Thanksgiving Roundup- Links I Love

I am so pumped for Thanksgiving!! This holiday is often overlooked, and let's be real, it's not a big deal- it's just one meal. BUT, this year, my sister, her husband, and my sweet nephew are coming to visit! Which translates to = i'm hosting!

::inserted excited trepidation here::

I've enjoyed not rushing through to my favorite holiday (oh Christmas, you're so close I can taste you!) and simply be joyous and thankful for family and good food.  

So get your fat pants ready, folks!

1. Williams Sonoma full thanksgiving prep timeline. (uhg, I'm already behind!)

2. Choosing the right glassware for your drinks

3. the necessity for pie: The perfect all butter pie crust.

4. W-S tips for cooking the perfect turkey. Step by step.

5. Creative pie crust techniques for the presentable pie.

6. My chosen cocktail for the big day. anything with bacon wins.

7. Martha's 36 recipes for thanksgiving leftovers!

Happy Halloween

I've never been one to care much for Halloween.

To be honest, scary stuff...just scares me. If I watch a thriller, I need a light on when I go to bed. And the walking dead gets me spooked every week. 

[...which may be due to the fact that my husband thinks its cute to hide, go slack-faced, and make zombie sounds when I turn any given corner for the evening...]

I learned via pintrest that the key to good fake blood is some hershey's syrup!!

And having all these ingredients on hand already (I know, i know- you're thinking why the heck did you have corn syrup?!- but we'll save that for some other time),  I jumped at the last minute opportunity to do a bit of decorating & will even dress up. I saw this makeup tutorial for the character Maleficent and decided, yeah- i can do that. I already have green eyes, though some crazy green contacts would've been fun! but a simple face with lots of contouring felt like a welcomed challenge! 

We'll see how it turns out! Check on my instagram later if you wanna see! 

and Happy Halloween!! 

Un-Healthy Competition

It’s part of human nature to compete.  From somewhere circa 700s BC we’ve been testing our physical prowess and strength through the Olympic Games, and flash forward to today- a healthy sense of competition can still be a great asset.  But, what happens when our competitive nature causes us to feel an overwhelming need to keep up with, or even stay above everyone else in our work, our relationships, our monetary possessions, or our style?

All it takes is a scroll through any social media site to kick that competitive urge into high gear. There are so many people talking about what they have or what they’re doing, creating, and promoting.  Are we truly happy for them, or do our hearts twinge with a feeling of self-defeat because we haven’t done anything warranting a Facebook-official celebration lately?

These feelings can drive us to a repetitive quest to always stay on top – to look better, do more, achieve greater results, or at the least keep up appearances that we are. This exhausting loop can lead to frustration, anger, and even feelings of self-doubt. And since we don’t live in a bubble, feeling this way about our own lives, will also in turn affect our relationships with the people we care about the most. 

But what if, instead of giving in to this need to be above or better than others, we chose to simply acknowledge the success of others, instead of tearing them down so we might look or feel better?  It turns out, the old adage of “treat others the way you wish to be treated” has some street cred on how we internalize happiness. The Journal of Social Psychology published a study that showed after 10 consecutive days of completing one random act of kindness for others, participants rated their own level of happiness significantly higher.

Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies showed a “positive feedback loop” between kindness and happiness. In simple terms: engaging in one kind deed (for example, taking your mom to lunch) would make you happier; and the happier you felt, the more likely you are to then do another kind act. Thus, igniting a loop of never-ending happy. 

When we choose to genuinely encourage someone to do what they feel passionate about, or commend someone for an achievement, it can be truly self-empowering as well.  If you set an intention to find beauty in others and put a rest to competition, the benefits could be endless. 

Lust or Must

I am just loving these "miss en dior" tribal earrings. Some celebs have been spotted wearing them, Emma Watson even just rocked one in one ear on the red carpet for the golden globes. But with the Dior name, also comes a hefty $410.oo price tag. 

Pearls are definitely making a comeback this fall, so i'll rock this look for way less!!

I snagged this pair on Bauble Bar for 28.00

Etsy also has lots of great options too! Like this pair for 19.50

I like the idea of adding some color with these, these neons, or these pretty pink ones.