Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things

Wednesday marks the official start of autumn! I’m sad to say goodbye to summer and the warm, long days, but looking forward to all that autumn has to offer. How about all of you? Yes, summer is warm, relaxing, and fun – but on to cozy season! Apples, pumpkins, mums, brilliantly colored leaves, fall hikes, hayrides…these are the things that get me excited for fall!

You know my stance, but I’m curious on your take. I’ve already been ordering up Halloween decor. And Asher and I have been chatting about all the Halloween movies we just have to watch this season (I’ll share more next week). I love so much that she has excitement for Halloween like I do. We’re the only ones in our big family that care about Halloween…and we really care! It’s always such a fun holiday. 

Anyway, happy Sunday! It’s been such a fun week. Well, it had a few hiccups, but ended on all good notes, so that’s always great! I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday, which I hesitate to mention because I truly despise my birthday. I know that seems really weird, but it’s always such a hard day for me. No matter what, it’s just never good. I don’t know what it is, but I’m not a person that loves to celebrate my birthday. So there was that. But other than that, and a few recipe fails (which happens), it was a good week!

Thursday I moderated a virtual cookbook signing for Antoni Porowski who you all know from Queer Eye. His second cookbook Let’s Do Dinner was released on Tuesday. And if you’re not familiar, you definitely need to order a copy. We had a lot of fun together! His recipes are very similar to mine in that their simple, everyday dishes you really want to make and eat. It was such a fun event! I’m hopeful these events will be in person soon!

I ended the week with a much-needed walk around the neighborhood to see the leaves in that glowy golden hour light. As I mentioned last week, the leaves are starting to turn those gorgeous shades of yellow and orange. It’s such a pretty time of year!

Oh! I will say, one major upside to a birthday week is flowers. Everyone who really knows me knows the only thing they could ever gift to me…that I would actually be excited about…are flowers (or candles). There were dahlias from both Terrain and Machete (thank you!!), a stunning bouquet from Staub, flowers from my mom…times like 3 (she got so many), and then the absolute prettiest roses from Grace Rose Farm. Nothing is better than fresh flowers everywhere. 

(roses from Grace Rose Farm)

What else, my brothers made it over to Europe where it looks chilly but beautiful. Asher is really trying to get me to head to Aspen soon to see the fall leaves, stay at The Little Nell, and do a little shopping. She is so cute and sweet, she wants me to go so bad! We’ll see, time is a little tight, but she’s really pushing it! And Oslo is cute as can be, we’re obsessed with him. 

And lastly, I’m feeling inspired to add touches of fall all around the house/studio. I love decorating for the season. I’ve already been shopping around on Terrain and Pottery Barn. Let me know of any stores you love to shop for fall decor! 

question: what’s your favorite place (or places) to shop for decor?

Coming up this week on HBH… The first slow cooker recipe, a new harvest salad, delicious bread, and one of my favorite desserts I’ve created recently. 

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try…

watching…Kendall Jenner During a Busy Day at New York Fashion Week. I love a behind-the-scenes video.

listening to…Maria Menounos on Pushing Through Life’s Challenges on The Skinny Confidential. An uplifting conversation about taking charge of your health and staying on top of things. 

dreaming of going to…Taylor River Lodge in Almont, Colorado. So pretty – and I would imagine even prettier this time of year. 

reading…Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty. A spooky one for the spooky season. 

ordered….all my favorite Tatcha products. Everything is 20% off using the code FF2021.

following…Dani Michelle on both Instagram and Pinterest. Her style is so good. 

can’t wait to burn…the Otherland Homestead Collection…just order every scent. 

drinking…The Black Widow Smash, always a favorite every autumn season. 

thinking about…the Ugg Tazz Mule. Is it a slipper, a shoe, or both? 

baking…pumpkin bread. It’s a new recipe, should I share it? Or no, not that exciting? 

thinking about ordering…the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light. The mornings are already too dark, does anyone use this and love it? 

(dahlias from Terrain)

2. Favorite game day recipes. 

Pumpkin Beer Pretzels with Chipotle Queso

Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives

Homemade Cheesy Pizza Rolls

Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix

Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Ranch

Baked Sweet Potato Parmesan Tater Tots

Oven Toasted Garlic Herb Cheese Ravioli

Black Pepper Rub Chicken Fingers with Greek Yogurt Ranch

Hard Cider Pretzels with Creamy Honey Mustard

3. Transitioning the Home for Cozy Season…

some warming finds to update the home for the season

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: do you think you’ll redo any of your 2013 blog recipes?
a: Haha. I wasn’t planning on it, but should I? Retro HBH recipes revamped?

q: How do you keep your cast iron pans clean? Tips?
a: I get this question all the time. I honestly do nothing to them. All the Staub skillets are enamel-coated and so easy to clean. I normally just rinse them with water, sometimes using a scrunch pad to wipe out anything stuck to the bottom. Then I put the pan back on the burner over medium heat to quickly dry it

q: what would you consider your home design style to be?
a: Cozy, minimal with a slight vintage feel. Mostly cozy though. I love a cozy, clean space

q: you and your siblings have a lot of success. What are some of the things your parents did and didn’t do?
a: here’s the thing, and my parents would say the same thing. My parents started really early and had no clue what they were doing. They just raised us the very best they could. For them, that meant teaching us to to be respectful of others. To always be looking at ways to give back. And most importantly, to treat everyone the way you’d want to be treated (or better). Oh, and that you’ve got to work hard, nothing in life comes easy, it’s the result of hard work.

They’ve always encouraged us to do what we love. They’ve never forced us down traditional paths or pushed us in a direction we weren’t excited to pursue. They are pretty “think outside the box” people.

q: are you worried about mountain lions on your morning hikes?
a: Yes, but I try not to think about it.

q: any advice on dealing with sibling spats?
a: this is definitely hard, but you’ve gotta try to work through it. For me, family is everything. If you don’t have your siblings, you’ll feel so lost. I think it’s important to try and look at the other person’s viewpoint and put yourself in their shoes. At the end of the day, if you just can’t agree, try to be the bigger person. Remember, they’re family and they’ll hopefully be there for you through thick and thin. So you have to just forgive and move on. Don’t hold grudges or you’ll feel so unhappy.

I know this isn’t always possible but that’s the best advice I have for you. Work it out, you need your fam!

q: do you have a big group of friends?
a: nope, not at all, just a few really good people and then my family. And even though I’m the complete opposite of every single person in my fam…and they drive me crazy…I still love to hang with them.

q: do any of your siblings have kids? 
a: my brother Brendan and sister-in-law, Lyndsie, have a little dude on the way and we are all so excited. I finally get to be an aunt 🙂

q: how did you deal with school anxiety? I was like that in middle and high school. Sometimes I get it in college.
a: It was really hard for me. I struggled a lot throughout middle school and high school. Cooking was actually a huge help for me. It was something I could easily control and put my energy into when I felt like everything else in my life was so out of my control. I dove into cooking and spent a lot of time re-arranging my room (I loved/love interior design). Doing anything creative always helps me.

I’ve also always been active and used to walk every day with my mom. I always feel less anxious after a good walk or hike.

q: what do you wish you had known before starting HBH?
a: nothing! Going into it blindly was the best thing. I think if I would have known really anything more than what I knew, I would have been too scared to start. I had no fears, so I didn’t have that holding me back.

q: what did you think of Gilmore Girls a Year in the Life?
a: I liked it, but I felt like they could have done a little better with the storyline. I was definitely a little disappointed with the ending…we’re never going to know how things ended up!

q: do you ever find recipes to be too time-consuming?
a: Yes! And I don’t usually share them unless they’re really worth the time

5. Oslo’s Favorite Things + Kids Halloween Costumes. 

My mom put together a list of Oslo’s favorite things for anyone out there with little ones at home! 

Halloween costumes… 

6. Inspiring Me + Photos From the Week.

(photo from Pinterest)

(found on Pinterest)

7. Favorite links i’m loving…

The 26 Most Beautiful Towns in America…beyond pretty. 

The Best Trader Joe’s Wines…my Nonnie would buy the Bread&Butter Chardonnay weekly.

13 Scenic Fall Foliage Trips That Aren’t in New England…if you’ve never been, Snowmass (all of Aspen) is beautiful in the fall.

57 Housewarming Gifts Guaranteed to Get You Welcomed Back…great ideas for hostess gifts too. 

Explore the American West in Style at These Rustic-Luxe Dude Ranches…every property looks and sounds so wonderful. 

50+ Items on Etsy to Help You Decorate for Fall & Halloween…ready to decorate.

Spending the Night In? 5 Things You Need To Make It Perfectly Cozy…love a cozy night in. 

10 TikTok Beauty Hacks That Makeup Artists Actually Use…loving TikTok beauty how-tos. 

Our Favorite Mudrooms…I’ve always loved the idea of having a mudroom. 

Inside Justin Timberlake’s Multifaceted Jewel of a Nashville Bar and Restaurant…very pretty and unique. 

10 Event Planner-Approved Tips for Making It Work…entertaining season is upon us. 

10 Cozy Throw Blankets That Have Us Dreaming of Cold Nights…everyone needs a few cozy blankets. 

Wait, We Don’t Need to Clean Our Thanksgiving Turkey…I’ve been saying this all along.

Vincent Van Gogh’s Newly Discovered Work Goes on Display…love this piece.

Tour an Iconic New York City Skyscraper…wow, the views alone – insane. 

Craving Fast Food? Try These 15 Homemade Options Instead…some fun ideas. 

13 Super Effective Serums to Target Fine Lines, Texture, and Tone…testing out a few of these. 

8. Early Fall Finds…

9. This week’s dinners + favorite weekend eats…

Monday: Sheet Pan Hot Honey Mustard Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Tuesday: Fall Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad

Wednesday: Slow Cooker French Wine and Mustard Chicken

Thursday: Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

Friday: Butternut Squash and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells

Saturday: Vanilla Chai Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Sunday: Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies