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carrot soup made with coconut milk
This creamy carrot soup with coconut milk has been on repeat at the farm for the past month. It's so tasty, simple, flavorful, full of good ingredients, totally comforting, and the perfect soup for a fall evening. I found the recipe from this food blog and am so thankful that I did! Head on over to wholesomelicious for ingredients + directions. Be sure to add cilantro on top too, if you like it! It adds a nice little bite. The soup is also extra good if served with warm, fresh, crusty bread. #YUM // xo melissa
our bedding: serena and lily.
Our sweet friends and family in Dallas held the most special engagement party for Jase and I about three years ago, and there was one piece of advice that my best friend's mom imparted to me as a wife-to-be. I will never forget it. She said to always make your home a sanctuary and restful place for your husband; it should always be an atmosphere that brings peace and comfort after a long and possibly stressful work day.Decorating our first home together has been everything from a test of patience (it's a long process) to one of the most rewarding experiences. It was exciting yet nerve racking to create the vision for our home - it is such a big and permanent type of project that messing up or choosing the wrong piece is yikes! From trial and error, I have learned so much from what piece of furniture to start with in the design process to watching how my interior style has evolved over the last two years - it is fun to already become inspired for the interior of the next home in our future!
Enter the master bedroom. This room can be a tough cookie, right? It has to be the perfect mix of masculine and feminine. I had to let go of my desire to have pretty, feminine Bella Notte pillows and a velvet throw. Exit any floral patterns. So I came to a conclusion: neutrals and white is a clean way to create comfort. It's cozy + the simple palette creates an easy foundation to add in different throw colors and patterns as the seasons change.
I have my list of top favorite online interior shops, and my first stop is always Serena and Lily. It never fails to deliver and inspire. This last month, we decided to get a new set of bedding. There is truly nothing like it! Not to mention, we might have a slight obsession with this duvet cover - one is in our master; one is in the upstairs guest! We also can't live without puffy shams and pillows! Everyone wants a bed that feels like a cloud, right? See below for our entire set of bedding.
items c/o serena & lily
currently loving
Major yay for friday and the weekend, as always! Lo and I love sharing our current favorite things with you guys, and this week's currently loving list is extra good. Read on to get links to things that we have and love // xo melissa + lo
the list
the fall issue of darling mag - melis
could not live without my vitamix ...it is well worth the investment - lo
this workout crop top (perfect for yoga) - melis
this is my absolute favorite fall candle - lo
this concealer from bare minerals - melis
I love this soap + it also makes a great gift - lo
these low ankle socks from madewell - melis
this mask has done wonders for my skin & it's free of all toxins - lo (c/o)
this cozy hoodie from lou & grey - melis
this toner has made my skin much healthier and more hydrated - lo
Clean Skin Care: Goop.
Goop is my hero. A few months ago after much research, I felt the need to rid our home of all toxic products, everything from skin care to cleaning solutions. It was a tough move to throw out slightly used products that are said to be ultra-productive, but after I trashed all of the paraben and sulfate-filled items, it was the best feeling in the world.
I know that pure-ingredient filled skincare has a bad reputation - it's not effective, it clogs pores, it doesn't smell good, and the list goes on. Goop proves these statements completely wrong. The Luminous Melting Cleanser and Exfoliating Instant Facial are my new secret to glowing skin. To top it off, I conclude that in-shower treatment with the Enriching Face Oil and the Revitalizing Day Moisturizer. These products have made me excited to take care of my skin! What are your favorite healthy skin products?*thank you goop for these products![show_shopthepost_widget id="1993463"]
back in love
Have you guys checked out abercombie lately? Lauren and I hadn't looked at their collection in years (since high school!) but about a month ago we noticed a few of our favorite bloggers rocking a few super cool pieces and they were from a&f. It sparked our curiosity and we got in touch with the incredible team over there to chat about their new collection and new direction. They were so kind and sent us some pieces from their newest collection, and Lauren and I are now back in love with the brand. Their new look is casual, cool, laidback, and not as "branded" as they once were. The effortless aesthetic is very appealing and the clothing items that we received are timeless, comfortable, and versatile. Above are a few style inspiration images & below are links to what we are currently loving at a&f // xo melissa
this grey wrap coat
these olive green skinnies
a classic blue oxford shirt
ankle cropped straight jeans
the coziest fleece jacket of all time
a chic black bomber jacket
casual and cool joggers
a simple grey tee
a water resistant jacket
a puffer coat for cold days
this suede utility jacket
a cool plaid scarf for fall
pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies made with oat flour
This past weekend I made it a point to spend a lot of time in comfy clothes, in the kitchen, and cooking yummy things- including these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. It was a rainy and windy weekend on the east coast, so this plan could not have been more perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I had discovered this recipe via the everygirl and could not wait to give it a try. Long story short, these cookies are dangerously good, but thankfully made with good-for-you ingredients including organic pumpkin, blended oats (instead of flour), and organic cinnamon. Head on over to chelsea's messy apron to get all of the ingredients + the simple recipe // xo melissa
national handbag day
Today is a big day in my world and yours- it's national handbag day! As you guys know by now, my full-time job is as senior marketing associate for hobo, a quality and cool leather handbag + wallet company. If you want to learn more about hobo, check out our Instagram, read our story, and discover our leathers. At the bottom of this post I have listed my top 10 favorite hobo styles, including this backpack as well as this bag, that Lo has and loves. In celebration of national handbag day, I wanted to share the story of how Lo and I met! We haven't shared the story here on the mag before, and some of you might be wondering how we became friends since she lives on the west coast and I am here on the east coast! We thought that national handbag day would be the perfect time to share the story, as it involves hobo.
I was a follower of Lauren's on Instagram and a reader of lolo mag, so as the person who handles blogger relations for Hobo, I reached out to Lauren via Instagram early on in 2014 to see if she would like a hobo bag. She sent me the sweetest email and I sent her a bag. After that, she hosted a giveaway on her Instagram and we kept in touch via a few emails here and there. In early 2015, I reached out to her in hopes of collaborating with her on a press event in our showroom to celebrate the release of her second book, Your Beautiful Heart, plus our fall 2015 collection. Long story short, she said yes, and we had a small event in our NYC showroom for magazine editors and bloggers where they met Lauren (and her twin, Britt!), chatted with her about her book and her love for hobo, previewed our fall collection, and chatted with us about fall styles and other hobo news. It was such a fun event and Lo and I bonded instantly!
After the event we continued to keep in touch via email and social. Later that year, in the fall of 2015, I saw a post that Lauren Kay Sims was branching off from lolo mag to start her own blog. At that point, I can say with all my heart, that the Holy Spirit instructed me to email Lauren. It was as though it was instantaneous instruction, and thankfully I followed. I immediately emailed Lauren to see if she wanted assistance on lolo mag. The next morning I woke up to the sweetest email from Lo saying that she had been praying to the Lord to show her the next step for the mag and then received my email. Long story short, we talked logistics and plans in the next days and weeks, and then I became an editor on the mag. You might be thinking that this is a big undertaking in addition to my full-time role at hobo, but it has become second nature to me and a part of my lifestyle, and I love it! It's easy to make time for things that you love and feel called to do. I work on the mag early in the morning (like 6am), during my lunch breaks at hobo, at night sometimes around 9pm before I shut the laptop off at 10pm, plus I carve out a few hours on the weekends- typically Saturday and Sunday morning during my coffee time before the day gets going! My life feels significantly more full of joy and more complete since adding lolo mag to the mix. Not only has the experience been so rewarding to my personal growth and knowledge, but the biggest blessing of them all is Lo. Lauren and I have developed a sincere and special friendship that is truly one of a kind and I thank the Lord regularly for crossing our paths!I hope you enjoyed this story & below are my favorite hobo styles! We are having a SALE on www.hobobags.com today only, in honor of the holiday. 20% off fall styles + free shipping on all orders, ends tonight // xo
10 favorite hobos
the river backpack | the costa bag | the fast lane bag | the perfect union
the city girl | the evella | the vale | the fern | the sheila | the raine clutch
blue print furniture just got better.
Fall is already good enough, but I have news to make it even better. The lovely gem of a furniture store called Blue Print in Dallas now has some of their best sellers and antique pieces viewable online. I am giddy over it + major advantage: I can browse from Cali. The place is my all time spot for interior inspiration. Take a look and let me know what you think!
Scroll below for a few of my favorites!!I can't get enough of these bubble chandeliers.
This stunning dining table provides the perfect neutral palette to build on.
This cabinet makes a great first impression in an entry way, and it makes a TV look prettier. It can be used in so many spaces!
A beautiful way to add color into your home.
fall recipe box
Soups, chicken, beets, kale, sweet potatoes, rosemary, and so much more! Fall is my favorite time to cook and I always find myself wanting to stay home more and have people over for dinner, instead of going out. Hamilton’s farmhouse is extra-dreamy this time of year, so the pull to stay there more for dinner instead of going out to Annapolis or Washington DC is extra strong. Comfy clothes, wine, good company, + a home-cooked meal is my kind of happy. Below are recipes that I have on my list to try this fall, plus two that I have already tried and love. Instead of a physical recipe box, I email myself recipes that I find online or on Pinterest. I have a folder in gmail labeled RECIPES, where I file all of the emails that I send to myself. When it’s time to cook, that folder is the first place I go to for inspiration. To make it extra easy, sometimes in the body of the email in addition to the recipe link, I will copy & paste the ingredients and directions. That way, everything I need is right there when I open up the email. How do you guys keep track of recipes that you want to try or recipes that you love and always go back to? Let us know in the comments below!
recipe box
brown butter scallops + risotto
slow cooker chicken in coconut curry sauce
creamy carrot and ginger soup (*made it & love it!)
curried chicken wild rice soup (*made it & love it!)