Friday Five

{A beautiful view of the Wrigley building on a clear, Chicago night}

This week has gone by quickly and I haven’t been this ready for a weekend in a while. Between working on applications, studying, and re-kindling my blog, I can’t wait to enjoy the cool, sunny weather Chicago has promised. I am excited to start work on a new segment for the blog-that I will be introducing next week- and enjoy some down time. In the meantime, here are five things currently making me happy. Have a great weekend! xx

{A dainty infinity bracelet from a recent swing by Nordstrom}

{My favorite bagel from Oxford's Bagel and Deli--a must whenever I'm back at Miami}

{The white cake with raspberries and hazelnuts I baked to celebrate a milestone}

{My favorite card from my Disney Villain Monopoly set}

Italian Wedding Soup

Last night’s rain and the recent cold weather inspired me to make soup for dinner last night; that, and watching Ina Garten make Italian Wedding Soup last week. I think I had only ever tried Italian Wedding soup once before and I was six. Clearly, I chose to not care for it because it wasn’t Campbell’s ‘chicken and stars’ soup. Unfortunately, for my six-year-old self, I have to say that last night’s soup has become a new favorite. It was delicious, easy, and extremely healthy. It’s the perfect soup to make a couple of days ahead of time and warm up in the crock-pot. We made these meatballs, but any favorite meatball would be perfectly fine. To make it vegetarian, simply sub out the meatballs for something you like: tomatoes, eggplant, tofu etc. With fall approaching, this soup will definitely be on my mind. 

{Soften a medium, yellow onion, a couple of carrots, and 3 stalks of celery-a traditional mille-poix-in a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil}

{Make the meatballs small enough to fit on your spoon}

{Add a box of chicken stock, 1 cup of dry, white wine, and 6 cups of water to the mille-poix; bring to a boil; Once boiling, add a box of small pasta-Ditalini, Orzo etc.}

{Cook meatballs at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until browned and cooked through}

{Add meatballs once pasta is cooked to Al-Dente}

{Add a few handfuls of baby spinach..it will reduce down quickly}

{Once  spinach is reduced, turn off the heat and serve immediately; if making soup a day or two before serving, do not add spinach until a few minutes before it is served to prevent wilted, over-cooked spinach}

{Add salt and pepper to taste}

{Serve with bread for dipping and accompany with a glass-or two- of the wine in the broth!}

Mary Janes

Every time I am at a department store, I swing by the shoes and take a few minutes to dream. I know it’s cliché, but I really, really love shoes (seen here and here). During my last Nordstrom visit, I spotted these black, Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane pumps. I already have an affinity for all things black, but one can never have too many pairs of black pumps. They go with everything. I could pair them with jeans and a sweater, a lacy cocktail dress, or even a pair of nice leggings and an oversized trench. Unfortunately, I opted to not purchase them on account of my next bank statement, but I can’t stop thinking about them! What do you think?

P.S. These Mary Jane pumps would look great with this bag, this sweater, and these jeans. 

P.P.S. Jan 1st-Dec 31 I'd wear a large scarf like this, too. 

Fall Tray

Hello! I’m sorry for my long absence but I am back and blog posts will appear regularly. I while ago I found a pin on Pinterest about how to properly decorate and fill a tray. I took a stab at it and was surprisingly pleased with the results. The fall colors look beautiful in our dark dining room and I am happy every time I walk by the tray and see the small deer from Pier 1. I found maroon eucalyptus at our local Treasure Island and it took a week of me walking back and forth to succumb and buy some. I used the extra eucalyptus arrangements to decorate other areas of our apartment. It smells like fall and I can’t wait to experiment with a winter tray!What do you think?