My Weekend 'DO' List

With the long days of summer behind us, I'm beginning to feel a downshift in pace that comes along with the shorter, cooler days of fall. This weekend I'm looking forward to turning off the alarm and sleeping in, cooking a pot of soup in the dutch oven, browsing Farmer's Market for this season's newest arrivals, wearing my most favorite baubles and pearls out on Saturday night, and filling a few mason jars with flowers from the backyard. Here's to a weekend filled with the things that make you happiest...

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Vintage Inspired: Headbands and Fascinators

- ombre blush feather headband -

Being a girl with the utmost love and respect toward all things accessory, I'm a bit surprised that I've never been a big fan of headbands, hats, or anything of the sort. It's not that I haven't tried, but for one reason or another they've never been on my radar when it comes to accessorizing before heading out the door. However, after the royal wedding this year I've become increasingly obsessed with fascinators and headbands, and after coming across these whimsical, vintage handmade beauties, I believe my stance on all such things has shifted. Here are a few of my favorites:

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Dream Bathroom Inspiration: Clawfoot Tubs

There really isn't much to write about when it comes to clawfoot tubs, other than my love for them is endless and I cannot wait for the day I can incorporate one into a bathroom space of my own. Until then, all of these photos are going directly into my inspiration folders...

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Pumpkin Pie Spice Whoopie Pies - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free

I've been dreaming about indulging in a whoopie pie since the day I was diagnosed with gluten, dairy, and soy allergies. Prior to my diagnosis I'd only ever had a whoopie pie once in my life, yet for some reason, as I sat in my doctor's office listening to her tell me all the foods I should avoid, it was the thought of never having another whoopie pie that left me most distraught. The mind goes to bizarre places, I tell you. Luckily I found this pan at Williams-Sonoma and was able to successfully recreate a gluten free whoopie pie strikingly similar to the original. I added in one half tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice to the recipe for no other reason than it's officially fall, and it was marvelous. Self restraint is in full force this morning, as these lovelies are sitting on my counter...

Click below for recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies
1 1/2 C. all-purpose gluten free flour
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice (I found this at Trader Joes)
2 eggs, room temp
1/4 C. canola oil
1/2 C. coconut milk (or any of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and milk. Add into dry ingredients. Mix just until fully incorporated.
If you have a whoopie pie pan, fill each round until 3/4 full (about 1 Tbs.) Otherwise, on a parchment lined baking sheet, spread out about 1 Tbs. mixture to form pies - 2-3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let sit for 2 minutes on pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Using your favorite frosting (click here for my homemade vegan vanilla frosting), spread about 1/2 Tbs. on bottom side up of each pie, and top with another. Makes about 8 pies.

Recipe adapted from Silvana Nardrone's Cooking For Isaiah.

Closet Essential: Nude Heels

While I tend not to discriminate amongst any type of shoe, I do find that a nude heel seems to be the best choice for me in terms of everyday wear. They're perfectly inconspicuous yet pronounced, appropriate in most environments, and outrageously versatile when it comes to complimenting the look of an outfit. I recently needed a new pair of nude pumps for an event, and with little time and a strict budget, I ran into Target and found the Mossimo pair (number 9) below. So far I've worn them with a printed pencil skirt, black slacks, and dark denim jeans, and have yet to be disappointed. Here are a few other nude heels I'm loving, priced from high to low.

1. Tabitha Simmons satin-fringe pump $995 2. Christian Louboutin 'Altadama 100' pumps $636 3. Jimmy Choo 'Lovely' pumps $377 4. DVF 'Plateau' sandals $192 5. Stuart Weitzman 'Daisy' pumps $165 6. Michael Kors 'York' pumps $120 7. ASOS 'Mary Jane' heel $82 8. Chinese Laundry 'Whistle' pumps $70 9. Mossimo 'Versie' heels $30

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Celebrity Homes: Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's Malibu Estate

There aren't many things that excite me more than a sneak peak inside a celebrity's home. Call me crazy, sad, or whatever you may, but I find the whole they're-just-like-us-yet-they're-not-like-us-at-all paradox fascinating. After seeing Will Smith's Malibu home in Architectural Digest, I was once again completely enamored. With it's vast, rustic design and stylish, organic-feeling flair, the home gives off a Moroccan meets Downtown vibe that I cannot seem to get enough of. It's eclectic yet successful blend of style was produced by designer Stephen Samuelson, who did a beautiful job making the home feel just as intimate and inviting as it does grand.

- Dying over Jada's closet -

photos by Roger Davies for Architectural Digest

Click below for more photos, including Willow Smith's bedroom, their home theater seating, and kitchen.

- Willow Smith's bedroom -

DIY Headboard Ideas

One piece of furniture that seems to get a lot of DIY publicity, if you will, is that of the headboard. From home makeover shows to decor magazines and design blogs, creating a unique headboard seems to be all the craze. Whether it's made from leftover wood scraps, recycled doors, or even an array of letter decor pieces, DIY headboards are simple to make and, depending on your desired overall look, can literally costs cents from start to finish. Here are some of my favorite DIY headboard ideas:

Not a true DIY, but I liked the mirror as well:

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Hart of Dixie Fashion Event - Rachel Bilson & costume designer Meredith Pollack talk fashion

- photos by Brunch at Saks -

Last night a few LA bloggers and myself attended an event at Warner Bros. studios which introduced the fashion and accessories that will be seen on Rachel Bilson and Jaime King's new show, Hart of Dixie, premiering Monday, Sept. 26th on the CW. The event was a small gathering and took place on a sound stage used to film the show's bar scenes, which I thought was really cool. The set was decked out with racks of gorgeous clothes, jewelry, shoes, and handbags on either end; one side was the wardrobe of city-girl Zoe (Rachel), and the other side of country girl Lemon's (Jaime). The night began with Hart of Dixie's costume designer, Meredith Pollack, and Rachel sitting down for a Q&A session, where they discussed everything from the meaning behind the wardrobes to where Rachel personally likes to shop. Here are a few fun tidbits I took away from the Q&A:

- Meredith gathers clothes and accessories for the actors from a variety of places, including vintage shops in LA, like Polka Dot & Moonbeams, as well as mainstream stores like J.Crew.
- Since Rachel spends most of her time on set filming, she is a huge fan of online shopping. Net-A-Porter and Piperlime are among her favorites.
- Meredith likes to mix both high and low -end pieces, and shops for deals on sites like Gilt Group.
- Rachel is similar to her character Zoe in terms of style, although she does like to mix in vintage pieces to her everyday wear, like long long dresses and sweaters.
- Rachel mentioned she just bought a ton of chunky sweaters online for fall, as she loves layering clothes this time of year.
-Towards the end Rachel reversed the Q&A and asked all of us if we had bought anything from the Missoni for Target collection last week. She said out of everything, she really wanted one of the Missoni pieces of luggage, which surprised me!

-Rachel & Meredith talk Hart of Dixie fashion, accessories, and shoes during the Q&A -

- jewelry worn by Lemon (Jaime King). J.Crew baubles, pearls, etc. -

- Valentino lace and stud open-toe pumps worn by Zoe (Rachel Bilson) -

- Rachel & me -

Thank you to the CW and Hart of Dixie for including Brunch at Saks in your event. And it was so nice meeting you Annabel Manners, Join the Gossip, and Nautical by Nature!

*This is not a compensated post, nor was my attendance at the event. Everything expressed is personal opinion only.

Click below for more photos

- kate spade ny 'Charm' heels worn by Lemon. noticing a difference in Zoe and Lemon's wardrobe yet?! -

Ikat Home Decor and Accessories

I'll be honest: it's taken me a while to become comfortable with Ikat. While I love it's diversion from more standard, traditional patterns, sometimes Ikat decor, accessories, and clothing can be a little too wild for my taste. However, the more I see this pattern adorning everything from pillows to ballet flats, the more it's grown on me, and I'm slowly but surely starting to like it. Here are a few Ikat home pieces and accessories I wouldn't mind mixing into my decor and wardrobe:

1. ALDO flats 2. lampshade 3. scarf 4. Minted business cards 5. Target blue & white bowl 6. Pottery Barn pillow 7. MZ Wallace makeup pouch via stylecaster 8. tray 9. West Elm sofa


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Cuffed Leather Gloves for Fall

There is something so edgy yet chic about cuffed leather gloves that I completely love. They're light, comfortable, and easy to wear, too; three things that make a great accessory in my book. After seeing the Valentino leopard print gloves below (number four), I became completely obsessed and searched the internet high and low for all gloves of the sort. Here are some of my favorite finds:

1. Portolano 2. Imoni 3. Agent Provocateur 4. Valentino 5. Zara 6. Michael Kors 7. River Island 8. MICHAEL Michael Kors 9. MICHAEL Michael Kors


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Emmys 2011 - Red Carpet Dresses - Best Dressed - Gwyneth Paltrow, Lea Michele, Kate Winslet, Nina Dobrev, Minka Kelly + more

The stars were out in full force tonight at the 2011 Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, wearing the likes of Donna Karan, Pucci, and Armani Prive, among many other gorgeous designers. If I had to sum up the red carpet in one word it would be...RED! Lea Michele, Nina Dobev, Kate Winslet, and Sofia Vergara were all stunning in the hue, as were many others. Overall it seemed to be a more conservative carpet this year; everyone was polished and none of the dresses were really outrageous or over-the-top.

Lea Michele of Glee in Marchesa:

Gwyneth Paltrow in Pucci:

Nina Dobrev of Vampire Diaries in Donna Karan:

Kate Winslet:

Minka Kelly in Dior:
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Click below for more photos, including Emily Blunt, Heather Morris, Cat Deely, Christina Hendricks, Julia Stiles + more.

Emily Blunt in Elie Saab:
Heather Morris of Glee:
Cat Deeley of So You Think You Can Dance in Monique Lhuillier:

Christina Hendricks of Mad Men in Johanna Johansson:

Julia Stiles in Georges Hobeika Couture:

Jennifer Carpenter of Dexter:

Cobie Smulders of How I Met Your Mother in Alberta Ferretti:

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Who would you vote best dressed?

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