ARUGULA SALAD WITH SWEET POTATO & GOAT CHEESE

I love sweet potatoes and this time of year I try to incorporate them into pretty much everything. This salad is perfect for a light lunch, or to go along side a roast chicken for a cozy get together with friends. Enjoy!   
Arugula Salad with Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese
{serves 4}

5 oz. arugula
1 large sweet potato, cubed
1/3 of a cup crumbled goat cheese { I used humbolt fog}
1/2 a cup of walnuts
3 tbs. lemon juice
4 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Roast on upper rack, until tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Place walnuts on another baking sheet and bake on lower rack until golden, about 6 minutes. 
In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and goat cheese. Toss to combine.

HAPPY WEEKEND

Happy weekend! Any fun plans? I've been in Ojai one day and I am already starting to unwind and enjoy a slower pace of life. Both Teissia and I took our laptops outside and quietly worked under the oak trees while sipping rosé and listening to the water trickle from our fountain. Pretty much heaven. I sometimes wonder if I could ever live here again. Raise a family here. But then Los Angeles always draws me back in. The excitement, the restaurants, the people are all still too appealing for me to think of returning to small town life. Do you ever think about moving back to your hometown, or are you sure you'll never go back? 

WEEKEND IN OJAI

One. Weekender Bag $95
Two. Gather Journal $19.99
Three. Sunpocket Sunglasses $65
Four. Knit Tunic $49.50
Five. Minnetonka Moccasins $39.95
Six. iPhone Rangefinder Case $55
Seven. Ammero Chaise $119

Today I'm headed back to Ojai {my hometown} for a much needed long weekend soaking up the country air. Actually my friend is in town from New York for a wedding she planned {in Ojai}, so it seemed like to perfect excuse to get some catch up time with her. It's supposed to be in the 80's all weekend, which hey I'll take it- anythings better than 100+. While I'm there I hope to have my favorite burrito at Casa De Lago, hike up to Meditation Mount, stop by Bart's Books and of course watch the awe-inspiring 'pink moment'.  You can as always follow my trip on instagram. 

KNOCK ON WOOD

1/2/3/4
For many of you it's getting cold enough to start cozying up by the fire. I love the way firewood looks stacked inside the home. It not only keeps the wood dry but it's perfect for city dwellers who don't have access to a backyard. Would you try this look at home, or do you prefer to keep your wood outside? 

IN THE STARS

1. 1942 Constellation Map $25
2. Constellation Globe $39
3. Constellation Plates $34
4. Orion Constellation Embroidery Kit $20
5. Constellation Map $49
I've been seeing constellations pop up on all kinds of things lately. I love reading my astrology report each month at Astrologyzone, but mostly just for entertainment. I have a hard time believing how the stars align could change the course of my life and it's happenings, but sometimes it's spookily true. I also relate to pretty much all the characteristics of my sign. Do you believe things that happen in life are "in the stars", or just random events? 

SWEET. SWEETER. SWEETEST.

Sweet. Sherwood Ring $32
Sweeter. Piled Triangles Ring $298
Sweetest. A.L.C. Pearl Cage Ring $395
I love the way rings look alone or stacked on a finger. Sadly rings are far from flattering on my chubby little hands, but that doesn't stop me from admiring them. Which is your favorite? 

How was your weekend? My short time in Ojai was really nice. The garage sale/fundraiser was a big success and it felt so good to see so many of my things get a new home and a new life. I rushed back to LA saturday to see Alt-J at the Bootleg. What a show. Their sound is so unique and I was blown away by how good they sound live. If you haven't heard them already- these guys are worth a listen. 

LATELY

It has been such a busy few weeks that I barely had enough instagram photos for a lately post. I've been working on lots of cool projects, but I am having trouble finding time to do the simple things like eat or instagram {apparently}. There's no end in sight quite yet because I'm spending the next few days in Ojai helping my parents with a major garage sale/fundraiser for my old school. As soon as Sunday rolls around life will start to mellow out a bit. Next week my dear friend Teissia will be in town for a wedding she planned. Even though she's here for work, I hope to get some relaxing time in as well. Here's a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile... 

Happy Weekend! xo

SWEET SOUND // 12

1. Other Lives // For 12
2. Blood Orange // Sutphin Boulevard
3. Allah-Las // Sacred Sands
4. St. Lucia // The Old House Is Gone
5. Grizzly Bear // A Simple Answer
6. Devine Fits // My Love Is Real
7. The XX // Chained
8. AM // Me And My Arrow

{listen on 8tracks or Spotify}
Today's sweet sound is a mix of some of the latest tracks that I can't get enough of and a few favorites from earlier in the year. There are some real gems in here, so I hope you'll give it a listen.  

HAPPY WEEKEND

Happy weekend my friends! Any fun plans? I am in the midst of cleaning out my garage which has been on my list of things to do for over a year. Ever since James moved in, the garage has been a holding area/storage for his old furniture and my odds and ends. Over time it started to look like an episode of hoarders. Not even exaggerating, so we're finally organizing and prepping for a sale. I must admit, this process is not without emotion. Going through old things and deciding whether to keep or sell them can be overwhelming and deeply personal. Especially when your are combining belongings with your boyfriend or husband. Ultimately I'm really glad we are doing this. It feels freeing to get rid of excess, don't you think? 

 {photo by anna williams for the voracity}

SNAPSHOTS FROM NYC

I kept putting off editing these photo because I had such an amazing time in New York, I almost wanted to preserve the memory of it. On this trip I made a point not to pick up my camera too often. I really wanted to take in the city and spend time with my sister and friends without it getting in the way. Of course now I'm kicking myself because there were so many amazing restaurants and charming streets to photograph. But I guess there is always next time. I just need to make sure another two years don't go by before I visit this fine city again. I strangely feel at home in New York. I hope at some point I get to live there, even just for a few months. 

**incase you were wondering, the people in the photos above are my boyfriend James, my sister Merry and my friend Sam. 

SWEET. SWEETER. SWEETEST.

Sweet. J. W. Anderson for Topshop Duffle $29.99
Sweeter. J. W. Anderson for Topshop Notebook $15.99
Sweetest. J. W. Anderson for Topshop Sweater $99.99

Happy Monday! I couldn't help but post these, since my initials are all over them. I think I need to make that notebook mine. 
How was your weekend? It was insanely hot here so I tried to keep cool by going to the movies and spending time at the beach. September tends to be pretty miserable in LA. It's usually our hottest month and just as the rest of you are starting to see signs of fall, we are melting. I really can't complain because once fall arrives it lasts until March and we skip winter all together. 

LATELY

The last few weeks have been truly amazing. New York was perfect from start to finish and a lot of that is thanks to my sister Merry and my dear friend Teissia. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I promise photos from our trip are coming next week. Since returning life has been hectic to say the least and haven't yet had time to look through them. But I guess that's what this weekend will be for, along with some mandatory relaxation. Any fun plans this weekend? I'm looking forward to spending more time with my sister Sarah, brother in law and my nephew who are in town from Italy. I don't get to see them nearly enough, so I'm treasuring every bit of time I get to spend with them. 
Here is a little look at my life of late and a few of the sweet things making me smile... 

IPHONEOGRAPHY


Like so many others, Instagram is by far my most used and favorite iphone app. People often ask me how I edit my photos on my phone, so I though I would share my process. I've waisted many dollars on photo apps, but really only use these three... 

1. Snapseed has one of my most loved features- the straighten feature. In the past I wouldn't post photos when lines were off or a window was crooked, but now with this app I can make them perfectly straight. I also love that you can brighten, add contrast or saturation to a section of the photo rather than the whole thing.
2. VSCOcam is by far my favorite photo editing app, because the filters emulate film. Ever since this app came on the scene I rarely use instagram filters. You can also use the app to lighten, add contrast, saturation, etc. 
3. TouchRetouch is genius. I just found out about the app a month or so ago and it has changed my life.  You can remove anything unwanted from a photo, sort of like you would in photoshop. In this photo I removed a speaker and a fire alarm, which would have taken the focus away from my subject.