Family Style

I may have to start collecting platters to create this 

personalized installation in my dining room!

Sweater Sale

I love Anthropologie but can never bring myself to spend the money on the sweater, dress, or shoe that catches my eye.  I happened to click over to the Anthropologie website today and found sweaters on sale and it is sweater season after all!  I of course love them all but here are my favorites.

Birmingham Ballet Cardigan

Art School Cardigan

Synchronized Swimming Pullover

Remaining Lilies Cardigan

Loose Lines Cardi

You Scream, I Scream

One of our many wonderful wedding gifts was an ice cream maker.  We have yet to test it out but I am dying too with these festively fall ice cream flavors.

(source)

Pumpkin and Maple Ice Cream

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
3/4 pint (375ml) double/heavy cream
3 oz (75g) caster sugar
250g pumpkin cooked, cooled and mashed
2.5 fluid oz (75ml) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

First cook the pumpkin, mash and leave to cool before you start this recipe.

In a bowl place the egg yolks and caster sugar and beat well until you have a thick mixture. Slowly add the syrup, beating all the time and when that is fully mixed in, add and beat in the mashed pumpkin.

In a separate bowl pour the cream and add the nutmeg then beat together well until peaks begin to form. Carefully and gently stir this into the egg, sugar, syrup and pumpkin mixture.

Transfer the complete mixture in an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.


Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon flake salt

Preparation

1. Place milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan (do not boil). Place egg yolks in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add half of hot milk to yolks, stirring constantly. Return yolk mixture to pan.

2. Combine sugar, cream, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar melts. Cook 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat; stir in sea salt. Gradually add caramel mixture to yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return pan to low heat; cook until a thermometer registers 160°. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl until completely cooled, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Drain ice water from freezer bucket; repack with salt and ice. Cover with kitchen towels, and let stand 1 hour or until firm. Scoop about 1/2 cup ice cream into each of 10 dishes; sprinkle evenly with flake salt.

That's Not My Name!

The past 48 hours have been a little rough as I prepared and officially filed all the paperwork necessary to change my name to reflect my husband's last name.  I saw so many of my friends recently get married and RUN to all relevant government agencies to change their last name as quickly as possible.  I was not running, more like procrastinating!  First off I have been swamped at work and taking a morning off to sit and wait was not feasible but secondly I was having a hard time with the idea of parting with my last name.  I have had it for 26 years now and that is how people know me.  My maiden name is ethnic and very distinct, granted Bruce's last name is ethnic too but a doozy to say.  Finally, after a lot of thinking, some moping on my part and puppy dogs eyes from Bruce I took the plunge yesterday and changed my name.  As funny as it is I was having a harder time committing to his last name then him.  My maiden name is now legally my middle name ( I wanted to just add my maiden name to my middle name but you have a limited number of letters for your middle name - who knew?).  I know it will be ok and I will settle into my new last name, it may take a little while but as Bruce keeps reminding me, it is just a name, it is not who I am as a person.  

Pumpkin Cookies

I love cooking with pumpkin and squash when the weather starts to get cooler and these cookies are something that I make every year and more than once a season.  I adore these cookies so much that I think my poor recipe book has eaten as much cookie batter as I have.  They are easy to make and do not have an over powering flavor as some pumpkin baked goods do.  If you are looking for a cookie that is sure to please look no further!  Do you have favorite fall recipes?  I would love to hear about them as I am always looking to expand my collection!

Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies - Compliments of Martha Stewart

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin-pie spice, and salt; set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour mixture in two parts and pumpkin puree in one, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto two baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and edges are golden, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating sheets once during baking. Immediately transfer cookies to wire racks, and cool completely.
4. When cookies have cooled, set them (still on rack) over a baking sheet or waxed paper. Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Pour chocolate into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off a corner with scissors or a knife to make an 1/8-inch hole; pipe chocolate over cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 20 minutes.

Festively Fall

Yesterday was the 1st day of fall for 2010 and even though it is still in the mid-90s where I live that does not mean I am not trying to get into the fall spirit.  I love decorating the house for the holidays and can do more than ever due to our new place.  Even though I love to decorate I like to get a bang for my buck and try to decorate for Autumn opposed to Halloween and Thanksgiving.  I have to admit that I do have some specific Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations but it is easier to put them in and take them out of the mix opposed to completely transforming the decor for back to back holidays.  After recently getting our fall Pottery Barn catalog I have fallen in love with some of their Autumn decor and cannot wait to start decorating our house!

Mini Indian Corn Vase Filler

Acorn Vase Filler

Acorn Vase Filler

I am especially excited to transform the leftover apothecary jars from my wedding into these beautiful fall harvest vignettes.

Decorative Pumpkin

Harvest Ceramic Collection

Are You a Nice Girl?

As someone who is very concerned with her career, gaining professional experience, and being taken seriously as a young women in the working world, I am constantly trying to re-evaluate my effectiveness in my work environment.  I came across this article in The Wall Street Journal and definitely find myself falling into some of these "nice girl" tendencies.  Do you think any of these statements have merit? Are you falling into the "nice girl" mode too?  I think I may have to add this book to my reading list.

Amazon

Blog Buzz

Last week had the blogs buzzing about Rue Magazine and True Prep.  I meant to look into both of these over the weekend but spent a lazy weekend at home, not making it out to Brooks Brothers to pick up my copy of True Prep (maybe this coming weekend).  I did however romp over to the Rue Magazine website and I would have to agree with everyone who raved about it.  Something that was not mentioned was their "about us" page which I found very fascinating and incredibly insightful - take a look.

Rue Magazine

Booties

I have to admit that I was unsure about my feelings toward the new bootie craze.  I saw them everywhere and thought - eh, I may sit this one out.  Boy, was I ever wrong!  On a recent outing to the shoe store to continue the hunt for the perfect brown shoes for the hubby I tried a pair of these little heeled numbers on and was in love. I can imagine wearing them on a crisp autumn day with a pair of opaque tights and a 3/4 length sleeve dress.  How cute!  Here are a few of my favorites.  The last one from Off Broadway is the pair I feel in love with, only in brown.  I may have to pay them a visit this weekend and have them mysteriously come home with me!

DSW

DSW

Forever 21

shopbob.com

Off Broadway Shoes

The Mustard Bungalow

Prior to getting married Bruce and I decided to purchase a house.  We knew due to our jobs we would be in the area for a while and were in need of adding some additional space to our tight living quarters.  We had called an 800 sq ft apartment home for about a year and a half. It was a nice location for us but two adults and two cats make for an up close and personal living experience.  After only a few short months of house hunting we fell in love with this bungalow.  Bruce was looking for a new home and I wanted something that was not so cookie cutter.  Luckily, we found both of these in our brand new craftsman style bungalow.  Here are some pictures of the house prior to move in.  We are slowly filling the rooms and painting - I cannot wait to spend time decorating now that I am free of my wedding planning duties!

Greetings!

Welcome to Living the Live Wire!  I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.  My name is Lauren and even though Living the Live Wire may be new I am not new to blogging.  I started a personal blog a while back but things got a little lively in life and sadly my previous blog became very unkempt and I have decided to start anew.  

Living the Live Wire truly sums up my current life style: with a recent marriage to my lovie, decorating a new house, two kittens, a job, trying to stay in shape, and hunting for the next big adventure all while trying to make time to be creative, read, travel and just kick back, relax and spend time with friends.  


In addition to my hubby, Bruce, I share our mustard colored bungalow with our two "babies" Frida and Einstein (the cats).  I adore Martha Stewart, a good cup of coffee, great food, organizing, and museums.  I can get lost in a book store for hours and cannot sit still to save my life.  I have so many goals for the year there are too many to count but am thoroughly convinced that I can achieve them all.  


With all that being said most of this will more than likely be reflected from day to day through what inspires me, aesthetic crushes, and shoes I am desperately trying not to purchase.  In addition to some personal snippets of what I call life.   

Frida (calico) and Einstein (gray and white)