Never gonna happen, but hey, you can still dream, right?

(via J.W. Hulme)

Bottega Veneta Fall 2011 runway show

My favorites from this exquisite collection.

(via Vogue.com)

Favorites from Oscar night

Hands down -- Scarlett's gorgeous purple lace frock and Gwyneth's gold column.

(via Just Jared)

Family photo wall

Before we painted the upstairs of our house last year, we had an overwhelming number of family photos adorning our second floor walls. The frames came in all different sizes and colors but I never found it attractive. It was pretty much brown or black and everything was rectangular. In other words, there wasn't much original about the mish-mased look.

It's time to put everything back up but I want to take my time and do it right. The question is whether I stick to one look (black frame; white matte) or re-introduce a collage of frame types and colors. What do you think?

Here's an idea for the more uniform look courtesy of Lonny Mag.

Victoria Beckham's fall show

She gets better and better as each season passes.

Where do you find a red as rich and as glorious as this one? And that full dress and tall velvet boots -- hand 'em over please!

(via Vogue.com)

Homemade granola

One of the best things I've had this year so far was some homemade granola made by my friend Erjona. She's not a big fan of sweets, and while I don't mind them, I don't love a lot of sugar in the morning. That's why her homemade granola hit the spot -- nutty, crunchy and filling. I was so inspired by the outcome of her culinary adventure. Since then I've been on the lookout for a good recipe.

This one seems like a perfect match for my morning taste buds -- coconut flakes, honey, mixed nuts and most importantly, loads of dried fruit. I'd highly recommend making this with dried apricots and sour cherries, the latter of which I'm completely obsessed with and eat every morning with plain yogurt.

Happy baking courtesy of With Style & Grace:

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups rolled oats – to ensure gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
• 3 tablespoons flax seeds
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup toasted mixed nuts, chopped (I used toasted slivered almonds)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil – I used Canola oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups mixed dried fruit (I used raisins, dried cranberries and dried apricots)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the dried fruit. Mix until combined.

Spread the granola mixture on the baking sheet, spread it out into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until nice and golden brown. Recommend you stir every 10 minutes.

Remove granola from the oven and let cool completely (in pan) and on a wire wrack. Once the granola has finally cooled, mix in the dried fruit. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Getting organized

The drawers in our downstairs shelving unit are a complete disaster. I've gone through them several times and thrown random crap away but inevitably bits of this and bits of that remain, leaving it looking virtually exactly as it started -- an ugly mess.

But because what lurks inside these drawers only sees the light of day by choice, I forget this problem exists until I go looking for my checkbook or I'm on the hunt for a pen.

The good news is that I may have found the inspiration I need to address this drawer dishevelment thanks to Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone. She had the same drawer predicament as I do, though she had the will to address it. See how:

"After I had throw so much away it wasn't too hard to put it all back neatly but let's face facts: there was zero chance I'd keep it that way. So I thought about how I could encourage myself to keep it neat.

Out came the Casablanca from Cutting Edge Stencils (ordered for an entirely different project I'm saving til later this year) and some thin pieces of wood cut to size. Not only was it a good way for me to practice the stenciling technique but having a pretty pattern would encourage me to keep organized so I could see through the bottom. Two birds, one stone - hooray.

I used my new favorite shade of paint - a mix of navy and teal called Plummage by Martha Stewart.

The used a white plastic organizing tray I had laying around as well as some old teacups I had leftover from another project. (I'll probably add more teacups as I find them.)"

(Photos via Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone)