veto

Hooded sweater, scarf, down comforter. 35 degrees on an October morning?

Veto.

VEE TO!

remember being a little kid?

I remember my canopy bed. It was built by my father. It had wooden poles reaching out from the original canopy-less metal frame and all around me, lace. Long ivory lace curtains that puddled to the floor. By day, and most nights, the curtains were tied back by dusty pink tassels, but on special nights we let the canopies down. With the curtains untied and shut around the bed, a little girl could feel like a princess, or Shirley Temple, or a Barbie doll, depending on the obsession of the moment.

There, inside our lace palace, my sister and I would be. Aside from my canopy bed, thoughts of childhood bring memories of books. On any given night, our shared bed would be littered with the finest of childhood literary classics; Berenstain Bears, Little Critters, a variety of my sister's books that made sounds and sang songs when you pushed a button, and of course a vast assortment of the Little Golden Books.

Among my most memorable reads is this one, The Monster At the End of This Book. I must have read it to my sister because I still remember how I annunciated all the appropriate words with shock and horror as we turned each page, "Did that say there will be a MONSTER at the end of this book?!?"

I probably hadn't even thought about that book since my bedtime story days. I came across it while searching for the perfect book to send to our little niece as her Halloween treat. When I saw it among the other children's books,  it all came back.

I am amazed that somehow I still remember most of the words and that flipping through the pages still makes me smile.

What were your childhood books? Like me, do you still have some that make you smile (or am I just that much of a dork)?

boots

I love these boots. Really. I don't just like them, I don't liiiike like them, I loooove them.

They are two year old, Lucky Brand, over the knee, leather boots. I imagine that if Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman had gone horse back riding, she would have worn these boots.

I wore them to the dentist this morning to get a cavity filled. My dentist said those were "quite some boots" I was wearing.

I know they are fabulous Dr. Burton, but eyes up, we've got work to do.

first caramel apple of fall

My first caramel apple of the fall was the perfect combination of sticky sweetness and juicy tartness. It was the parting favor from a lovely wedding I was a bridesmaid in over the weekend. A wedding that was also perfect. Of course I cried during the ceremony. That's just the kind of woman I am.

A caramel apple eating, sobbing in weddings kind of woman...

random monday

If you run into me today, you may detect a hint of a slightly more defined southern drawl than usual. Could be because I spent the weekend in Texas {their accents always seem to rub off on me}... could just be that I'm tryin sumthan nuw... I guess you'll never know the truth. Yep ya'll, I know that was a little random, but it is Random Monday, so enjoy!

image via lovely morning

I have always loved the idea of having a few chickens in the backyard. {And no, that is not just my small town Texas weekend talking}.

image via i love dust

Coffee and life lessons... too blessed to be stressed. Too true. Must remember this.

image via a cup of jo

One of my favorite things EVER is cozying up with a good book, so a book club sounds fab. But an article club? Why does this sound even better?

image via samantha hahn

Love, love, love this watercolor.

t tea towel via keep calm gallery

I think I would very much like a "T" tea towel in my kitchen.

image via a beautiful mess

Oatmeal never looked so good.

video via that's chic

Heading to the husband's side of the closet right now.

Randomly yours,
Bianca

homemade chicken soup {for the soul}

Homemade chicken soup feeds your soul. And it's dang good for it too. How do I know this? Because at one point or another chicken soup has done more for you than just helped to nurse a nasty cold. It has made you feel warm, and taken care of, and like you're home. That is how I know chicken soup feeds your soul.

It is also, conveniently, super easy to make. This recipe, another one of my mother's, is the kind of recipe that would normally send me into a fit of uncomfortable. The kind of recipe where when I say "how many cups?" mom says, "Oh, I don't know... just as much as you want." Unacceptable mom.

But for some reason, as much rice as I would like and adding carrots for a little color, just feels right with this soup.

So brave souls, fearlessly take this recipe and make it your own! Add as many carrots as you like! Feeling like it could use a little green? Why not throw in some celery! Want to spice things up? That's what ground red pepper is for!

So go forth, courageously take this recipe, and feed your soul.

toil and trouble

"Double, double, toil and trouble... What's that from?" he asked while surveying our newly decorated mantel. I looked at my darling husband with a look of disgust, mixed with pity. My voice dripped with superiority and "Uhhhh... Duuuuh..." as I said, "Seriously? Are you serious? It's from..."

That's when the panic set in. What was that from? As my obviously clueless pause hung in the air, I could see my high school English teacher's face staring at me with the same look I had just given the engineer. Mrs. Landrum would be so ashamed.

It was Shakespeare. definitely Shakespeare, that much I knew. But what play? There were three witches... Hamlet? No! Not Hamlet. But there was a skull in that one, and Mel Gibson? Ugh. I could feel my high school education slipping through my fingers.

"Macbeth!" I yelped, followed by a heavy sigh of relief. Although I was fairly certain, doubt still lurked behind my triumphant outburst. To squelch my uncertainty, I did what any true literary scholar would do, a Google search.

Google confirmed that all was not lost of my high school education. And so, "part the glories of this happy day." Wait... Crap.

sweater weather

My toes knew before I did. I awoke warm and cozy, maybe even a little too warm (a problem that in the coming months I fear I will long too have). It only took about 2 seconds of my bare toes against our wood floors for me to get the message; it is officially sweater weather.

There I was, enjoying pseudo fall... you know, that glorious time when you have all the benefits of fall along with warm days ending in crisp evenings. But then, real fall hits. Of course, you still have some of those lovely benefits, but they will begin to be overshadowed by gloomy days, cold gusts of wind, and maybe even... gulp... the first frost.

Today I begin to unearth my stored sweaters from their summer captivity. And although only a light sweater is necessary at the moment, I know it is merely a matter of time before I break out the big guns... wool.

random monday

I made a pot of coffee this morning for six. I am the only one here. I better get to work. Meanwhile, I bring you Random Monday...

image via the glamourai

I've seen it coming, baseball caps hitting the fashionable world. I don't know how to feel about it... Excited? Terrified? The urge to break into the engineers vast collection of flat bill caps? (Just kidding husband, I would neeeeeever do such a thing...) How do you feel about this?

image via sacramento street

Have I mentioned I want a hanging chair? I have the spot all picked out! I just need to stumble upon one... yep, just need to stumble upon the perfect hanging chair in great condition with a current owner who is looking to give it away for mere pennies. Should be no problem.

image via lauren dukoff

Hey Binki Shapiro, musician and up and coming style icon... my mom's been calling me Binky (with a "y") for years. I'm just saying...

image via oh happy day

A lovely little autumn treat. DIY personal caramel apple kit.

image via don't eat the paintings

My love for mason jars continues with this pretty signature cocktail sign.

image via hatch collection

Cutest maternity clothes ever!

image via everything fabulous

Now this is what I call a fall to-do list. I may have to add bake bread, make stew, breathe deeply and sit outside to mine.

image via advanced style

Over the weekend, I discovered the blog Advanced Style and am just a little obsessed. I was actually right by these two ladies at fashion week! Someday I want to wear a black and turquoise scarf on my head, but for now, red slacks, a blue blouse and an animal print belt are on my must wear list. Also loving this 100 year old women talking about her daily pilates class. I am officially a slacker.

So that's Monday. I better get to work on that coffee. Oh, and there are other things I have to do too... But it's kind of gloomy out and coffee just seems more do-able. One step at a time darlings, one step at a time...

Love,

Bianca

ode to footloose

Pop culture myth suggests that there are six degrees of separation between any given person and Kevin Bacon. Now, it's not that I don't give mad props to Kevin Bacon and his small town stirring moves, but I am more interested in the degrees of separation between myself and a pair of red cowboy boots. You know the kind. The ones that make my preacher daddy go crazy and boys wanna make out with me in open fields (one particular boy who loves airplanes, of course).

Yes, today the remake of the 1980's classic "Footloose" hits theaters. I am never too optimistic when it comes to remakes of classics, but I at least felt this day deserved a little recognition in the form of a suede fringed vest. Not quite as good as the killer fringed jacket that made Ariel look oh so bad, but it will have to do.

Now if I could just find those red cowboy boots, I'd be ready to hit the parking lot of a drive-in with a boombox and my sweet, sweet dancin' shoes.

apple crisp

The first thing that hits you when you open the oven door is the waft of heat, then, the overwhelmingly wonderful scent of fall, and home, and my mom's kitchen.

I can't explain how I was feeling today... just, off. That's it. I was feeling off when my mom suggested I make some Apple Crisp. Over the phone I could hear her take a quick assessment of her library of cookbooks, flip to page 60 of the correct one, and share the secrets behind a successful Apple Crisp {add a lot of cinnamon, not just what it calls for, sprinkle it all over the apples too}. I was in business.

Now it feels a little bit more like fall in our house. And that just feels right.