Thursday, December 13

A Holiday Tradition


No.1 Hangover Cures $9.99 || No.2 Drinking Games $9.99 || No.3 Turtley Awesome Shot Glasses $14.00
No.4 Bareware Set $19.99 || No.5 Sweater Flask $18.00 || No.6 Bottle Opener $8.99


I love Christmas. I mean, what's not to love when you have almost a month of friends, family, yummy food, delicious cocktails, festive decorations, mistletoe, twinkling lights, snow [hopefully!], pretty dresses and of course parties! One of my favorite things about holiday parties is when it comes time for the white elephant gift exchange. Since this is usually an adult game and a unisex gift is a must I tend to lean towards taking an alcohol related item. Always a safe bet!  I'll be attending my first holiday party of the season tomorrow evening so I thought I'd share a few of my finds this year ... all between $10 and $20! There may be a few fellow party goers following along today so I can't reveal my gift but I'll be sure to share that and the gift I bring home next week.

Do you love a good white elephant gift exchange as much as I do?

Tuesday, December 11

A Perfect Gift


[via]


I just received this email from Anthropologie and knew I had to share.
These amazing pouches are on sale today for just $39.95!
If you're still looking for a little something extra to give this holiday these would make the perfect gift.
Because every girl loves a little sparkle!

Wednesday, December 5

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012











images via 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 8 

If you were like me last night you were glued to the tv [along with my roommates bf] watching this years Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
As always the girls were amazing + beautiful. And I loved the mix of performers: Rihanna, Justin Bieber and one of my favorites Bruno Mars.
Bruno Mars performed this song and well, it's currently on repeat. LOVE being introduced to new music.
If you missed the show, you can watch it on CBS [here].

Tuesday, December 4

It's My Birthday!



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Today ... is my 27th birthday!
And while I'd love to spend the day doing whatever my little heart desires, today is busy busy busy!
Though there will be a little celebrating tonight. 
I'll be taking today off but will be back tomorrow!

Hope you all have a fabulous day!
xo

Friday, November 30

Birthday Extravaganza



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Tonight I'll be hitting the town with my closest girlfriends since three of us have birthdays just 3 weeks apart.
 Julianne [11/25] + myself [12/4] + Taylor [12/10] 
What could be better than a night of celebrating not one but three birthdays!
Here's to a fun night, cheers!
 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
xo


Thursday, November 29

Recently





Over Thanksgiving break I spent the majority of my time in my grandmother's kitchen.
And while that is no different than any other trip up north, this year I took a strong liking to my grandmother's china.
She has two beautiful sets but my favorite has to be the china she received as a wedding gift.
White and mint trimmed in gold. Um, gorgeous!
And while I couldn't pack them in my bag for the trip home I did score two major beauties from my absolute favorite local antique mall.
Pretty much obsessed and I'm thinking they'd be perfect for styling a bar cart!
If only I could find a shaker and ice bucket to match ...

Wednesday, November 28

It's The Small Things



First off I have to say thank you for the kind words, early birthday wishes, and fabulous suggestions I received yesterday.
You guys are seriously the best!


[via]


For today's post, I had something completely different planned and then something happened this morning that caught me off guard. Most mornings I stop for a coffee before work and since I've stopped at the same spot since May I've started to learn the regulars. Today one of those regulars said good morning and introduced themselves; afterwards I got in my car and smiled. How nice it is to have a name for that face I've seen smiling back at me for the past few months.

Such a great reminder on how the little things like a simple 'hello' or a 'good morning' can really brighten someone's day.

Tuesday, November 27

Help Me with My Birthday Menu!



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One week from today I will be celebrating my 27th birthday.
One of my favorite traditions is how we celebrate birthdays in my family: 
we all gather at my parents and enjoy whatever delicious meal the birthday person requests
Since my birthday falls on a Tuesday, this Sunday will be the day I celebrate with my family.
Last year I asked for a low country shrimp boil and individual chocolate lava cakes, yum! 
 This year I'm a little stuck. I can have anything my little heart desires but I honestly have no clue.
The only thing I've decided is NO cake.
 Instead I've asked for brownie sundaes complete with my favorite: chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

But for the actual meal I need your help.
I'd love to hear what some of your favorite birthday dishes are!


Thursday, November 22

Happy Thanksgiving!






Couldn't have said it better myself.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
xo
Amanda

Wednesday, November 21

A Thanksgiving Feast
















You guys, seriously, yum!
I don't know about you but I am so excited tomorrow is Thanksgiving.
Between hanging out with the family, getting lots of sleep and eating WAY too much food this is quite possibly one of my favorite holidays.
I have spent every Thanksgiving at my grandma's and this year will be no different.  
There is something so comforting about watching my 91 year old grandma in the kitchen. 
And I love that all 8 of us [mom dad 2 brothers sister-in-law aunt and uncle] will spend most of the day in the kitchen waiting on dinner.


But for now it's off to grandma's I go.
Hope you all get to enjoy a delicious meal tomorrow! 


Images + Recipes via Food Network

 

Tuesday, November 20

Time To Put On That Party Dress




One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Six


With Thanksgiving on Thursday it is officially that time of year when it is completely acceptable to purchase a new party dress!
These are just a a few that I'm currently coveting.
And I can't even begin to describe how smitten I am with this dress.

 Have you already found the perfect party dress? If so I'd love to hear!

Monday, November 19

Details of the Weekend






Happy Monday, friends!
I am so excited for this week - for a couple reasons: it's a short work week, spending time with the family and of course the food ...
So here's to hoping these next few days fly by!

If you follow me on Instagram [@amandapattison_] you may have noticed a few hot air balloon postings over the weekend.
That is because on Saturday what was originally a dinner date with two friends turned into an unexpected adventure.
Lori Jill and I decided to check out Balluminaria.
 The event takes place at Mirror Lake in Eden Park, one of the many Cincinnati parks.
11 hot air balloons lined up around the lake and for 2 hours put on what is called a 'balloon glow'.
We entered in on the backside of the lake so we were right in the middle of the action, which made for some pretty cool pictures.
Though the coolest pictures came at the end of the night when we made our way around to the other side.
 From there you could see the glow of all 11 balloons and their reflections in the lake - check out this amazing shot someone captured!

This is definitely something I plan on making a yearly tradition.
If you are in the Cincinnati area I highly recommend putting this on your list of things to see next year.


Friday, November 16

Wishing For




I'm currently wishing for a roaring fire due to the fact our heat went out last night!
My nightly routine consists of coming home, going upstairs and immediately turning on my little space heater.
My bedroom happens to be my favorite place in the house but since we live in an old house it tends to get a little chilly!
Because of this I didn't initially realize the heat wasn't working. After about ten minutes upstairs I heard my roommate yell for me.
Sure enough, it said the heat was on, but there was no warm air anywhere. Oh, and it said it was 54 degrees inside.
We are hoping to have it looked at and fixed today because I'm not sure I could handle another morning of 50 degrees!

But enough about me. What about you?
Any fun weekend plans?
I'd love to hear!

Thursday, November 15

Too Pretty To Eat








You guys, can we talk about how pretty these two dishes are? 
Deb Perelman, the creator of Smitten Kitchen, is seriously a genius and truly an artist in the kitchen.
If I had either one of these sitting in front of me I not sure I could eat them. They are that pretty!
Her blog is full of delicious recipes AND she just released a new cookbook.
 Better believe that was added to my Christmas list!


Wednesday, November 14

Etsy + Holiday Cards


I don't know about you but I could spend hours days on Etsy and with the holidays right around the corner I've spending even more time than usual hunting for fun homemade + unique gifts to give to my loved ones. Especially now that everyone is older and scratching their heads on what they really want. Turns out my 30 and 28 year old brothers don't want Lego's, Hot Wheels or a G.I. Joe doll! Who knew?!

My most recent search lead me to these adorable hand-made cards by Ashley Pahl.



Let me tell you, I'm obsessed.
Not only does Ashley have a holiday collection but you can also find birthday cards, love cards, friendship cards and just because cards.
All of which are just as fabulous.
So if you are in the market for this year's holiday cards Ashley's shop is the perfect place to find what you need!

Tuesday, November 13

Long Time, No See


I can't even begin to describe how terrible I feel for being such a bad blogger lately.
Between being super busy at work and unfortunately feeling a little uninspired I just couldn't come up with material I was happy sharing.
Have any of you ever felt that way? It's definitely not fun and made me sad to be away.
But I'm happy to say I'm feeling 100% again.

So here's a little peek of what was happening during my time away:

Added a fun liner to my vanity. Finally received official business cards after my promotion.
Met my best friends new puppy, Puck. Started a new pretty collection.


Made a much needed trip to the hair salon [went dark for fall+winter]. Picked up a few pretty studs perfect for the holidays.
Admired a beautiful chapel and spent time with some of my favorite girls at a very special wedding.


To see more of my recent happenings you can follow along on Instagram @amandapattison_


Tuesday, November 6

Make It Count


[via]

Happy Election Day!
Hope you all head out to make your vote count.


Friday, November 2

Happy Weekend, Friends!


[via]

Wishing you all a fun & fashionable weekend!
xo

Classic Combination: Black & White


room via || fashion via

Outfits Clockwise: 1 || 2[similar] || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6


Lately I've been loving the classic combo of black and white.
I was inspired by this room  and after stumbling upon a new favorite shop, Sosie, my shopping bag is now full of wishlist items.
With so many options available in every style you are sure to find a dress, top, or skirt you will adore.
If you haven't been pop on over; it's heaven wrapped up in a website.



Wednesday, October 31

Happy Halloween!



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Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween!
Hope your day is filled with costumes and candy.
xo

Tuesday, October 30

Color Crush



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Just a few pretty images that left me feeling inspired and quite girly today.
Happy Tuesday!
xo


Monday, October 29

DIY Halloween Treat Bags


Coffins || Pumpkin Pouch || Witch's Broom || Skull Box || Jack-O-Lantern Box || Headstones

With trick-or-treat just a few days away I sure am wishing I had found these adorable little creations earlier.
How fun [and perfect!] would they be to hand out to all the dressed up kiddo's stopping by for a yummy treat?
Even though I'm not a candy corn fan I'm completely in love with the Witch's Broom!
Find these ideas and more here.

Tuesday, October 23

... And Off She Goes!

  

Today one of my dear friends, Molly, who I've known since college, is setting off for a month long European get-away. She will be stopping in four dream locations: Paris, Switzerland, Austria, and London. Talk about jealous! Oh, and did I mention she is making the trip all by her lonesome? Can you believe that? I mean what an adventure! She recently started a blog of her very own and I can't wait to make sure she is safe stalk her travels.

Have so much fun Molly + can't wait to see you once you're back!
xo





Monday, October 22

Sweet Treat for Your Monday

 
This past weekend I was in Circleville, Ohio visiting Darci, my college roommate. It was the perfect weekend to make the trip up because it was Pumpkin Show, a 4 day festival in honor of pumpkins. If there is one thing you should know about Darci it would be that she is a die-hard when it comes to Pumpkin Show. So much so that she took off Wednesday to Saturday so she wouldn't miss a day.  As crazy as that sounds I must admit I've grown to love my yearly trip to the Pumpkin Show and have had a blast each year I've gone. 
[pictures here and here]

This year's trip was full of lots of quality roommate time, delicious fair food, a bridesmaid dress fitting, an OSU victory that almost gave me a heart attack, and a delicious treat made by Darci's soon to be mother in law:

Peanut Butter Chews

image via

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tbsp butter
6-7 cups corn flakes
 
Directions:
Put sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, and butter in large non-stick pot. Bring to boil and constantly stir so it does not burn to bottom of pan. Use med to med.low heat. 
Once it starts to bubble on top, take off hot burner to a cool burner. Slowly add in corn flakes stirring in between so they all get covered. If a little to syrupy, add in the 7th cup of corn flakes.  
Let set a couple of minutes to cool for handling..With tablespoon form balls and put on wax paper on cookie sheet and let cool..If you want them to set faster, stick them in fridge for awhile but do not keep them in there, they will get to hard to eat. Makes approx. 35 balls depending on the size you make them. Store them in closed container wax paper in between layers. 
 
recipe via

WARNING: these are extremely addicting
but a recipe you MUST try!

Thursday, October 18

Fall Flowers


One of my favorite things about this time of year are the gorgeous rich colors that show up in the fall foliage.
Seeing a tree filled with the perfect combination of orange, red and yellow just makes my heart happy.
And what could be better than bringing those gorgeous colors indoors?
Not only are the trees full of these vibrant colors but the fall flowers are as well.
Mums, Daisies, Dahlias, Roses, Tulips, Ranunculus
With plenty of options available there are so many ways to pull together a beautiful arrangement such as:


 Chrysanthemum Arrangement
via

Dahlias and Spider Mums

Fall Fireworks Arrangement

Forbidden Flowers


Talk about happiness.
I think I need each of these in my home like now!
To find these arrangements and more pop on over to Martha Stewart.


Wednesday, October 17

Comfort Food


 Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls


 Hot Buttered Spiced Cider


 Six-Hour Slow Cooker Chili


Something about fall makes me want to cuddle up on the couch in a warm blanket with the most delicious food. 
And to me fall comfort food must include something pumpkin, a huge mug of warm apple cider garnished with a cinnamon stick, and a pot of chili cooking away on the stove. I mean, yum!

With a friends wedding a few weeks away I'm thinking I may have just planned the menu for the day after.
Talk about the perfect food to share with friends while recapping the crazy+fun night we had!