A few fantastically favorite things for this Friday...

A note from the author:

Please forgive my extended silence. 

Life has been hectic but here I am. 

Alive and well, counting down the days till Thanksgiving! 

Happy readings.

Much love, Melissa

This week I caught up on all of my favorite blogs!

• My old roommate Mallorey has been fabulously on top of writing and blogging and always find the funniest little tid-bits of joy to share on her blog. There have been a variety of posts on Facebook and Twitter that were previously above my head until I discovered this little video. Thanks Mal. 

• This is Gala. A wonderful woman who is always seeking out the positive of life and sharing it via her blog or twitter or her Radical Self-Love Workshops. I love her boldness in life and style. Yesterday's post was particularly fun and now I am rather tempted to attempt to dress all in one color just to see what would happen. 

(Don't you kind of want a coke and high heels now?)

• I discovered a woman whose entire wardrobe I covet. She is from the east coast, living on the west coast and I think I might be in love. Her blog and clothes are lovely if you care to check them out more.

The dots. The shoes. Need I say more?

• Fashion and Food. Cupcakes and cashmere. Such a wonderful place. She also reminded me today just how much I am dying for this Michael Kors watch. I've been lusting over it for about 6 months now. Christmas wish list anyone? 

I did a lot of reading this week.

• I picked up the Hobbit this time last week and finished it on Wednesday. I shall now pack it in my luggage for Thanksgiving to give to my dad for him to read. It is just one of those books that I know I will read for the rest of my life. Such a wonderful story, and I adore Tolkien's writing style...plus they're making a movie of it. Did you know? 

• I also discovered that, apparently, we are spending a lot of taxpayer's money on USPS and (let's be honest now folks) snail mail is not coming into style again anytime soon and companies like FedEx and UPS are only in business until we can send packages electronically. 

• Found an overview of women-owned business right now in the US. Something that has always been in the back of my mind. (Starting my own company, that is) Read the snapshot here.

• I also would hate for Wikipedia to start using ads to make money. So the founder is asking for donations. Clever. 

Prepped and ready for Thanksgiving with Friends!

• Every year my dear friend Bonner cooks a delicious turkey, sets something on fire, and feeds anywhere from 10-30 of us a delicious meal. We of course bring the stuffing and sides and wine and pie and it's a feast! This year's festivities are tomorrow evening and my cheesy potatoes where such a hit last year they are making a reappearance! If you want to try them too, here's the simple yet delicious recipe: 

1 pkg frozen potatoes O' brien by Ore Ida (southern style if you don't want the onions and peppers)

1/4 to 1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp onion salt

2 cups sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat the butter, soup, onion salt and cheese until melted on the stove top.

Put the potatoes and sour cream in a 9x13 pan.

Pour the heated mixture over and stir.

If you wanted, you can mix cornflakes with a little melted butter and pour those on top of the potatoes for a little extra crunch!

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to an hour.

Should be bubbly on top and browned on the sides.

• My roommate is making peanut butter pie. Stay tuned for how that turns out!

And that's all folks! 

Pass me some of your favorite blogs, recipes, or articles and I'll see you again soon!

xo, Melissa