It's been so fun to run this Eat Seasonal feature! I've garnered so much cooking inspiration, as have many of you! However, today's feature on cranberries (in season in Massachusetts September to November) will be the last for 2014; I'll resume the series next year when the spring produce starts popping again! Enjoy this 12-item roundup, largely focusing on off the beaten path recipes!

Click on each link for the full recipe and more beautiful photos; these food bloggers are totally rad!

1. Get breakfast off to a healthy start with these butternut squash muffins with cranberries. (Who knew?)

2. Season your winter salads with this cranberry vinaigrette with fresh thyme and shallot.

3. Cranberries are a brilliant addition to glazed carrots.

4. Love the flavor combination and presentation of this acorn squash with walnuts and cranberries.

5. I would eat this quinoa with butternut squash, cranberries, and pistachio straight up or as stuffing.

6. This cranberry sauce with dried cherries is perfect for Thanksgiving.

7. This cheerful citrus cranberry cake will lift you out of your winter doldrums.

8. I plan on making these almond-cranberry-chocolate cookies with the girls this weekend!

9. Keep up your holiday stamina with these no-bake cranberry pistachio energy bites.

10. Give the gift of cranberry infused vodka.

11. These sparkling sugar cranberries could serve as both tasty snack and beautiful centerpiece.

12. Make your house smell like the holidays with this cranberry infused simmering stove top potpourri.

Image credits: all images via linked sites above

Though I love the convenience of online shopping, particularly around the holidays, I make an extra effort to shop local. And to that effect, how awesome is this? As part of Marriott Hotels' Travel Brilliantly campaign, American Express and Marriott have transformed Boston Marriott Long Wharf's Greatroom Lobby into a pop up store featuring 8 small local businesses. I’m thrilled to partner with American Express and Marriott today to share some of my favorite picks from these independent Boston vendors.

Note: The pop up shop is open now until Sunday, November 30 (Small Business Saturday is November 29!), from 10am - 8pm. And the Boston Marriott Long Wharf is perfectly positioned so you can browse the shop then enjoy some time on the Greenway, which is one of my favorite spots in the city these days! Now, here's who you can find at the pop up shop:

1. I simply love that Flock Boston is run by a mother-daughter pair! Offering a range of bohemian inspired clothing, accessories, and gifts, these lantern bracelets by Jenny Bird are so special. Made of gold-plated brass and resin stone (in a variety of colors), this bracelet makes a delicate statement on its own or would play well with your other arm candy.

2. Looking for your girlfriend’s next favorite gift? Gracie Finn offers an eclectic mix of gift items, such as books, paper goods, home items, and gifts for women and kids. I’m especially intrigued to know what’s inside their surprise balls; unwind the crepe paper to discover 12 little prizes inside!

3. If your aesthetic is modern and minimal, you'll love the offerings from Lekker Home. I love Lotta Jansdotter’s work, and I have my eye on this large serving bowl and set of smaller bowls. The patterns will cheer you out of your winter doldrums and are perfect for parents (read: unbreakable by little paws).

4. Lunarik Fashions specializes in bags and accessories handmade by local artists. They offer bags and accessories to suit a range of styles, but I’m especially drawn to the modern color blocking of this leather drawstring bag.

5. My go-to dressing prescription is to wear simple clothes and and amp up my outfits with interesting jewelry. Rebekah Brooks offers unique hand crafted items, many of a delicate or vintage persuasion. I found myself drawn to her animal motifs; specifically this snake ring (and especially so once I learned that two entwined snakes are a Victorian symbol of infinity and eternal love) and swallow necklace.

6. If you’ve struggled to find good man gifts, check out Sault New England. They offer fun, usable items (e.g., beer soap!) as well as pay it forward type gifts (e.g., notebooks whose proceeds benefit public school art programs). I love their sailormade bracelets, crafted in New England.

7. I’ve been on the hunt for a Boston map to incorporate into our gallery wall, and I think Ward Maps is the answer. They have a variety of affordable map and transit oriented gifts (e.g., coasters, mugs) and specialize in antique items, such as this antique map of Boston (1775) print. They also offer modern styled maps, if that's your preference.

8. Looking for modern and cheerful picks? Check out Xylem, which offers quirky gifts for home and the whole family. Xylem embraces geek chic, with items such as this pizza pi cutter, which I'm certain will cut pizza with mathematical precision thanks to its two wheels.

Amazing, right? Hop on down to the pop up shop and tell me what you find!

Image credits: All images via local businesses featured above.

Disclosure: This post reflects an editorial partnership with American Express and Marriott Hotels in support of the Shop Small® Pop Up initiative. Because, hey, YAY LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES! All thoughts and opinions are -- of course -- my own.

Whoo boy -- it's the last day of the month! I know that things like birthdays and inspiring work events make for great months, but October really and truly was a lovely one on all counts. Enjoy your Halloween festivities with your families today, and when you're ready to kick back some time over the weekend, enjoy some delightful backreading with this Best of October 2014 roundup.

Family Issues

• Lessons learned: getting over the homeschool stigma
• 5 tips that make saving for college not scary

Halloween

• 10 cute Halloween printables make it easy to create a festive home
• 10 clever Halloween costumes, no sewing required
• On the fly no sew M&M costume
  
• Dear Boston Mamas: how to handle the Halloween candy craze

Home

• How to create a gorgeous gallery wall
• Eat seasonal: 12 apple recipes
• Eat seasonal: 11 pear recipes
• Eat seasonal: 12 pumpkin recipes

Fashion

• Friday Find: New Balance zoo kicks are WILD
• 5 favorites from fashionABLE

Miscellaneous

• Hey Internet, Keep Being Awesome

Image credit: peanut butter cup blondie via Pinterest

Pumpkins are everywhere right now (they're in season in Massachusetts September to November) and I'm super excited to share today's Eat Seasonal feature. Why? Because I have 5 pumpkins sitting on my steps, two of which are uncarved and will soon move from decor element to delicious food thanks to the inspiration in this feature. This 12-item roundup largely focuses on off the beaten path (so, no pumpkin pie!) -- enjoy!

Click on each link for the full recipe and more beautiful photos; these food bloggers are totally rad!

1. This chocolate chunk pumpkin bread is seriously delicious, whether or not you use canned or homemade puree.

2. Roasted pumpkin fries = brilliant.

3. This roast pumpkin with feta and honey would be an amazing first course.

4. I love that leaving the rind on for this spicy honey roasted pumpkin means one less step while adding beauty to dish.

5. Give your salads decidedly fall treatment with this pumpkin maple vinaigrette.

6. Warm up on a cold day with this pumpkin turkey chili.

7. Breathe new life into a classic with this pumpkin and kale lasagna.

8. Perfect one-dish comfort food can be found in this roast pumpkin, herb and walnut pasta bake.

9. This roasted pumpkin risotto is a little more involved (in my universe, a make-over-the-weekend meal) but looks worth the effort.

10. She had me at one pot creamy pumpkin pasta.

11. Make your butter more awesome by making it whipped cinnamon honey pumpkin butter.

12. A brilliant use for those pumpkin seeds: roasted pumpkin seed brittle.

Image credits: pumpkins via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; all others via linked sites above

Despite being a designer and a very visual person, hanging wall art has been a point of paralysis. My general assumptions of uniformity (e.g., frame type) and centered hanging have left me with walls that haven’t felt quite right. Over the last year while we’ve been redesigning our home, I’ve been studying and collecting nuggets of wisdom regarding gallery walls. I’m thrilled today to partner with Minted -- where I’ve recently procured some gorgeous art -- to share some tips and inspiration to cozy up your home via art.

To back up briefly, you may already know about Minted's beautiful holiday cards. Minted features the work of independent designers (I've been honored to have a few designs represented in their collection) and over the summer they rolled out their art marketplace. SO. BRILLIANT. The marketplace offers a wide range of styles (close to 1,800 pieces!) with a variety of frame options (hanging hardware pre-installed -- HOORAY!). Here are 8 tips for creating a beautiful gallery wall that will feel truly yours, including some of my favorite picks from Minted. 

1. Evaluate what you have (and what you don't). Walk around your home and collect favorite existing art, photos, and small wall hangings so you can map out a wall and identify what you need. If you have frames that are due for a fresh image, grab those too. I ended up having a lot of frames with photos that were ready to swap out; I ordered several pieces of Minted art unframed, which makes for very affordable procurement!

2. Anchor your wall. Use 2-4 pieces to anchor the center of your gallery. We have a vibrant Heather Pilchard landscape as one of our anchors. Something like this gorgeous Summering Forever piece by Emily Jeffords or Lindsay Megahed’s Summer Clouds (which I ordered for our reading nook) would make for gorgeous, vibrant anchors.

3. Vary frames. I used to think everything needed to be in a black matte frame. Not so! Mixing black and white frames creates a modern, minimal aesthetic. We're adding gold or natural frames in to a largely black and white mix to add warmth. To make for a more eclectic collection, include vintage or weathered frames.

4. Mix frame/art elements. Add visual interest by mixing paintings, photos, frame styles, and sizes. I love Minted's recommendation of contrasting within pieces; meaning, pair vintage frames with modern art or photography and modern frames for old oils or high art pieces. For example, pair this Hello Zebra! print with a distressed frame or Almond Milk with a natural French farmhouse frame.

5. Create harmony via color. One way to create harmony with a gallery wall (while still mixing elements) is via color. For our wall, I'm creating harmony with neutrals and then adding pops of color. I like the double impact of neutral and nature, such as through this Leaf print by Anna Yarm and Serene Forest by Hooray Creative. I ordered both of these pieces and they are so soothing!

6. Create a story. Be sure to include items that have meaning to you; for example, art collected on a vacation or favorite family photos. For personal photos Minted recommends including candid, non-staged photography for a more elevated look. I ordered this African drum print given that I wanted a musical element in our gallery and also as a nod to my trip to Ethiopia.

7. Don’t worry about exact linearity! Gallery walls can be a little intimidating if you’re trying to make everything matchy matchy and lined up perfectly. The good news? It will look more artful if it's not matchy matchy and lined up perfectly! You can plan it out easily in advance by using paper templates (and find plenty of inspiration for arrangement on Pinterest). Break up lines with 3D or nonlinear objects. Or incorporate round art such as R Studio's Surround Me, Paper Dahlia's Sunrise Sunset, or Kelly Ventura's Soma.

8. Avoid overwhelm by narrowing your search. As I mentioned, the Minted art collection is huge, with nearly 1,800 items. As you evaluate what you have (tip #1), narrow your search to balance out your collection. For example, we have a lot of landscape pieces and so I narrowed my search for abstract neutral pieces (such as The Rapids) to counterbalance. I’m also hoping that at some point Minted builds in the ability to search artists by state so I can support local designers!

So gorgeous right? I hope you have fun browsing the Minted collection and sprucing up your walls!

Image credits: Minted

Around this time of year, pears seem to sit in the shadows of their apple cousin. But this delicious fruit is in season from September to mid-November in Massachusetts and is amenable to all sorts of creative usage, aside from raw snack form. Today's Eat Seasonal feature offers 11 ways to incorporate your market or orchard pear bounty. Like my recent apple recipe roundup, I wanted to share recipes a bit further off the beaten path. Enjoy!

Click through the below links for recipes and more beautiful images from these creative bloggers!

1. This honey pear bread would make for a yummy breakfast treat or snack during the day.

2. Further fueling my love for Brussels sprouts is this pear and blue cheese roasted Brussels sprouts dish.

3. I shall be busting out my sandwich press for this bacon, cheddar, and pear panini.

4. This caramelized pear and gorgonzola flatbread would work equally well for brunch or dinner.

5. Whoa. The presentation of these honey pears in puff pastry is simply awesome.

6. I don't normally think of pairing chocolate and pears, but this stunning chocolate pear loaf cake is making me change that tune.

7. These mini pies with pear and blue cheese are so cute (and tasty sounding) that I'm ready to make the metric conversion.

8. These caramel dipped pears would give caramel apples a run for their money.

9. I think I'm going to try this salted caramel pear butter for holiday gifts. NOM.

10. Another amazing holiday gift (for those who enjoy libations): spiced pear vodka.

11. And you can use your spiced pear vodka for this Asian pear and ginger sparkler.

Image credits: pears via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; all others via linked sites above

Violet is not the most diverse of eaters, so when she recently decided that she liked cantaloupe I did a big 'ol happy dance inside. Sweet, juicy, loaded with vitamin C, and a good option to send in the lunchbox, cantaloupe is in season in Massachusetts in August so you'll likely see good prices right now. This week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 10 recipes that offer creative inspiration that goes well beyond fruit salad.

1. Ever a classic appetizer: prosciutto and cantaloupe skewers.

2. If you want a variation on #1, try these cantaloupe bruschetta.

3. A clever new twist: cantaloupe gazpacho.

4. This cantaloupe salad is paleo friendly.

5. Holy YUM. Grilled shrimp with cantaloupe-lime salsa.

6. Love the presentation of these chicken melon salad bowls. (Also, yay, no dishes!)

7. Preserve your seasonal cantaloupe by making dried cantaloupe (no food dehydrator required!).

8. What a fun twist: cantaloupe and sweet ricotta pizza.

9. Three ingredient cantaloupe popsicles.

10. These cantaloupe cupcakes look so cheerful!

Image credits: cantaloupes via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; all others via linked sites above

Like strawberries, blueberries, and peaches, summer is an awesome time for raspberries. Just this past weekend I picked up a couple of large boxes at the market and they were quickly devoured (toddlers, btw, love sticking their fingers in the raspberry holes)! Raspberries are in season in Massachusetts July to September and this week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 8 recipes that offer good inspiration to consume these beautiful berries.

1. Wake yourself up with a raspberry sunrise smoothie.

2. This claims to be the best raspberry bread so I'm going to give it a go!

3. I'm loving the combinations in this fresh summer salad.

4. This creamy raspberry vinaigrette sounds delicious.

5. This lemon raspberry chia pudding is easy and good for you.

6. Add a little surprise to your raspberries via these chocolate filled raspberries.

7. Oh goodness. Dark chocolate raspberry pie bars.

8. I want one of these watermelon raspberry slushies NOW.

Image credits: raspberries via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; all others via linked sites above

Hooray for seasonal peaches! Like strawberries and blueberries, peaches are wonderfully sweeter and more affordable right now...I love when they become abundant at the market! Peaches are in season in Massachusetts mid-July to mid-September and this week's Eat Seasonal feature includes 12 recipes that will allow you to incorporate this tasty stone fruit all the way from breakfast to dinner to condiments.

1. Start your day right with this peach blueberry oatmeal smoothie.

2. The flavors of summer shine in this kale salad with peaches, corn and basil-honey vinaigrette.

3. Amazing peach salad with tomatoes and beets.

4. Peaches are a sweet surprise in this healthy quinoa with vegetables.

5. Jazz up your next barbecue with these sriracha glazed chicken skewers with peaches.

6. Quick and easy grilled peaches are a perfect sweet side dish.

7. See you tomatoes, there’s a new peach ketchup in town.

8. Store your bounty with this easy peach freezer jam.

9. Take comfort in this peach and raspberry cobbler.

10. Oh how refreshing these vanilla peach pops would be!

11. Sweet and fruity ginger-peach pound cake with caramelized peaches.

12. A gorgeous gluten-free peach plum raspberry tart.

Image credits: peaches via FreeDigitalPhotos.net; all others via linked sites above