hi there! this is Alyson from Unruly Things with my last post for the week. I've been having fun filling in for Sarah while she's been away on a marvelous vacation.
if you read my blog, you know a few things about me. #1 that I love quirky specimen related things, and #2 that I especially love raw gemstones. I have fallen head over heals in love with these necklaces from Laura Lombardi. gold colored geodes and a 24kt gold dipped crystal? yes please!

I hope you have a nice weekend! and like me, I bet you can't wait to hear all about Sarah's trip!

With Fall around the corner I can't help but hum Nancy Sinatra’s poppy go-go classic, These Boots Were Made For Walking. I recently came across a version by Eileen that lead me to the series Femmes De Paris, a collection of young French divas from the 60s singing original and cover songs from British and American hits. I'm smitten and thoroughly enjoying the mini language lessons with some of my favorite throwback tunes!

hi there! Alyson from Unruly Things here again and I hope you are all having a wonderful week. one of my favorite things about etsy has always been the pages and pages of vintage clothes, accessories and home decor. since I've been on a major floral kick lately, I thought I'd share with you some of my most recent favorite finds: vintage floral clutches. I think Sarah would agree that you can never have too many clutches!

{from etsy shops secret lake, Schmoo1515, MarcellasExcess, and secret lake}

Local mixologist Ben Ng has crafted a series of cocktails paying tribute to Southeast Asia. While many of these drinks are made with exotic regional fruits like rambutan and mangosteen, there are a few that can be concocted just about anywhere. Whether you're rocking it East or West, you can shake things up at your next dinner party with these tasty treats. [from left: Rambutan Runner, Fig and Clove Mojito, Mangosteen Mist, Straits Cobbler and Feminist.]

Fig and Clove Mojito
2 lime wedges
1½ tsp sugar
10 mint leaves
60ml rum
10ml clove syrup*
20ml fig puree or fresh muddled figs

Mix the lime and sugar. Add in all the other ingredients, crushed ice and stir. Serve in a tall glass and top with ice and a mint sprig.

*Clove syrup can be added to coffee, tea, cocktails and other drinks requiring sweetening. However, add only a few drops into your drink or the bossy clove flavor is liable to dominate. For a litre of syrup you’ll need 35g of cloves, 500g of fine sugar and 500ml of water. Once the water is boiled, add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved before adding cloves. Simmer on low heat and let it reduce for 20 minutes. Strain into a bottle and let it cool before storing in the refrigerator.

hi there! this is Alyson from Unruly Things filling in for Sarah this week while she's off having a dream vacation in Greece! I'm excited to share with you some of my favorite finds from around the net this week.
first up, since fall is upon us, I can't stop thinking about fall clothes and accessories. here is a list of my fall essentials that I'd love to add to my fall wardrobe.


1. an oversized cardigan - perfect for snuggling up on brisk evenings.

2. an over the shoulder bag - so "back-to-school" cute.

3. pretty prints - for someone who loves solids, floral prints are my new favorite in deep hues of navy, ochre, grey or cranberry.

4. corduroy - I'm really loving all things textured for fall, especially a wide wale corduroy.

5. wedges - quite possibly my favorite thing about fall shoe trends are wooden wedge heels and ankle boots. not too out of control high, but right at a comfortable mid height.

Hello friends of Sarah! I'm Courtney from Inside the Loop and I'm thrilled to help keep you entertained and inspired while the cat's away.Growing up in South Louisiana I would have called blasphemy on anyone who told me there was another place in the entire world that loved to eat more than Cajuns. 5 months ago I moved to Kuala Lumpur and have been amazed at the way Malaysians eat, sleep and breath food. 90% of all television channels are centered around gustatory delights and, luckily for me, more than half of the shows feature my all time fav, Jamie Oliver. When he recently whipped up this salad I made a beeline to lick my screen! It's the perfect recipe for celebrating Summer's end and using up those final fresh peaches.

Mozzarella and Mixed Leaf Salad with Mint, Peach and Prosciutto
Serves 4
Buffalo mozzarella cheese
Dried chili [optional]
Ripe peach
Sliced prosciutto
Mixed salad greens
Mint

Get hold of some really nice ripe peaches, pinch the skin and peel from the bottom to the top then quarter them. Rip the mozzarella into 4 and place on a plate with the peach. Lightly season. Lay a couple of slices of prosciutto over the top. Dress the mixed salad leaves and torn up mint with a little olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Throw the leaves on top of the plate and crumble a little bit of dried chili over mozzarella. Really, that simple!

Hi friends! As I'm sure you know, Stephen and I are taking a long delayed honeymoon/30th birthday celebration to Greece next week. But, no need to worry, I have two excellent bloggers lined up starting tomorrow. So without further adieu let me introduce you to Alyson and Courtney:

Alyson's blog, Unruly Things, is one of the very first I started reading. She has a great eye for vintage finds and has a simple, clean aesthetic I love. She just opened a a letterpress company, Postal Press, is a fantastic photographer, excellent cook and also does custom graphic design (she designed my blog header). In addition to loving her blog, I can personally say she is a dream to work with-- she's helping me with my little surprise. :)

Courtney is the most stylish lady I know. She worked in fashion for several years and now lives in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia with her hubby and furry child. Courtney writes Inside the Loop covering all things fashionable, all things Southern (she is from Louisiana after all) as well as reporting back to all of us curious folks about what it's like to live halfway around the globe. Her love of cooking, experiencing new things and seeing the beauty in the everyday is always evident.

I know you're going to enjoy what these ladies have planned! Welcome to Serendipity ladies!

I did a guest post creating a North Carolina themed welcome basket for out of town wedding guests. Pop on over to Kirei Nest to see the post and other gifting inspiration!