Posh Pumpkins

Hope you are having a very happy and fabulous Halloween.

I wish I thought of it first

So our house in progress.  I'm gearing up to start making some purchases and to really kick the decorating in gear, Christmas will be here before you know it and we're having visitors.   I came across this amazing idea at the Adventures of Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone Blog and I wish I thought of it myself, but I didn't so I'm definitely borrowing it.

I'm obsessed with the amazing frame around the flat screen.  Not sure how easy it will be to recreate but I have a very handy husband, I know he can make it happen.

Starburst

I am loving all of these great starburst mirrors that have been popping up everywhere.  I definitely need one in my house STAT.  I have my eye on one out in town, more to come on which one I pick and more importantly where I put it.  Check out some of my inspiration images.

Louis Domed Chairs: Like or Dislike?

Well, I LOVE em!  They are sooo regal.

Fashion and Food: out tomorrow

Tomorrow will be like Christmas, I hope I can fall asleep tonight.  Barefoot Contessa's new book How Easy Is That? and Sex and The City 2 will be out in stores tomorrow.   I can't wait!!

Dream Anthropologie Outfit

My favorite store these days is anthropologie.  I was virtual window shopping and I threw this outfit together.  Enjoy.

Laced snowflake earrings $30

Flapper fringe peep toes $268

Recollect travel bag $329

Joe's Cigarette jeans $165

Bianka Blouse $68

Oxer Jacket $158

Dinner Party

This past week my husband and I hosted his parents and our good friend Natalie for dinner.  I was beyond excited, I absolutely LOVE to entertain and until we moved and got a dining room table I was unable to do so.  The menu was a little tricky as I had to comply with some serious diet restrictions.  NO Salt, Low Sugar, and all the sides had to be vegetarian.  So I made a salad with red wine vinegar and olive oil, grilled filet of beef, roasted asparagus, green beans and fingerling potatoes with Mrs. Dash (salt free), zucchini pancakes and home made potatoes Au gratin.  And for dessert I made Apple Crisp with Truvia.  Whoa, this party definitely kept me busy ALL day.  Almost everything I made was from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook.  I have learned so much from her books about throwing the perfect party.  According to Ina, one of her first mistakes when she was younger was trying to make an elaborate menu to impress her guest and she spent most of the party in the kitchen instead of being a hostess.  I prepared the food during the day so it was all ready when our guests arrived.  One of the favorites of the night were the zucchini pancakes, I would definitely try making them, they are easy and really tasty.  I left the salt out the recipe, I'm sure it would have been even better with it.

Zucchini Pancakes- Barefoot Contessa At Home

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 tablespoons grated red onion
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a boxgrater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel, add more butter and oil to the pan, and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Feel Good Rooms

Walking into a room can make you feel tons of emotions.  Here are some of my favorite feel good rooms.

As I was pulling these images from my inspiration file I noticed they all had something in common.  Shades of green, maybe I need to incorporate some green into our home.  Hadn't even considered it.

Rain Boots

So I just checked the weather and it looks like rain for eastern North Carolina tomorrow.  Completely bummed, I have so much to do tomorrow and I hate driving around in the rain.  But on the bright side I can break out my fabulous purple rain boots.  It took me a few years to jump on board the rain boot bandwagon but now I love wearing them and my pants don't get wet and gross at the bottom...ick.  Now some really great labels are selling them.

Burberry

Coach Legacy

Hunter (probably the most comfortable)

Kate Spade

Gucci

Fendi

Not really feeling these, who wants to travel in these while its raining?

Versace high heeled rain boots

Halloween Heaven

I am a huge fan of dessert and candy buffets.  Especially buffets that are not only yummy but eye appealing too.  I love when crafting meets food and since I'm not such a good crafter I have total appreciation for beautiful displays of goodness.

I'm hoping to draw inspiration from these images to create an amazing Christmas Dessert Buffet for my family this year.

PINK!

Who doesn't love a gorgeous pink room.  I sure do.  Check out some of my favs.

Yes, that is a cupcake ottoman.

Obsessed with this rug!

This must be a single girl bathroom.