away. He quickly named 12 kids, boys and girls. OY! He's a little social butterfly. There was 9 kids and their parents, all together. Simon had a blast.
We did an Eric Carle themed party, with the help of a kit I purchased from Amazon. I tried out the Very Hungry Caterpillar cake, and I was pleased with how it turned out.
I read the story to the kids before they dug in. I even made a fruit salad with the fruits from the story, and put holes in the pieces of fruit to look like the Hungry Caterpillar had been in it, ha!

I made different cupcakes for the evening bbq party that we had with family. Vanilla cake with cherry pie filling, topped with yellow vanilla buttercream and non-pariels. :) I liked watching people's faces when they bit into it and saw the filling.

It was a great weekend, and Simon has successfully been sleeping in his new bedroom for the past 3 nights, which is great!

Thanks for all of you wished Simon a happy birthday on Twitter, he had a wonderful day.