a daily dose of holiday spirit

tomorrow is december 1st, and you know what that means: the official countdown to christmas has begun. and growing up in my house that meant one thing: advent calendars. so since i am on the slowboat this year, i am hoping to get a bit creative and do a make shift one at home that will encourage some holiday spirit! (i love mr. frederickson, but he is lacking a bit in that department)

check out all these super cute diy versions...now i just have to decide what little daily treats are going to win over my scrooge's heart this season. any thoughts?

{via etsy - nuvanova}

{via not on the highstreet}

{via oh hello friend}

{via etsy - oh hello magpie}

{via oh, happy day!}

{via twig & thistle}

{via pinterest}

Read more...

happy thanksgiving!

happy thanksgiving to you all! i for one could not be more excited for a weekend full of yummy food, turkey trotting, bubbly champagne, and most of all spending time with family and some long lost friends (HHS Class of 2000!!)

however, i have to admit, my favorite part of the holiday is looking forward to december and all the great holiday excitement that is just around the corner! nothing makes me more excited than some good oldfashioned anticipation and that's what this time of year is all about!

now, just a couple faves to share with you from around the web. i have to say, cyber land is especially inspiring this time of year, don't you think?!

• once again, emerson made is spot on. how perfect is this table runner?
• super cozy slippers...and i know just the crafter who can make these come to life!
• holy ambiance! loving this tablescape for the holidays
• matchbook mag - add this to the list of things i am looking forward to in january!
• it's time to start thinking about advent calendars! how cute is this one?
• mr. frederickson gave me the go ahead to send holiday cards this year, so far i have found inspiration here, here and here! so much stationery, so little time...
• the perfect winter morning.
• and some words of wisdom...."Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." -Melody Beattie

wishing you all the safest and happiest holiday! xoxo

Read more...

tuesday shoesday - coziness cont...

please see post below and add these to the mix. perfection achieved. done and done.

"shut the door not that it lets in the cold but that it lets out the coziness.”

-mark twain

Read more...

coziness defined.

'tis the season for fireplaces. aka - heaven. i mean what is better on these dreary november days than curling up under a cozy blanket in front of a crackling fire with a good book (or trashy magazine) and a steaming cup of tea (or big glass of wine)? correct answer: nothing.

actually, that's a lie. there is something better. and that would be cozying up in front of one of these fireplaces - complete with a clever little nook to stack your kindling. you should know that i have a soft spot in my heart for woodpiles and love any situation that means i can stay curled up under the blanket and not have to travel far to keep the fire burning, so this is pure perfection in my book!

what about you? what's your go to cure for the november chill?

{1,2,3,4}

Read more...

thankful links.

happy thanksgiving week!!! isn't this just the best time of year!? i just love it. so, when i came across these thankful links, i fell in love. what a great way to keep track of all the things we have to be thankful for year after year. (and it makes for a pretty fabulous table decoration!)

get the printable here!

Read more...

happy {hockey} weekend!

i don't have any idea how it snuck up on me so fast, but it's here. hockey season is already here! yes, that's right, tonight marks opening night of the college hockey season up in these parts and i could not be more excited!

admittedly i know very little about the sport, but this team in particular represents so many things i love that i can't help but be excited. i love the experience of it all. i love the way the community comes together. i love the people watching - from toddlers in mini jerseys running in circles in the stands, to the teenage girls drooling over the cutest new players. i love the loyal fans who have sat in the same seats for as long as they can remember. i love that there is another whole community that supports the team from behind the scenes. but mostly, i love how cute mr. frederickson looks barking at his players from behind the bench. and i love that his parents come and still cheer for the guy who wears the number he wore back in his glory days. (#37)

so, see, even for a non-hockey fan....it's a great season. a really great one.

wish us luck (-:

Read more...

scarf meet ribbon.

i am so sorry for the radio silence this week...once again, life has gotten in the way. although, i have to say, i don't mind a bit! sometimes busy busy weeks are just what the doctor ordered.

although, to be fair, i think the doctor also ordered this ammaaazzzzinnnggg scarf. a scarf on a spool? a scarf that stores itself? gosh, why didn't i think of that? leave it to the folks at terrain to come up with such beautiful brilliance.

Read more...

delicious autumn.

i couldn't agree more. even these waning days of autumn make my heart happy.... delicious indeed.

{image via}

Read more...

vermont evergreens.

you know how i feel about simon pearce. everything they do is pretty darn perfect in my book. but i have to admit that my very favorite thing they make are their vermont evergreens. they are simply stunning, weather you have one or a million lined up on your mantle. (although to be honest, seeing a dozen lined up is breathtaking!) they are perfectly vermont and they add the perfect amount of holiday decor to any room....so perfect that when i got the email today, just seeing these beauties put me in the spirit!

also, check out this video of the brilliant craftsmen at work in their quechee shop. if you haven't stopped in there yet, it is a holiday season must do! how cool is this?

Read more...

comfort food thursday

does anyone have trouble making a recipe when you don't have a photo to look at? i certainly do. photos are so helpful in not only the process, but also in making your mouth water for the finished product. so i nearly died when i came across the site foodgawker, which helps organize recipes and food photography by subject, ingredient, etc! so you will NEVER have to make an imageless recipe again.

first on this list: this scrumptious bowl of chili. photo included.

black bean and chicken chili with butternut squash & swiss chard

what you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-1/2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2-1/2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles with juice
• 3 cups packed coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves (about 1 bunch)

what you do:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender and golden, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add squash; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth and Rotel; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until squash is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the chard and allow the heat of the mixture to wilt the chard so that it is tender and bright green, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings such as cheese, red onion, cilantro and crushed tortilla chips.

Read more...

a jog through shelburne farms

today my running friends and i went for a little morning jog. part of said run had us wander through the historic grounds at shelburne farms. i had heard the rumors, but let me tell you, it is every bit as magical as i expected. every inch (and mile) of it. even now during the sometimes less than magestic stick season.

so, even though i can take NO credit for these photos, they do a pretty lovely job of telling the story...

a special thanks goes out to my running friends for that extra bit of guilt that got me out there today and an even bigger thanks for enjoying the ride with me. xo

all photos via flickr.

Read more...

comfort food thursday: for mr. frederickson

the recipe choice for this comfort food thursday requires a bit of a backround, so let me fill you in a couple key insights:

1. i love soup. mr. frederickson loves soup. it gets cold in vermont. thus, hot, food in a bowl is our main source of sustainance from mid-october to mid-july.
2. i like to cook. mr. frederickson likes to eat. it is a good combo.
3. both mr. frederickson and i like to make the other person happy. i.e., there is a lot of this: "i don't know, honey, anything you want sounds good to me." and not a lot of "i don't like green beans, so please don't ever cook with them. but what i do love is that squash soup i bought the other day at price chopper..."

alright, so i guess you are probably catching on to the fact that there was a soup incident last night. and it lead to a bit of pouting on my part (sorry, honey!) but the aftermath and silver lining is that i have a new burning desire to make the best darn butternut squash & apple soup EVER. so, there price chopper, take that. you messed with the wrong chef.

so here it is folks, the recipe i am going to use in my first attempt at redemption. thanks to a very talented vermonter and food & wine contributing, jeremy silansky.

what you need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup apple cider
• One 1 3/4-pound butternut squash—peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice (5 1/4 cups)
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 McIntosh apple, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/3 cup coarsely shredded smoked cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
• One-inch pieces of chives or thinly sliced sage leaves, for garnish

what you do:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the apple cider and cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 40 minutes.
• In a blender, puree the soup in batches. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Heat a medium skillet. Add the butter and diced apple and cook over high heat until the apple is tender and golden around the edges, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into warmed bowls; garnish with the smoked cheddar, sautéed apples and chives; serve.

Read more...

solving the wedding gift puzzle

i am loving this puzzling cutting board for a wedding gift idea. it also multitasks as an hors d'œuvre tray. cheese and crackers anyone?

plus, just think of all the clever little sayings that you could write on the card: you two fit together so well! so happy you found your missing piece. life is like a puzzle and you two are cut out to solve it together! ok, that's enough. sorry.

Read more...

tuesday shoesday: the oxford

my mom has been on the quest for the perfect pair of oxfords. so much so, that she has taken to just emailing links from around the web...no subject line, no text, just a link. i take this to mean that she wants some feedback. although, i have to admit, i have been less than helpful. for me, there is a very brief interlude between flip flop and boot season and that has long since passed.

but, in her honor (and to celebrate her birthday month) i feel it is important to give this classic and yet oh so trendy shoe a little love on this tuesdayshoesday. plus, she did all the work and online searching for me, and i will take advantage of any excuse to make a picture collage!

what do you think? any favorites? anyone else still pining for doc marteens to come back in style? (please, say yes or that was a major overshare on my part...)

1. anthropologie 2 . frye 3 & 4. j.crew 5. zara 6. free people 7. madewell

Read more...

november is...

november is one of those months here in vermont where it is sometimes hard to find the good. it is cold and damp and dark with no real light at the end of the tunnel...except that one glorious and gluttonous holiday we call thanksgiving. so, while i always love these "months of the year" posts, this one is certainly a favorite as it reminds me that there is always some goodness to be found no matter how dreary it might look outside your window. plus, if you know anyone with a november birthday (like i do) this seems especially fiting. xoxo

november can spell "cornucopia" backwards.
she teaches children to remember pilgrims and indians.
november likes to linger on the last chapter.
she is self reflective.
november has a campaign scrapbook.
she creates real connections.
november's voice can be heart by all people.
she gives with all her heart.
november turns departures into arrivals.
she listens. and reaches out.
november inherited the first recipe for pumpkin pie.
she is a historical fact.
november can hear winter's voice.
she moves with simple grace.
november always remembers to give thanks.
her wisdom is her intuition.
november loves to celebrate human qualities.
she dances holding hands.

{image via and who is november courtesy of a 2006 KOCO NY calendar}

Read more...