8 LOVELY LITTLE THINGS v3

You all know how this works.

Clearly after the original 8 Lovely Little Things and then again with Volume 2 that I'm not the only one who loves giving "just because" gifts!

Here we go:

1. Fun fact: about 90% of the socks I own are patterned. I've gotten them as gifts from family and friends, and I think cute ones like these J.Crew Tiffany blue bow socks are perfectly ladylike! 

2. Um, how adorable are these XO studs? Super affordable, and an awesome way to literally send some love!

3. I don't think there has ever been a more stylish way to store your cash & cards. Everyone likes stripes--send this Kate Spade beauty to anyone and I'm sure they're love it.

4. Turquoise. Stacking. Zigzag. Rings. ASOS. Sold. There are a bunch, so buy 'em and give one or two to a few people!

5. I think giving little random office gifts like sweet pens or these colorful big paperclips is a great idea because people will think of you each day at work! Plus fun office items make the workweek go by that much faster!

6. I love Scrabble, I love coffee. This great Scrabble mug combines the two! I can think of multiple friends that would need this- and for under $15, it's happening. 

7. Do you have friends that like books? Gosh I hope so. This "I love your style" book is AWESOME for friends that like fun, fashion coffee books. 

8. Colorblocking is at its finest in this ASOS gold bar clutch. Have a friend that needs a colorful pick-me-up? Get it!

Which of these gifts would you snag for a friend (or yourself!)?

You have to know the Scrabble mug will be in my kitchen soon.

xo, lp

THANKS JAR STRIKES AGAIN

Normally on Tuesdays I share a recipe, but today is a special day my friends. Today is the Young House Love Pinterest Challenge! 

  I'm sure you all know about Sherry and John's blog, right? Sure you do. Their blog is the first one I ever started following, and is always a fun source of inspiration. I even got to meet them when Michael and I lived in Richmond (yes, I freaked out slightly), and have their new book pre-ordered. Total YHL nerd over here, people. 

Alright. Enough blabbing. So last year I tried to be cool and replicate Sherry's Thanks Glassing Project, and well... it didn't turn out so hot...so this year I gave it a facelift:

Oh, wait. 

I should probably explain.

So, every day of November (or earlier) until Thanksgiving you (and your spouse/partner/family/kids/etc) write something on a slip of paper you're thankful for and put it in the Thanks Jar. Then, on Thanksgiving you read them all! 

WAIT. Before you go judging and thinking this sounds a little goofy- let me assure you that it is not only sweet, but also HILARIOUS. Last year both Michael and I individually wrote cheese and whiskey on one. Class acts. 

Well, besides being ugly, the problem with last year's Thanks Jar was that you could see right into it, which means any nosy Nelly could check out what was on the slips ahead of time. No good. Thus, this year I decided to upgrade it....by painting it GOLD:

All you need:

Gold spray paint

Spray Adhesive (regular glue works too)

Mod Podge

Glitter

 After painting your jar gold, just spray some spray adhesive on in lines and layer your glitter on in whatever manner you so choose. I went with gold & copper tones from Martha Stewart, but clearly it doesn't need to be an fall color scheme! If you'd rather do a Thanks Jar for the holidays, blue & gold or red & green would be fun too!

We had so much fun with it last year, we actually started a month early. We've been writing one a day since the beginning of October and the jar is getting mighty full!!

If you want to have a Thanks Jar this year, get your butt in gear - you have 2 days!!!

Have another holiday tradition to share?

I'm a sucker for that stuff...so let me know!

xo, lp

IT WAS EITHER THE CHEERING OR THE WHISKEY.

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope you all had just as awesome of a weekend as I did...

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 For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you clearly know what I did Sunday. Yup. PACKER GAME! 

Michael and I had awesome seats at the game, which was met with perfect chilly weather and a ton of fellow diehard Packer fan friends. I was plenty warm in my 4 layers (hence why I look like a linebacker below)!! The blocked punt happened RIGHT in from of us. Insane. My throat hurts from screaming/cheering so much. That and the whiskey...

(find me on instagram HERE)

To rewind a bit, on Saturday we went wine tasting with friends and enjoyed some time in small town Wisconsin. I needed to wear my new J.Crew giraffe, clearly (similar here):

(also may i note this is the first time i've painted my nails in years. thanks sheri ann!)

I also gave in to the Nate Berkus collection at Target. Not every day you can get a gold sea urchin, I tell you. P.S. How cute is the art behind it? Birthday gift last year from Ms. Haslee...

Favorite this week: mustard sweater // chambray shirt // grey cords // biiiig gold watch

Can't. Get. Over. These. Earrings.

get em here

Per usual, thanks for dealing with my random Monday recap.

How was your weekend?

Anyone else lose their voice?

xo, lp

Friday's Fancies #42: 100th Celebration!

If you hang out around here regularly, you know most Fridays means Friday Fancies.

The lovely lady that came up with FF is celebrating her 100th week of making this outfit tradition happen. Congrats {av}! This week we're all focusing our looks on a celebration theme...

Step 1: Get a sparkly dress. How perfect is this dress from TopShop? Black with gold bugles covering the entire thing. Holiday/birthday/New Years/etc parties on your schedule? This is for you!

Step 2: You know I love a good statement necklace, and these three pretties from BaubleBar are perfect! Not to mention the fact that BB is having a friends and family sale so they are all 25% off. Oh yes. Might need the blue, black, AND red...

Step 3: I think this step is a no brainer. Black heels. Duh. Am I right? 

Step 4: In case you feel your statement necklace isn't enough to make a splash, a bright clutch is a great eye catcher. This royal blue Clare Vivier is just the ticket. 

What makes your celebration outfit great?

Blue topaz necklace, all the way folks.

xo, lp

WHO DOESN'T LIKE A LITTLE SPARKLE?

You all know about BaubleBar, right?

Constantly adding new, affordable baubles with free shipping both ways?

Well, it's Friends & Family sale, so that means 25% off all Baublebar!!!! Here are some of my favorites, click below to shop!

Which bauble is your favorite? 

I think I need that red block one...

xo, lp

TALE OF TWO (LAZY) PUMPKINS

There are a lot of creative people sharing cool things on the internet. 

Wow, vague statement of the year, no?

Where I was trying to go with that useless sentence was that while cruising through Pinterest I saw some majorly cool pumpkin ideas that other bloggers had come up with, and got all inspired.

So I went out, bought some mini pumpkins, and settled in to be oh-so creative and let that inspiration just go crazy. Wellllll I think sometimes when you try too hard to be creative-you just get stuck in trying to decide what to do to top what you've seen. 

So rather than get to wild and crazy, I stuck to some simple basics, monogram & dots. 

(we all know I've done both of those... here and here):

All you'll need is:

Black puffy paint

Gold Acrylic paint

Gold glitter

Foam brush

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The first one is simple. Do you know the first letter of your first or last name? Did you learn cursive in 2nd grade? Well, then you can make this happen. I just drew out an L in pen and traced it out with black puffy paint. Stay with me here folks, I know you're blown away. In the end, you'll get this:

The second one might be even easier. I included a foam brush on you "need" list, but imma level with you, I finger painted this pumpkin. Like I said, why go complicated when you can go so simple? I highlighted a few dots with gold glitter and bam. Done. Kate Spade-esque, right?

Here they are together on our shelves. Please note that I have a Shel Silverstein book there. Yup.

Just for good measure, let me share some cool ideas I saw out there:

1.  Ashley's gold dot pumpkins.

2. Erika's edgy chic pumpkins.

3. Aimee's washi tape pumpkins.

4. Shannon's gold thumbtack pumpkins.

How did you decorate your pumpkins this year?

Please tell me someone else finger painted. Please.

xo, lp

BROCCOLI SOY NOODLES

If I had to eat at a fast food type restaurant, it would hands down be Noodles & Company. I know that really doesn't qualify as fast food, but it's as close as this vegetarian will get to it! One of my favorites on their menu is the Japanese Pan Noodles, which is a sweet and spicy udon noodle dish. I tried to recreate it in this recipe and failed miserably, but it still tasted totally delicious. Obviously soy is high in sodium, so feel free to make this with low sodium soy!

What you'll need to make it happen:

2 cups broccoli, cut into bit sized pieces

1/3 cup carrots, slivered

2 tablespoons green onions, sliced in small rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz medium rice noodles (most packages come with two "nests" of 8 ounces each)

For the sauce:

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch

3 tablespoons warm water

2 teaspoons sriracha (or another chile sauce)

oil for cooking veggies, about 1 tablespoon

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil, and put rice noodles in. Don't break the "nest" they come in, simply let the noodles cook for a few seconds in the boiling water and push them under- they'll loosen up quickly and all fit in a large pot. Cook per instructions on package, drain, and set aside.

Step 2: If you rock at multi tasking, start cooking your veggies while the noodles cook. Begin by throwing your oil in a wok and bring to medium-high heat before adding anything.

Step 3: Throw in your carrots and cook for 1 minute, then adding your garlic & green onions, cooking for another minute. Add in your broccoli and cook for 3-4 more minutes, or until tender.

Step 4: Mix all your sauce ingredients together and add to your veggie mixture, bringing to a medium-low heat. 

Step 5: Stir for a minute, letting your sauce thicken, and toss in your noodles, stirring to coat thoroughly. 

Step 6: Serve up and enjoy!

Next time I make them I'll definitely amp up the spice factor, so if you like spicy food, add more sriracha or other chile oil!

What fast food could you live off of?

Please don't say KFC. I may judge you.

xo, lp

HI 5

Happy Monday, friends.

I don't know what the weather was like in your area, but it was picture perfect here. The Midwest can't seem to decide if it wants to be fall or winter, and this weekend it decided to switch back to 60s and sunny. Amazing, I tell you.

We celebrated one friend's birthday, and said goodbye to another moving to DC. For all you pretty DC bloggers, your city just gained one very handsome man- you're welcome!

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Tuesday night Michael and I went to our favorite place for dinner... who says date night has to be on Friday, right? Having a slow, relaxing dinner makes you forget it's the work week, doesn't it?

(if you're ever in Madison, eat here!)

I had grand plans for a bunch of little pumpkins I bought, but this is all my laziness would allow:

(more on themWednesday)

Per usual, a few #ootd shots:

1. red pants here and necklace here

2. polka dots: similar here and here  

3. maroon sweater: similar here and gold scarf: similar here

4. necklace: spikethepunch

 Tomorrow I'll be sharing this recipe:

(so. so. good.)

Finally, how awesome (and nerdy) and perfect are these Kate Spade mittens!?! Need these, I think...

seriously!

How was your weekend friends?

Now on a serious note...what's your take on the Hi-5 mittens? Lame? Awesome? Necessary?

xo, lp

8 LOVELY LITTLE THINGS v2

Last week I shared 8 Lovely Little things: fun gifts to give to that hard to shop for (or fun to shop for) person on your list. It was meant to be a "just because" list for someone else or even yourself...and I got a lot of great feedback from all you lovely people, so this is the second installment! 

Enjoy!

1. These dalmatian Spot flats from Old Navy are beyond awesome, and might have to be mine soon. The green sueded ones I got there the other week are so comfy...I highly recommend them!

2. These cushion studs from Bauble Bar remind me a lot of the Kate Spade ones, and are an awesome price. How easy (and fun) would it be to get these in different colors for all of your favorite female friends this year?

3. Getting beauty products for people can be tricky, but getting a high end, classic lip balm is a no-brainer. This Bobbi Brown lip balm makes your lips so dang soft, and isn't sticky/fruity/smelly. Win-win.

4. Purses & clutches are another item that can be pretty difficult to shop for, but at $13, this metal bar clutch from ASOS is a pretty safe bet, right?

5. Okay, this one may be a "just because" gift for everyone you know including yourself. ASOS- $14, really? I think this guy has a J.Crew feel with a fraction of the cost! (Plus ASOS has free shipping. Yup.)

6. Oh come on, everyone has a friend that loves owls. Way to go Target, this owl pillow rocks.

7. I follow enough fashion blogs and interior design blogs to know that cute coffee table books are a must-have, and this Christian Dior book kills two birds with one stone. Under $20, folks! 

8. I know I said clutches/purses can be a hard thing to buy, but I know I have a few funky friends who would absolutely love this fun patterned clutch from ASOS.

Are there any items from this volume of Lovely Little Things that would fit someone you know?

Or yourself....?

xo, lp

WHAT TO DO ON A GREY SATURDAY

A few weekends ago my parents were in town, and it was cold. 

I mean...COLD.

Rather than sit inside all weekend, we decided to be good old hearty Midwesterners and bundle up to enjoy the rest of fall. Madison has the most amazing farmer's market each Saturday, and the grey skies just made all the produce look that much more beautiful. I have to admit, I actually prefer to go to the market when it's cold or a little rainy. Why? Well then the moms with the unnecessarily large strollers (which I call Escalade strollers) stay home, for fear their pampered baby may get a chill...thus not blocking the entire walkway as they gossip with their girlfriends. Score.

rainbow chard:

 handsome michael:

 spice:

 more spice:

 rosy red:

 lovely fall decorations:

 minis:

 bunches and bunches:

 mums:

Oh, and we made sure to get LOTS of things, my favorites being cranberry orange scones, leeks, 2 kinds of cheeses, chipotle popcorn, and cherry jam.

Anyone else love farmer's markets too?

Especially on chilly fall days, sans Escalade strollers?

xo, lp

THE BEST ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS!

Hi all! Thanks so much for checking out this (awesome!) recipe!

For more images, tips, and recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram HERE!

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Confession: I dislike all pumpkin flavored things.

You won't see this girl eating pumpkin pie during the holidays, or sipping a good old Starbucks PSL in her Instagram pictures like the rest of the world.

Count me out of the cool crowd during the fall season, because I just can't do it. Now, pumpkin seeds are the anomaly here...because in my mind they taste NOTHING like pumpkins. Even though they...well...make pumpkins. Or come from them? Chicken and the egg scenario here, people. 

Anyways, getting off track. Besides being delicious when roasted, they also bring back sweet memories of roasting them with my mom after carving pumpkins with my dad and bringing them to my favorite elementary school teachers. This Sunday was a rainy, rainy day- and roasting up some seeds while staying cozy inside just seemed like the right thing to do. 

Thus, I present you with the BEST roasted pumpkin seeds ever:

What you'll need to make it happen:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

parchment paper

How to make it happen (hold on to your hats, this is a doozy kids):

Step 1: Wash your pumpkin seeds off to get rid of as much pumpkin goop as possible. You can leave some in, but if you're a pumpkin-phobe like me, get it outta there!

Step 2: Toss your seeds with your olive oil and spices and spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. 

Step 3: Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, taking them out and stirring/flipping halfway through.

Step 4: Let cool for a minute and enjoy!

(difficult, right?)

Now, I know there was a good chunk of you excited about this recipe based on your comments yesterday, so if you end up making some, let me know how they turn out. Seriously! Shout it out on Twitter or snap a picture on Instagram!

Are you a roasted pumpkin seed fan too?

Any one else hate all other things pumpkin? No? Anyone?

xo, lp

PSST: Let's be Instagram friends, shall we?
Find me here---> @lpodlich

ROUNDUP

Oh heyyyyy.

This weekend Michael and I had no plans. Can I just say how magical that is? I baked a little bit too much for my own good, crafted, carved pumpkins, and watched a ridiculous amount of football. We had more rain Sunday than we've have in the last few months combined- and what better way to spend a rainy weekend than be super lazy??

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This week kick butt mail-wise. Some amazing gifts from a blogger I love Sheri Ann and then some prints from my favorite Etsy shop, Pen & Paint. Lindsay has the sweetest packaging, it's just a fact. 

Speaking of Etsy, clearly by all your input on last week's Etsy post, you all love knot & bow about as much as I do. I still can't get over those Me & You pencils...

(photos via Knot & Bow)

It was pouring rain all day Sunday, so naturally I cooked and carved a pumpkin. I probably won't shock anyone with what I chose to make....

(find me on instagram here)

It's been chilly here in Wisconsin, which means huge scarves, cozy sweaters, and comfy boots:

Tomorrow I'm sharing my recipe for the best roasted pumpkin seeds EVER. Yes I'm bragging. Deal.

How was your weekend?

Don't even try to tell me you roasted better pumpkin seeds. I promise I schooled you.

xo, lp