Playing Dress Up

Even though I'm not dressing up for Halloween this year...I thought I would pay ode to my past costumes!

As a little girl I LOVED mermaids and all things Hawaii!

Rocktars!

Catwoman!

80's Aerobics...

And 80's Aerobics again!  And Ryan as some tennis player...

Queen of Hearts and an amazing Ace Ventura!

Chiquita Banana and Tourist

And back to my 80's...gotta love it!

Whatever you wear tonight...I hope it's a very

Happy Halloween!

xo natasha

Friday Fancies::Raven Inspired Costume

Yay!  It's Friday!  So happy the weekend is around the corner!  :)

Keeping with my Halloween theme...I wanted to dream up a fanciful costume!  I don't plan on dressing up this year, but if I did...I would definitely want to have fun with the raven theme.

Cuff / Earrings / Dress / Clutch / Heels

Eyeshadow / Eyelashes / Nail Polish

I've have had this cocktail dress bookmarked for quite some time.  I love the amazing texture and movement...it definitely has a feather-like quality, which makes it a perfect contender for a raven-inspired costume!

This Alexander McQueen clutch was meant for this outfit.  The intricate skull finger detail almost looks like little birds.  It has a creepy vibe which I am totally digging for this look.

The jewelry is elegant and vintage, which ties the look together.  And I have a big crush on these heels...definitely want to make them a part of my wardrobe {perhaps there will be a sale soon!?}.

My favorite part about this look is the makeup.  How awesome are these feather lashes?  So dramatic...kind of Black Swan'ish, no?  The Nars eyeshadow would bring the drama and of course, who doesn't love a great nail polish...appropriately named "Devil's Advocate".

So friends, what are you dressing up as for Halloween?  Any fun plans this weekend?

Hope you all have a safe & fun weekend celebrating Halloween!

xo natasha

Spooktacular Sweets

Are you getting in the Halloween spirit yet?  I know I am!

Before I kick off today's Halloween post, I had to let you know that I finally bought my own domain!  My new web address is: www.schuelove.com

 Easy enough, right?  Not sure how this affects things moving forward, but it should be an easy transition!

OK!  Back to Halloween!  It's no secret that one of the best parts about Halloween are all the sweets!  It's why every little boy and girl will be trick-or-treating Monday night and I think it serves as a good excuse for the rest of of us to bake up some goodies!

I found some fun inspiration and thought I would share...just in time for Halloween parties this weekend!  :)

Chocolate pudding + oreo crumbles + cookies = Adorable tombstone desserts!

Pretzels and chocolate ghosts!

Such a cute idea...love all the creative names!

Ghastly ghost cupcake!

Sugar glass-Poison bubble bath-Crow cookies

Red velvet cake...the best part is when you slice it open!

And last but not least...a little something for the adults!  Love this set up!

Are you planning to bake anything fun this weekend?  Hosting a fun Halloween Party?  Let me know!

xo natasha

P.S. For more Halloween Inspiration visit Danielle over at Breakfast at Toast!

Going Batty over Halloween!

Halloween is right around the corner, so I thought I would dream up some Halloween posts!  

We don't decorate for Halloween here at the Schue Residence...at least not yet!  I imagine we will join in on the festivities once we have little ones running around, but until then we're in the generalized fall decor mode.

When it comes to Halloween, there are tons of directions to take decor in...spooky, creepy, funny, whimsical, traditional, kid-friendly, etc.  I am a big fan of a more traditional look...one which focuses mainly on black and white.  I am especially drawn to all the fun crow {or raven} inspiration I'm seeing this year!

 Love the mix of Halloween with the regular decor.

  Jar full of spiders?  Yes please!

 Adore this crow inspired table setting.

The mice are adorable.

 Great take on a gallery wall.

 Spooky owls!

 Fun way to showcase your house numbers.

 These little guys are adorable!

 Love the creepy vibe of these terraniums!

 And sometimes, Halloween just need a little color!  This is how I envision our house one day!

All of these Halloween images are from my Halloween Pinboard...found here!

So what do you think of Halloween decorations?  Have you decorated this year?

I'll be posting some spooky Halloween inspired recipes tomorrow!!

xo natasha

Lemon Infused Quinoa with Chickpeas

Helloooo Friends!  How is your week treating you so far?  We're just enjoying the last of the nicer weather...though last night it dropped to 16 degrees!  Eek!  With that in mind...I've definitely moved to warmer meals at the end of the day.

A couple weeks ago I saw a delicious recipe over at Nicole's Guide to Style and decided I had to try it!  It involves quinoa and chickepeas...two of my faves!

I've recently become a fan of quinoa...which is gluten-free {easy to digest} and a good source of fiber and iron.  I've also started adding chickpeas to my salad for the extra protein.  If you haven't caught on yet, this is a super yummy and good-for-you meal.  Gotta love that.

Recipe from Garden of Eating

* 1 cup quinoa
* 2 cups water
* 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
* 1 can garbanzo beans, or dried equivalent
* 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
* 1/2 red onion, chopped

Tahini Dressing:
* 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
* 1/4 cup tahini
* Zest of one lemon
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer.

2. In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and water until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Quinoa is done when you can see the curlique in each grain, and it is tender with a bit of pop to each bite. Drain any extra water and set aside.

3. While the quinoa is cooking make the dressing. Whisk together the garlic, tahini, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt.

4. Toss the cooked quinoa, beans, cilantro, red onion, and half of the dressing. Add more dressing and season with more salt to taste. Serve garnished with a bit of cilantro. 

  

It's a hearty side dish or a light lunch to share.  I will definitely be making this time and time again!  

xo natasha

Linked to: Tasty Tuesdays

iHeart Ikea!

Happy Monday!

We got the chance to assemble our new Ikea Hemnes dresser over the weekend and I can't say enough great things about it!

First, it is MUCH wider than I anticipated, which works out great for the corner is sits in.  It's very sturdy and substantial.  Ryan would have preferred a method that allows it to be screwed together and/or glued for reinforcement, but I think that's what you tend to get with Ikea.  I say, for the price, you just can't beat it.  

Here's the precious dresser...also Ikea and something Ryan has had since college....it's lasted a great deal longer than we expected!

Pretty awful...I know!

 

As you can see...the back paneling was coming apart...definitely time for a change.

Love that the drawers are lined with these cheery yellow stripes!

Before...and after!  See what I mean about the difference in width?  The white also really opens up our room, which is another plus!  :)

What do you think about Ikea furniture?  Any good finds I should know about??

xo natasha

Happy Birthday Mama!

{Then}

{Now}

Just wanted to wish my beautiful mom a very Happy Birthday today!

xo natasha

Friday Fancies::Blushing over Pink

Happy Friday Friends!

As many of you are aware, October marks a very special month for women.  It's all about saving the ta-tas...or Breast Cancer Awareness Month!  I am a firm believer that knowledge is power and you're never too young to start leaning how to prevent and protect your health.  So cop a feel squat and get inspired by pink today!  :)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

When I think of pink, I am drawn to light pinks...like a blush color.  I tend to stay away from brighter pinks in my wardrobe {I say, as I am typing in my hot pink bathrobe}.  I think blush pink and gold is a divine color combo.  So chic and feminine.

This M Missoni dress is one of my favorites...love the gold cuff detail and it totally has a 60's flair {have I mentioned my affinity for Mad Men lately?}.  For a more mod look, I would wear this sequins tee anytime...great with boyfriend jeans or black skinnys.  Of course, this striped skirt would be perfect for work!

Jewelry is a fun way to incorporate pink...and as you can see here, I have quite a few options.  LOVE the Marc by Marc Jacobs rose gold watch...and it's less expensive than the MK one!  Can't beat that.  The Lizzie Fortunato necklace is a stunner...'nough said.  And I adore these Kate Spade chandelier earrings.  

How about accessories?  With the colder weather under way, I am loving this cute cable knit hat and H&M striped scarf.   Of course this Kate Spade clutch is a total beauty!!  I've really been impressed with her clutches lately.  Last, I love the little chiffon hair clips...too cutesy for you?  I guess I'm sentimental that way!

Last...the shoes.  Oh yes, the shoes.  The DV flats are great for day...love the gold studded details.  And these shoes...well, they totally take the cake for me.  They're definitely more nude, but shhhh no one has to know!

Hope you had fun seeing my Pinktober picks!  Happy Weekend!

xo natasha

Travel Schue::New York

One of my very favorite things about blogging is connecting with like-minded women {and some men!} who share a common passion.  I've been amazed at the new friendships that I've created--especially knowing that we all live in different parts of the world.   I'm confident that anywhere I travel from now on, I'm bound to know someone who lives nearby!  :)

Speaking of traveling...I need to more of it!  One of the top cities I'm just DYING to go to is New York City!  Luckily, the beautiful and fashionable Kat from With Love From, Kat is graciously giving us her personal tour of NYC today.  Yipee!

I am so excited to be guest posting here at Schue Love!  I recently moved to NYC and wanted to share a few of my favorite spots in the city.  There are SO many great places to go! 

 To kick off the weekend I window shop in the Meatpacking District and then walk through Highline Park which boasts amazing views and has plenty of seating throughout. For a fun Friday night out I love going to the Gansevoort Hotel for drinks - it is one of Kim Kardashian's favorite spots!  Saturday I recover with a big brunch at the Standard hotel then stop into Intermix, which carries the most gorgeous clothes.  Sunday I head to Madison Square Park and wait in the hour long line for Shake Shack - I promise it is worth it!  Then I take the subway to the Brooklyn Flea Market where I find lots of fabulous vintage things. 

Thanks for having me Natasha!


Ok, take me there now!  I definitely want to shop at Intermix and eat at the Shake Shack...stat!  Sounds amazing!  Thanks so much to Kat for being here today.  Be sure to check out her gorgeous blog here!

I've been so inspired by this post that I will definitely continue to feature bloggers and the amazing places they call home, so check back in!  :)

Where are you dying to visit?  Do tell!

xo natasha

Online Shopping Confessions

Happy Wednesday!  Love the half way mark, don't you?

I think this online shopping post may become a regular thing...it's where I do 99.9% of my shopping these days...though I am always shopping locally when I can!  :)

I've been searching high and low for nude colored peep toe pumps!  This Aldo pair does the trick and I think the price point is right.  The best part about nude colored heels is that it really elongates your legs and they pretty much go with everything.  The patent leather dresses it up for the holiday season as well.

This little dress is from Urban Outfitters and though it comes in many amazing colors, I thought this olive green would take me into the fall & winter.  It should also look pretty amazing with my new nude pumps too, no?  I plan to wear it to a wedding this season...most likely with a wrap.

While perusing Urban, I found this adorable little mercury glass dish.  I know I can definitely use this on our mantel or kitchen hutch...or somewhere else around the house to hold knick knacks.  I can always use dainty dishes like this!

Last, the whole thing that started my Urban spree, is this amazing chevron rug.  I'm planning on putting it at our kitchen sink.  I think the gray will tie our new hutch in nicely...which helps the cohesion with the kitchen.  

And as a side note, when I ordered this rug, I was told it was back-ordered until January...bummer, but I could deal.  Then I got a cancellation notice {that went to my spam folder...thankfully I caught it!}.  I was so upset!  So I called customer service to see if I could get back on the waiting list and when she looked she actually found one left that could ship right away!  I was SO happy and it just goes to show that if you take the time to push a little further, you can usually have a good outcome.  I had a similar experience with Piperlime {see what happened here}.

I have finally gotten the little brass urchin from Furbish Studio!  I first saw this little guy on Cassie's blog here.  It's very versatile, however, I'm planning for him to hang out on our bar cart for now.

The last purchase we recently decided on, did not end up being an online purchase.  We desperately need a new dresser in our master...our current dresses is about to collapse, it's not pretty.  I've seen and heard a lot of great things about the Hemnes dresser from Ikea.  And it's a great price at just $279...BUT to ship it to Tahoe would be $350!  That's more than the cost of the dresser!  Ridic.  So we're going to pick it up in-store...which is about an hour and a half away.  Definitely worth the drive.  Can't wait to put it together...maybe then I can actually do more of a mater bedroom reveal.  :)

Have you bought anything fun online lately?  How do you like to shop?

xo natasha