what a steal...

during a browse for affordable, chic lighting i came across these stylish little beauties at lamps plus! the image makes them look sort of mercury-glass-ish, but they are actually chrome and at $69.95 for a set of two, you could even switch out the lamp shades. i'd probably swap them for something more like this or maybe even something with a bit of classy trim like these (loving the nod to french linens).

c o n f e s s i o n...

...i'm crazy about rompers. i just picked up this little baby from target for just $18 - it's purple and grey plaid and i promise it looks much cuter in person (less ultraviolet). i can't wait to wear it!

have you tried a summer romper?

flores lawn chair

i'm taking a break from my autocad frustration to admire these perfectly feminine, handmade, iron garden chairs from anthropologie. which color is your favorite?

if you're a bird, i'm a bird

isn't this the most adorable table lamp you've ever seen? i love it as the large birdcage pendant and i just got to see the apple pendant in person and i preeeetty much melted. so sweet.

images via: sincerely, cecelia

 

 images via: challieres paris

p.s. a million points to whoever can guess what movie the title of this post came from...GO!

loves from lonny magazine

i always get so excited when a new issue of lonny comes out and as usual, this time around did not disappoint. as a matter of fact i was even more excited about this issue because a friend of a dear friend, fellow fidm interior design graduate and fabulous blogger jessica of destined to design was featured on page 158 as one of ellie's favorite bloggers! so exciting. here are a few tidbits that i admired from the issue...

ellie somerville's stunning new york apartment (pg. 143)...

ellie's key design picks (pg. 160-162)...

tom and drew's weekend house in the hamptons (pg. 163)...

this gorgeous vignette (pg. 217)...

i've got my eye on...

this crisp, white linen blazer from ruche. what a easygoing piece, just perfect for summer...

guest blog post: my favorite destination

good morning friends! a few weeks ago i was asked by erin of apartment 34 to do a guest post while she is away on her honeymoon in europe - the topic for the post: my dream destination. my post is being featured today so make sure to stop by and check it out! xoxo

a little sunshine

i've recently been drawn to yellow - it's so cheerful and fresh! there is not one thing that i dislike about this space from the little globe lightbulbs on that fabulous chandelier and the gorgeous yellow chinese chippendale chairs to the pops of turquoise and that spectacular chevron rug. can i move in now?

image via: jonathan adler via apartment therapy

found via: holley & gill

on etsy: golly bard

i'm totally drawn to these charming nature inspired watercolor/ink pieces by gollybard....they are so simple, yet so detailed.

log no.16

nest no.8

birches no.2

jar of love no.33

sunday recipe: cupcake heaven

i'm going to forget about my healthy eating goals for just a moment...

i was absolutely speechless when i came across this recipe from the adorable sarah of 20 something cupcakes. s p e e c h l e s s. feast your eyes on her incredibly original recipe for cinnamon sugar coffee cupcake heaven...

sugar donut cupcakes
[in sarah's words]

> 3/4 cup sugar
> 1 large egg
> 1 1/2 cups cake flour
> 2 tsp baking power
> 1/4 tsp salt
> 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
> 1/4 cup vegetable oil
> 3/4 cup buttermilk
> 1 tsp vanilla extract
> 3 tbsp butter, melted
> 3/4 cup sugar, for rolling
  
to make the cupcakes:

preheat your oven to 350F. lightly grease your muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil. in a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg until nice and light in color. in a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. since i never have cake flour on hand, i make it myself using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. just replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cornstarch, for each cup you need. sift together a few times – i probably went for 5; the more you sift, the closer to cake flour it becomes. now pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine. pour in vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract – stir until just combined. don’t overmix, lovelies.

divide batter evenly into 10  cups, filling each about 3/4 full. bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

while your cupcakes are baking, melt the butter and pour the remaining sugar into a small bowl. when the cupcakes are done, remove from the pan and let them sit for a few minutes. now, roll them in the melted butter and then in the sugar. cool completely on a wire rack.

time to make some freshly whipped cream:

making whipped cream is so super-easy that once you’ve done it once, it can be a little dangerous. all you do is beat some heavy cream in a bowl, and add a bit of sugar – like this. i also added a bit of cinnamon.

now, for the ice cream:

first, take your ice cream out of the freezer and let in soften for about 10 minutes. i used häagen-dazs because i find it to be the best coffee ice cream ever made, but you could use something else or make your own.

cut your cupcakes in half. first, add a dollop of your cinnamon-sugar whipped cream to the top half of the cupcakes. you can do this with a pastry bag and a large tip, or by cutting a little hole in a plastic bag. here is a fab tutorial on working with a pastry bag – and don’t feel bad if you make a mess and hate life when you’re using it. i still can’t seem to figure the damned thing out.


now, take a small scoop of ice cream and place onto the bottom half of the cupcake. place your frosted top on your ice creamed-bottom, and you’re good to go. just sprinkle with some cinnamon-sugar and D.I.E.

recipe + image via: 20 something cupcakes