fall fragrance

A new season calls for a new fragrance. After all, we can't be nearing October still smelling of "beach" now can we (sorry, Kramer)?

New York fragrance brand D.S. & Durga's Pomelo Blossom is my current jam.

The duo (D.S is a fella while Durga is a dame) create their exclusive scents in-house using raw materials. Sounds fun, no?

Pomelo Blossom mixes the smell of  floral and citrus peel with a soft almost masculine musk. I usually gravitate toward lighter, sweet scents, but something about the weight of this option feels perfect for sweater weather.

(image via pinterest and fragrantica)

currently cooking: olive oil, lemon and poppy seed cake

When I first came across the recipe for olive oil, lemon and poppy seed cake, I could hardly wait to whip up a little loaf cake of my very own.

Don't let looks deceive you. Though this might look like a cake you've seen a million times, the olive oil really sets the flavor apart. Instead of being a heavy, dense pound cake, this cake was light and fluffy with a bright taste. In short, it was crazy delicious.

Here's the deal:

Whisk the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk together before...

adding in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt).

Mix well to create the batter before...

adding in the poppy seeds.

happy weekend jams

Happy weekend (at last)!

Still mooning over a lovely, fall-inspired date night last evening that included red wine in the twinkle-lit garden of Rumors, a hearty dinner at Lockeland Table and a charming soundtrack of slow jams.

As it happens, the very same playlist is seeing me across the finish line of this busy week.

Just in case you're also feeling a chill vibe on this sunny September afternoon, here are a few faves for your listening pleasure.

 (original image via tkow)

dino

Here's a pic of a dinosaur being delivered to the Boston Museum of Science in 1984.

How wonderful is this? Can you imagine how exciting it must have been to look up and spot a dino flying over downtown?

I know I'm probably wrong, but I can't shake the feeling that there must have been an easier way to get the big guy home.

(image via arthur pollock)

mexican wool blankets

It's a sunny and brisk 47 degrees here in Nashville this morning. This morning's weather leaves little doubt that today is going to be one of those beautifully autumnal days that we look forward to all summer long.

It's the perfect morning for sipping something warm on the porch wrapped up in a cozy blanket. I vote for  a vintage Mexican options. Aren't they just groovy?

Though they are perfect for snuggly porch sitting or afternoon picnics

these wool blankets also make the perfect transitional binky for the bedroom. What a wonderfully simple way to take a cool white bedroom from clean and breezy to warm and snuggly.

Urban Outfitters offers the above options for only $24, but Etsy is filled with tons of vintage offerings certain to fufill all of your cuddling needs.

(images via urban outfitters, etsy, purple mainly)

special weekend snaps

This weekend has been a special one. Our pals LD and AK are in town visiting from Chicago. Since it's their first trip to visit us here in Nashville, we had tons to do.

 Here are a few snaps of the highlights. We miss you already!

breaking out the new snakeskin loafers

Sipping Mississippi's own Lazy Magnolia brew at The Pharmacy's Biergarten before...

heading over to our fave 5 Points dive The 5 Spot to hear awesome local band Little Bandit.

A Saturday morning walk through Germantown and Bicentennial Park where...

the leaves have begun to fall.

Hair of the dog at Whiskey Kitchen means a glass of rose with...

fried chicken sliders (served with pomegranate butter and honey), obviously.

a row of guitars in Corner Music

These tiny baby jeans in imogene + willie made me giggle.

A late night stop to the speakeasy Patterson House where we ....

promptly broke the "no standing, no loud voices and no cell phone" policies. By we I mean...us.

Our handsome dates (right after L asked S to be in their wedding).

Sunday Funday at Fanny's House of Music where there was a vintage fair. We found a box of old work shirt name tags. Fun combos abound!

The perfect afternoon pick-me-up? Rose and cardamon marshmallows dipped in chocolate from Nashville's own Bang Candy Company.

In short, I would say they now definitely "believe in Nashville." Can you blame them?

profiles

Did you see them? Look very closely...

Artist Kumi Yamashita uses colorful Japanese paper and a single lighting source to create these stunning shadow profiles. Aren't they gorgeous?

I love how each one is different.

Speaking of shadows, remember this post from March on artist Rashad Alakbarov's shadow "paintings"? So cool...

(spotted on swiss miss; images via Kumi Yamashita)