currently reading...

i've  heard so many good things about this book, and well, kite runner might just be one of the best books i've ever read. i'm excited to jump into this book this weekend...

joy sessions...

pet lovers around the world will tell you their dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, etc are like their fur-children, as if they were humans. and if you've ever had to say goodbye to one you know how difficult it can be to let go of your best friend, your baby. Not that long ago i said goodbye to my sweet westie, mac. mac entered my life shortly after my parents divorce, moved to every new town we did, and even did a brief stint in college with me. 18 long loved years later, i flew down to nashville where he had retired with my parents, to say goodbye to my sweet boy. he passed on the very next morning after i left. i still have a lock of his white fur, his collar, and his ashes tucked away in a special spot...

i read about 'joy sessions' on the today show's website and could not have thought of a more lovely idea if i tried. what a way to honor the ones we love so fiercely who are only here for a short time so they can live on with us. i'm so happy to hear that there is a network of photographers who offer this service too...

the gift of randomness...

last valentine's day the husband got me the most random gift ever, so random i wasn't even sure what it was. he said i'm hard to shop for because i have everything...i beg to differ. however, i liked that he thought outside the box, and i love my little marimo moss ball...and yes, it's still alive...

marimo moss ball

uncommongoods is a great one stop shop for all your unique/random gift giving needs. i was reminded of this when their catalogue (along with 5 million other catalogues) arrived in the mail yesterday. with the holidays coming up i'm pretty sure you could find something for everyone on your list just on their website alone. here is a sampling of the kinds of fun things they offer...

diy lip balm kit

cardboard animal heads

pet print ornament

whiskey ice balls

wooden beer tote

flavored salts

talk dock

mason jar speaker/amplifier

wooden cuff bracelet

portable ping pong set

mustachifier

diaper cover

aquafarm

diy carve-a-stamp kit

pick punch

suspended coffee...

as someone who buys coffee on almost a daily basis, because coffee break is the holy grail of the construction industry, i was profoundly touched by this story, and think that every dunkin donuts & starbucks in boston (or any major city where homelessness is a real issue) should be doing this. i'd gladly buy a 'suspended coffee' each day...how do we get this ball rolling here???...

"We enter a little coffeehouse with a friend of mine and give our order. While we're approaching our table two people come in and they go to the counter - 'Five coffees, please. Two of them for us and three suspended' 

They pay for their order, take the two and leave. I ask my friend:
'What are those 'suspended' coffees?' 

'Wait for it and you will see' 

Some more people enter. Two girls ask for one coffee each, pay and go. The next order was for seven coffees and it was made by three lawyers - three for them and four 'suspended'.  

While I still wonder what's the deal with those 'suspended' coffees I enjoy the sunny weather and the beautiful view towards the square in front of the cafe. Suddenly a man dressed in shabby clothes who looks like a beggar comes in through the door and kindly asks, 'Do you have a suspended coffee?' 

It's simple - people pay in advance for a coffee meant for someone who can not afford a warm beverage. The tradition with the suspended coffees started in Naples, but it has spread all over the world and in some places you can order not only a suspended coffee, but also a sandwich or a whole meal."     

(story via Wimp.com)

fleece lined...

if you live in new england you know the value of a good pair of fleece or flannel lined pants in the winter. the husband is a big fan of j. crew's flannel lined chino's...

myself, i prefer leggings and a longer cardigan look, so when i came across these ilux fleece lined leggings, well, let's just say they got added to my list for good ole' santa...

soup to warm your bones...

It definitely felt like a soup day yesterday, so i attempted to make a butternut squash & apple soup. i've never made this kind of soup before and i was pretty please with the taste & consistency... also, this was probably the most easy soup recipe i've ever made, no lie.

image courtesy of simply recipes

INGREDIENTS1 large yellow onion, chopped2 ribs of celery, chopped1 carrot, chopped2 tbsp butter2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, chopped (I bought pre-pacakged chopped from Trader Joe's)2 green apples, peeled, cored, chopped3 cups chicken broth1 cup water3/4 cup agave nectar (but i used more like 1 cup)pinch of cinnamon & nutmeg

Directions

1. Set a large saucepan over medium-high heat and heat the butter for 1-2 minutes. Do not let it turn brown. Add the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes (just to soften).

2. Add squash, apple, broth and water. Bring to boil. Cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until squash and carrots soften. Puree (i used my immersion blender) until smooth.

3. Add agave nectar, salt and spices to taste.

my heart...

“Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would, I'd never leave.” 

- A.A. Milne

santa is bringing me this...

if ever there was a sales pitch, last night on 60 minutes sealed the deal for me and the go pro camera. they featured the CEO of the go pro camera and his invention that seems so obvious yet no one ever created such a product...and i'm hooked. i told my husband i wanted to one for xmas and all night i thought about the ridiculous things i could capture on the camera (mostly my ideas involved strapping this thing to my dog to get a hanks-eye view of the world)....

currently reading...

my co-worker and i have very similar tastes in books, and since she clearly reads more than me, she always drops her latest & greatest on my desk to have a go at. the most recent was me before you by jojo moyes. i kid you not, i read this book in less than 5 hours. i could not put it down and i wanted the book to continue forever...but clearly it couldn't if you've read the ending. by the end of the book i was sobbing, a full on ugly cry. my heart was breaking for the main female character, i literally felt her pain, the unjustness of it all. i think this is going to be a book group book for my gals coming up, i'll insist on it!...

since i finished this book entirely too fast and needed something to keep my mind occupied on a short flight, i picked up the death of bees by lisa o'donnell. i hadn't heard of this book before but i was drawn to the cover...yes, i judge books based on their covers. so far it's not bad, in a not-bad-for-a-book-i-picked-up-in-the-airport sort of way...

playing in my head...

now that its getting colder & darker, i'm heading up to bed a bit earlier to watch some tv beneath the warmth of our flannel sheets. last night i turned on the voice and caught this great rendition of joni mithcell's a case of you by contestant james wolpert. when i was in high school i used to be obsessed with joni mitchell, like in a hippie-wanna-be kind of way. i'd have her music on repeat in my bedroom, with the door locked, while my sister was outside the door calling me a total weirdo (come to think of it, not much has changed since then!)...

my head is exploding...

...our wedding has been featured on style me pretty wedding blog today... i'm so excited and flattered...

...a huge thank you & congratulations to our wonderful photographers Courtney & Patrick too!

socks for your boots...

i love a good boot sock as much as the next girl, and boden doesn't disappoint with theirs...but $48 per pair??? i get they are cashmere, but they'd better also have threads made of gold for that price...