They're My Favorite.

This has definitely become my favorite holiday song. And how can you not love them? Precious. 

Did Somebody Say Butter?

Oh Paula. You butter-loving ball of happiness and bacon grease, you. You had me at peanut butter. I think everyone should have at least one easy, go-to recipe for baked goods, and Paula Deen's "Monster Cookies" never steer me wrong. They are good for holiday, good day, bad day, any day. They are delicious, and get rave reviews every.single.time. Make them. I promise you won't be disappointed. But you will be unable to stop eating them. 

Here's her recipe (taken from here). 

• What you Need!
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional (I skip these!) 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (I found that 9 minutes is perfect for my oven). Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

thoughts I love (you are what you listen to).

Image from weheartit.com

It's true. 

And if I am what I listen to, today I'm a folky, jazzy santa claus. 

Happy Holidays! 

a hip, happening holiday.

Christmas music gets a bad rap. Driving in the car yesterday I asked my mom why she wasn't listening to it, and her response was "blech, NO WAY! it's so corny!". Every year I spend hours making the perfect playlist. 

So, even though I love a great classic, in the holiday spirit, here are some holiday jams that don't live up to the eye-rolling, cringe-inducing stereotype.  

Sleigh Ride - Fun. 

Wonderful Christmastime - The Shins

Please Come Home For Christmas - Grace Potter & the Nocturnals 

We Need a Little Christmas - AgesandAges 

Carol of the Bells - the bird and the bee 

Just Like Christmas - Low 

Xmas Time is Here Again - My Morning Jacket 

All My Bells Are Ringing - Lenka 

Christmas Is Coming Soon - Blitzen Trapper 

The Christmas Song - The Raveonettes 

Christmas With You Is The Best - The Long Winters 

Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World 

Baby It's Cold Outside - She & Him 

When the Leaves - Ingrid Michaelson 

Happy Xmas, War is Over - The Polyphonic Spree

tis the season

This week one of my very favorite local shops (Frances!) shared my holiday flair with their readers. 

It's my first Christmas in my first home (!!!), and so it was pretty fun to start from scratch with my holiday decorations and really go for it. 

I went with white + gold, and happily scored most of my favorite items at the Frances holiday shop (if you're in Phx, go! now! I'll wait!) and supplemented with some solid staples from Target and loads of homemade pom poms. I'm sort of in love with how it turned out. If you need me between now and the new year you can find me in my dimly lit downtown place gazing up at my twinkly tree! 

Check out their blog post and more photos here! 

books I love (steinbeck).

This book. 

I'm a sucker for "travel lit". Anything with adventure, journey, travel or pilgrimage in the title and you can bet I'm reading it. 

I had seen a quote from this book in one of my favorite magazines, Kinfolk. 

I knew I had to give it a chance. 

It was really, really good. Six years before his death, John Steinbeck packed up a camper and headed out for a slow, quiet journey to discover a country he'd lived in all his life, but didn't know, with Charley, his sassy poodle. 

I hope we all have the same spirit of adventure later in life. 

Here, the opening page (which pulled me right in): 

"When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked. Four hoarse blasts of a ship's whistle still raise the hair on my neck and set my feet to tapping. The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping of shod hooves on pavement brings on the ancient shudder, the dry mouth and vacant eye, the hot palms and the churn of stomach high up under the rib cage. In other words, I don't improve; in further words, once a bum, always a bum. I fear the disease is incurable...

When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult. He has a built-in garden of reasons to choose from...

We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." 

John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley in Search of America 

shops I love (phx).

The holidays snuck up on me. Like they do every year. 

In an effort to get my act together (and hopefully share something new with you!), here are a few of my go-to Phoenix-area shops for gifts and treats. Enjoy! 

Frances

Smeeks

Urban Cookies

UNION

Stinkweeds

Changing Hands Bookstore

MADE

Butter Toast Boutique

GROWop Boutique

Elaine Todd (for those East Valley folks)  

Where are your favorite places to shop!?

love.lauren