Stocking Stuffers

With the holidays right around the corner I thought I would put together a few gift guides for you to enjoy! The first is the stocking stuffer guide and I have some great inspiration from my mom. She tens to fill our stockings with some of the most perfect gifts a girl can ask for. My sister and I open everything in our stocking first, and we draw this process out as long as possible… we love getting a lot of little things to go through and then we dig into the big gifts. 

Hair Ties ~ Bobby Brown Lip Gloss ~  J.Crew Wool Socks ~ Heart Ornaments 

Kate Spade iPhone Case ~ Monogram Key Chain ~ Tech Gloves 

 Moleskin Notebook ~ Chanel Nail Polish ~ Washi Tape ~ Benefit Mascara 

Iomoi Eye Mask ~ Design Darling Gingham Bracelet

~ANB~

Perfection in a Loafer

I came across these loafers on Instagram a few weeks ago and did some online investigation to figure out where they came from... jp crickets is a new to me brand that has the perfect preppy loafer for every Ivy league school and lucky for me some junior ivys as well!

 I love these loafers they are the perfect preppy addition to any wardrobe and am so surprised that I haven't seen them around Trinity before. Just thought I would share this amazing brand with you to find your school in the mix. 

~ANB~

Weekend Wear

Happy Friday! I can't believe that the week flew by so quickly. With a test on Tuesday and presentations, thesis testing and presentations to prepare this week flew by. Today I going to be spent wearing some comfy weekend wear in the library to get ahead for the two day week next week. 

As I was scrolling through Summer Wind this morning I came across the perfect distressed jean weekend outfit (below) and I couldn't help but find some more warm weekend inspiration. Warm sweater, layers and perfect flats and the outfit is complete! 

~ANB~

Homemade Granola

On Friday I was talking about how much I love Ina Garten's Homemade Granola and I made a batch since I am almost out of the one that my mom made for me. This is the perfect oatmeal or yogurt topper and I love how easy it is to make too!

I modified her recipe since I am not a fan of coconut and I like adding different dried fruits and nuts. I keep the base the same: 4 cups Old Fashioned Oats and 2 cups Slivered Almonds, which I then mix in a big bowl. Then I put 3/4 veggie oil and 1/4 cup honey in a small bowl and whisk them together. I pour this wet mixture over the dry oats and nuts and mix until the oats are all covered in honey. I lay this out on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Ina says 45 minutes but even after 35 I found some burnt pieces so keep your eyes on the oven! After the granola is golden brown I pour it back into the big bowl and wait an hour or two for everything to cool. I set aside apricots, dried cranberries and cashews to mix in after everything is cooled! 

Such a yummy and easy recipe to make!

~ANB~

Weekend Links

It's hard to believe that November is already flying by. This semester is going by more quickly than I ever expected and I am trying to find balance despite my senior thesis and medical school interviews and applications. I have been going back and forth about what to post on the blog and after finding some really interesting TED talks, quotes and ideas this week I thought it would be nice to share! 

My favorite foods all considered fall's healthiest!

Some fun fall crafts for the weekend. One of my roommates was trying to find a birthday gift for her best friend and I sent her to this, then with more Pinterest help we found this!

It seems like the cold weather is making its way to New England… It might be time to invest in a warm scarf. I love this, this and this.

This TED talk is the reason why we need to get enough sleep. 

Ina Garten's homemade breakfast granola is my favorite of her many recipes, I love it so much I have a constant supply and it's so easy to bake too! I am going to pop in a new batch before dinner tonight! 

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was traveling the world for weeks on end. In fact this weekend last year I believe I was in Morocco! I have truly been enjoying watching Gal Meets Glam's recent month of travels abroad and miss Europe's beauty so much.

Have a wonderful weekend. Off to make some granola! 

~ANB~

Meant to Be

It is hard to believe that I have been away from the blogging world for so long now. Between transitioning back to college life after being abroad, medical school applications, MCAT studying, thesis research, and trying to spend enough time with family and friends my spring semester and summer were more of a balancing act than I have ever had before. But throughout this entire period and preparation for my senior year of college and the future I realized I was missing something. I was going about my daily life and doing everything for the future, everything for my schoolwork and nothing for myself. When it came down to it my blog was always my one outlet, my creative inspiration board and the place where I could be completely myself and I realized that it is time to go back. 

Time away from the blog taught me even more about work life balance. 

I'm still the same pink and blue loving, food critic that I was before. This time I have a few new fabulous accessories and more work on my plate to share!

 I still strive for balance in everything that I do but this time I'm learning the weed out the old and to stop putting up with energy drainers in my life. I want every hour spent efficiently and effectively and that includes having a creative outlet again. 

Every girl needs a place for inspiration and positive energy… it is time to bring that back! 

Photo: I took this photo while I was abroad on a weekend vacation to Asilah, Morocco… a place focused on serenity, beauty and peace something we could all use a good dose of! 

Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom for the day! xox

Camo Considerations

Wanderlust

{Belgium}

{Switzerland - The Alps} 

{Morocco}

{Greece} 

Weekend Wishes

It seems like New England is in for quite a storm today... with that in mind, today is going to be all about rest, relaxation and some more organization. I want to get some reading done by the fire and I have a couple of bookkeeping things to do for school already! I've been working on filing and cleaning my desk {post to come next week} and then I'm on to checking off of my to do list starting tomorrow. 

Here are some weekend links that I wanted to pass along...

For Christmas my family made these honey oat pancakes for breakfast and I just found another recipe that look too good not to try... bring out the waffle iron for whole wheat banana waffles! 

I found the cutest list on tunblr the other day that was called A High School Teacher's List of 100 Wisest Words and I thought it was too cute not to share. Some of these are so practical and based on common sense that they go unnoticed or are forgotten. 

What better way to spend a snow day than with some online shopping... here are some picks that I thought I'd share. I love peplum tanks and this striped one is beyond adorable! Comfy snow days by the fire also call for fabulous pajamas like these J.Crew ones. These flats are beyond adorable, I love the camo print!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!! xox 

Week's Favorites

Hermes H Bracelet, Lilly Pulitzer Planner, J.Crew Thank You Cards, Monogramed Boxer Pajamas, Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread Recipe , Hunter Color Block Rain Boots 

It is hard to believe that the week is flying by so quickly and the holidays are officially behind us. It is back to the swing of things now, school preparation, holiday cleaning and yearly essentials are on the to do list until I go back to school. I am enjoying having some time to spend with the family and some friends and to take some extra time to read and also do some online blog and shop searches too. If you follow me on pinterest you will probably notice that I've been pinning new things nonstop... everyone needs a little wardrobe tweaking, recipe inspiration and organization tips for the New Year! There is nothing better than adding a few classic and timeless pieces to your wardrobe whether it be through jewels, pjs or rain attire. I love that Hunter reinvented their boots again to include the color block and I can't resist these adorable monogram boxer pajamas. I've been taking some quality time to organize my desk and to prepare my planner for the new year as well. Lastly my family has been baking and cooking up a storm, I made oatmeal raisin cookies on Sunday that were gone by Tuesday night and then my sister and grandma make a traditional pastry on Monday as well!

What are some of your week's favorites?

New Year {2013 In Review}

Happy New Year!!

The last week of the year always involves some necessary reflection and appreciation for everything that the previous year brought. 2013 was an amazing year... one that involved many opportunities, newfound experiences and changes. 

I rang in the 2013 New Year with some amazing high school friends, and went back to school to enjoy Trinity's stunning campus in lots of winter snow! One of the houses on campus even had a snow igloo that my friend Emily and I thoroughly enjoyed! In March my friends and I went to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for a couple of days for Spring Break and then came back to our beautiful campus to enjoy the transition from winter to spring. We rang in the spring semester with Trinity's Spring Weekend filled with concerts, quad relaxing and lots of dinners out. I even ran my fourth 5K in the past two years this one was called Color Me Rad! The end of the school year came quickly and before I knew it I had a week off to enjoy some time with my brother {Teddy Bear}, family and high school friends and then I went back to school to spend the summer taking a Physics class and preparing research studies before I went abroad in August. I was able to squeeze in some quality friend and family time and we even went on our annual family trip to the Hamptons two weeks before I left for Denmark. 

I left for Denmark in the middle of August and spend four amazing months traveling from Copenhagen to ten other countries. I went to Munich for Oktoberfest, Vienna, Prague, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands and Morocco just to name a few! My trip abroad flew by and before I knew it I was home for the holidays catching up with friends and family and of course ringing in the New Year again. It is amazing how quickly this year has flown by... I am thankful for every moment, encounter and experience that I have had because I will be the first to say that 2013 allowed me to grow and flourish! Wishing you all a 2014 filled with family, friends and prosperity.  

To 2014... Happy New Year! xox