steffi shopper

I am uber-busy this week, which I apologize for. I wanted to quickly share with you the Steffi Shopper from my girl-crush, Tory Burch. Need this.

If you aren't a big fan of 'winter white', there is an equally-gorgeous all-black version.

And don't even get me started on the entire 797 Collection.

Have a great night!

xoxoxo

Mupload Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Despite an unexpected extra few hours tacked onto our trip from torrential downpours,

I had a great time in Vermont with TM and his family.

Here are some muploads of my weekend away!

Saturday, we ventured from VT to NY via ferry and went antique shopping in the Adirondacks.

There were so many fabulous finds, from fur coats to etched wine glasses, to cigar boxes, to beautifully made antique furniture.

An old spinning wheel, and an antique biscuit box like I have in my apartment.

We also stopped by a taxidermy shop. So sorry if these photos offend anyone (seriously), but they had so many pieces and the store was super interesting.

I stopped and gave this massive buffalo an air kiss, and

TM fulfilled his lifelong dream of fighting a black bear.

For his sister's birthday dinner, TM's father made chicken pot pie. It was unreal but so incredibly filling. However, I still managed to partake in ice cream cake afterwards, and homemade quiche in the morning (TM's dad is a great cook!).

Sunday we stopped at an orchard to pick up some treats before heading home. We went to Boyer's Orchard which is near Middlebury. I even was able to take a peek at the machine that makes the cider donuts!

They had much more that you'd expect. l - r, Seckel pears (so cute!), the machine that makes cider, Boyer's sign.

We picked up some pears, wine grapes, cider donuts (plain and cinnamon sugar), cider, apples, and raw honey. YUM! I love fall!

What did you all do this weekend?

xo

September Birchbox

So I have been a Birchbox member for a few months now.

I think this is the fourth package I've received. I must say, I have been pretty pleased with what I have received, and found some new products that I really love.

This month's box came a week and a half late, so I actually forgot it was even coming.

This is probably the box that I'm the most disappointed with. Sad!

It was bound to happen, I'm not going to be happy with every product they send right?

Anyway, without further ado!

Befine Efficient Night Cream -- this lush cream, with cocoa to spur circulation and healing rice bran, helps us get our beauty sleep in more ways than one. I am hoping this description is right, because it makes the cream sound fab. I love putting on heavy facial moisturizers before bed, and if it can help me get beauty sleep...even better. I also like that this isn't scented.

Jouer Polished Lip Enhancer -- This is my favorite from this month. I am constantly applying lip balm, especially during the fall and winter. I have been using it nonstop since yesterday, and it is really moisturizing, but not sticky like other lip treatments.

Salvatore Ferragamo Attimo Fragrance -- Containing peony and jasmine, I do like this scent for the most part. However, it is very strong. It reminds me of my grandmother, which isn't necessarily a bad thing... She has great taste, but I think it's a little bit mature for me.

Jurlique Prepared Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer -- Eh. This sanitizer has mint in it, but it reminds me of a gin and tonic...which...isn't always the best thing to be smelling, right? I will absolutely use it, but I would prefer Purell or, if it was scented, something sweeter.

The final thing was a Birchbox 'friendship bracelet'...that is a charm with a pink string. Yes, friendship bracelets are very trendy right now. But really? This is the best they could do? In the e-mail they said there was a special birthday surprise (the company is one year old), and to be honest...it was underwhelming. I would have much rather had a card with a surprise amount of points to use on the site (for those of you who haven't read my other Birchbox posts, you get points for each box during your subscription, for each full-size product you buy, for referring friends, and for writing product reviews...which is a great feature of the site by the way!).

Happy Saturday lovebugs! To those of you who get Birchboxes, let me know what you got! For those of you who don't, have you purchased any beauty products recently you love? Spill.

xo lambyy

friday's fancies.

Linking up with sweet {av} of Long Distance Loving again this week!

Chanel Contrast Earrings

Chloe Marcie Mini Messenger Bag

DKNY Jersey and Leather Leggings

Frye Melissa Button Boots

Yves St. Laurent Arty Ring

MICHAEL Michael Kors Belted Shearling Vest

Alexander Wang Tee

I am off to Vermont for the weekend with TM. I love getting out of the city every once and awhile. We are going to visit his family, and spending one of the days in Burlington, which has a ton of cute little boutiques and great restaurants. Even more important, we will be able to celebrate his sister's 22nd birthday with her!

What do you all have planned? Have a great weekend!

xo lamb

Pinterest Wednesday

Today, I am linking up with the always lovely Michelle for Oh, How Pinteresting! Wednesdays.

I spent way, wayyy too long on Pinterest tonight, and found some jaw-dropping wooden home decor that I wanted to share with you kittens. Here are my favorites --

Happy Wednesday!

Hope you love my picks. I have a very rustic-y, antique-y, yet clean and chic taste when it comes to home decor. I would die to have any of these rooms in my home!

Be sure to check out the rest of my pins!

xo lamb

*all images via Pinterest

Baxter of California

Q: Did I recently buy men's soap for myself?

A: Yes! And I am obsessed.

I stopped by Ball and Buck last weekend, which is a men's boutique whose products are 100% America made. I love stopping by here fairly often just to check out what's new (you know you have a shopping issue when you not only shop for women's, but men's clothing as well). They have everything from vintage lighters to Citizens of Humanity jeans, to the cologne that JFK wore (Caswell Massey's Jockey Club Cologne).

I ended up buying Baxter of California's Vitamin E-D-A Cleansing Bar in Italian lime for myself. Yes, it is a men's product, but it smells heavenly and I couldn't help myself. It's a bit musky, but mixed with lime. It isn't overpowering (meaning: I don't smell like a dude). It comes in a set of 3 bars. I felt so much better when the person working there told me that 90% of the people that buy the soap from their store are women! My manly purchase: instantly justified. Baxter also offers a body wash version (also a bergamot and pear scent!) which I want to try next.

I have been using it since I bought it on Saturday, and really like the way it feels on my skin. The site claims that it is supposed to not dry your skin out, so I am interested to see if this rings true as the weather gets colder. So far, so good!

Do you own/use any men's products?

xo lamb

P.S. Stop by Ball and Buck's online site -- they have a ton of great products, perfect for your boyf, dad, or brother.

Mupload Monday

Here are some Muploads (mobile uploads) from my lovely weekend!

"Linner" at Temazcal

I had a full food coma after this meal.

Note: The fabulous guacamole was eaten before I was able to get a shot of it!

Me: Tortilla Soup

TM: Tacos de Carnitas

Appetizers from our dinner at Sportello.

Loved the food, the wine, the service..everything!

We are huge Barbara Lynch (chef) fans, so we will definitely be back.

TM: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Crab, Watermelon, Basil

Me: Spinach and Red Quinoa, Figs, Sultanas, Goat Cheese

TM: Strozzapreti with braised rabbit, picholine olives, rosemary

Me: Corn and goat cheese ravioli, mustard greens

Our entrees were so tasty. They were small but we were more than satisfied.

I tried some of TM's meal (my first time trying rabbit), and loved it.

We topped off our meal with lemon semifreddo with shortcake and native berries.

Some sunflowers from TM from the local farmer's market.

To top off the weekend, I had to include this mountain of pillows that ended up on me,

courtesy of the boyf.

What did you do this weekend?

xo

lamb

fall friday's fancies

Joseph Knitted Rabbit Fur Sweater

Current/Elliott Wine Red Burgundy Skinny Cord Jeans

Christian Louboutin Pigalle Studded Leather Flats

Yves St. Laurent Cabas Chyc Leather Tote

Hermes H Clic-Clac Bangle

Calypso St. Barth Kanupriya Ring

It's been awhile since I linked up with {av} for Friday's Fancies. I have missed linking-up but by the time Friday rolls around I am so beat...I envy those of you who plan their posts ahead of time! I am clearly not as organized normally.

I was a little skeptical at first about pairing these studded Loub flats with a soft fur sweater but I am really digging the way they look together. How badly do I want a rabbit fur sweater? Seriously? So comfy! I die. And.. I have already mentioned how much I am loving the jewel tone trend (these jeans and bag are perfect for colorblocking).

Happy Friday kittencats! xo, lamb.

Nordstrom + A Confession

I need to confess to you all:

I'm not over Missoni for Target yet.

AB, CB and I went to a Target last night, only to find bedding, girl's clothing, and some of the framed tiles (AB picked one up). Feeling defeated, I started to scour the Facebook pages where people are trading/bartering/selling items at non-inflated "Ebay" prices. I officially cut myself off from this insanity this afternoon when I received some shipping notices from target.com. I can finally rest easy (re-reading this to edit my post, I am realizing how psychotic I truly can be).

But then, I found the perfect distraction. Nordstrom's September 2011 catalog has so many drool-worthy items, I could easily empty out my bank account on some fall items. Newsflash to myself: It's already empty. From my Tuesday 5:30 am free for all.

Here are some of my picks:

Lafayette 148 New York Shawl Collar Coat

Calvin Klein Cape

Alberto Makali Faux Fur Vest

Valentino Ruffled Biker Boot

Tucker Jumbo Cardigan

Michael Kors Leather Buckle Bangle, Buckle Bangle, and Slender Hinged Bangle

Vince Camuto 'Kent' Boot

Do you have anything special you're eyeing for the fall?

xo

lamb

P.S. Tomorrow's Friday. Win.

Have we all recovered from the Missoni for Target madness yesterday?

I certainly have. After staying up til 1, then waking up at 5:30 frantically adding things to my online cart, I placed 5 orders and was able to get much of what I wanted (and some other stuff, just because). Needless to say, I was utterly obsessed with it yesterday for absolutely no reason (even after I had submitted my orders). I can't wait to share with you all what I got! I unfortunately received e-mails today that I won't get much of what I ordered until the end of October. I am assuming that they are manufacturing more to fulfill the orders they received to keep everyone happy (instead of canceling orders that were placed), since so many people were dissatisfied yesterday -- or, it will actually just take them that long to get their ish together.

Moving on! I want to share another one of my latest obsessions with you. I have officially jumped on the cute hair-tie bandwagon. Enter Twistband and Emi-Jay.

I first heard about Emi-Jay hair ties from Elizabeth, and Twistbands from Birchbox (I got one in my August box!). After testing out both, I am addicted!

top l-r: Emi-Jay Metallic Set of 5, Emi-Jay Americana Set of 3, Twistband Neon Set of 3 (neon pink, green orange, sorry for the poor picture quality!),

bottom l-r: , Twistbands in Denim, Plum, Turquoise, Apple (sorry, looks yellow!), Mint, Forest, Grapefruit, Raspberry, Melon, Cherry

I've found that the Emi-Jays stretch out a lot, much more than Twistbands do. I have really thin hair, so I prefer the Twistbands for this reason. The Emi-Jays are more comfortable to wear around your wrist because they are a little bit bigger to begin with (before they stretch out). They both are fabulous for putting your hair up and avoiding the dreaded hair-tie bump in case you want to wear your hair down later in the day. Twistband also offers headbands, perfect for working out if you have bangs (my sister bought some + loves them!).

Happy Hump Day, everyone!

xo, lamb.

Last week, I hosted a dinner at my apartment with TM for MP and PH. I meant to take some photos but we were all so hungry and busy catching up, that I completely forgot. We picked up some heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella to start with, with fresh basil, a little bit of olive oil, s+p and balsamic glaze. If you are appalled at the price of heirloom tomatoes, trust me, they are worth it as an occasional splurge (it was $12 for 3 tomatoes). We also had peppered pecorino cheese and black olives.

For the main course, we had pork and mashed potatoes (starch much?). The mashed potatoes were fairly standard, except I used truffle butter instead of regular. I made a delicious pork recipe from Emeril that I wanted to share with you all.

(Had to steal this since I am awful at taking photos..but these are actually made from the recipe!)

Kicked Up Breaded Pork Chops Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 thin center-cut pork chops (about 2 1/4 pounds... I actually used Whole Foods pork loins and cut the fat off)
• 1 cup fine, dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Emeril's Italian Essence or other Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the milk, garlic, white wine, red pepper, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt and stir well. Add the pork chops and soak at room temperature while assembling the remaining ingredients, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a lightly greased wire rack on top of the baking sheet and set aside.

In a large sealable plastic bag, add the bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, Essence, and cheese and shake to combine. Drain the pork chops from the milk mixture, one at a time, and add to the bread crumb mixture. Shake to coat thoroughly. (You may need to press the mixture into the chops with your hands.)

Arrange the pork chops on the baking rack and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes (I cooked them for 30, since they were a little thicker), or until cooked through and the breading is crisp and golden.

--

Even if you aren't a huge pork fan, you must try this recipe. They are crispy, a bit spicy, and super tasty.

Enjoy!

xo, lamb

this past weekend ...

My mother, sister and I went to Cirque du Soleil. They are performing their Quidam show in Boston. We had great seats and it was a fantastic overall show, some parts were a tad weird (but even so, interesting and fun!) and the acrobatics were unbelievable. We were in awe the entire time. They even did skits involving audience members that were hilarious. Have you ever seen a Cirque du Soleil show?

I gave my sister the Tory Burch Aaden heels in almond as a birthday gift. She's had her eye on them for awhile and I was so excited to give them to her that I did the second we got home from the show!

My sister made a beyond delicious whole wheat pizza with tomatoes, colored peppers, onion and mozzarella for dinner Saturday night. We topped off our dinner with baked apples with sugar and cinnamon with french vanilla iced cream.

I made my family watch Something Borrowed, even though they know I've seen it a million times. The Salt n Pepa routine is arguably the best scene in the entire movie (besides, anything involving Claire, who cracks me up in every scene she's in).

We walked all day Sunday through Charlestown and Beacon Hill before bringing my sister to the airport. I am so sad she is gone -- cannot wait until I see her next!

I finished off my weekend at Hillstone with TM (the only way to finish a weekend!). Sorry, this is an old picture that I've posted, clearly I take about Hillstone far too often on this blog!

What did you do this weekend?

xo lamb