Johnny and I's first time hosting Thanksgiving went off very well. The turkey was moist, the side dishes delish, and we had great company. I've got to say, Johnny and I make a good team. Go us! Although I missed being with the rest of the family this holiday, I still had a fun time laughing, stuffing my face,watching my family play and take video games so seriously, and then stuffing my face again with apple pie.
My mom suprised me a touching and meaningful gift. She passed down her Grandmother's wedding ring to me and I'm still in bliss and so happy. The ring belonged to my Great Grandmother, Lenore. I also have a few of her other jewerly pieces, like this ring. I know that this ring will never leave my finger. A while ago, one of the smaller diamonds fell out so they'll need to be replaced but I love the antique design. I mean after all, the ring is almost 80 years old!
In an effort to stay with my tiny budget this holiday, I've been pretty much couped up at home. No driving around, no silly purchases at Target, no quick stops at McDonald's, just driving only to work and grocery shopping. With no where to go, I haven't had any blog worthy outfits to post, unless you find Minnie Mouse onsies exciting. Yesterday, I was able to get out of the house to do some last minute Thanksgiving shopping. I wore my favorite lace oxblood dress with cream polka dot tights and a few of my favorite bracelets. I'm obsessed with these tights and have been trying to come up with many outfit ideas which will allow me to wear them more often.
Some of the jewelry worn here was from my great grandmother, Lenore. She had fabulous taste and I feel honored to wear some of her pieces. It's my way of continuing her legacy.
Dress- Forever 21 Tights- Forever 21 Bracelets/Earrings-Lenore's and Forever 21
The golden rose bracelet is my favorite, belonged to my great grandmother
My great grandmother's ring
Do you have any cherished pieces from your older relatives?
Thanksgiving is this week! I can't wait to dig in into some yummy stuffing, cranberry, and creamy mashed potatoes with gravy, yum. This year, Johnny and I will be hosting our first Thanksgiving. It will only be the four of us, the smaller the better for the first time. Please wish us luck!
For those traveling for the holiday to see family, friends, or see your In-Laws, it can be stressful finding the perfect outfit. What you wear depends on who you'll be seeing and the atmostphere of the dinner. I've created four completely different looks to accomodate each type of Thanksgiving dinner gathering. I hope you'll find some inspiration in the outfit that's situation best fits yours.
Be prepared: plan the menu early and have all ingredients and supplies ready days before. You can also make a few sidedishes the day before and heat them up before dinner.
Ambiance: play soft music in the background and light a few candles for a festive and beautiful lighting.
Simple: Don't overdo the drinks and sidedish options but keep in mind your guests' allergies and general likes.
Mix and Match: It's OK if the glasses and plates don't match. Honestly, no cares. Everyone is way more into the food.
Seating: Make sure everyone has a place to sit and relax before and after dinner. Try to arrange seating to allow for organic conversations.
Drinks: keep drinks away from the kitchen and into a seperate area that way your guest won't have to enter a busy and crowded kitchen to refill.
Set Up: Have the table all set up before your guest arrive. When dinner starts, you won't have to find an extra spoon or knife for your guest.
Kids: stock up on kid friendly drinks and snacks. Let them have their own mini table and kid friendly area to hang out filled with a couple of board games. Hide all your breakables and valued pieces.
Afterwards: Fresh warm coffee and maybe a fun boardgame is a perfect way to cap off the evening.
For The Guests
Ask if you can bring a side dish, pie, or wine.
It's always polite and the nice to offer to help set up before and clean afterwards.
Please arrive at or after the time the host has announced. Arriving early or too late can throw off the host.
It's also polite to stay at least an hour after dinner unless your travel plans or sleepy children say otherwise.
Sending a thank you card goes a long way and helps the host feel appreciated.
I'm on a huge apple kick right now. Macintosh and Granny Smiths are my favorite varieties, so yummy, healthy, and the perfect snack for autumn. I saw this delish seasonal recipe on Pinterest that includes apples, vanilla ice cream, and caramel. I know I just had to share it with you all! Apple ice cream sundaes are not only pretty to look at but a perfect dessert; each person will get their own apple bowl and it's easy to assemble. I like that you can personalize your own sundae with your favorite toppings like cinnamon, chopped nuts, or sprinkles. Now your dessert can help you get in your daily 5 fruits.
Ingredients
Caramel sauce (you can buy pre-made or whip some up at home, here's a wonderful recipe)
Apples (ones that stand up nicely)
Vanilla bean ice cream
Lemon juice
Chopped nuts (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Wash off the apples and dry with a clean towel.
Cut off the top of the apples and scoop out the inside flesh. Try using a melon baller, a teaspoon should work.
To prevent browning, squeeze a little lemon juice over the apple.
Optional: mix in the ice cream with a pinch of cinnamon.
Fill in the apple with a scoop or two of ice cream.
Drizzle the caramel over the ice cream. If the sauce has harden, gently heat it up again.
Add your favorite toppings like chopped nuts or sprinkles.
Lately my feet, elbows, and hands have been extra dry and honestly, untouchable. I think it's been the change in weather with little moisture in the air or because I've been slacking off on my lotions. Either way, I had enough of the dry feet and turned to my Great Grandmother's secret. This method has been passed down in my family and it really works!
Before you go to bed, take some Vaseline aka pure petroleum jelly and slather it on your hands and feet. Then put on thin cotton gloves and heavy fuzzy socks (the ones that you always get for Christmas) and wear them throughout the night. Repeat for a couple of nights and you'll have soft, smooth, touchable hands and feet. If your elbows are getting rough, apply a small amount and you won't need to cover them up. When you wake up, your hands and feet won't feel sticky or slimy or
oily, just soft. Even your cuticles will become stronger and healthier.
What I love about this idea is that it's very inexpensive and you get fast results. The goo is made from natural oils and healthy ingredients. Lotions don't do the job for me. I found out that almost all lotions contain a large amount of alcohol ingredients which of course dries out the skin. I love this jelly because there is no alcohol.
Other Fabulous Uses
Lipbalm: It's a great lip conditioner that you can apply over night or during the day as a clear chapstick.
Eyelashes: Rubbing a tiny amount will repair and strengthen your lashes which will result in longer and fuller looking lashes
Eyebrows: If your eyebrows are acting out of control, using a small amount will keep your brows groomed and in shape.
Makeup removal: Its natural ingredients allow for easy makeup removal
Makeup: You can mix together pigments and the jelly and create a cream based lipstick, eye shadow, and lip gloss.
Anne Hathaway is brilliant! I want to be her friend and go shopping with her and talk about deep stuff over a cup of hot apple cider (she can have tea or coffee, I won't judge). After watching her host Saturday Night Live for the third time, she has won my heart and I've developed a huge girl crush. She has a wonderful singing voice, great comedic timing, and can play serious raw roles beautifully. Is there anything this girl can't do?
Check out her pipes in her SNL opening monologue. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the vocal talent of the whole cast, especially Jason Sudeikis and Taram Killam. You can tell she had fun and didn't hold back.
Did I mention she's on the cover of Vogue's December issue? She rocks her new short hair do with such confidence and freedom.
All photographs were done by Annie Leibovitz
Here's a sneak peek on what Anne said in her interview with Vogue and Adam Green:
On her new pixie hairstyle, “I love the short-haired lifestyle,” Hathaway tells me with a laugh (she
laughs a lot). “It’s awesome that I was able to go for a hike right
before I came here to meet you, quickly wash my hair, and now it’s dry.”
The only downside, she says, is having to get her hair cut every three
weeks. “But I’m turning 30, and—I hope this isn’t obnoxious to say—I
feel prettier, and much more myself. I guess I just feel much more
satisfied with less now.”
On her big moment in the new movie, "A few weeks before we filmed it, I realized how I was going to have to
sing it, and that it wasn’t going to be pretty,” Hathaway says. “First
of all, it could never have compared with Patti LuPone or Lea
Salonga”—both of whom have played Fantine onstage—“or even my mom,
really: powerful singers with big, beautiful voices. I knew I couldn’t
offer that, but I also knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. If I went for
sounding beautiful while looking like this tragic wreck, it would be
ridiculous. And I saw an opportunity, because of the nature of film, to
just go for it and let it be alive and present and raw.”
On her career now, “I’d feel a little silly and overly dramatic to say that this feels like
destiny,” she says. “But to have this come full circle in such a
spectacular way—it’s making me very happy.” She thinks about it for a
moment and laughs. “OK, it feels a little like destiny.”
I can't wait until Les Miserables comes out in theatres (on December 25). Anne plays Fantine, a struggling mother and prostitue who has TB. The previews has given me chills and my inner musical geek is super excited to see such a well executed musical out on the big screen.
So, Anne, if you're reading this, Hi, I love you and your work, let's have coffee drinks and share secrets while brushing each other's hair?
In October I announced my four nominees for the Liebster Award. Liebster is German for favorite, and the award is given to an up and coming blogger, with less than 200 followers, who deserve attention and recognition for their fabulous blog. I'm proud to announce that the beautiful Shubana Koss of Love, Shushu is this year's winner! Her stylish outfit posts, genuine writing, and cute as a button English Bulldog, Romeo, have won me over and I know will win you over too.
In my dreams, I'd have all of them. I've always been into the sparkle and glitter so now that the holiday season is upon us, I'm into them even more, if that's even possible. The purple and reds are rich and dramatic colors I crave. Isn't the iPhone case cute or what? I love the vintage floral pattern, it's too adorable. I wrote about Prada's Candy perfume here and it's been on my wish list since then. The animal print belt has been something I've wanted to try. I'm not a huge animal print fan, too much reminds me of Jersey Shore but a touch here and there is exciting.
My go to dress is a typical vintage/quirky style knee length but I have my eye on another. There's something sexy and breathtaking about a black long sleeve, longer length dress and a black long sleeve, knee length turtleneck dress. My next dress purchase will probably be a black knee length turtleneck dress. It's a versatile piece that can be worn from day to night and to any season. I can't wait to get my hands on one soon! I've created three looks, one day and two night, based on how I would style them given the chance. Thoughts?
Isn't this dress magical or what? See how less is more? With these fabulous dresses, less skin is shown and the women look absolutely stunning. Black is an universally flattering color and the cut will hug you in all the right places. You can don knee high boots or sexy heels and have an infinite number of color and accessory combinations. This is why these dresses are my favorite of the moment!
I'm a huge cookie lover. I'd like to refer to myself as 'The Cookie Monster" because I'm not one to share my treats, sorry ain't going to happen. Last week I tried Fifteen Spatulas' The One and Only Christmas Sugar Cookies recipe for Halloween and the title doesn't lie. I made a whole bunch so there were still some left over after a few days and guess what? The cookies were still soft and delicious!
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 extra large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
7.5 oz all purpose flour (1.5 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt (1/4 tsp)
Instructions
Cream
together the butter and sugar with a mixer. Add the egg, vanilla
extract, and almond extract, and beat until blended.
In
a bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the
flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar and beat just until the
flour disappears. Scrape the dough out into plastic wrap. The dough
may look slightly crumbly, but it should come together well as you shape
it into a disk. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Flour
your counter top, and roll the dough out to the desired thickness (I do
somewhere between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch thick). Cut the dough with your
cutters and place on your baking sheet (no need to grease the pan or
use parchment if you don't want to). Refrigerate for 25 minutes, and
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 10 minutes until very faintly golden brown on the edges. Cool on a wire rack completely before decorating.
For frosting, you can mix together confectioner’s sugar, water or milk, splash of vanilla, and a little food coloring. I just eyeballed the measurements based on the desired thickness.
What I've learned about how the cookies came out so good: the butter must be at room temperature (don't know why but it makes a hell of a difference). Mix the dough only until the flour is gone, if you over mix, the cookie becomes tough and hard. "Aging" or refrigerating dough also is a big help because it allows for the ingredients to really blend together and interact well.
Coat season is upon us and I'm sure there are some of you who are dreading its arrival. It's a tricky situation when you want to stay warm without looking unshapely and blob like. Every woman's body is beautiful and we need our warm, breathable, and wind protected coats to show us off! Each coat picked out by me is $250 and under. By shopping for our body types we can be feel good and warm about the next few frigid months.
BODY TYPES
Athletic(Slim, straight shape)
A belt and clean lines will help define your waist and add curves. A belted peplum and a double breasted option will be magical.
Hourglass(Tapered waist, bust and hips are almost equal size)
Go for a bright coat that flatters, not flattens your assets. Try a single-breasted option with a skirted bottom and a thick belt to show off your waistline.
Apple Shape(Thicker mid section, broader shoulders than hips, slim legs )
A coat that doesn't cling to your bigger measurements works best. Look for a coat with a A-line design and fun embellishments near the top.
A straight shape coat with either a big statement collar or dramatic decolletage will draw eyes to your top half while balancing your gorgeous bottom curves.
A hip length coat like a blazer style is super flattering and will elongate your torso. Try a coat with an above of the waist toggles and buttons. The more space between them the longer you'll appear.
Broad Shoulders
Softer oversized lapels are more comfortable and graceful. Oversized sleeves or cocoon shaped coats with wider sleeves are the trend this season and will work wonders for you!
Color - Avoid predictable colors like black or gray.Try branching to a gorgeous emerald green, cream, oxblood or your favorite color.
Accessorize - Wearing matching undies and bra is usually a happy accident but maybe we can make our accessories match on purpose? Invest in two sets of accessories to match your coat. I define an outerwear accessory set as: umbrella, gloves, scarf, and boot.
Small Spaces, Biggest Chill - Walk outside and after a few minutes the chilly air will find its way to reach your body through the small gaps of your coat via your neck, arm openings, and the gaps between buttons. Keep this in mind when shopping. Make sure all of the small gaps can be closed if possible.
KISS - Keep it simple stupid sweetie. Coats with buttons,
zippers, and belts can be a hassle to take off and on, especially if you're in
a hurry. Speaking from experience, it's a pain in the ass when I'm rushed
outside and am still trying to zip out my coat before the cold slaps my body.
