I mean, really, how cute are these?!?

Hope your Thursday is fabulous and precocious,

AND I have found the perfect site to get us in a spring-y state of mind: emersonmade. It’s true, loves, flowers go with everything.

Take, for example, these dahlias:

Aren’t they fabulous, dahlings?!?

Want some pretty vintage prints for your home? Want them for free? Of course you do.

I just stumbled across this neat site called Vintage Printable, and there are tons of goodies. Don’t go there unless you want to get sucked in for a while.

Here are a few of the images I have saved in my “print these someday” folder…

Have fun clicking around and finding lovely prints! And, if you want an entertaining read, check out the creator’s public domain manifesto

Have a sunny Tuesday,

She started with this dated brass number:

+ a drum shade and some fabric

+ an apothecary jar lid

+ silver spray paint

+ some bling {this is turning into a long equation…….luckily I LOVE algebra}

= this oh-so-chic chandelier

Can you believe it’s the same fixture?!? I know – Shock. And. Awe.

Hope your Monday is bright, shiny, and chic,

If you’re like me, you have a dark, distant basement corner stacked high with paint cans from previous projects. You’ve let the pain run all the way down the side of the can, and have no way of keeping track what the lovely hues were used for. Don’t worry, lovelies, no need to cower in shame anymore! Brooklyn Limestone (check out this site – it’s completely fabulous) came up with a fun way to keep paint cans organized and lovely.

Before (this isn’t my basement – trust me, it’s much worse….)

She created these labels

And painted the lids for a larger swatch

Click {here} for the original post AND to download a free template! Thanks to Bryn Alexandra for spreading the word.

Do you think I can bribe G to tackle this project over the weekend? I’ll keep you posted……

Happy Friday!

I need a baby girl stat. Because these. are. so. cute.

There’s also a fantastic sale going on right now – adorable leather shoes for $12.99. That’s a steal.  {Edit! The sale is now closed because Heidi couldn’t keep up with the numerous orders! She plans to have the sale again in a few weeks when she is caught up, so check back! }

I need to stop right now.

Sincerely,

Don’t worry – I actually had a lovely Valentine’s Day with the husband and some great friends who were here from out of town. I just had to share this image from FFFFOUND! I just discovered this site, and it is now like visual crack to me.

Have a happy Monday! Don’t forget to sign up for our amazing GIVEAWAY by redletterwords. Leave a comment on that post (open till Thursday) to win!

You don’t suck,

Exhibit A:

I love this garland – fabulous AND simple {my two favorite things…}. I found it here – stop by and prepare to be inspired. Everything the woman does is chic and fun, in particular her children’s wardrobes. I stopped saving inspiration photos and just bookmarked the whole site!

Dreaming of spring and dry pavement,

I have been desperately needing to post this recipe from Ladies’ Night from a few weeks ago. It has suddenly been balmy outside (umm..well….30 degrees…I’ll take it!), so I need to share this before soup season has ended. Please don’t tell me that we’ve got a long way to go. I like denial.

Anyway.

This French Onion Cider Soup (featured on Simmer Till Done) is so yummy. It’s different. I didn’t know what to expect with the chicken stock and apple cider combo, but the flavors are at once light and deep, and the good, golden cheese on top is a perfect finish. Here are the directions, from Simmer Till Done.

French Onion Cider Soup

• 2 small onions, thinly sliced
• 1 Golden Delicious apple – peeled, cored and diced fine
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 16 oz apple cider
• 1 quart (32 oz) chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• salt & white pepper
• nutmeg
• crusty bread
• sliced Gruyere (or other Swiss cheese)

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the onions and diced apples.  Stir briefly to combine, then cover to let ingredients steam, about 5-7 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.  Remove cover and stir mixture frequently, until onions are deep golden brown and apples soften completely, almost disappearing.

When mixture is a deep golden brown (bottom of pan will also have browning) turn heat to low, then add flour and 1/2 cup of the apple cider, stirring constantly to form a sticky, combined mixture.

Add chicken broth, white wine and remaining apple cider to the pot, deglazing browned pan and stirring onion-apple mixture into broth.  When onions have broken up into the broth, partially cover soup and simmer on low for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, slightly reduced and thickened.  Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste.

To serve:

Preheat broiler. Place oven-safe soup bowls (2-4, depending on portion size) on a rimmed sheet pan.

Place thick chunks of crusty bread (toasted is even better) in bottom of oven-safe soup bowls.  Ladle warm soup over bread to almost, but not quite, fill the bowl.  Top with slices of Gruyere cheese, allowing a slight overhang.  Slide pan with soup bowls under hot broiler to melt cheese.  Watch carefully – cheese will frequently melt, brown and bubble in less than a minute.  Remove carefully from oven, and serve.

Soup (minus bread and cheese) serves 2-4 and keeps, refrigerated, for several days.*

* this is a good soup to make ahead, as flavor only deepens the next day.  Re-warm soup before assembling the bread and cheese bowls, then ladle and serve as directed.

Abbie brought this Upside-Down Tomato Basil Bread (also from Simmer!). Mmm.

Speaking of Abbie, the honorary Homage  breadmaker – she just started her own food blog with an adorable name: Simple Kneads. Check it out for great step-by-step tutorials on breadmaking, essays on healthy living, and other fun tidbits

Here are Abbie’s buns. Hehe.

Have a delicious Thursday!

Look at that adorable cookie sandwich!

Why do I even have to write a post about this blog? Isn’t the cookie enough to convince you that you should go there?

Fine, I’ll say a few things.

eat make read is the coolest. I discovered it while blog hopping a few weeks ago. The photos are gorgeous, the recipes so doable, and the author, Kelly, writes about sophisticated food and drink without a hint of pretension! I love that. It’s rare.

Cruise around the archives for a while. You’ll find gems like this spiked cider. Mmmm…don’t judge. It’s still bitterly cold here.

Or these amazing green beans with yogurt and shallots. Oh baby.

And I can almost taste summer with this happy hour feature: the watermelon martini:

Feast your eyes on her foccacia….it’s art, people. Art.

I have to stop typing now so I can go eat something. Or photograph something. That’s what this site does to me.

Happy Tuesday, my darlings,