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13 Reasons Taylor Swift’s New Album 1989 is Everything

1989 has officially been out for two weeks now, and there hasn’t been a day I haven’t listened to it. You could say I’m obsessed, which is nothing new, but this has just fueled the fire.

Mom and I have been to two Taylor Swift concerts, Fearless in LA in 2010 and Red in Nashville in 2013. When Taylor releases her tour dates, Mom and I each pick 3 cities we want to go to and if 1 of our picks matches that’s where we go. So, as you can tell, I’m anxiously awaiting her tour date release, but until then … here are 13 reasons why 1989 is everything.

1. The title of the album is not only Taylor’s birth year, but also my birth year. We’re obviously meant to be besties.

2. There’s not a single song on the album I dislike or skip when playing the album through. Unheard of.

3. She is now officially a pop artist, and a country artist, and an anything she wants to be artist. She’s Taylor Swift.

4. My favorite song changes every other day. Currently “Blank Space.”

5. “Wildest Dreams” is reminiscent of Lana Del Ray in an ethereal way. It’s just so lovely and makes me want to swoon.

6. Not all of the songs are about boys (which Husband likes to tease doesn’t exist) namely “Welcome to New York”, which is about her love of the big apple. Can I go to NYC now and sing this through the streets, please?

7. She has retained her lyrical style even though her musical style has changed completely.

8. “Shake It Off” will forever be a great dance song (past, present and future – see second video below!)

9. I’ve never liked Harry Styles or Katy Perry and this just gives me even more grounds to dislike them.

10. “Welcome to New York” is the perfect opener and “Clean” is the perfect ending to the album. It just all fits.

11. The “move the furniture so we could dance” line from “Out of the Woods” reminds me of “we’re dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light” section of Red’s “All Too Well” – one of my favorite songs from that album.

12. At least once a day, I sing “You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye, and I got that red lip classic thing that you like” and pretend that I always wear red lip stick and my husband looks like James Dean.

13. That each of her albums continue to make me love her more and more and more. Hats off, Tay.

And now, a video for your viewing pleasure – the newly released “Blank Space” music video. ❤

xo xo, your favorite swiftie

Posted by milledavis | November 11, 2014 | Categories: Music, Pop Culture, Reviews | Tags: music review, swifties, Taylor Swift | 1 Comment

Stars Hollow Staycation: Why I Chose to Take a Vacation Day to Watch Gilmore Girls

W H O

Me, two girlfriends + a brief appearance by my Lorelai

W H A T

Take a day off work and spend the entire day watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix.

Episode Guide:

Season 1, Ep. 1 – Pilot [Lorelai and Rory, we can already tell we love you.]
Season 1, Ep. 7 – Kiss and Tell [Ooh, Rory gets her first kiss! In Doosey’s! And runs away!]
Season 2, Ep. 5 – Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy [Enter Jess. Commence lifelong swooning.]
Season 2, Ep. 9 – Run Away, Little Boy [Paris as Romeo = gold. Also, second best guest appearance Chad Michael Murray]
Season 3, Ep. 9 – A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving [Just skip the rolls! Also, first best guest appearance Adam Brody]
Season 4, Ep. 2 – The Lorelais’ First Day at Yale [First night of college = around the world eating party, oh how Gilmore]
Season 4, Ep. 22 – Raincoats and Recipes [The most bittersweet episode ever – Luke & Lorelai (yay!), Rory & Dean (nay!)]
Season 5, Ep. 3 – Written in the Stars [Luke & Lorelai dating is the talk of the town; literally, it’s an agenda item at town hall]
Season 5, Ep. 13 – Wedding Bell Blues [“I just wanted to know what it feels like.” Go Rory!]
Season 6, Ep. 13 – Friday Night’s Alright for Fighting [Logan saves the day at the newspaper and is beyond charming.]
Season 7, Ep. 22 – Bon Voyage [Best surprise party ever. Best Luke moment ever. Best ending ever.]

W H E R E

A very comfortable gray couch in the Alderman living room

W H E N

Friday, Oct. 24
8am – 6:30pm

W H Y

Ask me my all-time favorite book and I can’t tell you. Ask me my all-time favorite movie and I can’t tell you. Ask me my all-time favorite TV show and I CAN tell you – Gilmore Girls. I could literally write an essay about why I love it so much, and some day I probably will, but for now, just a few words: Witty. Relationships. Hilarious. Coffee. Luke & Lorelai. Mother/Daughter. Milo Ventimiglia. Fast. Memorable. Community. Pop Culture. Life. Heartwarming.

O T H E R I M P O R T A N T D E T A I L S [i.e. F O O D]

We watched, we ate, we laughed, we ate, we cried, we ate. The Gilmore girls wouldn’t have had it any other way.
xo xo

Posted by milledavis | October 25, 2014 | Categories: Pop Culture, Television | Tags: gilmore girls, lorelai gilmore, netflix, rory gilmore, tv binge, tv marathon, tv show | 3 Comments

life lately

{celebrating this // a beautiful marriage of one of my oldest friends}

{drinking this // a beer with a view}

{enjoying this // evening at Crystal Bridges Light Night Out Party}

{puppy sitting this // the cutest thing you’ve ever seen}

{selfie-ing this // my new darker ‘do for fall}

{gorging on this // homemade apple pie + champagne with a wonderful friend home from germany}

xo xo

Posted by milledavis | October 23, 2014 | Categories: Life | Tags: life, life lately | Leave a comment

Book Reviews: Happiness, Lies + Bergdorf Goodman

The Magicians – If Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia had a gritty teenage son, this would be it. The similarities gave the touch of familiarity, but sometimes seemed to rely too heavily on these classics. That being said, I love both HP and Narnia so thus, I should enjoy this book and I did. That being said – The Magicians is the first in a trilogy and after finishing it I had no intention in reading the next. Take from that what you will.
Grade: B

The Happiness Project – This book made me happy. As the author goes on a quest to find personal happiness, she shares her ideas and inspirations per month to attain her goal. I wasn’t enthralled in the book like I was with the similar Carry On, Warrior possibly due to writing style or just not feeling as connected to the content. But I was intrigued by it. There were several things I will take from the book to do personally to increase my happiness, namely continue my blog and sing in the mornings.
Grade: B+

Big Little Lies – The parents in Gossip Girl would read this. The parents of elementary students wishing they were in Gossip Girl would read this. Basically if you like gossip and drama you would read this. It felt like a YA novel a few times with it’s ease of reading; however, there were several plot twists that made me audibly shocked, not typical of a YA novel. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and flew through it in a few days. Next on my list is another from the same author, The Husband’s Secret.
Grade: A

I’ll Drink to That – This autobiography is phenomenal. I’ve only read a few autobiographies in my life (one being Benjamin Franklin’s that I surprisingly really enjoyed), but this one outshines them all. Her life is so fascinating and unique from mine that I often felt like I was reading fiction. I was so thirsty for more Betty Halbreich after finishing the book I immediately googled her, to find interviews, photos and then happily stumbled upon the fact that Lena Dunham is creating an HBO series about her. My grade for this book is an A+, I’ll drink to that.
Grade: A+

xo xo

Posted by milledavis | October 21, 2014 | Categories: Books, Reviews | Tags: big little lies, book reviews, books, I'll drink to that, the happiness project, the magicians | 2 Comments

Bourbon Apple Cake {recipe}

Fact about me: I’m obsessed with magazines. I used to subscribe to 10+, but I’ve been simplifying lately and have gotten down to a way more convenient 8.

One magazine I will never stop subscribing to is Real Simple. Funny thing is, if you’d asked me in college if I read Real Simple, I would have looked at you like you were crazy because it’s an “adult magazine.” Who wants to learn more about organizing, cleaning, 5 chicken recipes for the week or issues like what to wear to a winter day wedding? That’s so boring and old. Hand me a People, please.

Well, guess what, priorities change and now it’s my absolute favorite magazine. It’s one of the few magazines I read cover to cover (another is GQ – a terrific magazine) and savor every little article, thought or recipe.

Last summer, I tried a recipe from the cover of the July issue – Linguine with Summer Vegetables + Goat Cheese and it turned out amaaazing. It’s one of my post re-pinned posts from my blog. Today, I tried the Bourbon Apple Cake from the September issue and oh.my.gosh.

All I can say is, thank you adulthood for turning me on to this magazine.

B O U R B O N A P P L E C A K E

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/3 cup instant grits

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons bourbon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 apples, chopped (the original recipe called for 4 apples, but I used 3 and it was perfect)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F.

2. Butter an 8-inch springform pan. (Funny thing – I had no clue what a springform pan was when I read this. I googled it and thought, oh how handy. I then went to my cabinet to find a pan for this recipe and guess what I found down there. A springform pan.)

3. Whisk together the flour, grits, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, bourbon, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour mixture and butter in alternate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in the apples. (The batter will be very apple-heavy.) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake is golden brown, 60 to 70 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.

6. Run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen, then remove the sides of the pan.

7. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Preferably with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!)

xo xo

Posted by milledavis | September 28, 2014 | Categories: Fall, Recipes | Tags: apple, bourbon, bourbon apple cake, cake, dessert, fall dessert, real simple, recipe | 4 Comments

“I have finished.”

“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.‘ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

This morning, I pushed myself. I pushed myself to get out of bed. I pushed myself to put on my running shoes. I pushed myself to have a positive attitude about the 2 miles ahead of me. I pushed myself to cross the finish line.

And it felt remarkable.

I wouldn’t consider myself athletic or a runner, but I did it. I challenged myself in a way I haven’t in a long time.

I wasn’t prepared for the run. Husband and I were running consistently for a few months, but stopped the past few weeks. Then I remembered we’d already signed up for the ALS Run in Downtown Bentonville. I literally had dreams all night that I was the last person crossing the finish line and it was humiliating.

Good news – I wasn’t the last, not even close, but even if I had been, it would have been okay. As I was running this morning, I just kept telling myself I can do it. I can push myself harder than I think I can. I let my body take over instead of my mind telling me I couldn’t do it anymore, and I realized how amazing it felt just to be running, regardless of where I was in the pack.

As I’m basking in my satisfaction of doing something I was so fearful of, I have a few thank you’s –

Thank you to my husband for constantly pushing me on our morning runs and giving me the positive reinforcement I need.

Thank you to my mother for encouraging our running and signing up with us, and most importantly staying by my side during the run this morning as we pushed along together.

And finally, thank you to Queen Bey for getting me across the finish line with her flawless songs.

xo xo

Posted by milledavis | September 27, 2014 | Categories: Inspiration | Tags: ALS, beyonce, challenge, finish line, Fred Lebow, inspiration, positive attitude, push yourself, race, running | 1 Comment

Splurge vs. Steal {Makeup Edition}

Take a look inside my makeup bag and here’s what you’ll find: a mix of drugstore and department store finds. I’m not one to spend a bunch of money on something just because of the brand or label. Some things are definitely worth splurging (jeans, handbags, classic heels) and others are definitely worth stealing (statement necklaces ((shameless plug, Walmart has some amazing ones for $10 right now!)), trendy items, seasonal home decor). I’ve realized lately that I have a consistent makeup routine that I’m happy with and I know what I need to splurge and save on, so here are a few tips …

S P L U R G E

Foundation/Powder – This is a must. This is the most critical part of your makeup routine. It’s your base for your art. It’s not something people will notice if done right, but it IS something people will notice if not done right. I’ve been using BareMinerals for years now and absolutely love it. I have my base shade, but then can add in some loose bronzer to the powder during the Summer.

Eyeliner – This is actually something I didn’t realize until recently. I’d always gone with cheaper eyeliner, Revlon or Maybelline, etc. but always complained about the smudging or wearing off too easily by the end of the day. It just didn’t stay put as long as I thought it should. Then my eyes were opened by my mom with Clinique quickliner – I’m now a huge fan. It’s easy to use, stays on ALL day and doesn’t smudge or drip when I’m sweating.

Eyeshadow – Again, very similar story as above. I didn’t realize this until I started receiving samples of eyeshadows in Birchbox earlier this year. I no longer have creases in my eyelids by the end of the day and feel like I have to reapply multiple times.

S A V E

Blush – I’m actually a convert on this one. I used to buy Cargo blush for $30 because I loved the different shades and subtle shimmer mixed into one, and then I found Revlon’s Rose Glow for a third of the price. Technically called a highlighting pallet, the colors are beautiful and remind me exactly of Cargo.

Mascara – I can’t even tell you how many countless brands of mascara I’ve tried and always go back to this L’Oreal one. I’ve heard from multiple people that their go-to mascara is from Walmart, so I think it’s safe to say it is not worth it to pay more for mascara. Two quick tips for getting the most out of your mascara – 1. Always curl your eyelashes first. 2. Start with the wand as far to the bottom of the lash as you can go and shimmy your way up. Do 2-3 coats immediately before it dries.

Eyelash Curler/Makeup Tools – You can spend a heck of a lot of money on something that you use for 5 seconds/day and all do the exact same thing. Save your money, buy the $5 curler and then splurge on the $20 eyeliner.

xo xo

Posted by milledavis | September 26, 2014 | Categories: Beauty, Reviews | Tags: beauty, makeup, makeup routine, makeup tips, product reviews, splurge vs steal, walmart | Leave a comment

enjoying the stillness of saturday mornings

The past few weekends have been fairly quiet for us. Believe it or not, that’s been hard on me.

Friday afternoon hits and if I don’t have specific plans to do something or go somewhere that night, I feel like it’s not really the weekend. It’s just another weeknight.

Saturday morning hits and I wake up and want to go to the farmer’s market and get breakfast and coffee, then go shopping etc. etc. etc.

Saturday evening hits and repeat.

What’s wrong with this picture?

I’m such a busybody. I like having plans and I like making plans. This is not new news, but the hard part is, husband is the opposite.

I’ve previously written a post about being spontaneous instead of planning my life away. This is not that post. This is a post about being okay with the stillness, the simpleness, the quiet times in life.

The past few Saturdays we’ve had plans in the evenings, but nothing during the day. I wake up and think about what I can do all day, worrying it won’t be productive if I don’t really do something. But then I stop myself. Why do we feel like we have to be busy to have a good weekend? Do we have to go in to work Monday and list off all the things we did to prove it?

I’m learning to enjoy the quiet, especially while we don’t have kids. The past few Saturday mornings have been beautiful. I sit, and sip coffee, and read, and work on my blog. There is beauty in the stillness. I don’t have to be constantly going somewhere or doing something to enjoy my day, because when I sit and do these things, I realize how gratifying they actually are. Yes, I may have some FOMO (fear of missing out) every now and then, but that’s okay. I’m doing things for me, to re-energize me.

Happy Saturday morning, friends. I hope you stop the busyness and do something just for you today.
xo xo

Posted by milledavis | September 20, 2014 | Categories: Life | Tags: life, saturday mornings, stillness | 1 Comment

fall recipes: pumpkin bread + chili

This weekend weather has been wonderful. Friday evening was grey, drizzly and cold (seriously, COLD). Saturday was nice and chilly. Today is sunny, blue skies and perfect. Unfortunately husband woke up very sick this morning and my allergies have taken hold of my head, but I’m trying to enjoy the beautiful weather as best as I can.

With this weather, two of my favorite foods are now officially in season – pumpkin bread and chili. Of course you can eat both year-round, but it’s just not nearly the same as filling the house with the aroma of pumpkin bread in the oven or eating a big bowl of hot chili when it’s cool and crisp outside.

I’ve been dying to make some pumpkin bread and chili lately and decided today was the day. Sundays are the best baking days.

You can find my famous chili recipe here. I’ll be putting ours in the crockpot soon so it will be just right for tonight.

Below is a pumpkin bread recipe I found on Pinterest from Love Grows Wild. It’s exactly as she promises – moist, sweet and bakes up beautifully.

P U M P K I N B R E A D

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray and line bottom of pan with wax paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat for 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in the pumpkin puree. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla into the almond milk. Mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture in 3 additions on low speed, alternating with the almond milk mixture.
Spread the batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the plan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

xo xo
You might also enjoy: Pumpkin Cheesecake, PB&J Bars

Posted by milledavis | September 14, 2014 | Categories: Fall, Recipes | Tags: chili, chili recipe, fall, pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread recipe, recipes | 4 Comments