bangs.

I cut some funky bangs & layers a few days ago & have been loving them... miss Kate was my inspiration, however, I am a far cry from her.... she can make a paper sack look hot. real hot.

wanna be inventors...

I love that the production & marketing of ideas, products, & services has fallen into the hands of the creator. The middle man seems to be gradually eliminating. From etsy.com & ebay to even blogs promoting their own talent, the inventor or creative brain gets to take the reins & be their own entreprenuer & I LOVE it. Now on to the point of this post... Quirky.com is now on the scene & it is awe-some. To fully understand how awesome it is, you need to know the old process for inventing first, {according to Wired mag.}
1. Invent an idea.

2. Check out the US Patent and Trademark office website to make sure no-one had the idea first.

3. Design and prototype with a 3-D model by using Blender or Google's sketchup software.

5. Find the right partner to manufacture it using alibaba.com.

6. Sell it on SparkFun or market your own ecommerce through Yahoo.

Now, as if that wasn't easy enough, Quirky.com makes it even easier. For just $10 you can submit an idea (no prototype model needed), have it judged & voted upon, then developed by the community, prototype included, & sold online using this single website. I love that now virtually anyone can be a part of the creative process... kudos to Quirky for thinking outside of the box & bringing production to us little people. :)

If you are searching...

Don't you just love a great new, useful site? I love this genius "I can't find my phone" tool is & how sleek the design is... this will especially come in handy for my sweet hub, as well.

{via here.}

playful.

Brilliant! Kate Spade commissioned seven female writers to each write a short story with the phrase "She is quick & curious & playful & strong..." somewhere in their writing. This just seems so delightful & a perfect gift to give or get for Christmas. (free ground shipping, too!)

sneak peek.

Just wanted to give you a little sneak peek into our future... this is Ryan & I, & our two vizslas, Senga (& Bruiser) living up north east in our beautiful French country abode. We don't work anymore because we invented something really useful or cured cancer. We do get out, though, in our J. Crew attire for picnics, boat rides, and the like everyday.

Hey, it's Monday... a girl can dream.

{images via Wall Street Journal. ahem, might I add, the only Journalism that tends to never let me down... they unfailingly keep it real, and correct.}

photo ops?

Have any of y'all seen this blog? It is a new fav. People send in "re-created" or "re-staged" pictures from their childhood. I love this idea... I can think of a few that would be pretty awesome to retake with my brother, as well as some pretty ridiculous ones from highschool with my life-long friends. xoxo.

yummy.

This was a nice change up to the week... its got a slight kick of spicy, & a subtle sweetness all in one savory dish. Of course, I never fully stick to the recipe which is not a shock anymore to the hub... I was overly generous with the cinnamon & raisins... It was de-lish. Do try.

Spiced Couscous & Chicken:

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup couscous, preferably whole wheat
• 2 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken (Iud
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins (I used regular raisins.)
• 4 scallions, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping
• Greek yogurt and/or harissa or other hot sauce, for topping

Directions

Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the ginger, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the carrots, reserving the cooking liquid.

Put the couscous and chicken in a medium bowl; pour 1 cup of the hot cooking liquid on top. Stir, then cover tightly with plastic wrapand let sit 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, raisins, scallions and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, stirring, until the nuts are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

Divide the couscous and chicken among bowls. Top with the carrots and more of the cooking liquid. Sprinkle with the almond mixture and more cilantro. Top with yogurt and/or harissa.

{via Food Network Magazine.}

wordless wednesday.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, & discerning if he holds his tongue. - Proverbs 17:28

love.

organized, clean chaos.

I love nothing more than stacks & stacks of dishes... and white, chic kitchens. There is something I am always drawn to when it comes to a great image of monochromatic, organized chaos. {Yes, English teachers, I am fully aware this is an oxymoron.} I love when a home looks clean & neat... but lived in & loved.

I am obviously not one for the modern or minimalistic... give me loads of texture, tons of warmth, over the top -tall stacks, homey goodness, earthy tones, bold patterns, neutral finishes, monochromatic colors, plush sofas, and a welcoming environment-- Organized, clean chaos at its finest & a place I can sigh and call home.

Happy Hump Day! I know I have been very MIA... my life has been dedicated to work & the NM Legendary Christmas Book Window Unveiling {my little baby}, as of late. Yep, Christmas starts early in retail... try early as in, last February. How I don't turn into a grinch by the time December rolls around is still a mystery to me!

It's fall y'all!

{first 4 images: Fall @ the Fraziers, last 8 images, from Martha & various others}

Its finally brisk outside... I broke out the fall decorations yesterday & purchased the first of many (& have almost completed) jumbo bags of candy corn for the season. My thoughtful mom surprised me with the beautiful pumpkin loaf pan from Williams Sonoma & Pumpkin Spice bread mix... delish! We ate some smokey cheese and chips & salsa with the football game on, I went to the pumpkin patch & did some fall shopping with my mom, we (see: Ryan) worked in the yard & we (see: me) decorated the front porch, and drank some hot spiced tea late last night.

This is absolutely my favorite time of the year... the weather, the fashion (boots!), the food, the football, the fair, etc. I adore it...

& here's a yummy-looking adult Apple cider Recipe to kick - start your fall season, adapted from Martha. I am dying to try this soon...

Mulled Spiced Cider

2 quarts fresh apple cider (in a pinch, jarred from the grocery will do the trick)
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks + 10 for garnish (1 per mug)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash nutmeg
1 1/2 ounces rum (sometimes I substitute Spiced Rum for extra flavor)
With cloves and allspice in a teaball, cook all ingredients in a crockpot on low 2-8 hours (it smells divine!). Stir occasionally to dissolve sugar. Want to make it quicker? Just warm in a medium size pot on the stove on low heat 20 - 30 minutes or until your concoction is simmering & the sugar is melted. At this point, add 1 1/2 ounces (Bacardi) Gold Rum per mugful when poured. If pouring into a thermos, combine and pour at the end; just don’t cook the rum. Serves 10.

Happy Fall Monday!

the chair.

Finally, here is my birthday present... our wingback recovered! I am in love! I wanted a pattern that was bold, but not too bold or too trendy where I would grow tired of it over the years. I also wanted a color/pattern I could move from room to room and not pigeon hole myself. We are really happy with it... if you need a very reasonable re- upholsterer in Dallas, I have got the place!

I also sewed some pillows to tie in more of the gray/ blue color... I fell in love with the fabric, but it didn't work on the chair, so I moved it to some pillows on the sofa...

and a for neckroll-ish pillow for the bench...

I also sewed a blue/creme pillow in a coordinating fabric for Senga to lay her little head on this winter. We pulled the colored rug out of this room, moved it to our bedroom, and pulled this one in from the garage. We had it in here a few years ago, but at the time, it seemed too dull and needed more color... now, we have color elsewhere, so this little thing made a reappearance to tone & calm the room back down. I love it now, it is more peaceful and seems to fir out taste & personalities more.

Happy late birthday to me & happy, happy Tuesday!