And I may have made an audible squeal when I saw that West Elm brought back the "oh Kale yeah" bag. I am thrilled. Does anyone else want to re-decorate their home with their Market line? Because I do.
You know you love them too! I mean really there are a plethora of uses for these bags: farmer's market, grocery store, baby bag, school bag. I truly believe everyone can find a use for one more cotton canvas bag in their life.
It's fall and you know what that means? Pumpkin flavors are abound. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin flavored beer, pumpkin oatmeal. It seems as if you cannot escape it. And you know what? I love it! Pumpkin is inextricably tied to fall which happens to be one of my all time favorite seasons. I love the crisp fall air and the crunch of the leaves under foot and I love the warm, earthy flavors that dominate the seasonal food of a New England fall.
So when I came across a recipe for pumpkin granola I knew that I would be mixing up a batch in my kitchen. I really was not sure how it would come out. I was worried that the pumpkin puree would keep the oats too damp to crisp up properly but let me tell you how wrong I was! The result is a crisp, slightly sweet, hint of pumpkin crunchy delight that is fabulous for snacking and goes beautifully with your favorite yogurt.
Gather:
1 cup pumpkin puree
11/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
a pinch of ground clove
1/3 cup of vegetable oil or mild olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
11/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup wheatgerm
11/2-2 cups dried, sweetened cranberries
Do:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, clove, oil, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine.
Stir in the oats, almonds, coconut, and wheatgerm.
Divide the mixture between two baking sheets and bake 45-60 mins, stirring occasionally until everything is golden and toasty and the granola is dry.
Let cool completely on baking sheets.
Transfer to a larger ziploc bag and shake with the cranberries until all incorporated.
Ok, so I have shown you what Oliver will be for Halloween but what about me? I adore coming up with costumes for Ollie but I always struggle with what I should do. I don't want anything too fussy and I want to be able to tuck it away and pull it out year after year. A witch's hat? A pair of cowboy boots? Nope. A red cape made from a bright red twin flat sheet from the Ikea sale bin? Yes! And in the blink of an eye I become: Little Red Riding Hood!
So, if you too are looking for an easy, yet fabulous Halloween costume then follow along below.
Gather:
11/2 yards of cotton, velvet, fleece fabric (I used a cotton twin flat sheet)
sewing machine or fabric glue
scissors
Do:
Cut out two pieces of fabric: one, 36x12" and the second, 49x42" (this makes a medium length cape so lengthen or shorten as you deem fit)
Now you take you larger piece (49x42") and fold the 42" side down about 2", then you are going to cut a small cut at 1" and then every 2"'s thereafter until you reach the end of the fabric. Set this aside.
Next you are going to take the 36x12" piece of fabric and fold it in half. Sew or fabric glue one of the long sides, this will become the back of the hood. Once sew or glued, fold down the short end about 1" and repeat the cutting technique from above; first cut at 1" inch and continue every 2" until at the end.
Cut a 1" wide piece of fabric from you scraps about 40" or so. Or you could use a ribbon.
Lay the bottom of the cape flat and line up the hood with the seam facing down. Find you two 1" spaced cuts and weave your piece of fabric or ribbon through both the cape and the hood then continue weaving in and out of the cuts until you reach the end. Scrunch the cape so that is becomes flush with the hood. And voila! You are finished. Place the hood on you head, tie with a bow and drape over you shoulders.
Tada! Ready to go. You can really wear this with whatever you want but you could wear a dress with tights to complete the look and carry a sweet little basket.
I am a Bostonian, therefore i am thrilled about the Boston Red Sox appearing in the World Series! And just like in 2004, there was the "Cowboy Up" phrase being thrown all over the city this time it is facial hair and "fear the beard". Boston guys are jumping on the bandwagon and growing impressive amounts of facial hair to support and show their undying devotion to their hometown team. The only thing about this whole "fear the beard" bit is that i lived in San Francisco in 2011 when the Giants played in the World Series and so i really do consider Brian Wilson to be the man with "the" beard. But hey whatever works in sports, right?!
Next up is the most amazing, hilarious, and redemptive video I have seen in a long time. That being said unless you have had a baby and endured labor then you probably won't get as much joy out of this as I did. In this video two men and dads volunteer to have electrodes attached to their abdomens to simulate the pain of contractions. amazing. hilarious. and spot on reactions ensure. Seriously, watch it.
And now onto the last link this week. A bit of fashion. So you know when you find a pair of shoes that you love and wish you had bought three pairs of? These boots win that prize for me right now. They are comfortable. I can wear socks with them and they look great with jeans and leggings, it's a win win. And here is the real kicker, they are on SALE.
Even though everyone has a smartphone in their pocket and can swipe, record, and collate list at the touch of a button, I still really enjoy a tangible to-do list. There is something about putting something, anything down in ink and then once the goal is accomplished the gratification that comes with scratching it off the list! It is the simple things for me, really. So with that being said I also adore paper products. In fact it is a bit of a vice for me. I always have a notebook in my bag, car, next to the bed, and in the kitchen. And if I see a cute notebook I will probably purchase it even if I do not need another one!
A company that I have adored pretty much from first sight is Rifle Paper Co. The company is a husband and wife team and all of their designs are bold and graphic but also have a strong pull from nature. I currently have one of their iPhone covers, a cheeky notepad in my kitchen, and a bold floral one in my bag, see I told you, a bit obsessed.
Hi, I'm Alice. I love coffee, art, and my boys. As an art curator turned stay-at-home mama this is the place where i chronicle my adventures in the everyday. say hello
Picking the perfect treat to have after dinner. 
