1. An Idyllic Norfolk Country Cottage, 2. Summer Seedlings, 3. Proseks Garden Shop, 4. Mountain Village Catches Late Afternoon Sun

Hello my darlings! I can not even begin to tell you how much I have missed each and every one of you. I apologize again for the break, but I really needed to sort some things out, and attempt to figure out directions I want to take in my life. I am half way through my summer school class, and just registered for a full load of classes in the Fall.

My hands are still very full, but I have missed you all too much to stay away any longer. Expect to start seeing regular updates on here again–but possibly a few less per week because of my busy schedule.

And now back to our regularly scheduled Friday Favorites! Here are some of my favorite things this week:

♥ A few weeks back I was interviewed for an online publication about thrift store shopping. Shopping Thrift Stores Takes a Strategy and Patience.

♥ This Rose Infused Strawberry Sorbet sounds absolutely incredible. I must make some of that, now!

♥ I have been thinking about making my own homemade pita bread for quite some time, but after reading this post from Bread & Honey, I definitely am going to give it a try!

♥ Design*Sponge posted a darling DIY tutorial for these darling Picture Frame Trays.

♥ Read 57 Reasons to go Vegan.

♥ Zen Habits posted another amazing article called How to Get a Lot Done- 7 Tips to Achieve More.

♥ 50 Ideas for a Healthy Lifestyle That Take 10 Minutes or Less. Pretty self explanatory…go check it out!

Now that you got through all that please, please, please update me what you have been up to since Summer began! I hope everyone is well, staying cool, and having lots and lots of fun!

xoxo,
Cedar

1. the flavor of summer., 2. Frittilary, 3. One day last summer, 4. King of the summer

A very happy Friday to you all! What a beautiful day it is here. The sun is shining bright, the weather is nice and warm, and I am busy working out plans for my picnic tomorrow afternoon. I think I am going to get as much of the food together today, refrigerate it, and then heat it up before we leave for the park tomorrow. I can’t wait, I promise to take tons and tons of photos!

Well here are some of my favorite things this week:

♥ Anyone want to make me this Blackberry Jam Cake?

♥ These embroidery collages are absolutely incredible. I wish I had the skills to do that!

♥ Read Zen Habit’s article; The Ultimate Guide to Motivation-How to Achieve Any Goal for some wonderful and alway needed inspiration.

♥ Ivy posted a fun little article called How to Release Your Inner Sex Kitten.

♥ Look at all these incredible tea cups. That is one thing I am definitely missing in my collection of odds and ends…note to self…look for teacups!

♥ I know I am posting a lot of food this week…but look at these Blueberry Hand Pies…yum!

♥ Check out the incredible art of Bethany Marchman. I love her style.

♥ I may make a batch of this sundried tomato hummus for my picnic tomorrow…it sounds incredible!

This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs in the entire world.

Well, what are your plans for the weekend? I hope you guys have picnics in your schedules! Whatever you do, have a wonderful time!

xoxo,
Cedar

1. Way out., 2. In my Box, 3. sketch, 4. teddy please make me remember

A very happy Friday to you! I am so happy this was a short week, I really needed it. I have been feeling a little under the weather the past few days, and am now starting to feel better…just in time for Friday!

Yesterday I got two incredible cookbooks in the mail from Amazon. I got Veganomicon and 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. As you can guess, the first is a vegan cookbook, and is absolutely amazing. I made a recipe from it last night, and am totally in love. The dishes are simple, realistic, and without a huge list of ingredients. The second is an Indian cookbook, which I haven’t tried anything from yet, but the pictures are absolutely mouth watering. Tomorrow I have a friend coming over in the afternoon, we are going to find something to make, shop for the supplies, then come home and cook, cook, cook! I can’t wait.

Here are the links I love this week:

♥ If you have ever tried to cook Indian food, you know there is a long list of spices…some of which are completely foreign. This is probably the best guide to Indian spices that I have found to date.

♥ Learn how to make infused vodkas. I have some basil leaves that need to be used up…after I post this I’m going to go make a batch of basil infused vodka!

♥ This is way too cute for words. If you are the crafty type check out how to make a pleated collar.

♥ Not into making clothes? Try this adorable Tin Can Cover.

♥ With the price of gas the way it is these days, we need to make an extra effort to save money in every other way. Read 5 Tips for Saving Money on Food.

♥ Growing up I spent my summer vacations at my grandma’s beach house in Northern Florida. I grew to love, and even crave boiled peanuts. It has been years since I have been back, I may just have to make them at home!

♥ Planning on having guests any time in the near future? Check out these tips for simple and quick bathroom decor.

♥ Call me crazy, but I think every man should have a mustache. Not the creepy child molester mustache that was common in the 80’s and 90’s. I like a mustache with character. Here is some good mustache inspiration-if you really need it!

One of my absolute favorite singers, the incredible Louis Prima….

What are your plans for this beautiful weekend?? I sure hope it’s a good one!

xoxo,
Cedar

1. Oscar is here! (umbrella stand, vintage), 2. Vintage bird collection, 3. Flea Market Find: 50’s Dish $1!, 4. Daisy bowl

Happy Friday to you all! What a fun week it has been around here. It has been so nice to be able to actually sit down and spend good chunks of time on the site. I plan on doing a lot more of that in the coming weeks–so be prepared! Speaking of being prepared, are you ready for the big surprise I mentioned is coming on Monday? That is only three days away, and I am so, so excited.

Here are some fun links to click through, and hopefully help make it to the weekend faster!

♥ Cabbage Roses & Cupcakes posted the most delicious looking dessert; Pistachio Meringues with Blackberry and Elderflower Granita. Doesn’t that look so heavenly?

♥ I know a lot of you will probably be grossed out by this, but I think a Pickletini actually sounds kind of good!

♥ I haven’t had good naan bread since….well….since I worked in an upscale Indian restaurant two years ago. After eating it every day for two months in India, I have serious naan cravings. This naan recipe from Cupcake Project looks easy and delicious. If I get the time this weekend, I am definitely going to give it a try!

♥ Read Zen Habits’ post 25 Ways to Help a Fellow Human Being Today.

♥ I don’t know about you, but I am seriously wishing that Spring or Summer would decide to stick around for longer than three days–I want to have a picnic! Here is some fun inspiration; Picnic Perfect. I may just get bundled up and have a picnic this weekend anyway.

♥ Feeling crafty? Make this darling Bamboo Beach Purse.

♥ This Piggy Bank Coin Purse is way too cute. I may have to break out the sewing machine one of these days!

♥ Look at these amazing Cupcakes!

♥ I know a lot of you have your own blogs or are just starting up your own blogs. Darren of ProBlogger posted a really great article; 12 Traits of a Successful Blogger.

Here is my all time favorite Betty Boop episode.

One of my other favorites:

xoxo,
Cedar

1. Running ahead of oneself, 2. Summer festival lanterns, 3. Moon, the beauty of night (1), 4. Stone Doorway

I’m so happy it is Friday, Friday, F-R-I-D-A-Y! This week has been an incredibly stressful one for me, and I am ready to sit back and relax. Hopefully at the beach, with my big umbrella, a picnic basket, and a good book!

What lovely things do you have planned for this glorious weekend ahead of us?

♥ Go green with this step by step tutorial, learn how to make your very own Oilcloth Lunch Sack.

♥ If you really want to go all out try making this Reusable Sandwich Wrap.

♥ Even after years of buying vintage I still come across pieces of clothing that I have a difficult time determining whether or not it is vintage. Virginia Blue wrote an excellent little article about how to spot vintage clothing.

♥ Also, this article is a bit old, but there is some really useful information for Buying Vintage Clothing Online.

♥ Alpineberry posted the most incredible looking Apple Pie Cupcakes. I definitely need to give those a try!!

♥ Margarita Ice Pops from Hostess With the Mostess sound amazing, and perfect for the hot weekend ahead of us!

I am so in love with this ad. Vanessa Paradis is quite possibly the luckiest girl in the world!!

This evening I think I am going to watch one of my favorite movies….

Have a wonderful Friday!

xoxo,

Cedar

1. alpine meadow, 2. Rose champagne - infinite bubbles 3. Pink hydrangea, 4. pink flowers

Is it really Friday already? This week just seemed to fly by for me! I have been on the go since last Friday– I had an unexpected week long guest, I made the big jump into Vegan-ism, and I have been eating out almost every single day!

Yesterday I bought a ton of fresh fruits and veggies at the produce store. So much in fact, that we can’t use our kitchen table. How could I resist though, fresh mangoes for 25¢? What a steal! This new vegan lifestyle makes me really excited to start cooking more, and experimenting with food!

Well, here are some of my favorite things of the week. Hope you all have a lovely weekend!!

♥ Kris Chau is my newest art obsession.

♥ The Coveted posted a great quick read called How to Buy Vintage Clothing.

♥ Jasmine Tea Pudding sounds absolutely amazing. I think I am going to try to vegan-ize this one!

♥ I just recently planted a bunch of my own herbs, so when I saw Never Buy Fresh Herbs Again I was stoked. There are a ton of great pointer in helping get your herb garden started.

♥ After reading The Maturity of the Trademark I feel inspired to find my own style trademark…or figure out what it is! Do you have a trademark??

♥ This morning I came across the very fun site Recycle This. There are tons of clever ideas for reusing and recycling every day garbage items.

♥ This Mango and Tomato Curry looks so incredible. I may try it out this weekend–I do have a lot of mangoes to use up!

♥ The Need for New is a great post on Clever Nettle about purchasing secondhand or vintage clothing…and the pictures make me feel all giddy inside– I want to go shop now!

I found this fun little video a while back, and meant to post it sooner, but forgot.

1. Face (green version), 2. 3, 3. ring of fire, 4. Green Gas Pumps II

Happy Friday to you all! Thank you to everyone for the love and support concerning my sister and her friend. You don’t know how much it means to me, and her.

I am so happy that the weekend is here. I plan on having the most casual laid back weekend ever. I want to sleep until nine every day, wake up and make coffee, read a few chapters in my book, do some work on the site, maybe bake some goodies, then spend the evenings painting. What about you? Have you planned your weekend yet?

♥ The Espresso Chip Ice Cream from Genesis of a Cook looks and sounds absolutely to die for!

♥ Over on the Naughty Secretary Club’s blog Jennifer posted a great entry about 36 pieces of art she couldn’t live without. What fun it was to look through all the amazing artists!

♥ Fit Sugar posted a really interesting link to an article about Tomatoes helping protect skin against UV rays.

♥ I just can’t seem to stop staring at these gorgeous Vintage Vanity sets.

♥ Learn how to do sexy Dita Von Teese hair.

♥ Etsy’s blog The Storque posted a hilarious entry called Enabling Pets to Express their Fashion Sense.

♥ Have I mentioned how much I love Fifi Lapin? If you haven’t been on that site, you must go look. It is far too cute for words.

This is just waaay to _______ (Insert adjective)

…and because this fits my mood right now….!

xoxo,
Cedar

1. Pink Elephant, 2. pink elephant, 3. Pink Elephant, 4. Product Placement: Elephant Car Wash

Hey cuties! How is everyone on this gorgeous Friday afternoon? I am so, so stoked that the weekend is here and the weather is incredible (85°!). I just got my hair cut about an hour ago- because tomorrow I am filming the very last scene for the film I had been working on! We hadn’t filmed in about a month, and my hair has grown about three quarters of an inch! I was a little sad to see the length go, but I had her cut only the back, because I am good at using my magic to make the front look shorter than it really is.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite reads for this week. Enjoy!

♥ I just last night discovered this food blog dedicated to one of the most delicious combinations known to man. Chocolate and peanut butter. I spent far too long drooling over the images on The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery. Check out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Sundae or the Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake. Yum!

♥ If those dessert seem a bit too heavy for you, Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream may be more up your alley. They look positively delightful!

♥ Vintage Style Files posted a really fun article called ‘How to Smell Like a Star‘. If you were ever curious to see what scents those old Hollywood stars wore, do check this out!

♥ Zen Habits posted a really interesting read; The Seven Deadly Sins of a Relationship.

♥ Design*Sponge posted a great DIY project. Tin Can Pincushions.

♥ Right now I am loving the art of Aya Kekeda. Check out the fun and whimsical pieces she has in her gallery.

♥ Marilyn from Pulp Sushi posted a great tutorial on how to make those cute little bottle cap magnets.

♥ I have been on a huge make my own salad dressing kick lately, and the post Never buy Salad Dressing Again from A Veggie Venture couldn’t have come at a better time!

Now here is one of my favorite ladies, the lovely Ella to kick of your weekend!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xoxo,

Cedar

1. Mini Veg & Fruits, 2. Peppers In B&W 1, 3. Floating Fruit Seller, 4. 062, 5. Fruit for sale!, 6. Black and White, 7. Fruits?, 8. Two Artichokes, 9. Colorful Fruits

Happy Friday to all you lovelies! What a beautiful but sad day I am having. One of my closest friends is moving away. We went this morning and got some iced tea, I helped her load up the U-Haul, and then we went and had some pho for lunch. It is so hard to say goodbye to people you love so much, and that are such a regular part of your life. (Ashlee, if you are reading this, I love you and think you need to come home now!!)

On a lighter note…it is Friday! I hope you all have fun activities scheduled for the weekend. Since the day isn’t over yet, here are some fun little things to look through while we anxiously await the weekend!

♥ Earlier this morning I discovered the incredible art of Kevin Dart. Browse through his gallery and look at what amazing work he does.

♥ In case you didn’t already know; I am in LOVE with bananas, especially combined with chocolate and in the form of a dessert. These Caramelized Roasted Banana Swirled Brownies sound beyond incredible.

♥ These darling Marshmallow Favors that Lidian posted over on Kitchen Retro are far too cute. Even though I’m not a fan of marshmallows, I almost want to buy a bag so I can play with my food!!

♥ Read this interesting little news story about a message in a bottle that was discovered over twenty years later! Stories like that just make me smile….

♥ I recently came across this incredible photo series called The Life of American Vagabonds and I can not stop looking at the photos.

♥ The Well Seasoned Cook posted an incredible looking dessert; Rose Rice Pudding. Yum!

♥ If you have not yet seen the etsy shop, Lisa’s Paperdoll, then you should definitely go check it out. While you are there look at the Lindsay Lohan mug shot earrings. Hilarious!

♥ Apartment Therapy posted a very useful article; How to Organize Your Fridge. This one is really helpful to me, my fridge is always so packed to the brim. Because of all the chaos I can never think of anything to make!

♥ I am a huuuge Miyazaki fan, and just today stumbled upon this incredible paper craft of Howl’s Moving Castle.

♥ Fresh Strawberries with Sweetened Balsamic sound like the most perfect Spring time dessert. I just bought some strawberries today and am going to make them this weekend!

Does anyone else remember this show? I loved it as a little girl, and just came across it on You Tube!

Have a wonderful rest of the day!

xoxo,

Cedar

1. Sexy Girl in Vintage Panties, 2. Vanity Fair, 3. SwimAtClearLake, 4. Jr. Sophisticates

Well, what do you know, here we are at Friday again, and another round of Friday Favorites! This week just seemed to zip by for me. If I didn’t have this website, I don’t know if I would be able to remember what I did with all my time!

This weekend is a busy one for me. I have two birthday parties to attend, and tomorrow night my friends will be screening the trailer for the movie I was in. I am so excited, I don’t think I can express in words how anxious I am to see how it turns out. Sunday I think I am going to drag Russ with me to the zoo. We have year round passes, but hardly ever go. The weather has been so nice here, this weekend is the perfect time to take advantage of our passes. I hope you all are gearing up for a great weekend as well!

Well, here are a few of my favorite things this week….

♥ This incredible photo of Paris made me really, really wish that Wednesday’s wish would come true. If you haven’t yet looked at Alicia Bock’s photos, take a look around her blog. Her work is truly amazing.

♥ In case you weren’t aware of all the germs that can live in you sponge, Apartment Therapy posted an interesting little article about it, and how to clean them.

♥ Now that the weather is finally starting to heat up a bit I am ready for some summery fruit drinks! This Blood Orange Margarita from The Kitchen Sink sounds absolutely to die for. Maybe I can get to the store so I can make these this weekend!

♥ Learn how to make darling little paper silhouettes over on Design Sponge.

♥ Thanks to Serious Eats for posting this very useful link: How to Win a Hot Dog Eating Contest. I know a lot of you are interested in this subject, so do make use of this resource.

Thanks to Retro Food for sharing this video.