January was by default easy, since Heather and I made individual sized cheesecakes during New Year’s weekend. We followed Giada’s recipe for individual orange and chocolate cheesecakes, and left out the orange. It was my first attempt at anything cheesecake like, and it was surprisingly easy. Literally had no idea cheesecake was that easy.

I checked off another first time baking attempt later in the month when I made blueberry dump cake for some friends. It was a random Thursday night and the boyf invited some friends over to watch basketball. My sister also happened to be staying with us that night, so it was a full house and I was looking for a quick and easy dessert. Fortunately I had just come across this post on My Blessed Life earlier in the week, and holy moly, she wasn’t kidding. Easiest dessert ever. It was also one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted.

So that was my experience in January. Easy as pie, and delicious to boot.

Now it’s February, and the month is almost over. So this weekend while I spend the weekend in Maine, I plan to whip up a few tasty treats. Unfortunately my parents are going to be out of town, which means I’ll be the only taste tester, but I suppose that’s not the worst problem to have.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

No Bake Nutella Cheesecakes, recipe from My Baking Addiction or Curros, courtesy of Emily

White chocolate spice cupcakes shared by Olivia Rae

Oreo truffles from Your Homebased Mom

Cookie dough cheesecake bars from My Baking Addiction

Anyone drooling yet? Or am I the only one? So my plan is to pick one of the desserts above, and get busy baking this weekend. Stay tuned for a post with pictures after my attempt to bake!

It’s freezing cold, maybe snowing. Ground is wet, covered in slush, or even worse – three feet of snow. But life moves on, people!  I have to get to work each day, and go out at night. My feet get cold when I wear flats, my Toms get wet depending on the weather, my boat shoes don’t exactly scream “winter,” and while Uggs are super comfortable and somewhat practical, who really still wears Uggs? (Well, I do… on the weekend, or when I’m lounging in the evening. But not to work, or out on a Friday night).

My mom would probably say something that makes it seem all too easy. Buy a pair of snow boots, wear them on your commute. Bring a pair of flats to slip on when you get to work. Simple, no? No. It’s not that simple, mom. You try finding a pair of snow boots that don’t look more like moon shoes. (Side note: if you find a pair, let me know!)

So back to the problem, or better yet, the solution. Recently I’ve been turning to my light brown ankle boots. They look a whole lot like the Steve Madden pair below, except they’re a little bit more brown, and believe it or not – they were even less expensive. A coupon and a clearance helped me snag the pair back in the summer for some ridiculously low cost (I think $8).

And now, here we are two seasons later and they are still just as comfortable, and just as practical as ever. My favorite part about wearing these in the winter is that unlike flats, Toms or high heels, I can slip a pair of socks on and no one can even see. Extra warmth? Yes please.

I think I’ve decided that ankle boots might just be the perfect, four season shoe.

So in case you want to snag a pair (or three) of your own, here are my favorite styles. Three styles on the right are steals, coming in at under $200. The three on the left, well I’ll save those for my dreams. But maybe one of you lucky readers is in the mood to splurge.

Seasonless Booties: Steals and Splurges by whitneyprior featuring suede western boots

So, I’ll rewind. Remember back in September when the boyf and I moved in together? I made a great long list of all of the major apartment projects that were needed before our one bedroom apartment felt like a home. We checked off a number of big ticket items in the fall, like painting the living room, painting the bathroom, creating a dining room and a cozy, bright living room.

Somewhat strategically, we left one big huge corner of our living room empty until after the holidays. It’s where we housed our Christmas tree during the holidays, and a queen size aerobed in the months since when we’ve had visitors. But our goal was always to turn the corner into a home office of sorts.

Finally this past weekend we took the plunge and drove to IKEA. We braved the crowds, and the warehouse, and the big, huge, boxes and returned home with a great, big, awesome white desk (and bookshelf). We ended up purchasing the Expedit workstation. It’s pretty bulky, but our living room corner can handle it’s dimensions, and it’s the style we had been eying since September.

We set up the workstation the same evening and (unlike the living room paint color fiasco), we have no regrets. We both absolutely love it, and having a “home office” has already proved incredibly useful.

Now, it’s just time to decorate that beast! There are 8 cubes in the Expedit bookshelf that we purchased, but only 4 are visible (the other 4 are tucked underneath the table top).  Stay tuned to see how we fill the shelves, and decorate the wall above the desk!

So without further ado. I share with you my love for some serious arm candy in the form of bangles, bracelets, cuffs and watches. Layered, stacked and piled on to delicate little wrists.

I love that the look can be pulled off in a zillion ways. Sometimes wrists go overboard, decked out like crazy, and I love it. Other times, the accessories are much more simple. An over-sized watch and a handful of simple bangles. I still love it. Whether your look includes every color of the rainbow, or you prefer a monochromatic arm (obviously I prefer all gold), arm candy is just freaking awesome.

Photos on Pinterest 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

So there you have it. My roundup of arm candy from Pinterest. Now it’s your turn. Go pile on the accessories and make your arm jingle your new signature hello.

But we had committed to plans, and I didn’t want to back out. So we met the boyf’s best friend (and his parents, and younger brother) at a bar in Back Bay. We ended up having a few drinks. Great company, great conversation. When it was time for them to make their way to dinner, the boyf and I stayed put at the bar to finish our drinks.

It was just a few minutes later when (out of no where) a big, bearded guy pushed his way through the bar crowd, right into my personal space. It took a second for me to realize that the boyf was to my right, and no, I did not expect any company towards my left. I turned around to see one of my absolute best friends from college, with a big, huge shit eating grin on his face.

I just about cried I was so flipping excited.

It’s nights like Saturday that make me wish I went out more. I ended up having such an incredible night. The boyf and I hung out at the bar with Tyler for an hour or so before making our way home. We invited my old roommate and her boyfriend over for an old school house party (for four).

We drank beers and champagne and sat on the living room floor playing college drinking games until (some of us) couldn’t drink anymore.

What’d you all do this weekend? Any surprise visits?