It is Friday AND it’s a long weekend!

There is no better feeling than knowing you don’t have to go to work on Monday, am I right? We are headed up to the Northwoods of Wisconsin and I literally can’t wait. This will be a short and sweet post so we can hit the road! I hope you all have a safe and fun weekend! Can’t wait to share some delicious recipes with you next week. In the mean time, here are some things I love that will satisfy you until then!

Can you even handle how beautiful and delicious these coconut, chocolate chip pancakes look? I’m usually a waffle gal, but whoa nelly, I want these in my belly!

I love everything about this outfit. Also this girl has got some pretty impressive guns. Summer is almost here, suns out guns out!!!

Mikey and I are going to paint a little wall in our back room with some magnetic chalkboard paint. I can’t wait to hang up some fun pictures and write some fun notes there! I love these chalkboard pencils from Anthropologie. Chalk can be so chunky and hard to write with so these are perfect!

 

We love lentils and roasted veggies here at the Evon house. This simple, healthy recipe just looks so pretty and delicious. I love how beautiful and colorful healthy food is!

 

I had to share these Birkenstocks because it cracks me up that they are back in style now. I had a pair when I was a kid and then again in college, but gave them away to Goodwill about 4 years ago (to some lucky soul). The reason Birkenstocks crack me up is because when I met Mikey it was all he wore. And they smelled terrible…he has come so far since then, lol. He actually wears clothes that fit him now instead of XL Bob Marley tshirts. The Birkenstocks did eventually make their way into the trash as well.

The other day I told him he should get a new pair of Birks because they are back in style, to which he responded,  “They’ll never go out of style”…maybe true, maybe not. Either way, I think we should get a matching pair and wear them all summer 😉

 

And finally.

I just love this.

Woke up to a layer of snow.

Not happy about it. BUT at least it’s Friday and at least the Badgers won last night!

Talk about a stressful game. I have never seen/heard Mikey so riled up during a sporting event. I think there was a point early in the 2nd half where he shed a couple tears. Our neighbors didn’t complain/call the cops (which I was expecting) so I’m pretty happy about that too. Double win in the Evon house!

I’m heading up to Madison, WI for the night to have dinner with a couple of my best girls. There is nothing better than a last minute trip to Madison. I’m excited for girl talk, drinks and laughing until my stomach hurts! I have a million things to do before I can skip town, so I’m going to leave you with some lovely things I’m loving lately 🙂

Check out this monster. Layer upon layer of goodness. I plan on making this play on a BLT (times 5) as soon as possible!

As you know, my favorite foods include donuts and ice cream. Some genius is now my best friend. Look at these beautiful babies! 

Remember Gaucho pants??? I had 3 pairs and wore them almost every day. They were basically sweatpants and I was obsessed. I also had a pair made out of jean material, so you can imagine my surprise (or was it joy) when I saw that the jean version is making a comeback. Why do I ever get rid of my clothes?? I need those giant pant legged monstrosities back!!!!!

Lauren Conrad came out with a list of house plants you can’t kill. I know I’ve been on this tangent for weeks now. I swear we will buy some plants soon so I shut up about it. In the mean time I’m studying this list so I know exactly what to get/attempt to keep alive!

I love this image of Thai Iced Tea topped with Coconut Milk. The color! I can only imagine how refreshing and flavorful this drink must be! Once it warms up I’m trying this recipe!

Who is sick of the weather temp screenshots, hashtags about ____beria and overall complaining about how people are so sick of winter?

Obviously I’m not…(that’s a joke). Friends, we need to embrace this weather for the dirty, dirty rascal that it is and make the most out of it. I have a few tips for you being the northern Wisconsinite that I am. Here they are:

1. Layers. Stack your layers until your boots don’t fit and you cant bend your arms. Seriously. You can always remove them. Wool socks. Fleece lined leggings/jeans. Everyone looks fat under those puffy coats. SO fill that puppy up as thick as you can and I promise that commute (walk to Starbucks) will be a little less brutal.

2. Cover your butt. If you have a lot of junk, or a little junk, in that trunk, cover it. A warm butt is a happy butt. When those winds come whipping off Michigan ave your butt is one of the first things to feel the cold sting. A long jacket makes a HUGE difference.

3. Quality hats and gloves. I don’t want to see any of this open knit hat garbage. You need a tight fitting, wool or fleece hat. If your ears aren’t covered you are not going to make it. And, since all stores are no longer carrying gloves but instead swimsuits (found that out the hard way) you don’t even have to leave your house to buy a pair of super thick ski gloves. I’m talking the kind you would wear skiing in Aspen. Stop trying to look cute, no one cares. .

4. Heated blanket. I learned this from my Mom long ago. Your bed can act as a toaster to your body. All you have to do is click a button while you brush your teeth and BAM! You can slide into a nice, toasty bed. Be careful to turn it off though so you don’t wake up in a sweaty mess…not that I’ve ever done that before…

Take my advice for what it is. I obviously give zero eff’s what I look like when I head out the door in the dead of winter. All I care about is the fact that I stay as toasty as possible (it’s more like a creepy zombie hobble due to all the layers) from one building to the next in this BEAUTIFUL cold weather. Embrace it. It’s all you can do. Find the beauty in the crisp morning sky. Thank God for the warm roof over your head. Focus on the fact that at least it’s not November and that we are flying towards March at an increasingly fast speed.

Grab some blankets, grab an animal (cat, dog, cute friend) buy a case of wine and hunker down. We can get through this together if we stop talking about #chiberia2015 and start talking about the blessings that have kept us warm thus far!

Boom! Now that I’ve dropped what knowledge I have (sorry it’s not much)…lets talk about some beautiful things I love!

This Swedish Semla Layer Cake looks like a giant cream puff. It has some almond paste in it as well which we all know is the way to my heart. Although it seems a teeny bit time consuming it sure looks worth it! I’m always so attracted to these white, whimsical bedrooms. This one has a fireplace on top of the amazing bed, hanging lights, a sky light and don’t even get me started on those floors…jealous is the only word I can think of at this moment. I found this quote the other day and thought it was beautiful and so filled with hope. Pretty much everything Jessica over at How Sweet Eat’s does is gorgeous. Her pictures are always so bright and crisp and I’m never surprised when I click on a beautiful picture of food and it directs me to her website. I like my coffee hot when It’s -25 outside…but when the weather warms up you better believe I’ll be reaching for a glass of cold brew coffee. I was chatting with my colorist this past week and I told her that I was thinking about doing something new with my hair. She asked me if I have ever considered pastel’s and I just about screamed with excitement. She read my mind. SO, although my hair is not purple (yet) I did buy this Bumble and Bumble Spraychalk that worked really well. It made my hair crunchy…like, imagine a mix between a wax and a hairspray. So that was kind of gross…but the temporary color was super fun and lasted a couple days until I washed it out. It is a great way to see if you like the color before committing fully (eek!). I love this light lavender color below. I think I’m going to go for it next time I head in to get my hair did! 

Thank you all for your sweet notes and comments congratulating me on my 5,000 followers. Even though it’s not a big deal to many, it was a fun milestone for me!

I feel like the weeks are FLYING by and I am shocked that we are already a week into November. Time needs to take. a. chill. pill. and slowwwwww downnnnnnn. I am, however, glad that it’s Friday! Mikey and I have a relaxing weekend of hanging out with some friends ahead of us. Just what we need after our crazy housewarming party and Halloween last weekend! Bundle up and stay warm, It seems like those 70 degree days are behind us now (booooo).

Here are some of the things I’m crushing on lately.

I am a big fan of Edamame. Any shape or form, I’m always drawn to the little green guys and this delicious Edamame Soup looks fantastic!

 

I’m sure you’re all aware of my obsession with Alexis Bittar…and he has yet again made a piece (and a ring to match) that I am completely enamored with.

 

I really think I need to get this fire escape shelf and hang it outside on our patio. Living on the top floor of a walk up, our back stairs at times feel like a fire escape. I just love how adorable this is and think it would be perfectly ironic on our porch, filled with herbs and succulents!

 

 

Show me a stew that looks more hearty than this Cozido De Grao from Saveur. Seriously. I challenge you.

 

Are you thinking of hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year? We are staying in Chicago this year to celebrate with Mikey’s family (his sister is going to have a baby any day now!!) and we have the extra bonus of my family coming down as well. Hoping to soak in as much family time as possible and hopefully throw a Friendsgiving into the mix as well. If you are planning on hosting however, here is an awesome guide to help you prepare your perfect feast!

And finally, I have to include some sort of clothing. These Sorel Medina Boots are somewhat impractical but so amazing!!!!! I think I am going to try and convince Mikey that I need these for trudging through the snow this Winter 😉