Everyone rejoices when the Pumpkin Latte hits Starbucks – but who wants to venture out every morning for it? Or spend that much? Well, I’ve been doing a little testing with my cousin (she’s mildly obsessed with it) and after testing out a few different recipes we finally decided on a winner. I have to say, it’s a thousand times better homemade than at your local coffee shop. Plus, once you make the milk, it lasts you at least a week . . . that is if you don’t drink it all first. It’s addicting! So kick back in your pajamas a while longer in the morning because you’ll no longer have to get dressed for your Pumpkin Spiced Latte fix. Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ingredients For the Pumpkin Spice Base: – 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or real) – 3/4 cup light brown sugar – 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon – 1 tablespoon vanilla extract – 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg For the Pumpkin Spice Latte: – 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Spice Base – 1 cup 2% milk (you can use soy or almond milk as well) – 1 shot of espresso or brewed coffee (about 4 ounces) Directions To Make the Pumpkin Spice Base: 1. Mix all of the base ingredients together until it has an even consistency. 2. Put Pumpkin Spice Base into a jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To Make a Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte: 1. Make one shot of espresso or brew coffee (about 4 ounces) and pour into your favorite coffee cup. 2. Stir the Pumpkin Spice Base and the milk together in a saucepan until it has a smooth consistency. Heat over medium high heat until the mixture is steaming hot. 3. Pour the hot milk into the espresso or coffee. Top with steamed milk and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Enjoy! Photo by Caitlin Flemming #entertaining #cooking

This fall I was fortunate to work with Taylor Sterling, the founder of Glitter Guide, on her baby’s nursery. She came to me asking for help creating a room that could be used as the nursery, her office and have ample storage. Working on nurseries and kid’s rooms are always a highlight of the job because it’s a time for me to have fun and create a playful space. After a few months of working together on color schemes, picking out art, accessories, bedding and furniture, the end result evolved into this perfect room for baby Elodie. A huge thank you to Taylor for working with me on her project and be sure to pop over to Glitter Guide for the full reveal and details on sources. Photography by Emily Scott of Em the Gem #interiors

Morning, friends! This weekend was blissful. It was quite a weekend. I woke up to chilly morning, was able to enjoy a few extra minutes in bed, caught up on a little bit of work and then headed up to Napa for Live in the Vineyard with Bare Minerals. It was definitely a highlight. The Bare Minerals gals were quite the hosts – we enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Thomas, wine tasting, and then an amazing lineup with American Authors, Delta Rae, Jason Derulo, and more! Now I’ve got a little skip in my step from all the songs that keep playing over and over in my head. A few things inspiring me this week – our last print to frame from Jennifer Ament for our artwall, the new Elle Decoration UK I picked up in London, my new Celine wallet, and my Margaret Elizabeth bangles I can’t stop wearing. This week we have some fabulous posts lined up for you – a new Blooms in Season post with Natalie (and a little announcement about a class in SF!), a gorgeous Room Anatomy feature, a recipe you’ll want to make every morning, and more! Also, I wanted to remind all of you to enter the Fall Essentials giveaway if you haven’t already. It’s definitely one you don’t want to miss, and it ends Thursday! Hope you’re all having a lovely start to this new month! Photo by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

After an incredible trip to Marrakech and London I’m flying home today. Going to new places in the world is always inspiring – from the architecture, to the street food, to the people. I hope you’ve been able to follow along on instagram. If you haven’t, stay tuned because I can’t wait to share my trip details with you in the coming weeks. As for this week there is a lot in store. It begins with an amazing giveaway launches tomorrow (I wish I could win!). I hope all of you have a fabulous start to your week! Photo by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

This month Natalie and I were inspired by fall and thought it would be fun to mix together blooms that remind us of warmer days from September, but arrange them with fall foliage. This arrangement in my opinion is the epitome of fall – the colors and use of leaves make me hope that I can recreate this for a fall dinner party or for Thanksgiving. Natalie hit it out of the park again this month. Read on to find out her inspiration and tips behind this month’s stunning arrangement. What was your inspiration for this arrangement? October is my favorite month so I wanted to do something that felt autumnal but wasn’t overly orange and too expected. I used liquid amber leaves which have a beautiful shape and color right now. I let those be my main inspiration and then used the last of the season Sonoma roses and dahlias. What kind of flowers did you use in this month? – liquid amber – jensenia – pepper berry – “Charles Austin” garden rose – scabiosa – dahlia What is the little berry you used? That is pepper berry (as in pepper corn)! I love the shape and the way it drapes over the vase. I love the low shallow concrete vase you used. Do you have any tips for working in a vase this shape? It is important to put the stems in the vase in a grid formation to create a woven base that will support the flowers and encourage them not to flop outwards. Start with the thickets branches and place them at a 45 degree angle and cross them. Continue placing all the stems in that way, rather than putting them in straight up and down. Thanks Natalie for another stunning arrangement! I definitely know what I’ll be putting on my Thanksgiving table this year. If you want to see more of Natalie’s work, pop over to her new re-designed site. It’s beautiful! If you’ve missed our past feature click here and check back next months feature. Flowers by Natalie Bowen Designs // Photos by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

After an amazing weekend in London I’m ready to embark on my journey to Marrakech today. My best friend Amy showed me a rather good time in London this weekend. We went to delicious restaurants, walked through Chelsea and Notting Hill, did a little antiquing in Portobello road and met up with Will, Alaina and Danielle (of The Everygirl) for lunch. It was quite serendipitous that all of us were in London together. I’m excited to be back here next weekend to see a few things I didn’t have a chance to on this leg of the trip. This week we have some exciting posts – a brand new Blooms in Season post that will bound to inspire you to have a fall dinner party, a new four favorites of London style I’ve seen on the streets, and a Room Anatomy post a reader submitted. Check back each day so you don’t miss out! I’ll be posting regular updates about my trip on Instagram, so if you want to see my journey be sure to follow me! Have a wonderful and inspiring week everyone. Photo by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

Since the Cuyana doors opened here in San Francisco I’ve followed their journey. Their mission is incredible. They celebrate a life filled with fewer, better things. I have to say, I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity and their items stand for that. Their pieces have become staples in women’s closet around the world. Their leather Perfect Tote can be monogramed and has quickly become a favorite among San Franciscans. The fact that you can throw everything you need for one day inside makes it the best carryall. Cuyana quickly realized they were producing staples that woman love and adore. This fall they began the Namesake Collection, They are starting with their bestselling piece – the alpaca infinity scarf that is named after Elizabeth Buendia de Gallardo, co-founder Karla’s mother, who passed away when Karla was twelve. Elizabeth philosophy has been the core of Cuyana’s mission of “fewer, better things.” Because Elizabeth embodied this mission so dearly, the Cuyana team thought she was the perfect person to name the infinity scarf after. The Cuyana team hosted a beautiful dinner with San Francisco tastemakers to celebrate the launch of the Elizabeth alpaca infinity scarf and the launch of the Love My Perfect campaign. When they asked me to design the table I wanted to embody what I thought Karla’s mom would love to see – an elegant, vintage and warm table. We sourced the dinnerware, flatware and vases from Frances Lane – my new go-to for beautiful vintage tabletop items. These set the tone for the rest of the tablescape. We wanted to keep it clean and elegant. We designed a beautiful menu along with a card that had instagrams that inspired by each tastemaker and guest with an instagram that they had taken. That way guests could have a fun activity to get to know each other and see what the campaign was all about. They asked all of us to come with an item they find perfect in their closet – mine was my watch. I’ve never thought about replacing it and it’s a staple that I’ll have for the rest of my life – I definitely consider it my My Perfect item. It was a magical evening filled with joy, laughter and a perfect it was the perfect setting to meet new friends. Now go onto your instagram account to join the contest and have the next My Perfect product from The Namesake Collection named after you! Share your perfect moments, memories, products with us via Instagram photos, and tag them #LoveMyPerfect and #Cuyana. I’m excited to see who will win this amazing contest! Photos by Manatsawee Manut Baupet for Cuyana #entertaining

Happy Monday! After a weekend of unplugging and enjoying quality time away from my computer, I’m excited for this week to begin. On Friday I’m departing for an epic trip to London and Marrakech. I can’t wait to board that flight and be on my way to a country I have had on my travel wish list for a long, long time. Last week my aunt gave me this book with stunning photos of Morocco and it only got me even more giddy about the trip. It’s definitely going to be sensory overload when I arrive. This week will be quite hectic prepping for my trip but with the journey on the end of this week I’m happy to do whatever it takes to get everything done. If you have any tips of things to see, places to eat or shops I need to go to in both London or Marrakech please let me know! I hope all of you have a productive week as well! Photo by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle

When I first met Meg from Margaret Elizabeth four years ago we had tons in common. One major connection was trying to brainstorm how both of us could follow our dreams and take that leap into having our own businesses. We’d meet for lunches every month to discuss our plans, dreams and exit strategies. Now, both of us are on our own and we haven’t looked back. It’s amazing how your dreams can turn into a reality. That’s why today I’m honored to have her here today sharing her brand new workspace – it’s a beautiful shop here in San Francisco on Union Street. Her jewelry can be found across the country at tops stores, but seeing it all together in her new brick and mortar shop feels like a girls dream jewelry box. I’m so proud of how Meg has built her business from her dorm room to now. She has successfully shown that following your gut and passion while staying true to her own style can build a brand women love and wear on a daily basis. Read on for wonderful interview with the every so lovely Meg. Tell us about Margaret Elizabeth Jewelry. Margaret Elizabeth is wearable jewelry for the every woman. We aim to design pieces that are simple but chic…classic with a modern twist. You worked at Google before deciding to take the leap and go full-time Margaret Elizabeth. Was it a hard decision to make? It was a hard decision. It’s scary going from something so safe and corporate to something that doesn’t have much structure around it. I knew it was the right decision, but it’s nerve wracking taking the leap, becoming your own boss, and leaving something so secure. I love what I’m doing now and can’t imagine it any other way. What inspires the pieces you design? I’m so inspired by the sea, traveling, the intermix of unexpected shapes and textures, and the amazing stones we use in our pieces. I love that travel plays a key role in your inspiration. When you travel where do you look for inspiration? Travel is probably my greatest source of inspiration. I love seeing the way things are done in other cultures – the way women dress, the role of certain objects and stylistic elements in home decor or customs. One of my favorite things about visiting other countries is taking in the colors of the place. Those colors often spill into my collections. If you could pick one or a few Margaret Elizabeth essentials that you couldn’t live without, what would they be? I love my Mira earrings and emerald cluster ring. I wear the ring almost every day and the Mira’s have become my go-to earring! Let’s talk about your new workspace – you must be thrilled to have grown so much to have a brick and mortar on Union Street. What inspired you when dreaming up the space? It has been so much fun designing and settling into our new space! I fell in love with how bright the studio is. We have this giant skylight that lets in the most lovely, warm light every day. I wanted it to feel bright, airy and crisp. The studio is just one big open room, which made hiding all of our back inventory and shipping supplies tricky. We ended up sectioning off the back corner with linen drapes, which has created a nice separation. Did you always dream of having your own store? I have! I’ve always thought it would be so much fun to have a space to sell our pieces and meet our customers. It’s been amazing getting to see the women who wear our jewelry on a daily basis! Totally beats meeting them via email. I know you’ve just opened the store but what’s next for Margaret Elizabeth? Any collaborations? New stores we can find you in? We have so much in the works! We’re working on a few fun collaborations that we have to stay hush-hush on for now – but we will be sure to let you know when we can! We’re also going to be starting a monthly event series with other local designers. We’ve got a flower arranging class coming up in November with Sacramento Street’s “Blooms in Season” contributor, Natalie Bowen that I think is going to be a blast! One last note, if you could give a piece of advice to others starting their own business or jewelry line what would it be? It sounds so cliché, but I think if you follow your passion and do what you love, great things will happen. My biggest piece of advice would be to stay true to yourself and your aesthetic. A HUGE thank you to Meg for letting us tour her workspace today. It’s quite an inspiration for all of our own offices! Photos by Caitlin Flemming #lifestyle #interiors

This past June Jessica and I had the pleasure of working with Project Bly on another beautiful look book. This time we worked with a collection from Bukhara, Uzbekistan. From the moment I saw the collection I knew this look book would be special – filled with vibrant suzani textiles, rugs and ceramics that makes your heart melt with all the detailing. This was yet another fun collaboration with this company. Be sure to pop over to Project Bly to see the entire look book. Images: Jessica Comingore / Styling: Caitlin Flemming #interiors