A Few of My Favorite Things // November

1 // This Thankful Tree and free printable tags found here. I’ve been wanting to start this tradition with my kiddos for a long time and now that Maya is old enough to really understand some of this stuff, I thought this was a great starting point. And the tags are adorable and super easy. Fits my busy world perfectly!

2 // Ok, maybe this isn’t my favorite thing yet, but the new Chestnut Praline Latte from Starbucks that is to be unveiled tomorrow has me just as excited as my PSL countdown every fall. So far, the reviews I’ve seen have been really good and I sort of, kind of cannot wait to grab one tomorrow!

3 // Photographers and bloggers, if you aren’t using Blogstomp to help you with your blog posts, you need to stop what you’re doing and go check it out. It has hands-down made my workflow 4 times faster when it comes to blogging my images for posts. I have seen it popping up here and there for a while now, but about 6 months ago I bit the bullet and invested. Probably the best thing I’ve purchased for my business this year! Next on my list is Photomechanic (I’ve been using their free trial and it’s been phenomenal as well.). For this work at home Mama, these two things have really saved me tons of time! Worth it in my book.

4 // Oh calligraphy, you’ve stolen my heart this year. I’ve finally been able to check learning calligraphy off of my bucket list as I’ve been able to take a few classes to dive into this super fun hobby of mine. You guys, I love it. I’ve always had a knack for handwriting and never really knew what to do with it outside of my own journaling, but I think I’ve found a new love. My most favorite calligrapher/letterer lately is Lindsay from Lindsay Letters. I love all of these amazing canvases and prints she has and am definitely adding a few to my Christmas wish list this year!

5 // And speaking of beautiful art, this artist is at the top of my list. Emily Jeffords is seriously on the rise and every time she posts something on her IG account, I have to wipe the drool off of the floor. She reminds me a lot of another favorite artist of mine, Wolf Kahn. The soft, colorful palette with natural landscapes that melt across the canvas. Beautiful. I’m ready to redecorate my whole house based off of her gorgeous paintings.

6 // I confess, I really love me some fall tv. I admit it. I will not back down. Fall is a really busy time for me with photography and I always turn on my Hulu as I sit and edit. Which means I go through a show or two…or three or four or five. Some favorites on my list this fall are Parenthood (so sad it’s the last season, where am I going to get my crying therapy every week now?), Castle (always funny), Nashville, Scandal, Gracepoint (awesome new show), and the Vampire Diaries (yes, I have a love for high school drama shows). Don’t judge, you know you watch a few too. And if not…well.. you’re probably better off :).

7 // Admittedly, we have a love for Christmas music in our home. We are known to start the carols very early and may or may not have been playing some caroling tunes in our car for a good month already. This morning, I saw the Jon McLaughlin released his new Christmas EP today and I quickly purchased it and it’s already ringing through my house. His jazzy piano ballads had me at jingle. Go buy it, seriously.

8 //  I’ve been known to cook 2 or 3 meals in the crockpot a week and this fall brings with it my love for a good soup. I asked what everyones favorite White Chicken Chili was on Facebook a few weeks ago and I received so many good ideas. This recipe was close to what I used (I couldn’t find an actual recipe on what I did), but you guys it was so good. Some of my differences were higher quantities of the spices, whipping cream (gasp! but, oh so good) and no corn.

9 // I’m in love with She Reads Truth. It’s a site that does really easy, simple, but challenging devotions each day and you can basically download the app and read them right on your phone. I’m a sucker for good design and this site delivers each day with beautifully created artwork to pair with each day. The last Hospitality study was so good and hit me square between the eyes each and every day. I also like it because it’s short and sweet and I feel like I can actually complete something while my littles are running around.

10 // I think I’m finally through my post-pardum blues about my body post-kids and am learning to just embrace it where I am instead of looking a little homeless while waiting to trim down to what I was before. It’s been a journey ya’ll, but progress is being made. With that said, I’ve been on the hunt to find some basic pieces that do not totally break my budget (thanks to this guy) and help me feel slightly trendy. I LOVE this new line of jeans from Old Navy! I usually can’t wear a lot of their stuff because it accents my mom-butt a little too much and tends to get super saggy in the rear. But, seriously, I crunched some things to go back and buy another pair.