Adventuring

via from here

I'm skipping out a day early on you, but I promise I have a good reason. We are taking a three day weekend in the mountains to welcome fall with open arms. I'll be back on Monday full of hot tea, cuddling, and fall leaves. 

Happy Weekend!

P.S We have a lucky winner of the southern tide giveaway .....Congrats  martha-susan! You lucky girl :-) I'll be sending you an email so check your inbox. (Winner was chosen via random.org) Thanks so much to southern tide for hosting, you guys rock ! 

Favorite Fall Recipe

These are on heavy rotation during the fall at my house. My dear friend Amanda created the recipe and its seriously fall in a muffin. Its a favorite with my whole family, and I promise anyone you make them for will love them. Recipe here:  pumpkin chocolate chunk muffins
What is your favorite fall recipe?  

Fringe

Thinking that this needs to be the next addition to my bedroom... really excited to find at such a great price for anthro. 

If I had a different headboard, I would add add these on sale from urban shams or duvet in a heartbeat with the fringe pillow; someone needs to order so I can live vicariously through you!

leather + maxi

 my way / inspiration via from here

Saw this outfit on pinterest and had to recreate it with my favorite teal maxi and urban outfitters leather jacket which = favorite fall combo.

blaire via here

 

via from here

via

Maxi's were my go to look this summer and I'm not ready to give them up yet. Add leather jacket, boots and a scarf and that's what you will be seeing all fall. 

Are you ready to give them up for your jeans or will you be rocking the maxi all fall?

First Fall Weekend

via from desire to inspire

Today is a windows open, messy top knot, curling up with hot tea kinda day. Just the best

1.  Ordered this and can't wait till the 25th
2.  My fall jeans
3. An awesome reminder to make everything in your life intentional and meaningful, via Jess
4. Downloading swirl on Liz's recommendation 
5. Let's just talk about this fabric, which my girl Lindsay blogged about. Obsessed is an understatement.  

Around here...
1. What blogs are you reading?  
2. Hosting a Southern Tide giveaway... head here to enter 
3. recently

To celebrate the first weekend of fall, I fully intend on making soup, going for long walks, and drinking hot tea every chance I get. Happy Weekend! 

 

Great Find: Peplum

Do yourself a favor and order both colors of this ASOS top... I just did. $20 here

Southern Tide Giveaway

For any of you wanting to dress up your man this fall, this post is for you. I'm thrilled to be hosting a giveaway for a $50 southern tide gift-certificate.
Southern tide is one of my favorite resources for preppy men's clothes, and who doesn't love a preppy man?  I would totally use the $50 gift card for any of the items below...

my favorite has always been their men's perfect pullovers, and I'm loving this navy one for Luke for fall.

I'll always love a man in plaid

Luke would die of happiness if I got him this gameday polo...with lots of team options

and their skipjack polos are always great quality.

So the question is... what would you choose?

Here's how to win.

1. Visit Southern Tide and leave a comment with your favorite fall item.

For extra entries...just leave a separate comment for each

2. Like Southern Tide on facebook
3. Follow Southern Tide on twitter
4. Follow my blog
5. Follow me on twitter


(Giveaway ends 9/26/2012 at midnight and the winner will be announced 9/27/2012. Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above.)

recently

making me happy...
1. fall in my closet
2.remember to look up
3. my favorite latte from gourmet shop... saturday morning date
4. ikat makes note writing so much more fun
5. switching things up
6.I've had this going in my stove for a week, add windows open and heaven.

instagram: acreativedayblog

What blogs are you reading?

 
via from refined style

The support we all get from this blogging community is pretty special. Each comment means so much to me and I love 'meeting' new bloggers. I am constantly adding  new blogs to my blog roll and here are a few I can't live without these days...
1. I found Abbey from design scouting through a cup of jo. and have been compulsively stalking her archives
2. Jess isn't new, (but she changed the name of her site so that counts right?) she always inspires and reminds me what an awesome platform blogging really is. And following her wedding in paris has been amazing. 
3. Gal meets glam is a newish to me blog.  Gorgeous style
4. Ok, so with a c.h isn't a new blog to me, but I can't get enough of Christin. She's got a killer sense of humor and works for baublebar. enough said.
5. le catch . A fashion editor shows you how to mix high and low. I'm obsessed

So what blogs that you can't live without? Share so I can stalk some more blogs :-)

Fall shopping list

dress / boots / necklace / top / scarf

I'm a girl on a budget. As much as I wish I could splurge on my favorite pinterest pins and roundups, I'm constantly recreating that look on a dime. So I've learned to make my fall wardrobe clothes budget go far and order pieces that make a major statement for the price. These items above are in my shopping cart and I plan to get a lot of mileage out of them.

 My favorite find recently is the perfect chambray shirtdress for $80, from lands end canvas. Perfect all fall with booties, tights and boots and my favorite moccasins. I'm also ordering this scarf and statement necklace that are on major sale from anthro.

What is on your must list for fall? Or have you already starting shopping?

Lets alt

Lately I've been loving the new alt blog for blogging inspiration and business advice... and for those of you like me that are feeling really left out by not being at alt NYC, they have a great recap that I've been devouring.
 
We all know that alt SLC sold out in like 2 hours... CRAZY and so exciting for those of us not fast enough to score a ticket, they are giving away one!  Check out the contest here... fingers crossed!!

P.S Who is going to alt? Comment and make me really jealous :-)

Everyday Series: Beauty & the Beard

 Laura's recipes always have my drooling... this is on my list to make ASAP. 

Hello Lovlies!I'm Laura from B&B and I feel pretty honored to be here today as part of Eileen's Everyday series! Here are my Everyday Happies:

Everyday Happy: House Edition

We just moved to our new apartment a month ago and don't have any decorating done (fail). Thus, the pool is currently my favorite place. Give me a Martha magazine and a little sun and I'm good to go. 

Everyday Happy: Closet Edition

I change up my closet constantly, and right now I'm back to good old fashioned color-coding. As you can see, this half of the closet is full of pattern & brights!

Everyday Happy: Morning Edition

I know it's not original but I love me some coffee in the morning. Skim lattes are my favorite, but I'm usually boring and just have black coffee for breakfast (along with 2 Eggo waffles). 

Everyday Happy: Relax edition 

While I love a good glass of wine to unwind- my ultimate relaxation is sitting by the water. I grew up on a lake, and am lucky that Madison is on an isthmus! Sitting down by Lake Mendota with friends watching the sunset is by far my happy place.  

Everyday Lust: Shopping Edition 

Why does it seem like a change in seasons makes buying new things validated? These 4 are on the top of my list currently: Jacquie Aiche Initial Rings, Madewell Parisienne Storyteller Scarf, Madewell Leather Transport Tote, & Tory Burch Reva Flats.

Everyday Lust: Pin Edition

The majority of my pins on Pinterest fall into two categories: DIY and Tablescapes/Decorating. This is a pin from forever ago, but it remains one of my favorites. The copper painted tin cans with simple arrangements is just beyond elegant. (picture via)

Everyday Lust: Travel Edition 

I've lived abroad a few times, and each time I come back I want to go somewhere new! My mom and sister went to Italy for a few weeks last year, and my jealousy was overwhelming- it's definitely the next travel spot to see on my list. My sister snapped this shot in Venice...perfect, isn't it? (photo via louisa marion photography)

Everyday Read: Blog Edition
I go in phases of the blogs I follow, but there are a few that always make my day a little brighter:

Ashley of One Fine Day 
Tiffany of The Coffeehouse
Alison of Long Distance Loving

----
Thanks for having me Eileen, you lovely lady :)
xo, laura

books on mantle

I always change things up around the house, and right now I'm loving lots and lots of books and magazines stacked up on my mantle... right under my Jamie from Furbish inspired chopstick paintings.  All the stacks remind me of fall and curling up next to the fire.

I'm thinking of wrapping them all in colored paper to get this look...

pinterest from houzz

Or stacking lots more

pinterest from halcyon yeah

What do you think? Would you do stacks of books on your mantle?

the look

via Anna's at IHOD pinterest

I think this might be my 'look' for fall. Full skirt, belt, white tee and booties. If you see me wearing it out and about more than once a week, I'm sorry in advance.

Some favorite links...

This really is the truth, isn't it? Mom knows best.

I'm getting really excited about Sheridan French's spring 2013 collection, have you seen it?

Abby Nova's house tour on A Cup of Jo was absolutely gorgeous, Jenny did it again!

Greek Key anything

I really want this blazer.. and its only $88!

Around here...

Guest posted here about my bedroom makeover

Shared what was next for me in Anna's Next series

Loved having Victoria over

and definitely wore my rainboots alot this week.

Happy Weekend! 

Everyday Series: vmac + cheese

I'm really thrilled to start the everyday series back up with one of my all time favorites. vmac + cheese is one of the first blogs I read every day. Her graphics are gorgeous and Victoria is the mastermind behind vivaleur. Enjoy!

You can get these babies here.

Via Anthropologie

 Image Source: Maia Resort

A House in the Hills

House of Earnest

A Piece of Toast

Mimi+Meg

Stripes & Sequins

French Revolution

Harrison James

Over here

Jaime from fried pink tomato featured my master bedroom redo on her blog, check it out here. She is a total sweetheart and I was thrilled to break down my bedroom design for her cute blog.
Here's a sneak peak of the great collage she put together... thanks again Jaime!

The NEXT

Today I'm thrilled to be guesting at a newfound treasure as part of Anna's fun new series the NEXT. Anna is one of my blogging and real life besties and I'm sure that if you don't already know and love her blog, you will! Head over to see what is next for me.

four things

1.  Remember this post from last week about the vintage lucite stool? Well sweet Isa contacted me and offered an exclusive coupon for a creative day readers, take 10% off for the entire month of September using the code NEST12. How lucky are you? Head over to her shop to check it out...I think someone should use it to scoop up this vintage italian sconce.

2. The blue full moon over the weekend was gorgeous, and I pulled out my rain boots a lot this labor day weekend. We watched college football with good friends, ate amazing barbeque and survived the 200% humidity.

 instagram (acreativedayblog)

3. I am blown away by all the love for my bedroom reveal last week. Thanks to little green notebook for featuring it and you guys for making me blush  :-)

4. I think I would make up a place to wear this just so I could buy it. Only $88 and available here

How was your long weekend? Not long enough??