yarn + felt wreath

Spotted this wreath from etsy shop Itz Fritz and thought it would be a fun welcoming addition for fall. 

a library of my own

We LOVE books at our house and have quite the collection already. With lots of books comes the need for a space to put them (and boxes do not count). Basic bookshelves will have to do for now but someday I'd love to have a room just dedicated to books and reading. Bonus points for built-ins and a ladder!

{photos 1-3, 4, 5}

peanut butter cups

Hello! How was your weekend? Oh my...we just had our first official taste of fall this weekend here in Dallas/Fort Worth with temperatures in the mid-70s. Can I just tell you again how much I love fall? Today Olivia and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a walk and had a picnic lunch. My kind of day!

I have been wanting to try my hand at making peanut butter cups and I finally did this weekend. They are surprisingly easy to make and turned out pretty good.

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 3 cups chocolate chips
• large or small muffin liners

1. Grab your chocolate chips and melt in a glass bowl over some simmering water.
2. Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar together. Play with the amount of powdered sugar to find a good peanut butter mixture consistency. If you want a more crumbly and than smooth middle, add more powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract and continue to mix until smooth.
3. Now grab your muffin liners and place a spoonful of chocolate in the bottom and around the edges with the back of your spoon. Put a small lump of peanut butter filling in the chocolate cup. How much you add is up to you. Fill them so there’s a fairly even ratio of chocolate to filling. Top with melted chocolate.
4. Put in fridge to solidify.

A thought - If you choose to use normal muffin liners as opposed to the mini be aware that these bad boys are super rich and I might suggest only filling them half way.

Let me know if you try them!

things that make me happy!

desserts that are almost too pretty to eat

colorful balloons

sweet florals

swinging with Olivia at the park

sewing projects that turn out right

welcoming entries (and cute puppies!)

I'd love to hear what's making you happy today?

{all photos via mary ruffle, a blog that makes me happy as well}

baby moccasins

I adore these super sweet little moccasins by Freshly Picked.

vintage bookplate DIY

Style Me Pretty is a great resource for inspiration and while it is dedicated to weddings, it's easy to glean great ideas for parties, etc. They recently shared this fun idea in their newsletter that would work for pretty much any party by switching out the numbers for letters or other fun things.

Supplies:

- House Number(s): found at a hardware store or online for more vintage options
- 2 screws
- screwdriver
- vintage books

To Assemble:
Step 1: {prep} Remove pages from vintage book
Step 2: Place the House Number in the middle of the cover of the book
Step 3: Screw the House Number into book cover using screwdriver
Step 4: Repeat with other numbers to coordinate with number of tables at event

{Concept and Styling: Posh Paperie :: Photography: Jackie Wonders}

mashup

Happy Fall everyone! I don't know about you but for me it has been one long, hot summer and I've been eagerly awaiting falls arrival. Now that it is officially here I'm hoping that also means the arrival of cooler temperatures. This is my first fall in Texas so I'm not quite sure what to expect.

I'll leave you with a few links of things I've seen around the web and wanted to share. I hope you have a wonderful first day of fall!

:: The second issue of Sweet Paul Magazine is out with great ideas for fall.

:: I love this easy to make, bone (chilling) garland. Perfect for your Halloween festivities.

:: If I wasn't having an aversion to my sewing machine, I'd probably make this skirt tomorrow. Until I'm friends with my sewing machine again, I'll just have to add it to my to-make list.

:: A small dose of celeb gossip + a large amount of celeb fashion = Day Old News

:: How sweet are Danni's handmade thank you cards?

a painted door

I love a painted front door, it makes such a statement.  Such a seemingly simple thing but it makes a big difference in curb appeal (if done right I should add).

We have some friends who are renovating a sweet little bungalow and the other day we were discussing exterior colors and how she'd love to paint her front door some fun color. I'm totally rooting for her to paint it a cheery yellow. Since our chat, I have been noticing a lot more of the houses in my neighborhood who have painted their doors something other than white or black.

gemma comas

Miles Redd via a lovely being

apartment therapy

house beautiful

via lavender & lillies

Dear Stadium-cloth peacoat (with gold buttons),

I just had to tell you, I think you are pretty!

Those gold buttons look great on you.

I really would not mind if you lived in my closet.  

Love,

Heather

happy weekend!

Well another week has passed and it's now the weekend. I hope that you have a great weekend with whatever you have planned!

Also, a big thank you for reading olive & a! I hope whatever you liked that first time you visited is still bringing you back.

{photo via}

rue magazine

I love magazines so I am excited that today is the offical launch of Rue Magazine, a new online lifestyle and design magazine.

Check out the first issue here.

currently loving...

We've still got a good couple of months left in 2010 but that doesn't mean I can't be on the lookout for a pretty 2011 calendar. I'm loving this sweet floral fabric calendar designed by Lisa Rupp.

a look for (somewhat) less : knobs

So it's well known that Anthropologie is a great source for fun and pretty knobs. (Remember my recent search?) But! yesterday I was at Cost Plus World Market and spotted a small but decent display of ceramic and glass knobs all under $5 bucks! I was able to pick up a pretty floral knob for $3.99 that I am happy with. Also, it looks like they are selling knobs in a pack of four on their website if you don't live close to a World Market.

robyn karp interiors

Colorful interiors from designer Robyn Karp.

circus themed baby shower

Being pregnant and also having attended a friend's baby shower this weekend means I definitely have babies and parties on the brain. When I ran across the link I had bookmarked for this darling circus themed baby shower from Style Me Pretty, I had to share. It's a very sweet and girly shower with so many fun details. Find more photos of this adorable baby shower here.

autumn in session : ruche fall lookbook

The temperatures have somewhat cooled here in North Texas and it makes me a wee bit excited for fall. I was browsing the Ruche fall lookbook and it only made my desire for earthy tones and knitted fabrics increase.

What is one of your fall wardrobe favorites? Me? I can't get enough of cardigans!

forest friends mobile

I was never able to find a mobile that I liked enough to buy when Olivia was a newborn so the search is on once again with the little one on his way. I came across this modern bamboo mobile and fell in love with its sweet but simplistic style.

mashup

Hey all! How is your week going thus far? We've been battling the sickies at our house since the weekend and I'm up to my ears in tissues between the little one and myself. Hopefully we are on the mend soon!

Anywhoo...what do you say to a mid-week mashup? Oui? Here are just a few things that I've seen around and feel like sharing:

:: I'm a big fan of fashion artist Dallas Shaw and was excited to see these sweet paper doll downloads from Dace. I'd like to frame these for Olivia's room. {via two ellie}

:: A thank you note a day. How thoughtful and amusing.

:: I would really like to try making this cake. It sounds so good!

:: Nichole's blog has me dreaming of strolling down quaint Parisian streets.

:: I'm liking these new goods at Target.

{photo via}

something other than paint

I am loving wallpaper right now. With all the great patterns out there, it makes me want to wallpaper my whole house. Okay...not the whole house but maybe a room here and there. I do hope this sticks around for a while, it's nice to see something other than a coat of paint on the walls.

What do you think? Yay or nay for wallpaper?

{photos via birch & lily/mary ruffle}

on my wishlist...

I am in desparate need of post-baby clothes and although I won't be able to wear them for a couple more months, I would like to add these pieces from Shade to my closet (that dress in particular).

1. striped button tee  2. skinny leather belt  3. ruffle dress 

4. short sleeve cardi  5. printed scarf  6. dolman cardi

On the subject of Shade clothing, I was sad to hear that they will be closing soon. I've loved my clothes from them. If you see anything you like, better get while the gettings good i suppose.

Oh and lastly! I wish you a happy and hopefully long, free from laboring, holiday. See you back here on Monday Tuesday!

talent crush

I kind of have a talent crush on Ashley Meaders. It's not hard to see why when you take a peek at her portfolio. The girl has got skills when it comes to events, design and crafts. As she says herself, she makes stuff.

So...I just realized that almost all the pictures I chose were of stuff hanging. I guess I like pretty hanging whatchamacallits.

{photo 2 Kyle Hale, other photos our labor of love}