Brunch Round-Up

The problem I find when ordering brunch is trying to decide between something rich and sweet, like french toast or pancakes, and something savory, like an omelet or eggs benedict. Everything always sounds good and I usually wait until everyone else at the table has ordered before making my final decision (I am pretty notorious for eating off everyone else's plates at a meal). I love all sorts of breakfast/brunch foods so when it came time to prepare my own weekend brunch I wanted to include an assortment of dishes that would appeal to any sort of food mood or appetite. 

Strawberry and Cream Scones

When I first found the recipe for these scones while perusing Joy the Baker (she is the best), I knew that I wanted to include them. I love a great danish and these seemed like they would have the perfect flavors for a Saturday morning with girlfriends. Let me tell you, they did. The recipe called to top with turbinado sugar, but instead I brushed the tops of mine with cream and then generously sprinkled vanilla sugar on top. That vanilla flavor (one of my favorites) added the perfect sweetness to these already perfect scones. 

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Quiche

Quiche is another one of my favorite dishes and I loved this one especially because it was full of caramelized onions. I love onions, in every form, but caramelized definitely take the cake for the best. The onions were sandwiched between layers and layers of gruyere cheese and full of eggs, cream, and seasonings. I went back for thirds of this quiche during brunch- I could not get enough!

Big Cluster Granola

I can't even count on my fingers and toes how many times I have made this granola. If you haven't started making your own granola then you are terribly wrong and missing out on one of the best things in life. I could probably make this granola in my sleep, but I knew that it was perfect addition to round out the brunch menu. It is light and simple, but always a crowd pleaser!

Brunch makes for a perfect weekend. 

Have a Great Weekend

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I have been looking forward to this weekend since 6 a.m. on Monday morning. I have been overly exhausted and this change in the weather and the huge drop in the temperature are not helping my productivity. Despite being tired, I woke myself up early this morning to get things done (like this blogpost) so that I can move straight in to the weekend after the 5 o'clock quitting bell. Enjoy these links and the weekend!

Julia has been killing it with the outfit posts recently, but I loved her "LBD, Five Ways" post the most

This playlist, based on Marnie from 'Girls' has been on a constant loop on my computer

Just one more way to use pumpkin this season, Pumpkin Ice Cream Snickerdoodle Sandwiches

25% off winter favorites at J. Crew, I will take this, this, and these

Nutella Hot Chocolate, bravo Clara

Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) Ideas and Decor

A twist on your traditional turkey

I love the idea of winter whites - inspiration by two of my favorites, here and here

A master bedroom makeover to swoon over

This is an all-too-accurate reaction to the greatness of Spotify

A friend's wedding was featured on Style me Pretty! How gorgeous!

Remembering a President today--

an interesting article about four unlikely lives that were changed that day. 

Happy weekend and may the odds be ever in your favor. 

Friday Fails and Finds

Let's start off with some fails.

1. The amount that I blogged this week is a big, fat fail. I thought about it. I had some ideas. I even sat down and worked on a collage for a "Things I Love" post. Then it just didn't happen. Fail.

2. My plans to stick to my pre-best-friends-wedding diet ended up being a fail this week. I ate a whole bag of chef-mix for lunch yesterday, ate my weight in chips and queso TWO nights in a row, and had fried chicken with red beans and rice for dinner on Tuesday at the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts. Diet fail.

3. My attempt to cook a "simple" dinner last night was a huge fail! I was cooking at my boyfriends house which happens to have a stove that was installed in the 1760's. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but it was definitely installed in the 1960's and we don't have a very good relationship. After crisping the roasted potatoes to crunchy chips (fail), I set the smoke alarm off while making salad dressing. Yes, you read that right. Salad dressing! Fail. I actually salvaged the meal and I really liked the chicken salad  and will definitely make it again, but there was lots of smoke and a few tears during the process. Not to mention a stray cat that snuck in while the doors were open in an attempt to air out the whole house. FAIL.

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Let's turn all these fails around and just make cupcakes, because somehow cupcakes make everything better.

Let's talk about some finds.

1. A new favorite DIY blog that I found one night when I couldn't sleep. I looked at every single DIY she had posted and their were 60+ pages of posts. Some seem a little over my head (any project that involves a sewing machine is over my head and beyond my skill level) but others looked pretty simple.

2. Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler at JC Penney! I am so excited about this find where it is possible for me to buy JA at a lower price point. 

3. The Spring 2013 To and From Gift Guide came out a couple of weeks ago. Check it out for ideas for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Graduation gifts!

4. Fashion find, a fun bag for the warm weather months. 

5. My favorite nail color for summer, Essie's lilacism.

6. And lastly, one of my favorite weekly features from The Glitter Guide, 5 Things to Try This Weekend

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It's the weekend, eat whatever you want!