five essentials : at the table

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Have you ever been in the situation above? The one where you find yourself with a handful of silverware and you're expected to use all of them... correctly? I have. Lunch with Shibley Telhami and the faculty of my major. What did I do to prevent embarrassment? I ordered the same thing as one of my professors and copied every move. Today I'm here to teach you how to overcome an intimidating table setting.

{1} salad fork The old rule is right, work your way in. The salad fork is always the smaller one of the forks on the left. 

{2} dinner fork If the smaller one is for the salad, then the larger one is for dinner! 

{3} dessert spoon It doesn't matter if there is a fork, knife or toothpick, whatever is placed above the plate is always reserved for dessert. 

{4} dinner knife This knife is reserved for your dinner. If there are two knives on the right of the plate, the bigger knife is reserved for your steak. 

{5} soup spoon The soup spoon is always on the right of the knife. If you're hosting a dinner and don't have a soup as one of the courses then don't worry about placing the soup spoon. You don't need the extra clean up. 

happy halloween!

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{weekend notes}

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One of the best home transformations I have seen.

My new favorite blog and her store.

Loving these spoons! Early Christmas present for the blog? 

I want to try this. 

Inspired by Tarkovsky's polaroids.

Color inspiration.

The OCD in me loves the organization in this place.

Don't forget to take advantage of Lauren's offer.

A gorgeous soirée.

Perfect Sunday supper in a crock pot.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

the joy of : dirty dancing

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Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

Lauren Handler Designs

Happy Friday! Boy do I have a surprise for all of you. Remember this beautiful purple druzy I featured last week? You know, the one that made it to our Christmas list? Well, Lauren of Lauren Handler Designs, who designed and handmade the necklace, is offering all Chevron and Éclair readers a 10% discount! Just use the code GIRLFRIENDS10 at checkout. 

You can visit her etsy store here and be sure to leave her some love on her Facebook page.

bit of life : happy diwali

Last week I attended a beautiful Diwali party that my dad was affiliated with on behalf of Wealth Preservation & Management in Tampa, Florida. Diwali is considered the Hindu "festival of lights". Where Hindus all around the world light candles to bring in the spiritual new year. The weather was perfect for an outdoor cocktail hour and the live entertainment kept us dancing for hours. The evening was extra enchanting thanks to Suhaag Garden's decor and design. The bold colors, sparkling gems and flowers made the ballroom look royal and divine. What really captured the essence of Diwali were the candles, incense and topiary elephants, which are essential elements of the auspicious holiday. Here are photos taken by the talented Kimberly Romano!

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design : details [alhambra part II]

Alhambra - Granada, Spain


As I was looking through some of my photographs from recent backpacking trips, I came across these. The Alhambra was majestic with its detailed carvings and symbolism. I have honestly not seen anything this beautiful and intricate before in my life. 

design : details [alhambra part I]

Alhambra - Granada, Spain

live to create : chevron mug

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Chevron mug? Yes, please! This is definitely going to be my weekend project. 

How simple, elegant, and fun is this? You can find instructions here. Let me know if you're also going to take on this project. I would love for you to share the pictures with me.

recipe : moroccan chicken tagine ...in a crock pot

Earthy flavors make for rustic and homey dishes.

This recipe was adapted from here.

Click on the recipe to enlarge, 

print on a 3x5 notecard setting and save with the rest of your recipes!

vogue : vintage & vogue

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I'm loving everything about this. Love the idea of bringing back classic decades in fashion.
I particularly love the 50s, how about you?

design : autumn bedroom

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Wouldn't you love changing your bedroom to fit the season?

I know I would.

five essentials : for cleopatra

Wouldn't it be fun to be cleopatra for halloween? I think so. I used to have a fringe similar to hers during my sophomore year in college and I would always be told that I looked like her when I wore my gold embellished blouse. I put this 5 essentials post to help me organize my outfit! 

Let me know if I'm missing anything! 

{1} I'm thinking of wearing a gold strapless dress so I am able to emphasize the jewelry and my dark, black hair. It's the royal color that will help bring the outfit together and make it easier for people to guess who I am.  

{2} A jeweled collar necklace is an essential piece when depicting the ancient Egyptians. It's what we think of what we see something like it. It definitely makes the entire costume. 

{3} My favorite part of the costume are the gold cuffs worn on both arms. I love baubles and luckily have a few gold cuffs in my jewelry drawer ready for me to wear! 

{4} Flat gold sandals are the footwear of choice. I'd love to wear heels, but I think staying true to typical Egyptian characteristics is important. Remember, it's not a rule for you to be 100% accurate. I mean the only surviving images we have of Cleopatra are from the ancient coins of the time. 

{5} Don't forget the eye make up! You can find a tutorials all over the internet. Keep it exaggerated and fun. It's your one time to have fun with some gold shimmer and eyeliner. 

Easy, flirty and lots of fun. 

{weekend notes}

Photographed by Frank Horvat, Harper's Bazaar 1962

My new favorite blog that gives me color inspiration for the blog, outfit and at home.

If you're in need of some fall fashion inspiration, take a look at 

Ruche's Fall 2011 Wanderlust Lookbook.

Here are some ideas if you're still struggling with your Halloween costume. Seriously read the descriptions you'll laugh! 

Isn't this the prettiest apple pie you have ever seen?

A virtual art gallery.

Did you read my guest blogpost on The Curtis Casa?

You always have time for make-up in the morning.

A fall time recipe that should be made at least once-a-year.

Step into this beautiful home.

the joy of : beauty of geodes

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earthy & organic

guest post : whitney of the curtis casa outdoor decor

Since you all have been great, I thought I'd surprise you with a guest post today! Whitney from The Curtis Casa will be sharing her tips on decorating a front porch and a deck. She recently finished decorating her own beautiful home, which you can find pictures to here! You can also head over to her blog to check out my guest post on table setting and menu ideas for hosting a dinner party.

Hi Chevrons & Elcairs readers! I’m so glad to be here today! Isn’t Supal so sweet and stylish? I always find something beautiful and inspiring here! Today I want to share a few ideas to create a stylish deck or outdoor space. I shared our home tour a few weeks ago {including an empty screened in porch!} and I’m using these items as inspiration for my own porch makeover. I had so much fun collecting these pieces, I hope you enjoy!

First up, the front porch! I was imagining sitting in this great Ikea chair {doesn’t it look comfy?} with a warm Navajo-inspired blanket, greeting Trick-or-Treaters in a couple of weeks! Add a unique, modern table for your candy bowl or hot tea. Colorful pillows, an interesting light fixture and a cute little olive tree add personality and complete the space.

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Now let’s head to the back porch. Take a load off in this fun swinging bench {I might paint it bright, glossy yellow!}, colorful accent chairs, and a striped blanket to keep you warm. To accessorize, I threw in some fun throw pillows and solar can lights. You’ll need a grill for hosting dinner with friends {try any of Supal’s recipes} and you can’t forget to include a little herb garden for fresh flavor, at least until the weather gets chilly!

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Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve found some ideas to spruce up your own space. 
Come visit me anytime at The Curtis Casa. Have a great day!

bit of life : take notes, people!

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So, very rarely do I ever have a favorite thing. Seriously. It was always so hard for my parents to shop for my birthday present because I would enjoy an array of hobbies as well as never have a particular item that I truly wanted [or really needed]. You know those conversations you have with friends about your favorite things: favorite ice cream flavor, favorite horror movie, favorite restaurant, and so on? Well, I was always that buzz-kill. I would always answer the questions with "I don't have favorites." I thought it would make me different and stand out compared to other people. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found a favorite. Peonies. I've gotten flowers only a handful of times in my life. To be honest, I used to prefer something edible. These beauties, however, cannot be surpassed! Never have I thought I would be the girl who craves looking at and getting flowers. I know the feeling of getting a beautiful bouquet, but throw a peonie my way and I'd be a happy girl.

I'm not sure what it is. Perhaps the light color, the elegance, the beauty of its bloom? No idea. I'm just stunned by how beautiful these flowers are.

So to that potential boyfriend and/or husband out there, take good notes! peonies [with a case of double stuffed Oreos] will definitely win me over. 

parties&entertaining : Bite by Bite

After Camille Styles' post, I knew I had to get my hands on Peter Callahan's latest cookbook, Bite by Bite. He has a unique approach to catering, and what better way than having cute little bite size food accompanied by a drink. I'm posting a few of my favorites, but I urge you to check out Camille's post to see some other pictures from Peter Callahan's book!