friday finds

Hello and Happy Friday! Guess what? It's SNOWING here in Dallas today! And, from what I've gathered from the news, this is a BIG DEAL. We'll get maybe an inch and it'll melt by morning, but hey, it's a good excuse to wear some of my big chunky sweaters from when I lived in the tundra New York City.

Due to the cold temps, we've decided to have somewhat of a hibernating weekend. Only thing we must do is shop for some patio furniture.  And some of my office furniture arrived so hoping to get that room set up, as well. 

Hope you have a great weekend! Be sure to check out the links I'm loving from the 'net this week.

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First of all, I only see white and gold, so you blue and black people are out of your minds. Here's why we see it differently. 

The James Beard Foundation just announced its semifinalists. So happy to see some of our favorites from NYC, KC, and Dallas on the list. 

We were both crying at the Bob Simon Tribute on 60 Minutes last week. What an incredible man.

Did you catch our plans for the master bedroom?

KU's own Rudy. The sweetest story!

This is how we're going to get through another week of winter. (Mouth. Is. Watering.)

Thinking I need these new sunnies for springtime. 

House of Cards Season 3 is out tonight!

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Have a lovely weekend!

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friday finds

Well well, a Friday Finds post has been long overdue. I'm slowly getting back on track here, people. Working remotely + setting up house has taken priority over TRR, but I'm still here, chugging along when I can. I think I've finally decided a direction for decorating some of our rooms and am looking forward to sharing with you.  

In other news, our weekend is looking like we'll be indoors. A cold front is headed here (cold front = 40 degrees. Hilarious). We might see a movie, hopefully hang up our gallery wall, and definitely watch The Oscars! I've seen exactly zero of the films nominated, but I still love the fashion and excitement. And I think NPH will do a great job hosting. 

Here's hoping you have a warm and restful weekend. Check out the links I'm loving from the past few weeks below.

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Loved this article about The Oscars from the show's producers. (Side note:  did you know they are friends with Ina Garten?!) 

Did you fill out your Oscars Ballot? I make Al and I do one every year just for fun. Mine is usually based on who I want to win and not necessarily who I think will win.

The 25 most low maintenance dog breeds. Notice number 3. Clearly they didn't account for our Lily's diva personality.

This made me cry. Just the sweetest.

Hey New Yorkers - NYC Restaurant Week is going on now until March 6. Don't miss it.

Timeless furniture pieces that are worth investing in (I found this so useful!)

This is 100% me and Lily, especially now that we're together all day every day.

Made me laugh

Super helpful for all you lob and bob ladies. 

So true.

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Happy weekend, friends!

{photo of Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood at The Oscars in 1962}

friday finds

Heyo! Just quickly popping in to tell you that (i) I'm alive, (ii) moving cross country (or quarter country?) is a lot of work, and (iii) trying to tell someone how to do every little part of your job is exhausting. No joke this week has me spinning. I feel like I'm in a cartoon where I'm in a revolving door and Wylie Coyote just came an spun the door really quickly and I'm all smashed up against the glass and finally emerge collapsed with Xs for eyes and little birdies chirping by my head. Another analogy for you - we're in a very long race, we've made it past a few mile markers, but still have a lot of ground to cover and we have to pack up all our Gatorade. We'll get there one way or another, but for now we're focused on packing up our life here and saying goodbye to friends (we have never been so popular! Our social calendar is packed!). 

This weekend is our second to last weekend here, and thanks to the stress of getting sh*t done, I haven't had time to think about the fact that we're actually leaving this place. We have some fun New York-y things planned this weekend that I'm sure will make me aware of our numbered days in the city. And thanks to the long weekend, I feel like Monday will be a good panic day for us to freak out/get a lot of stuff done around our apartment. 

Here's hoping your weekend doesn't include the words (i) "panic" or (ii) "frantic". I DO hope you have fun this weekend. I hope we do too. 

Links I'm loving below. Check 'em out! 

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IPO-ing is so hot right now. Another of my favorites is going public. 

Don't be a dining douche!

What a beautiful gift idea for a new mom and baby. 

My blog reading focus lately has been heavy on interior design. Some great home decorating tips here. 

The Oscar nominees have been announced. Who are you gunning for? We're going to try and watch Boyhood this weekend. 

Genius! Mac and cheese wheel of flavor combinations. 

Love reading the Go Fug Yourself girls during award season.

How our phones are preventing us from being bored. And that's a bad thing. Embrace boredom! 

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Wishing you an easy weekend! 

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friday finds

Hello!  Thank you all for your kind words of advice and support for our next big journey. You have no idea how much it means to me. We're headed to Dallas this weekend to look for a place to live and I'm looking forward to exploring different neighborhoods and imagining what our life will be like in a few weeks (!!). Full recap on where we end up and what our town home looks like to come Monday...assuming we find something (We will though. 

We have to!).

While we're off poking our heads in to walk in closets (!) and spare bedrooms (!!), be sure to check out the links I'm loving from the internet this week. ↓

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Tips for your January cleaning frenzy. (I'm not the only one who has a January cleaning frenzy, right?)

Have you read your 2015 horoscope? Looking pretty good for my fellow Sagittarius. 

These captivated me for a good half hour - the 100 best photos from 2014.

If I were one who bought stock, I'd be snatching up a ton of this.

The Big Cheesy grilled cheese contest is back. So much fun, I highly recommend it!

The cutest.

Love Thy Beast is having a great sale! (This is where we got  Lily's bag).

Currently reading. Liane Moriarty I can't quit you.

Design inspiration from the Home Polish's favorites from 2014. The thought of decorating a new home has my mind spinning.

Got my lob trimmed up last night.  This and this were my inspiration photos. And now I think I need to buy this new style of curling wand. 

Can't wait to watch Tina and Amy host The Golden Globes on Sunday! 

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Wish us luck on our home hunt this weekend! Hope you have a warm and peaceful weekend.

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friday finds

Hi there!  We're off to Kansas for a week of laughing with our families, eating lots and lots of food, and lounging around. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. I'm ready to s-l-o-w down, unplug, and spend time doing things I love with the people I love - mostly cooking, eating, and reading (I think mom's planned a spin class in there for good measure, as well).  

I'll be taking a break next week from posting, but you can always catch up and see what we're up to (or cute photos of Lily) on my instagram. 

Some links to browse while I'm away...

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Did you see the 60 Minutes piece on mindfulness? We found it fascinating. I've tried to meditate before and can never stop thinking of my to do list. Maybe I'll try again next week!

Made me laugh. Pretty much the best way to sum up Santacon.

Whoa.  Kansas City in the New York Times.  When (my) worlds collide. (Also that's our friend Kevin in the photo. Hey Kev!)

Things we learned from the Sony hack. Add to that list that North Korea was serious about not letting that movie get released.

So THIS is why I mess up so many song lyrics.

How the Nutcracker became a Christmastime tradition. LOVED this!

Currently reading. I really can't quit you, Liane Moriarty.

Tips for surviving the holiday entertaining.  Related - how to navigate a party.

A new strategy for finding the best places to eat in New York. Can I join the "research" team?!

Lily's friend Oliver Lim in his dad's holiday card. Work it Oli!

And if all that ↑ wasn't enough to keep you occupied for a week - you can always go back and see what we did last winter break. (Here and here).

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Wishing you and your family blessed, cheerful, and delightful holidays. Merry merry!

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friday finds

Happy Friday! Only one more work week stands between us and our Christmas vacation! I'm getting more and more excited by the day. Our holiday celebrations kick off this weekend with a little belated birthday dinner for moi. Did I mention my birthday was Wednesday? I guess I've reached that age when you don't even make notice of your birthday anymore. Tomorrow the fun continues with my annual gift exchange with my girlfriends followed by our other tradition of The Nutcracker with friends! It'll be a delightful, sparkly, and champagne-filled whirlwind of a weekend, I'm sure. 

Lots of finds for you guys this week. Take note! ↓

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YES! How to email a busy person. Really good tips.

My #1 Winter Break project.

Currently reading.

This would make a great gift.

Speaking of gifts - have you seen my gift guides this year? For her / For him / For the hostess.

Made me laugh - hipster business name generator.

Man colds. The struggle is real.

Now THIS is a good partnership.

Did you see the 9Kisses piece from The New York Times Magazine? So good!

What we eat on Christmas morning.

Love this pretty pony.

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Have a festive weekend!

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friday finds

Wow. Holy smokes has this week kicked my butt. I've barely had time to put up this massive list of Friday Finds for you (and there are some good ones!). Take a look while I spend this weekend catching up on life - prepping for holiday shopping (hello gift guides about to come at you!), preparing for Friendsgiving, and somewhere in there I plan to eat a pizza. Dreaming big this weekend, guys. :) 

Links I'm loving below ↓

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Cool girl hair.

I should probably eat at one of these spots instead of that pizza I mentioned.

Educate yourself. (Yikes, that game though...)

Stats about pets on planes (but really, who would put their pet in baggage?!?!)

I needed the taco emoji last weekend.

Chills. This is so beautiful. 

Princess waistlines. Ugh.

For all of you who don't cook, this list will come in handy this holiday season.

The coziest of sweaters.

I'll take whatever they're on...

Procrastinate less.

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Hang in there kids. Hope you have a restful and productive weekend too! 

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friday finds

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Happy Friday! It is officially coat season out there. Not just a cute little poncho or jacket, but full on bundle up-wrap your face-cover your head cold. We're headed to Dallas this weekend which normally would be a lovely break from the cold temps, but apparently it is even colder in Dallas than  it is in NYC!  In the 30s!  Thank ya polar vortex for that. While we won't get a hit of warm weather, we still plan to see a whole bunch of our friends who reside there, eat some good food, shop around and just have a little weekend escape. I've never been, so I'm excited to meet some nice Texans and see what the state is all about. ☺ 

Lots of links for the remainder of your weekend.  Enjoy! ↓

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Did you know traits in your spouse can affect your own career?

A beautiful read.

YES.

A dsylexia font. Neat!

Funny because it's true.

They'll never be as good as dogs. Here's why.

And if you didn't get enough Thanksgiving chatter yesterday, a few more: 

     → Ina's tips (I do most of these, they help a ton!)

     → About dry brining (so much less messy than wet brining)

     → Apparently people really make these?

     → Fun (free) Thanksgiving printables

Currently reading. (Yep. Still on my Liane Moriarty kick).

The Mayo Battle (the condiment, not our sweet Lily Mayo).

I spy with my little eye on West Elm's instagram.

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Stay warm out there people. Happy weekend!

happy halloween // friday finds

Happy Halloween!!  

Lily has two costumes this year...

A Royals player (obvi) and a sweet little lady bug. 

We have no Halloween-related plans (I'm not all that crazy about this holiday). Only thing on our books this weekend is a surprise evening I've arranged to knock him out of his Royals funk. Calling it "Make Al Happy Even Though The Royals Lost The World Series Evening". Still working on the title though.

For those of you going out tonight - be safe and hold hands. For those with little kiddos at home, have the best time.  I love kids at Halloween. 

Finds from the week below. Enjoy.  ↓

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Love this story.

Oh no. (I LOVE Fireball, btw.)

Currently reading.

Should Gordon have gone home?

We should have done one of these for Lily.

I'd like to think KC would have reacted better than this.

Wow. A bit better than my french bulldog pumpkin...

On marriage. (YES!)

One of my goals in life - END ALL CLUTTER!

My kind of drinking game. "How easy was that?!"

Making this ASAP.

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Happy Halloween and Happy Weekend!

friday finds

Happy Friday! And Happy World Series! Our plans this weekend revolve 100% around the Royals games. We thought long and hard about flying out to San Francisco for the Saturday game, but have decided to stay put and cheer them on from the East Coast. We are hoping and praying for three more Ws! 

Other non-baseball plans include napping, baking, cooking, and chores. Oh, and avoiding Ebola. Fun times!

Links I'm loving this week are below. Enjoy! ↓

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I could really use a getaway to this beautiful lake house.

How men and women handle criticism differently.

LOVE this idea for family dinner. A great conversation starter for any group gathering.

Best part:  "I'm not a foodie, I'm an eatie." YES. (His new book looks funny!)

YES!

I couldn't put down this article. What a terrifying journey. 

Helpful.

12 items I'm loving for fall.

Two recipes that had me drooling - one and two.

Never forget. (I use "our pets' heads are falling off!" quite a bit.)

So sweet.

I love taking personality quizzes.  I got ENFJ. Totally accurate. 

For my next snack attack.

That time our dog got 1,000+ likes. (Yes, I'm nuts. For further proof read this)

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Happy weekend and GO ROYALS!

{image © The Rose Record}

friday finds

Happy Friday! We're headed to a pumpkin carving party this evening and are looking forward to a beautiful Saturday and a cold snugly, Sunday. Funny how much the weather dictates our plans. Wishing you a terrific fall weekend full of all the good things. 

Links I'm loving this week are below. ↓

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My imaginary fairy godmother, Ina making my favorite Bon Appetit Column. 

THIS was beyond annoying to read. I like (most of) this response.

And related to ↑ this is interesting and I loved Jenny's response.

We spent a good half hour trying this the other night.

Funny. And partly true. I mean, how am I supposed to go to spin class, the dog park, AND brunch all day? Adulthood is hard.

#TRUTH  (that is totally me)

We ate this all week long. So yummy.

Benjamin Moore just announced their color of the year for 2015. I like it - very calming.

Currently reading. I really love Liane Moriarty.

What the Highline looked like before it was THE Highline.

Made me laugh.

What a great gift for kids.

Probably the only guy winning from the Ebola outbreak.

LOOK AT ALL THE POCKETS!

And finally, can we just take a moment to talk about the KANSAS CITY ROYALS going to the WORLD SERIES?!  Mind. Blown. 

→ You know it's real when it's on E!News...

→ ... And NPR

→ ... And The Atlantic

→ ... And The Wall Street Journal (American Royal is our namesake? Who knew?)

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Have a glorious weekend!

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friday finds

Happy Friday! Plans for the weekend? We haven't solidified too many plans as we're eagerly waiting to see what happens with our beloved Royals. Al is headed to Baltimore tonight for the game and the rest of the weekend will be spent cheering on the boys in blue and catching up with friends. And I'm wanting to make a cozy soup or chili this Sunday - any recommendations? 

A whole lot of finds for you guys this week (I was still collecting links during my break). Enjoy and have a great weekend!  ↓

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Actually you should stop using the word 'actually'.

Fellow bloggers, a great new site for photos.

A fun quiz. (I got transitional.)

October NYC To Dos.

Brooklyn? More like broke-lyn.

YES YES YES. Anyone who emails (so everyone) should read this!

This made me legit happy.

At home facial technique. Tried it this past weekend. Works like a charm.

I'm pretty sure over the course of my life I, too, have inadvertently conducted this test. (Super helpful and funny!)

Love Mila Kunis' casual (former) home.

Genius idea (but also pretty sure that's the perk of garden leave).

Adorable. Love them.

Did you add this to your must-make-soon list yet?

Future and recent brides - you MUST use this site. I wish I knew about that when I was changing my name.

For all the pumpkin spice fans out there.

Made me laugh. #truth

That's right. "America's Team"!

Important.

People with kids in NYC (or visitors), this stroller map just saved your life.

And let's end with a cute french bulldog video for old times sake.

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Happy weekend!


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friday finds

Happy Friday!  Is it me or has this week seemed so long. I legit thought it was Saturday when I woke up this morning. The air is crisp here in the city and it makes me want to prep for fall and spend time outdoors. A little of both are in the plans this weekend (along with watching more of this show). And I have got to do a serious closet inventory before I do my fall shopping. I end up having a lot of those "Oh! I forgot I had that!" moments. Wishing you a super weekend. Do something fun! (Like clean out your closet?)

Gems from the web this week are below. Have a good one! ↓

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This is spot on. I love reading comments on recipes for this very reason. 

Liking quite a few pieces from LC's affordable line for Kohls. Who knew.

And speaking of LC, I went to two drug stores last night trying to get my hands on this. 

Helpful combos for your fall wardrobe.

Some new titles for your fall reading list. I think I might start this one.

Really? This is a real article in the New York Times. Really?

Well this is depressing (unless you live in Missoula, Iowa City, or Omaha).

Made me chuckle. 

That time I fell in love with a burrito.

This StoryCorps had me in tears. What a tough, but noble job.

Thinking about these for Sunday Supper along with a soup. Delicious!

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Happy weekend!

(Image from pinterest, original source unknown)

friday finds

Happy Friday y'all! That's right, I put a "y'all" on there. Practicing my Southern drawl as we're off to North Carolina early tomorrow morning to meet up with my in-laws for a quick weekend in Raleigh-Durham. Plans include the Duke-KU football game, eating some southern fare, and seeing both the Duke and UNC campuses. And I have to keep my eye out for the Deacon Dan #85 statue my father-in-law swears is on Duke's campus. (He played football at Duke. That's him up there↑.) ☺

Hope you have a splendid weekend! And be sure to check out what I'm loving from the 'net this week. ↓ 

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What the fug girls eat during NYFW.

Well this is depressing. Sorry for being negative.

Could you do this? I don't think I could.

A fun quiz.

Wow. Ahhh America. #ThisIsWhyWe'reFat

Oh, thank goodness.

Pretty sure this is the most perfect restaurant concept. Ever.

Yes. Filing under important things I need to know.

Get ready for fall with these. The Barn Nail has my name all over it.

MEMORIES. (Al and I were just talking about Dunk-a-roos!)

Can't wait to see The Skeleton Twins. Written and directed by my favorite food blogger's partner! Go see it!

Ohhh pretty. All of her work looks awesome!

But really, let's go back. Now.

Another great piece on Misty Copeland.

Whoa!

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Happy weekend y'all!