Pumpkins please

This time a year, I always get excited for pumpkins to once again start gracing every day food...a morning cup of coffee gets replaced by a pumpkin spice latte (a serious weakness of mine). That crunchy afternoon snack is now a handful of pumpkin seeds. I even start mixing a scoopful of pureed pumpkin into my oatmeal, along with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and walnuts for a comforting breakfast.

I saw this recipe for Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes on Chew Out Loud and was excited to give it a try one weekend soon. How good do these look!?



But as this Fall has been particularly busy, I haven't had the time, or the flax meal, needed to pull this together. I was intrigued to see Trader Joe's carried a pumpkin pancake mix, and on a whim I picked it up.

Um...it's pretty ridiculous. First of all, it's super easy and quick to prepare. But the pancakes themselves are so delicious and moist, we've since gone back to TJ's to stock up on more.

I'm thinking a "pancake-off" might be in order between the mix and the from-scratch version soon...as long as I can find the time that is :)

Not a bad business trip

I have the good fortune of working with creative, talented and super kind people in my job, and none more so than photographer extraordinaire Jose Villa. When he asked my boss Laurie Arons to style his  Italy workshop this fall, the opportunity seemed too good to be true! Now the time has come, as we pack our bags and head to Tuscany. The workshop days will be long and rewarding, producing some of the most amazing images of the Tuscan countryside, Villa Cetinale and beautiful wedding details.

Be sure to follow @josevilla @lauriearons and @joelserrato or use the hashtag #villaworkshopitaly on Instagram to see the workshop unfold.

Photo by Jose Villa

Mama's got a brand new bag

I've got a little work trip coming up (more on that to come!)...well, it's half a work trip, half a belated anniversary trip with the hubs.  Trying to keep packing to a minimum, I've been pondering a handbag that could do double or even triple duty along the way. A crossbody style seemed like the logical choice. It allows my hands free for event setup on the job and is a great secure option for sight seeing on vacation. But if it's the only bag making the trip, it also has to be cute enough for dinner or drinks at night.

Behold, the Chloé Marcie bag. The small size is big enough for my cell phone, passport, event agenda and some other knick-knacks, without being heavy or bulky. The Cashmere Grey shade seemed like the way to go - casual enough for day but still sophisticated enough for night. 

Looking forward to sporting this little lovely very soon. 

Baby's First Fiesta

This summer our little girl turned a year old, a milestone worthy of a party of course. My husband and I decided a backyard fiesta would be just the thing, with margaritas and tacos for the adults, agua frescas and quesadillas for the kiddos. To keep things simple prep-wise, we hired a taco truck to cater the party. All we had to do was put out chips, salsa and guacamole for apps and mix up a few pitchers of bebidas for the group. 

Instead of slaving in the kitchen, I spent my time having fun with the decor. Colorful papel picado, mini piñata favors and party signs by PS Paper were some of my favorite fiesta touches. But I think the part I loved most was the dessert table. Custom sombrero and hibiscus cookies by Felix the Cook and a centerpiece cake by SusieCakes (with a DIY papel picado banner like this one) turned out pretty cute.  Too bad the guest of honor isn't a fan of sugar, so no pics of her digging in to her pink sprinkled smash cake.

Photography by Claire Bloomberg of Two Perfect Halves (but the last three from my iPhone)

and so the bag was born...

For years, I've been following a pretty standard out-the-door routine each morning. I'm sure most working women in urban/suburban locales know the gig all too well.

Laptop in the work bag - check.
Change of clothes, sneakers, iPod in the gym bag - check.
Healthy lunch in little paper handle bag (to save some calories and money) - check.
All the other necessities a girl needs to make it through the day in specially-chosen purse - check.

Loaded up like a pack mule, I headed out the door - a modern day bag lady, working girl on the go.

Most of us fit an amazing amount into our lives in a quest for balance. We care about our careers. We care about our health. We care about eating well. We care about fashion and beauty. To ignore any one of these would shift things off kilter.  So we pack our four bags and head out for the day.

I decided to blog about these different aspects of our lives as a fun little project for myself. The idea for Work Bag, Gym Bag, Lunch Bag, Purse was born.

Lately life has gotten even fuller for me, when I happily added a diaper bag to the mix (and admittedly, the gym bag doesn't get used quite as much as it used to). Since us busy gals also need a little escape, I couldn't ignore my other two favorite bags - the travel bag and clutch.

Here's a little key for what's to come. Hope you enjoy!

work bag - career
gym bag - fitness
lunch bag - food/recipes
purse - fashion/style
diaper bag - family/parenting
travel bag - travel
clutch - events/parties/nightlife/entertaining