Wreaths, Garland, and a Tree

I love my little apartment a lot.

So decorating it for the holidays is something I look forward to all year long.

This weekend Justin and I are going to pick out a wreath, garland, and a small tree.

The photo above is not my apartment but it looks a little similar.  

My favorite piece of Christmas decor is the fresh garland 

I hang over the doorway into our breakfast nook just like the photo.

I hope to post some photos of festive apartment soon.

xo

{photo from Libby Brittain}

Flower School: Holly Berries

Holly berries add that perfect pop of red to a classic winter wedding bouquet.  

They also make for beautiful centerpiece additions and cake decor.  

Holly is available year round and has a vase life of around eight days.

You can learn more here.

You can purchase holly berries here.

Happy Wednesday.

{   1.   2.   3.   4.   }

Christmas Wish List

This year my wish list is a little practical.  

Things that I can't justify splurging on myself but I could actually use.  

Below are the links to everything on my wish list but more than anything 

I want a joyous holiday season with my family and friends.  

Its what matters most to me.  

I hope you enjoy!

1. This watch is so pretty.  

I'm not usually a watch person but this one is gorgeous!

2. This coral sweater is sure to brighten up a grey winter day

3. Slippers.  My feet get cold and these would be sure to keep them toasty.

4. A new hairdryer that won't dry my hair out.  

I love my mom's and look forward to using it each time I visit home.

5. This colorful necklace is definitely on the top of my list.  

I love everything about it!

6. A camel colored coat.  With a belt.  

This one fits the exact description of what I've been searching for... 

at a price I can totally get behind.

7. A monogrammed pajama shirt.

8. This pretty candle.  

Wouldn't this just glow in a dim room?!

9. This amazing perfume.

xo

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish you and your family and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I'm going on a short road trip so I'll be taking a blog break. 

We'll see you back here first thing next week.

xo

{photo by The Sweetest Occasion}

It's Monday.

I had a long and exhausting weekend. 

I could not be more thankful for this short Thanksgiving week.   

To get through this rough Monday I plan on 

drinking lots of black tea and listening to this song.

What tricks do you have to get through a Monday?

{mug by AvenueBlue}

Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes

This year we are going to Portland for Thanksgiving.

I'm taking a little piece of my family's thanksgiving with me: 

My Aunt's Sweet Potatoes

Below is the not-so-secret family recipe.

Aunt Carol's Sweet Potatoes

 3 1/2 lb yams or sweet potatoes

4-6 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoon butter, softened

4 tablespoon flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake yams or potatoes until tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours then let them cool

Increase oven temp to 375 degrees

Scoop pulp from yams.  Place in lage bowl.

Mash until smooth or use a food processor

Whisk melted butter and eggs into yams.

In small saucepan, heat the milk.

Stir hot milk and 1/2 cup of the sugar into the yams

Spread mixture into buttered 11 x 7 dish.

Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the butter, and the flour until crumbly.  

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Sprinkle over yams and bake until topping is crusty (about 30 min)

Do you have a family favorite?

{photo from Baked in AZ}

Holiday Sparkle

With a couple weddings and few holiday parties

I am in the market for something sweet and sparkly to wear. 

Below are some of my favorite holiday picks from ModCloth.

Do you  have any favorite holiday dresses?

Dresses found here: 1   2   3   4    5   6

{photo above from Patterson Maker}

A Perfect Weekend

This weekend was a good one.

It started off with a surprise visitor and ended
with a quiet night at home with the husband.
In between I helped a friend design her wedding dress,
brunched, slept in, and drank a lot of hot cocoa. 

I also finally got around to editing our Italy photos. 

I have some great travel posts coming soon.
Here is a sneak peek.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  

xo

{all photos by me}

Flower School: Calamondin

This would be the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece.  

The little oranges called Calamondin grow on trees 

and can be grown even in Washington.  The fruit is mostly 

used for aesthetics but it can be used in cakes and marmalades as well.  

Also in this bouquet: fringed tulips, ranunculus, roses, and sweet peas. 

{photos and floral found on McKenzie Powell}

Party Planning

When I haven't been blogging I've been party planning.  

The husband and I throw our friends a party each year in lieu of a Christmas gift.  

This year I'm going all out.  We do drinks and snacks 

at our place followed by a night of zoo lights.  

This year the theme is blue, gold, and animals.  

I can't wait to share the after photos. 

xo

{Photos above: Ruffled, Artful Desperado, The Sweetest Occasion, Taste of Home} 

Workout Wishlist

Now that its dark and usually rainy when I get home from work 

I decided to reinstate my gym membership.  With that being said my workout 

wardrobe is in need of a little bit of a pick me up.  Now that I actually workout 

with other people and not alone in my living room I need to throw away my 

tattered t-shirts and upgrade to a properly fitting sports bra.  

Below are my favorite picks of the moment.  

Do you have any workout products you can't live without?

These Shoes are a must on my list.  

You can find them here.

This one has polka dots so it's perfect.

Purchase it here.

I have been eyeing these lulu lemon pants for years!

You can see them here.

This Zella top looks so comfortable!

I found it here.


{top photo from Tone & Tighten}

Happy Friday

Some weeks fly by so fast I can't blog as much as I would like.  

This one did and I will be back in full swing soon.  

In the meantime I hope the photo above makes you smile.

Happy Friday xo

{photo from Marvelous Pretty Things}

Family Photos and a Day Trip

What a fun weekend it was!  Justin and I have had the travel bug 

ever since we got back from Italy.  On Saturday morning 

we took a spontaneous trip to Leavenworth.  It was so beautiful! 

I got my much needed fix of sunshine, fog, and golden leaves.  

If you have never been I highly recommend it.

I also spent this weekend finishing up photos I took for some close friends.  

 Thank you DeWaals for letting me spend a fun afternoon 

photographing your beautiful family!

 

{all photos by me}

In Honor of Halloween

 My favorite costume growing up was Ariel from 

the Little Mermaid (sorry for the lack of photo evidence).  

So, in honor of my favorite Halloween costume I wanted to share 

with you this amazing Little Mermaid themed wedding shoot.  

I love a good creative theme and this one was done exceptionally well.  

Take a look!

 

Happy Halloween!

xo

{original post by Pop Sugar}

A Halloween Cocktail

 I enjoy themed cocktails and this one stole my autumn loving heart.  

I can't wait to make this! See below for the recipe.

{recipe and photo found on Minted}

Etiquette: Wedding Invitations

 

When I first started addressing my wedding invites I had no idea how complicated it can be.  

Formal, informal, blended families, unmarried vs. married vs. living together.  

So many things to think about.   Below are some links to etiquette experts 

and what they have to say.  I tend to lean towards the more formal method 

but you know your friends, family, and wedding best.  

I just hope I can shed a little light.

Emily Post will always be the queen of etiquette.  

Her website was a daily visit for me 

during my wedding planning process.  

I highly recommend it!

Not only does Crane and Co. design beautiful invites 

but they also know how to help you address them. 

Martha Stewart knows it all! 

Here are some of her invitation words of wisdom.

{photo and calligraphy from la Happy}

Home Sweet Home

We are home again.

It feels nice to snuggle into my own bed, 

use my dishes, and get back into a routine.

I will forever remember my honeymoon as 

one of the best times but being home is always nice.

Forgive me while I get over being jet-lagged.  

I'll be back in full force come Monday.

I hope you are all well xo

{photos of my home by Krista Welch}

Fall Color: Cranberry Red

One of my favorite colors of fall is deep red.

I'm dreaming over the items above. 

What is your favorite fall color or piece?

{Products can be found here: 1. Dress, 2. Bag, 3. Shoes, 4. Lip, 5. Polish}

My Love

This has been the best year of my life.

Today marks the one year anniversary of being married.

My husband is my rock and my cheerleader.

I'm supported, loved, and completely doted on.  

Thank you Justin for loving me
through the simple and the struggle.  

I love you to the moon. 

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together - Colossians 1:17 

Jamie G. Week: On Beauty

 Let’s face it, our faces are crazy places. 

They truly take a beating every single day from the sun, pollution, dirty hands, 

our hydration level, our hormones—so many factors influence our faces! 

And while I am no dermatologist, I have spent years fighting acne, 

weird skin sensitivities, and countless over the counter products 

that promise blemish free skin, only to be disappointed. 

My skin has constantly been a work in progress and,
although by no means flawless,  I have settled into a routine
with products and nutrition that give even my hormonal
acne/blemish prone face a healthy glow. 

Here are my top beauty tips for a lush, hydrated, and blemish free face.

1. Eau Thermale Avene 

Let’s just say the French know how to do a lot things well and these are one of them. 

My cousin introduced their line to me about a year ago 

and I love their stuff! Truly I’ve never had products where you 

can visibly see the quality like these. I use the Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser, 

the Cleanance Toner, and their Trixera Selectiose Emollient Cream for 

Dry to Very Dry Sensitive Skin. You don’t have to live in Europe 

to buy them either. Amazon has them and if you are local in Seattle, 

Pharmaca has started selling them as well! I only use the moisturizer 

in the morning and use a different moisturizer at night.

2. DIM-plus

I’m going to begin with the least glamorous of my beauty tips—balancing your hormones. 

To all my ladies who suffer from cystic acne around your period—this one’s for you! 

Our hormone levels fluctuate A LOT during our cycles and often give us acne in the process.  

This is more than what topical treatments can help with! When it finally dawned on me that no

 amount of salicylic acid will prevent me from getting acne, it was sort of a monumental 

day for me. I did some research on natural ways to balance hormones and came across 

several articles (from respected places, I promise) on Dim.  It is a natural estrogen 

balancer. I have noticed a significant different  in the size of my acne as well as how 

 long those evil things stick around.  I highly recommend this product 

(found easily on Amazon!)!

3. Pond’s Cold Cream

Yes, you’ve probably seen it laying around 

your grandmother’s house. Three generation of women have 

been using it in my family and considering none of them look 

their age, I say it’s a winner. Plus it’s cheap and smells really great. 

I like it for night time on my face and neck.

4. Water. I know you’ve heard it before, but seriously, drink it! 

Drink a lot of it! Just do it!

5. Eat your greens (and other colors too)! 

The best way to maintain skin health is through eating 

foods that are good for you! Eat the rainbow and cut out the sugar 

(yes, even from fruit, it must be limited). Kale, spinach, berries, carrots, 

ginger, purple cabbage…all can be found in our fridge as part of our 

smoothie ingredients. No, it doesn’t taste like a Jamba Juice sugar 

bomb but it’s tasty and actually good for you!

Thank you Jamie for yours posts while I'm away!

xo

{photos: first, 1, 2, 3 }

Jamie G. Week: On Fitness

Fuss Free 16 min. HIIT workout!

HIIT is the new buzzword (or more accurately, buzz acronym) when it comes to fitness. 

You know that if you’ve seen it in a beauty/fitness magazine then it’s got to be good, 

right (please say no to 2lb. weights, non fat yogurt!)? 

Well for once, they got something right. 

Pushing you to the limits in just a short amount of time, 

High Intensity Interval Training is an efficient and effective way to get in high quality cardio 

and strength training in while not spending hours at the gym. 

In fact, you can easily get in HIIT workouts in the comfort of your own home. 

One of my favorite go to workouts is to use my Tabata Timer app 

(20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds each for a total of 4 minutes each round) 

and focus each 4 minutes on a different part of the body. 

Here I lay out a 16 minute full body, no equipment, do anywhere HIIT workout! 

Set 1: Upper Body (20sec. on/10 off x 8)

*Tricep Dips (use bench, chair, coffee table, whatever’s easiest)

   

*Downward Dog Pushups (get into the downward dog position and do push ups, 

bending elbows and getting your head as close to the ground as you can)

   

Alternate each move for 8 rounds.

Set 2: Lower body

* Body weight squats (making sure your hips come down slightly below your knees)

   

* Alternating step back lunges (step back and lunge each leg, make sure 

your front knee doesn’t go over your foot and your back knee 

GENTLY taps the floor/hovers about an inch over the ground)

    

Alternate each move for 8 rounds.

Set 3: Core

*Mountain climbers (keep foot off the ground as you bend your 

leg bringing your knee towards the chest)

      

*Plank foot taps (on your forearms in the plank position, bring one 

 foot out to the side and tap the floor with your toes, bring it back in, and switch legs)

   

Alternate each move for 8 rounds.

Set 4: Full Body/Cardi

*Burpees (with the push up!)

   

*Jump squats (in the squat position, jump off the ground, repeat!)

   

Alternate each move for 8 rounds.

Push yourself as hard as your can during the 20 seconds of work! 

The harder you push, the longer you leave yourself burning calories for the next 24-48 hours! 

Oh, so you think you are all that and a bag of Marshawn Lynch’s Skittles (#gohawks), 

do all four sets twice, for a longer, even more intense workout!

If you need to clarify any exercises, just use the wonders
of YouTube! And download the FREE Tabata Timer on your smartphone or iPad!

Welcome to Jamie G. Week

 Welcome to the Jamie G. week on ALP!

 I could not ask for a more beautiful, creative, loving, and sincere friend.  

Jamie has always played a major role in my life!

Over the years Mrs. G has inspired me with her beauty and fitness knowledge.  

Jame works as a gym teacher but she also has extensive training as a personal trainer.  

In the next week we will have a post on both! Please welcome Jamie to A L P!

Happy to have you Mrs. G!!

xo

To Fly

We're off on our honeymoon (at last)!
Despite being a little run down and bags that are a little too full
we are off for some much needed rest and adventure!

But don't worry I have some lovely posts
and an inspirational guest blogger while I'm away!

I'll bring home lots of Italian inspiration.

Ciao!
xo

{photo found here}

City & Bride

I came across this gorgeous shot of a stunning bride in my pretty city.

If you have a few minutes and need some pretty inspiration 

I highly recommend checking out this post on Style Me Pretty.

Absolutely beautiful.

{photo by O'Malley Photographers}

Fall Sangria

One of my favorite drinks of all time is the Sangria.

  

When I visited my friend (practically sister) in New York City 

we spent every night drinking pitchers of sangria and dancing 

through the city streets.  My love for sangria might come from 

our big city nights but it's also one of the most delicious drinks...ever.

All over pinterest I've seen fall inspired sangria recipes.  

I really want to try this one and this one.

Do you have a favorite Sangria recipe?

{photos by: how sweet it is & LoveGrowsWild }

Warby Parker

I have never liked wearing glasses.  

That is until I recently purchased a pair from Warby Parker.

Have you purchased through them?  Its incredible.  

You pick five pairs to borrow and try on and then once 

you have decided on a pair you purchase them for $95 (shipping included)!

If you are in the market for affordable eye wear - you are in luck!  

Warby Parker just released their Fall 2014 line and they're great!  

Below is my favorite fall collection paired with my favorite fall pieces.

{Greenleaf Glasses,  1. Wedges, 2.Dress}

{Oliver Glasses, 1.Boots, 2.Vest, 3. Shirt}

I love my Warby Parker Wilkie Glasses in Whiskey.  

I don't feel nerdy or like I'm hiding behind lenses all day.  

I have never had so many compliments!

Packing Advice

 

   

When Justin and I went on our mini-moon last fall 

I had an easy time packing:

sweaters, scarves, and boots.  

This trip is a little trickier...

The weather looks mixed and its for two weeks.

I've been collecting a lot of advice and thought I'd share!  

Below are the pieces of wisdom that 

I will definitely be using this week as I start packing for Italy:

This is my favorite piece of advice.  I'm definitely going to pack 

a lot neutral colors and fun accessories.

I want Cup of Jo to do a Fall version of this post.  I would wear it all!

This article is super helpful and the outfit layouts are just too-cute!

Thank you Nordstrom and Eileen Fisher for this great video!

Rolling vs. Folding... very interesting.

And for the men, this is how to fold and pack a dress shirt.

A beautiful post on fall fashion.  This girl knows her stuff!

Have you been to Italy in October or have any genius packing advice?

I'd love to hear it all!

xo

{Photo by Simply Hue}

Flower School: Hops

Hops have a near and dear place in my heart.  

My husband is a brewer at a local craft brewery in Seattle  

and the smell of hops will always remind me of my husband coming home 

from work in our first year of marriage. 
We also incorporated hops into our own wedding.  

Hop season in Washington starts in mid-August and goes through September.  

Hops grow on vines best in moist climates.  

Their prime harvest is at the end of summer here in Washington.  

You can learn more about hops here.

Below are some of my favorite hop ideas (aside from beer).

This gorgeous hop arch.  So romantic!

I would love to find some hop vines and make this incredible wreath.

Pretty hop vine draped reception chandeliers

This and This are gorgeous bouquets with hops

You can purchase hops here

{Photos from Bohemian Bouquets & Ruffled}

Just do it.

 

This Sunday I'm running in my first race.

I'm terrified.  Sure, its only two miles and I can 

definitely run three but I am slow.  

Oh so slow.

I love the cause its for and cannot wait to fill you all in on it later. 

In the mean time wish me luck!

Below is a song that has helped me gain a little confidence and helped me keep stride.  

Its a guarantee on my race day playlist.  Enjoy!

 

{top photo above found here}

That Piece

 

Every so often I come across a piece of clothing that I can't get out of my head.

This jacket by Paper Crown is one of those pieces.

 It just looks so soft and perfect for a dressy chilly date night.

Do you have any pieces for fall/winter that you want to splurge on?

Please share xo

**Also, as a Rifle Paper Co. and Paper Crown fan 

this news could not get any better.