NYE Style

1.  Embellished Party Dress - Bebe // 2.Fun Garland // 3.Dark Lip - YSL in Prune Avenue // 4. Metallic Clutch - Milly via Nordstrom // 5. Party Pumps - Steve Madden // 6. Statement ring - Kate Spade // 7. Champagne // 8. Cuff - Hermes via The Real Real // 9. Festive Dessert // 10. Sparkley nail palette - Jin Soon via Net-A-Porter

New Years Eve has quickly been becoming one of my favorite holidays simply because it is by far the funnest holiday to dress for.  I love all the sequence and metallic pieces that the night brings on. This is the opportunity of the year to bring out the best - and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I always seem to gravitate towards a form fitting LBD paired with some fun and festive accent pieces made of feathers and sequence; this year is no exception. 

This year I am going with the fringe skirt in my Holiday Party post.  I always love the black and gold look - it's just so classy!  I still have yet to find my accessories, but I am using the above collage as inspiration for the big day.  What are you wearing for New Years Eve?  Do you like to use this opportunity to wear fun items that you can't wear every day? 

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  Enjoy the time with family and friends!  I have really enjoyed reading everyone's holiday posts over the past few weeks.  I loved seeing how the blogging community has really come together during this holiday season.  This has been my first Christmas as a blogger, and I can't wait to see what the next year of blogging brings!

Safe travels to anyone who may be on the road... I know I will be!

Red Velvet Thumbprint Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling

So this week at work I was invited to participate in a holiday cookie exchange!  I was so excited because this was my time to show off my "mad baking skills" - haha!  I scoured Pinterest for something different that I knew no one else would be baking.  I found this recipe for Red Velvet Thumbprint cookies, which I thought would be perfect!  I decided to recreate this recipe and put my own spin on it. 

These cookies turned out fabulously!  They are so festive and bright; perfect for the holiday.  I cannot wait to share them with the rest of my coworkers. They also work great as a small gift for neighbors or friends. 

This recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies - which was just perfect for my cookie exchange!

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cookies
1 1/8 cup of butter (softened)
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tsp of cocoa powder
a pinch of salt
Red food coloring (I used about 10-15 drops)

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Garnish
Melted white chocolate

Directions

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Whip you butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla in a mixing bowl using the paddle attachment of your mixer.  Then, slowly add in your flour followed by the cocoa and salt.  Lastly, add in your desired amount of food coloring.

Roll your dough into balls using about a tablespoon of dough for each one, and set about two inches apart on your cookie sheet.  Press down into the center of each ball with the back of a spoon or your thumb. Bake for about 10 minutes. 

While the cookies are baking, mix all your icing ingredients into a bowl until it becomes a thick, milky texture.  Pull your cookies out of the oven and make a deeper indent in the center of the cookies.  Spoon in your icing, just slightly over flowing your indent in the center of the cookie.  Pop back in the overn and bake again for about 12-14 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let cool.

After the cookies have cooled, melt your white chocolate into a small bowl.  Once it has melted, let it sit for a few minutes so that it is a nice texture for drizzling.  Pour the chocolate into a small plastic bag and cut the tip of a corner just slightly so that you can drizzle a thin line over the cookies.  Lastly, chill the cookies for a couple hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Slow-Roasted Cinnamon Pecans

 

Every Christmas I make a batch of slow-roasted cinnamon pecans to give to co-workers, friends and neighbors.  They are so easy to make and super yummy.  I will make a batch of them and bag them up in cute, little Christmas bags with bows.  I'll keep some in my purse throughout the whole season so I can just hand them off as I go.  Another bonus of these little guys - they make your house smell amazing while making them!   They give off that nostalgic smell of walking though the mall at Christmas time.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of pecans (you can also use almonds)
1 egg white
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
a few dashes of cinnamon
a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice
a dash of cayenne powder (optional)
pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together your egg white and vanilla extract.  In a medium bowl, mix together the sugars, spices and salt.  Next, in a large freezer zip-lock bag, add in your pecans and pour the egg mixture over top.  Close your bag and shake well until all your pecans are coated in the mixture.  Next add in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and shake well until your pecans are evenly coated in the cinnamon sugar.  Spread your pecans onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and pop in the oven.  Bake for about an hour, turning over every 15-20 minutes.  Let cool and enjoy!

Holiday Party Look

 

Holiday parties are right around the corner.  I only have a couple this year, but of course I want to look my best for each one.  One of the best parts of shopping for a fancy holiday look is that you get to load up on sparkles, metallics and fringe, and I did just that for my holiday look.  I purchased this fringe skirt from Express a few weeks ago, and I have been dying to wear it ever since!  I thought it would go great with this metallic top I had in my closet.  I wanted to pair it with a blazer so that the outfit would be sophisticated enough for my holiday work party, so I paired it with this fabulous Loft, leather sleeve blazer.  Lastly, I topped off the look with some fun, sparkly accessories and fun, animal print pumps.  This was by far one of my favorite looks to put together!

Top - Express (similar, similar) // Blazer - Loft (similar) // Skirt - Express (sold out but similar) // Pumps - Moda via DSW // Earrings - Charming Charlie (similar) // Bracelet - Express (similar) // Clutch - DSW

Winter Accessories Edit

Well winter has definitely arrived here in Philadelphia.  It has been so cold lately, and all I want to do it curl up in some comfy clothes with a warm cup of coffee.  One thing I do like about winter is all the cute, chunky accessories.  I like to add in some bright colors, like MAC's Candy Yum Yum lipstick, to liven up the normal dull color pallet of my winter wardrobe.  Jeweled accents always help to top off a great winter look.

1. Top Shop Stole // 2. Forever 21 Beanie // 3. Top Shop Faux Fur headband // 4. Forever 21 Leopard print slippers // 5. Nails Inc. 'Snowflake' nail polish via Nordstrom // 6. 'But first, Coffee' tumbler // 7. Infinity scarf via Nordstrom // 8. Mac 'Candy Yum Yum' lipstick via Nordstrom // 9. H&M Socks // 10. Kate Spade mittons via Lord and Taylor

Top DIY Gifts for Everyone On Your LIst

I love making homemade Christmas gifts.  It makes the gift a little more personal knowing you put time and effort into something that you know they will love and enjoy.  Also, as an added bonus, sometimes you even save some money!  I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite DIY gifts and a link to show you how to make them.  Most of these I have made before and I think they would all make great gifts for someone on your list! 

Your co-workers

 

Cinnamon Pecans - I never want to spend a lot of money on my coworkers, but I do want to give them a little something special. Every year I make a batch of these cinnamon pecans, and they are amazing.  Everyone loves them!  They also make your house smell extra Christmas-y while you are making them! 

Your Dad

 

BBQ Rub - If your Dad is like mine, he is a BBQ master!  He will love this BBQ rub for summer barbeques.  Best part: it lasts forever!

BBQ Sauce -  This tutorial shows you how to make 3 kinds of sauces, make one or all 3!  Accompany them with the BBQ Rub! 
 
Your BFF

Infinity Blanket Scarf - Everyone loves a good blanked scarf.  Your BFF is sure to love your homemade version.  This one looks so easy to make and I definitely plan on making several for my friends and maybe even one for myself!

Statement Necklace - Your BFF will love this necklace.  What I love most about this project is you can change up the beads and colors to match her style! 

Your Mom
  

Patterned coasters - I made these for my mom a couple of years ago and they were so cheap and so easy to make.  All you need are basic square tiles, fun scrapbook paper, modge podge and some felt!

Sugar Scrub - One of my own DIY projects!  I made a bunch of these for Christmas gifts a couple years back and again: super cheap and easy!  Moms love this stuff!
  
The Newleyweds

Mr. & Mrs. mugs -  These are perfect for the newlyweds in your life.  Something small to say you still appreciate them

Your prego friends

Body Butter - With shea butter as the main ingredient in this moisturizing body butter, you can help your pregnant friends prevent stretch marks!
 
Your Boyfriend

Beer basket - Almost all men love beer.  He will love you for putting all his favorite beers in one spot. 

WHAT TO WEAR: Black Friday Edition

Sweater - Topshop // Joggers - Topshop // Slouched Beanie - Under Armour via Nordstrom // Crossbody - Sole Society // Sneakers - Vince via Bergdorf Goodman

Who says you can't be stylish and comfortable at the same time?  This is my motto for Black Friday Shopping.  You want to wear something that will keep you comfortable all day long, while still maintaining that fab style of yours.  Wear basics such as joggers and a sweater.  Make sure to wear flat, comfy and supportive shoes.  I LOVE these Vince sneakers.  They are stylish and comfortable at the same time.  Bet you didn't think that was possible in a shoe!  Pair off the outfit with some of your favorite accessories and you are ready to break the bank on the biggest shopping day of the year!

Faux Fur

Hat - Charming Charlie // Vest - Target // Top - KMart // Necklace - Francesca's (similar) // pave chain bracelet - JCrew // Open front bangle - Bebe (similar) // Jeans - WHBM (similar) // booties - old unknown brand (similar)


I absolutely love all the hues and textures this Fall/Winter has brought.  Between the fringe, leather, sparkles and faux fur, I cannot get enough!  I think one of the best parts is that there are no rules, and you can layer all these pieces together to get one fabulous look!

One of my favorite trends that I have been seeing is the faux fur vest.  I love it because it can be warn in so many different ways.  Once strictly warn only on cold days at the ski lodge, faux fur has become a staple in the wardrobe of the stylish.  I love that girls are getting more "fabulous" and wearing things such as faux fur and sparkles for trips to the grocery store or a Sunday brunch with friends.  I love dressing up, so why not do it whenever you like?  Embrace the textures and creativity!

Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon Review

As some of you may have noticed, I have been a little absent from blogging.  This was because I was in Las Vegas, running my 5th half marathon.  I wouldn't call myself a pro, but this is about my 10th race I have ran in, so I thought I would write a post about my experience and opinion of the race. 

This whole weekend was full of energy.  I arrived in Las Vegas on Friday evening, which is when the weekend really kicked off.  The marathon held a kick off party, which I was unable to attend, and also held the first day of the runner's expo.  The second day of the expo was on Saturday, as well as another runner's event and a 5K night run with a finish line concert performed by Chromeo.  Sunday was the big day.  With over 45,000 participants between the marathon, half marathon, and half of the half race, this was the largest race I have participated in yet.  The evening began with a starting line festival with performances by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. 

 Photo by Ryan Bethke c/o Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas

After the starting line concert, the runners all took off to their appropriate coral (based off of your estimated finish time and overall pace).  At 4:30 PM, as the sun was setting over the strip, the first set of runners took off.  I was in the 9th coral, so I started about 10 minutes after the official start time. 

  Photo by Ryan Bethke c/o Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas

We started off at Mandalay Bay, ran down through Downtown Las Vegas, wrapping around a few residential blocks, and back down the strip, ending at the Mirage.   Throughout the course, we were cheered on by spectators and bands along the way.  There was a great finish line festival, followed by another party at Hakkasan at MGM Grand.

  Photo by Ryan Bethke c/o Rock 'N Roll Las Vegas

Overall it was a great weekend filled with many runner's perks such as discount entertainment, dining and clubbing.  Because it was a flat course, I was able to PR (get a personal best record) finishing the 13.1 miles in 1 hr and 52 minutes (8:34 min/mile overall pace).  It was amazing running along the strip, especially with my two best friends by my side! 

 

Celebrating our hard work after the race

Even though I really did enjoy this race, there were a couple of things I did not like.  Since it was at more of a tourist destination, there were not a lot of spectators.  Some parts of the race were so quite, I almost felt underwhelmed.  I was also a little disappointed with the amount of bands throughout the course.  Normally a Rock 'N Roll marathon has a band almost every mile, but this one only had about 3 or 4 throughout the whole 'half course'.  Also, parts of the course ran through a very ghost-like residential area, which was quite the opposite of parts that were on the strip.

Overall I would give this race an 'A-'.  It was definitely one of the better races that I have run, but there were a few things I think that could still be improved on.  It was very well organized with a lot of runner perks, but at the same time, parts of the race were so dark and quiet, I felt like I was running alone!  I would definitely recommend running it to a beginner, because it is nice and flat accompanied by some great entertainment!

Fringe Affair

If you haven't noticed, fringe accents have been all over the place lately.  You can find it on anything from bags, shoes, jackets, etc.  I couldn't be happier!  I love the texture element that is adds to an otherwise basic outfit.  A couple of years ago I scored this amazing fringe crossbody from H&M for about $10.  I loved it then, and I love it now! 

Purse - H&M (Similar, similar)// Jacket - Express // Destructed Tee - American Eagle (similar) // Boots - Unionbay via Kohls // Jeans - White House Black Market // Bracelet - JCrew // Watch - Kate Spade (sold out, but found it on sale here) // Necklace - Urban Outfitters (similar)

Nordstrom Clearance Sale - My Picks

I love when Nordstrom has sales.  It always gives me the opprotunity to purchase items I have been swooning over for months.  This time, Nordstrom really got me, they had so many great items on sale.  I mean, that pillow above, how cute is that?  And that Kate Spade scarf... how can anyone say no?  Anyway, here are my picks from the sale.  Just as an FYI... it ends November 11th, so get your picks in!

1. Steve Madden Boots - $113 // 2. Vince Jacket - $417 // 3. "Wanna Cuddle?" Pillow - $23 // 4. Vince Cuff - $29 // 5.  Vince Corsette pumps - $225 // 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Petal to the Metal - Percy' Crossbody - $167 // 7. Kate Spade colorblock scarf - $86 // 8. Skagen leather strap watch- $75

Carrie and Big Costume

As promised, I am posting which last minute Halloween costume I decided to go with.  I decided to go with Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City.  I have always loved her character, and to be honest, I really just wanted a reason to buy a tulle skirt! 

The costume was fairly easy.  I purchased a tulle skirt from sears for only $19 on sale.  I made a ribbon belt out of a roll of ribbon purchased from Michaels, and I purchased a $5 tank from H&M.  All the other items I used were things I already had in my closet.  The hardest part was adding mesh under my skirt to give it more volume.  This was a lot harder than I thought, and I wish I would have added more.  Overall I was happy with how the costume came out.  I am sure half of the people had no idea who I was, but at least there were not a million other Carries out there!  I somehow convinced my boyfriend to dress as big by agreeing to let him walk around with a cigar all night.  Hey, you pick your battles, right?

 

Pumpkin Body Scrub

One of my complaints about the dropping temperature is that it makes my skin very dry.  It seems like no matter how much I try to moisturize, my skin is always rough and tight.  One of the things I use to remedy my dry skin is a body scrub.  It not only hydrates your skin, but also exfoliates.  I love going to mom and pop shops to get my body scrub, but a couple years back, I learned how easy it was to make my own at home.  I was amazed at how well it works and how long it lasts. 

Since it is fall and all, I thought I would share a recipe for pumpkin body scrub.  The ingerdients you will need are:

1 cup sugar in the raw
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
About 5-8 dashes of pumpkin pie spice
3-4 dashes of cinnamon
3/4 cup melted coconut oil or almond oil

All you need to do is mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and store in an air-tight container.  Mason jars are perfect!  This recipe made about 13 oz and I put in a 16 oz jar.  I have kept some in a mason jar for about 2 years now, and it is still holding up.

I like to use mine in the shower.  Just rub onto your skin and rinse off.  Your skin will feel heavenly... I promise! The fall scent is pretty awesome too ;-) 

Oh and how can I forget... Happy Halloween!!

Last Minute Halloween Costume Ideas

If you are like me, you are constantly waiting until the last minute for Halloween.  I never know what I want to be.  I hate buying a costume because I refuse to be a "sexy cop" or "hot wonder woman".  I love putting together something creative and different, but I never know what that is!  So this weekend I was running around, as usual, to put together a costume.  I had three ideas in mind, which I thought I would share below.  I chose one of these options - stay tuned to find out which one!  I will post a picture of my outfit next week (assuming all goes well).

Sandra Dee from Grease

Top - Charlotte Russe // Pants - H&M // Moto Jacket - H&M // Belt - H&M // Shoes - Forever21

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City

Top - H&M // Tulle Tutu - Chicwish // Bow Belt (make your own!) // Shoes - 6PM.com

Daisy from The Great Gatsby

Dress - ASOS  // Headwrap - Forever 21 // Shoes - Forever 21 // Necklace - Forever 21 // Clutch - Akira

Fall Accessories Edit

One of the best parts of the cooler weather is layering on the accessories and wearing warm, dark colors.  I normally don't wear a lot of color, so fall is my time to shine with bold, warm colors.  I love a burgandy lip and some statement earrings to finish off any look.  Here are my picks for this season's accessory must-haves:

1. Floppy felt hat- I love this one from Top Shop.  The color just makes it even more amazing.

2. Over-the-knee boots- These Charles by Charles David boots will be a great pair of go-to boots.

3.  Blanket plaid scarf- Everyone needs a blanket scarf to keep warm this fall, and at $49.90, you can't beat Express' price point.

4.  The Bucket Bag- This bag is so practical, and Forever21 pulls it off beautifully.

5. Art-deco statement earrings- Add a bit of glam to your look with these Baublebar earrings.

6. Burgundy lip- Top it all off with a bold lip.  Mac's Heroine lipstick is a perfect color to add to your fall palette.

Stripes and Flannel

I have to admit, I have always been a little intimidated of mixing prints.  I have seen it look phenomenally gorgeous, but I have also seen it go horribly wrong.  I love when it turns out fabulously, so I figured I would give it a try.  I think the key is to picking patterns that aren't overly bold, and the color palette needs to be just right.

In honor of the cooler temps, I decided to go with a flannel shirt over top stripes.  I paired it with a layering necklace, boyfriend jeans and booties.  Of course, I had to top the look off with my signature top knot.

Flannel Top- Target //  Striped top - Target // Boyfriend Jeans - American Eagle // Booties -  White Mountain Snack Via DSW //  Necklace - Similar