Thanksgiving Brunch

November 23, 2015

I’ve always enjoyed making brunch more than dinner, and this year I wanted to get some family and friends around the table that we wouldn’t get to see over Thanksgiving. So it was a brunch I was motivated to get up early and make. I won’t lie, it took hours. All morning to be exact. But as a wise woman told me, “Food is always worth if it brings people around the table in peace.”

Brunch Menu:
Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus with poached eggs
Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Sausages
Mimosas and coffee bar

(Mini casserole dishes are from Martha Stewart Collection at Macys)

You can prepare the casserole the night before, so the morning of you aren’t scrambling like I was! If you time your dishes right, you have plenty of time to sit and visit with company.

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and Poached Eggs:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Separate your asparagus into even bunches and cut off ends if needed.
Wrap each bunch with two pieces of uncured bacon, and set in 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
While those are baking, poach your eggs. (Great directions here.)
They take approx. 4 min. for each egg.

I tell ya what, that bacon flavor seeping out of the asparagus is the only way to eat it! Its a really good savory compliment to the french toast casserole.

I wasn’t counting on my pumpkins to whither just in time for Thanksgiving week, but luckily had a few flower bunches to work with for a bold color centerpiece. It looks complicated, but actually pretty simple!

Thanksgiving centerpiece and runner:
Bowl vase (mine is from an antique store)
Cedar Incense
Pomegranate
3 Artichokes
Greenery bunches (They sell them pretty inexpensive at whole foods)
Deep purples and orange flowers

– Place a styrofoam piece in the middle of your bowl vase.
– Layer your cedar incense bunch (one bunch from Pike’s Nursery was all I used) 3/4 around the bowl.
– Place your pomegranate and artichoke side by side since they are your largest pieces.
– Add in your bold toned flowers (cut the stems shorter).
– Finish with a few fresh greenery stems to fill out as needed.
– Stack the rest of your greenery branches along the table in opposite directions till you reach the end of your table. Stick the stem ends underneath eachother so it flows well. That’s it!

Alright, now to plan the Thanksgiving menu. Phew! I’ll be in the kitchen till Thursday if you need me! Any dishes you would like to share for Thanksgiving? I am always up for some new ideas!
X, Anna

Items featured:

DIY Cape Vest

November 20, 2015

Okay, as promised, here is the how-to guide for a DIY cape vest. I saw these in stores and loved how lightweight and fun they were to layer. It is shockingly easy, and if you don’t want to sew, you don’t have to. It’s been forever and a day since I have done a DIY, and may be another year before I try again, but this one was to easy to keep to myself..

DIRECTIONS:
– Pick out your fabric of choice (wool is easy to cut and doesn’t fray).
– Measure 1.5 yards of fabric. Most fabric from fabric bolts are double folded. You will need this to get the right width.
– Using a fabric pencil, mark the measurements of your semi-circle and arm holes as seen in the visual above.
– Carefully cut along the lines with a fabric scissors.
– Edge stitch all edges with a sewing machine. However, if you don’t have one or don’t want to sew, you can leave an unfinished edge if it is wool/felt. This won’t fray easily. You can add fray check to make sure and prevent any fraying.

*You can adjust width and length per your height. It’s always easier to start bigger and go smaller than cut too small the first time.

I have already made a few with different fabrics I have found because these make a really easy layer to change up an outfit, and they are also fun gifts:) Let me know if you have any questions!

Items featured: Fringe Bag, Chambray, Denim, Boots, Sunnies: Ditto (Use code IHOD for free month)

Chai Spice Muffins with Pecan Crumble Topping

November 18, 2015

Today’s post is from Lauren of Love Lola blog. Really love her recent post about gathering around the table and why it’s important:) She’s onto something! Thank you Lauren, for today’s recipe. I was needing a rainy day fix!

Chai Spice Muffins with Pecan Crumble Topping

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3/4 tsp. ginger

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup milk (any type – almond, soy, 1%..)

Pecan Crumble Topping:

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup sugar

5 tbsp. all purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 F and prepare a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray, or lining with cupcake liners.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated, being sure not to over mix.

5. Next, make the crumble topping by cutting the butter into the flour and sugar. Add the pecans and cinnamon. Use your hands to mix it all together until crumbly and combined.

5. Spoon the dough into each muffin compartment, about 1/2 way full. Sprinkle the crumble topping on top of the dough in each muffin compartment.

6. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove, let cool, and enjoy!

Keep up with Lauren here: Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

Motherhood Must Have: Owlet Baby Monitor

November 17, 2015

I think you are given a sixth sense when you become a mother. You have a constant radar synced with your new baby that is always on high alert mode. Your ears perk at the sound of anything you are unfamiliar with. Your heart races if you suspect something might be a little off. You may even wake up a little too often when the sixth sense is in overdrive mode. I used to wake up in a panic every night to make sure my first born son was still breathing. I was so worried I wouldn’t hear him if he was in distress. Those fears never leave you, although with your fourth baby you rest a little easier. However, I often wished my heightened senses would calm down and let me sleep! When I heard about the new Owlet Baby Monitors, I had my jaw on the floor…

Where was this the first time around?! Ah the hours of sleep I would have saved! This monitor is a smart sock you slip onto your baby (it comes in three sizes), that uses a technology called pulse oximetry that doctors have used for decades. Its connected via bluetooth to a dock station that will alarm you if the oxygen or heart rate levels are off. We have gotten into a good rhythm of using the monitor, and Rocco doesn’t even notice it’s on. Happy there are a few sizes of the socks so we can use it as he grows too.

I highly recommend you head to the site and watch the incredible experiences of mothers who have used this product. The stories are fascinating. I know these Owlet Baby Monitors are going to going to help many parents across the globe. Definitely something to put on your Babylist registry. Also, something to note- you can get $10 off the Owlet Baby Monitor by clicking here. No code needed, as it automatically adjusts for In Honor of Design readers.

I just call it my guardian angel service (wink wink). I sleep with a little more ease now. I entered Rocco’s info into the Owlet app which will also alarm if something is wrong. Pretty brilliant right? Of course, you should never fully rely on a device to take care of your child, but it can certainly be of service when you are unaware that your child is in trouble. So thankful for the engineers who created this device. I welcome any extra help in keeping my lil man Rocco safe:)

*This post is sponsored by Owlet and all opinions are my own.

When the world suffers, how do we respond?

November 16, 2015

(artwork by this talented lady)

Paris, Kenya, Syria….our world is in so much pain. It would be easy to mourn and then forget, but I sure hope I don’t forget. I want this week’s events to leave its mark and leave me changed. I want to step forward as a person with more resolve to love hard, act with intention, and pray with hope. I know this is the least I can do for the countries and people whose realities are so broken right now.

How are you all processing these events? I am putting an act of service plan for advent for my family, but I wish there was more I could do. At least we have hope, right? It would be easy to give into fear and discouragement with raising my children in a world of turmoil, but I firmly choose hope. I know that prayer is powerful, and I hold on to the truth that peace will come again someday. Until then, we have to try to move forward with a courageous kind of love because we are never guaranteed tomorrow.

Praying for more love, less hatred, more of what we are for, less of what we are against, less talking, more doing. Kenya, Paris, Syria…our hearts are with you!

10 Favorites: Outerwear

November 12, 2015

Finders Keepers Coat from Revolve Clothing c/o, Everlane Shirt dress, OTK Boots, Checked Sweater, Backpack Bag, Initial Necklace

I am an old movie junkie, and I always take note of the quite stellar wardrobe selects of the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. For example: White Christmas and Breakfast at Tiffany’s have a number of outerwear and faux fur pieces to swoon over. I would say it has probably influenced my current choices for outerwear. Now to find a piece that is warm, functional, and stylish is always a triple crown.

Here are my top 10:
REVOLVE Finders Keepers Jacket
J.Crew Boucle Cocoon Coat
ZARA Quilted Coat
ASOS Faux Fur Shawl Coat
J.Crew Chateau Parka
ASOS Coat with 60’s Collar
ASOS Coat in Trapese
J.O.A. Double Breasted Coat
J.O.A. Notched Lapel Coat
LL Bean Puffer (not pictured)

Where is your favorite place to go to for outerwear? I have actually found some of my warmest pieces in vintage stores:)
Luckily down here in Atlanta there isn’t many months we need the outwerwear which is making it really difficult to justify a purchase of a down puffer!
Happy almost weekend.

The days are long, but the years are short.

November 11, 2015

I was up late last night watching Rocco drift off to sleep.
Taking it all in. His dimpled hands, his curled fingers, and the way his lips pucker from the weight of his cheeks….and I began to wonder…

I thought about how many hours I had spent feeding and holding my babies.
More than I surely will ever remember.

I thought about how many baths I have given.
Hundreds, and yet I will only remember a handful.

I thought about how many diapers Gabe and I have changed.
More than we could ever keep track of and thankfully not remember.

I wonder how many sandwiches I’ve made or apples I have sliced.
Impossible to remember how many.

I wonder how many books we’ve read.
Thousands at least, but more than we could ever keep in memory.

I thought about how many prayers we have said with our children at night.
Countless to be sure….but I can’t recall all of them for the life of me.

Time is a meanie sometimes. It seems to steal away the most precious days of my children’s lives, and at the same time linger a little too long at 5pm when you have cleaned up one too many messes and lost your cool more than you care to admit.

A friend of mine shared this quote:
“The days are long, but the years are short.”

And then it clicked. As I was watching Rocco sleep and cursing time…. it all made sense. These little daily rituals of cleaning, feeding, and caring are all working towards something more meaningful than we can fathom in a seemingly insignificant moment. These routines are but a flash in this short life on earth. And if we choose to put more than a hurried rush into them, we just might see their worth. They will be moments and days that amount to very full years. Years that carry our children in the darkest and brightest of their days, that create a safe haven to lean into when they are missing home, a solid rock to stand on when they need reminding where they came from, and a clear path for them to walk when the road divides. I think I will try a little harder tonight to slow the routines and make them count.