I recently stumbled upon Elsie Flannigan’s creatively delightful blog, A Beautiful Mess and her 4 Simple Goals project. The premise is simple, inspiring and collaborative—just the kind of thing that I adore! My 4 Simple Goals focus on ways to make each day an extraordinary adventure.  If you’re interested in sharing, I would love to read your 4 Simple Goals and support you in pursuing them!

1. Express my style, inside & out.
Graduating from college, living in 3 states and having 2 jobs with very different corporate cultures in the last 4 years has wrecked havoc on my closet. It’s time to seek looks that are comfortable, stylish and indicative of my personality. I’ve been wanting to take on this project for awhile, and I can’t wait to start shopping!

2. Try out new recipes.
I really enjoy spending time in the kitchen, but it’s easy to put cooking on the back burner with so many delicious restaurants nearby. As the cooler months approach, I’m looking forward to getting re-inspired by fall flavors. Who knows, I might even try my hand at baking!

3. Create space for a daily meditation practice.
When I first moved to Raleigh, my best friend gave me the book Sit Down and Shut Up by Brad Warner. At that time, I knew no one and had plenty of time to sit with myself. I really got into meditation, but let my practice slip once I made friends and got busy with work. Like many of you, my hope is to find a middle path.

4. Sweat more often. This one’s extra simple. I believe that wellness is a part of a happy and balanced life. My goal is to get back to an exercise routine that leaves me feeling energized, strong and healthy.

image credit: elsie | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

There are so many ways to invoke creativity and inspire brilliance in your day to day life. If you look closely, there is magic and beauty everywhere.

Seek to find a remarkable, yet completely ordinary, moment each day and I promise that you will make astounding discoveries.

In the meantime, check out a few treasures I’ve uncovered recently…

Happy phrases that sparkle and shine, via Cup of Jo.

Sex in the City 2 and Eat Pray Love, trailers for two movies I must see this summer.

Curiously cute Red Velvet Cake Balls, recipe by Bakerella.

Justified and Treme, my love for these two new shows is surprising.

Micaela’s delightful giveaway, join in to celebrate Dolce Vita’s 300 followers!

A woman and her passion for photographing animals, video via Etsy.

“Good for you” food bars with ingredients I can pronounce.

Women Food and God, an interesting read that I’ve found difficult to put down.

Thanks to all of you who extended kind words of encouragement in response to my confessions. I love being part of this amazing blog/tweet/webbie community and am looking forward to getting back into the swing of regular posting soon!

image credit: via banter banner

Once, there was this day…this one day when…
everyone realized they needed each other.
(April Burns in Pieces of April)

I have rather elaborate plans for Thanksgiving considering it will only be my mister and me. With our families scattered across the country, it made sense to stay put again.

Last year we cooked our first turkey together. It came out perfectly, despite our trepidation. Because it’s his favorite holiday, I spared no expense to make it special.

My intentions are the same—to cook in my PJs and enjoy the smells of familiar foods in my kitchen. We might not be surrounded by family, but we’ll have each other.

I am confident we will be able to pull off the menu below. We might be eating leftovers until Christmas and I’m really ok with that!

Breakfast in Bed:
eggs, bacon, hash-browns and blueberry-sour cream muffins

Game-time Lunch:
deviled eggs and salami with sharp cheddar sandwiches

Dinner Feast:
turkey, his grandma’s green beans, mashed potatoes, my great-grandma’s stuffing, canned cranberry sauce, corn, lots of turkey gravy

Delicious Dessert:
chocolate caramel-nut cheesecake

photo credit: Pieces of April

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—
just good food from fresh ingredients.
(Julia Child)

I was delighted when I read about this gogonzola-pear pizza over at Lovely Little Things.

During my next trip to the grocery store, I eagerly gathered the ingredients to make my very own blog-inspired dinner. As I excitedly unloaded my groceries and prepared to assemble my pizza, I realized I was missing a very important component—the dough!

Like many things, a great discovery came from my mistake.

After altering the recipe slightly, I created a sweet and savory pizza for one. I’m sure the original is a treat, but it’s always nice to have options for solo-night dinners (that don’t involve frozen cardboard and a microwave).

sandwich thins, Bosc pear, walnuts, provolone cheese, Gorgonzola
crumbles, lettuce, dried cranberries, light salad dressing

provolone on sandwich thin

thinly-sliced pear on provolone

chopped walnuts & Gorgonzola crumbles on pear

toss lettuce with walnuts, pear, crumbles & cranberries
drizzle with salad dressing

enjoy dinner with a glass of sparking water!

photo credit: anthropologie via the art of making do