I’ve never had a macaron; however, I’m becoming obsessed with them. I think it’s due to the colors and design element. The are adorable and I want to pop one (or several) in my mouth.
Another delicious looking food photo:
I feel some baking coming on!
With the weather beginning to change, it’s almost time to do 2 very important things. 1) Get out the heavy comforter. 2) Change out my wardrobe. Number 2 really has me fantasizing about being the owner of a beautiful, organized closet. One day….perhaps.
Here are some of my favorite closets:
I’m always envious when I see mood boards online. I’ve been wanting to do one for ages; however, I don’t have Photoshop. So, I started looking into other options. The site Polyvore.com offers a free editing software. You can find images online, use your own, or browse images that other Polyvore users have uploaded. You can then create a digital mood board featuring home decor, fashion, design, or anything your heart desires. There’s also another site that let’s you create digital mood boards called SampleBoard.com. SampleBoard has a Basic Creator program, which is free, and an Ultimate Creator program, which is more robust, but not free (1 month recurring – $10, 6 months recurring – $50, 1 year recurring – $90). You could try out the free Basic Creator and then take the free 30 day trial of the Ultimate Creator for a spin and see if it’s worth it or not. Plus, Youtube has tutorials to show you how to use both (see below):
Polyvore
SampleBoard
Thinking about having some people over to try this out:
TheKitchn.com posted the recipe below on their site and the Fall weather is demanding that I drink this.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
makes 1-2 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin OR 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup (your choice)
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute – you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don’t have an espresso machine.)
Directions:
In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don’t have a blender, don’t worry about it – just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.
Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.
Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.
A friend of mine wants to do her guest bedroom in the Marrakesh style. I’m scouring the internet for sites and images that will, hopefully, inspire me. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
A Berber carpet from Red Thread Souk
Bedroom Inspiration from Dar Les Cigognes: 
That’s as far as I’ve gotten 
Need to do some major researching to find more images.
Maybe it will help to read this book:
I just noticed this delightful looking piece of porch furniture on www.trendir.com and I wish I could try it out. It’s called SIGHT by Tim Kerp. It looks like a little bird’s nest for you to crawl in with a book and a glass of wine or with your sweetheart for snuggling. It helps create a private setting when one is lacking. So, if you live on a busy street and want a chance to stare peacefully at an area of your choosing without being seen, then this is the piece of furniture for you. My guess is you could also use this to hide from the kids.
I’ve been debating this magnetic knife holder thing for quite awhile. They look sleek, sophisticated, clean, practical, and it’s one less thing taking up counter space; however, I still worry about the knives falling off the magnetic strip for some odd reason. This “PUUKKO” KNIFE HOLDER from Uusi makes me think a knife in the foot might be alright.
A friend recently got me hooked on the super cute home decor blog called Young House Love. An adorable couple walks you through their adventure (and sometimes misadventure sprucing up their home. They do a lot of DIY projects, add in some renovation, and sprinkle of a little home decor. They also get to peek inside other people’s homes to see what they’ve been up to. I love seeing their before and after pictures. It’s very inspiring and make me want to renovate and decorate! Check out the picture of the adorable couple below and see a tour of their house.
The YHL House Tour 2010 from Young House Love on Vimeo.
Bottle Grinder by Menu (available online at Amazon for $45)
The Norm Bottle Grinder is designed to intrigue your senses and leave you curious – build for high performance with a powerful expression and a shape that shares DNA with the silhouette of a water bottle.
It leaves a powerful first impression due to sheer size and intensity and an upside down design secures that salt or pepper sprinkles out, when you grind only. This way the grinder leaves no marks of salt or pepper on the table or in the kitchen.
Design: Norm (DK)
The days of the clunky shade tent are finally over! Please make way for the elegantly understated Sombrilla, made by the Australian company Hollie & Harrie. The Sombrilla is the only tent I’ve found that seems stylish and practical. It’s lightweight, easy to carry, and a cinch to set up and break down. Plus, the Sombrilla is made from 100% cotton and is 95% UV protected (tested by ARPANSA). The Sombrilla costs $150 (plus $30 shipping and handling to the US).
Happily stumbled upon the Sombrilla by way of coochicoos.com.
