candied carrots

given that i've given up all sweets, candy, baked goods, desserts... the all-around-good-stuff for 40 days, i am getting my sweets-lovin fix elsewhere.

i.e. these balsamic honey butter carrots.

had them with dinner last night and i could have eaten the whole bowl. by myself.

before i even get started, take my word for it and at least double this recipe and thank me later. it calls for a whole bag of carrots in the whole form, but after you peel, nibble, cut up, nibble, cook and then nibble, they really don't make as much as you'd suspect. especially if you're feeding more than 2 or 3 people.

i got the recipe from one of my new favorite foodie blogs: budget bytes.

i had a few tweaks so you should definitely go to the link up above for her recipe, but i'll list what i did below.

calls for:

1-2 lbs of whole carrots (i just used 1 bag)

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

3-4 tbsp honey (called for 2, i like sweet)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp butter

- peel and wash your carrots, then slice them in 1" chunks on the diagonal because it's prettier.

-toss with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then roast them for 40 minutes at 400. stir half way through.

-when there are 10 minutes left, start your glaze.

-in a sauce pan, add your balsamic and honey. on medium, let it simmer until thick and delightful for 10 minutes.

-take your carrots out and your glaze off the heat.

-add your butter to the glaze and then pour all over your carrots.

-ENJOY.

my carrots ended up getting bit more roasty looking then hers, and it was delicious.

seriously, they are all gone now and i might be making them for dinner again tonight.

happy monday.

JILL

flowers for friday #85A

just a little bonus arrangement in honor of this amazing spring weather!! looks like a sunny weekend here!

our puppy, commodore, got his last vaccination yesterday so he is ready to take on NYC :) we are off to the dog park to wear this little guy out.

xoxo

elle.

flowers for friday #85

splendid weekends!!

JILL

{image via prada on pinterest}

enjoy life.

maybe its the fresh air in my house-with-windows-open letting all the winter out.

maybe it's the beginning of spring.

maybe it's the weather.

maybe its one big ol mix.

life is good!

i need to try these. if pinterest has done a million things for me and my organization, its also done wonders for the mass of fun cocktail recipes i can't wait to try at the lake this summer. like these tequila watermelon popsicles.

i hope you have a good friday,

and a great weekend.

JILL

{images via covet living, tumblr, housetohome, loveandoliveoil}

bloomin.

we had a down pour of rain over the weekend followed by consecutive days in the 70s and 80s... and in less than a week...

spring has blossomed!

trees are flowering and leafing. i don't even know if that's a word, but it's happening.

and its so lovely.

so are beautiful florals backed in black.

this dress, i would wear every single day and night and twice on tuesdays, belt and all. paul smith, fall 2011.

it doesn't hurt that she's chic and lovely and parading around luxembourg palace gardens in paris.

hope you're enjoying the weather where you are.

JILL

{via the decemberists, and pinterest}

dressed to impress

with this gorgeous, elegant venetian mirror it doesn't matter what you wear!!!

the cozy cashmere throw, crisp white sheets, and worn leather chair happily add to the distraction as well.

xoxo

elle.

roy g. biv

that's how i learned the color wheel way way back when in gradeschool. mr. roy g. biv.

red orange yellow green blue indigo violet

this room by miles redd kills me in two ways:

1. first and foremost, it has his ruffled edge drapes that he's been known to do. and if i could sew fantastically, i'd have replicated them all over my darn house.

2. in just this shot of this corner of this room, it contains some form of roy g. biv.

from the woodwork to the furnishings to the florals.

every one of em, and it doesn't look like rainbow bright's murder scene!

miles is a craft crafty man.

often replicated, never duplicated.

{we're half way there!! it's supposed to be 80... 8-0 degrees today in kc. i'll get to enjoy it as i stare longingly out my window at work}

love.

JILL