mother rabbit cooks.

I received a treasure for Christmas. My mom compiled all the recipes that we grew up with and she is still proficient in making into a beautiful book entitled, "Mother Rabbit Cooks." Every page tells a story of where the recipe came from and tips and tricks from Mother Rabbit herself. I am blessed to have a mother who values the time around the table as a family and spending time in the kitchen. She has taught me to eat fresh, local foods, to always use whole milk and real butter, and I would never ever dream of buying a cake, cupcakes, or cookies from the store. I love being able to appreciate all the wonderful things about my mom in a whole new way as an adult...thank you mother rabbit!

mr. little guy.

I know I have told you about the gnome, excuse me, tree elf, that lives at lake harriet, right? There is a little door in a tree around the running path that is always occupied by a few little kids (or adults;) huddled around it, peering in, and leaving notes, trinkets, and whatever else they want. When Emily and Paul were in town this summer, we all wrote Mr. gnome notes and left them in the tree. I had heard he writes everyone back, but it was hard to believe. It was truly one of the best days of my summer when I opened that little door, flipped through all the notes, and found mine! It now lives in my type case holder in my kitchen. How magical!

a southern girls guide to winter.

This is my third winter here in Minneapolis, and while this has most definitely been the worst weather wise, I must say my spirits (no pun intended;) and outlook about this season here in the North are better than ever. There are a few very tangible things that I have discovered to help me in these cold months that I thought I would share with you.

1. Invest in real-deal winter boots.

I bought my Sorel boots last winter and have never been the same. The traction is unlike any other pair of boots I have seen and you feel invincible against any pile of snow or icy lake. These boots mean business..I also think they are quite chic in a mountain man kind of way and wear them with just about everything.

2. Have a great warm pair of mittens.

These fleece lined mittens have been with me for 2 winters and I love 'em!

3. Whiskey

Ladies, winter sucks sometimes and heading out for late night sledding with a little hard stuff in your pocket is kinda fun. It warms the bones..it's true. When I asked my sister's for a flask for Christmas, there was a bit of silence on the other end of the phone, until I said, "Have you forgotten that I live in the frozen tundra and a girls gotta stay warm??"

merry christmas.

this video is absolutely darling...i have watched it 3 times...a very merry christmas to you!

thank you haylie for the link!

need a last minute gift? how about these amazing popcorn and chip bowls from Blue Carrot Shop?

lovely belgium.

If you haven't seen lovely Amy Merrick's pictures from her recent trip to Europe with her sister, you have to pop over to Apple a Day and take a look. Her pictures from Belgium are especially dreamy and have me longing to experience another culture again. I love how she captured this beautiful part of Europe.

what would i do without hunt & gather...

I know you have heard it before, but Minneapolis has THE best vintage finds store, Hunt & Gather. Not having access to this magical place in any other city would be a BIG adjustment for me...guess I'll have to stay in Minneapolis! My apartment sure wouldn't look the same, seeing as every wall is decked out with something I have found there. Everytime you walk through the door, the whole store looks completely different. The women there are visual geniuses... It is the most cluttered, uncluttered, beautiful mess of old stuff I have ever seen. I love hunt & gather!

how AMAZING is this hat? I want one!

new things at target!

I think this might be one of my favorite sets at Target that I have worked on..These graphics are some of my favorites and I hope you and your little daughters or nieces or sisters do to! There is a little printed polka dot sweater that goes with these outfits too, but I haven't seen them in the store yet!

home.

I have started a little collection of house pictures and scenes that I hope to keep adding to. It started after I purchased the matted picture seen above at V&J Duncan print shop in Savannah..I bought it with the hopes of having a little house similar to it one day..

awesome image by William Castellana. See more here.

ring in the new year...

...with this beautiful calendar! I am swooning over this beautiful calendar by Michelle Armas. Get it here.

snow my gosh.

I'm sure you know by now that I live in the frozen tundra of Minneapolis. I must say, although I just experienced "the worst storm since 1991" this past weekend..it hasn't diminished my love for this city. You get to participate in an array of winter sports that can keep you busy during these long, cold months...ice skating on the lakes, cross country skiing, snow tubing, sledding, biking (i still see SO many bikers all throughout the city), snowshoeing...Check out these beauties I found today from the amazing Kauffman Mercantile. A tad out of my price range, but boy would I love to own these.

christmas in my apartment.

I love decorating for christmas and have had fun over the last years collecting vintage christmas knick-knacks to add to my stash. Here are a few snapshots from around my apartment...I am currently snowed in as buckets of snow are continuing to pour down on Minneapolis..18 inches! People have just been tromping down the streets in their boots instead of driving. Oh Minnesota...

hi there!

dear blog readers, i hope you don't hate me and will keep reading my blog once i get into a better routine here. I must admit my job always gets really crazy around this time and my blog has taken a back seat because of it. There are lots of SUPER exciting things going on at Target that you will have to wait till next year to hear about unfortunately, but worth the wait! I will be heading home to Nebraska for the holidays and hope to be blogging and catching you up a bit during that time.

I was so excited to get a text from my mom last Saturday because during her regular stop at Nifty Thrifty on Saturday, she found me a beautiful new kitchen table I just can't wait to get in my kitchen! Bright, cheery, and yellow...love it.

scenes from home.

curtains in the kitchen..

handpainted Dala horse by local 90 yr. old artist Grace Shrock...

Great Grandma Eunice Wallersteadt's pillow next to my blanket from Intro to Weaving...

homegrown pumpkins from my mom's garden...

texas girl.

I am very proud to be (part) texan. While I wasn't born there, I spent 10 of my growing up years as a Texan. I remember when my mom told me we were moving there in 4th grade truly believing that we were heading to a land of desert and cactuses where everyone was donning a cowboy hat. What I didn't know is that, instead, we were heading to a land that smelled of fresh tortillas and where the magnificent salsa flowed like water. Yes, I fell in love with Mexican food and Tex-Mex while living in Dallas, and my love continues even in the nothern frozen tundra. All this to say, I totally dressed up like a taco this year...it was amazing.
ps. If you ever find yourself in Houston, I would strongly suggest you get yourself to Lupe Tortilla, one of my favorites (pictured above).