Happy Halloween Weekend

I really excited about this Halloween weekend - not really sure why....maybe it's the sugar rush from all the M&M's that I had this afternoon, my co-worker dressed as a parrot, or the awesome temporary tattoo of a vampire bite that I'm wearing. Whatever it is, I'm feeling the Halloween spirit. Here's wishing you a scary and spooky Halloween! Boo!

Home Inspiration

I love collecting rooms for my future home!

via:  my home ideas

via:  la la lovely

via:  la la lovely

I fully anticipate revisiting all these posts one day when I'm redecorating or building a house! It's nice having them all collected in one place. It gives me peace of mind to know that I have my inspirations recorded.

Ummm...

Apartment Therapy

Love, love that chandelier!

Wine Ice Cubes

If you didn't know, I love wine!  But sometimes once I've uncorked a bottle I'm unable to finish it within a few days.  I hate opening a bottle and letting any of it go to waste!

Solution:

Wine Ice Cubes

 - to use the next time a recipe calls for just a little bit of wine!

Genius!

Calling Blair Waldorf

Awesome headband by Jennifer Ouellette

Note to Self

Whitney - Learn to take pictures like Jenifer Altman.

I like that dusty/dark finish.
If there is anyone out there reading this that would like to give me lessons, I'm willing and eager to learn.

Bunting

Oh Happy Day

Frenchie & Flea

Spearmint Baby

LoBeheme's Etsy Shop

Oh Sew Sweet Creations' Etsy Shop

These days I've had a thing for bunting and garland.

Inspiration Board - Pink + Black

I wanted to make an inspiration board out of the above pictures, but I don't know how to do that. Does anyone have any suggestions? I tried to use Paint, but that really didn't work out well.

Credits:  Cupcakes from my wedding / Anthropologie cocktail napkins / J. Crew ruffle top / Anthro lamp shade / anemones and ties - unknown / photograph by Petrina Tinslay / Anthro champagne glass / Anthro necklace

Perpetual Calendar

Little Brown Pen

I'm so going to do this when I get my camera! 
*Santa, I've been a very good girl this year!*

Too Much

Dance Shoes, For the Father and the Daughter

I'm sorry, but this is weird!

My weekend was S-L-O-W

I really don't have much a weekend recap.  It was slow.  Omar spent 90% of the weekend working while I cleared out our DVR and worked on my new Facebook account. 

However, on Friday we did attend a city wide BYOB wine event at Fort Mason with our friends Tina and Gordon, and on Saturday Omar took a break from work and we cheered on UT at the Blue Light. 

That was about it - except my miserable fail at making scotch ale, pumpkin & pork stew!  Read about it here.

Happy Monday

Happiness is not a destination.  It is a method of life.  - Burton Hills

10 things that make Whitney terribly happy:

1.  going to sleep with the windows open

2.  waking up to the barking of sea lions (happened this morning)

3.  catching up with college friends - Hi, Kate!

4.  homemade pumpkin treats at work (though very bad for my diet)

5.  weekends when Omar doesn't have to work
6.  wishing on fallen eye lashes
7.  feeling his scruff on my cheek
8.  memories of grandma and grandpa
9.  Friday paydays
10.  anticipation of Christmas

Have a wonderful Halloween week!

Lesson Learned

I learned a blogging lesson this weekend - do no post recipes until you have tried them out yourself. 

Yesterday I tried to make the scotch ale, pumpkin & pork stew that I blogged about the other day, and it was not good.  That blog has been deleted.

Maybe it was because I had to replace the pork for chicken (for Omar), thus turning it into chicken soup...and I don't like chicken soup!  I don't know, but neither Omar or I touched it!

But, hey, I tried  ---  we had grilled cheese instead!

Yesterday was actually an overall bad food day --- on top of having to smell that yicky chicken soup slow cooking most of the day, Omar made us salmon burgers for lunch.  Yeah, I still don't like seafood.  My stomach felt quesy all day.

Fear Fest

Set your DVR because tonight starts AMC's Fear Fest 2009!  8 days of non-stop horror movies. 

Happy Friday

Photos by Max Wanger

Champagne & Cupcakes - recipe for a good Friday night

Proof

Proof that I've been working out!  That's me at the bottom of the screen.  Omar is in the green at the opposite end. We need to flatten out our planks....

Spooky Scarecrow

When we have a front yard one day, I'm totally going to lift this idea.  Spooky!

See detailed instructions at Design Mom.

Dresses make me smile

I love dresses.  I would wear a dress everyday to work if I had enough!

Here's one that I would love to add to my closet. 

Harvey Faircloth - $343
adjustable drawstring neckline

***why is my taste so expensive?  and why is this girl making such a funny face?

Pumpkin Cauldrons

I've had my eye on these pumpkin serving bowls from Crate & Barrel, but I'm not sure if now is the right time to buy.

Maybe instead I could make my own version (found at Brooklyn Limestone).  (I could serve this weekend's soup in a pumpkin!)

Her directions to make your own "pumpkin cauldron" are:

Find the largest pumpkin possible, cut a large round opening at the top, and then thoroughly remove all of the "guts". Make sure to scoop and remove all of the stringy stuff and stray seeds. Then spray the inside and outside and the top of the pumpkin with cooking spray. Place them separately on a large, greased cookie sheet. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and bake the pumpkin for 1 hour, until the outside has turned a dark golden orange color. Remove, and promptly add your chili (or soup!). The pumpkin will not only provide a great conversation piece, it will also help to keep the chili warm, and offer a lovely pouf of steam each time the top is opened.

Where?

Gray Sky Morning

Pure awesome-ness!

Baby, it's cold outside

Platinum: Stadium-cloth Winnie jacket from JCrew ($245)

Gold:  Guess Canary Hooded Toggle Jacket ($129)

enough work - time to go home

New Tattoo!

Tiffany got a tattoo!

(me and Tiffany at my wedding)

This makes me think that maybe I should move forward with my tattoo - a star on my left wrist.

Why did Lindsey Lohan beat me to it?  Is it still cool if I had thought of it before I saw this picture?  I hope so!  (I think I would make my star a little bit bigger.)

Gleeks

Favorite quotes from Glee:

Finn:  I came up with the best baby name of all-time:  Drizzle. 

Sue:  I like minorities so much, I'm thinking of moving to California to become one.

M + D Trip Recap

Thursday - Napa

vacation day for me / M + D only delayed 30 minutes / met up with Brooke in Napa / progressive dinner - wine at P&H, sliders & beers at Napa Valley Grille, venezuelan grilled cheese sandwiches on sweet cornbread at Pica Pica / more catching up

Friday - Napa

long walk through Napa / Randy impressed us in the Caldwell caves / Cheesecake Factory in Corte Madera / shopping / shopping / shopping / relaxed and enjoyed a few bubbles (and pinot) at Domaine Carneros / sat on the front porch and watched gypsy play / homemade spaghetti and meatballs

Saturday - San Francisco

yummy pumpkin bread / rescued Omar from work / exercised through the Marina and Palace of Fine Arts / UT pulls through for Omar / sandwiches from the corner store / girls doing what they do best - shopping and scoring some great deals (hello, new LV) / boys doing what they do best - football / M + D try our their chopstick skills / sushi for everyone / Bolt / Omar falls asleep 1st

Sunday - San Francisco

early morning church / breakfast burritos 'a la me / Omar drops us off in the Haight / walking tour through the Haight-Ashbury (think hippies and victorian homes lived in by rockstars back in the Summer of Love) / Omar picks us up in the Haight / Chicago syle pizza for the table / said our good-byes to Brooke / Fisherman's Warf / smelled the sea lions / saw the sea lions / breath-taking view of San Francisco / night Alcatraz tour

We had a great weekend!  Love you, Mom & Dad.  See  you in New York.