hi friends!  as (kind of) usual i've put together some internet recommendations to get you through the weekend. have fun, spend time with friends & family, eat great food, rest up and i'll see you next week!  xx- sarah

this girls blog gives me heart palpitations, of the good variety. hint: sister of this gal.

this has made me smile no less than seventeen times this week.

i adore her, adore this feature, couldn't get enough of all of it.

mr jonathan adler is having a giant 50% off sale!

i just ordered this dress and am beside myself with excitement (also here).

there's been a lot of bean and nugget going on over here, in case you like extreme cuteness.

some very inspiring spaces to peep at, i'm loving the details!

i also just ordered this and these which is going to add up to SO MUCH DELICIOUSNESS around here!

this has me extra excited about the season premier of arrested development!

how fun/yummy/pretty are these?! 

this looks like an exceptionally tasty treat that i might just have to try.  before i run a marathon or something.

loved this office tour (and even more here).

there are no words for how much i love this, which i know seems crazy because it's the simplest thing to make and something you wouldn't think would be THAT satisfying.  but trust me on this one.  you will love it.  i first had a plate of steamed, chilled veggies with lemon juice, salt and olive oil at one of my favorite palm springs restaurants, birba, and now it's become my go-to dish to make for guests.  this can replace a salad at a dinner party and i promise you, there won't be a single complaint.  and, it's the perfect way to get a start on eating though your preserved lemons!  {more after the jump}

lately i'm all into putting my hand behind my head or in my hair when we're shooting, and concerned you think my no shampoo experiment has gone awry i think it's best i just address it and clear the air.  i promise, my scalp is fine.  it's the having my picture taken thing, that's where the trouble comes along.  you see, these posts may look like they're all fun and games, but in reality they've been the source of a few marital squabbles and can make me feel painfully self conscious and bring out my extra awkward side (hence, arm in strangely contrived positions).

WHY DO THEM you ask?!  well, i also really love sharing my style with you guys and there are shoots where we have a lot of fun (usually when i'm kicking dirt or spinning in circles).  sometimes it just feels like a game of dress up!  and from what i've heard from chats with other blogger friends who do these posts as well, the awkwardness and occasional marital spats are all just a part of the torture fun!  so, if you see another photo of me with my hand posed uncomfortably atop my head, now you know.  i can't help myself.  and my scalp is fine.

now that the nonsense above is out in the open, let's talk about these pants.  these pants that i stalked like a LION IN THE SERENGETI.  (remember this?)  yes, i waited patiently until these bad boys went on sale (only $108!) and then snapped them up as quickly as i could press "add to cart".  i just love the slit detail, don't you? if you're interested in snagging them for yourself i recommend a size up from your normal j brand size.  xx- sarah

SHOP THIS OUTFIT: jeans: j brand on sale!, tee: current elliott, shoes: zara, bag: heather heron (similar), sunnies: mosley tribes, lips: dior blazing red 

answer: hi erica,  i'm happy to help!  i've put together a list of what i consider closet staples, with options below in the links for most of the items.  these pieces all provide a great neutral base, and you can play around with your accessories while you build up your closet since those are generally more affordable!  think: scarves, hats, shoes, lipstick, jewelry, etc.  hope you love what i've put together for you! xx- sarah

CLOSET STAPLES:

1. Panama Hat  1  //  2  //  3 //  4

2. Chambray Shirt  1  //  2  //  3  //  4

3. Grey Tank 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

4. White Jeans 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

5. Striped Tee 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

6. Blue Skinny Jeans 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

7. Military Inspired Jacket 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

8. Black Skinny Jeans 1  //  2  //  3  //  4 

9. Classic Black Bag 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

10. Tortoise Sunnies 1  //  2  //  3  //  4

11. Sandals 1  //  2  //  3  //  4 

i have a thing for wide leg floral pants (remember these?) and the derek lam beauties above are no exception. i'm not sure i love them most for that amazing pattern or the way they're as comfortable as pajama pants.  oh man, i have such a thing for pants that are as comfortable as pajamas.  but some days they're the only thing that get me out of my *actual* pj's.  no shame.  xx- sarah 

SHOP THIS OUTFIT:  pants: 10 crosby derek lam and a more affordable pair of wide-legged florals here, shirt: parker (similar), shoes: stylemint, ring: charles albert, clutch: lauren merkin (old)

you may remember from my last go round at pickling that i like to keep it simple when it comes to these sorts of adventures.  and i also die a small death at the thought of waiting weeks or months to enjoy the fruits of my labor (har har).  traditionally preserved lemons are made by quartering lemons, cramming as many of them as you can fit into a jar, filling up all the rest with kosher salt, seasonings and the juice from the lemons.  they're amazing, but require THIRTY TO FORTY DAYS of relentless waiting.  to me this sounds about as satisfying as watching my fingernails grow.  i am so much more of an instant (or at least one week) gratification kind of gal. and so when i discovered mention of this shortcut route in my research i pretty much fell off my chair, picked myself up as quickly as i could and ran into the kitchen to start thinly slicing lemons and shoving them into a jar. {more after the jump}

don't miss it, today is my instagram pop up shop sale!  head over here for more info... sale starts at 10 am PST!  and below is a taste of what i'm loving on the world wide interweb this week.  have a great one everyone!!   xx- sarah

i realized today that if you wear strappy sandals like these new favorites from shoemint and a high waisted belt with a short dress, you'll look like you are nothing but legs and hair.  so, there's that.  and also, on a totally unrelated note did you ever see the movie super troopers?  that scene where they replace "now" with "meow"... i am still laughing about it TWELVE YEARS LATER.  and i suspect that when i'm a grandma it will STILL get to me. i love that.  allright meow, you all have a great weekend!  i may be back later today or tomorrow if i can get it together to do a roundup!!  xx- sarah

SHOP THIS OUTFIT: dress: anthropologie (old), shoes: shoemint, belt: bcbg (old), bag: clare vivier, ring: alexis bittar, bracelets: j crew, stella and dot, c/o something epic, asos, lips: dior blazing red, nails: OPI passion fruit (my summer color of choice!)

i had this moment in the grocery store the other day where i realized that we're almost at the end of the very last scraps of winter produce.  and like some crazy squash hoarder i started grabbing at the butternuts.  i'm going to make a couple batches of this soup to freeze because i hate the idea of waiting until october to have butternut squash soup again.  is that crazy?  maybe i'm a kooky squash hoarder or suffering from some other squash related mental disorder.  something to ponder while i'm roasting 55 batches of butternut.  xx- sarah  {more after the jump}

these photos of kate upton by mario testino are just too good to not share!  what a fox!  she's stunning, the photography is perfect, the styling is great.  love love love.   will be back shortly with a recipe post! xx- sarah