Paper lanterns are a great way to create high visual impact when decorating for holidays, events and occasions. Try this easy and inexpensive way to change up the look and up the cute factor by simply gluing cupcake liners on the glowing globes (okay, not all of them light up, but I liked the sound of “glowing globes”). Step by step below. As noted in my “Birthday Banner” post (here), I wanted to do some advance preparation in order to be ready for a stress-free party for Ella (see how well that worked out for me in next week’s “Leisure” post), which was the motivation for this project. I added in some Halloween-themed ones as well, to have ready for the evening of trick-or-treating. It’s on a Friday this year, so may as well put in some effort. In years past we’ve been known to put a bowl of candy on the front stoop. Yeah, we’re “that” house. Not this year!
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October 2014 archive
Justifying the Jumper
Ella has a gray stripe romper that has “FUN” splashed across the front. I’m not sure what it is about this particular romper, but it makes everyone smile. It also makes every woman who has seen her in it say something along the lines of “I could never pull off something like that.” That is my overriding thought when I see any romper/jumper. A few months back I convinced myself (with some help from the lovely ladies at the store) to buy this basic black jumper. It sat in my closet for quite a while, but I thought I would give it a whirl on a recent date night. I highly recommend date nights (see “Checking In” post here) but admit that they can be tough to pull off – rushing home from work, getting the babysitter set up for some level of success, and heading out to a dinner reservation leaves little time for prep. A jumper is a nice alternative to a dress but has the same time-saving benefit of not needing to figure out a top to go with a bottom.
Michael Kors jumper (long sleeve version here, and similar here) | Tory Burch sunglasses | Anthropologie earrings | Banana Republic necklace | Ann Taylor belt | kate spade new york purse (similar here) | Banana Republic shoes | Michael Kors watch | J Crew bracelets
Corn and Cauliflower Tacos
Can a person stalk a cookbook? I feel like posting twice in the span of a month about dishes I’ve tried from The Forest Feast is a bit excessive, but I wanted to share these delicious corn and cauliflower tacos (recipe here and below) before fresh sweet corn is out of season. The nuttiness of the roasted cauliflower, sweetness of the nearly caramelized corn, kick of the spices and saltiness of the feta makes for an awesome combination. Read on for more about these fabulous and fresh tacos, and why I find them so surprisingly good.
A pretty dish, made even prettier by this Anthropologie plate.
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