i will sleep in these

Sam Edelman harness booties.

I posted about these babies a few months ago. And now they're finally mine, all mine. I can't stop staring at them. Last night I had a dream, ahem, nightmare, that Stella (my dog) got a hold of them. If that actually happened, she'd go straight to the pound. Okay, not really, but these gems are not getting close to the floor when they're not on my feet.

happy thanksgiving!

Today I'm thankful for my energetic and beautiful dog Stella, having a day off before Black Friday Hell, and an amazing feast with new friends in this still-new-to-me city that I love. Cheers!

black-bottom cupcakes

It's Thanksgiving Eve! I don't really get into the holidays that much. I mean, really, Thanksgiving to me is just another meal -- but one that I'll be eating leftovers from for the next two weeks. And, yeah, it's a fun time to hang out with family and watch football. But not when your family is scattered in Indiana and you currently reside in TN and have a retail job making in nearly impossible to travel around the time of Black Friday. So I'll be celebrating, here, in good 'ol Nashville, TN with friends. I think I'm even going to attempt to bake. Chocolate cupcakes with a cheesecake filling and a layered bean dip, perhaps? Sometime last year, I found the recipe for these amazing cupcakes and have made more than a few batches since then. And they're always a hit.



Yield: 12 full-size or approximately 30 mini cupcakes

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes:
1. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely,** which is fine.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed. These moist treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

*Personally, I think they're much tastier cold so I always refrigerate before sharing/eating!

Credit for recipe/photo here.

a tree grows in brooklyn

"Maybe," thought Francie, "she doesn't love me as much as she loves Neeley. But she needs me more than she needs him and I guess being needed is almost as good as being loved. Maybe better."

Unbearable Lightness of Being

It's Milan Fashion Week! And Fendi just took my breath away. Loving the soft colors and fabric. All of the silk and tulle and neutrals and frayed edges create such a dreamy look.

Some of my favorites....

The last look is perfection. Oh, Karl Lagerfeld, I die for you.

All photos from Style.com

like a virgin

Tomorrow is an old friend of mine's 25th birthday. Happy birthday Kate Marie :) In order to celebrate she has decided on an 80's Glam girls night out at 12th and Porter. I'm all for themed bashes and although the 80's thing is overdone, the including of the word "glam" just sort of ups the ante, am I right? 

Of course, my first thought is getting inspiration from the 80's Glam Queen herself... Madonna.

Love love love Audrina's Madonna look. This is what I want to go for.

Thrift shopping tomorrow! 

and now it's time to get out of the desert and into the sun

You can download the album version here.




You can download the album version here.


These two songs always find their way onto my playlists.

bondage bondage bondage

Fall is here (kinda) and when it comes to fashion, I'm most excited about anything bondage-like. I've especially fallen for harnesses. And Zana from Garbage Dress makes killer ones. I've loved this simple piece for months.

But she just created a "wing" version and now I can't decide which one I want more.

Wing harness created by Zana.

Zana wearing the winged version. She's so fierce, no?

And Camille, of Childhood Flames, wearing it.


I also want harnesses all over my shoes. I would kill for these Sam Edelman booties donning the harness.

I die. I die. I die.

Five Times August

Nearly 4 years ago I was sitting in my sorority "house" (more like an apt) watching Laguna Beach when a song came on... I couldn't get it out of my head. And after some extensive googling -- I finally found it. "Better With You" by Five Times August. Since then, I've been a fan. I even saw him play in a little coffee shop in Evansville. 

Cut to now. He's still on a lot of my random playlists. And he's currently still an unsigned artist (this is by choice... he prefers to be an independent artist without the help of record labels). But this also means that he has to fund new albums out of his own pocket. So in order to release his new album Life As A Song, he started a project on Kickstarter. Technically the money you donate is a "pledge" but you actually get something in return. And it's completely worth it. $5 will get you the digitial download of the album (that's a steal), $15 gets you an actual signed copy of the CD 2 months before the release date, and $25 gets your name in the CD booklet (plus the signed CD). How cool would it be to have your name on an album that you helped back? There's also other prizes/rewards for higher "pledges". 

It's just a really cool project. And if you're fan, you should definitely consider helping support the music rather than jacking it for free from the internet (we're all guilty, I know). And if you've never heard of him, check out the project! He has a recording of one of the songs from the album up. It sounds like it's going to be a kick-ass album. Check it out... There's only THREE days left to make it! 

Casablanca

Casablanca, a coffee shop, recently opened up in the Gulch. Which is exciting because it's merely across the street from my place of employment. I went there the other day for the first time for lunch and ordered a coffee and sandwich.

Caramel Vanilla Macchiato. $2.75

Chicken salad sandwich with almonds and cranberries served with tortilla chips and fresh salsa. Pricey at $8.75 but hands down the best chicken salad I've ever tasted.

SO YUM! My only complaint is the pricey lunches. I would love a half-sandwich and soup option for a lower price. And fellow co-workers often grumble about how slow they are. It was nearly empty when I walked in so I didn't have that problem. I'd still love to see more wallet friendly restaurants pop up in the gulch. There's only so many Mcdonalds and Lean Cuisines I can consume before I tire of them both. I have to reserve the pricey $10 lunches for a once a month treat.