Ms. Karlee...

This is Karlee- she just turned 16, so we had ourselves a little photo-shoot to celebrate. Karlee loves to read, go shopping, and listen to music. It was a fun morning hanging out in the blissfully warm weather!

It's The Little Things...

Isn't it the little things that can make you happy? Today... it's these shoes. I discovered this line at Nordstrom and love them. The green shoes are what I'm vying for next....

See the rest of this cute Soho inspired line here.

"Little Women"

I've been re-reading a version of "Little Women" that my mom gave me that has the sweetest illustrations inside of the book. Jo's always been my favorite- I relate to her most- and the scene where she cuts off all her hair? One of my favorites and illustrated above...

Aren't the illustrations lovely?

"Future Primitive"

I haven't blogged about Papercuts in a bit, but enjoy this song and video above; I love the band's mellow style.

Croissant Bread Pudding

Warning: Just looking at these pictures may cause your cholesterol levels to go up... However, this bread pudding has a really yummy taste.

I made this for my Recipe Club, as the theme was French, and this recipe got RAVE reviews.

Next time- I'll give the custard longer to set, AND I'll keep the tin-foil on a tad longer, so the tops of the croissants don't burn so easily.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

* 3 extra-large whole eggs
* 8 extra-large egg yolks
* 5 cups half-and-half
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally
* 1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn't touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yum!

Found here.

And the winner(s) are...

#7

and

#23

Yeah!

(Thanks husband for picking...)

So... please Becca AND Erin send your mailing address to laceycarl (at) yahoo (dot) com. I'm putting the finishing touches on the mixes tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for playing... It's so fun to hear from all of you.

I'll do this again, and soon!

Music: Giveaway!

***Thanks everyone for your awesome feedback! I'll keep this up through the weekend!

Lately, I've been overwhelmed with all of the fine music I've been exposed to lately... music as this makes me SO giddy that I'd love to share it with you.

If you're hankering for some new tunes OR a feel-good soundtrack, leave a comment below, and I'll do a little drawing for a new mix compiled by yours truly.

(Yes family AND friends, this also includes you!)

So... what are you waiting for? Leave a comment below... !

Ms. Zooey

How cute is Zooey D.? I think she's adorable... especially in this ad for a song she wrote- even if it's about cotton.

Morning with Camera Obscura

I'm spending my morning with Camera Obscura. NPR is streaming their entire new album- My Maudlin Career- the album's available 4/21.

Listen here.

It's Blitz!

Been listening to a lot of Yeah Yeah Yeahs lately... Their new album adds a bit more electronics into the mix. Preview all tracks here. In my humble opinion Karen O can sing very, very well; she's legit! (Catch her live if you get the chance: awesome!)

Or, catch them live this week on David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon.

Hoppy Easter!

These were the sights from my Easter Sunday... I hope yours was enjoyable too. (Thank you sun for shining today... I needed it!)

Jessica Lea Mayfield

This is a beautiful song that I've become sorta obsessed with- listen- it's pretty!

(via)

Daisies

Make me happy...

"Revolutionary Road"

Dede and I caught "Revolutionary Road" at the dollar flicks over the weekend. Although it's a very gritty, emotional, and sometimes-not-easy-to-watch movie, I really enjoyed it.

Kate Winslet wholly deserved to win the Oscar for her role in the movie.

I also loved the backgrounds in the movie- it's set in the mid-1950's- so, it was visually eye-catching as well. The lighting in most of the frames was beautiful; I wanted to go take pictures of their Revolutionary Road home.

See more pictures here.