late-night smores

There is nothing more satisfying than making homemade smores with your sister in the kitchen - even if it means roasting the marshmallows over the toaster (and on chopsticks no less). Mmm gooey chocolate... :)

Are you doing anything fun for New Year's? Kyle and I will be going out to a nice dinner, even though I have a little cold. I'm going to try my best not to make him sick...I guess that means no dessert sharing for us!

underground home

This underground house simply took my breath away. Located in the Swiss village of Vals, it is tucked away in the moutains, complete with a gorgeous Alpine view and a spacious outdoor entertaining area...and with lots of windows! How amazing would it be to go home to this every day?

(Borrowed from swissmiss)

surprise wedding reception

What an amazing surprise for an unsuspecting newlywed couple...and I just love the maid of honor's speech!

window displays

Hope everyone had a nice holiday! I think I just about died after seeing these photos of the latest Bergdorf Goodman window displays...I loved Fantastic Mr. Fox (book AND movie)! I would give anything to see them in person. Oh, and I heart Jason Schwartzman.

happy holidays

Guess who got a new toy for Christmas (and is totally loving it)? Happy Holidays! xoxo

sketchy santas

This website made me laugh so much - check out more 'sketchy' santas here. If anything the kids' faces alone are priceless! :)

(Borrowed from Black*Eiffel)

coffee time

Nothing beats a hot gingerbread latte on a cold day...well maybe that and a vanilla bean scone. We were actually on the hunt for these but did not have any luck...so sad. No macaron love today, wahh.

P.S. The super bright blob thing Megan is holding is actually a rice krispy treat.

P.P.S. My bangs are wayyy too long, I need a haircut NOW.

winter wedding at home

How wonderful would it be to get married while at home during the holidays, surrounded by close family and friends? Not only is it incredibly personal but you also have the opportunity to save on a lot of expenses (not to mention how much your guests would save!). It's because of these reasons that Kyle and I are planning to have the wedding at his parents' home next summer...and I couldn't be more excited! Too bad it's not going to be during Christmas...or else I would definitely have to buy a pair of those green wellies...

(Borrowed from frolic!)

tree decorating

Here's an adorable video to start off your holiday week - I wish Hallie would climb up on a ladder and decorate our tree with garland...now that's dedication :)

manly man's gift guide

And last but not least...for the guy that acts all tough and macho, but melts into a big pile of love at just the sight of a bulldog...

1) Boots to keep his feet warm when it's below 50F outside - $298 :

2) A secret place to hide the TV remote - $24.99 - $29.99:

3) To keep his head warm...and just because it is so cool :) - $135:

4) A stylish ride to get around town in (thanks Colin!) - £795.00:

5) And finally...an adorable english bulldog to snuggle with on the weekends - varies:

And that wraps up the gift guides! Hope you enjoyed them; have a fabulous weekend and good luck to any last, last-minute shoppers out there who will be braving the crowds in the next few days...

furry friend's gift guide

Perhaps the easiest friend to shop for but it doesn't mean you love them any less...

1) Colorful knit hat to keep his/her head warm - varies:

2) Puppy cake mix (Hallie would vote for the carob flavor...as she is a choco-holic) - $5.99:

3) Found My Animal rope leash (in natural) - $56 - $68:

4) Humanga Stache Rubber Dog Toy (so as to impress all of his other dog friends at the park) - $12.95:

5) For the furry friends who don't have anything to be thankful for yet - anything at all:

girly girl's gift guide

Wow that's a lot of "g's"...I don't claim to be a "girly girl" but I do love my high heels and chick flicks from time to time...

1) Metallic reusable shopping bag - $20:

2) Words of wisdom by one of the girliest of girls of all time - $19.95:

3) A sparkly new headband, perfect for a holiday party - $32:

4) A new best friend to keep you warm - $95:

5) A year's worth of absolutely-to-die-for-shoes - $1800. Call 8667395944 or email Erica@jcrew.com:

a chocolate lover's gift guide

From my experience, if you ask anyone what kind of sweets they prefer...the majority of people can be grouped into one of two categories: 1) fruity/sour candy or 2) chocolate. Since I am a big fan of the latter, here are a few gift ideas for the fellow chocolate lover in your life.

1) French bulldog chocolates (almost too adorable to eat!) - $26:

2) "Cookeys" key caps - $8:

3) Homemade chocolate marshmallows - $6:

4) Chocolate cake bath towel - $29.95:

5) Mo's Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix (do I even need to elaborate?!) - $12:

taiwan food diary

While I very much enjoyed seeing my extended family during the trip, perhaps the second best thing about visiting Taiwan (as with any Asian country) was the yummy food. There were dozens of restaurants on every block, not to mention the various 'fast food' carts that seemed to exist everywhere you looked - it was foodie heaven. And the best part was people literally ate during all times of the day (so you never had to feel bad if you had a snack craving at 2pm). Needless to say, I ate myself silly the entire time I was there...below are a few snapshots as proof:

1) Chocolate sandwich for breakfast (yes, 3 layers of chocolate-y goodness)
2) Beef noodle soup (much tastier than the ramen alternative)
3) Authentic Chinese hot-pot! You choose what meats/veggies you want and cook them yourself at the table!
4) Hello Kitty mini-cakes from the Hello Kitty bakery in Taipei
5) One of many bubble teas I had during my stay there

Starting tomorrow I'll be posting a different gift guide each day...for any of you last-minute shoppers out there (me included) :)

have a wonderful weekend!

What are you up to this weekend? Despite all of the yummy tex-mex that Austin has to offer, I have been going through major food withdrawls ever since I got back from Taiwan, mainly noodles and sushi. Everything is so fresh there (not to mention insanely cheap)! I satisfied my noodle cravings yesterday so all that's left is sushi…not sure why I'm craving cold fish when it's 40F degrees outside but oh well. Now if only I could find a sushi restaurant here with a revolving conveyer belt...

More food pictures from my trip to come next week, see you on Monday!

cake poster

How fantastic is this poster? Graphic designer, Erin Jang, created this for a bride who wanted to surprise her sweet-toothed husband on their wedding day...they ended up framing and displaying it next to their wedding cake at the reception! Too sweet...if you are interested in purchasing one, check her blog periodically - she plans on printing a limited batch of these prints sometime in the near future...

baby animals

I know I've posted about the super talented Sharon Montrose before, but I can't help it - these baby animal portraits are just too cute to pass up! Visit her etsy shop to see all of the other babies (and grownups too).

P.S. I know it's probably a bad idea...but I really want that little porcupine (the real deal, though a print would be nice too!).