November 28, 2016

Favorite Things Gift Guide 2016

It’s CYBER MONDAY!!! Don’t you just cringe when you hear the word CYBER? I dunno. Maybe it’s just me. So, you’re probably going to see a TON of gift guides today. It’s Monday. We’re headed into December. Take a deep breath. I just took 5.

If you’ve been here for awhile, you know that I do things a little bit differently re: gift guides. I play Oprah and share some of my favorite things that I’m into this year, in the hopes that maybe they’ll be your favorites too! Everything on this list is approved by yours truly.

Now that I am looking at all of this stuff, I could call it

TRACY’S COPING MECHANISMS aka MY FAVORITE THINGS GIFT GUIDE of 2016:

1. Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Journal– This is my bullet journal. I can’t do anything without it. You’ll always find it near me and I picked orange so I could spot it from far away. I have so many black journals….they all get lost. Take this advice from a 37 year old.

2. Everything is Going to be OK– I have this cute little plate hanging up on my wall. We could all use this reminder, couldn’t we? I love this Work Hard Stay Humble plate too!

3. Tombow Pen – I LOVE THIS PEN. GET YOURSELF 20 of them. 2 for people’s stockings and then the rest for YOU.

4. Big Sur Room Spray – Last year Casey and I went on the most amazing trip to Big Sur. This room spray smells like our vacation. There’s something so magical about that area, and I love that I can remember our trip every time I spritz our room with it. I also really love their collection of incense.

5. Leopard Vans– I love them. They go with everything…at least I think they do. They’re the first shoe I grab when I’m running errands. Definite game changer.

6. Triangle Day Bag– You know I’m always on the search for the perfect bag. I’ve been using this bag since July and I have no intentions of retiring it. It’s the PERFECT size for me for everyday use. If I am traveling or I have more to carry, I throw it in a tote. What I’ve learned about myself is that while I love bags with a LOT of a pockets, I don’t always put things back in the right place when I’m on the go, so one inner pocket is perfect for me. Wearing this purse also has earned me quite a few compliments!

7. Mill Valley Sweater– I’ve been living in this since I bought it in September. It’s soft like a blanket that makes this introvert feel super protected when she’s out in the world. Sometimes I catch Cooper wearing it while he’s snuggled on the couch watching cartoons. I don’t blame him….it smells like his Mama and is COMFORTABLE AS HECK.

8. Amazon Echo Dot– Casey bought one of these for our home last month. I was reluctant and then all I had to do was say, “Alexa play Fiona Apple Pandora Station!” and it started playing one of my favorite Fiona Apple songs immediately. How do I use it most? I set timers while I’m working in the kitchen, I ask her cooking & baking questions like how many tablespoons are in a stick of butter? I’ll have her add stuff grocery list that I can check on my phone. But mostly, I have her put on music in the kitchen. Her name is Alexa by the way.

9. Electronic Typewriter– I’ve been using an typewriter at my desk to type my feelings/thoughts/lists, etc. this past year. It cost me way less than going to therapy and for that I am grateful. There’s something about the sound when hitting the keys that makes me happy.

10. Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser – I think this might have been on one of my old lists, but I have reunited with my diffuser now that I need some extra humidity in our bedroom during the Winter. Some of my favorite scents to use- Lavender, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Douglas Fir, Orange & Mint. This is the perfect time of year to bust out your Thieves oil!

SUBSCRIPTIONS TO GIFT!

Stitch Fix– Get your friend a gift card so they can try the service out!

Get a 3-Month Creativebug Subscription for $1 I love being able to access great tutorials & classes on my computer. Cooper and I have taken a few classes together and it’s SO MUCH FUN.

Curated Music + Food= Turntable Kitchen Subscription Box– For the music & food lover!

Bluebottle Coffee Subscription– We have our beans delivered every other week. The beans are super fresh. We love Bluebottle!

Birchbox Subscription– If you love trying samples of perfume & beauty products, you’ll love this.

If you plan on doing any shopping online, you should sign up with EBATES because you get cash back from your purchases. They also will give you the good promo codes for shops online. All of you have to do is login to your account and go through their website and earn. They’ll send you a “big fat check” quarterly. A lot of big online retailers are on there, so I ALWAYS make sure to see if I can get cash back from a sale. It costs nothing to sign up and you’ll love being surprised in the mail with checks!

Here are some guides from the past if you need additional ideas!

Also, if you don’t already know, I have a SHOP category on my blog.

You can check out some of my favorites things there!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

my everyday life, Photography

November 27, 2016

My Everyday Life: Week 47

Here’s what this past week looked like. My Everyday Life – Week 47

Getting my place cards ready.

I spelled Nora Lea wrong. Oooooops. I AM SORRY HELEN JANE!

Making my Pecan Topped Sweet Potatoes for Thanksgiving.

And these rolls too! This time I let them rise a little longer. SO FLUFFY.

Getting the table ready. Our group was pretty small & intimate. We had so much fun.

Thanks for the sign, Cooper!

The MENU:

Right before a fight over fake weapons.

Someone always wants the one that someone else covets.

November 25, 2016

I love lists

This made me LOL.
I always thought that electric cars were waaaaaay too quiet.
Images of gratitude.
Dad jokes….just in time for the holidays. I think I like Dad jokes more than my Dad does.
This cake is perfection.
Treat Yo Self to pretty jewelry. This one especially!
I agree, Anthony Bourdain.
Everyday….elevated.
Hahahaa. I got my patronizing, more successful sibling.
These vintage photos turned gifs amuse me.
Lists Everyone Should Make.
I don’t know if the dresses are that similar, but it’s interesting to see.
Photographers freeze waves.
Oh, COME ON MILLENNIALS
Current mood: I ate too much
The Secret Lives of Things.
Ok so this is what type of coffee each airline serves. But…what water do they use?
My friends make beautiful things. Yup. They really do.
Seth Rogen pranks people…. with his fake death.
Top 100 Most Influential Photos of All Time. Wow.
When did you go fully grey? I’m trying to figure that out myself.
My current favorite sweater is on sale right now!

Inspiration

November 23, 2016

16 Ways to Say Grace

It is a true gift to be able to sit around a table and celebrate all that we are thankful for with good food, friends and family. Grace helps gives us a pause to acknowledge that gift.

Do you say grace before meals? We always do when we’re together with my family.

Here’s what we have in our rotation:

“Bless us oh Lord for these thy gifts that we’re about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

“Good bread, good meat, thank the lord, LET’S EAT.”

Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. (my mom doesn’t like that one)

Grace….I knew her well. (that’s what my grandpa used to say)

And then we end each grace with GOD BLESS THE COOK.

Earlier this year, my friend Helen Jane took the 100 day creative challenge (one of the reasons why I love her) where she created a new pre-meal grace (whether written or illustrated) each day for 100 days to add to her family’s modern-day grace repertoire. Her intention was to find some graces that would be suitable around any table, no matter your religion or non-religion! Helen Jane & family are going to be at our Thanksgiving this year. I wonder which one of these we’ll use….perhaps we’ll come up with a new one on the fly.

If you’re looking for a way to shake up your pre-meal grace, hopefully one of these graces makes its way into your festivities this holiday.

Prepare for giggles at the end of this one.

(this one is a good one for all the moms out there!)

This one is my favorite. Thanks for bringing this Buddhist proverb into the mix!

THANK YOU HELEN JANE!

I am thankful for our friendship and your creative brain!

recipes

November 22, 2016

No- Knead Cloverleaf Rolls

Do you have dinner roll duty for Thanksgiving? I do.

I was thinking of buying rolls but then I saw this recipe and saw how easy it was to make my own No Knead Cloverleaf Rolls. There’s no turning back now.

These rolls are fluffy, slightly eggy (which I love), squishy, soft, doughy with a browned crispy buttery salty top. I love how you can pull off each dough ball when you eat a roll. It reminds me a little of these monkey bread minis I made many many years ago, except savory! Your table could use some carb love this Thanksgiving. More is more, right?!