Twigs & Branches & Sticks, Oh My!

I have decided that wedding flowers can be tricky. All the brides that have already planned a wedding are rolling their eyes with a big fat "duh" right now, but I guess every bride has to figure out things for herself, right? So the on my mind right now is all things floral. First, flowers are expensive. Seriously. And I just can't wrap my head around dropping a house payment on stuff that will die in a week. Plus, I have never been a "traditional flower" kinda girl- I like bright neon greens, berries, and asymmetrical arrangements. So, I have decided we are going to use branches, twigs, & berries along with flowers in our wedding centerpieces. I love how organic and not-too-fussy they look, and they are both budget friendly and perfect for our venue (an outdoorsy 1700's Barn with an authentic thatched roof.) Check out some of my inspiration below.

And those of you who are coming to the wedding, try to act surprised.

XO
-L

Image via Barr Manison (by the talented Abby Daigle)

Image via Indie Bride

Image via Indie Bride

Image via Mod4

Image via Kee to Your Heart Blog

Image via LoveChristie Blog

Cold Weekend, Full Tummies

Good morning! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Mine was great-I saw my very first movie ever in 3-D (Avatar- Loved it!), had some great sushi, and dragged my BFF Laine to a cheesy bridal show-so fun! And I cooked a lot. Not so good for the bridal diet, but oh so yummy for a cold yucky weekend. Please enjoy two of my fave recipes from the weekend...

XO
-L

Pretty Healthy Banana Bread

2/3 cup sugar
1/8 cup apple sauce
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup soy milk
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and apple sauce until smooth and creamy.
Add in the eggs, water and bananas with the sugar mixture and blend.
Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder just until the mixture is moistened.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degree C) for about 45-50 minutes.
Bread is done when the top is firm to the touch and a golden brown color.
(I had to use the broiler for 1 minute to get the top to brown because of the applesauce.)
Time will vary according to loaf size and oven type.

Let it cool on a rack then enjoy with butter and yummy coffee.

Three Bean Slow Cooker Chili

(from Crock Pot's Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes Cookbook)

My future mother-in-law gave me an awesome slow cooker cookbook for Christmas and I use it at least once a week. This chili recipe is one of my favorite things I have made from this little book. Perfect to satisfy my fiancé's need for meat at dinner without sending the calorie count over the edge. And it practically makes itself! Yum!

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) diced mild green chiles
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
salt to taste

Cook and stir turkey and onion in medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until turkey is no longer pink. Drain and discard fat. Transfer to CROCK-POT® slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cover; cook on HIGH 6 to 8 hours.

Fashion Fix Friday: Bows on a Budget

Wouldn't we all love to have a closet full of Louboutins and Manolos? Yeah, but last time I checked my name is not J.Lo or SJP. So, in the interest of my wallet (and my fiance not killing me), I have to shoe shop on a budget. I am using all the wedding parties and fun (ahem, bachelorette party!) to invest in some new fancy footwear, and have fallen in love with a pair of pink Miu Miu's and some gorgeous gold Valentino's. See the originals below and my picks for look-a-likes that we mere mortals can afford.

Happy Friday shoe shopping all!
XO 

Miu Miu Bow Pump in Light Pink- $560 (here.)
Totally affordable right? Um.... 

Guess Syria Pink Leather Bow Pump-$69.50 (here.)
Love these! They are the perfect bubble gum pink color, in a rich leather with a yummy girly bow.
I adore the Miu Miu ones, but these are so cute and way more affordable. 

Christian Louboutin Bow T Dorcet (around $900-eek!) but sold out everywhere...
I blame Chloe for my obsession with these. Hot Damn.
But so not in the budget! 

Paris Hilton Senorita Peep Toe Pumps- $89 (here.)
While I really don't want to put extra cash in the socialite's already well-lined pockets (ugh), these are just too cute (and too close to the Valentino's) to ignore. PI adore the pink soles, plus the gold will literally go with everything!

Makeover Time!

Welcome to my new blog! Everyone needs a makeover every once in a while, right? And this little blog is no exception. Which is why I cleaned up, redesigned, and even got my own domain name. Because I am a professional blogger! Ok, maybe not, but I love it and can't wait to share another year of all things pretty with you. So please, come on in and I hope you enjoy!

XO
-L 

7 Rules to Understand Design & Designers

I almost passed out from the awesomeness. How lovely would this be in a studio?

I also need these.

That is all.

XO