{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

     My oh my, where have I been?! Two words: GRAD SCHOOL.  Therefore, NO time for crafting- let along blogging... BOO!  So last week, while finishing my last paper of the quarter, I broke down & had to sew.  Now I'm in full on Handmade Holiday mode!  In addition, I realized that being back in school makes me even more excited for Christmas and winter break.

So here are my {5 Lovely Things} on this Monday eve.

{1. My Sister's Chic Mommy Tote}

aka: diaper bag

the glowing mama-2-be & her snazzy diaper bag!

{2. Bring on the Treats}

I found this yummy recipe on EverydayFood.  

It's everything a cookie should be: airy, minty, buttery, with just a bit of chocolate!

photo cred: Everyday Food

{3. Fabric Ornaments}

I threw this pattern from Sew It All in my "to do" binder last holiday season & 

decided I would actually use it this year. These "Have A Ball" ornaments are 

super sweet & kid friendly!

{4. 101 Handmade Ornaments}

Get in on the handmade holiday spirit courtesy of everythingetsy.com

am especially excited to try this tutorial
by jessica jane!!

{5. The Giving Spirit}

Check out glassbaby & use the code "rivkin" & 10% of your purchase 

goes to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research, 

which is a program very near to my heart.

photo cred: glassbaby

salute!

*lucy

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

I spy daffodils...

I spy cherry blossoms...

I spy sunshine- intermittent, albeit...

{I SPY SPRING!}

            For whatever reason when Spring makes it's sluggish entrance I get the bug to start making fruity desserts. Perhaps it's in anticipation for the summer berries that are just around the corner. So today I'm switching my lovely focus to FOOD. These are my top 5 favorite fruit deserts. 

Pinterest peeps, be sure to pin these bad boys to your "recipes to try board" :)

{1} Pear Crisp

photo & recipe cred: The Pioneer Woman

served with salted caramel gelato= perfection

{2} Award Winning Peaches & Cream Pie

Find this recipe on allrecipes.com 

This has been a staple desert in my life for almost 6 years now.

I found it tastes best when made with cling peaches you buy in jars.

{3} Blackberry Cobbler

made by yours truly & also seen in my "Make It Work Kitchen" post
find the recipe here

Freeze those yummy berries from the Farmer's Market

& you can make this all year long.

{4} Blueberry Cream Dessert

photo & recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

People always want this recipe- 'nuf said.

{5} Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars

picture & recipe courtesy of BHG

Oh rhubarb...you're so underappreciated.

I'm thankful that my mom introduced us to how amazing strawberry rhubarb pie & jam is at a very young age. It's in season NOW so jump on it.

And with that I hope you all are recovering from your Easter-candy-induced-sugar coma quite well.

cheers,

*lucy. 

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

After work today I began planning for the Turkey Day feast I'm hosting next week. Here's a little preview of the lovely goodies that will adorn my table :)

{1} Pumpkin Pie Punch!

courtesy of LVH via AP
Why not make room for more original deserts
& drink your pumpkin pie?

{2} Lemony Green Beans

via BHG
In an effort to be healthier I decided to ditch
those crunchy fried onion thingies

{3} Apple & Cranberry Stuffing

via allrecipes.com
With or without sausage it's delish

{4} Tried & True Rosemary Roasted Turkey

via allrecipes.com
I made this last year & got rave reviews;
I'm not going to mess with perfection

{5} Quince Slab Pie

via MARTHA :)
Have you ever seen a quince at the grocery store?
I'm not sure I have...this may take some research
but am determined to serve this!

Happy Turkey Day planning my friends & family!!

xoxo,

*lucy.

{5 Lovely Things on this Fall Tuesday}

Many of us got out down comforters out last week and you know what that means...fall is indeed upon us.  And that, my friends, is why today is all about fall loveliness!!

{1} Foliage Reports!

This shot was taken by moi near Mystic, Conneticut
Yay for my friends who got married in CT a few years ago
so I could experience the Yankee foliage!

I think it's absolutely wonderful that Foliage Reports really exist. Take a minute out of your busy day & perusing the many slideshows that show off autumn's masterpiece. A good one I stumbled across this weekend featured
"The Top 25 Foliage Towns in New England".
Gorgeous. Can I go back...Like now?

{2} Fall Beverages

From mulled cider to Autumn-Inspired Cocktails, who can resist?

p.s. The Normandy looks promising & will be making an appearance at a 

progressive dinner come the end of October.  I'll let you know how it turns out!

{3} Early Season's Greetings
Today glo.com featured ETSY's top picks for 
autumnal handmade greeting cards. So cute!!

Photo cred: Stacy Rogers of stacyscards on ETSY

{4} Natural Decor

BHG strikes again! Check out their article to make adorable 

(& affordable!) fall decorations.

This is so simple & unique.
Plus it would work for any season-
what a great way to spice up your decor!

{5} Fall Chow
This loveliness wouldn't be complete without what our fall harvest brings...
I tend to save the best for last :)

Pumpkin-Sage Cream Sauce= YES PLEASE!

What's for dinner? Go here to see Delish.com for 15 Fall Recipes to see!

Now I'm hungry. 

toodles,

*lucy

p.s. hopefully the food & drink recipes make up for me having my epic fail of not posting yesterday ;)

{5 Lovely Things on Monday}

Today all things lovely come from finds during my MT travels this past week!

{1} Beth Springer Handbags

I should probably preface this with the fact that I got this bag 75% off at a boutique in Missoula 
and her non-sale items are most definitely not in my budget. 
Regardless, she has a great concept & design aesthetic. 

{2} EOS strikes again

You may recall a previous post including a lip balm by EOS.
Well it turns out their shaving cream is pretty fantastic too!
(found this on a quick Target run in Bozeman)


{3} COLD SMOKE

This Montana girl likes a good brew, 
especially Cold Smoke by KettleHouse that has a smooth coffee-ish finish.


{4} Woodbine Falls

An easy hike with 300ft elevation gain to a lookout!




{5} Exploring the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness in Meriweather (my VW Passat)!
note: videos of this production to follow once they upload- it's taking forever!!!

And yes, that IS a GRIZZLY BEAR!!

cheers,

*lucy