Happy Black Friday!

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 Funny that we spend Thanksgiving being thankful, and then it’s followed by a day of being indulgent!  Not going to lie.  I may have taken advantage of a few ridiculous sales this morning… :}  My Christmas list just got a little shorter though!Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-1 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-2 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-3 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-4 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-5 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-6 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-8 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-9 Blog Grey Cashmere Cardigan Vince Destroyed Skinny Miss Sixty Oxfords-10On me…

Sweater- Style Portfolio Cashmere (old, but similar here)
Top- Lanston (on sale!)
Shoes- Miss Sixty “Marlene” oxford (sold out, but you can still find them on eBay!)  Similar here.
On Maya…
Jeans- Gap (similar here)
Sweater- Zulily (similar here)
Shoes- Pumpkin Patch (thrifted, but similar here)

dit-elle-Lauren

I have SO much to be thankful for…

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I am so incredibly fortunate. I could pick a kazillion things I’m thankful for, but will try to just pick 5 for now…

  1. Being married to my best friend.
  2. Having a job that usually doesn’t feel like a job, but instead lets me be creative and allows me to meet some amazing people.  Some of whom are dear friends now.
  3. Having my parents now only live 3 blocks away (love hearing Maya say “Meme?  BOPO?” every morning, and most mornings she gets to see them!)
  4. We are all healthy!
  5. And lastly…This little nugget.  She has more joy and personality in her little finger than most people have in their entire body.  She makes me a better person… I’m so lucky to be her mom!Blog Maya 112 Weeks(sneak peek from a upcoming post)

Hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving with people you love 🙂dit-elle-Lauren

 

I can’t think of a title… :)

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My brain is fried from work, so I couldn’t think of what to title this post.  I figure not having a title isn’t the end of the world, and it’s one less thing to stress about… Picking my battles haha.Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-1 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-2 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-3 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-4 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-5Big thank you to my mom for taking these pictures of us, so we could have a break from the self timer and tripod 🙂 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-6 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-7 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-8 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-9 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-10 Blog Lady and the Sailor Top J Brand Destroyed Jeans Ash Boots-11

On me…

Sweater- The Lady and the Sailor (sold out 😦 similar here less expensive slightly different here)
Scarf- thrifted $.99 🙂
Jeans- J Brand (sold out, but similar here and less expensive here)
Boots- Ash “Cult” Motorcycle Boots (sold out, but similar here and less expensive option here)
On Maya…
Jeans- Gap (similar)
Top- Gap (similar)
Coat- Old Navy (thrifted)
Shoes- Tom’s

dit-elle-Lauren

Can we come up with a new name for “Oxblood”?

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 I love this color of leather, but the name kind of makes me want to hurl…Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-1 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-2 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-3 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-4 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-5 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-6The upside to a tripod and self timer=convenient/control (um, for those that know me…).  The downside?  I chop heads off at times… and get neighbors taking their garbage out.  Still using this pic, because I love it 🙂 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-7 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-8 Blog Oxblood Leather Jacket Green BlackOrchid Jeans Frye Boots-9On me…

Jacket- Vintage (similar here and less expensive faux leather here)
Top- StyleMint (sold out, but similar here)
Scarf- Handknit by my dad! 🙂
Boots- Vintage Frye- Similar here and less expensive on sale here.
On Maya…
Jeans- Old Navy (thrifted, similar here)
Top- C&C California (thrifted)
Sweater- Thrifted (similar and on sale here)
Vest- Koala Kids (thrifted, but similar here)
Shoes- Zulily

dit-elle-Lauren

Spicy Pork and Sweet Potato Stew

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This is a wonderful hearty fall stew. Serve with a crisp apple cider!Blog spicyporkstew

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp high-heat oil like coconut
  • 1-2 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork loin, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsps. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced, plus 2 Tbsps adobo sauce (look for gluten free as some adobo sauces have wheat as an ingredient)
  • salt/pepper, to taste
  • 1 (12 oz) bottle beer
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • Top with fresh cilantro and sour cream

Directions

  • Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat
  • Brown the pork and transfer to a bowl and set aside
  • Reduce the heat and add onion and cook, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes
  • Add the garlic
  • Add reserved pork, cumin, coriander, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, salt and pepper, stir to combine
  • Pour in beer and chicken stock and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour, stirring occasionally
  • After 1 hour, add sweet potatoes and simmer until pork is tender and potatoes are cooked through, ~30 minutes or so
  • Serve with cilantro and sour cream (or omit sour cream and add avocado as a paleo option)

dit-elle-Esther

Cowboy Boots and….wings?

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 Maya is usually pretty good about letting me dress her (SO hope that lasts a while longer!!), but every once and a while she is adamant about wearing something.  Usually, it’s a pair of boots, but today….it was wings 🙂

But I’ll start with the pics I got while she was napping 😉Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-1 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-2 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-3 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-4“Fly, fly, fly…”  For those of you that follow us on Instagram, you saw this as a video 🙂 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-5 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-6 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-7Yes, she wanted me to wear wings too 🙂 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-8 Blog HM Sweater DL1961 Emma Cowboy Boots-9On me…

Sweater- H&M
Boots- Tony Lama (Vintage)
On Maya…
Pants- Carters Corduroys (thrifted, but LOVE these similar here)
Coat- Vintage (similar here)
Wings- Zulily
Shoes- Circo (thrifted, but similar print here and less expensive plain here)

dit-elle-Lauren

Spiced Honey Almonds

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A great snack for the holidays – or anytime really! 🙂Blog honeyalmonds

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 Tbsp butter
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala (find in bulk section)
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup raw almonds

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325* and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Melt honey, butter, garam masala, sesame seeds and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat
  • Add almonds and stir to coat
  • Spread mixture on the baking sheet in a single layer
  • Bake for 10 mins, cool and serve or store in an airtight container for ~4 days

These store well in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

dit-elle-Esther

Pumpkin Bread Bars

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Perfect fall treats! Serve warm or cold, eat them as dessert or breakfast or a snack on the go. Inspired by Elana’s Pantry, these are delicious pumpkin ‘bread bars’! I call these pumpkin bread bars, because they are a sort of cross between bread and bars. I used raisins, but you could use chocolate chips (and or chopped nuts) as an other yummy variation! 🙂Blog pumpkinpaleobread3 blog pumpkinpaleobread2 Blog pumpkinpaleobread1

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup coconut flour (1/3 cup is NOT a typo 🙂 – coconut flour is very different than wheat)
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup fresh roasted pumpkin or winter squash (I used acorn squash – excellent)
  • ⅓ cup honey or agave syrup
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup raisins or chocolate chunks

Directions

  1. In a food processor, combine dry ingredients
  2. Pulse in eggs, pumpkin, honey and oil until well combined
  3. Stir in raisins or chocolate chips by hand
  4. Transfer batter to an 8 x 8 inch baking dish or a pie dish
  5. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes
  6. Cool and serve

dit-elle-Esther

Boho Tops…come in handy when you go out :)

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 It was my friend’s birthday the other night, so we went to someplace special.  He’s a total foodie, so we let him pick the spot.  When I looked at the menu, I knew I needed a top that had “room to grow” haha.  That is one of the things I love so much about “boho” tops.  They are loose and flow so you can’t see the “after food and wine belly” 🙂

Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-1 Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-2I love stacking jewelry.  Even before it was the thing to do.  Mainly because I’m too lazy to take anything off and rotate, so I just keep everything on haha.  This time I mixed $4 bangles from H&M with…a not $4 bracelet 🙂 Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-3 Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-4 Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-5 Blog Winter Kate Top DL1961 Coated Jeans-6And because it was a “going out” night, I didn’t get mixed pics of me and Maya, but I took these a few weeks ago and never blogged them.  I have a small obsession with Osh Kosh overalls.  Call it a generational thing 🙂Blog Maya 105 weeks Green Striped Osh Kosh Overalls-1 Blog Maya 105 weeks Green Striped Osh Kosh Overalls-2 Blog Maya 105 weeks Green Striped Osh Kosh Overalls-3On me…

Top- Winter Kate (old, but similar here)
Shoes- Report (similar)
On Maya…
Overalls- Osh Kosh (thrifted/vintage?)  skirt version in red here.
Leg Warmers- Baby Legs (similar)
Super Mom Tip
These tops are great for so many occasions/times in your life.  Wear them in the first trimester when you are trying to “hide the bump”.  Then wear them after the baby comes to…well, “hide the bump” :{  Then, wear them when you have a two year old to hide the food baby 🙂  That said.  It’s best to wear loose flowing tops with tighter bottoms to even things out. 🙂

dit-elle-Lauren

Chipotle Butternut Squash Stew

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I clipped this original recipe out of Fitness Magazine back in 2011, and I love it!  I’ve made some alterations to it, but feel free to check out the pure vegetarian version here.  It makes a HUGE amount!  You could freeze some, but I think the leftovers are almost better the 2nd day!blog Chipotle Butternut Squash Chili-2Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons  Olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped (I cheat and use 1 tsp out of the jar :))
  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons  chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons  ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon  unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon  cinnamon
  • 1 26 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, diced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (if you have small kids that are eating this, I suggest putting this as an add on for adults.  It’s DELICIOUS, but spicy!)
  • 2 cups  low-sodium chicken stock (use vegetable if keeping it vegetarian)
  • 4 cups  chopped kale
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 15 ounce can canellini beans, rinsed and drained (I have also used kidney beans)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Meat source (not needed, but I have hungry boys that really aren’t vegetable fans :)).  I’ve used chicken sausage, ground turkey (seasoned with salt/pepper/garlic), or really any kind of meat you want 🙂

Directions

1. In a medium stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add the sweet potato and squash; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder and cinnamon; cook 1 minute.

2. Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, and vegetable/chicken stock. Partially cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Mix in the kale and stir until wilted. Add the beans and meat; stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste; serve.  Can serve with crusty bread, crackers, or eat as is!dit-elle-Lauren