Downton Abbey, Season 2

So excited we get to see soon in the US! I may have to watch Season 1 again before January:

Watch Downton Abbey Season 2 With or Without You Preview on PBS. See more from MASTERPIECE.

xoxo

Holiday Appetizers

Honey Almond Brie and Southern Prize Shrimp Dip are my two go-to super-easy appetizers. This year I added another easy - and really pretty - one that I found in a People Magazine while getting a pedicure the other day. I think it was a special holiday edition - Bethenny Frankel was on the cover.

It's so simple and has a different look to it than my usual dips and cheeses. All you do is thinly slice some bosc pears, brush with a little lemon juice to prevent browning, and top them with a slice of Camembert and some fresh oregano leaves. I'll have these out again at Christmas!

So I like to stay home on Black Friday and the only Cyber Monday shopping I did was at The Preppy Princess where I finally ordered one of those fun cases for my iPhone - pink + orange + monogrammed - can't wait. I did find a couple of things at Anthropologie over the weekend and should be able to get some ootds and Polyvores up between all the usual + Christmas shopping and decorating over the next couple weeks.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are a couple pics of my Thanksgiving table set up that I mentioned. I haven't decided on plates yet but will probably go with plain white. We'll set up a second smaller table with the same sort of deco next to this one.

Pottery Barn Blue Bird runner and napkins (tied with twine), Pottery Barn acorns, World Market rattan chargers

my dining room paint is Benjamin Moore Audubon Russet

I am grateful to have a house full of family for Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a warm and cozy holiday weekend filled with love and thankfulness!

xoxo

Wednesday Random

I have one more grocery run this morning (celery for the stuffing, more vegetable broth and the ingredients for the Maple Glazed Carrots that Goop emailed out recently - think I'll try those) and then I think I am ready to host Thanksgiving. I don't go out for Black Friday but I will be checking out the amazing online deals that are starting to fill my inbox. My Thanksgiving table is all ready except for a serious shortage of napkin rings. I'm thinking of using twine or raffia, which I'll do a quick search for this morning and then I'll post a dining room pic or two.

Sephora came through yesterday and lots of exciting new Bobbi Brown was on my front porch. According to some websites, these are the eye, cheek and lip colors used by Duchess Catherine at The Royal Wedding. I think they are going to work for me too.

In other Royal News, I found this great blog through a comment on Faux Fuchsia's blog, featuring Crown Princess Mary's style. My husband is from Denmark and we try to go back every other year, so I've long been aware of the Danish Royals and appreciated Danish design... and just love Mary's style. You'll see her in Danish designers as well as Prada, Chanel, Louboutin... even some Zara: Stylish Mary.

The Benjamin Moore Weimaraner for the study is sadly, still in the can, but I did manage to get the playroom/bonus room upstairs painted. I am really happy with the Kona accent wall against the Morrel:

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

Pumpkin Soup

Seems it's often dark and rainy around here this time of year. Makes me feel like soup. I've just started making this one recently, though I've had the cookbook for ages:

Pumpkin Soup, changed up just a little from JLSL's St. Louis Days St. Louis Nights

You need:

1/4 c butter

1 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp curry

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 c vegetable broth

1 16 oz can pumpkin

1 c half-and-half

sour cream and green onion

Melt the butter in a large pot and saute onion and garlic. Add the salt, coriander, curry, and cayenne. Add broth and boil uncovered for 15-20 min. Stir in pumpkin and half-and-half and cook for 5 min. Pour into a food processor and blend until creamy. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped green onion.

In the soup I show in the pictures I added more pumpkin as it didn't look like the recipe was making quite enough, so it may look a little thicker than the usual.

I have my Thanksgiving table planned out - will try to post a pic in the next day or two. We have family flying in from Texas and Japan early this week. So excited! I've been painting too... playroom yesterday and getting to the study today. Hope everyone's starting out a great week.

xoxo

Jammie Time

Wow, it's already that Christmas-jammies-ordering time of year. Garnet Hill flannels are some of my absolute favorites. The Green Sheep went over really well last year. 2011 will be Green Penguins:

photo from garnethill.com

These are shipping for free through December 6th. Code G1KS142 also takes $20 off orders of $100 or more or code GIVESHOP takes 10% off, also through December 6th. Thank you to retailmenot for the codes.

In makeup news, Sephora's 20% off ends tomorrow (VIBDREAM). I have my first Bobbi Brown shimmer brick on the way, along with some new-to-me BB colors for eyes, cheeks and lips. Anyone else shop the VIB event?

pic from sephora.com

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz

xoxo

A Couple OOTDs {pink coat, blue coat}

With the recent markdown at Nordstrom I picked up another Tulle Alexa coat (love my pink) in a pretty cobalt sort of blue. I've been alternating between the two:

Tulle Alexa Coat in Fuchsia, Petite LOFT Elongated Pencil Skirt in Black, Lands' End sweater, Loft opaque tights, J Crew Brewster boot, Modalu London Pippa in Shark, pearls (bought on a trip to Tokyo years ago)

Tulle Alexa Coat in Cosmic, Loft Petite Cable Cowl Neck Sweater Dress in Brown Melange, Target leggings in black (last year), Tory Burch Revas in black with gold

I haven't gotten around to buying my Benjamin Moore Weimaraner paint yet but I made a really good pumpkin soup the other night. I'll post the recipe in the next week or so.

xoxo

Pink + Orange + Bows {happy shoes}

Last month I noticed this fabulous pink and orange shoe posted by shopwithm here on her blog (and her review here). I haven't purchased Talbots shoes for a long while, but I just had to give them a try. I made up a Polyvore before they even arrived:

And wearing here:

J Crew Serengeti tank (while ago), Lands' End cardigan in Navy, ON denim, Anthropologie Bauble Bath Bracelet, Talbots Suede Tuxedo Flat in Autumn Flame/Bright

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'm thinking of re-painting our study Benjamin Moore Weimaraner, which I saw in the Pottery Barn catalog. I'll post some pics if I do.

xoxo

Tuesday

So yesterday morning I was feeling like I really had it pretty well together. I did my make-up, curled my hair, and was 5 minutes early for a 7:00am meeting. I even noticed the toothpaste on my sweater and cleaned it off before I left the house.

But then a first grader in my son's class kindly pointed out this to me:

Yes. I rocked the two-different-color-shoes-look to bank, grocery store, office and school yesterday.

Hope everyone's having a nice week. If your shoes match, I'd say you're off to a good start.

xoxo