Fall is Here….and so is Butternut Squash Soup

Fall has officially arrived in New York.  Leaves are changing, I am wearing flannels to bed, and we even kicked on the heater!  I dressed the mantle with some fall decor….. a lot of it is actually from target….which by the way I'm in love with all of their plaid printed pillows and blankets right now… and the stone candlesticks are from Anthropologie.

On instagram I posted about the first batch of my favorite soup of the season.  Seriously, I can't get enough, and it's almost totally GUILT FREE.  Here's the delicious recipe:

Butternut Squash Soup

1 lb. Butternut squash, peeled chopped
2 Apples, peeled chopped  (I prefer granny smith or more tart)
1 onion, chopped
2-3 large carrots, peeled chopped (optional- I add for extra veggies)
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. curry powder
1-2 sprigs thyme (or a few dashes of dried thyme)
1-2 sprigs rosemary (or a few dashes)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot sautee veggies in 2 tbsp. butter.  Add chicken broth, enough to cover everything.  Add spices.  Cook for 20 minutes or until tender.  Puree with either a blending stick or ladle into blender (let cool first if you put in a blender- or it may crack).  Add about 1/4 cup milk (I use whole milk, you could use half and half).  Stir.  Enjoy!!

Happy Fall!

It's picnic time!

With Spring Break well on its way, we all know what that means…..Summertime and warmer weather has finally arrived! To me this means spending countless hours outside eating and playing and soaking up some rays.  I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite towels/blankets for those picnic outings at the park or beach gatherings.  Enjoy!

http://domino.com/turkish-t-beach-candy-swirl/108ort99ta?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=54f835ad9ac35fa43854cf3d&gclid=CIz9ka216cQCFUJk7AodKTMAfw

http://thebeachpeople.com.au/shop/aztec/

http://www.pacsun.com/billabong/palm-vacation-beach-towel-3244860.html?OriginID=GPS&XCID=S:Google&local=false&cvosrc=cse.googleshopping.0673031480012&c3apiks=413_918157&kpid=3244860&gclid=CMW4v6u26cQCFerm7AodiUYAiA

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1696952/picnic-time-canasta-willow-picnic-basket.jsp?src=J84DHJLQkR4&utm_campaign=328293&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=J84DHJLQkR4&utm_content=1&utm_term=10&siteID=J84DHJLQkR4-eJzfBUanOnm0S2yAiA4tcQ

http://www.target.com/p/camelbak-eddy-water-bottle-palm-75l/-/A-16741228#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=water+bottle

http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10036777&N=&Ntt=food+storage+container

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=30988216&color=095&cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-PLA-_-95638078144product_type_l1ww%26product_type_l2gear&adpos=1o5&creative=56691441184&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CNjJqaDI6cQCFZFm7AodzwcAdw

So there you go….just a few fun picnic essentials to share with family, friends, and loved ones.

XOXO

Brittany

Blizzard Soup

**Taking a break from my normal design inspiration posts for the moment**

In case you've been hiding under a tree, those of us in the NorthEast are getting hit hard with a major blizzard.  There is something about a big snowstorm that gets me giddy with excitement.  It makes me nostalgic for the days of watching the news, guessing how many inches of snow we'll get, how many days off of school we will get, and then scheming to get a friend to come over and 'get stuck' at my house.  Now, years later, I still get giddy.  I still watch the news all day, watch the snow come down, and get excited to go sledding with the kids.  It is also a great excuse to try some new recipes.  I'm starting off the snowstorm with a big batch of italiam sausage soup.  My kids loved it, it's hearty enough for a man, yet brothy and filled with vegetables.  Here is my version of the classic recipe:

1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes (bigger can)
5 c beef broth
1 zucchini
1 lb italian sausage
1 onion
1/2 - 1 c diced carrotts
1 c. canneli beans
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil (or fresh basil)
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Remove casing and brown italian sausage in frying pan.  Remove the drippings, leaving about 1 tbsp. Add diced onion and minced garlic cloves.  Combine all of the ingredients except tortellini in a crock pot.  Cook on high 4 hours or low 6.  Add cooked pasta 30 min. prior to serving.

Serve with bread and enjoy!  ....You'll have enough to last you atleast 2 meals!

With Love,
Brittany

 

Home Office Organization

Whether you have a home business or not, or a home office room or nook, we all have an area where we file papers and pay the bills.  We have a specific room, especially because of my home business, but it also becomes a dumping zone.  Here are a few cute, clever and of course STYLISH 'home office' organizational tools I would love for my own space!

RUSSELL AND HAZEL

Roll Call: Lucite clip board? yes please!

CUTEST binder i've ever seen!

The CONTAINER STORE

No more bending under the desk to find your plug in...

Poppin Stacking Letter trays.  I like their modern shape and color options and love that you can mix and match sizes.

We live in a 'wireless world' yet we need all those power chargers! Keep them from getting in the way.

A cork board is so important to pin up inspiring images, lists,  invitations, etc...

CB2

LOVE the color!

Sugar Paper

It's decorative and practical.

Enjoy!

XOXO,

Brittany

Bring on the New Year, New Products!

With Christmas sales over and done with, that makes room on the shelves for new products! I always get excited for January because the home store start to roll out their new Spring inventory.  Here in New York, winter has only just begun, but I like to get my home feeling fresh and springy inside.

I picked a few of my favorite New Products out at some of the stores: 

West Elm:

Pottery Barn:

Crate and Barrell:

William-Sonoma Home:

Layla Grace:

Lulu and Georgia:

HAPPY SHOPPING!

With Love, 

Brittany

Declutter and Get Organized

I hope you all had a happy holiday! If you are like me, it's been a little tough getting back into the grind.    We went away for over 2 weeks, and now coming back to our house, I could not wait to declutter and organize everything….drawers, closets, etc…  That means donating items that have not been used in over a year, throwing away broken or unusable items, and just cleaning up the rest.  I have a long ways to go….I've only just cleaned up all my Christmas decor.

Look at this office/desk area.  Doesn't it just look so calming and fresh and clean? Minimalist looks so inviting to me right now.

This craft closet is a mecca of craft closet and organization.  Now we all may not have a
craft closet persay, but we can take some tips from this.  Plastic bins and storage drawers.  They are a cheap and functional organizational tool.  I just picked up a bunch from target and use them for everything from toys and kids school papers to winter gear and paper goods.

If going for storage boxes, picking one color to use makes everything much more cohesive and pleasing to the eye, thus a cleaner looking space. (rather than using a bunch of different styles and colors of boxes).

I also LOVE baskets.  I love a good natural woven/straw basket.  The great thing is you stick toys, magazines, blankets, papers…..anything and it is hidden.  You can put it next to a chair, under a console, on a bookshelf, and the clutter is easily concealed.  Target has a bunch of great wicker baskets and so does Homegoods.  

I also love acrylic drawer inserts for junk drawers and makeup.  These are from the Container Store.

 Okay, that's enough for now. I hope I got you all geared up and ready to declutter so that you don't end up like this: