CITY LOVE

I know you all will like this post, because you all seem to dig Etsy about as much as I do.

Whenever I find a great shop I have to share it, and this one is completely awesome. To be fair, I didn't find it on my own...Young House Love led me to it...but still! 

No more babbling- here it is: Albie Designs!

Kim is one talented artist, and her shop is full of lovely prints- my favorites of which are her takes on awesome cities around the world. Kim's prints round up the best monuments and moments of each town with bright color and the perfect amount of detail.

Here are a few USA cities I've been to that she's captured so well:

Adorable, right?

And no, I'm not gettin' paid or perked or anything fancy like that - as always this is just me sharing an awesome shop! Wouldn't these prints be a great gift for a friend who recently moved to a new city? Or a wedding gift for a city the couple met/live in? 

So stop reading this before I start babbling again and go show Albie Designs some love! Tell Kim I say hi while you're at it :)

Which city would you add to your art collection?

I can't pick just one. I think I need Minneapolis, St. Paul, AND Richmond!

xo, lp

HERB PARMESAN CRISPS!

So remember a while back when I told you I got Ina Garten's Foolproof recipe book as a gift? 

Sure you do. 

Well as promised, I've started making some of her recipes (which are awesome!). This is not her recipe, but was inspired by one where she shares how to make a thyme frico. If you've never had frico- it's a delicious crispy, cheesy snack that you can eat like a chip or with a soup or salad. This technically isn't one because I didn't use flour- but if you're looking for a good frico recipe, check out Ina's book!

So if it's not frico...what is it?

Eh, I don't exactly know. It's cheesy heaven, that's what.

What you'll need:

1/2 cup good shredded parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of salt

parchment paper

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Step  2: Mix all your ingredients together well, making sure to get the herbs well incorporated.

Step 3: On a parchment lined sheet, measure out a tablespoon of your mixture. Lightly spread the cheese out so the shreds are touching but not in a big heap. 

Step 4: Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden. Keep your eye on them- they'll burn quickly!

Step 5: Let them cool, and enjoy with soup or salad!

My favorite way to enjoy them is with tomato basil soup- the herbs and saltiness in the cheese go great with the tangy, creamy soup.

The best way to serve it? Pour your soup in a cute mug, and lay your cheese crisps over the top- then when you're ready to eat, crack into it like creme brulee! 

So there you have it!

A delicious, easy addition to a meal to make it seem that much more special.

Do you have any easy recipes that elevate simple dishes?

Share away, friends!

xo, lp

** Grab Ina's book here

DO YOU LIKE BEING HAPPY?

I sure do.
Here's what's been making me happy lately:
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THING 1:

Buzzfeed totally rocks. They featured my DIY polka dot phone case last week! WOO HOO! Check out the article here and my original post here.

THING 2:

A little something about Justin Timberlake that will make you laugh.

THING 3:

What makes a late birthday dinner with your friends even better? Homemade cookie cake. Can you believe she made the edible monogram? Insane. Thank Dani!

THING 5:
I finally decided that I did indeed want to get myself a b-day gift.... or well...was just looking for an excuse to buy more art. Clearly I went to my favorite Etsy shop, Pen & Paint for that. I now have 8 of her prints framed throughout our apartment. #penandpainthoarder.
Here's the new addition:

THING 6:

 We finally got sun this weekend. SUN! SUN I TELL YOU! SUN! It's been super cold and dreary lately, and this weekend it was 30 degrees and sunny. Pure blue skies, stunning white/grey capitol building, fresh white snow.

THING 7:

The insanely easy and delicious recipe I'm sharing in tomorrow's post:

 What's been making you happy lately?
If you need a pick-me-up, check out Pen & Paint ;)

xo, lp


Need a little more B&B in your day?
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8 LOVELY LITTLE THINGS v3

I haven't done an "8 lovely little things" post in a really long time. I'm sure all of your are just devastated without all this beauty in your life, right? 

Here you go, friends:

Thing 1: I own nothing studded, mainly because I don't think I'm badass enough to pull them off. This ASOS clutch seems just ladylike enough that I could justify it. On sale now for 50% + free shipping!

Thing 2: EVERYONE needs a moped pizza cutter, right? Of course they do. Awesome. $15, friends.

Thing 3: This necklace is a complete showstopper! Perfect colors for spring!

Thing 4: GAP's spring flats are excellent...and of course my favorites are the polka dotted ones... no shocker there. 30% off today!

Thing 5: How did I never think to invent letterpress magnets? What a cool gift idea for a graphic designer/art appreciator. Under $20.

Thing 6: I know I've featured these BaubleBar studs before in other colors, but they just look so pretty together that I can't not show them again. PLUS BB is doing free shipping and returns right now. Bomb.com.

Thing 7: Another GAP item - this sale clutch comes in a couple colors and looks just the perfect size for a travel makeup bag or well... you know....anything else a little clutch is used for.

Thing 8: I wish I drank tea more so I could justify this. How awesome would this robot tea infuser be for the tea drinker in your life??? Under $15, and perfectly quirky.

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Which item is your favorite?
Mine? Moped pizza cutter. Kind of the coolest housewarming gift you can give someone. Might have to buy a few now to give out later!


xo, lp

FIVE FOODIES TO LOVE

Normally on Tuesdays I share a recipe with you that I made over the weekend, but as you can tell from yesterday's post- I was a little too busy to cook this time around!

Never fear my friends - I happen to follow a lot of bloggers who share delicious recipes weekly as well.

Here are a few of my recent favorites. All images are from these bloggers- there are links where you can find them/their recipes! Go show 'em some love!

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Olive & Ricotta Salata Pasta

I had to start out with my girl Alissa. I link up at her blog 33 Shades of Green every Tuesday, and she posts some of the most mouthwatering recipes. I know if you don't like olives this dish might not be your thing, but check our her blog for more recipes!

Recipe here

Homemade Cheez-its

I'm sure you all know Emily of Cupcakes & Cashmere- I mean, the girl has a book for god's sake! While I'm normally too afraid to attempt her pastries, I think I could make these homemade Cheez-its happen...

Recipe here

Raspberry Ricotta Scones

I recently found a love for making scones, and these are next on my list to bake. Raspberries are my favorite fruit, and I mean...who doesn't love ricotta?? Alyssa from The Glossy Life always have the recipes that make me eat my lunch early at work because my stomach is growling!

Recipe here

Homemade Pasta

Again, I'm sure you all know Elsie + Emma from A Beautiful Mess. I LOVED their pasta how-to the other day. Someday I'll get the pasta attachment for my KitchenAid mixer and make all this pasta and more!

Recipe here

Arugula Salad 3 Ways

This post isn't a recent one, but I realize I never gave it any love on the blog! Gaby over at The Vault Files did a gorgeous post on three different arugula salads to create...the one below is one I need to try!

Recipes here

Look good, right?

Now, just in case you are having withdrawals, here's a full listing of my recipes by category. Wouldn't want anyone getting any headaches now!

Which of these recipes looks the best to you?

Clearly I can't choose a favorite. That's just not possible!

xo, lp

QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

Oh man. This weekend was lovely. My birthday was Saturday and Michael's was Sunday- and we both made it through turning 25 without having a crisis. Success!

Let's rewind though and go back to Valentine's Day. How did you all celebrate? Michael and I got Papa Murphy's and watched Parks & Rec. Roooooooooomance. I did look festive at work, wearing a sweater with a big heart on it and these necklaces:

Moving forward, Friday was an AMAZING day at work. My incredibly thoughtful coworkers completely decorated my desk- isn't the bow on the mouse cute? In addition to that they were sweet enough to give me flowers, a card, and brought in veggie-themed foods. Everyone should be so lucky to have such awesome people to work with!!

For our birthdays, we spent the weekend with Michael's family. Lunch was accompanied by present opening, which I'll never turn down. Among other gifts, I got a Kate Spade book, champagne, and penguin slippers. They just know me so well! Then I put on some overly large earrings and we all went out for a fancy-shmancy dinner. After that we stayed over at M's aunt & uncle's house- playing board games and watching SNL. It was a night full of ridiculous conversations and laughter- and I wouldn't have had it any other way. 

Since we did a dual all-out celebration Saturday- we relaxed for M's birthday Sunday. Ending the day with dinner on the capitol square was a perfect way to bring the birthdays to a close!

To make everything better, Badgers KILLED Ohio State yesterday. Perfection.

Thanks to all reading this who sent love on my birthday! Every package/card/email/message/tweet/shoutout completely made me smile.

How was your weekend?

Anyone have a special Valentine's Day??

xo, lp 

Oh, and all images via Instagram (quote via Kate Spade)

Friday's Fancies #53 : red + pink

I know it's trendy, but I still am not the biggest fan of red + pink. 

This is about the most of this color combo I can actually see myself wearing...

Valentine's Day might be over, but I love these Marc Jacobs lip studs for an everyday pair. For the other jewelry pieces, you all know I love Gorjana... so I don't think I need to preach about these heart bracelets much.  Simple, great for layering!

I'm not much of a pink person, but I could make an exception for this bright, cheery purse!

I'm a stripe hoarder, and I love this Madewell top with the pop pocket. Pretty sure it would go perfectly under this classic navy blazer.

The rest of the ensemble? The best basic skinnies & boots. 

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Sorry all, but I'm keeping this short today. My birthday is tomorrow, and it's time to get away from the computer and enjoy the weekend! 

Weekend plans?

If you're in WI and feel like bringing a b-day gift my way, let me know :) 

xo, lp

HATE IT OR LOVE IT

I'll make this post short and sweet.

Some of you hate today, some of you love today.

You can find my thoughts on it here.

You can see M's tradition for V-day here.

The few things of note today:

- My dad & mom send me a Valentine's Day card every year. This year's was glitter Hello Kitty. Epic.

- Michael got his coworkers Bieber valentines that come with heart tattoos and dumb phrases like "Valentine, never say never"

- I made pink rice krispie treats with sprinkles for my coworkers. Bet you wished you worked with me!

- I'm wearing a grey sweater with a HUGE pink heart on it. #stylin

(recipe)

If you love today, I hope you have a wonderful ooey-gooey day full of pink candies, red flowers, and love.

If you hate today, at least enjoy the fact that all retailers are on crazy sales to get your business. My favorite is Gorjana's special V-Day selections are 30% off with free shipping. Enjoy!

Do you love today or hate it?

I bet you'd love it more if you had a glitter Hello Kitty card... just sayin'!

xo, lp

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESE POP TARTS

I fully believe when you see great ideas on Pinterest- you should GIVE CREDIT to the websites you originally got said ideas from. There are people behind the pictures, my friends. Give credit where it's due.

Now, that being said, allow me to share the two awesome ladies that inspired these delicious raspberry cream cheese treats! Thus, if my recipe isn't up your alley, check out these talented ladies!

- Jessica @ Novice Chef shared her Nutella Pop Tarts (that gave me the cut out heart idea)

- Sarah @ Cake Student shared her heart Cherry Cheese Pie (that gave me the cream cheese & fruit idea)

With that, here's my creation. Ridiculously easy, ridiculously delicious.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Pie PopTarts!

What you'll need to make it happen:

- Heart cookie cutters

- Premade pie crust

- Cream cheese

-Raspberry preserves (use any kind of fruit!)

- granulated sugar

- egg white

- parchment paper

How to make it happen:

Prep: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and set our you cream cheese to soften 15 minutes before starting

Step 1: Using your big heart cookie cutter, cut out as many big hearts as you can, re-rolling the dough as necessary to get as many as you can. Set aside half of them to be your tart toppings.

Step 2: Spread out a thick layer of cream cheese on half of your hearts, and a thick layer of preserves on top of that. Leave a good half inch around the outside so you can press your top layer firmly without any of your filling spilling out!

Step 3: Cut a small heart in the center of the large hearts you set aside, and before placing it on top of your filled heart, lightly spread the dough so it's just a little bit larger than the bottom heart.

Step 4: Cover your filled heart, using your finger or the edge of a cookie cutter to fully press together the edges. 

Step 5: Cover the top with a quick egg wash and a healthy sprinkle of sugar, and let it bake for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown

Eat & Enjoy!

Enough photos for you?

I just am trying to portray how delicious they are! It's for your own good, I promise. These hearts are not only good for a very sweet Valentine's breakfast, but also an easy treat to make for your coworkers.

Thanks to Jessica & Sarah for the inspiration!

Have a Pinterest full of great recipes?

Leave your Pinterest name or link so I can find you!

xo, lp 

Here's a full- Pinterest friendly version for those of you who want to save this recipe for later:

To check out my Pinterest boards, click HERE!

DOTS FLOWERS NAILS CURLS (the most stereotypically feminine post title ever)

Howwwwww is it already Monday?

I haven't been feeling up to snuff for a while now- and I managed to sleep 26 hours this weekend. VICTORY.

Michael wins boyfriend of the year award for sure. Friday I was home really sick, and he stopped by on his lunch break to bring me these:

Not bad, right? Nothing makes a sick snowy winter day better than flowers!

In other awesome news, it's my birthday on the 16th, and Michael's on the 17th!!! Yes, our birthdays are really 1 day apart. Yes, I'm one day older. #cougar. I love birthdays a ridiculous amount. Not just mine, but birthdays in general. M and I got our gifts for each other early this year, and couldn't hold back giving them to each other immediately. We are just that immature. Smart man got me this:

I love it. Kate? Polka dots? Yes. He said he got it for me partially because he knew I'd love it...and partially because he hated my old, grandma-like wallet. True love & honesty.

Oh, and I realize I look like a tool posting an instagram with my hand on it, but I painted my nails like a lady for once and decided to show 'em off. 

Early in the week I shared this shot of my favorite gold dotted J.Crew shirt & curls, and my goodness! I hear you people! I'll do a hair tutorial soon! :)

 (find me on Instagram here)

Tomorrow's recipe is so good. Plus, it only takes 5 ingredients. Perfect for those who still haven't figured out a Valentine's treat to make!

Last but not least, you all should go check out the Lands' End Canvas blog... you might just see someone you know there! If you have a tumblr account- please go give the post some love!!

Alright, that's all I've got for you all this week.

What's up with you guys? You east coast friends survive Nemo?

If you feel like sending me birthday presents, just email me and I'll shoot you my address ;)

xo, lp