Forever Frugal Friday

 

 looking through my closet recently i noticed a few things...

*i have been very frugal with my clothing purchases

*i think i buy more workout attire than normal clothes

*i need to add red, pink, and blue into my wardrobe more

* i need to buy new jeans

*i lack polka dots

which is why this polka dot raglan sweater is the perfect piece for me to add as it is both work friendly and weekend friendly. plus every time i see someone wearing polka dots i get jealous that i have not incorporated any into my fashions as of late.

what's your closet lacking?

Make These - Butterscotch Pudding Double Chip Cookies

 

a few weeks back my work hosted a bake sale for our "light the night walk" in l.a.  we raised over $800 from the bake sale alone and seeing as a few weeks later one of my girlfriends was diagnosed with lymphoma the bake sale meant that much more to me. 

 

the cookies i made for the bake sale were an absolute hit!  i had numerous people email me for the recipe at work and instagram and thought the best place to share it was here on the blog! 

 

these cookies are easy to make, taste incredible and really have a fall attitude to them!  i am sharing the original recipe i found and will note the substitutions i made next to them. 

 

enjoy!

 

Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies

fabulous recipe found via two peas and their pod

 

{ingredients}

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz) package butterscotch instant pudding mix
• (my store was out of butterscotch instant pudding, i substituted 1 (1 oz) package of sugar free butterscotch instant pudding mix + 1 (3.4 oz) package of vanilla instant pudding mix (less 1.4 oz)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• (i hate white chocolate, so i removed this portion and upped the butterscotch & semi-sweet chips up half a cup each)
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

{directions}

 

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.
• 2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in butterscotch pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
• 3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

{a few variations}

 

*surprisingly i think the pudding substitution worked in my favor.  the cookies were sweet without being overly sweet

*parchment paper is key!

*i baked the cookies for 8 minutes and 45 secs and then watched them closely for about another 15-30 seconds.

*after sampling the first batch i realized they would greatly benefit with a dusting of kosher salt before i baked them.  the cookies with salt on them were most definitely the best of the group. 

 

so if you are looking for your next sweet to bring for the fall holidays, go ahead and give this one a try.  i promise it will leave them all raving and craving another one!

Happy {Horror} Weekend!

{via}

 

yahoo!  so happy it's friday and you can even speed on the highway (if you are lucky enough to not be stuck in traffic)!

 

tonight b and some friends will be attending the l.a. horror fest to see b's sister and hubby's film "evidence".  first we are planning a bite and drink at pizzeria mozza and i couldn't be more excited. 

 

trying to fit in a workout into saturday somewhere and devote some time to traffic school (don't cross over double yellows to get into a turn lane - $300 later). 

 

lastly a sunday morning hawks game and mimosas.  life is good!

 

xoxo

Forever Frugal Friday

 

capes.  formally only for superheroes are now being worn by all in the fashion world. 

 

a heavy coat in l.a. is a bit of a waste of money as it only gets probably 30 days of wear for the year.  but a good cape can be worn well into the spring.  this contrast boucle poncho (it's a cape) is the perfect piece to add to your fall wardrobe that will also work in the winter.  i love the marbled grey and contrast black stitching, perfect to dress up or down depending on what your day has in store. 

 

what do you think about the cape trend?  in or out?

The Smells of Fall

 

i have fought the arrival of fall long enough!  it is now time to embrace the crisp air and warm fall scents! 

 

my mom and dad ever so kindly sent me two incredible candles from bath and body works to welcome in fall.  i lit up the sweet cinnamon pumpkin (apparently no longer available on line - check in stores) for the first time on tuesday night and my roomie came home and said it smelled like thanksgiving in our house - success! 

 

above are some of my fave fall holiday scents (don't worry, there will be a winter holiday set come december).  i also would like to mention that although a candle is the obvious and easiest way to incorporate fall smells into your life, might i also recommend trying out a soap while you are at? 

 

1 ~ voluspa three-wick tin in winesap apple spice

i first received this yummy candle from boeing at work and it makes you crave a hot apple cider (spiked for me please) and the coziest socks you find. 

 

2 ~ anti-bacterial sweet cinnamon pumpkin

i am not a big advocate of anti-bacterial soaps (i believe they weaken your immune system) but after smelling the candle i just couldn't pass on a bottle of it.  i put it in my center console of my car for post workouts, gas pumps and any other yuckies that i may come across.

 

3 ~ williams-sonoma essential oils dish soap spiced chestnut

if you have been following this blog, you may recall this is my fave scent ever.  and while i usually just savor the candle, i was introduced to the dish soap and let me just tell you, doing holiday dishes is a whole lot easier if this delightful fragrance tickles your nose.

 

4 ~ NEST candle pumpkin chai

now this one i have actually never had the pleasure of smelling, but it is high on my list to find since pumpkin and chai are two of my favorite scents.  adding them together can only mean one thing - holy goodness. 

 

5 ~ White Barn 3-Wick Candle Leaves

the second candle my mom and dad treated me to and it is another goodie (my roomie perfers this to the pumpkin scent).  i can't quite describe the scent other than it smells like walking your dog when it is chilly outside at about 5 pm.  does that make sense?

 

6 ~ ILLUME heirloom pumpkin ceramic candle

oh this candle brings sweet memories of christy and this past weekend in san francisco with carebear.  not only did illume master the scent factor but they really stepped it up a notch and provided a beautiful holder that requires no removing of stickers or hiding a label, just pretty gold and fall tones.  winner.

 

so that's it.  my fave scents for fall!  and just a tip, if you can't wait for your scents to arrive at home, your local grocer should carry the pumpkin maple scent in a variety of items for very reasonable prices.  no excuses! 

 

i would love to know your favorite fall scented home good...what's missing from my list?

Instalife Lately

blogging has been a bit of a difficulty for me lately and i hate it!  i feel like i am constantly writing things down to blog about and then never actually getting to them because of life.  and i realize it is good to live life and not be a slave to the internet, but i miss blogging.  i miss sharing things about me, things that i love and most of all i miss reading things about all of you. 

 

so in an attempt to catch up a little, here's a glimpse into my life these past few months via instagram (@lyndsylee)

 

 

a sleepy w / place setting / wedding debauchery / a lovely gift

 

a day in topanga / products to review (stay tuned!) / sweet little treat / buns all around at the whaler

 

weekends with christy!

pulled out the red lipstick finally / broken glass at brick + mortar / go cougs!

 

harvest celebration in napa / apple cider margarita / scenes from downtown l.a. / best game ever

still loving the accent nail / some tasty tequila with b

 

small wineworld in napa / a fitting sky for a tribute to an incredible guy

holy guacamole late night burrito / uggs are back / cakebread cellars is my favorite

 

i know i have said it before, and i am sure i will say it again, but i am hoping to find some more time to get back to posting and making blogging a bigger priority in my life.  here's hoping y'all are still checking in and reading it! 

 

xoxo

Forever Frugal Friday

 

i finally found my chambray/denim shirt!  i have been on the hunt for some time now and am happy to report that i found one for under $20 two weekends ago and have already worn it three times!  i paired it out one saturday night with a fitted black skirt, and then wore it to work two separate times with different black skirts.  best news...i received numerous compliments on it and had to share it with y'all. 

 

please note the shirt is a MILLION times better than the picture here.  trust.

 

i also spied these three gorgeous finds and am thinking one (or more) should make it home with me this week.  i was leaning towards the mint high-low lace trimmed top originally but the more i look at the mint metallic polka dot button up and after reading love, lipstick and pearls post on fall trends i think i may get that instead.  and of course i still really want a faux leather skirt.

 

what fall trend are you looking forward to most? 

 

Happy {First of Fall} Weekend!

{via}

 

welcome to fall my friends!  i absolutely adore the look above and have a feeling this will be me (in my new flossy flannels from forever) for most of fall. 

 

i am feeling a little down in the dumps because i am not in pullman rooting on the cougs like the rest of my posse for homecoming.  however the weather is supposed to be gorgeous which means swimsuit, sunnies, and football by the pool. 

 

oh and did i mention mimosas are definitely going to be involved as well?

 

go cougs and cheers to all of you!

 

XOXO

Forever Frugal Friday

 

okay, okay - tomorrow officially marks the first day of fall, and even though i am still feeling summery, i guess i can jump on the fall bandwagon because the return of fall means the return of plaid!

 

i love plaid but feel it is definitely more appropriate for fall and winter.  after looking through my closet this past week, i noticed i am seriously lacking some plaids. 

 

so i think i will just need to invest in either this plaid flannel western shirt in red or this double pocket tartan shirt in black and aqua, or perhaps i will purchase both.  my biggest goal is to pair one of them with a leather skirt and booties as i have been seeing them all over the fashion blogs.  love that look!

 

are you excited to pull out your plaid shirts for fall??

Forever Frugal Friday

 

i haven't hopped on the "it's fall now" bandwagon at all.  i still want to wear summery dresses and play in the sunshine and late into the night. 

 

while fall doesn't technically arrive until september 22nd, perhaps i can ease into the new season with this button tab shirtdress w/ belt.  i mean it kind of has long sleeves, and it's black so that makes it fall-ish right? 

 

even if the temperatures are super hot still here in l.a., once the sun goes down this dress is easily transitioned with ankle booties or even glam it up with some sexy heels for date night. 

 

whatever way you choose to wear it, you are sure to be a hit!