Great House - Great Book

I'm sure most of you have read The History of Love,  (and if you haven't, stop what you are doing right now and read it. Seriously.) but have you read Nicole Krauss' newest book Great House? I just finished it this week and I was not disappointed.  After The History of Love, I wasn't sure what to expect because nothing could top that book, but Great House definitely came close.  The way she writes is so incredibly beautiful and fluid - I was totally captivated after the first few pages. It was so good that I am not even upset about the $1.40 late fee I incurred from the library for not returning it on time.

Happy Weekend!

We are supposed to get more snow in Chicago this weekend, but I am determined not to let the snow get me down and to still have a productive couple of days.  I might hibernate this evening but I plan on braving the cold tomorrow!  My plans include:

Curling up on the couch tonight with some take-out and Paul Rudd.

Meeting with my French instructor for a lesson over coffee and petite madeleines.

Leisurely lunch and drinks with some fabulous girlfriends

Image found here.

Revamping and reorganizing our messy medicine cabinet
with this inspiration from Martha.

A perfect mix of fun and productivity for my last January weekend!

Cheese and Betty

What to do when your boyfriend who cooks dinner for you every night is out of town?  My solution is simple...wine, cheese, bread, some fruit and a Netflix marathon of Ugly Betty.

Does anyone miss Ugly Betty as much as me? I loved the playful yet chic sets and Amanda's uber stylish wardrobe that had me drooling every episode. It's one show I could watch over and over again - it always puts a smile on my face!

Photos of the Ugly Betty set via feature in Interior Design magazine.

Photos of Amanda's fab ensembles via Posh24

Champagne Cake

YES please! I am such a champagne junky and combining it with cake just sounds like the ultimate treat to me.

I came across this amazing discovery from Apollinas who made herself a stunning Miu Miu inspired birthday cake (covered in edible glitter = awesome!!).  The cake flavor? Pink Champagne! She incorporated some yummy peach preserves and vanilla buttercream. Mmmm sounds delish!

Image via Apollinas

I found out she used this recipe from Simply Decorated (which originally came from Cuisine at Home) as her basis for the cake, and gave it her own twist. What a perfect treat!

Combat Boots Conflict

I'm really digging the combat boots trend lately.  I love the way they can give a simple, casual outfit an edgier look.  I find myself gawking at them everywhere. 

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

As much as I want a pair for myself, I'm not sure if I would wear them enough to justify buying them.  So I think a good way to ease into this would be with a more inexpensive pair to give myself a bit of a test drive.   These Wild Diva Tina boots from Urbanog would be a great start!  At only $28.90, I would definitely get my moneys worth out of these!

Image Via Urbanog

Jelly Bean Music

I just saw this video by Kina Grannis for the first time yesterday and I was totally awestruck.  The entire video is made from jelly beans!!  Apparently it took about 2 years to create, but in my opinion - it was totally worth it!  Not only is the video amazing, but I love the song too!  I think I might have to check out her album...enjoy!

Olive This

We all watched the heartwarming "Olive Juice" scenes from The Other Sister and cried with big goofy smiles on our faces.  That's how I felt when I first saw this pillow from OliveHandmade on Etsy.  It would put a smile on my face every day with this on my couch :)

Image via OliveHandmade on Etsy

Awesome

Image via Claires Diner

A Few of My Favorite Things

Big Cozy Sweaters, Mulled Wine and Ear Muffs.

 

All images via Pinterest.

Snow!

First snow of the season in Chicago today!  Word on the street is that this is supposed to be our worst winter yet!  Get ready everyone...

Image via Pinterest