happy halloween!

This weekend, I spent time with Superman and Bumblebee. How lucky am I?

~my nephews in their costumes at their school's fall carnival~

This year, I didn't dress up myself - or my house, really, since we're still unpacking - but I'm loving this festive look. And with Halloween decorations on sale now, I can stock up on items at a discount. Who doesn't love that?

~via~

Happy Halloween!

if you can't take the heat...

I tried to set fire to my kitchen the other night. Not on purpose, of course. And actually, it was a joint effort - I couldn't have done it without my husband.

We like to cook dinner together, testing out recipes {although most of the time, I serve as his sous chef - I am the baker, after all} and enjoying the fruits of our labor. So it stands to reason that we'd like to start a kitchen fire together.

Here's the scene : I came home late from work and Mark had started our dinner - spaghetti and turkey meatballs. The sauce was simmering on the stove, but the pasta needed to be boiled. The pot was filled with water, so I turned the burner on and walked into the dining room to chat with Mark. A few minutes later, Mark asked me what was burning. I headed back into the kitchen and began shrieking, "It's a fire! It's a fire!"

The spoon Mark had used to stir the sauce had fallen out of the spoon holder and onto the back burner. It wouldn't have been a problem, except I had turned on the back burner, instead of the front burner where the pot was sitting.

Everything turned out fine {Mark calmly put the fire out while ran around like a crazy person, throwing windows open so as not set off the fire alarm/condo sprinklers}. But our spoon is a little worse for the wear.

Moral of the story : pay attention in the kitchen, whether you're working with knives or heat sources. Oh, and invest in a fire extinguisher.

in my own little corner...

On top of my dresser is my uber-girlie sanctuary {my closet is getting there, but since I still share part of it with my honey, I can't say it's all mine}. Wanna take a peek?

Mark and I spent one late night painting an accent wall in our bedroom early in our relationship. 

Cute, huh? 

I love mini perfumes. So much variety and the opportunity to mix scents. But I have a few full-size bottles that I wear more often: Stella McCartney Stella and Chloe {sweet, feminine and perfect for every day} and Narciso Rodriguez For Her {a little spicier and perfect for date night}.

This bird-in-a-guilded-cage ornament is something I picked up at Anthropologie just after Christmas. It had a broken tail but my handy-dandy dad fixed it. Good as new and too pretty to pull out only once a year, so on my jewelry box it sits.

seasonal musts | bright flowers

Daffodils are the perfect springtime flower. Bright, sunny and big. Over the weekend, I stopped by my local grocery store and saw they were having a sale on bunches of daffodils. I selected three groups {that were still closed} and watched each day as they bloomed.

day one

day two

day three

By day four, they were in full bloom and smelled heavenly.

day four

napoleon {non} complex

It's been a while since I've shared a yummy recipe with you, and today I have something light and healthy for you.

On it's own, this tasty recipe is super easy. However, I took a cue from Sandra Lee and make it even more simple!

My not-so-secret timesaving tip : Trader Joe's - one of my favorite grocery stores - sells prebaked chicken breasts in the meat section. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper, just pop these individually wrapped packets into the mircowave or pot of boiling water and, voila! Juicy, tender chicken. It's perfect for when you want to make something healthy but are short on time {which is the case for me, most days}.

~fresh avocado~

~my sous chef slicing chicken~

~cutting the puff pastry~

~tomato for mark~

~avocado for me~

~quick and easy sweet potato fries~

smitten kitten | navy chairs

I can't take full credit for this latest obsession - Mark actually introduced me to it. And full disclosure, it had to grow on me, but now that it has, I can't get enough!

The cost for the orginial Emeco Navy Chair is just a little too rich for my blood, but thank you Crate and Barrel! They have these chairs at a fraction of the cost.

Can't you just see these matched with a sturdy wood dining room table? Oh, swoon.

around the house

As promised {a bit late}, check out the little things we've done that are transforming his house into our home.

~the best purchase ever. our new chefs rack~

~gorgeous granite~

~a new ceiling fan with a light for the master bedroom~

~my new cookbook rack~

couch cruiser

Two of my favorite Christmas gifts this year have to be this...

and this...

And thanks to my company gifting me with a few days off, I was able to fully enjoy what these two have to offer. Mark and I spent some quality time snuggling on the sofa and catching up on old episodes of Arrested Development  and movies like "Food Inc." {as if I wasn't already making a change in the way I eat, this movie helped pushed me over the edge} and "District 9."

Of course, my holiday wasn't entirely spent in front of the TV - Mark and I completed some much-needed home improvement projects. Just some little things but they've made a big difference. Check back later this week for a full update!

miss me?

Sorry I've not been posting this past week - my company gave me a wonderful Christmas gift...four extra days off, and I've been taking advantage of them to the fullest!

I promise to get back to my usual posting schedule next week.


Happy New Year!

weekend update

I don't usually wait until the last minute to finish my Christmas shopping, let alone wait until the last minute to even start, but such is the case this year. From 8 a.m. Saturday to 10:30 Sunday night, I was going non-stop.

Saturday morning started with a hike up South Mountain's Telegraph Pass with two friends, then to America's Taco Shop with Mark. Neither he nor I had been there before, but I'd been dying to try it for a while now. It was so yummy that I didn't stop to take photos of all the carne asada goodness.

Then I was off to do some Christmas shopping...and in the middle of suburbia {San Tan Mall, for those of you who live in the Valley} were three deputies on horseback. Welcome to the Wild West!

Sunday morning had me up-and-at-'em early again. House chores mixed with some more shopping and a stop by Lux Coffee for a mid-morning pick-me-up.

~that's a non-fat iced caramel latte - delish!~

Mark and I headed out for a quick lunch at one of our fave fast-food burger joints - Five Guys. They just opened one near our house. And while they're delicious, you can't eat more than one every couple of months.

And then, cookie-making madness {photos to come tomorrow} followed by selecting our Christmas tree - told you we were pulling off a last-minute holiday.

~decorations to come soon~

~another great find from Trader Joe's. Only $5!~

And back to work today. I need a day off from my weekend! How did you spend your weekend?

before and after

An early Christmas present from my wonderful fiance. I've never been so excited to do laundry.

a trader joe's holiday

I love Trader Joe's any time of the year, but I especially love Trader Joe's during the holidays.

I went there over the weekend and picked up a few things.

And my little Christmas tree inspired me to {finally} put away the fall pumpkins and start to bring out the Christmas decorations. I'm waiting for Mark to come home later this week before I bring out the big guns, but I thought this bowl of glass ornaments was a lovely start.

table for one, please

Two days after Mark asked me to marry him, he was off for a contract gig in Virginia and I have been alone ever since.

In honor of my semi-independence, I've compiled list of things to do when you're separated from your significant other for an extended period of time.

Hog the TV

Find a hobby

Learn more about yourself

Learn how to fix your car / house

Spend quality time with your family

Get rid of bugs {or in my case, scorpions} on your own

Spend oodles of time with your girlfriends

Redecorate your house

Volunteer your time

Hit the gym

But no matter what we do to entertain ourselves, Mark and I still miss each other terribly. We talk every day {thank goodness for unlimited minutes and texts, and bless you, inventors of Skype} and send each other care packages. He's scheduled to come home just after my birthday, which is the only present I could really ask for.

adding sparkle to the spooky

I haven't decorated for Halloween since I was a little girl, but this year, I was inspired by these amazing sparkle skulls I found at Z Gallerie - perfect for the TV stand.

On one of my recent {frequent} trips to Target, I found a mini sparkle skull, perfect for the coffee table.

And these fun throw pillows.

And when Halloween is over, I even have a few pumpkins ready to spice the house up for fall, like this one.

killer kitchens

Looks like I've been focusing a lot on all things lovely and not so much on modernity. So as we head into the weekend, I figured I would share some fabulously clean, contemporary kitchens. Maybe it will spark a desire in you to update your kitchen or another room in your house.

* images via here, here, here and here.

What are your plans for the weekend? I'm hoping to head to the theater with some of my teammates to check out The Social Network. I hear it has some great rowing in it (it takes place at Harvard, after all). You'll have to excuse me if I geek out. 

Happy weekend, lovelies!

oh, happy day!

I'm so excited to launch my blog!


I created modern lovely to reflect my dichotomous tastes (romantic and girlie & polished and chic) and, of course, to share my favorite things - fashion, food, friends and all things fabulous - with you! 


A few weeks ago, I came across this picture and it just so perfectly captures my two personalities. Bonus? It's from my favorite city in the U.S.

~via sfgirlbybay~