Mad for Plaid

There's nothing better than pulling out the plaid when cooler weather rolls around. I'm loving Madewell's selection of tops, scarves, and one gorgeous coat.

Getaways, Giveaways, and Goodness

I'm back after a wonderful visit with the parents, a weekend adventure in Vancouver, and incredible meals at Dahlia, Quinn's, and Art just to name a few. Perfect weather, amazing food, and great company.

Congrats go out to The Blonde Duck of A Duck in Her Pond. She's the winner of last week's QuietAnimals giveaway!

And in other good news, I got a job! It seems like a great fit and not scouring job websites feels really good after two and a half months of searching. I start next week.

Headed North

I'm headed to Vancouver tonight with the parents and husband. I hope to return with lots of pictures and a really awesome Canadian accent. Have a wonderful weekend!

Enter that giveaway if you haven't already.

Homemade Ice Cream Experiments: Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet

My dad's birthday was yesterday, but he and my mom just arrived in Seattle, so we're celebrating today. He's not much of a sweet tooth, so I decided to make a lemon buttermilk (two tastes he likes) sherbet. The tart and tangy flavor is so unusual. It's growing on me with every bite. If you need a little added sweetness, like me and my mom, creamy caramel sauce does the trick.


Happy Birthday, Dad!


Lemon-Buttermilk Sherbet
Recipe courtesy of The Perfect Scoop
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

In a medium, non-reactive saucepan, mix the water and sugar. Grate the zest of the lemon directly into the saucepan. Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let stand until the syrup reaches room temperature. Then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Whisk the buttermilk into the syrup, then whisk in the lemon juice. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Tuesday Giveaway!

Updated: The Blonde Duck of A Duck in Her Pond is the winner!

Happy Fall! Today, I've got a giveaway for you from Etsy shop QuietAnimals. Atlanta-based seller Jeanette makes the most darling pottery, some of which features these sweet little animals. Currently, she has a menagerie of rabbits, hedgehogs, birds, mice, owls, and squirrels. These small dishes would be the perfect place to keep your rings, rest a spoon, or serve up a handful of candy.

Check out QuietAnimals, then leave a comment below before midnight on Sunday, September 27th. You could win one small dish featuring the animal of your choice. One lucky recipient will be chosen at random.

Stylish Storage

Hope you all had lovely weekends! I spent my Saturday cleaning the apartment since my parents will be visiting this week. A good chunk of time was devoted to the jumbled mess of jewelry in my nightstand drawer, which has me hunting for a more organized solution. I really like the look and the price of this weathered jewelry cabinet from Urban Outfitters, and Pottery Barn Teen (don't laugh) has several cute options, including this jewelry tower lined with cheery green fabric. And though it's not completely practical, I love the idea of housing jewelry in a drawer filled with mismatched teacups and saucers à la Martha Stewart. Where do you keep your valuables?

Perfect Pound Cake

Pound cake is one of those desserts that is great by itself or all dressed up. I like it toasted and buttered for breakfast, buried in fruit and whipped cream for dessert, and in slivers and crumbs for midnight snacks. This basic recipe from Paula Deen is easy and tasty, and nothing beats that crunchy crust.


Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter
3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine and cream the butter, sugar, and add the sour cream. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add the sifted flour to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg one at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes. (I opted for two loaf pans, which brought the cooking time down to an hour.)