On the Run

Do you remember the last time we had a full five-day week? Maybe I'm just lucky. But all this time off  actually has me scrambling to keep up!


image via patterson maker

The full week next week is going to be quite the rude awakening. Hopefully I'll be back on top of my game by then! In the meantime, I wanted to be to check out my guest posts this week.

You'll now be able to catch up with me regularly on the Rue blog. You can see my inaugural post and the great finds of the entire team here.

You can also find out more about what's on my mind these days over at Sterling Style. Taylor's new series is going to be divine. I can't wait to see who is up next!

Happy Friday luvies!
*Mrs. E

How Do You Hibernate {stephmodo}

Well, today it is officially back to reality and I am completely in denial. Luckily, on this first Tasty Tuesday of 2011, I have a few taste treats to share with you.

First off, below you will find the darling and talented of Stephanie of stepmodo's mouth watering answer to the question How Do You Hibernate?

And then, if you're still hungry for more, you can head over to the Rue Blog, where I feel incredibly privileged to join the dazzling group making up the Rue blogging team. You can check out my debut post here!

Finally, if you haven't entered our Happy New Year giveaway, there's still time (but the clock is ticking!).


How Do You Hibernate? {stephmodo}

Right now hibernating sounds like a lot of fun...and with the holiday season now behind us, I'll be participating more actively in this alluring activity :)

I think most people like to curl up to a great book and I admit, I love that too. Or a great magazine...like the latest Donna Hay or Sunset. However, I find that I'm more prone to baking and cooking when it's cold, windy and gray outside. Making great food and yummy treats puts a smile on everyone's face, despite the gloomy weather, and this encourages me to put forth the effort and stay active in the kitchen. Below is a recipe for one of my winter favorites - Cranberry Orange Bread.





all images by stephanie

I also enjoy decorating and finishing up home projects during the winter.



The dismal weather presents an excellent opportunity to stay inside and analyze what you love surrounding yourself with. I'm a proponent of surrounding yourself with pieces you love, while considering budgetary limitations. Cozying up to Craigslist on a winter day is my idea of a good time too :) You can check out a recent tour of our home here.

Stephmodo's Cranberry Orange Bread
makes 1 large loaf or 4 mini-loaves

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon good salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
zest of 3 large oranges (about 1 Tablespoon, packed)
1 egg
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 350°. Sift all dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until the mixtures resembles coarse meal. Over a plate or parchment paper, zest the oranges using a microplane zester. Set aside. Cut the oranges in half and juice. In another small bowl, combine the fresh orange juice, zest, and egg with a whisk. Add the orange juice mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped cranberries and nuts. Spoon the mixture into one greased loaf pan or into four greased mini-loaf pans. If you make one large loaf, cook the bread for 1 hour. If you are making the mini-loaves, set your timer to about 30 minutes (you’ll want to start watching it at 25 minutes as ovens are all different). Once out of the oven, cook the loaf pans on a wire rack for ten minutes. When the bread is slightly cooled you can tap the loaf/loaves out of the pans carefully and place them on the wire rack for additional cooling. Enjoy!

A huge thank you to Stephanie for joining the How Do You Hibernate series! My stomach is now growling.

Ok, maybe getting back on this horse isn't so bad :)

Cheers luvies!
*Mrs. E

How Do You Hibernate? {Haute Design}

As the holiday draws ever closer, the dear and divine Sarah Klassen of Haute Design was kind enough to take a moment in the midst of the hustle and bustle to participate in my How Do You Hibernate? series. And I'm so in agreement with her answer!

How Do You Hibernate? {Haute Design}
Comfort for me begins with luxurious lounge wear and knit socks from my Grandma... I love curling up on the velvet sofa, with books and magazines, and a cup of cinnamon or green tea and cookies... usually, my laptop is not far, either.

Are you as ready to curl up with a good book (or laptop) as I am?!

Thanks so much for participating Sarah!

01 Matt Bird, Sarah Kaye Represents.
02, 03, Polly Wreford, Sarah Kaye Represents.
04 Jo Tyler, Sarah Kaye Represents.

How Do You Hibernate: {Design Darling}

With the outpouring of positive response to our new series How Do You Hibernate? I just couldn't wait to give you another installment. I'm so excited to have darling Mackenzie of  the aptly named Design Darling join us today!

Hi there! Big thanks to Erin for inviting me here to talk hibernation today. For me, the issue isn't as much how to keep cozy but how to stay productive when temperatures drop and distractions abound! 

My number one necessity is a well-kept workspace. You may or may not be familiar with my desk du jour series on Design Darling but I am a touch obsessed with creative home offices! My desk area is well-lit, fully stocked with school supplies, and surrounded by inspiration boards to keep me motivated when my mind inevitably wanders.

Eventually I'll get a little stir crazy and escape to anywhere I can find a piping hot vanilla latté or stacks of fashion and interiors books. I could spend all day in our campus bookstore just flipping through titles that spark my interest!

The end of the day is my time to hibernate. I wish my bedroom were as serene as this one designed by Ryan Korban — perhaps I ought to add a fur throw to my Christmas wishlist!

Of course, the best way to stay cozy is a good snuggle! Whether with your husband or your puppy, there's no better way to keep warm in wintertime. Thank you so much, Erin, for having me here today!

{Photos via Skona Hem, The Decorista, Lonny, and Dress, Design & Decor}

New Series: How Do You Hibernate?

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but we've hit that very tough time of year in Seattle when the days become very short (and generally grey, rainy and chilly) and the nights become veeeerrrrry long. It's the time of year where bed becomes pretty much my favorite spot in the world and my mind swirls around little else than soup, hot chocolate and cozying up with the hubby.

Spending all that extra time huddled under the covers also got me wondering, how might some of my friends in blog-land hunker down for the long winter? And then I thought, why not ask them!

So I present to you a new Apartment 34 series: How Do You Hibernate?. Darling Kate, the brilliant mind behind the must-read {wit + delight} kindly obliged to answer this burning question to kick the series off. And her response is just pitch perfect for Tasty Tuesday's month o'carbs. Ahhh, a girl after my own hungry heart.

With that, I give you Kate!

How Do You Hibernate: {wit + delight}

I truly believe that nothing warms the soul like a hearty meal with great friends. So naturally, spending time in the kitchen is my favorite way to pass the winter months. I indulge a little more; lattes over an americano, savory dishes over crisp salads, and my sweet tooth kicks in just in time to hijack my new years resolutions.


images via 1, 2, 3, 4

A few of my favorite winter recipes:

~ bacon wrapped figs
~ martha's mac n' cheese
~ apple, goat cheese, and honey tartlettes

Mmmmm, I'm drooling already! A huge thank you to Kate for getting things off to a delicious start. As we slog through the winter, be sure to check back. Many friends will be stopping by with their hibernation tips all the way till spring!